005: Us

There was a nauseating knot in the pit of her stomach as Natalie McMahon sat on her couch. Her newly adopted Staffordshire Pit Bull mix, Eliza, was cuddled on her lap wrapped in a pink fleece blanket. The puppy was just over eight weeks old and was adjusting to her new home beautifully. The anxiety that Natalie felt seemed to calm slightly as she scratched the pup behind her ears. At any moment, JD Rivera would walk through her door, that devilish glint in his eyes and that swagger which made it seem as though he owned the place. It had been those things and so much more that had caused the redhead to fall for him.

They'd shared a memorable weekend ages ago and had ended with Natalie waking up to an empty bed and what she'd found to be a bruised heart. She spent the following years trying to push him out of her head. She'd almost succeeded in forgetting about him when he showed up as a suggestion to follow on Twitter. She'd tried to resist reaching out to him, but after a bottle of wine– she just didn't have the will power. They reconnected through direct messages and before she knew it, she was headed to Vegas to see him and she'd stayed there ever since. Spending that time with him in person brought all those memories and feelings rushing back. She found herself head over heels in love with him and unable to let herself openly get too wrapped up in him.

She heard the sound of his motorcycle pull into her driveway and she found herself regretting having not made a run to the liquor store. The sounds of the bike died down just as Eliza's ears tried to perk up and she groggily raised her head to look around. "Shhhh, pretty girl." The words came out as she continued to pet the pup.

Before Natalie knew it, her front door was being opened and her eyes settled on the man. "Hi." She said, raising a hand and waving at him. Not only was she still anxious, but her heart was getting ready to pound out of her chest.

"Hey." He shrugged out of his jacket, gently easing the door shut with his boot. "About earlier… wasn't trying to blow you off. I stopped by the bar to pick up my check and the dishwasher was on the fritz again. Next thing I knew I was elbow deep in fixing the damned thing. Was just a clogged hose." He shrugged as he hung up his coat and took off his boots. "I told that stupid kid who works in the kitchen to scrape the damned plates before tossing 'em in. So," he crossed the room to where she sat, leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek, "blame it on french fry goop."

A tired smile crossed her face as she was unable to suppress a laugh. When his lips left her cheek, the spot where they'd been reddened. "It's fine. Next time I see him, I'll smack him in the back of the head."

"There you go. I mean, I'd do it myself but I'd hate to get in the habit of abusing my fellow employees. Have to tell the dumbass little shit that he got my girl all upset for nothing." The words came out casually as he took a seat next to her on the couch, careful not to jostle the sleepy puppy too much.

"Your girl, huh?" She tried to sound as casual as possible, but her heart felt as though it was going to beat out of her chest. "That's a pretty big statement to make." Gently, she moved Eliza to the side of her so the dog was napping on a couch cushion. "Not something you can throw around all willy-nilly."

A rough chuckle came from JD's lips as he shook his head. "Is that what it feels like I'm doing?" The way he said it made it clear the question was rhetorical. The fact that he was here, that he kept making time for her, should have been a clue. The fact that he'd laid down roots here, that he'd actually stayed on after Leah had decided to move on, should have told her everything she needed to know about how much he'd changed since their first encounter and he wondered if she was just asking because she needed to hear the words, or if she actually doubted him.

For the first time in what felt like forever, he didn't feel that wanderlust. He didn't feel that claustrophobic urge making his skin crawl, making him long for the open road and a change in scenery. Going to work at the bar had become something he loved, something he actually looked forward to and the nights that she showed up, were the best ones by far. Realizing that he'd been quiet for too long, he shifted a little, turning towards her with a shrug before pulling an old metal Altoids tin from the pocket of the shirt he had on. "It's been a hell of a day, though. And it feels like maybe you need this as much as I do." He popped the tin open on his knee, showing her that there were a few rolled joints inside, resting on either side of a neon pink cheap plastic lighter that looked like it had come from the dollar store. "If you're not in the mood… I'll just go smoke one outside. Helps clear my mind… works great for aches and pains, too."

It had been years since Natalie had smoked any pot and at the moment, she'd never wanted anything as badly as she wanted a joint. "No need… Just let me put Eliza in the bedroom. Last thing the puppo needs is a contact high." She offered him a smile as she scooped the puppy up and left the room.

Once in the master bedroom there was a crate set-up that she put Eliza in at night. After, she stopped in front of her vanity mirror to fix her hair and make sure that she still looked presentable. She was dressed in a pair of gray pajama shorts and an old oversized sweatshirt she'd had for many years. Slipping it off, she tossed it on the bed, revealing a pink beater style tank top. It was a pre-emptive strike, knowing that between the pot and what they were about to talk about, she was going to get warm. She ran a hand through her red hair and smoothed it back. Okay, she was ready for this.

Before she knew it, she was back in the living room and joining him on her couch. She tucked her knees under her. "I don't even know how long it's been since I last toked up…" She furrowed her brow as she watched him. "Do people still say that? Or did I just date myself?"

JD laughed, shaking his head with amusement. "Honestly? I don't know what kids say. Back in college… Jesus, I think we called it 'blazing up'." He shrugged and slipped one between his lips, pulling out the lighter and sparking the tip. He took a nice long inhale, making sure it was staying lit before passing it to her. "Best stuff comes from BC – easier to get around here."

She repositioned herself and pulled a knee up to her chest, her arms wrapping around it. She took the joint from him and held it for a moment. "I know I got weird on you, earlier." She brought the joint to her lips and took a drag, holding it in. When she exhaled, it was coupled with a cough. "Yeah… it's been awhile." Her words were hoarse and grabbed a bottle of water from the coffee table and took a sip. "I'm sorry about that…"

Taking another long drag, JD let his head fall back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling before exhaling slowly. "Sorry for…" he rolled his head to the side, looking at her as he passed the joint back. "The weird reaction being sent… or the reaction itself? Let's be clear what you're apologizing for before I go on and accept it." There was a hint of a smile on his lips as his fingers grazed hers.

"Ummm, hmm…" She took the joint from him, unable to deny the fact that she was well on her way to a wonderful high. "Maybe all of the above?" She took another drag and had an easier time when she exhaled. "Yeah, let's go with that." She passed the joint back and snuggled into the couch.

"Yeah, sure." He watched her for a few seconds, that half-smile still on his lips before he took another drag, having to re-light because he waited too long. "You know the other night? When you fell asleep?" He chuckled and took another hit before passing it back to her. "I watched you for a while. Could've woken you up, I suppose. Didn't really want to, though. Felt like maybe that was gonna jinx the whole thing – if that's not the silliest thing ever, I don't know what is. But that's how I felt. Like here's this precious angel, falling asleep in my bed like she feels safe enough here to let her guard down, finally… didn't wanna spook you, I guess."

She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been keeping him at arm's length. "You have a comfy bed." Her shoulders went up in a shrug, but then she cursed herself. If they were going to get to another level, she'd have to let him in. "Okay, that's not the whole reason." She took a drag and as she handed the joint over, she moved so that she was leaning against his side. "I like being next to you and I didn't want to leave."

His arm dropped down from the back of the couch to rest on her shoulder as he blew smoke towards the ceiling, stifling a chuckle. "Aw, see? Doesn't it feel good to be honest?" He took the last hit and pinched off the roach between his fingers, dropping it back into the tin that was sitting on the arm of the couch beside him. "Y'know what's nice, though? Having you next to me – not just some warm body and the prospect of making awkward small talk once the deed's done. I'm probably not sayin' that right." He sighed and shook his head. "When I ended up here, I was looking for something… elusive. That damned feeling of peace that's been missing ever since my family got ripped away from me, I guess. That's the truth. That's why I kept moving around so much."

She turned so that her front was pressed against his side, her head in the crook of his arm. "If I'm being honest, guess I kept traveling after we met because I was hoping I'd find you again." If it hadn't been for the weed, she never would have revealed that to him. She'd never really ever admitted that to herself.

"Really?" JD's eyebrow rose as he considered that with a rough chuckle. "Wouldn't that have been freaky? Walk into some shithole town and find me shopping the aisles at the local Piggly Wiggly." He laughed again, holding up the second joint as though asking her permission to light it. When she nodded, he did and took a long hit from it, trying to keep from coughing on the exhale. "See, now I kinda like that thought. What would you have done?" He let that question hang for a second, having a pretty good idea what he'd have done if he'd run into her, at least if it had been anywhere but Mississippi. "Paint me a picture, baby girl… how would that reunion've gone?"

Her whole body had relaxed against his as her arm slid over his stomach. She had the picture in her head of what their reunion would have been like. "I would have casually bumped into you and then acted surprised to see you." She'd played over their imagined reunion in her head numerous times, usually it ended with him following her back to wherever she was staying and then reuniting properly. At the thought of it, her cheeks flushed a deep red, a laugh escaping her lips. "We'd drop our groceries and you'd follow me back to my place. It would turn out just how our first weekend together went."

"Never could keep our hands to ourselves, could we?" He took another drag before finally offering the half-smoked joint to her. He held his breath for a few seconds, picturing that random reunion. "See, I think it'd be more like making out in the middle of the produce aisle. Knocking over a display of fruit and there'd be apples rolling everywhere but neither of us'd give a shit because…" he chuckled, shaking off the image. "Some things just feel right." His hand was warm against her back, sliding down lower as he pulled her in closer.

His hand on her lower back made her skin prickle with goosebumps. She took the joint and took a long drag of it before handing it back to JD. "You feel right." She said it as she sat up so she could be eye level with him. "Everything about you… about us." Leaning in, her lips pressed against his, feeling more confident in their relationship than ever.

When the kiss broke and she pulled back a little, she could see him smiling – grinning, really. He checked the joint in his hand and when he saw it had gone out, he pinched the end to make sure it wasn't still smoldering before dropping it into the tin. "Us." He nodded, "yeah. I like the sound of that."