BAJABULE 🌱☀️ @tearsofdanny - Tumblr Blog

My Kinda Lover | JTK

Scenario: In which you’re the guitarist of a growing band, struggling to come to terms with your love life, when you meet Jake. You’re drawn to one another like a moth to a flame. With only three days to explore Nashville, before you leave, you choose to spend as much time as you can with Jake. In your mind, once you leave, he’ll forget about you, and you’ll have no choice but to move on like always. However, you’ll find that to be far from the truth when, a few months later, you’re unexpectedly reunited with him, and he presents a love to you that you never thought you’d have. [ Female Plus Sized Reader, 15k words ]

Warnings: Mentions of insecurities, bad dating experiences, and some angst.

Note: After two weeks and some struggles…I finally finished this fanfiction. This is the longest fic I have EVER written. That being said, I did get a bit frustrated towards the end, just wanting it to be done, so I’ll admit that it’s slightly rushed towards the end. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy! I would love to hear your feedback.

It’s not that you don’t like what you see when you look in the mirror. In fact, you’ve grown to like the image of yourself. That being said, you haven’t quite gotten to the point where other people’s opinions don’t bother you. You hate to admit it, but your fear of being perceived haunts you to this very day. In your defense, it’s not an irrational fear.

A few months back you’d taken interest in a guy, who seemed awfully sweet. He was sweet, but not in the sense that he could see past your size, and all the ways you didn’t fit conventional beauty standards. Rather, he was sweet in the way that he let you down nicely, insisting that you had a lovely personality, but he just couldn’t see a relationship. While you’ve fully moved on from the man himself, you think back to that experience at times, and find your heart sinking. It reminds you of the rejection before that, and the one before that…and the one before that.

Thankfully, as you’ve continued working on music, you’ve had less time to dwell on your past experiences. You spend most of your time in your room, or a studio, fumbling with the strings of your guitar, trying to create a riff that fits the lyrics your bandmates presented. You always liked guitar, and the idea of a musical career, but now that you’re actually part of a band, you have a passion for it, one that keeps growing impossibly larger.

Jake Kiszka is much the same, in his passion for music. The only difference is that he’s been passionate about it his whole life. Even as a small child, he was certain that he’d be a rockstar one day, and here he is, with his brothers (Daniel included, as he is a brother, even if it’s not by blood), becoming the very rockstar he used to dream of being. As far as his love life, it’s almost nonexistent. Not for any particular reason. Sam, his younger brother, likes to claim that he’s ‘picky’ about the girls he dates.

Jake doesn’t see it like that. Sam, being young and lively, on the hunt for a good time, not a long time, jumps into relationships quickly. He lives in the moment, not giving much thought to the future. Jake, on the other hand, can’t live comfortably in the moment if he doesn’t see a future with that person. He’s come to realize that, with his job, he needs someone who’s in it for the long haul, and can understand his lifestyle. A fling, like the ones Sam often winds up in, seem more stressful than anything. So, in the meantime Jake will focus on his music, trusting that the right person will come at the right time.

— 🎶🎸

As soon as you entered the building, you were drawn to him. You were scanning your surroundings, but came to a stop when your gaze landed on him. He stood there, clad in black jeans and a button up - which your bandmate, Julien, would later refer to as “slutty”. He had brown hair that fell just below his shoulders, the strands subtly wavy. His eyes matched his hair, a warm brown shade, and they glimmered as he looked at who you’d assume is his own bandmate.

“Y/N,” Julien grabs your arm, getting your attention. “Where you going?” She teases, as you’d been drifting towards the man without even realizing. “Sorry,” you mutter, feeling your cheeks heat up. “We need to check in, according to the guy at the door. Then, you’re free to stare at the pretty boys,” She hums, clasping your hand in hers. She’s playful, and even as annoying as it can be, her sweet smile makes it hard to actually be any type of upset with her.

The check in process is easy, just a matter of confirming each of your identities, as well as your purpose for being here. The woman behind the counter then points out where you’ll go when it’s time for your interview, along with a refreshment table that’s open to those waiting. “Want anything?” Julien asks, gesturing to the aforementioned table. You scan the tables, watching your other band members happily indulge in the goodies that had been set out.

“Just a water for right now,” you decide, eyes lingering on Julien as she marches over to the tables, joining in with the other two girls making up your group. Left alone, you glance over your shoulder to find that the man you’d been eyeing when you first walked in is still there. You recall Julien saying ‘pretty boys’, plural. Truth be told, while most of them are conventionally attractive, none of them stand out to you the way that he does.

You admire him from far, the sunlight shining on him, making him look like a godly being. His skin looks soft, a subtle glow to it, and while you can’t see the details of his face super clearly, you doubt doubt their beauty.

A nudge to your shoulder pulls you out of your little trance, and you turn to find Julien, arm extended to offer you the water you asked for. “Thanks, hun,” you hum, taking the cool bottle from her hand, and twisting the lid off. “No problem,” she responds, smiling sweetly at you as she takes a swig of the canned soda she grabbed.

Soon, the rest of your band members surround you again, and the four of you engage in conversation, sharing your thoughts on the upcoming interview.

What you don’t notice, while you’re in the midst of talking with the three girls, is the brown eyes you’d admired earlier, looking at you. In the same exact what you’d done to him, Jake Kiszka admires you from afar. Around him, his own band members chat with one another, but he’s too focused on you to pay attention to the conversation. He watches as you talk, enthusiastic and theatrical, laughing every now and then. He smiles when you do, his cheeks heating up when he catches himself. Never has he been drawn to someone so fast, but there’s a first for everything, right?

Despite the desire to continue staring at you, he forces himself to look away, returning his attention to his band, convinced none of them noticed his disassociation. On the contrary, all three of them noticed. The youngest of the group throws his arm over Jake’s shoulder, a lopsided, knowing grin forming on his face as he points to one in particular. “That one? She’s hot,”

Sam comments. Jake looks at her, then shakes his head. “Not her,” he says simply, not the kind of person to give away his thoughts so easily. “Which one, then?” Sam asks, brows furrowing in confusion.

Jake looks at him, debating whether or not he’s willing to share that information. He trusts all three of them, especially Josh, his twin, but Sam can be questionable. He’s unpredictable at times, and Jake doesn’t like the idea of his idiot (affectionately) younger brother messing anything up, when it can be avoided. Josh and Daniel seem invested as well, though, and that’s what encourages Jake to confess. “You see the one leaning against the counter?” he says, glancing at you, then returning his gaze to his brother, who nods along.

“Yeah, she’s alright,” Sam hums, but is clearly more enthusiastic about the girl he pointed out. Jake doesn’t mind though — in fact, if any of them were to also take an interest in you, he might be jealous. He thinks about that for only a moment, before Josh speaks up. “You should go talk to her,” he encourages Jake sweetly, offering him a wide smile. “I don’t know, doesn’t seem like the right time,” Jake concludes, giving you one last look.

— 🎶🎸

“I just hope we get asked decent questions,” Julien says, hands shoved in her pockets. You all nod in agreement, falling quiet. “Has anyone seen a trash can? I need to throw this away,” you say, holding up your empty water bottle. The three girls search the building, along with you, and Phoebe is the first to respond. “There’s one over there,” she points in the direction of it, and as you look, you lock eyes with him.

The corner of his lip pulls into a small smile, and it’s like he had planned to wave, but one of the boys with him grabbed a hold of his arm, stopping him from doing sox

“That’s the only one I see,” Julien says, and the two girls nod, looking at you. You do your best to act normal, despite the butterflies erupting within your stomach. “Okay,” you say, sighing softly as you relax. “I guess i’m gonna head over there real quick,” you say to them, but you’re also trying to mentally encourage yourself to walk that way, and maybe even interact with the brown eyed boy you’ve felt so oddly drawn to. You look that way again, and he’s still there, hands in his pockets, still beautiful as ever.

You don’t know what it is, but it’s like he calls to you without saying anything. Your eyes meet his again, accidentally. This time, he gets to wave, as he tried to previously, and the small, sweet smile on his face makes you feel as though you know him, and could just go hug him. You stand still though, simply returning a smile to him. It’s strange, his aura. He’s reserved and slightly mysterious, but not in an intimidating way; it’s inviting. It makes you want to get to know him, to be close to him.

The worry arising with in you is the only thing making you hesitate. Have you misunderstood? Will you go over there and he’ll show no interest in you? Perhaps he will show interest, but it’ll end exactly as it always has? You sigh heavily, frustrated with yourself. You look at him once again, because when you do, you find it hard to worry about anything that isn’t him. You’ve never felt that way with anyone, not that you recall.

That’s what makes you finally start walking his way. Your band members didn’t question you, they all knew exactly what you were thinking, and small, proud smiles form on their faces as they watch you.

When you make it to the trash can, your heart is beating quickly in your chest and you have to resist the urge to go back to your girls, step back into your comfort zone. You sigh shakily as you toss the waterbottle towards the trash can, mentally cursing yourself when the plastic bottle hits the edge of it, then hits the floor, seeming entirely too loud as it does. You scramble to pick it up, feeling so embarrassed that your skin begins to crawl. As you lean down to grab the bottle, another hand finds it first, delicately grasping it.

You look up, and the breath is taken from your lungs. There the brown eyed boy is, suddenly much closer to you. You step back slowly, trying to collect yourself as he throws the bottle away. “Thank you,” you breathe, trying to make out the bracelets on hsi wrist. One is white, made with what looks like braided rope, and slightly worn. They all have a handmade look to them, each one unique.

“Your welcome,” he responds, grabbing your attention. “I’m Jake,” he says, reaching his hand out to you. You take it slowly, eyes making their way back to his face. Up close, you can see the little imperfections on his skin, but you adore them. He’s so beautiful, but so real at the same time. His hand is warm in yours, and you feel almost overwhelmed simply by being in his presence. Then, you remember that he introduced himself.

“Jake,” you repeat, “I’m Y/N.”

He likes the way his name sounds coming from you, eyes lighting up when he hears it. He does the same for you, echoing your name. What once was anxiety and worry fades into a giddy feeling, leaving you eager to talk to him. “It’s nice to meet you,” you say, cringing at the excitement evident in your voice, but Jake finds it cute, and assuring for his own worries. “Likewise,” he responds.

Time goes by all too fast when you talk to him. One topic leads to another, the conversation as if you’d had it before. There’s no awkward pauses or forced interest. It’s genuine, the both of you simply excited to talk to each other.

“It was so embarrassing,” you groan, referring to your mishap with the water bottle earlier. “It was not,” Jake argues, the cutest laugh finding its way out of him. “I didn’t think it was. S’Just a human moment,” he explains, and even though he’s laughing, you feel genuinely reassured, and find it hard to feel embarrassed. “I suppose,” you begin, looking up at him, and willingly making eye contact with him, “Had I not dropped the bottle, this wouldn’t have happened,” you suggest, gesturing between yourself and him. He tilts his head questioningly in response.

He looks at you differently now, in a way that kills the butterflies and replaces them with something stronger.

“Really?” he asks, eyes locked on yours. You could melt into the floor right now, beneath him, all because of his pretty brown eyes. “I mean,” you shrug, “I’m not used to people, especially guys, wanting to talk to me,” you explain. Jake’s brows furrow slightly, his lips threatening to form a frown.

“Can I be honest?” He asks, leaning in just a little closer. Your breath hitches as he grabs your hand, calloused fingertips against your palm. “Yeah,” you respond, curious as to what he’s going to say.

As he opens his mouth to talk, someone calls his name. A taller boy appears next to him — he looks similar to Jake. His hair is longer, his face shape is different, but their nose and lips are similar. “They’re calling us,” he says, pulling Jake in the direction that the other two boys already began going. With no other option, Jake began walking away. Hee looks back at you with an apologetic smile, and offers a small wave as he disappears around the corner.

Your heart sinks as you come down from whatever high he’d ascended to with you. You worry that you won’t get to talk to him again, that you won’t ever know what he was going to tell you. That worry plagues you throughout the day, and you find that even during the interview, you weren’t uncomfortable under all the lights, far too lost in your concern to care.

When dismissed, you’d go back to the lobby and search for Jake.

“What’s she doing?” Lucy would ask Julien and Phoebe, expecting her bandmates to have some idea. “Looking for uh — Jake, I think it was? The one wearing a slutty button up, only had like two buttons done,” Julien explains, making pheobe giggle to herself. Lucy simply nods, and before anything else can be said, Jake comes up from behind you.

He waves at your bandmates, and the three nod in response, like the four of them silently communicated. Like his own band members had done earlier, the three girls step away, and do their own things for the time being.

That’s when Jake taps your shoulder, startling you unintentionally. “Sorry,” he says with a soft chuckle, smiling when you whip your head around. “Oh my god,” you say, more relieved than you imagined you’d be. “It’s okay,” you assure him almost immediately, and without thinking, reach forward to hug him. That’s all to do with feeling like you know him, like this isn’t the first day you met him.

He doesn’t mind it though. In fact, his heart soars at the gesture, and he wraps his arms around you, squeezing your shoulders. “Sorry,” you apologize in the same manner he did, stepping back. “Don’t be,” he responds, grabbing your hand to stop you from going too far away. “That was cute,” he thinks out loud, and you can tell that he’s unsure about his confession, his cheeks reddening. It makes you giggle, feeling flustered once again, thanks to him.

The two of you take a moment, letting all the emotions and chaos settle, before resuming your talk. Outside, the sun is beginning to go down, and a golden hue shines through every window it can. When a ray of light shines on Jake, you can’t help but admire him. He’s so beautiful. Even his imperfections are pretty, you think to yourself, then come back to reality as the light shifts, moving away from him.

“What was it you were going to say earlier, by the way?” you ask, gazing up at him with curious eyes. He chuckles faintly, like your question caught him off guard. He hides it, but the truth is it did catch him off guard. In the moment, he wasn’t thinking too much about it, but now, he feels a bit silly, thinking about what he was going to say. Nonetheless, he’s peaked your curiosity now. “Just,” he clears his throat, smiling bashfully. “If you hadn’t come my way, I would have made my own way to you. We would have talked one way or another- I had my mind made up,” he explains.

You don’t know how you didn’t piece that together. As that statement settles in your mind, you feel a new cluster of butterflies coming to life again, and you can’t help but smile. “Are you serious?” you ask. He nods eagerly, “Yes! I would have marched over to you,” he puffs his chest and imitates marching, showing a playful side of himself that you hadn’t seen yet. “And I probably would have made an idiot of myself,” he says, grinning widely as you laugh at him.

“Well, thank god I made an idiot out of myself with the water bottle, so you didn’t have to,” you hum teasingly, and he squeezes your hand slightly. “Thank you, indeed,” he muses, bowing to you. When he stays in that position for just a moment longer than you’d expect, your brows furrow. His intentions are revealed when he looks up at you through his lashes, then brings your hand to his lips and kisses the back of your hand.

If anyone but Jake Kiszka did that, you might be inclined to cringe, but that’s not the case. It’s Jake Kiskza doing it, and it makes you flush, your skin heating up impossibly more. Can he give you a break? (Truthfully, you don’t want one, not from Jake, but he doesn’t need to know that.)

He stands up straight, his cheeks reddening even more. You make a mental note of that characteristic: every time he’s bold, he second guesses himself, like he’s trying not to break character but can’t help it. You can see how he holds back a smile, and find it ridiculously cute.

“Do you have plans tonight?” Jake asks after a few moments of silence, and you give him a questioning look. “No, why?” “I wanted to ask if you’d like to go out to dinner with me,” he says. Before he can even worry about what you might say, you’re eagerly taking him up on the offer. The last thing you expected today was this, but here you are, arm linked with his as he guides you out of the building. (After letting your band mates know the plan, of course.)

Dinner went smoothly. To be fair, you hadn’t doubted that. You genuinely felt comfortable with Jake, and that didn’t change over the course of the night. In fact, you found yourself so eager to continue getting to know him, that you made plans for the following days while you’re in Nashville, before you’ll inevitably have to return to work. You chose to ignore that, but the dark cloud of reality lingered in the back of your mind.

You also got his number. He jokingly took a picture of you, then sent it to you, along with the text “I know where you are.”

“Very funny, Jake,” you rolled your eyes at him, sending him the eye rolling emoji as a response. He grinned at you from his side of the table, nudging his foot against yours teasingly. His eyes remained on you, and he noticed your expression change as you stared at your screen. “What’s wrong?” he’d ask softly, and you’d debate mentally whether you should be honest or not. However, when you looked up to see him leaning forward, genuinely concerned, you knew there was no backing out of it. “I just look…not great in that picture,” you explain reluctantly.

Jake processed your confession. He disagreed completely, but he knows what it’s like to feel insecure, and that he can’t easily change your mind. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “I thought she looked super cute. I wish I could get her number or something,” he joked, winking subtly at you.

You couldn’t help, but smile. He’s charming, to say the least. “You’ve got jokes, don’t you, Kiskza?” you mumbled, unable to let your sadness take over when Jake made you feel so much better with only a small amount of reassurance.

That night, Jake would return you safely to your hotel, and bid you goodnight with a respectful kiss to your cheek. You’d think about it for the remainder of the night, and surely that would follow into the morning.

It does follow you into the morning. As you brushed your teeth, you found your mind traveling back in time, desperate to relive that moment, to feel his lips again. Then, when your phone buzzed, and you saw Jake’s contact name appear on screen, you began thinking about how today would go. No matter what you were thinking, Jake was involved.

Three days seemed initially like a decent amount of time to explore Nashville, when it was going to be with your bandmates, but now that you’re spending those days with Jake…it doesn’t seem like nearly enough time.

You ease your worry about the future by reminding yourself that it’s only the first day, and there’s still time to spend with him. You should enjoy it as much as you can, so you do your best to live in the moment.

That being said, your first adventure begins with a coffee shop. Jake, being the gentleman he is, opens the door for you, and follows behind you as you walk into the cafe. He places a delicate hand on your mid back as you walk towards the counter, careful not to make you uncomfortable. It makes you smile to yourself, knowing he’s so concerned about it.

“You can relax,” you tell him softly, looking at his side profile. “I am relaxed,” he responds, avoiding your gaze when you cock a brow at him. “Tell that to yourself,” you tease, and before he can respond, it’s your turn to order. You skim over the menu, and even though you’re tempted to get something you haven’t had before, you end up getting the same thing you’d order at any coffee shop. Jake follows, asking for a black coffee.

Before you could even unzip your wallet, Jake hands his own card to the cashier, thanking the employee his card is returned. Then, Jake returns his hand to your back, and guides you towards a table. You’d been eyeing this particular spot since you entered the cafe, but hadn’t said anything about it. He has a way of observing people, and despite how closely he’s analyzing them, they don’t notice.

You reach the table, and Jake, showing his gentlemanly side for the third time today, pulls the chair out for you. “Thank you,” you smile at him, then lean in to kiss his cheek sweetly, like he’d done to you the previous night. You can see his eyes widen behind the dark lenses of his sunglasses, and the unmissable rosey shade that paints his cheeks as he sits down. You grin to yourself, proud of your achievement— if you can call it that.

“Your welcome,” he says, clearing his throat in an attempt to return to his usual demeanor. He takes his glasses off, squinting as he adjusts to the lighting within the cafe. He folds his glasses carefully, then hangs them on his shirt. Like yesterday, he’s wearing another button up. This time, you find that there’s a few more buttons done, and snicker to yourself at the memory of Julien calling his shirt “slutty”.

“What?” Jake inquires, folding his arms on the table. You look at him, and even though you’ve done it countless times over the past 24 hours, your heart flutters when you make eye contact with him. The lighting shines on him again, and it allows you to see the exact shade of his irises. They’re a honey-like brown, and as cliche as it is, you could get lost in them.

“If you must know,” you start to answer his question, and ironically, before you can finish your sentence, his name is called, signaling that your drinks are ready. You watch as he politely excuses himself, then walks to the counter. You take in the view of his backside, but find what you focus on most, is his hair.

It’s already a mess in the back, the strands untamed and tangled likely from how much he messes with it. Somehow, it’s so Jake, and you like it- you like him.

When he returns, he sets your cup down first, then settles back into his own seat. “Thank you again,” you hum, taking a sip of your coffee. You don’t know what you expected, but it isn’t this. The coffee isn’t bad persay, but it doesn’t quite meet your expectations. You stare at Jake as he takes a sip of his own drink, and cock a brow. “Have you been here before?” you ask, and he begins to smile.

“Not even once,” he responds with his lips still pressed to his cup, and you scoff. “You should have told me that! I want to experience the good stuff,” you explain, and he laughs as he sets his cup down. “This is good,” he gestures to his drink, and you roll your eyes. “You know what I meant- you’re the one who lives here. Surely, you know some good spots?”

“I’d like to think that,” he muses. “To be honest, I wanted you to pick because this is your experience, you know? I didn’t want to take over and show you things only i’m interested in,” he explains. “You’re so considerate,” you mumble, almost to yourself rather than to him. He has a way of making you feel so important, like he genuinely cares — and even though you may not realize, he does care.

Jake sits across from you, staring at you with admiration he only hopes you’ll be able to see, and in his mind, he dreads the moment you have to leave. Like you’d done in the morning, he tells himself to just enjoy the moment, but how can he when he knows the inevitable ending? Well, thinks he knows.

“There’s a place I think we’ll both like, it’s not far from here,” Jake says, and you smile slightly. You almost expected him to insist that it be about you, and while you’d have appreciated the intent behind that, you want to get to know him better, and therefore you want to know what he likes, even if you don’t like it. So, you lean forward, making your interest clear.

He smiles slightly, the same way you do. “It’s within walking distance. It’s just a guitar shop, but there’s some pretty cool stuff in there. I don’t know if you’re big on souvenirs, but they might have something you like.”

“I’m in,” you hum happily, pleased with the new plan. Jake nods his head, and both of you sit for a while longer, before deciding you’re ready to go.

One thing about Jake is that he acts cool. He is cool, but not in the way he portrays. From afar, he seems like the kind of guy who’s sure of himself, so much so that those around him can hardly tolerate it. You’ve quickly learned that to be far from the truth, though, because here is, worked up about touching you. Even earlier, when he put his hand on your back, he was concerned about it. You thought that he’d realize then that it didn’t bother you, but now, you see that isn’t the case. So, to ease his worries, like he’s done for you a few times already, you take matters into your own hands.

“Jake,” you say, looking over at him. He turns his head to you, eyes covered by the aforementioned dark lenses of his glasses. “Hold my hand?” you ask, extending your arm towards him. He’s taken aback, but almost instinctively takes your hand in his, and laces his fingers with yours. You smile to yourself, both proudly and giddily. The butterflies make their return, and unbeknownst to you, Jake feels them too.

— 🎶🎸

The guitar shop is as you pictured it: Jake-esque. While you sat in the cafe, you built an image of the store in your mind. Now, standing in the store, hand still in Jake’s, it looks very similar to that. “I can see why you like it,” you comment, looking around. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jake teases, feigning offense. You return your curious eyes to him, giving him an unamused expression. He smiles to himself then lifts your intertwined hands, pointing to a guitar that’s displayed on the wall.

He glances at your hands momentarily, the smile unable to leave his face. It’s a subtle smile, the corners of his lips pulled upwards. He’s content, genuinely happy.

“You see the purple guitar?” You nod in response. Jake would then tell you about it’s origin, and that would lead to the both of you making your way around the store, pointing out different guitars and listing whatever random facts you knew — ones that other people likely wouldn’t get.

Jake never had a problem with his previous partners not knowing much about guitars — or instruments in general — but he finds himself admiring your knowledge. It’s something he didn’t realize he wanted, but now that he has it…

At some point, you’d broken your hold of one another’s hand, and you made your way to the records. Jake had flipped through them a number of times, having almost memorized every one. Since he’s come here so often, he’s befriended the owner of the store, who promised Jake that he’ll be the first to know when they get new records in. So, while you look through them, Jake travels the small isles of items that are right in front of the vinyl display.

He travels the familiar walkways, scanning over the items. It isn’t until he reaches the end of the isle that he spots something new, and he disappears from your view when he makes it to the endcap. It’s not that you feel unsafe in the store, but something about knowing he’s right there made you feel extra secure. Nevertheless, you brush it off and grab your second vinyl, tucking it in your arm.

Meanwhile, Jake scans the newly stocked picks, taking his time to look at them. One of them, and he chuckles about this, has “I pick you” engraved on it. While he thinks it’s cheesy — wouldn’t anyone? — he still plucks it off of the hook, and holds it in a way that you won’t see it. As he rounds the corner, you’re already coming down the isle, looking for him.

“Hi,” you chirp, startled by his sudden appearance. You notice the way he shifts his hand, and he notices your questioning look. Before you can actually ask anything, he starts talking. “You know what? You never told me what was so funny earlier.” He’s referring to the cafe, where you’d been cut off by your order being called. Despite your curiosity, you choose to leave it be, deciding it may be something personal.

“I don’t know if you’d find it funny,” you say, grinning mischievously. He cocks a brow, then gestures his hand towards you, as to say “Go on.” You shift the records, holding them carefully in front of yourself. “Well, I was looking at your shirt this morning, then remembered my band mate referring to your shirt from yesterday as ‘slutty’,” you explain. “You’re more modest today,” you hum, pointing at his shirt. He looks down, then at you. “My apologies,” he says, before unbuttoning two of the buttons swiftly.

“Oh my god, Jake,” you turn away from him, your cheeks heating up. You’re unable to hold back your laugh, due to the absurdity of his actions. “I can’t take you anywhere,” you joke, still turned away from the man. He places his hand on the small of your back, stepping closer to you. “Sure you can,” he responds, and you look back at him, gazing into his eyes. It’s a silent exchange of words. You’d take him everywhere, if you could, and he would happily go with you.

You eventually find your way to the register, where you place the two records down on the counter. The elderly man behind the counter takes them and scans them, sliding the packaged vinyls into a paper bag, with a list of ways to reuse it printed on the front and back, and a larger print of “Thank You” on the bottom. He hands you the bag, and while you’re taking it, Jake sets the guitar pick down on the side of the register that you can’t see. The urge to ask about the item only gets stronger, but the idea that it may be personal keeps popping up in your head as well. So, you stick with minding your business.

After leaving the guitar shop and trying to decide where you’d go next, you got a message from Phoebe.

(Pheobe) Plan on hanging out with Jake all day?

Depends. Do my girls need me?

(Pheobe) Need? no. Want? Miss? Love? Yes. We just wanna have you back for a little while. Julien found this antique shop, we all agreed that it’s right up your alley.

Okay. I’ll let Jake know. See you in a bit <3

While Jake didn’t exactly want you to go, he was more than understanding about it. Thus, he returned you to your friends, leaving you with another kiss on the cheek and sweet smile. The only difference this time, was that it took longer for him to let go of you. Not long enough for anyone else to notice, but you did notice, and you’d think about it for the rest of the day.

Speaking of “the rest of the day”, you didn’t intend to spend all of it with your friends. You figured you’d go to the antique shop, then return to Jake, but that isn’t the case.

Instead, you’d go to multiple stores, then find yourself in a resturaunt you don’t even know the name of, and from the looks of it, a bar will be in the mix of activities.

“Wait, this looks kind of cool,” Phoebe says, eyes lighting up as she scrolls through the pictures of the bar. When she finds one she particularly likes, she presents her phone screen to you, Julien, and Lucy.

The three of you examine the picture, then Lucy reaches out to swipe through them. It looks like a good time, and it seems that Lucy and Julien think the same. So, you pull put your phone to text Jake.

Hey, Jakey. I don’t think we’ll be able to hang out again tonight. The girls wanna go to a bar, and I don’t want to dissapoint them. I’m sorry 😕❤️

Jake has never been the mind of person to be attatched to his phone, not if it weren’t for something serious, but as soon as he sees his screen light up, signaling that there’s a new notification, he grabs the device. He smiles as he reads your contact name, then opens the message. He reads it not once, not twice, but three times…all because you called him “Jakey”. He’s been called that before, quite commonly, but it feels different when you say it. He can’t describe it, but he can’t deny that he likes it. He reads the message once again, before finally responding to you.

Don’t be sorry, I completely understand. Just have a good time and stay safe, okay? There’s always tomorrow.

It’s ironic that he says “always.” You know what he means, but you can’t help but think about the inevitable future that draws closer and closer. For the next two days, that statement applies, but then what? The longer you think about it, the more sad you begin to feel, so you quickly respond to him, then put your phone away and return your focus to the girls.

Suddenly, the bar idea sounds much more appealing.

The next morning would be rough. You’d wake up with a ridiculous headache, fully feeling the effects of your night out. You hadn’t drank a ton, but it was enough to make the trip from your bed to the shower, and the shower itself, feel nearly impossible. It wouldn’t be until

after your shower, breakfast, water, and advil, that you’d feel better.

You’d left your phone on the nightstand, and coincidentally, as you grabbed it for the first time, it began to ring. Jake’s contact name appears on your screen, and despite being taken aback by it, you answer the call and put him on speaker. “Sorry for the random call,” he begins, clearing his throat on the other end of the phone. “Don’t be sorry,” you respond, laying on your bed, and looking out of the hotel window. It takes up almost the whole wall, and your view isn’t bad. You can see the mountains way off in the distance, and the sky is a pretty shade of blue, with the sun shining brightly in the clouds.

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” Jake states, making your brows furrow. “Why?” you ask, genuinely confused. You told him you were going out, right? “I asked if you’d tell me when you got back to the hotel, you didn’t respond,” he explains. You grab your phone and open his messages, only to find that he had in fact asked you that. It was delivered around ten. “God, Jake, i’m sorry. I don’t even know what time it was when we got back…i’m really sorry,” you say, beginning to feel rather guilty.

“Hey, hey,” his voice is almost as soft through the phone, but not as clear as it is in person. It still puts you at ease when he reassures you. “Don’t be sorry, you’re safe, right?” he asks, and you smile to yourself. “Mhm,” you hum. “Just battling hangover,” you say, only slightly joking. Jake laughs, and it makes your smile grow wider. It’s unique, a laugh you haven’t heard before, but one you adore. “Party hard last night, then?” He asks, and you chuckle dully.

“You could say that,” you reply, the both of you falling quiet. A few moments later, Jake starts talking again. “Do you have any plans for today?” He asks. As far as you know, the other girls agreed that they wanted to do their own things today, and you imagine that applies to you as well. “Not unless you want to see me again,” you say boldly, and even though you can’t see it, Jake smiles widely.

“So, you do have plans, then…because I do want to see you,” he responds to you in the same tone you did with him, but it makes your heart flutter when he does it. “What are my plans then, Jakey?” you ask, making no attempt to mask your happiness. The nickname catches Jake off guard, and he wishes he could go back in time and hear you say it again…and again. He clears his throat, “I suppose that’s up to you. I’m gonna imagine you don’t wanna run around too much today, with your hangover and all.”

He’s right. Hangover aside, you’re physically tired from all the running around you’ve done the past few days. “I suppose,” you say, sitting up and swinging your legs over the edge of the bed, holding your phone in your hand. “I have two suggestions,” Jake says, and you hum in acknowledgement, letting him know that he has your attention.

“We could find some place to hang out, I know there’s some nice parks around…or, you could come to my place?” Hes hesitant with his second suggestion, worried that you may find the offer odd. He means no harm, though, and you know it. Your silence lingers just a little long, and Jake adds, “My brothers will be here, but you don’t have to worry about them. I can ask them to leave or something,” he explains.

“You don’t have to make them leave. I think it’d be cool to meet them,” you respond as you stand up, searching for the comfy pair of shoes you packed. “Really?” you can hear the growing excitement in his voice, and almost see his eyes light up. “Yeah,” you chirp, a permanent smile on your lips as you talk to him. “Just give me an address and I’ll head over.”

It goes silent as he texts you his address, and you glance at the notification when it pops up. “See you in,” you pause, opening google maps and clicking “Start” to see how long it will take to get there, “twenty minutes,” you finish, then gather your other important items as you walk to the door. “See you then, Y/N,” Jake says excitedly. Shortly after, you hang up the phone and make your way to your car, then begin the drive to Jake’s house.

In theory, twenty minutes is a short period of time, but in reality, given the right circumstances, it seems much longer. The drive to Jake’s house leaves you with your thoughts, mostly about him, but a few taunting ones of how meeting his brothers may go. You’re almost certain that they’ll be just as welcoming as Jake is, but a part of you isn’t sure what to expect. Worries aside, you miss Jake - even if it had only been a short period of time since you last saw the brunette boy.

You glance at your phone, following the blue line that’s guided you this far. At last, you’re on his street. He lives in a seemingly small suburb, and you get the vibe that everyone living her is part of a small community, all of them acquainted with each other. You slow to a stop as your map shows you’re at the right house, and as you scan the outside of it, you can’t help but notice the Jeep truck sitting in the driveway. You wonder if it’s Jake’s, but something tells you that isn’t likely.

You grab your phone off of its stand and open your messages with Jake, typing a quick message to let him know that you’re here.

While the message is delivered to him, you gather your things and get out of your car, locking it on the way to the front door. You walk up the steps leading to his porch, taking in the decoration on the outside of the home. String lights hang from the roof of the porch, and in the corner sits a table with 4 chairs surrounding it. You picture Jake sitting there, likely with his guitar in his lap, and it makes you smile briefly, soothing your nerves.

When you turn your attention to the door and lift your hand to knock, seeing as it’s been longer than you expected, the door opens. Much to your relief, Jake steps out of the house, and you’re hit with a warm, cozy, and somehow crisp, citrusy scent. It’s all things fall, and butterflies start fluttering in your stomach when Jake wraps his arms around you, pulling you into a gentle hug. “I missed you,” he says quietly, his mouth close to your ear as he leans down to be closer to you. You nuzzle your cheek against his shoulder as you squeeze him, relaxing in his hold. “I missed you more,” you say, half-joking, half-serious.

“Debatable,” he responds as he pulls back, a relaxed, sweet smile playing on his pink lips. Then, he steps back and pushes the door open widely, inviting you inside. You step into his house slowly, still trying to prepare yourself to meet the rest of his band. The inside of his home is as you expected it to be, much like the guitar shop had been. On the wall sits a number of displayed records, and much of the decor in the house is woodland-ish. Leaves hang in almost every corner, and on window sills, well kempt plants sit. You could see yourself already warming up to it.

Before you can say anything else to Jake, one of the aforementioned brothers is coming your way. He wears a sweet smile, one that may be arguably more sweet than Jake’s, with a gap in between his teeth, and bright eyes. He looks incredibly similar to Jake, in terms of their facial features, with practically the same lips and nose. “I’m Josh,” he introduces himself with a playful bow, making you smile. If it were anyone else, you’d be inclined to stand there awkwardly, but his aura tells you to match his energy.

So, you smile back at him when he stands up, and do a curtesy. “I’m Y/N,” you say, and he gestures to Jake, “I know. He won’t shut up about you,” Josh says theatrically, his hands moving in all different directions. Jake shoots him an unamused look, but it’s obvious that it’s all in good fun - they’re close, anyone would know. The longer you have to look at Josh, the more you start to question if they’re twins. You hadn’t looked anything up, but you hadn’t asked Jake about it either.

Before you can mention that, though, the other two that complete the group find their way into the living room. You find that Jake and Josh are in fact twins, and the one you’d seen a few days prior, is their little brother, Sam. Then, there’s Danny, who may not be blood related, but is a brother all the same. Even in a short period of time, you can see just how close they are, and it warms your heart.

After some time, once all the awkwardness of first impressions and what-not faded away, you find yourself in their backyard, sitting around their fire pit. Music plays from inside the house, and everyone has a drink in their hand. You fit right into their group, bits and pieces of your personality mixing well with each of theirs.

You’d also meet Sam’s sweet dog, Rosie, who’d sit next to you the whole time you were there.

“I’m gonna get another drink,” you say, mostly to Jake, as the other boys were mid conversation. Jake nods, but grabs your wrist when you stand up. “I want to give you something,” he says, looking up at you. Your eyes meet his, and you swear you feel a whole new wave of…love. You love Jake, and you realize it in this moment. “Okay,” is all you respond, quietly. Jake stands, then guides you back into the house. You quickly refill your cup, then take Jake’s hand as he guides you through his home.

Your brows furrow in confusion, but you don’t say anything. He walks down the hallway and stops at the last room, opening the door for you like he’d done when he invited you into the house. You step into the room, and quickly realize it to be his. You don’t have much time to look around before Jake gets your attention, smiling nervously. “I got you this- at the guitar store,” he says, and holds the small item out to you.

It’s a guitar pick, but on it, is engraved ‘I pick you’. It makes you chuckle, almost exactly as Jake did when he looked at it - that makes him

smile. Your chuckle slowly turns into an amused giggle. “It’s so cheesy,” you say, and even though Jake knows that, he feigns offense. He snatches it from your grasp, “Well if you don’t like it, I can take it back…” He suggests, leaving you to feign offense. “I didn’t say that,” you scold him, taking the pick back. “I said that it’s cheesy…but I love it,” you hum, smiling at him as you clutch it within your hand.

“Thank you, Jakey,” you say, leaning in to kiss his cheek, dangerously close to his lips. It catches him off guard, evident in the way his cheeks redden. “Yeah,” he clears his throat, “Your welcome. I’m glad you like it,” he says, a timid smile playing on his expression.

“Do you want to go back outside? I don’t want to stop you from hanging out with the boys- if that’s what you want to do,” Jake asks, and you think about it for a moment. You step closer to Jake, setting the guitar pick carefully on the dresser that’s next to you. “I like them, don’t get me wrong…but I want to spend time with you,” you say honestly. You adore his brothers, especially Josh, but with such limited time, you want to soak up as much of Jake as you can. You support your words by wrapping your arms loosely around his torso, looking up at him.

Jake wraps an arm around your shoulder, gently pulling you into him. You rest your head on your chest, inhaling his scent. Cologne lingers on his exposed skin, a scent you can’t quite describe, but you like it. You stand quietly, snuggling further into Jake when he wraps his other arm around your shoulder. You both are thinking about the same thing - how you have to leave him in just over a day’s time. “I don’t want to leave,” you murmur, and Jake sighs, shoulders slumping. “I don’t want you to leave either,” he says quietly. Mindlessly, you begin swaying side to side with one another, the music coming from the living room just loud enough to be faintly heard in Jake’s room.

The song that was playing ends, then a new one begins. A smile forms on your lips when you recognize the song. It’s “Leather and Lace” by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley.

You close your eyes, enjoying this moment. It isn’t until Jake lifts his head that you open your eyes, to look at him. Your brows furrow slightly, and when Jake leans in, you swear your heart stops. His nose brushes against yours, and you can feel his breath gently fan over your skin. “Can I kiss you?” he asks, and you find yourself unable to speak, so you nod, letting your eyes flutter shut as he presses his lips against yours.

🎶 Still I carry this feeling

when you walked into my house

that you won’t be walking out the door

lovers forever, face to face 🎶

You melt into him, into the kiss, your lips molding together perfectly as you kiss. You lift one hand to cup the back of his neck, drawing him in impossibly closer. He cups your cheek, his thumb soothing over the skin as he deepens the kiss. Your heart pounds in your chest, rapidly beating with love radiating off of it - all for Jake.

🎶 My city or mountains

Stay with me Stay

I need you to love me

I need you today 🎶

You pull away only when your lungs begin to burn, but you keep him close, noses nuzzled together as you catch your breath. Jake presses his forehead against yours, and you’re both lost in this haze, one that could only be created by the both of you, never matched by another.

🎶 Give to me your leather

Take from me, my lace 🎶

— 🎶🎸

Neither of you knew what to say about the kiss, so you didn’t say anything. You let it be what it was, and you both enjoyed it- enjoyed is an understatement, but with all the words in the english language, you could think of any to really describe it.

By the end of the night, you’d be sitting around a campfire, snuggled into Jake’s side. Josh and Sam are debating something you can’t figure out, as they’ve strayed far away from the original subject. Daniel sits across from you, eyes flickering between the two boys, and he chuckles to himself here and there. Jake’s arm is rested over your waist, hand sprawled over your hip. He entertains Josh and Sam’s ridiculous hypothetical questions, fueling the fire that keeps their debate going strong.

You pull your phone out of your pocket, responding to the group chat that includes you, Julien, Lucy, and Pheobe.

Pheobe: What’s everyone’s plans for the night?

Lucy: I don’t have anything specific planned

Julien: Me neither

You: Same for me, but I am NOT going to another bar lol

Pheobe: Jokes on you, I wasn’t even thinking about that. I just wanted to check in with everyone. How’s it going at Jake’s?

You: Good. :) I’m having fun

Pheobe: We’ll leave you to that then. Be safe and keep us updated 🫶🏻

You: I will 🩷

You put your phone away, returning your attention to the boys surrounding you. The fire crackles quietly as it begins to die, and Josh and Sam have finally relaxed.

“I think i’m gonna call it a night. At least go inside, the bugs are killing me,” Daniel says as he stands up, stretching his arms above his head. “Already?” Sam asks, and Daniel looks at him with an expression you can only assume Sam sees often. Especially with knowing they’ve been friends for so long, and Sam is clearly the more unhinged of the two. “No fun.”

You chuckle at their banter, watching as Sam follows Daniel inside like a puppy following its owner. “Goodnight!” Josh yells dramatically, and you’d know it’s him from a mile away. “Goodnight,” the two call as they head inside, closing the door behind themselves.

You smile to yourself, looking up at Jake. “Are you tired?” you ask, and he shrugs. “Only a little, why?” he asks, and you hum, resting your head back on his chest. “I don’t want to keep you up if you’re ready to go to bed or something,” you say, skin tingling when Jake’s hand soothes over your back.

He chuckles, chest moving beneath you. “Don’t worry about me,” he assures you, coming his fingers through the ends of your hair. “What about you? Are you tired?” He asks, and you shake your head. A comfortable silence forms between you, Jake, and Josh who still sits across from you.

Josh, unsurprisingly, is the one to break the silence. “I hate to ask a dim question,” he says genuinely, eyes flickering between you and Jake, “but when do you head out? Jake mentioned that you’re only visiting.”

The question is dim. It’s like a cloud forms above you and Jake, threatening to rain on the sunshine you crated together.

“Day after tomorrow,” you respond quietly. “We’ll spend most of tomorrow packing up, and then leave early Sunday,” you explain. Josh nods, then you feel Jake pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. He keeps his lips pressed there, sighing into your hair.

“Well,” Josh stands suddenly, stretching in almost the same exact way Daniel had done earlier. “I’ll leave you two to yourselves,” he jestures to you both, giving you a small smile before he heads inside. “Goodnight,” you say, smiling when Josh yells it back from inside the house. He’s quite the character, the complete opposite from his twin brother.

“This is random, but do you want to stay the night?” Jake asks. Your eyes go wide, and you lift your head to look at him with furrowed brows. “Seriously?” you ask, not even sure if he actually said what you think he said.

Truth be told, the thought crossed your mind shortly after you kissed him in his bedroom, but you didn’t say anything. So, now that he’s offering, you don’t hesitate to take him up on it.

— 🎶🎸

It wouldn’t be until midnight that you’d find your way into the house, finally calling it a night. Jake shuts off the lights while you venture to his room and wait for him.

His footsteps are light as he comes down the hallway, and he carefully shuts the door behind himself as he enters the room. He brushes a hand through his hair as he walks to his closet and opens the door, seemingly searching for something specific.

“Whatcha looking for?” you ask curiously, standing in front of his dresser on the other side of the room. “I swear I have an air mattress somewhere in here,” Jake responds, digging through his items. You nod, even though he’s turned away from you. “Can I sit on your bed?” you ask, catching Jake’s gaze when he looks over his shoulder at you. “What kinda question is that?” he asks, turning around with an amused smile, the folded air mattress in his hands.

Jake crouches down to start inflating the matress, the electric pump loud as it does it’s job. As the matress slowly expands, Jake gets up and walks to his bathroom, where he turns on the light and digs through the drawers, before pulling out a new, packaged tooth brush. “You can use this,” he says, setting it on the bathroom counter before coming back out. He examines your outfit, taking note of your jeans.

“I’m sorry for asking you to spend the night on such short notice, didn’t mean for you to not have any clothes,” Jake says, genuinely apologetic as he talks. You smile slightly, taking his hand when he’s close enough for you to do so. “It’s okay, I’m just glad to be here,” you say, gently pulling him down to kiss his cheek. You want more - you want to kiss him, to cuddle with him, whatever he’d be willing to give, but you refrain.

He smiles in response to the kiss, nuzzling his nose against yours. “I’m glad you’re here too,” he says, giving your hand a soft squeeze before he steps back. He steps over the matress, then opens one of the dresser drawers. He pulls out two pairs of sweatpants, you notice. The realization that he’ll probably offer you a pair makes your heart sink. Up until this point, your insecurities surrounding your weight hadn’t crossed your mind, but now, you feel like you’re sinking in a pool of worries.

You bite anxiously at your bottom lip as Jake pulls the pump out of the air matress, then makes sure no air is escaping it, before he sets the pump to the side. Then, he grabs the dreaded pair of pants, and turns to you.

“Do you want to borrow a pair? I doubt your jeans are comfortable enough to sleep in.”

He means well, you know it. You also know that he is the last person who would judge you, but you can’t seem to believe that in this moment. Jake reads your expression, the worry evident on your face. His brows knit together with concern, and he sinks to his knees in front of you. “Hey,” he says softly, setting the pants beside you as he cups your cheek. “I’m assuming you’re worried they won’t fit?” he asks, and you’re slightly taken aback that he figured it out so easily, but nod nevertheless. He nods, taking your hand in his, while the other remains delicately placed on your cheek.

“You know it’s not a big deal if they don’t fit, right? There’s nothing wrong with you, it just means the pants don’t fit. That’s all, okay?” he assures you, looking up at you with a love in his eyes that you can’t comprehend. Slowly, you nod. “It’s just,” you sigh, letting your head fall back as you fight your own emotions. Jake brings his hand from your cheek and down to your lap, where he takes your other hand as well. “It’s just?” he prompts.

“I know it’s okay if they don’t fit, but it’s embarrassing,” you say, refusing to look at him, because you don’t think you’d be able to contain your emotions if you did. “Says who?” he asks, caressing the back of your hand with his thumb. “It’s not embarrassing,” he says, and you finally look at him. “I’ve had tons of instances where pants didn’t fit, especially recently. I may not be in the exact same position as you, but I do understand how it feels,” he explains in a gentle tone. “I just want you to feel comfortable, to be comfortable. You’re safe with me,” he says.

You can’t say anything. The lump in your throat is harsh, so much so you can’t even swallow it. Instead of trying to talk, you nod slowly, letting Jake know that you understand. He smiles at you, then stands up and presses a kiss to your forehead.

“So, do you wanna try the pants?” he asks, and the expression on his face makes you giggle quietly. “I guess,” you respond reluctantly, taking them out of his hand, before going to the bathroom to change.

You brush your teeth first, unsure of what to expect with the pants. However, you find out that they actually fit fine — they’re not loose, but not snug, and certainly more comfortable than your jeans.

When you walk out of the bathroom, Jake is laying a. comforter over the air matress, and adjusting the pillows he put on it. He changed as well, now wearing sweatpants much like yours, and a black, long sleeve, Paul Mccartney shirt. You’re examining the design when he stands up straight, then turns to you. He eyes you, a smile forming on his lips. “They fit okay?” he asks, and you nod, smiling back at him.

“I was serious, by the way. If you want my bed, please take it,” Jake says gesturing to his bed. Your eyes flicker to the bed, then to him, then to the matress, and finally find themselves focused on him. “What if I said we could just share your bed,” you say, and Jake’s brows raise, his eyes widening slightly. “Really?” he asks, and you shrug. “Only if you’re comfortable with it,” you say, walking towards him.

“Oh, i’m definitely comfortable with it,” he grins, grabbing your hand to guide you to him faster. You rest your hands on his sides, and he wraps his arm around your shoulder, using the other to gesture to the air matress. “I’m a little disappointed that you’re gonna disregard my hard work, though,” he jokes, making you roll your eyes, but play along. “Then I should sleep on the air matress, right? Since you worked so hard on it?” you ask, giving him a taste of his own medicine, as this situation is very similar to the pick one.

“Or, we could share the bed, and just admire my hard work,” he says, and you can’t help but smile. “You’re something else,” you say, wrapping your arms around him. He grins, eyes becoming tired as the minutes pass and it gets later.

“You’re beautiful,” he says, catching you completely off guard. Your skin heats up, and when his nose brushes against yours, it takes all of your self control to not pull him greedily into you. “Thank you,” you whisper. He closes his eyes, and you follow, letting yours flutter shut, anticipating what comes next. His hands slide under yours, and he pulls you closer, hands pressed into the small of your back. Finally, he kisses you again, a pleased hum escaping you. He smiles slightly against your lips, before focusing.

There’s no sexual intent behind the kiss, despite the passion flowing between it. Like moths to a flame, you’re drawn to each other. You have been from the very moment you laid eyes on one another, and neither of you want that to change, but you know it will. So, you both hold on a little tighter, make the kiss last a little longer, and will relish in every minute spent together tonight, tomorrow, and until the very moment you have to say goodbye.

It’s like something you could only dream of, when you wake up next to Jake. He’s still peacefully asleep, his hair even messier than usual, sprawled across his pillow, his lashes casting a soft shadow on his precious cheeks, his pretty lips parted slightly, and soft snores coming from him. He lays on his stomach now, face turned towards you, and his arm brushing against yours.

You roll onto your side, careful not to disturb him as you do so. You stare at him shamelessly, admiring all the details on his face that you hadn’t noticed before. Gently, you push his hair out of his face, fingers getting caught in one of the tangles. He doesn’t react, much to your relief.

It isn’t until a few moments later that you hear clattering, faint as it is. Then, when you listen closer, you hear the voices of Sam, Daniel, and Josh. You smile to yourself, reminiscing the precious night as you grab your phone. You check the time, then open your group chat with Lucy, Pheobe, and Julien.

Lucy: No one needs to rush, but let’s not stay out too late tonight. We need to figure out what exactly we’re doing tomorrow.

Pheobe: Yeah, sounds good. Meet around 5? We can just meet at the hotel.

Julien: Sounds good to me. See you guys in a bit. Ily ❤️

Pheobe: Ilyt 🫶🏻

You smile to yourself at their messages, typing a quick one to let them know you’re on the same page. With a final look at Jake, you get up, stretching our your stuff limbs. Jake shuffles, turning his head to the other side, which reveals just how much of a mess his hair had become over the night. You shake your head, the smile growing on your lips.

You leave Jake’s room after brushing your teeth, in search of the other boys. “Hey, Y/N!” Sam calls, a wide grin on the younger boy’s lips as he walks past you, carrying his plate to the ouch. “Morning,” you respond, continuing into the kitchen where Josh and Danny are. “Good morning,” Josh says, taking your hand and twirling you around. You chuckle softly, playing along with him. “Good morning,” you say back, also gesturing to Danny, who smiles sweetly at you.

“I don’t know what you eat and don’t eat, but you’re more than welcome to have some,” Josh says, referring to the food he made - that must have been the clattering. “Are you sure?” you ask, while Josh hands you plate. “Absolutely! Eat all you’d like, mama,” he says, patting your back gently as he walks around the island to join Daniel on a bar stool.

With a small smile, you get your share of the food, and Join the two boys, sitting next to Josh, who sits in between you and Daniel. “Do you guys have any fun plans?” you ask, looking at the two. “Not particularly,” Daniel says, shrugging. “Sam and I were thinking about going to a new record store. It’s a bit of a drive though,” He explains while you nod along, and Josh eats his food.

“Most of the things I do are spontaneous,” Josh says, in a specific tone that only Josh can really do. You grin, “I bet.” You don’t know what reminds you of it, but something brings the Jeep to your mind. “Is the truck yours?” you ask. The way Josh’s lips tug into a smug grin tells you all you need to know. “It is,” he hums, “why? Do you like it?” “I don’t dislike it.”

In the midst of your conversation, while Josh tells you all the fun stories regarding his beloved truck, Jake comes into the living room. He can see you sitting with Josh and Daniel, and it makes his heart swoon. The domesticality of it, to be exact. It’s like you’ve been here for a long time, as opposed to one night. You fit right in, with him, and his brothers, and that’s all he can ask for. He makes his way to the kitchen, sliding onto the seat next to you, and placing his hand on your back.

You turn your attention to him. “Morning,” you mumble softly, leaning in to kiss the corner of his mouth. “Sleep good?” you ask, and he nods, rubbing his eyes. “Best sleep i’ve had in a while, to be honest,” he says, and something about the sleepiness in his tone, the gentle rasp in his words, makes your heart swell. “I’m glad,” you respond, taking the last bite of your food. With your plate now empty, you begin to get off of the stool, with intentions of putting the dish in the sink. However, Daniel takes it from you. “I got it,” he says, stacking your plate on his.

You muttered a quiet ‘oh’. You’ve never had this before - you’ve had girl friends, of course, but it was rare that men were so sweet to you, and so genuine, but Jake’s brothers are exactly that. Being in Josh’s presence made your mood better, even when it was already good. Daniel, while not super talkative, has this warm, welcoming aura to himself. With Sammy, it’s endearing. Something about his personality makes you want to protect him, even if you don’t know him well. And, Jake…he’s something else, something you couldn’t dream of.

When you come back to reality, Daniel’s washing the dishes that had been dirtied throughout the morning, and Josh still sits next to you, scrolling through his phone. “Anything you want to do before you go?” Jake asks as he slides off of his seat, getting himself a cup of black coffee. You watch as he pours the steaming liquid into his mug, his fingers wrapped delicately around it. “Not really. I’m up for anything, even if that means hanging out here before I have to go back to the hotel. The girls said we need to meet around five.”

Jake nods, processing what you told him. It hits him now, that you have to leave soon. He masks his growing sadness, not wanting to make things any worse then they’ll already be.

— 🎶🎸

Shortly after breakfast, Daniel and Sam leave to go to the aforementioned record shop, and Josh to meet with his own partner, leaving you with Jake for the time being. It’s coming up on noon when you check the clock, and the dreaded moment only comes nearer. Everything feels right when you’re with Jake, when you’re with his friends, when you’re in Nashville - you’ve never felt so at peace, at home, as you do right in this moment, still sitting in the kitchen of Jake’s home.

Your eyes scan over Jake’s backside as he rinses out his empty mug, then lays it in the sink. His hair is still a mess from sleep, bit slightly tamed. He looks cozy, in a way, and that’s what drives you to slide off of your stool, and creep up behind him. You rest your hands on his back, letting him know you’re there, before you slide your arms around his waist and press your chest into his back. He’s as cozy as he looks, the warmth of his body radiating onto yours like a fireplace on a winter night.

Jake turns off the water and dries his hands before he places them atop yours, intertwining your fingers. You turn your head to rest your cheek against his back, the fabric of his shirt soft on your skin. “Gonna miss you,” you say quietly. It makes Jake frown slightly - the reminder that you’ll be gone tomorrow. You’re both dreading the moment you have to say goodbye.

“I’m gonna miss you too,” Jake responds as he maneuvers in your hold, spinning around to face you. Your arms remain around his waist, and his hands move to cup your cheeks. He caresses them delicately with his calloused thumbs, his eyes traveling slowly over your features. You follow his gaze, focused on all the little details within his pupils. Then, Jake gently squishes your cheeks within his hands, holding back a smile. You raise an eyebrow, silently asking him what he’s doing.

“You’re cute” is what he says, and it makes you roll your eyes, despite the annoying butterflies that flutter to live in your stomach, and swarm around your heart as he leans in to gently, lovingly kiss your forehead. You close your eyes as his lips linger on your skin, relishing in the soft feeling. Even in such a short time, you truly became attatched to one another. It isn’t rushed, you don’t mean for it to be, it’s just worked out this way, and you wish you could stay to see what could happen between you and Jake.

You sigh as he leans back, the feeling of his lips disappearing. You slowly peel your eyes open to meet his, mixed emotions hiding behind both of your gazes. “Is there anything you want to do, before you have to go?” Jake asks hesitantly, his voice soft as he speaks. “Not really,” you admit, “I just want to stay here, with you,” you say honestly, and lay your head on his chest, nuzzling into him.

He chuckles faintly and nods. “We can do that.”

— 🎶🎸

In a comfortable silence, you stood with Jake for a while longer.

Eventually, you find yourself on the couch in their living room, a guitar in your lap. You strum mindlessly while Jake makes some minor adjustments to the tune of his guitar, sitting across from you.

You can only assume it was Josh who opened all of the blinds, or perhaps Danny, considering it’s his plants that are on the window seal. Nevertheless, it’s allowed sunlight to be cast into the home, illuminating the living room and kitchen despite no other lights being on in the house. You can feel the warmth of the sun on your back, similar to when Jake hugs you- or touches you, at that.

“There we are,” Jake says to himself, once satisfied with his tuning work. “What do you want to play?” he asks you, guitar pick in hand, and his fingers resting on the fret board. You think to yourself, mentally rummaging through all the songs you know. Then, as you glance down at Jake’s hands, a thought pops into your mind. “Could you teach me one of yours?” you ask, gazing at him hopefully.

He tilts his head almost questioningly, but he understands what you’re asking. “You want to learn one of my songs?” he asks, a shy smile making its way into his lips. You nod, smiling, “Yeah. I listened to one the other day…what’s it called?” you think aloud, brows furrowing as you play the song in your mind. “Anthem, I think it was?” you ask, and Jake starts to play it, letting you decide for yourself if it’s right. It isn’t, but you make a mental note of it as one you’d like to learn.

“That’s not it,” you say. “I just know it was an early one,” you explain, scrambling for ways to describe it. Jake plays a second tune, making the correct guess. Your eyes light up, and you nod eagerly. “That one, that’s it,” you point at his guitar, then watch his fingers dance over the strings as he plays the song. You’ve played for long enough that you can almost follow his movements, but you don’t strum yet. Jake looks at your fingers, then stops strumming on his guitar to reach forward and adjust yours.

“Okay so,” he begins to explain the song, and the chords, taking it slowly, and at the pace you seem to follow along with.

As time passes, you catch onto the song rather easily, and begin to play along with him. You’re still careful with your movements, while it’s clearly muscle memory for Jake. Suddenly, he starts singing.

🎶 Babe, ain’t no denying

that i’ve got you in my head

Girl, i’d be flying

if you stood yourself and said

You’re the one I want

You’re the one I need

You’re the one I have

So come on back to me 🎶

He looks you in the eyes as he sings, as though he’s saying these words to you, singing it to you. He is.

You aren’t alone when you think to yourself that this is more than a crush, because Jake thinks that too. Especially when you laid in bed last night, legs tangled together and bodies pressed against one another’s, or this morning when he found you sitting so perfectly with his brothers. You both are more than aware of your own feelings, but neither of you can convince yourself that the other agrees.

Before you know it, Jake stops strumming, he stops singing, and the song is over. You come back to reality, with a number of emotions welling up within you. You take in a deep breath, then exhale heavily.

“Your voice is so pretty,” you say quietly, making Jake smile shyly. “Thank you,” he responds in the same quiet tone, the apples of his cheeks reddening. You take a moment to check your phone, taking note of the time. “It’s only two…teach me anthem?”

Jake happily agrees, his heart swelling with pride. He adores how interested you are in his music, something he’s unintentionally looked for in his partners. Like ‘You’re The One’, he guides your fingers to the right spot, and teaches you the strumming pattern, taking his time to show you how to play.

“Alright, now let’s try from the start,” Jake says, and gives you a moment to ready yourself before he begins the song. You follow along, playing in time with him. You gaze at him, hoping to hear him sing again. He does, and this time, you focus on his voice. Between the lyrics of the song, and his sweet sounding vocals, it soothes your worries- about everything. About leaving, about the future, all of it.

You reach the part of the song that he would normally start singing, and because it only feels right, you quietly sing along with him. Jake’s focused expression turns into a smiling one when he hears you, and you both play until the end of the song.

It doesn’t seem like so much time has passed, between being with Jake and playing guitar, but the next time you check your phone, the time reads 4:12 pm. Your heart sinks, and a lump starts to form in your throat. “I’m gonna use the bathroom,” you say as you carefully set the guitar down, then quickly excuse yourself. Jake follows you with his gaze as you speed walk to the restroom in his room, and he doesn’t have to ask you to know what’s wrong.

It’s inevitable, he knows it. Jake spent time here and there, when you were talking to his brothers, or messaging your friends back, forcing himself to accept it. It still leaves his chest feeling heavy, and his shoulders weighed down, but he does his best to control whatever emotions want to come over him.

He waits patiently for you, but when he notices you’re taking a long time, he decides to check on you.

He walks to his room and shuts the door behind himself, creating a sense of privacy, despite the fact that no one else is here to begin with. “Y/N?” Jake calls softly, stepping towards the bathroom. You stand in the middle of the bathroom, trying to contain yourself before you slowly open the door. As soon as you look at Jake, the lump returns to your throat, impossibly bigger, and you can’t hold back. You walk towards Jake and hug him, tears falling from

the corners of your eyes.

It’s more than the fact that you have to leave. It’s the fact that what you have with Jake feels so real, so possible, but there’s something stopping it from happening. It’s the fact that you’ve longed for this for as long as you can remember, and it’s about to be pulled right from your grasp. It’s about your past self, and how many times she was let down, left behind, heart broken. It almost hurts more, this particular time, because of what could be. It’s not an imaginary thing, but it’s real. You feel it now, and you felt it every day you spent with Jake.

You sob quietly, shoulders shaking as you cling onto Jake, your fingers curling into the back of his shirt. Jake wraps his arms around you as tightly as he can, and places one hand on the back of your head. He’s there. He’s here, right now, for you. You can’t seem to control yourself, and that’s when Jake takes it a step further. “And every glow in the twilight knows that the world is only what the world is made of,” he begins to sing, quietly, slowly, and only to you. “Just you and me can agree to disagree, that the world is only what the world is made of,” he sings that line differently, more passionately. He means that.

His hands find your cheeks, and he carefully lifts your head. He swipes your tears away, even as they continue to fall. “You hear me?” he asks softly, gazing into your eyes. “It’s gonna work out, I swear it to you,” he says. You nod slowly, having no choice but to trust him, the sincerity in his voice clear.

Jake would stand with you until you calm down, his thumbs soothing over your skin repeatedly, and his lips finding your forehead multiple times to plant gentle, soothing kisses to your skin. You don’t check the time, but you know it’s likely to be 5 by now. Your cheek is pressed against his chest, and you sigh shakily. Your tears have subsided, and all that’s left is a dull ache in your head.

“It’ll be okay, I promise,” Jake says, and all you can do is nod, before peeling away from him to gather your things.

— 🎸🎶

Jake walks you out to your car, both of you silent as a strange tension grows between you. It’s like a string being pulled at both ends, one tug away from being ripped in half. You open the passenger door of your car and set your things down, the guitar pick that Jake gifted you standing out as the sun hits it. I pick you…

You shut the door and turn your attention to Jake, who stands stiffly with his hands in his pockets, cheekbones drawn in due to him biting his inner cheeks. The sun has begun to go down, shining radiantly upon you and Jake, a golden hue illuminating Jake’s figure. He looks like something out of a dream - one that you’re about to wake up from, only to be greeted by reality.

Jake pulls his hands out of his pockets and steps towards you, opening his arms. You take a step forward and meet him halfway, hugging him once again. You sigh against him, but it doesn’t provide much relief. Nothing could relieve you right now, not if in the end you’d still be leaving Jake. “You could just stay here, with me…” Jake says, pressing a kiss to your head. You look up at him, lifting your hand to tangle your fingers in his hair before bringing his forehead to yours. “Or, you could come with me,” you respond cheekily, making Jake smile half-heartedly. “Touché,” he responds, letting his nose touch your cheek as his eyes close.

You stand still, before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, and one to his cheek. Emotions stir within you, and you want to avoid a second breakdown - at least, in front of Jake. Thus, you say your last goodbye, get in your car, and begin your journey back to the hotel, back home.

— 🎸🎶

Life goes on, regardless of the pain in your heart. Hours pass and fade into days, which fade into weeks, and before you know it, it’s been almost three months since you met Jake. You still talk, but it isn’t the same. The aforementioned string seems to have snapped, and it’s as though both of you are holding back, afraid of the distance between yourselves, with a desire to be so close, and the inability to have that.

Not to mention, you’re busy with your album, and Jake with his. You didn’t have time to text each other, to call, anything.

In the midst of the chaos brought to you by your life, you’d began house hunting with your band mates, finally having the funds to buy a home for the four of you to live in for the time being. After some intense searching, you all agreed on a place. It’s a beautiful house, with a large yard, and fitted to all of your tastes…with one additional perk- or con; you haven’t decided.

It’s located in East Nashville, only minutes away from Jake.

“We can move in on the,” Pheobe pauses, squinting her eyes as she scans her computer screen, “16th of October, so in just a few weeks- which reminds me, do we want to do this festival?” She asks, glancing between you, Julien, and Lucy. “Festival?” your brows furrowed in confusion, and she nods, clicking a few things on her screen before turning it to you. “It’s in Nashville, it’s in a little over a week so we need to decide soon. Like today or tomorrow soon.”

You accepted without question, encouraged by the three girls to just do it. You wouldn’t give it much thought until the day of got closer.

You meant to ask who else would be playing, but every time you got the chance, it was taken away.

That leads you to this very moment, where you’re sat in a chair, a makeup artist dabbing product gently onto your skin. You bounce one of your legs anxiously, faintly hearing the crowd roaring outside. “Nervous much?” The makeup artist, Cynthia, asks, a smile gracing her features. “A little,” you respond with a small chuckle, looking up as she directs you to. “You’re gonna do great,” She says earnestly, rubbing your shoulder before she finishes up your makeup.

Soon, you’re sitting in the waiting area with the rest of your band, watching the current group finish up their set. Because you’d been the last to join the lineup, you’re also the last playing. The sun is going down, the sky a number of shades as the band on stage bows to the crowd, before leaving. The group passes you, heading backstage likely to get a drink. “Thank you to those hove stayed this far,” the host of the festival calls over the mic, the crowd cheeeing in response. “We’re down to our last two guests for the evening,” he says, the crowd reacting with a number of dissapointed noises. “I know, I know,” the man continues. “Let’s enjoy this last little bit of the festival, and everyone make some noise for Greta Van Fleet!”

It takes a moment to register, but when it does, your heart sinks to your stomach. You look in the direction of the sounding footsteps, and there’s Sam, Daniel, then Jake and Josh. Sam walks past you, then does a double take as he walks onto the stage. He’s the first to recognize, and before he can say anything to Daniel, the curly haired man is walking towards his drum set. Jake walks past you with his attention focused on the guitar in front of him, careful not to bump anything with it. His mind is racing, and that also blocks out his surroundings.

Sam stands on his side of the stage, gazing at you from afar. He can hardly see you, but he knows it was you, so, when he makes eye contact with Jake, grabbing his older brothers attention, he gestures to you. Jake looks over, eyes squinting- then he realizes. It’s crazy to watch how his eyes widen, then his expression turns serious as the music starts. The crowd before the boys goes wild, and it’s easy to tell who the bigger fans are as they rush to the barricade, some already in tears. Josh greets everyone, a wide smile playing on his expression, a genuine one. They all love their fans, but it’s the most obvious with Josh, who’s already blowing kisses to a number of people in the crowd.

Jake has never been so thankful for muscle memory, his fingers moving methodically and rhythmically on his guitar through each song, despite his mind being elsewhere.

You can’t help the way your gaze naturally draws in on Jake. It’s no different from the first day it happened. You watch as he plays, his brows knitting together in concentration. You don’t know what to expect after the show - there’s no way he’s going to ignore you, right?

The show continues, and soon, it’s your turn. Jake passes you again, and it’s obvious that he wanted to say something - do something - but you were being rushed into stage before he could. In a similar fashion to him, your mind would travel to a different place, one of worry, anticipation, and hope.

Maybe things will work out with Jake. Maybe.

— 🎸🎶

Jake waits anxiously backstage, fiddling with his sailors bracelet as he does so. His brothers, including Daniel, all know what’s got him so worked up, and they all are secretly rooting for the both of you.

It feels like an eternity before you’re done, but when Jake sees you coming backstage, he freezes up. His eyes focus on you, but he doesn’t move - not until Sam nudges him. “Go talk to her, man.”

“I’m going,” Jake grumbles to the younger boy before he walks towards you, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

"I'm going," Jake grumbles to the younger boy before he walks towards you, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He makes eye contact with Pheobe, who smiles as she grabs your arm, gesturing to the nearing man. Suddenly, you’re being nudged towards him by all three of your band mates.

You swallow harshly as your eyes meet Jake’s, finding it hard to breath. When he finally reaches you, he isn’t sure what to do. You both stand still, awkwardly waiting for the other to do something. “Hi,” Jake says nervously, and you chuckle faintly. “Hi,” you respond. “Oh, fuck it,” Jake muttered before he reaches forward and pulls you into a firm hug. His arms tighten around you and his body presses against yours, like he needs you to be this close. When your initial shock wears off, you hug him back, nuzzling your face into the crook of his neck.

It amazes you, the way he makes your worries melt away. Any axiety or uncertainty you were plagued with before melts away, and now, you cling to him as tears threaten to fall from your eyes. Before you can say anything, Jake starts talking. “I missed you so much- so fucking much, you don’t even know,” he says, and pulls back just enough to look at your face. “Jesus,” he mutters, like he’s in disbelief. “God, I missed you so so much,” he says and leans in eagerly, but stops himself. “Is this okay?” he asks, and you can’t find any words, so you just nod.

A million thoughts race through your mind, but are silenced when his lips touch yours. It’s different now - in a good way. It’s promising. You’re moving here soon, and he’s clearly still interested in you…he’s still interested in you. As he kisses you, you feel every ounce of what he’s feeling, a kiss like no other you’ve had before. The string that snapped when you left seems to thread itself back together.

Your lungs burn, but it hurts worse when Jake pulls away. You pant softly, the both of you standing there as if you’re the only people existing backstage. Jake presses his forehead against yours, and you both take a moment to relish in the feeling.

“You can’t ever leave again,” Jake says. He isn’t serious, as he thinks you’ll probably be leaving shortly after today…that isn’t the case though. Your silence worries him, and when he sees the grin growing on your face, his brows furrow, a puzzled expression forming on his face. “What’s that look for?” he asks, and you allow the smile to take over. “Is now a good time to tell you that i’m moving to Nashville?”

In the background, a song faintly plays over the speakers as you and Jake reunite…

🎶 I cant do without you for too long

You’re my situation

You’re my kinda lover 🎶

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