"Because me and you sunshine, we're going to have some fun."
It's a plain, boring Tuesday night as Willow is settled down on her small couch, wrapped up in her blanket, with the princess bride playing on her TV. Just as it's about to reach her favorite part, a knock on her door makes her jump, looking over to the clock that reads 9:17. No one should be knocking on her door.
If it was her parents, they would have called before hand. Whoever it is, knocks again, louder this time, and Willow grabs the bat that lays against the wall before walking over to her door, quietly looking through the peephole. She sighs exhaustedly when she sees who's on the other side.
Unlocking the door and opening it, she can't help but scowl, "What do you want, Teller?"
"Ouch." Jax smirks, holding a hand to his chest as he pushes his way in through the door, "That's not a very welcome greeting to a guest."
"It's 9 o clock at night, what are you doing here?"
"Picking you up." Jax flops down on the couch where she was just sitting, looking her over, "Why are you holding a bat?"
"Because a mad man was knocking on my door." She rolls her eyes, placing the bat back against the wall, "Why are you here to pick me up?"
"Because me and you sunshine, we're going to have some fun." He smirks at her, "So come on, go get changed out of your little pony pajamas."
"This is hello kitty." Willow points down to her tank top and shorts set, "And by the way, they were a Christmas present from my grandma. Plus they're soft."
"Go get changed." He gestures to her hallway with his chin, "You got ten minutes, or I'll go pick your outfit."
Willow wants to protest, tell him she's not going anywhere, but if these past few months have taught her anything, it's that Jax Teller never has empty threats. If he says something, he'll do it. So instead, she stomps to her bedroom, leaving the door ajar so she can yell at him, the hallways covers him from seeing anything in the living room anyway.
"And why exactly do I have to go somewhere? I don't want to go anywhere, I want to stay home and watch my movie and go to bed."
"What movie even is this?" Jax frowns at the scene playing in front of him.
"Prince bride." Willow yells as she tugs on her jeans, "you've never seen the princess bride?"
"Never even heard of it." States, making her roll her eyes. Willow steps back into the living room, placing her hoop earrings into her ears as she raises her brow at her, "This good? Where are we going anyway? I'm not spending my night at the clubhouse."
"We're going to White Horse." Jax smiles, standing up from the couch. He can't help but to take in her legs in the right jeans, now knowing what they look like underneath from her shorts she had on. He is just a man after all.
"Why?" Willow frowns, grabbing her purse as Jax opens her apartment door for her. He watches as she locks it, turning to him with a scowl.
"Because we're celebrating."
"Celebrating what?"
"Your birthday." He starts walking towards the stairs, making her follow begrudgingly.
Willow huffs, "My birthday was two months ago."
"And you didn't say anything." Jax shrugs as he gets to his bike, holding out a helmet for her, "So we're celebrating late."
Willow looks at the helmet warily, hesitating. Jax raises his brow, "You've ridden before, right?" He can't imagine Nathan not having taken her for rides.
"Yeah." Willow nods, swallowing, "Just, I've only ever ridden with Nathan."
Jax closes his eyes, because he didn't think of that, "Shit— I'm sorry. Look we can—"
"No, no it's fine." Willow shakes her head, taking the helmet from him and putting it on, "I'm fine."
"You sure?" Jax questions, a serious look on his face, "You don't have to. We can find another way. You can drive your car."
"No, really." Willow smiles up at him, one that's genuine but still holds anxiety behind it, "It— I'm good. I want to."
Truthfully, she didn't know if she really wanted to, but she's been trying to learn how to do things without Nathan. Her mom told her the first step in moving on with life after death is learning how to do the simple things again.
She's finally stopped making so much food when she cooks, having had too many times with too many leftovers. She's also learned to stop checking her phone every night, waiting for a text to come in and say he's on his way home. That one was a bit harder to break.
Really, Willow is doing better than she thought she would four months after her husbands death.
But she's never rode on a motorcycle without Nathan. He was her first ride, and she just always figured he'd be her last. This is something that snuck up on her, having to learn how to do this without him too.
"Are you sure?" Jax questions her one more time, because he wants to make sure she'll be alright. She's been doing a lot better these past couple months, especially after she got her tattoo. Jax thinks getting Nathan's crow was somewhat of a freeing moment for her, like it took some of the weight of his death away. She's been smiling more, talking more. She hasn't been stumbling over present and past terms like she did in the beginning. And most days, she doesn't have the dark bags under her eyes.
"Yeah." Willows takes the hand he offers her, throwing her leg over his bike as she gets in behind him, "Yeah I'm sure."
"Alright." Jax smiles, "Then you better hold on, I only go fast."
"You better not speed with me on your bike, Jackson Teller."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Darlin." Jax smirks, laughing when she tightens her hold around him with a small yelp as he starts up his bike.
———
" You know, bars are not my idea of a fun night." Willow complains, looking around the somewhat busy bar.
"And watching a chick flick alone is?" Jax raises a brow, smirking when she shoots him a glare.
Willow slaps his arm, "It's a classic, thank you. And you can't make fun of me if you've never seen it yourself."
"Mmhmm." Jax hums, leading her over towards one of the back corners, where a table with some chairs are, beside an empty pool table, "Why don't you rack up the balls while I get us a drink."
"I'll take a water." She tells him as he walks away, only for him to shake his head, looking over his shoulder at her, "No way. We're here to have fun, remember?"
Willow rolls her eyes, but didn't say anything, racking up the balls on the pool table and chalking up her stick. When Jax returns, handing her a tall glass with dark liquid in it, she shoots him an unimpressed glare.
"It's Long Island ice tea." He defends, "Basically water."
"To an alcoholic maybe." Willow snorts, but takes a sip of the drink anyway. It's not bad, much better than whiskey and easier to go down.
"You wanna break?" Jax questions as he walks around the pool table.
Willow shrugs before walking over to where the white ball lays, setting up the first shot.
"Need help?" Jax questions with a flirty smirk on his face as he watches her bend over the table to take her shot. She looks up at him, raising a brow before she shoots, breaking the balls without breaking eye contact with him. Two solids end up in pockets and it's her turn to smirk when his face turns to one surprised, "Think I got it."
"Well, shit." Jax laughs with a shake of his head.
———
"You gonna tell me where you learned to kick ass in pool like that?" Jax questions her after three rounds, him losing every one. The girl was a complete ringer.
Willow chuckles, looking around the bar from her seat across from him, "My parents have a pool table in their basement. I grew up learning trick shots from my dad."
Jax nods, studying the girl before him as she studies the bar. She's gotten a lot of her previous shine back, at least from what his mom says, as Jax doesn't really remember her from before. He never bothered to pay attention, but after these months of spending so much time with her, he can't fathom why he didn't notice her. Willow is beautiful, he already knew that, but her calming nature, her wittiness, that bright look in her eyes when she finds something amusing, all of it is entirely addictive, and Jax has become an addict for it. He's found himself calling her a few times while on a run, just so he can have a moment of calm. If anyone has noticed how close he's gotten with the girl, no ones mentioned it.
"How's Wendy?" Willows soft voice brings Jax out of his thoughts, blinking at her question.
His wife just had another overdose, and at this point, Jax is over it. His sympathy for the woman disappeared after the third time, and after this last call from the hospital, he's told them and her to take him off the emergency contact list, "Don't know. Haven't seen since I told them not to call me again."
Willow winces, "Things that bad?"
Jax runs a hand down his face, "Have been for awhile I guess. Don't even know why I married her in the first place."
Willow studies him, "There's no reconciling it?"
"Nah," Jax shakes his head, taking a sip of his beer, "She's promised this time will be different but I've heard it all before. I'm tired of it, ya know? Washing my hands of it. Just want something easy."
"Or someone easy." Willow grimaces, making Jax laugh.
If you would have told Willow a year ago that she would grow to consider Jax Teller a friend, a good friend, even, she would have told you, you were delusional. She would have said the two have nothing in common, but grief, grief works in mysterious ways. Through her own, she's been able to find someone that understands that grief. Someone who acknowledges that it's there and it's not a bad thing.
Most of her perception of who Jax Teller is were squashed the longer she got to know him. Sure, he's a flirty man whore, that's the truth. Willow has reprimanded him time and time again for sleeping with countless women while married, but then he opened up about the marriage, and Willow found herself back up on the scolding. Her experience with marriage was a good one, great even, so she can't relate with his, nor judge him on how he chooses to get through it.
So yes, that rumor maybe true, but he's also incredibly kind, something she didn't think was possible for a man with such a violent reputation. He was also funny, and could match her wit with remarks of his own. It was refreshing.
"That two." He smirks, laughing when she grimaced again.
"I'm surprised your dick hasn't fallen off." Willow shakes her head, "Or that one of those porn stars hasn't ended up pregnant."
"Always gotta wrap it." Jax shrugs and Willow fake gags, making him laugh again.
She shakes her head, a resound sigh falling from her lips, "At least your practicing safe sex." It goes quiet again, before Willow breaks it once more, "So you looking into a divorce? Because if you're really done, you should cut all ties, not just let things be. Neither of you will be able to close the door otherwise."
"Ma contacted the lawyer about it." Jax nods, "Said she'd write up the papers and drop them off."
"Good." Willow nods, "Then you can stop living in sin."
Jax throws his head back laughing, before standing up, finishing his beer and grabbing his coat, willow doing the same, "That ain't ever gonna happen, darlin."
Willow rolls her eyes but can't help a small laugh of her own, "One can only dream, Teller."
Jax ignores her quip, leading her out of the bar with his hand on the small of her back. He ignores the thought that comes quickly of how good it feels to have her close, letting it fade as quick as it came.