Do You See Her Face? (A Jess Mariano Fanfiction)

Grinches at Home

"Have you ever considered baking the pie before eating it?" he asked. She'd made him try the apple and pecan filling as well.

"Have you ever considered: bite me?" she retorted flatly, inching the spoon closer to his mouth.

He sighed, shutting his Palahniuk book, borrowed from Ella's collection and covered with their handwriting from high school. Tasting the pie filling, he nodded. Amazing, as it always was. But her perfectionism knew no bounds.

"It's good, Elle. I like the cloves."

"See? The cloves are what make it complete!" she replied in agreement. "My fucking dad never let me add the cloves. Does it need more cinnamon?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Daria," he said emphatically, hoping to convince her, as he shook his head a little. "Just relax. It's just gonna be the five of us. Everyone will love them."

She rolled her eyes, tossing the wooden spoon down on the counter next to them. "You sure you're not just saying that?"

Jess scoffed, bringing his hands to her waist. "I would never."

"Oh, of course not," she replied, feigning agreement with eyebrows raised. She put her arms around his shoulders. "Are you not worried about cooking dinner? How can you not be worried about that?"

"No. Because I've been eating shitty takeout with Chris and Matthew for over a year. Any real food at all is gonna blow their mind," he chuckled. The supplies for the turkey he was making the following day were packed to the brim in the fridge. "Seriously, Stevens. Just relax. We're gonna get to be grinches in the comfort of our own home this year."

His words struck a chord with her. Our own home. Moving into the apartment after the three of them had already lived together for so long, after the three of them had created a business together, she couldn't help feeling like a bit of an interloper. Slowly, very slowly, she was getting comfortable. Playing her records in the mornings, sketching on the couch on her days off, decorating their bedroom with a few of her things. Jess didn't mind. She was the artist. The decor was infinitely better after her intervention. She hadn't felt as though she belonged, actually belonged, in a very long time. In her own home, she was just a reminder of her dead mother. At Lane's, despite how long she had ended up staying there, she was little more than a couch surfer. But, in Philadelphia, she had a place. She had a side of the bed.

Letting a small smile tug at the corners of her lips, she nodded. "That we are, cutie."

He uttered a bashful laugh at the nickname, and she leaned down to kiss him on the lips. They had the place to themselves, and things began to get heated. Ella ended up on Jess's lap, running her hands through his hair as they made out. His hands traveled lower, and she was reminded of hazy afternoons on Luke's couch. When he had first let his fingers slip beneath her skirt. The kitchen timer clicked out the seconds, the smell of apple pie filling the room. Sirens and the other traffic were faint noises in the distance beyond the four walls which enclosed them. Her body lit up with pleasant tingles, warmth in her stomach and her heart. Home. The word echoed in her head once more.

But they were interrupted as Chris, Matthew, and Leo burst through the door, shopping bags nearly spilling from their arms. At the sudden noise of their arrival, Ella pulled away from Jess, their lips breaking apart with a smack! But she didn't bother jumping off his lap. The damage was done; they had definitely seen what was going on.

"Ugh, Jesus, guys!" Chris exclaimed. "Please don't go all From Here to Eternity in the kitchen!"

Ella sighed, hiding her flaming face in Jess's shoulder as his frame shook with laughter. Sure, he was the shy one. But she had always been more sheepish about open PDA. Jess never had a problem with it (Ella remembered well from the days he dated Shane).