That Leaves You
pairing: Jake Lockley x afab!Reader
summary: You just had an IUD inserted and the man you least expected is the one comforting you.
warnings: hurt and comfort, mentions of pain after an IUD insertion, vague mentions of the moon boy's childhood
word count: 1.5k
notes: This was originally based on a Reedsy prompt (as well as self-indulgence after getting an IUD) and it kind of just took on a mind of its own. Written in less than a day and barely edited, sorry for the quality ahead of time.
Available to read on AO3
Limping out of your procedure, you anticipated Steven's gentle and caring face to greet you in the front lobby. You smiled at the thought of him holding some chocolates and a little balloon that read "I U Did it!" If not Steven, then it would be Marc with his signature frown, this time scrunched with worry for your well-being. He'd place an arm around your waist and whisper to you about a nice heating pad and some takeout from your favorite restaurant.
Never in your wildest days did you expect the cabbie.
Jake leaned on a column, scratching an itch under his flat cap as you both locked eyes. His sly smile dug under your skin, rooting you in place, daring you to question his presence. You were about to do just that when another jolt of pain shot through your abdomen, doubling you over. The smile dropped, and he rushed to your side.
"I don't need help," you gasped, thighs clenching tightly as you rode out the cramps.
"Yeah, sure. Uh-huh." He lifted your arm and encircled it around his shoulders while holding firmly onto your waist. "I'm not letting you drag yourself to the car like this." The short walk out of the hospital stretched on for an eternity. Each baby step brought with it a new wave of cramps that left you a whimpering mess. Through the pain, you swore you felt him rubbing soothing circles into your side.
"Is it supposed to hurt this much? Or is there a doctor I need to talk to?" he asked with a flat tone.
You gulped, dreading the thought of Jake giving your gynecologist one his "talks", and quickly responded, "It's supposed to hurt. Thank god for pain meds, or you'd be carrying me out of here."
Waiting outside at the curb was his freshly washed white limo. If Jake knew how to do one thing, it was arrive in style. He opened the back passenger door and guided you to the seat, taking extra care while buckling you in, like you were made of porcelain.
"What are you doing here?" you asked as he hopped behind the wheel. The gaping space between you both only punctuated the surrealness of talking to him after months of radio silence.
"Steven told me you might not want to take the subway back home. Now I see why," he explained, while buckling in and eyeing you through the rear view mirror. "Since he can't drive, and I don't trust Marc with my baby—"
"—That leaves you."
He nodded slowly. "That leaves me."
That was the perfect time to say thank you, tell him how considerate he was. A small part of you wished this was the opportunity to tell him he was a good third boyfriend. Instead you elected to stare out of the window as the limo's engine purred to life.
"I got you some snacks." He gestured to a console next to you. Shocked, you popped it open to reveal a large assortment of chocolates, crisps, and… were those home grown American Cheetos? "If there's something else you want, we can stop by a store on the way back." You eyed him carefully. Food was forbidden in the limo. He was either oblivious to your suspicions or completely ignored them. Knowing him, it was the latter, making you all the more curious.
You ripped open a caramel Cadbury bar and sunk your teeth into the gooey treat. It didn't dull the pain in your stomach, but the sweetness melting on your tongue brought a relieving reminder that it might be the last you feel for years to come. When remembering who bought you the chocolate, your face stung with the threat of tears and your words left you before you could suck them back in. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
"What, you think I don't care about you?" he chuckled, taking his gaze off the road for a beat to look at you through the mirror. "You wound me, cariño."
And you had. Through the mirth, a deep rejection brimmed in his tone and his eyes. But you trudged on, determined to speak your truth.
"I just thought, after what happened, you didn't want anything to do with me." An errant tear slid down your cheek and splashed onto the plastic wrapper.
After ample warning from Steven and Marc about their third headmate, you met Jake for the first time in the dead of night. You caught him climbing through the window after a mission with the mischievous grin of a teenage boy sneaking home from a house party. You offered him a warm hello and a cup of coffee. His sharp eyes held your gaze, and with a toothy grin he said, "How could I ever say no to a belleza like you?" As you prepared the espresso machine, he buttered you up with more cutesy nicknames, and you knew right then and there your heart was his to do as he pleased.
Many nights played out the same. It was a calming routine to sit on the kitchen counter as the coffee brewed, and the two of you chatted about happenings around the city. Banter led to flirting. Flirting led to confiding in each other with hushed tones meant only for the darkness. You told him how you worried about Marc, and he in kind imparted a few morsels about a childhood you'd never wish upon your worst enemy.
It all led up to that fated night. You started feeling gluttonous. Coffee and conversation wasn't enough. Steven's remarks of being a "package deal" ran through your head. From your seat on the counter, you reached out and cupped Jake's cheek, wanting to pull him closer and make your intentions clear. What happened after flashed by so quickly you barely registered the pain of his vice-like grip on your wrist or his frantic glare.
"Don't do that," he hissed through a forced smile. There was no time to reply before he melted into the softer features of Steven. And that was it. No more late night rendezvous, no more Spanish pet names. No more Jake. You would stay up until the witching hour to catch a glimpse of him. But somehow he always managed to wait until your heavy-lidded eyes and drooping head gave in to sleep. You'd wake up the next morning next to Marc, bittersweet to see his face but no traces of that sly smirk you'd come to love.
Seeing him for the first time after months of lonely nights uncorked a despair deep within you, and you couldn't hold back your sobs. You heard his seat buckle unclasp and the car door opening once more. A second later, he was sitting next to you in the back. He grasped your free hand in his, and fixed you with vulnerable stare so unfamiliar to you.
"I'm sorry. I've just missed you so much," you cried between hiccups and sniffles.
"Don't be sorry. What happened that night? You didn't do anything wrong," he muttered while shaking his head. You both focused on how he traced circles over your palm with his thumb. It took a long tentative moment for him to say any more. "I shouldn't have left you in the dark all this time."
"I just want to know why."
"It's not that I don't want it, don't want you touchin' me like that. It's just—" his jaw muscles clenched, like they couldn't figure out the right words. He didn't need to, because he'd already explained all those months ago. That the last time a woman had brought her hand to his face, it wasn't an act of love.
You gently squeezed his fingers in understanding. "You take the lead next time."
He studied your soft smile for a beat before sighing. "Quierda." He pressed his lips to the pulse point of your wrist before settling your hand under his jaw. "No merezco un amor como el tuyo."
You sat in a content silence, enjoying the warmth of his freshly shaved skin. As much as you wanted to add your other hand, to cup his face fully and slowly pull him in for a kiss, you knew better now. It could be years before he ever reached that level of comfort. You didn't care.
You got your Jake back.
A fresh assault on your abdomen ripped a gasp from you. You squeezed your eyes shut, pushing out a new stream of tears.
"Aye, mierda. Don't you go keelin' over on me, cariño." He kissed your wrist once more before rushing back into the driver seat. "Marc might just throw us off a building if I don't bring you home in one piece."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," you muttered between gritted teeth. The pain urged your body into the horizontal position. But you refused to rest your shoes on the polished leather seats, no matter how awkwardly it left you twisted. That was another big no-no with Jake's cars.
"Go on, put your feet up." His voice lazily floated back to you.
"You sure?"
You eyes met in the mirror and he flashed you the smirk that you missed so dearly. "How could I ever say no to a belleza like you?"
Spanish Translation:
No merezco un amor como el tuyo. — I don't deserve love like yours.
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