A/N: Merry Christmas weirdos! I hope you guys have had a great holiday break! I got a new laptop, so my other files aren't on this one yet, so bear with me a bit. I've been doing some thinking. This will be the last chapter of this story, but fear not! I'll start something new. I'll probably wrap up What's So Good About Perfection too. I've just lost interest in it. I'll start brainstorming for not as long multichapter ideas though! It's going to get pretty hectic with rehearsals for Cabaret starting in January which is why I don't want to be stuck with a crazy big story. I hope you see where I'm coming from. If not, PM me.
Chapter 6
"I wish you could have stayed, Aubs. I miss you so much." Jesse told her. It was one of their typical phone calls before they went to sleep once was Rosie was out.
"I know, Jess. I miss you so much, too." Aubrey assured him as she crawled under her blankets to escape the cold. It was finally snowing in New York. As much as Aubrey loved New York, she hated how cold it got in her apartment. She was constantly having to wear fuzzy socks and hoodies.
"What are you doing?" he asked innocently.
"I'm getting into bed."
"Oh. Yeah, it's getting kind of late, I suppose." he mumbled into the speaker.
"Hey, don't worry! I'm not going anywhere quite yet." she assured him.
She could hear Jesse laughing on the line. God, his laugh. Aubrey could feel the knots forming in her stomach as she listened to him carry on.
"So...what are you doing for Christmas?" he finally asked her.
Aubrey grew quiet. She knew he wouldn't like her answer, but there wasn't really a way around it. "I, um, I have to work." she mumbled quietly.
"You what?!" he practically shouted. "But it's Christmas!"
"I know Jess, but I have to go in on the 24th and the 26th, so it's pointless for me to go somewhere.
"You can't just take off?" Aubrey could hear the disappointment in his voice, and it broke her heart.
"I wish I could Jesse, but I took off that week for Thanksgiving to see you." she explained to him.
"That's not how you're supposed to spend Christmas, Aubrey. You should be with your family or friends."
"It's been like this for the past few years, Jess. It just hasn't been a problem until now."
"Well, can you at least promise to FaceTime me so I can see your beautiful face?"
Aubrey smiled like a little girl as she felt the color run to her cheeks. "I can do that." she promised.
"I hate knowing that you're going to be all alone on Christmas Day."
"As long as I can hear your voice, I think I can manage." she giggled.
"I think we can arrange for that to happen." Aubrey could practically hear his smirk through the line.
"As much as I hate doing this, I really need to get some sleep, Jesse." Aubrey sighed, turning over on her side and resting her phone against her face.
"I understand, Aubs. Get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Okay. Tomorrow." Aubrey giggled sleepily.
"Sweet dreams, sweetheart."
There he goes again, calling her things like that. She loves it, but she hates what it does to her.
*Christmas Eve*
Aubrey was finally home after one long day at work. She just wanted take a hot bath and crawl into bed and go to sleep. She hated not being able to see her parents again. But she didn't mind that as much as not being able to see Jesse again. She was definitely bitten by the love bug. She couldn't deny it.
Aubrey started the hot water in the tub. She went and grabbed a book and her phone, just in case Jesse called. She just needed a break from the rest of the world for a bit.
Her phone rang just as her book was getting interested. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Impeccable timing, Swanson." she thought. She set her book on the ground next to the tub and reached over for her phone. A smile appeared on her face as she saw Jesse's name and dorky face on her screen. She quickly answered before it finished ringing all the way through.
"Hey Jesse!" she said in a singsong voice.
"Hey Sweetie! How was your day?" he asked, just like he does every other day.
"Stressful. I'm glad it's over." she admitted, resting her neck against the back edge of the tub.
"I'm sorry, Aubs. You should relax tonight."
"I am, don't worry. I'm currently in bath mode." she laughed softly.
"Oh. Do you just want to call me back later?" he asked, genuinely not wanting to disturb her.
"No, no! It's alright, I promise!" she assured him, a smile forming along the corners of her mouth. "How was your day?"
"It was a little long, but it's better now!"
"That's good! What are you doing tonight?"
"Oh nothing much. I'm thinking of dropping by a friend's place for a bit."
"Sounds fun! What about Rosie? How's she?"
"She's great! She's at my parents right now. They always love having her over for Christmas."
"That's nice. Give the little kiddo a big hug and kiss for me."
"I will, Aubs." he assured her. "How's your bath?"
"Relaxing." Aubrey giggled. She knew Jesse was worried about her stress level.
Aubrey heard a faint sound in the distance. She turned her head towards the bathroom door that was halfway open. It's not like anyone else was there. "Hold on, Jesse. I think someone's knocking on my door." she said, cueing him to shut up. She heard the light sound again, three small knocks. "Yeah, someone is definitely at my door." Aubrey groaned.
"Maybe you should answer it." Jesse said calmly.
"Nah. They'll go away eventually." she muttered, settling back into her hot bath.
"What if it's important, Aubs?" he asked with worry in his voice.
"I'm sure it's nothing, Jess."
"What if somebody's dying or there's a fire?" he asked her.
"Would it make you feel better if I answered the door?" Aubrey sighed, knowing he wouldn't lose this.
"Yes." he said quietly. "I'll stay on the line."
"Alright. Give me a second. I have to dry off." she mumbled, reaching for her towel and bathrobe. Aubrey dried off and drained the tub. She tied her bathrobe around her little body and made her way to her apartment door.
"Okay, I'm walking to the door." she mumbled jokingly as she scuffled across her apartment.
"Hopefully they haven't died yet." he teased.
Aubrey rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see her. "Okay, I'm about to open the door." she mumbled. "I feel really silly just in my bathrobe."
"I'm sure you're adorable." Jesse flirted via phone. Aubrey loves when he says things that make her feel special.
Aubrey unlocked her door and opened it a tiny bit, but she couldn't see anyone yet. She opened it more and peeked her head out into the hall. As soon as he saw, Aubrey's stomach tensed, and she couldn't move at all. She wasn't entirely sure if it was real or one really messed up dream.
"I was right. You're pretty damn adorable." Jesse winked, leaning against her doorframe.
"I...J...what...I can't...what are you doing here?" she somehow managed to finally choke out.
Jesse stared at her and pursed his lips slightly. "Ya know, I was expecting a little more from you, Posen." he smirked. "Maybe like a kiss. A hug at least." he added with a small shrug.
Once it finally clicked in Aubrey's mind, she pretty much attacked him. Aubrey wrapped her arms over his shoulders and pressed her lips against his. Jesse picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, not wanting to end the kiss. Jesse leaned her up against the doorframe as he kissed her with much passion. Jesse felt Aubrey run her hands through his hair as electricity shot throughout their bodies.
Jesse was the first to pull apart, much to Aubrey's displeasure. But he was laughing? Aubrey wasn't exactly sure what was happening, so she just stared at him with a confused look on her adorable, yet slightly upset and offended face.
"What's wrong?" she asks, hoping for a decent explanation to his actions.
Jesse didn't say anything. He simply stood there and laughed softly, shaking his head slightly occasionally. He looked at Aubrey, whom he was still holding and pressing against the doorframe out in the hall.
"Jesse, tell me what's wrong! Did I do something?"
Jesse chuckled softly before finally answering. "No. Well, yes. Sort of."
"Okay what did I do?" Aubrey asked with confusion in her voice.
"Okay. Aubrey, I think you love me."
Aubrey pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. "And what on earth makes you think that?"
A small smirk made its way to Jesse's face. "Well, you just jumped into my arms...and you're completely naked under your robe."
Aubrey felt the color and heat rush straight to her cheeks as Jesse stared at her with a smug little grin. She pushed herself out of his grasp and quickly ran inside, not even bothering to close the door. She ran to her bedroom all flustered, making sure she closed this door behind her. She kept muttering under her breath about how stupid she was and how it was his fault since he makes her feel and do crazy things whenever he is around her. She grabbed her some clothes from the drawer and quickly threw them on. She returned her robe to the bathroom before contemplating on going back out to face Jesse again.
Aubrey took a deep breath before opening her bedroom door. Once she finally did, she saw Jesse sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. The apartment door was closed and locked, and his bag was sitting on the floor in front of the door. Aubrey made her way over to the couch and sat down next to him. He lifted his head and looked over at her with the most apologetic look on his face.
"I'm really sorry, Aubrey. I shouldn't have-" he started.
"It's fine, Jess. Honestly. I'm fine. You're fine. It's fine. We're fine." she assured him, resting her hand on his shoulder.
"I feel like such an asshole." he mumbled, shaking his head. "If you want me to leave, just say so, and I will."
Aubrey felt a small lump form in the back of her throat as she listened to him tear himself up over this. "I want you here with me, Jess. I never want you to leave."
"I don't deserve you, Aubs. I really don't."
Aubrey felt a pain in her chest as she heard his words. For the past four months, she had been the one to think that. He shouldn't be feeling the same way.
"Hey look at me." Aubrey told him, lifting up his chin so he was staring into her stormy eyes. "You mean so much to me. More than you will ever know." she started. Aubrey scooted over and crawled into his lap, draping her legs over the side of the couch. She wrapped her outside arm around his waist and rested her head on his chest. She felt his lips press against the top of her head. Jesse wrapped his arms around her body and held her close to him. Aubrey bit her lip before continuing on. "You gave me a second chance, and I'm thankful for that every second of every day because I know that I can always count on you. I don't want this to change, Jess. What happened out there, that meant something to me. But it wasn't necessarily bad."
"I'm so sorry Aubs."
"Jesse, I love you." she finally admitted, looking up to see his face.
Jesse was shocked and excited at the same time. He looked down at her and smiled the most heartfelt smile he could smile. She had finally said it. Jesse knew she'd say those three words when she was ready to. They mean so much, and you can't just go around throwing those words out over something meaningless. They both knew that.
"I love you so much, Aubrey." Jesse finally said, gently pressing his lips against her forehead.
Jesse held Aubrey in his arms for the rest of the night, periodically kissing her softly, causing her to giggle and squirm in his grasp.
"You never answered my question, Jess." Aubrey whispered, poking at Jesse's stomach.
"Wait, what was your question?"
"What are you doing here?" Aubrey repeated from earlier with a small laugh.
"I told you! No one should ever have to spend Christmas alone, Aubs." he said, his voice softening.
Aubrey smiled into his chest as she felt his arms wrap tighter around her. "What about Rosie?"
"Ah, she's fine. She loves spending Christmas with my parents. I told her Santa needed some help with this doll she wants." Jesse explained. "I needed to see you."
Aubrey leaned up and kissed his jaw line gently, her lips barely brushing against his warm skin. "How long are you staying?"
"However long I can." he whispered, his breath brushing against her skin.
The warmth of his breath sent chills down Aubrey's spine, causing her to shiver in his arms.
"Are you cold?" he asked worriedly.
"No! Well, yes, but no." she stuttered.
Jesse moved his arms to under Aubrey's body and quickly stood up, holding her against his body.
"What are you doing?"
"Putting you in bed. Now...where's your bedroom?"
Aubrey giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck so she was hanging on to him. "That door." she said, nodding towards the door of her bedroom.
Jesse carried her to her bedroom and skillfully opened the door while still holding her. "It's cute." he teased as he walked into her room. Jesse gently set Aubrey down in her bed. He pulled the covers up over her and tucked her in. He walked around her bed and sat down next to her.
"Why don't you get under the covers?" Aubrey asked as she turned over and looked at him just sitting there.
"Because I'll most likely fall asleep, Aubs." Jesse explained, not wanting to cross any boundaries.
"I don't see an issue with that." she smirked.
"I'm sleeping on the couch, Aubrey." he explained.
"But Jesse, I'm cold! You can just stay here and keep me warm." she said with a small wink.
"Aubrey, I'm not going to cross any lines that we maybe aren't ready to cross." he said firmly.
"Jesse, I jumped in your arms and I was naked, for Christ's sake! I wouldn't have done that if I was worried about not crossing lines."
"Aubrey-"
"Jesse, please just stay with me tonight!" she started to beg. Aubrey pulled out her signature pout that Jesse could never say no to.
He stood firm for only a few seconds, giving in to her pout. "Fine. I'll stay. Just for you." he finally sighed. "Can I at least change first?"
Aubrey giggled and nodded, pointing towards the bathroom door. Jesse made his way over to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He returned a minute later in his boxers with his jeans and shirt folded neatly in his hands. He set them on the corner of her dresser and made his way back to her bed.
Jesse crawled under the covers next to Aubrey. She didn't waste anytime in moving close to him. She buried her head into his warm chest, taking in his presence. He wrapped one arm around her and propped the other under his head so he could look at her.
"I love you Aubrey." he whispered, leaning down and placing a small kiss on her lips.
Aubrey smiled her warm smile. Jesse had always been in love with Aubrey's smile from the first day they met. He would always think of how her smile could light up any room she was in. It was contagious. Once she started smiling, everyone around her started smiling. And for the most part, that was true.
"I love you too, Jesse." she giggled, giving him another small peck. "To the moon and back a billion times." she added with a wink.
"And more." he whispered in her ear, tucking her hair behind her ear and planting a kiss on her cheek.
She used to tease Jesse back in school about that. He would always say how you shouldn't be in a relationship unless you love them to the moon and back a billion times and more. Jesse would always say dorky things that could make Aubrey smile. It was a gift he possessed.
"Thank you for this, Jess. Thank you for doing everything you do. You didn't have to come all the way out here, but you still did, and that means more than you will ever know."
"I would do anything for you, Aubs. I promise."
"I know you would, Jess." she smiled.
"Can I ask you something, though?" Jesse asked, lifting up her chin slightly so he could see her beautiful face. She nodded her head slightly, getting lost in his eyes. "What did you mean when you said you think your 'new dream starts here'?"
Aubrey sighed and bit her lip. "It was supposed to be a surprise. I wasn't going to tell you until I was 10000% certain." she began.
"Wait, what?"
"I'm scheduled to take the Georgia Bar Exam in January!" she squealed.
Jesse was taken back with shock. "Are you serious?"
"As a heart attack!" she assured him.
"Aubrey, does this mean what I think it means?"
Aubrey nodded her head and let out a hearty laugh. "But it's not fixed in stone yet. I still have to pass the exam." she explained.
"I know you will, Aubrey! You're a phenomenal lawyer. You'll pass with flying colors!" he exclaimed.
"I hope so." she mumbled.
"Hey, even if you don't, but you will of course, it doesn't matter. I'm still going to love you!"
"I know Jess, but I just want to be able to do what I love there, too."
"I still can't believe this is actually happening. I mean we haven't even been dating that long in all honesty."
"Do you trust my judgement, Jess?" she asked worriedly.
"Of course I do!"
"Then know that I have faith in this...in us."
Jesse smiled as he heard Aubrey say this. Jesse always knew they clicked, and Aubrey believes they will be together forever.
"I can't believe this! You're going to be back in Georgia! We won't have to FaceTime anymore to see each other, and you can move in with Rosie and I!"
"Okay, easy there tiger!" she stopped him right there. "I'm going to get my own place. Nothing against yours, it's just, I don't want to rush things too fast. I already feel like I'm losing my mind by moving down there. I don't know where this urge to do new things is coming from, but I sort of like it. I just like knowing I have some sanity left, so I'm going to have my own place and a job like I have now and all that jazz."
"Have I mentioned today how lucky I am to be in love with you?" Jesse grinned.
"Let's go to sleep, lover boy." she teased, reaching over to turn off the lamp next to her bed.
"Lover boy, hmm?" he smirked.
"Shut up, and go to sleep."
Jesse grinned and wrapped his arm around Aubrey, pulling her against his chest. Aubrey's breath grew short and sharp as she pressed against him, a feeling of closeness they had yet to experience, until now that is. If this is what she's been missing from her life, she's glad to have it now.
*Christmas Day*
Aubrey woke up still pressed against Jesse's chest. He never let her go during the night. She leaned up and kissed his jaw line softly. His eyes fluttered open, a smile erupted onto his face.
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart." he whispered.
"Merry Christmas, sweetie." she said softly.
Jesse started humming quietly in Aubrey's ear. It was a song Aubrey recognized instantly. She looked up at Jesse, but his eyes were closed, so she closed her eyes and listened to his voice as he began singing.
It's a little bit funny this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live
If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you
And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world
Jesse tilted Aubrey's chin and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips.
Aubrey smiled a small smile and started to sing quietly to Jesse
I said I love you and that's forever
And this I promise from my heart
I couldn't love you any better
I love you just the way you are.
Jesse wrapped his around the back of Aubrey's neck, pulling her mouth closer to his. His lips slightly parted, he met her lips gently at first, beginning to intensify by both.
Aubrey rolled over on top of Jesse and continued to kiss him, now straddling his hips. Jesse's hands found her hips, pushing them against his. Aubrey ran her fingers through his hair and cupped his face as she relinquished all power to him.
"Aubrey, I don't think we should do this." Jesse immediately said, pulling apart from her.
"I love you, Jess. Just...consider it a Christmas gift." she smirked.
"Aubs"
Aubrey cut him off with another kiss, taking his breath away. This time, Aubrey pulled away.
"One thing. I love Rosie and all, but I am not ready-"
"I've got it this time." he said quickly before pressing his lips against hers.
"I love you Jesse Swanson."
"I love you Aubrey Rose Posen."
A/N: thanks for reading this story! I hope you all have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it! Ya gotta go out with a bang (figuratively and literally).
Alexis, don't hate me!