Warnings: Rated E, 18+. Swearing. Mentions of eating an entire tray of brownies.
Summary: You and Jay have a habit of running into each other over the years, and after a rough day, a simple grocery store run proves the universe always knows exactly what you need.
A/N: Big thanks owed to my bestie @puffins-muffins for sending me this ask and inspiring me to shake this writer's block off and get going again 💗💗💗 I will note that this story does have a second, smutty part to it so please leave some love on it!
---
Cold had swept in like a broom kicking out the last of summer, that final grace of warmth pushed out the door and replaced by something that settled into your bones far too quickly.
It always seemed colder here than anywhere else, adding another reason to the list of why being back in this part of Michigan was something you'd rather not be doing.
Everyone in this godforsaken town seemed to be at the grocery store all at once, the tiny supermarket littered with more people than you cared to be around right now, and you just prayed with every aisle you turned down, you wouldn’t run into anyone you knew.
All you wanted was to grab yourself a few things for a nice, comforting dinner that you would enjoy in front of the fire in your coziest sweats, getting in and out of there as quickly as you could, but after a long and exhausting day, the universe apparently had other plans.
You stood in the baking section, staring at the array of cake and dessert mixes, contemplating whether or not you were really gonna go for it and devour an entire tray of gooey brownies all on your own, your feelings from the day making you want to eat as a way of coping.
Picking up the box, you turned it over and glanced at the nutritional info, the stats alarming if you were to actually eat it all by yourself, but even still your stomach growled and your mouth filled with saliva at the thought of digging into these right out of the oven.
Shaking your head as if to regain some sense, you stuck the box back on the shelf, looking in the basket hanging on your arm to make sure you had everything else you needed, and let out a long sigh.
“Fuck it,” you muttered to yourself, grabbing the box quickly and shoving it in with your other items, thankful that people couldn’t hear your thoughts as shame flooded you over your gluttonous plan.
You turned around to make a fast escape from that aisle, a woman and her two rowdy kids getting too close to you, when your attempt was stopped as you collided directly into someone.
A curse followed by a fumbled apology flew out of your mouth as you tried to right yourself, looking up to see who it was that had such a solid frame that the force of their body against yours made the box of brownie mix fly out of your basket and land on the tiled floor with an incriminating thump.
“Jay?” you breathed, the surprise clear in your voice.
Familiar, blue eyes locked on you, changing from annoyed to amused, that smile that made the lines around his mouth appear that you couldn’t forget if you tried making your stomach do a somersault.
A low chuckle came from him as his hand that was on your arm to steady you gave a gentle squeeze.
“I was wondering when you’d end up in my arms again.”
The insinuation in his voice and the look he gave you made you melt, and it amazed you that after all this time, he still had this effect on you.
“You’re here,” you stumbled out, Jay being the last person you ever expected to run into, the last you knew was that he was down in Detroit making a name for himself in boxing.
His eyebrows rose on his forehead at the same time he let out a long sigh, “Yeah, just, uh, taking a break and getting away for a bit, I guess,” he explained, running his hand over his buzzed hair.
Jay finally let go of you, and the moment he did you immediately inched closer to him, the pull he had automatic to the point your body acted on instinct.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” he said, half a statement and half a question.
You averted your eyes for a moment despite it feeling impossible, shrugging slightly as you tried to find a way to summarize how miserable you’d been and came back here to gather some peace in your life.
“I guess you can say I needed to come back too.”
Your eyes locked again, a sense of knowing that extended back years shared in your gaze.
You and Jay had a past, and one that deserved to be revisited at any opportunity, the tension between you palpable even now as you stood in your own world amongst the sounds of the store and 80’s soft rock coming through the speakers.
Your reaction to him was always so visceral, feeling your skin heat and your pulse quicken, and every time you closed your eyes, images of all the things you used to do together flashed in your mind.
His body against yours, skin on skin as you ground against each other, the taste of his kiss and his sweat burned into your memory no matter how much time had passed, and it was always worth repeating.
“How long are you around for?” you asked, your eyes dragging up his broad chest to his thick neck, resisting the urge to lunge at him and plant your lips everywhere you could get at.
He shook his head, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Dunno. You?”
Your own playful smile crept onto your face, and an excitement you had been craving pulled low in your stomach. “As long as I need to be, I guess.”
Jay nodded as if pleased by your response, both of you satisfied with what seemed like an unspoken agreement between you, clear there was an intention to take full advantage of being together again.
He bent down and picked up the box of brownies off the ground right as you dared to pitch your offer, avoiding the chance to hesitate and miss out.
“Do you wanna come over later?”
Jay smiled, exuding a confidence that toyed the line of cockiness that had you clenching your thighs together.
“I’m making brownies,” you giggled, nodding to them as he placed the box back in your basket.
“I’d never say no to brownies,” he said, the words practically a purr as they dripped off his tongue that slowly passed over his full lips.
