Author's Note: Just a silly little story I wrote about Nancy and Joe in the fall after many years of marriage. I hope you enjoy it :)

Disclaimer: I owe nothing.

Rating: PG

Nancy steps onto her porch and allows the warm sun to brush her skin. She holds a cup of coffee in one hand and uses the other to pull her sweater tighter. Fall has struck their home, and bright colors drip from the leaves. It's beautiful and perfect. Everything she hopes to find in the season.

"Damn leaves."

Nancy laughs. Apparently, her husband disagrees.

"I've been out here for an hour, and it looks just as bad as it did before I started," Joe huffs with annoyance. He tosses down the rake before marching her way. "It can rake itself."

"Just leave it," Nancy smiles. "I like the leaves on the ground."

Joe plops down in the seat nearest her. "Old habits die hard, I guess. Mom might rise from the grave to kick my ass for leaving this place a mess."

"I think she can forgive you for just this one time," she answers before sitting next to him. Nancy looks at the leaves and turns back to Joe. "Tell her this one's on me."

Joe chuckles lightly and pulls her close. "I'm one hundred percent okay with blaming you." Nancy watches a frown form. "But I already have a pile. If I leave it now, it'll look like I gave up. Joe Hardy never gives up, Nancy. You know that."

"I know you're insane."

"There's a giant pile of leaves surrounded by half cleared yard," Joe points out. "Why did we move out here again?"

Nancy pecks his nose. "I wanted to live in the country; you wanted to stay close to home. So, we settled on the New York countryside. I rather like it."

"I do too. Just not in the fall."

"I love it especially in the fall," Nancy snuggles close. "Stop for a second and look at our view. Have you ever seen so many colors in one place?"

"Well, there was this one time in Maine-" Joe starts.

"Joe..." Nancy warns.

He kisses her. "I know. It's beautiful. I just want less of it on the grass."

"There's always tomorrow," she reminds him.

"Mhm," he responds absentmindedly.

Nancy watches his face light up. "What?"

"Nothing," he answers. Joe sits for a few seconds longer before standing to exit the porch.

"Joe?" Nancy asks again, but he says nothing before walking up to the pile of leaves. "What are you thinking?"

He grins. "You know it's been years since I jumped in a leaf pile."

"No!" Nancy cries in horror. "You're going to throw out your hip if you even try."

"I won't," Joe protests. "I'm not that old."

"You're 71!"

"So?"

Nancy is incredulous. "So? If you break your hip, I'm going to be stuck pushing you around in a wheelchair the rest of our lives."

"You will not," Joe responds. "I'd push myself around."

"That's not funny, and you're not doing this," Nancy yells.

He appears to not hear or care; she's not certain. Either way, Joe takes a giant leap and lands in the pile of leaves.

Nancy catches her breath and waits for her husband to pop up grinning an obnoxious smile and proving once again he's invincible. Except he doesn't, and she feels the silence ripping at her skin.

"Joe! Joe!" Nancy finally screams and races to the pile. She barely reaches the edge of leaves before a hand pulls her down. "You jerk!" she burns the second she sees his smirking face.

"Hey, babe," Joe grins and pulls her in for a kiss. "Were you worried about me?"

Nancy slaps him across the hip. "You're an idiot, and I'm crazy for even believing you."

Joe agrees. "You'd think that after all these years of marriage you would know."

"I'll just leave you next time then."

"No, you won't," Joe challenges.

"Yeah, you're right," Nancy allows herself to smile. "I have to keep up with my nut."