First Punch ➟ Kellic

F O R T Y T H R E E

I frown, not liking the direction of his spiralling thoughts. I slow down, feeling like I need to look at him properly to see what's going on in his head.

"He's not broken," I argue, not feeling like I've helped him at all. "He might be in a weird place right now, but can you blame him? You two have been through a lot, it's gonna take some time for him to process everything. Everyday he's getting better though, and that's what matters."

"Yeah...maybe," he mumbles, not sounding convinced.

"Not maybe," I try to convince him. "He is. He's not nearly as angry as he used to be, an-"

"Yeah because he's barely a person anymore," he interrupts.

"That's not true!" I argue again, kind of confused by this pessimistic version of Jake. He's usually the positive one in our relationship. "He's hurting right now, and honestly...it's a good thing. He's feeling things, and I think he was on autopilot for so long that everything's catching up to him. But he's recovering more and more everyday."

Jake doesn't say anything and simply looks at me concernedly. I brush my thumb over his before dropping his hand, wrapping my arms around him and pulling myself in for a hug. Jake sighs, holding me even tighter against him.

"He's gonna be okay," I repeat. "We just have to keep supporting him the best we can."

"Okay," he mumbles in response.

He still doesn't seem very hopeful and it's only concerning me more. I don't know how to make him feel better. I don't know Lucas well enough to help him either. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to be here for them?

"Are you gonna be okay?" I wonder.

Jake sighs, not answering for a moment. "As long as I have you...I'll be fine," he finally replies. "You're everything to me, Coop. When I thought-" his voice cuts out and I can't hold in my tears anymore. "I thought I didn't have you anymore...I didn't..." He stops mid sentence and sniffles, his body shaking.

"I know," I assure, not needing him to say any more. "I'm so sorry I ruined things. I owe you everything, Jake. I love you so much," I remind him, tightening my grip.

"I love you more," he whispers, his voice shaking and I feel wet drops hit my neck. He's still crying and it breaks my fucking heart.

I'm completely out of ideas. I just have to be here for him the best I can and hope that it's enough to keep their broken family in tact.

I kiss along his shoulder and up his neck before burying myself in it. I know that it's gonna be rough for a while, but I need us to make it through this. I need everyone to be okay. We've all had hard lives, so no one can lose anything else or I think we'd fall apart.

We stand there in a tight, silent hug for a long time. Jake's still calming down, and I'm not complaining; I like being the one to comfort him. I keep running my hand up and down his back, and Jake's grip gradually loosens. He begins swaying slightly, his hands starting to slide lower.

"D'you wanna dance with me?" he asks, his voice just above a whisper.

I smile, feeling like I'm starting to see his personality shine through again. "Always," I reply.

I pull back a little to look at him, trying not to show my concern at the sight of his red eyes. He smiles back at me, leaning in and catching my lips with his. My mood completely flips at the action. Once again my stomach fills with butterflies, my skin going hot and tingly. I'm still surprised every time he kisses me. It always feels so surreal.

We pull away after only a short moment, beaming at each other. He makes me so happy, it's insane. I owe everything to him. I don't know where I'd be today if he hadn't attacked me all those months ago.

We stay silent, simply looking at each other happily as Jake starts swaying slightly faster. I can already tell that his mood has brightened, and when he pulls my arm from around him, interlocking our fingers in a more joking stance, it's only confirmed.

I laugh, as per usual, my mood soaring from his always comedic antics. I'm just so in love with him. He makes everything so much better...even the bad moments.

Jake laughs along with me, giving me even more butterflies at the delightful sound. He kisses my cheek, jokingly skipping us down the sidewalk and making me laugh so hard I can barely breathe.

He chuckles, calming down a little, and kissing me once more before we break apart. He seems to have calmed down now, and turns back in the direction of the motel. I can't stop looking at him with a massive smile on my face. I hold his hand, loving the feeling of being openly together in public.

"I can't wait to get out of this city and spend the rest of my life with you," I decide to admit, for once feeling so excited about what the future holds.

Jake looks happier than I've ever seen him look, and after the way the night started, I couldn't be more ecstatic about that fact.

"I put a ring on your ass, so you're mine for good," he replies, winking at me.

I chuckle, rolling my eyes. He's not wrong though. I look down at the ring on my index finger, dropping Jake's hand for a second. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to marry him. Now that Lucas knows about us...I don't know why I'm still camouflaging that. I gently slide the diamond-coated band off, moving it over and sliding it onto my ring finger. I smile down at it, feeling so much disbelief. I never thought I would see a ring there.

I look over at Jake, his gaze still glued to the ring with a big grin on his face. "Can't get rid of me now," I joke.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he replies, leaning in and capturing my lips with his.

When we get back to the room, Jake immediately strips and collapses onto our bed. I chuckle, feeling this immense happiness fall over me. I sigh, beyond ready to join him, but I have to piss first. I rush into the bathroom, trying to be as fast as possible. When I'm done, I flick the water from my hands before heading back into the main room. I undo my jeans, about to pull them off when I hear voices. At first I ignore it, but they seem to be getting closer and my curiosity gets the best of me.

I wander over to the window, peaking through the curtains in search of the source. As my gaze lands on the noise-makers, all the moisture leaves my body, my veins drying up. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest, my head pounding as my thoughts scramble.

"Jake," my nervous, shaking voice calls out. He just groans, already half asleep and not sensing my urgency. "Jake," I repeat, backing away from the window. I trip over Lucas's bag as I make my over to our bed, lightly shaking him.

"What?" he whines, sounding tired.

"Do you...um...do you have your gun?" I ask, my thoughts bouncing around so quickly I can't remember how to string a sentence together.

Jake finally looks at me properly, propping himself up on his elbows. "What?" he repeats, looking confused.

"Did you bring your gun?" I reiterate, rushing around the room in search of weapons. My hands start to shake and my mind goes foggy as the fear overrides all thought. This is bad. This is really, really bad.