Danger Zone

Chapter 30: "Indestructible"

Tom and Jules were snuggling on her couch. He was playing with her hair, while she kept caressing him.
"Tom?"
"Hm?"
"Do you want the hoodie back, by the way?"
"Nope, it's yours. I gave it to you as a gift. Why you're asking? Because we're together now?"
"Yeah, somehow that thought crossed my mind the other day." She sighed happily. Lying in his arms was still her Happy!Place and she enjoyed every single second with him. "I've never told you what happened when I first put it on, right?"
"Not that I am aware of", he muttered.
Jules told him in great detail how she had felt his presence, and him as well. "It was as if I was back in your arms", she added.
"I'm glad", he replied. "I could wear it again, if you want me to. And maybe also add a bit of my aftershave?"
"You'd do that?"
"Absolutely."
"Why are you so goshdarn adorable?" she asked with a smile and kissed him.
"Dunno, am I?"
"Sweetest man I ever met."
They both fell silent for a moment, just lying there, caressing each other and feeling their love.
"Ich liebe dich", Jules mumbled, "and I am fucking glad that I got over myself and let you in."
Tom smiled. "I love you, too, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"You serious?"
"Yep. I know I'll never find someone like you ever again." He looked at her.
"If you're trying to propose to me ..." Jules said and raised an eyebrow.
Tom had to chuckle. "Nah, I think I am done with that. Three times was enough, and as long as we're happily ever after, I am fine with that."
"Good, because I have no intention of ever getting married. You know who had his fair share on that matter."
"You were ...?"
Jules shook her head. "Nope. We had some plans, yes, and as you know it was my first serious long term relationship. And well ... after that, the burnout happened, my recovery, the Sabbatical, my parents died in a car crash, a couple of dates here and there, but never anything serious. I actually was about to give up on that whole topic."
"And then?" he teased her.
"A certain Tom Cruise wanted to hire me, and I ended up not just as his PR, but also as his girlfriend."
He grinned. "You know, even if you're the polar opposite of what I so far have believed in regards to psychiatry, I absolutely admire how you managed to turn your life around. Phoenix for sure."
"I probably had to crash and burn", she said and looked into his green eyes, all the way down to his soul. She licked her lips. "Speaking of Phoenix ... I am still not over the fact that this is how you saved my number."
"I had to. It's you. And as I've said to you the other night – you will always be my Phoenix." He looked at her. "Did I get that right, your parents died in a car crash?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. Some drunk assholes decided to race each other illegally, speeding way too fast, swerved on the wrong lane and hit my parents' car full on. Mom died on the spot, Dad clung on for dear life for a bit, but eventually succumbed, too."
"Sorry to hear that", he muttered. 
"Well, at least those drunkards have to live with the fact that they killed two innocent people with their shenanigans." She snorted. "But really, I do not want to dwell too much on that. I would prefer to continue our adventure, wherever it may lead us to next." 
"I like your attitude", he replied and kissed her passionately.

Jules decided to let the cat out of the bag: "Speaking of adventure ... we're going skydiving tomorrow."
"Nice!" he replied, his eyes sparkling.
Right, and now ...let me up the ante a bit. "I swear, Tom – if you don't kiss me during free fall, you'll sleep on the couch!"
"As if!" he protested with a frown.
"You'll see!" she said, reached behind her, grabbed a cushion and threw it at him: "Pillow fight!"
"Jesus CHRIST! What have I gotten myself into here!?" he cackled and returned the favor.

A couple of minutes later, they were crying with laughter, and Jules looked at him: "How old are we again?"
"Dunno", Tom replied and wiped a tear away. "I just know that whatever this is with us, we're absolutely silly."
"Astronomically silly", she corrected him. "And I love it."

And just when they were about to calm down again from their laughing fits, Nora rolled in. She immediately saw the cushions lying about everywhere and looked at them: "Is ...this what I think it is?"
Jules still giggled, so Tom spoke up: "My sweetheart and I had a pillow fight, yes."
"You guys. Seriously." Nora couldn't stop laughing and shaking her head at the same time. She was talking to two grown ass people, an age gap of 17 years included, one of them being the biggest name in all of Hollywood, the other one her best friend, and yet, they behaved like two teenagers in love. As far as Nora was concerned, she didn't mind it a single bit. On the very contrary – she greatly enjoyed seeing Jules happy and knew her bestie was in the best hands. To think that these two almost wouldn't have made it ...and now look at them!