ᴀʙsᴇɴᴛɪᴀ | ᴊᴀʏ ʜᴀʟsᴛᴇᴀᴅ

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.

✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ:*

Jay flops down onto the brand-new couch, spreading out his arms and glancing to the side as Avery settles into the cushions with a blissful smile. She arches her brows and hums in question. He lets out a laugh, "I think you actually got both."

"Function and form," she points out, shuffling her body to face him.

"Like me," he smirks. Avery raises an unimpressed brow, biting back the smile threatening to take over. Shrugging, he continues, "I have rugged good looks plus a razor-sharp mind. It's rare, but when it comes together—"

His words are cut off when Avery closes the distance between them, connecting their lips in a soft kiss. Their first kiss in weeks. Since she quit Intelligence and broke up with him, pushing him away no matter how hard he tried to be there for her. Since she came back to save him from Keyes, risking her life for his without a second thought. Since she got clean and became his partner again, slowly letting him in. After a second of surprise, Jay returns the kiss for a few moments before she retreats, and he sits up to chase her lips. His eyes scan her face, lingering on the gentle smile she sends.

Avery offers a simple shrug at the question in his eyes, swallowing back the emotion threatening to spill over the edge, "That was for never giving up on me." After everything she did, every hurtful thing she said, his loyalty never wavered. He licks his lips, lifting a hand to cradle the side of her face. He brushes a wisp of hair away with his thumb, glancing at her mouth before leaning in for another kiss. This one lasts a little longer and weighs heavier with want. When she moves away this time, though, her expression changes. Her eyes are brimming with tears, pain and anger contorting her features. He watches in confusion, brows furrowing at the hurt in her eyes. "If it had been me," Avery manages with a raspy voice, "I never would've given up on you."

With a gasping breath, Jay's eyes fly open as he shoots up in bed. Avery's voice echoes through his head, and he drags a hand down his face to rub the sleep from his eyes. Titling his chin, his eyes land on the empty pillow beside him, grateful that he managed to dodge Hailey's invitation to her place once again. He stumbled through an excuse of being tired and hoped he was at least able to hide that seeing Avery leaving the district with Adam's arm draped over her shoulders was the reason for the complete shift in his demeanor. Nothing has really progressed with his current partner since his former partner returned to his life. He's avoided any deep conversations about their relationship status and stopped things from moving past a few kisses here and there. And even though Hailey told him she understood and it's okay to take things slowly, he can tell her patience is wearing thin. The feelings he has for her are still there – of course they are. But things are complicated now, and the thought of hurting either woman is tearing him up inside.