Teddy

"YOUR DOG IS UP," JENSEN MUMBLES into my ear as he rolls over onto his side, pulling my body into his.

I flip onto my stomach, wedging my head under the pillow. "He's your dog."

Scout jumps onto the bed, burrowing under the pillow to find me as if we're playing a game of hide and seek. I shove him away and bury my head again. "Go away, devil dog. It's Saturday. Everyone knows Saturdays are for sleeping in."

Jensen steals the pillow off my head and chucks it across the room, the dog taking the opportunity to strike, licking my face with stinky, slobbery kisses. "Ugh, what kind of sick, twisted wakeup call is this?"

"You're the one that wanted to rescue the mutt. This is all your fault." Jensen pushes me toward the edge of the bed with his warm feet. "Go, woman. Tend to your pest."

I sweep the pillow from under Jensen's head and pummel it against his face. "You suck. You're the actual worst. We're definitely in a fight."

He rips the pillow from my grasp before I can further assault him, tucking it back under his head, and chuckles that stupid, deep, sexy laugh that does things to my lady bits. "Make some coffee while you're up."

I straighten my shirt—Jensen's shirt from last night, actually—since it got tangled in the shuffle, and I pull on a pair of shorts that were discarded on the floor. Looking around, I notice the piles of clothing littering the floor. I sweep a handful of dirty clothes into my hands and lean over the bed to make them rain over my boyfriend. "Maybe you can clean up a bit today, yeah?"

"Those are mostly yours, baby. You're a pig. Who knew my girl was such a fucking slob?"

Before I see it coming, he grabs my wrist and pulls me on top of him, his hands immediately sliding under my shirt. "I think this belongs on the floor." His hands wander under the waist of my shorts. "And these."

"Nu uh. Nope." I wriggle out of his arms and roll off the bed. "Too late for that. You lost your chance when you quite literally kicked me out of bed."

"Don't be sour, baby. Hurry back and we can continue waking up."

I chuck another pile of clothes at him and shriek when he springs from the bed to chase after me. "Jensen! Stop! I need to let the dog out!"

He grabs me around the waist, swinging me around, and throwing me onto the bed. "You're such a whiner. You always get out of taking the dog out in the morning."

I shamelessly smirk at him as he stuffs his legs into a pair of shorts he scavenged from the piles on the bed. "Scout!" He calls for the dog right before leaning down to press his lips to mine. Before he can pull away, I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss.

"You're the bestest boyfriend in all the land!"

"And you're the most spoiled girlfriend in all the land." He chuckles as he wanders out of the room, calling for the dog again.

I linger in bed for a few minutes longer before hopping out. With wide arms, I sweep up as many of the clothes on the bed, pressing them tightly against my body as I walk over to the hamper and dump them on top of the already heaping pile. A few items topple over onto the floor. Apparently, today is now laundry day.

In the bathroom, I turn on the shower to warm the water and quickly brush my teeth. I undress and step into the shower, immediately sighing as the water welcomes me in its warm embrace. I'm halfway through my routine when the glass door opens, the cool air whooshing in and Jensen slides in behind me.

"Hey, baby," he says, taking over rinsing the shampoo from my hair. "You were supposed to wait in bed for me."

Tilting my head back, eyes squeezed shut, I savor my boyfriend's hands on me. "Mmmm," I mumble, only partially paying attention.

"I guess I'll just have to do all the things I wanted to do to you on the bed in here then."

His hands wander down my body, admiring every inch of me as they go, and I become a limp noodle under his touch. "Mmm," I mumble again. "Here is good."

He chuckles in my ear after spinning me around and pinning my stomach against the cool surface of the wall. "Teddy," he whispers, licking his way up my neck, "are you awake yet?"

His hand dips down, sliding through the folds of my pussy, and I startle, my butt bucking into his very hard erection. "I guess that's a yes." He chuckles again, nipping my shoulder with his teeth as he continues exploring all the sensitive parts of me.

I circle my hips around his hand, trying to hurry his lazy movements, but he presses his body harder into mine, preventing any further interference. "You're mean, Jensen."

He flicks my clit in response, and I moan into the tiles. "You like that, huh, baby?" He does it again and again and again, and I'm writhing with my body smashed between him and the wall.

Right when I feel my body heat up, he removes his hand, laughing when I whimper my protests. But before I can tell him off for stopping, he's ramming his dick inside of me from behind, my feet lifting off the floor to where I'm barely standing on the very tips of my toes, my body flat against the wet tiles.

"Fuck!" I scream when he doesn't give me any time to adjust, pressing my hands flat against the wall for support as he pummels into me. "Jensen, Jesus, baby."

He grunts into my ear, his hand splayed across my stomach as he maneuvers my body exactly as he wants it, his hips slamming me into the wall over and over. My name is a deep moan from his mouth, his lips caressing my neck in alternating kisses and licks and bites, all the while never slowing his movements.

I'm barely standing, his strong arms supporting my weight, as the warmth spreads through my core. I'm a moaning mess as I give into the pleasure barreling its way through my body. I scream out when his thumb flicks my clit and unrelenting waves take me under. My feet slip from the floor, and Jensen catches me, pinning me harder against the wall, never missing a beat as he thrusts into me. Soon, his movements slow, bucking into me a handful of times before grunting his release.

We stay pinned like that, our bodies melded together, our chests heaving as we catch our breath, and I press my face against the wall, enjoying the coolness of the tile. A laugh bursts from my mouth. "Jesus, baby, what the fuck was that?"

He steadies me on my feet before spinning me to face him, taking my mouth in a demanding kiss, his tongue swiping over mine a few times before pulling away. "That was a good old fashion fucking, Teddy. Are you complaining?"

"Hell no. Sign me up for more of that, please."

We finish our shower, dry off, and walk out of the bathroom with towels wrapped around our damp bodies. Jensen pauses in the bedroom, lazily scratching his abs. "Um, babe," he says, looking around the messy room. "How about we ignore this disaster zone for a bit longer and head into town for breakfast?"

I kick a pair of my panties toward the hamper. "What mess?"

He shakes his head with a soft chuckle. "Why didn't you warn me you're so messy? I had no idea."

I follow him into the closet, and we rummage through drawers for clothes. "I am not usually like this. It's because you're always ripping my clothes off me whenever we're in this room. And I'm too busy to pause and go, hey, wait a minute, I need to tidy up a bit before you ravish me."

"Ravish you?" He laughs, trading the towel for black boxer briefs.

Leaning around me, he plucks a red lacy pair of panties from my drawer and hands it to me. "This," he says, placing a hand on my hip to gently scoot me out of the way, then resumes his search in my drawers. "This." He tosses a red tank top at me and it lands halfway off my head, dangling onto my shoulder. "And this." He drapes a pair of old cut-off jean shorts over my free shoulder and snatches the underwear from my hand, spins me and kneels, holding them out for me to step into. Then he follows this with the shorts.

"So you dress me now, huh?" I grip his shoulders as I slip my legs into the shorts.

"Apparently, I rip your clothes off all the time, so now I'm putting them on." He stands as he slides the shorts up my legs, buttoning and zipping them. Then he peels the shirt off my head, finding the opening and lowering it over my head.

"Um, babe. You're forgetting something."

He guides my arms through the holes, tugging the shirt down, both our eyes falling to my erect nipples. "Don't think I did." He smirks while running his thumbs over my tits.

"So you're comfortable with me walking around Lake Hope with these headlights? A beacon calling to all the jackoffs?"

He reaches around me for a hoodie. "On second thought..."

I swat him away and find a bra. "It's too hot for a sweatshirt, J. I think this will do."

"Fine. But it's coming off the second we get home. You're cleaning with the headlights."

A few minutes later, we're in the kitchen, Jensen feeding and watering the dog as I twist my damp hair into a messy knot on top of my head. "We should probably stop at the store for some food while we're out since we're pretty much out of everything."

He grins at me. "I like it when you say stuff like that."

When I simply stare at him in confusion, he clarifies, "You said 'we're' out of food."

"Speaking of which, we should eventually talk about how you asked me to move in with you last night."

Jensen crosses the room to me, his hands falling to my hips as he pulls me into him. "There's nothing to talk about, baby. You practically live here already anyway. It's just a matter of moving all your stuff in."

"I think it's a bit more than that, J."

"I don't think so," he disagrees right before silencing me with a kiss.

-

WITH BELLIES FULL FROM BREAKFAST AT THE Cozy Corner Café, we stroll down the sidewalk hand-in-hand, the warmth of the late morning sun heating our skin. A pair of kids zoom by us on their bikes, and I get a sudden flashback of riding down this very street with Jensen as kids. I smile up at him and he pauses our steps to press a kiss to my lips, his free hand cupping my cheek.

I tug him forward, and we resume our journey to the small grocery store at the end of the block. We only make it a few more steps, though, when we notice a petite blonde sauntering toward us, her hair bouncing with the movement of her steps, a fake smile plastered on her dark red lips. Apparently, Saturday mornings call for a full face of makeup for some women. Suddenly, I feel a bit underdressed when I take in the dolled-up woman before us, with her flowy sundress and strappy wedge sandals.

Without realizing it, we came to a full stop at some point. I glance at Jensen, who is staring, unblinking, like he's seen a ghost; and I suppose it probably feels like he has. It's been a good decade since he's laid eyes on his ex-girlfriend.

"Oh, wow," Caroline says in a voice that falls a bit flat. "I was wondering when I was going to run into you. And looky here..." She pauses to point between me and Jensen. "I heard you two were a thing now. I always did think there was something there."

More like she accused Jensen of keeping me close as a backup plan, but I keep that thought to myself like the nice Minnesotan I am.

Instead, I clear my throat, attempting to keep my face from betraying my emotions. It feels like I'm right back in high school, my best friend's girlfriend cutting me down and making me feel small. I peek at Jensen for his reaction, but his face has gone stone cold. Squeezing his hand, hoping to zap him back into the present, I turn my focus back on the woman.

"Hi, Caroline. It's been a while. What brings you back in town?"

She quickly glances at me before her attention returns to my boyfriend, and when he says nothing, she finally answers me. "My grandma's sick. My mom thought I should probably pay a visit in case she doesn't bounce back this time."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I say, my manners guiding me through this awkward interaction.

She nods at me, a tight smile on her face. Then she tries engaging Jensen again. "It's nice to see you, Jensen. You sure grew up into the handsome man I knew you would."

When Jensen still doesn't speak or blink or breathe, I jiggle our hands. "Hey. Baby." My whispered voice seems to wake him, and he blinks, turning to me. "You ok?" I mouth.

He nods at me, squeezing our conjoined us. "Yeah, baby," he rasps with a croaky voice. Then he finally acknowledges the woman in front of us. "Hi, Caroline. I heard about your grandma getting sick again. I think Maxine dropped off a hotdish."

A smile slowly creeps across her face. "Yeah, she did. She's always been thoughtful like that."

Jensen nods at her. "We'll be thinking of your family," he says, tugging my hand to pull me around her on the sidewalk.

Without a backward glance, he leads me the rest of the way to the store, where he rips our grocery list in half, and we split up to complete the task as quickly as possible. There's no leisurely strolling through the aisles, discussing weekly meal plans, snacking on food samples, or stopping to chat with other shoppers. We're in and out in record time.

As we backtrack down the sidewalk where moments ago, we ran into a ghost from the past, I half expect to see her still standing there, waiting to further torment us. But her absence is felt as strongly as her presence.

The drive home is quiet, neither of us broaching the subject plaguing our thoughts; and once the groceries are put away, Jensen disappears into the bedroom and returns moments later dressed for a run. When I offer to go with him, he breezes by me, saying he needs a minute. Then without a kiss or a word goodbye, he's out the door, the sudden reappearance of his ex a looming presence in the empty apartment.