Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
…
Tock.
3:30 A.M.
The broken clock on her wall was amazingly annoying at night, Tooth decided.
She clutched a few books against her chest and sat crisscrossed on the old pink bed. Her nerves were twisting and curling like grape vines up branches, and she couldn't help be fidgety. She cracked her knuckles and fingers while naming the bones in her hand, then moved onto her teeth. After a while, she counted the eighteen inches from her head to her heart.
She hadn't been this antsy since her parent's funeral.
Or was it the last time she saw her sisters?
She lost track of time.
…
Tick
Tock.
The last time she saw her sisters were at the housing homes, while they were still dressed in black. Not all of them got separated of course, but Baby Tooth ended up getting alone at the new home she would live in. Tooth wrinkled her nose and started thinking of how Baby Tooth's teeth weren't exactly white but still shined brightly.
…
"When I can, I'll find all of you. We'll be a family again."
…
Tooth shook her head fiercely.
It wasn't time to think of the past.
Not at the moment anyways.
Tooth turned her gaze towards the window, where she saw yellow lights shining down the driveway. She jumped off the bed as quick as she could and grabbed her duffel and purse. Jack cut the engine once he got to the driveway and waved her out, a small reassuring smile gracing his face. Tooth gave a smile back and waved timidly.
She grabbed a small letter from her desk and tip-toed out of her room. She walked past her foster parent's bedroom with a sad smile before rushing down the spiral stairs and rushed by the kitchen to grab a bag from the fridge. She stopped for a moment, and then kissed the card before leaving it neatly on the counter. She ran towards the door and she was out the door in seconds.
"Tooth c'mon!" Jack exclaimed as quietly as he could. The rainbow-haired girl gave a giddy grin before hopping into the old truck. She shoved the duffel down at her feet then turned towards Jack. She gave him one quick peck on the lips for the long road then buckled herself in for the ride.
"Ready?" Jack studied Tooth for a moment, letting her have one last chance to decide whether she wants to stay or not. Tooth grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers. Tooth thought about how stupid the choice might be, how the town will call the two teens crazy, then realized how there was no family or friends waiting for her there. It was all in their hands. She laughed lightly and pushed the thoughts back.
"Start up the engine now before I actually do decide to stay here." Tooth rolled her eyes. Jack gave a small chuckle and started the engine again.
1500 miles will go by fast, Tooth's sure.
...
She's eighteen, he's nineteen, the apartment's run-down and it's not the best for even two people. The car is broken and they frequently need to fix it themselves, plus they're behind on the bills they need to pay. Though being a waitress doesn't exactly pay too much, and being valet doesn't exactly give much either, they find comfort in the new home by themselves.
Some band they don't know is pouring lyrics from the old stereo they bought somewhere on the road a year ago. Jack keeps spinning Tooth around and dipping her low, and she can't help but laugh while he tries to dance. Eventually, he just brings her close to his chest, causing the paint from her tank-top to stain his flannel and he just can't bring himself to care.
'I'm in love with you.' Jack thinks, pressing his lips to the top of her head.
He doesn't even need to tell Tooth. She stood a bit taller on her toes and kissed his jaw, then rested her head against his chest again. She closed her eyes humming the song on the stereo.
"I'm in love with you." Tooth told Jack. Jack flushed a faint pink, and then kissed Tooth's forehead.
...
He's twenty and he's still jittery like he was when he first asked Tooth out when he was fifteen.
Jack ruffled his snow-white hair again and stared at himself in the mirror. He fixed his vest before letting out a groan and fingered the small little box in his pocket. He tilted his head, letting his teeth attack his lips, thinking about asking Tooth.
Was it the right time?
'We've been together for nearly 6 years!'
Were they ready?
'We've been carrying our own lives since we were teens.'
Is Tooth going to say no?
…
It's up to her.
Tooth entered the apartment quietly, wondering if Jack was asleep by then. It was nearly eleven o'clock and he would've past out by then, wanting to get up early in the morning for work (even though he still hated doing that). Tooth set her bag on the counter and went to the bathroom to quickly change into her PJ's. Once she came back out, she heard Jack talking from the bedroom.
"I want to…um…no…"
Tooth raised an eyebrow.
"I am in love with you Tooth. And I want to be by your side four the rest of our lives."
Tooth's eyes widened and rosy color bloomed in her cheeks.
'Yes! Yes!' Tooth exclaimed in her head. She leaned against the wall, and stopped for a moment.
There was still so much to do, like finding new jobs, a better home, and having a wedding would be so much work too. But Tooth did want to marry Jack, she really did. Tooth let a grin take on her face, and then ran into the bedroom and hugged Jack from behind. Jack choked on the air, looking back at her with wide eyes.
"D-Did you-how l-long-?"
"Yes. Okay…um…yes." Tooth interrupted him. Jack froze; did she really just say yes?
"You…will marry me?" Jack asked. Tooth rolled her eyes before grabbing his vest and yanked him down for a kiss. Jack brought up his hand to her cheek and kissed her briefly before pulling back with a bright smile.
"I bought you a ring." Jack pulled out a light green box and opened up the top to reveal a beautiful ring. It was simple, really. A silver band with a yellow diamond in the middle, but Tooth couldn't help but think it was the best ring she ever received.
He slipped the ring on her finger, and drew her in for another kiss.
….
Now Tooth helps run the diner, and Jack's position has changed so he could be close to managing the hotel in two years. They can't help but get jumpy at the fact they made it there through sheer determination.
Tooth examined the rings on her finger and smiled. Their wedding was private with a few friends they had made over the years they lived in the city. That was nearly nine months ago. She was about to turn twenty and still felt like something was missing from the picture.
She didn't realize what she wanted until her friend Ana had called her up at work to tell her she was expecting a baby.
'I'm crazy.' Tooth thought. It was nine months after her marriage with Jack, and to bring a baby in the picture so soon felt rushed. But she wanted a child.
Tooth pulled away from Jack's arm and closed her eyes. Jack sat up off the cushions of the couch and studied her worriedly. Tooth opened her eyes again to reveal her magenta eyes and she started fiddling with her thumbs.
"I want a baby." Tooth blurted out. Jack raised his eyebrows and bit his lips. Tooth flushed a rosy color and hid her face in her hands.
"Maybe I shouldn't have said-"
"It's fine." Jack told her. He slowly picked the hands off her face and kissed her forehead. Tooth smiled a bit and played with his fingers. Jack gave a small chuckle and leaned his forehead against Tooth's.
"I'm glad we're on the same page then." Jack told Tooth. Tooth's eyes widened and Jack gave a grin.
"You mean it? You want to have a baby?" Tooth asked.
"Yes."
"It's another mouth to feed."
"I'm sure."
"We'll need to make room for it."
"We'll be fine."
…..
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
….
Tick.
Eight months later, she's twenty and he's twenty-two, and it's 3:30 in the morning when they start a new life.
"His cheeks are soft like yours."
"He has hair like yours."
"But brown like yours."
"He has your freckles."
"And he has both our eyes."
Jack rubs his thumbs over his son's cheek and stares at the tiny magenta-blue orbs staring back at him. Tooth rubbed a tear away her cheek.
"He's beautiful." Tooth told Jack. She cradled the babe closer to her and pressed a soft kiss on his forehead. Jack rested his head against Tooth's shoulder and let his son grab onto his pinky.
Annan Frost is seven pounds and eighteen inches.
….
Life is short but it's bliss
…
A/N: Don't let me near cliché love songs and near my OTP's tumblr tag I will write a fanfic.
This one-shot is based on 'Eighteen Inches' by Lauren Alaina. I used to listen to her a long time ago and then I rediscovered her and y'know what I just want to fanfic all her songs they're so good.
I really hoped you liked it, and please take a few minutes to listen to the song. It's really cute and goes along with the fic.
*Also Note: This hasn't been looked over by a beta, and I've only looked it over a few times. Excuse me if I problems with my past/present tenses and/or spelling/grammar errors.