Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a Sunday afternoon. 

May tried to visit her mom and stepdad every weekend  whenever all three of them were off duty. They would just hang around on the patio or watch a movie in the living room. It brought May back to when both her and Harry were still living here, all those years ago. They would do movie marathons every free Sunday. The memories gave her a warm feeling and May was glad they still did this from time to time. Even if her brother lived across the country. 

She was sitting cross legged in front of the couch while both her parents were sitting behind her. May didn’t need to look back to know how entangled they would be. Her mom would always end up half on Bobby’s lap with her head on his shoulder and one arm slung around his chest. Bobby had his hand on her mothers hip most of the time, slowly tugging her more and more onto his lap. 

The young girl didn’t mind their closeness one bit. After she walked in on them role-playing years ago, she never saw them do anything more than giving each other a small peck or tight hug. May was glad her mom found someone new who looked at her as if she hung the moon and the stars. Bobby was never far away and always tried to attend to every need Athena could have. 

It truly set the bar so very high for her future partner. Darius knew from day one what kind of expectations he needed to match, because May loved to talk about her parents and their marriage. 

--

“Okay, time for a snack and toilet break.” Bobby’s voice cut through the movie and he put it on pause. He let go of Athena and pressed a kiss against her temple before he got up from the couch so he could go to the bathroom.

“I still can’t believe he was the one to suggest Barbie as the movie of today.” May started laughing again and stretched her arms over her head. She heard her mom snort behind her. 

“He heard Hen talking about it. Apparently she said it was something all men needed to see to understand women better.” Athena smiled at the memory from the day before. 

Bobby had come home after a 48 hour shift and started talking to her about the movie. He had asked her very carefully if May would like to watch it with them, because he was sure there were a lot of things he would not understand and the young girl could explain them to him. Athena was sure she never loved him more than right at that moment. He was trying so hard to understand the struggles May must be facing as a young woman.

“Here I was so sure he would want to see Oppenheimer instead. No, he went for the pink movie.” May shook her head with a fond smile on her face and hoisted herself up to the couch next to her mom. Both of them watched Bobby cross the room to the kitchen. He didn’t need to ask them what they wanted, because both May and Athena had a routine when they were watching movies. Same drinks, same snacks. 

--

Bobby came back after a few minutes with their drinks and went to the kitchen again to get their snacks. May slithered off the couch to get back to her previous spot so her stepdad could once again sit next to her mother. She looked up when he walked over with all kind of chips and dips. The thing that stood out to her was a peeled orange laying between the different kinds of chips. 

The orange was completely peeled with even the white strings removed from the fruit. May wasn’t sure if she ever saw a cleaner orange in her life. She threw a confused look at her mom who was grabbing the pieces and popped one in her mouth. Bobby sat down on the couch beside his wife and started the movie again. He threw his arm behind Athena and let his hand fall down on her shoulder. 

“Does Bobby always prep your oranges like that, mom?” May was not ready to let this go. She had seen a trend go around on social media about peeled oranges, but she didn’t expect to see it happen right in front of her. 

“Yes?” Athena sounded confused and she exchanged a glance with her husband. She put another piece of orange in her mouth, leaning back against Bobby’s side. 

“I can’t remember a time he has not done it like this. Is there something wrong baby?” She was getting a little worried about her daughter’s weird behavior. Athena felt Bobby’s fingers trailing absentmindedly along her shoulder to the nape of her neck and back. Under normal circumstances she would have melted even more into his body, but she couldn’t relax until she knew what May was after.

“There is this trend going on about peeled oranges. Apparently it shows how much your partner loves you. If you tell them you want an orange and they immediately go get them for you and peel them for you, they really love you. If they don’t, they say your partner doesnt love you.” May was searching for a video to show her parents, because they paused the movie once again and were looking very confused.

“See?” She turned her phone to them so they could see it for themselves. May watched their faces when they looked at her phone. Bobby’s eyebrows furrowed very quickly and the video seemed to make him more confused than clearing things up. Her mother started huffing and rolling her eyes while eating another piece of orange. 

“Kids these days.” Athena’s eyes went back to her daughter and she huffed again for good measure. Bobby chuckled at her reaction and kissed the side of her head again. 

“It just means I really love you baby.” He whispered against her temple and grinned when she hit his chest softly. 

“But why would they try to test their partners?” Athena was getting even more annoyed about the idea of people basing the love of their significant other on something as ridiculous as peeling an orange. 

“It is just a trend mom. I might try it on Darius.” May put her phone down and got back to her spot in front of the couch.

“You better not test that boy, May. I mean it.” Athena felt Bobby squeezing her shoulder, silently telling her to calm down. She sighed softly, popped another orange piece in her mouth and dropped her head once again on his shoulder.

Bobby put the movie on again and stole one of Athena’s orange slices. He smiled innocently at her when she looked at him, giving her another quick kiss on her lips, the taste of orange exchanged between the two of them. 

-- 

Athena climbed in their bed later that night, right into Bobby’s arms. She put her head once again on his shoulder and threw both her arm and leg over his body before fully burrowing into his side. 

“Are you cold, baby?” Bobby pulled the sheets over her shoulders and tugged her impossibly closer. Sometimes Athena liked to complain about his ever present body heat, even calling him a furnace to tease him. Tonight she seemed to appreciate his high body temperature and took full advantage of it. Bobby put his hand beneath the top of her nightgown to softly stroke the skin of her back. 

"Hmm, no. Just want to be close to you.” Athena’s words sounded muffled from where she had put her face into his shirt. She inhaled the scent of him and let it calm her down. The orange thing was bothering her a little bit and she didn’t know why. Maybe it was because it felt like Bobby was spoiling her with it and she never thought anything about it before this afternoon.

“C’mere.” He tugged softly at her arm to get her to move on top of him. Athena went reluctantly and straddled his hips. She tilted her head and looked at him curiously. The room was at a comfortable temperature, but still goosebumps arose on her bare arms.

“You know I like to take care of you right?” Bobby smiled reassuringly at her. He had noticed her growing a little quieter after the movie was over. Not enough for May to detect any different, but Bobby saw every tiny change in his wife.

Athena let her arms rest on his shoulder and she tried to think about how she could explain to him what she felt. Her stomach felt a little uneasy and she just felt off . She smiled softly at him and felt him squeeze her sides to assure her he wasn’t going anywhere. 

“I know and I like how you take care of me.” She started softly, the tips of her fingers going through his hair on the back of his neck. “It’s just.. Do you feel just as appreciated by me as I do by you?”

This time she averts her eyes from him. She had people in the past tell her she took a lot from them, without reciprocating the effort. It wasn’t something she thought a lot off, but when May mentioned the great lengths Bobby went for her, she started thinking again.  

Beneath her Bobby stiffened a bit. When she looked at him again, Athena saw the disbelief in his eyes, but he tried to hide that from her. This wasn’t the place for his feelings about her insecurities, however rare they were and it was even more rare she was actually expressing them. 

“You know how you hide the alcohol in this house when you know the anniversary of St. Paul is coming up? How you stop by the firehouse just a little bit more?” 

Bobby’s fingers slipped once again beneath her top to stroke the soft skin there. He tried to comfort her in any way he could and knew she liked the soft touches. 

“Or when you get specific things for dinner? Without me asking for it? Because you know I can be particular with some ingredients?” Bobby’s voice was low and rumbling in their otherwise quiet room. It warmed his heart a little bit to hear her chuckle about that. Athena liked to make fun of his very thorough grocery lists, but she got every item without complaining. 

“One of my favorite things is those self-heating bandages you get. For some reason you just know when I am having a bad back day and they are right there on the nightstand when I get to bed.” Bobby was so very grateful for those small things, because she cared for him even when he didn’t want to ask or know he needed it. 

He wrapped his free hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face closer to his. Bobby nuzzled her temple and sighed softly. “The fact your acts of service are invisible to others doesn’t mean I don’t notice it baby.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Of course I am. I never felt more appreciated in my life.” 

Those words seem to do the trick. Bobby felt her let go of any lingering tension in her body with a big sigh. She lifted her head from where it was resting against his and smiled at him. 

“You are so full of shit, you know that? But thank you.” Athena pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. She really was grateful for her big, strong fireman not being afraid to show her just how much he appreciated her. Bobby never shied away from his emotions and didn’t mind showing it to her whenever he felt like it. 

“I love you too baby.”

Chapter Text

There were so many people around.

It didn’t matter to them. Tonight they went out to dinner for their third anniversary. Hen told them about this new Italian restaurant they just had to try. Not ones to disappoint their friends, they made reservations for tonight and got all dolled up. 

Athena decided on a burgundy jumpsuit with her favorite black heels. She put on the necklace he gifted her for Christmas last year which sparkled nicely in the low light of the restaurant. It caught his eye every time she moved slightly, which she might be doing on purpose, because his eyes kept flicking downwards and she was wearing a teasing smirk on her lips when he looked up again.

Bobby put on a black shirt with black trousers. He had unbuttoned the top two buttons, never forgetting the lesson Chimney taught him just before his first date with her. It was something he would never forget, especially when Athena told him months later how she felt about that decision. She also showed him how much she appreciated the view.

He grabbed her hand after they ordered their dessert. The night had been amazing and Bobby wished they could do this more often, to just be together with no distractions around them. He really enjoyed her company and part of him wished they were already at home, because her teasing was starting to get to him. 

The booth they were sitting in, provided enough room for Athena to slide from her spot to sit right next to him. Their bodies were touching from shoulder to knee and she shivered shortly when she felt his body heat burn through the material of her jumpsuit. 

“Hi.” Athena smiled when she felt his hand on her neck to pull her closer. She pressed a quick kiss on his lips, still aware they were in public. 

“Hi baby.” The hand on her neck slid to her opposite shoulder so she could tuck herself closer beneath his arm. While they weren’t big on PDA, the booth was secluded enough so he let himself enjoy her company from a bit closer than normal. 

They talked some more about the latest shenanigans of the team and eventually their dessert arrived. She chose the croffle, a hybrid between a croissant and a waffle, while Bobby got the tiramisu. 

“What do you have?” Bobby eyed her dessert suspiciously. He went safe with his choice, but his wife tended to be a little bit more adventurous with her food. Her eyes had lit up when she saw this on the dessert menu so he was not surprised when she ended up ordering it. 

“A croffle with some pistachio gelato.” Athena scooped some of the pastry with the ice cream on her spoon to bring it to his mouth.

“Try some.” Her voice was soft and encouraging while she put the spoon to his lips.

Bobby opened his mouth and let her feed him the dessert. He closed his lips around the spoon and refused for a second to open them when she went to pull the spoon back. She narrowed her eyes slightly at his antics and finally got her spoon back. Athena kept looking at him while he chewed and eventually swallowed the dessert. 

“How is it?” Athena put her spoon down and watched him carefully. 

“It is good. Really sweet.” 

“Yeah?” Athena leaned over and kissed him once more. She could taste the pistachio on his lips which made the kiss so much sweeter. Feeling his lips against hers would never grow old. 

“You are right.” Athena turned back to her plate and took another spoonful of her dessert. She brought it up to her lips and took the bite. After swallowing it down, she looked at him again. 

“It tasted better on you.” She was just unabashedly flirting with him at this point, even adding a wink. Her remark made him smirk at her so Athena counted it as a win.

Chapter Text

It all started when he couldn’t read the reports from his paramedics anymore.

Numbers were flowing together in one big mess. Hen caught him squinting one day and before Bobby knew it she surprised him with a pair of glasses. Silently. As if she knew he would feel a little embarrassed by the fact he needed them. Bobby smiled gratefully at her and put the pair into his pocket. 

He promised himself they would stay at the firehouse and he would only use them in his office. There was no reason for his team, other than Hen, to see him with the glasses on his nose. The jokes that would follow were already bouncing around in his brain. Bobby was really glad with his subordinates, but they were a persistent bunch that loved to joke around. Normally he wouldn’t mind some jokes, but for some reason this subject was a sore spot. 

That might have something to do with the conversation he had with Athena a few months earlier. 

— 

They were watching a reality show together on their bed, to wind down after a long week, when she turned around to look at him. Bobby felt her gaze on his face and hair and he was starting to feel a little uncomfortable beneath her stare. 

“Can I help you?” He grabbed the remote control and put the show on pause. Bobby’s gut told him this wasn’t gonna be over quickly and there was no way they were missing anything of this show. 

Athena squinted her eyes a little bit and reached out her right hand to touch the side of his face. Her fingers stroked the short hairs on his temple and leaned a little bit forward to see them better. What started as curiosity slowly bled into scrutiny, or at least it was feeling like that to Bobby. He began to move away, but Athena didn’t let him go by putting her other hand on the back of his neck. 

“I didn’t realize you were really starting to gray out along your temples.” Athena sounded distracted and her fingers kept going over the same patch of hair. Bobby felt his cheeks go hot and a feeling of shame was climbing up his throat. He knew his hair was changing colors and liked to joke it was because of his team going rogue time and time again. 

The truth behind it was simply because Bobby was getting older. His mid fifties were rapidly approaching and while he didn't really care about aging, there was something about actually seeing the signs of his age. Also Athena only seemed to get more stunning the older she got, so maybe that is why he got a little self conscious about his looks. Bobby knew she still found him attractive because she told him very often and couldn’t keep her hands to herself when they were alone.

“I bet you would look really nice as a silver fox.” Athena said softly with a teasing tone and pressed her lips to the spot she had been caressing. She smirked at her husband who gave her a small smile back.

Bobby reached up and took her hand with his before he gently pressed a kiss to her palm. He put some distance between them and smiled softly at her. Athena got the hint and backed down from the conversation.

“It is not gonna take long before we get to see if that theory is true or not.” Bobby started to grumble and lifted the remote to start the show again. He felt Athena lean into his side again to press another kiss to his cheek, before she laid her head down on his shoulder to watch the show with him.

--

Athena walked into the kitchen with a bag of groceries and placed it on the counter. Normally Bobby made the list and went to the grocery store, but he had just finished a 48 hour shift so she went instead. 

She put the groceries away and took her shoes off before she went to the bedroom. Maybe she could take a little nap with her man before she started on dinner. But instead of finding her husband fully asleep, he was sitting upright in bed with a book in his hands and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. 

A pair of glasses she had never seen before. Athena didn’t even know her husband needed them. 

Bobby was unaware of her presence so she cleared her throat once to get his attention. The man in front of her whipped his head up so fast Athena was sure he gave himself a whiplash. His eyes were as wide as a deer who was caught in the headlights of a car. 

The situation would have been hilarious if Athena wasn’t so curious about the pair of glasses resting on his nose. Bobby ripped the glasses off his face and put his book down. 

“I di- didn’t hear you come in.” Bobby started stumbling over his words, clearly being caught by surprise. He thought Athena wouldn’t be home before he was asleep, hence the glasses on his nose which he normally hid in his bag. 

“I can see that. Since when do you wear glasses?” Athena sat on his side of the bed and leaned over to pick up said glasses who were lying beside his hip. She held them up in front of her and turned them side to side before she looked at her husband again. 

“A few weeks. Hen got them for me.” His cheeks were on fire and Bobby wanted to hide beneath the sheets. Athena hated people hiding things from her and he was caught red-handed. 

“Why didn’t you tell me you needed them, baby?” Athena’s voice was soft and she handed the glasses back to her husband who put them on his nightstand. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it softly. They always promised each other they would tell each other everything. Especially after their blow up in public after she had followed Bobby down to his meeting and saw him standing outside with Rachel. 

“It sounds silly, but glasses are the epitome of getting old. Sort of.” Bobby scratched the side of his head and threw his wife a lopsided smile. 

“You are a silly man.” Athena got up to straddle his hips. She plucked his glasses off the nightstand and put them back on his face, letting her hands rest on his cheeks. 

“They look so good on you. Sophisticated." She leaned over to press her lips against his in a soft kiss that turned deeper a few seconds later. There was a part of her that felt annoyed he didn’t tell her, but the need to comfort him was bigger. They would talk later about him hiding it for her. 

“Let me show you how good they look, baby.”

Chapter Text

Athena hated to be sick.

She was used to feeling useful. Both in her job and in her real life. For the last twenty something years there was always someone who needed her. The kids, both her former and her current husband or the citizens of Los Angeles. There was always something to do and she liked it that way. 

It is probably why she had a bigger aversion to being sick and being bed bound than the average person. Both Bobby and Micheal liked to make fun of her in an affectionate way, seeing how antsy she got after only two days of being sick. It was one thing that was the same in both of her marriages. 

Bobby went about it a lot more carefully and softly than her ex husband. He stroked her hair and only chuckled quietly when she started complaining about wanting to be done with feeling like crap. Athena had to give him credit for how he was able to change the topic and got her to wind down enough so she could take another nap. 

Oh, the naps.

It wasn’t something she was used to doing. Again, she had a busy life. Between her work and personal life there wasn’t a lot of time to wind down in the middle of the day and take a nap. There was just so much to do. If she wasn’t chasing around suspects on the streets, she was doing chores or having a game night with Hen and Karen or the kids. Athena absolutely loved being busy, so randomly lying down midday wasn’t something that came easy or naturally to her.

Bobby started introducing the upsides of naps to her in the first months of their marriage. He enjoyed the occasional nap whenever they had a quiet Sunday after a very busy week. Her husband would get her into her comfy clothes and into bed to cuddle up and enjoy a few hours of sleeping and relaxing. 

They would just be in bed for an hour or two, mostly sleeping, but sometimes they would just be cuddled up and talk about whatever came to mind. Athena would wear one of his shirts where Bobby put on his favorite sweatpants and a white undershirt. It quickly became one of her favorite things to do on lazy Sundays when the kids were not home. The level of connection to her husband she felt during those moments was unmatched. 

Athena just didn’t like to nap when she was sick and Bobby wasn’t there to keep her company. Their bed was too big and cold without him. 

--

Whenever Athena was sick Bobby felt very off balanced. They worked together as a team in almost every aspect of their lives and have been ever since they walked out of that restaurant on their first date. From that night on they grabbed each other's hand and never let go. 

So when he had to do things on his own again, Bobby felt like there was something wrong. At those moments there was no one to look to when one of the kids asked him a question or told him a funny story. No one to complain to on scenes when his team was being chaotic again. Also no one to sneak off with at said scenes when they thought no one was watching. 

Athena caught the way he looked at her whenever she was sick. His hazel colored eyes filled with worry, the stress lines on his face a little more defined, the inability to fully relax until he was right at her side. Heaven forbid she ever catches something more serious if he was this worried already with a simple flu which will pass in a few days.

--

Harry had been down with a flu for the past week, which he passed on to his mother. Athena loved caring for her children, but she could do without getting sick herself. She had been down for two days already and still didn’t feel better. 

Bobby had been taking care of the kids and their house while also running his firehouse. She was very grateful to have him by her side and have him forcing her to take it easy so she could recover. Her man absolutely thrived when he was needed and he could help others. It was partly the reason he became a firefighter. Well, besides the fact it was expected from him, being the fourth generation and all. Caring for others ran through his blood and was one of the reasons he was so good at his job and so well loved by everyone in his life. 

“How are you feeling, baby?” Bobby walked into the bedroom, holding a large mug in his hands. She could see the steam rising from the cup, indicating it held some sort of hot liquid.

“It is not getting better but also not getting worse.” Athena’s voice crackled as she spoke up, because she hadn’t used her voice in a few hours.

“Here, drink this. You’ll feel better.” Bobby rounded the bed to hand her the mug. 

Slowly Athena pushed herself up to sit against the headboard so she could take the steaming mug from him without spilling the hot substance all over herself and their bed. The first thing she noticed when she smelled the mug was a sweet scent. She looked up to her husband with questioning eyes.

“Milk and honey, to soothe your throat and to make you feel warmer.” Bobby said, noticing the many blankets she collected around herself.

Bobby walked around the bed to slide next to her onto the bed. He wouldn’t listen to her when she told him to stay away so he wouldn’t get sick too, so she just embraced him being close. Athena laid her head on his shoulder and sighed softly. 

“You feel less hot than a few hours ago.” Bobby’s voice rumbled softly into her ear while gently touching her forehead and neck to feel for any sign of her lingering fever. His hand ended up on the back of her neck to pull her a bit closer and gently stroked her hair. 

Athena hummed softly in agreement and brought the mug up to her lips. The liquid had cooled down enough for her to be able to drink it. She liked her drinks to be just right on the border of being too hot to consume. Bobby liked to joke she was made of steel, because she didn’t seem to be bothered by the temperature of her drinks.

The room was silent except for their breathing. She was just sipping her drink, feeling better by the minute. He was just looking at her face and wiped her hair from her forehead. It was peaceful until Athena started groaning again because her headache came back. 

“Here, take these.” Bobby said gently and handed her some painkillers. After Athena took those with the water she had on her nightstand, she finished her drink and got back under the covers again. Athena lied down on her side and buried her face into his thigh. 

“I will be here when you wake up, baby.” His rumbling voice was the last thing Athena heard before she was consumed by sleep again.

Chapter Text

It was the perfect day. 

They decided to get married on a whim and Bobby never had been happier than the moment Athena decided to go along with this spontaneous idea. He didn’t even know if she already had a dress and he knew how important that would be for her. Apparently she had been shopping with May the weekend before and stumbled on the absolute perfect dress. It was a short white number that hit her just above the knees with off-shoulder sleeves and a black camisole beneath it. Athena only needed some heels, but those she grabbed from her closet. 

They took the kids’ best clothes with them when they pulled them from school before heading to the courthouse. May insisted they needed flowers so they stopped by a flower shop and got a small bouquet so Athena could carry them down the aisle and they would have another reminder of this special day.

Even though they drove together, Athena insisted on walking down the aisle with both her children by her side, just like the family talked about when they were tasting the cakes. What happened after went by in a blur of teary smiles and breathy laughs. 

Athena didn’t even really register what the officiant was saying to them. The only thing she saw was Bobby’s eyes lighting up, his lips moving when he said ‘I do’. She felt May push her softly on her back because it was her time to say something, but Athena was just so in awe with this man in front of her. From the lines on the sides of his eyes to the way his lips curled in a smile he couldn’t hold in, because he was just so damn happy. 

Beside them the kids were giggling and she could see Harry shuffling side by side because he couldn’t hold his enthusiasm hidden, even if he wanted to. Her little boy, who wasn’t as little anymore, an open book to the ones closest to him. Athena dreaded the day he would turn into a teenager and started hiding things, because that was just something that was a part of raising teenagers. May prepared her for that. 

The voice of their officiant breaks through the fog of her thoughts. In front of her Bobby was trying to catch her gaze and he gently squeezed her hands.

“Do you want to marry this man, Ms. Grant?” The ever-patient woman smiles at the couple in front of them. It wouldn’t be the first time someone was distracted while getting married and she didn’t mind repeating herself.

Athena’s eyes traveled from the woman beside her back to her man and she nodded softly. 

“You have to say the words, baby.” Bobby sounded amused, barely containing a grin on his face. Athena thought it was funny how grounding his presence was to her, even when he was just close by and just doing his own thing. It was one of the first signs in their early dating days, telling her she might marry him one day. And here they were.

“I do.” 

Rings were slid into place and hers just fitted perfectly against her engagement ring with May and Harry squealing beside them, hugging each other and almost jumping up and down from excitement. 

Athena reached out to her husband , putting her hands on the side of his neck and on his bicep before meeting him halfway to press her lips against his. It was a short, sweet thing and they were both smiling when they pulled apart. 

They held each other close when they turned towards the kids. Both May and Harry were smiling from ear to ear and very eager to share their first hug with them as a married couple. Bobby looked at his wife over the heads of the kids and found her already watching him. He felt giddiness rise from his belly and fastly taking over every part of his body. 

—

The family of four decided to get some cake from May’s favorite bakery before they went home. It wouldn’t be a proper wedding day without a cake. Or at least as far as Harry was concerned. The boy was very adamant about the need for some sweets on this special day and there was a reason Bobby always had a hard time saying no to those big brown eyes. They always reminded him of Athena.

When they finally arrived home, the kids disappeared in the kitchen with the cake. It gave Bobby a moment to pull his new wife close and kiss her once more. A little less PG this time. He pushed her back against the front door, slipping his hand to the back of her neck, keeping her right where she was. 

It wasn’t as if Athena wanted to move even if she got the chance. She gripped the lapels of his jacket and pulled his body impossibly closer to hers. All of her senses were overwhelmed with her man. His after shave lingered around them and it made her even more weak in the knees than she already was from their fiery kiss. Both of them deepened it and honestly forgot where they were or how long they were standing there. 

That was until their intimate moment was rudely interrupted by the youngest member of the household. 

“You were right May, they are kissing!” His voice was a little too loud but it had the desired effect, because the couple pulled away from each other like they were on fire before Bobby started laughing. He took a step back, but Athena stopped him. She reached up and swiped her thumb over his lips to remove any transferred lipstick. There was something about seeing her man a little messy, but she was sure May wouldn’t appreciate seeing any evidence of their kiss. 

“Come on, before Harry actually eats the whole thing.” Bobby grabbed her hand and pulled her with him to the kitchen where they saw Harry had already started on his piece, frosting plastered all over his cheeks, smiling innocently at his parents. “You guys took too long.” 

The couple shook their heads fondly and sat down at the kitchen table. May brought their pieces of cake before sitting in her own chair next to her brother.

They ended up talking about that day and May called Micheal to tell him the big news and ask if he could pick her and Harry up tonight. Her father didn’t seem too happy the wedding was a spur of the moment kind of thing and he hadn't been informed, but he still congratulated all of them and he promised them he would pick up the kids later. The family talked for a few more minutes before ending the call. 

“You need a first dance.” May said all of sudden and stood up to walk over to their sound system. She started tapping around on her phone and a few seconds later the voice of John Legend filled their living room. It was the perfect song and it only made sense the teenage girl would choose it for them, turning around to her mother and stepfather with an expectant smile. 

“You heard her.” Bobby said teasingly, but he got up from his chair and held his hand out. 

“Can I have this dance?” There was no more teasing, only giddiness when Athena nodded and let him pull her up. The couple moved to the middle of their living room and Athena let Bobby pull her to his chest. She put her other hand on his chest while she felt his on her waist. 

They didn’t dance often, certainly not like this. Sure, there was the little dance party they held at his apartment, but that was a little silly thing they used to do when they were holed up at his place.. This felt more serious, even with the kids watching them from the kitchen table. 

They swayed around the room to the soft music. Athena didn’t expect them to do more and she was caught off guard when Bobby dipped her all of a sudden. When she heard May and Harry giggling she realized why he did that. She glared at him when she got up again. “Give a girl a little warning.” 

“You are just too cute when you are surprised, baby.” Bobby smiled brightly at her before dropping a quick kiss on her lips.

The song ended and the couple looked at the kids expectantly. Harry made a disgusted face and disappeared into the kitchen, but May joined them in another group hug before cleaning the kitchen table. 

--

The rest of the day consisted of them calling their loved ones, ordering take out and watching a movie together. As promised Micheal arrived after dinner, once again congratulating the couple before taking the kids with them. He would bring them back the next day. 

When the door closed after the three of them, Bobby turned around to see his wife standing in the hallway. Athena put her heels back on and had one of her hands outstretched. “What do you think of one more dance, Captain?” Her voice dropped an octave while her lips curled into a sultry smile. 

It didn't take long for Bobby to grab her hand and let her pull him back to the living room this time. Billie Holiday was playing softly in the background and the lights were dimmed almost all the way. 

“Setting the mood?” He smirked at Athena while putting his free hand once again on her waist, but this time it was way lower than it was that afternoon. There were no little eyes spying them from the kitchen, so he had all the free range he wanted. 

Athena made use of the no kids situation too, but she was less subtle about it. Her hand disappeared beneath his jacket and slipped to his ass where she squeezed the globe a little too hard. Being so close to her man there was no way she was missing the way his breath hitched. She smiled at him and, even in her heels, needed to get up on her tiptoes to be able to reach his lips where she pressed a kiss to them. 

His hand slid up her back to her head so he could keep her still once more. Together they deepened the kiss and moved backwards towards their kitchen. Athena nipped at his bottom lip and smirked when she heard him let out a hiss. She wanted to soothe it, but Bobby was already lifting her up on their dinner table. His hands were grabbing at the hem of her short white dress and she barely had the chance to lift herself up so he could push the fabric up to her waist. 

There wasn’t a lot of talking between them, just a lot of breathy sounds and grabbing hands. Before Athena realized Bobby had shoved her panties to the side and his fingers were right there between her folds. She hadn’t realized how hot and bothered she had been ever since they were alone. It was as if all the emotions of the day and the realization they were married all caught up with her. 

Athena never needed much to get hot and bothered for her man, but this was a new record, even for her. She grabbed the back of his head and threw her own head back, letting out a small whimper and giving him more skin to bite and lick at.

“Oh, baby..” His voice was right there in her ear and a second later Athena felt his lips on her bared throat. She slipped her fingers through the short hairs on the nape of his neck when she felt him slip two of his fingers into her, which made her whine even harder. It only took three more pumps of his hand before Athena felt the heat from her belly consume her whole body. Bobby nipped at her pulse point at that same moment which shoved her even harder over the edge. 

He was gently rubbing her thighs when Athena came down from her high. She smiled lazily at her husband and pulled his face closer to hers. Athena was surprised when she tasted herself on his lips. “Did you -?”

“I needed a taste.” Bobby answered with a shrug, as if he just didn’t put his fingers straight from her core to his mouth. The contrast with his filthy gesture to his shy demeanor made her laugh softly. 

Athena pushed him from between her thighs so she could put her feet back on the ground. Her legs were shaking slightly which made Bobby smirk like a damned cheshire cat. She shoved gently at his shoulder before she pushed his jacket over his shoulders and started opening his shirt. Bobby helped her along with the tiny buttons, meeting her hands in the middle. They started laughing when she pushed his fingers out of the way so she could undo the last one. 

Bobby grabbed her face softly to pull her into another searing kiss, seeking entrance to her mouth which Athena granted him all too easily. She held onto his shirt and felt her legs grow weak again. All of sudden she remembered her plan which is why she broke off the kiss and hastily started to work on his pants. When she had freed him from the confines of his pants and underwear, Athena turned around and leaned over their table. Her heels put her at the exact right height to do that. 

Bobby groaned softly when he saw his new view. Her dress still hiked up to her waist, leaving her ass bare for him to see. He put his hands on her lower back and slid them over her ass where he gave her a loving little tap on her cheeks. 

Apparently he took too long, because before he knew it Athena was reaching behind her to pull her panties to the side. “Come on, big man.” There was a slight whine to her voice and she started moving backwards to get him to do something.

It snapped Bobby out of his stupor and he guided himself inside of her. When he was fully sheathed in her they both let out a loud groan. This would never get old to either of them.

Bobby started moving ever so slowly, but so very deep. It made Athena gasp and she scrambled to grab hold of something. She knew he liked to tease her until she was a babbling mess, but Athena was feeling impatient tonight. They had a few more hours for teasing and gentle love making, but right now she just wanted a nice fuck.

“Quit playing, baby.” Athena whined into the table, trying to move backwards once again, but he had a firm grip onto her hips so she couldn’t move. She balled her hands into a fist out of frustration, letting out an annoyed huff. 

Bobby pumped lazily into her, but after a few strokes he felt some pity for her so he started moving faster which she rewarded him for with a quick squeeze of her inner muscles and a drawn out moan. 

Her hips would probably be bruised tomorrow from bumping repeatedly into the table, but Athena couldn’t find herself to give a damn about that. She liked the physical reminder while she did her daily chores. 

They started to lose themselves in the feeling of each other, the smell of sex surrounding them and Bobby started moving even quicker. He reached around her to get his fingers at her bud to ensure she was right there with him. It didn’t take long for the both of them to feel the fireworks forming in their bellies and to shove each other right into the blissful feeling of their peaks.

It took a few minutes for them to get back to earth. Bobby slowly withdrew himself from her depths and slipped her panties back into place. He leaned over her and kissed her cheek when he heard her whimper softly with the loss of him. 

“You okay?” Bobby asked worriedly when Athena didn’t respond anymore. His wife put her hands beneath her chest and slowly pushed herself back up to her feet. There wasn’t much room between them but Athena managed to pull her dress back down and turn around to him.

“I have never been better, husband. ”

Chapter Text

The Wilsons decided to throw one of their infamous house parties and invited the whole team over. 

As the night progressed people got more and more drunk. The karaoke machine got plugged in, Chimney started daring everyone to do a sing off, dancing off beat in front of the television. Maddie was the first one to take the bait to no one’s surprise. The two of them went to karaoke regularly on their date nights. 

Bobby was talking to Karen just outside of the back door. The Wilsons decorated the whole house including the yard, because everywhere he looked Bobby saw string lights softly flickering in the dark night. It certainly elevated the coziness, even with the temperature dropping to a chilly degree later in the evening. 

He hadn’t seen Athena in a while, which was a little strange, because his wife tended to get a bit handsy when she was tipsy. This night however she was nowhere to be found so Bobby walked back inside with Karen, happy to see Buck coming their way with a question for the hostess so Bobby could go look for his wife. 

Athena was sitting on the couch, talking to Hen with dramatic gestures, seeming really into the conversation. Bobby smiled when he finally found her, softly touching her shoulder when he reached the side of the couch. His wife looked up for a second, smiled at him before she went back to talk animatedly to her friend. 

He squeezed her shoulder once before he went back to the kitchen, refilling his sparkling lemon water, something Hen always bought for him because she knew it was his favorite. It were the small things that made Bobby’s heart warm and his friends knowing his favorites and always having it on hand was one of those things. 

The song on the karaoke changed to something more country and it didn’t take long to hear Maddie’s voice over the microphone. Bobby grinned to himself, turning around to go back to the rest of the group. 

“Excuse me, you look like you love me.” Athena’s voice cut through the room, singing along with the song playing in the background. She was standing against the doorframe with her arms crossed and a mischievous smile on her face.  

Tonight Athena opted for comfort, wearing a pair of black cargo pants with her favorite (it was also his favorite) red sleeveless top. The neckline wasn’t too revealing, but he could still get a peek of her cleavage if he got close enough. 

Bobby was surprised to hear her sing, she mostly saved that for the shower or whenever she was cooking. He wasn’t complaining, because she had a nice voice to listen to. 

“You look like you want me -” Athena didn’t miss a beat, pushing herself from the doorframe and crossing the room to her man. She had a sultry grin on her lips with a cocky walk to match, reaching out to touch his chest. 

“- to want you to come on home.” She got a little louder when she was standing in front of him, starting to play with the buttons on his shirt, not quite opening them but getting close. 

“Wh-“ Bobby wasn’t sure what she was doing, but it was surely entertaining. He felt one of her hands on his neck going down his chest before turning around and pressing her back against his front. 

“And baaaaby, I don’t blame you -“ She looked over her shoulder, still smirking and the twinkle in her eyes only sparkled more from up close. Bobby had a hard time keeping his hands to himself, because every time he tried to touch her, Athena slapped his hands away. She didn’t say anything else but those damned lyrics, but the message was clear: only watching. For now. 

“- for lookin’ me up and down across the room.” Athena stepped away from his body, turning around and let her eyes go up and down his body. Bobby felt his cheeks go red beneath her scrutiny, which was ridiculous. They were married for four years, he should not blush like a young schoolgirl because she looked at him like she wanted to eat him right there and then. 

“I’m drunk and I’m ready to leave. And you look like you love me.” Athena walked back into his space, pulling his head down so she could kiss him fervently. She bit at his lip, causing her man to growl softly and put his hands on her ass, digging his fingers into the fabric of her pants. Bobby could taste the wine and beer she had been nursing all night on her lips, along with the fruity lip gloss she was wearing which May gifted her for Mother’s Day. 

“Let’s leave then, baby. But first can I have this dance?” Bobby murmured between kisses, needing to take a breath because she was taking all of his oxygen with her enthusiastic kisses. His lips felt bruised and he probably had her lip gloss smeared around his mouth, but he didn’t mind. Making out like teenagers was never a punishment when it was with her. 

He grabbed one of her hands with his, put the other on her waist and started swaying to the music. It looked completely silly to sway to a country song, but it felt nice. Athena got her hand from his, slipping both of her arms around his neck, smiling lazily up at him. She wiped some of the lip gloss from his skin even though he looked pretty cute when he was all disheveled from their kiss. 

“Can we go, baby? I have a surprise for you at home.” 

His reaction was something she could’ve predicted before she said the words. Bobby started smirking at her, hands dropping to her ass where he squeezed a handful. “Give me a hint?” His voice dropped a few octaves, whispering right into her ear. 

“I can even give you a peek if you ask nicely.” Athena felt giddy, the alcohol coursing through her body making her willing to show him right there and then what she put on that evening with him in mind. 

“Oh? I can ask you very nicely. Or -“ One of Bobby’s hands left her ass and went to the back of her neck to pull her lips against his once more. It was a miracle no one walked into the kitchen yet, but he wasn’t about to look a gifted horse in the mouth. 

Athena broke off the kiss after a bit to catch her breath. She felt a little dazed, but that was a normal reaction for her after her man kissed her like that. With the same smirk she had on earlier, she pulled her shirt away from her body so her husband could look down to see what she was wearing. 

It was a chance Bobby took with both hands, looking into her shirt and groaning softly when he saw his favorite red lacy bra. “Oh, we’re so going home.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen towards the living room where her purse was along with all of their friends. 

They ignored the knowing looks from the Wilsons before the left the house and climbed into his truck before driving off into the night. 

Chapter Text

They lie together beneath the sheets, legs intertwined, chest still heaving after their latest round of a thorough morning lovemaking. 

Athena was laying on top of him with his arms around her, basking in the afterglow with her husband. It took them a while to get their breathing back to normal, but they were glad to be reunited like this after a busy week. 

Beatrice had a health scare, causing Athena to drop everything so she could fly over to Florida and take care of both of her parents. The day she flew back Bobby had a 48 hour shift, keeping them apart for even longer. They might have had a quickie in his office during his shift, but it wasn’t the same as taking their time in their own bed. 

Athena nuzzled her nose into his chest, smelling the lingering scent from his aftershave he put on last night for their date. They went back to the restaurant where they had their first date. Athena didn’t know how, but somehow Bobby got them the exact same table right in front of the window as all those years ago. The view outside was still amazing, but the view in front of her was so much better. 

Bobby got a new suit, hid it from her to keep it a surprise, causing her jaw to drop to the floor when she saw him for the first time. The black shirt and jacket made him look so handsome and Athena almost wanted to call off their date. He even shed the jacket halfway through dinner, giving her a much better view on how fitted the shirt actually was. Her big strong fireman.

Athena was wearing a jade colored backless dress that ended just below her knees. She paired it with her favorite black strappy heels. It brought her a little closer to her man’s height, but she still had to pull him down if she wanted to kiss his lips. 

The both of them liked to dress up every now and then, being able to wear their clothes for special occasions. A date night for their anniversary was definitely the perfect moment to dress up. The clothes they wore last night were now strewn around the house, leading a path from the hallway all the way down to their bedroom.

--

Bobby’s lingering aftershave was mixed with a hint of sweat and she felt a familiar heat pooling low in her belly. If they didn’t just finish she would get all over him and start a new round, but for now she was happy to lie on his chest, trailing her fingers along his ribcage and through the hairs adorning his upper body. There was a light sheen of sweat on his skin and Athena barely stopped herself from licking him and getting a taste.

His hands weren’t idle either, softly stroking her bare shoulders and back, dipping down to her ass every now and then, but mostly keeping it PG. As far as that was possible with the both of them being naked. They didn’t have a lot of mornings where they could stay in bed after some lovemaking. Normally there was always something or someone needing them, but this morning was just for the two of them. Athena could just lie there, softly touching his biceps, nuzzling his skin some more, maybe taking a nap while the sun beat down on them from between the curtains. 

“What are you thinking about, baby?” He said softly, his voice rumbling in his chest, causing Athena to smile.

“You. Me. Last night. It was an amazing night. Thank you.” Athena lifted her head from his chest to look at him. His face was relaxed with the soft smile he reserved solely for her. It was one of her favorite facial expressions on him. She married a very handsome man, but she loved it when he was completely free of any stress. His eyes were softer, his lips curling up in a smile, the lines on his face a little less noticeable. 

“You don’t have to thank me. It was my pleasure and you in that dress? That made it even better.” He pressed a kiss to her lips, swiping his tongue over her bottom lip. It caused him to groan, still tasting himself on her lips. The image of her on her knees thirty minutes ago made him want to roll her beneath him, but he knew they both needed some more time to recover.

“You know you clean up nice too.” Athena smirked at him before throwing her leg over his hips and sitting up on top of him. The sheet fell from her back, falling down to her hips. Bobby laughed at her remark, a full belly laugh even. The only thing Athena could do in response was laugh with him, putting her hands on his chest before leaning forward.

“What?” Bobby sounded amused, a lingering smile still tugging at his lips. He was just so damn happy this morning, getting to spend all this uninterrupted time with his wife felt like a luxury. 

“I love your laugh.” She wasn’t lying. Bobby was an attractive man and she wished she could hear his laugh more often. Their jobs didn’t leave much room for laughter, but that was all the more reason to bring it into their private lives. To balance out the heaviness of being a first responder. It was why they enjoyed the team outings so much, to unwind with their friends outside of the hustle and bustle of their day-to-day job.

The last four years with Bobby taught her the little things could give you the biggest pleasures. A vase of fresh flowers, a home cooked meal (he did promise her all the meals she could eat) or a movie night with the kids. It were those small things that made her realize what a good man he was when they just started dating. He slowly crept into her heart and when Athena was finally caught up with him she realized she didn’t mind him there. 

Bobby liked to take care of her and the kids. While Micheal was good to them too, it was a different kind of love. It was safe and nice, but it also left her unsatisfied and wondering about, well, everything. There was no wondering about anything when it came to Bobby. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he worshipped the ground she walked on. Nothing was too much and he truly wanted to make her happy. If only he realized his presence was enough to make her feel like she was home . 

“I love you.” Bobby put his hand behind her neck and pulled her down so he could kiss her once more. This time she allowed him to deepen the kiss, granting him entrance to her mouth. She put one of her hands on his chest while the other went to the side of his throat. His heart was racing beneath her fingertips, reminding her that right here, right now everything was fine. They were together after having a great night and they would have a great day before she had a shift tonight. 

Chapter Text

Everything hurts. 

Bobby knew it was a close call. Having a bridge collapse on top of you should only end one way. Except it went the opposite direction for him. He was one lucky bastard. Something Athena liked to remind him of every time she was helping him get to the bathroom and he was complaining about it all.

He was feeling much better. His shoulder would only take some PT sessions before he got his full range of motion back, but his ankle took more time. It wasn’t broken but the ligaments had been partially torn. The doctors told them it would be healed in two to three months, as long as he took it easy. Athena knew he was gonna have a hard time being housebound for that period of time, but she knew Hoover would give him some distraction. 

The small dog was the happiest when he was at home with one or both of them. He didn’t care what they were doing, as long as he got to be with them. Most of the time they would hang out on the couch or play in the yard if it wasn’t too hot outside. 

Normally when Bobby was working he would take the dog to the fire station. He got the green light from the chief, joking it was too bad that Hoover wasn’t a Dalmatian. The team was happy with the distraction during the slow parts of their shifts.

“Okay, I have to go. Do you have everything you need?” Athena sat on the edge of the bed with her hand on his thigh. She smiled at her man and leaned over to press a kiss to his lips, squeezing his thigh when she sat back up.

“Hmmm. Yes. There is enough food to feed an army, Hoover has been outside, all the entertainment I could need- “ Bobby gestured to the pile of books, magazines, snacks and drinks that were strewn on her side of the bed. They even got a tv in their bedroom, because god forbid Bobby would be bored during his recovery.

“- and I am sure there will be someone checking up on me today?” He grinned when Athena simply arched her perfectly manicured eyebrow, being caught in her overprotectiveness of her husband. Athena patted his leg before she got up, grabbing her purse at the end of the bed.

“May will be here in 3 hours. I have a short shift today so with a little luck I’ll be back before dinner.” Athena gave him one last kiss, but Bobby had different plans. His good hand went to her neck to hold her there. The other side still hurt too much to move his arm suddenly. 

He pressed a series of little kisses to her lips and grinned when Athena started giggling and pushing lightly against his chest. Bobby finally let her go and gave her an innocent look when she put her fingers to her lips, seeming a little flustered by his attention. There was no lipstick left on her mouth and Bobby was sure there was some on his lips instead, paintinghis lips in a lovely shade of dark red. 

“This color doesn’t really suit you.” Athena wiped the product of his lips with her thumb before she walked away to the bathroom to reapply. Bobby's eyes followed her retreating form before he pulled the sheets up to his waist with his good arm. There was only so little he could do by himself right now, but he was not going to complain. He knew he wasn’t an easy patient and after getting caught escaping his room in the hospital by his wife, he decided to behave a little better. 

Hoover got into the room when Athena opened the bedroom door after she fixed her make-up and she was sure Bobby was secure. The scruffy dog made a beeline for the bed and made the jump on the step in front of the ottoman they placed there especially for him, before making the final jump to the bed.

“We're gonna be in so much trouble when he isn’t allowed on the bed anymore in a few weeks.” Athena sighed and looked at Hoover who was laying down against Bobby’s side, his favorite place to rest these days. She didn’t like to have the dog in their bed, but these were special circumstances. 

“It’s gonna be fine. Right, buddy?” Bobby petted the dog on his head and shoed his wife out of the bedroom before she was too late at the station. He would be perfectly fine with his dog and all the entertainment they collected on the bed.

— 

Bobby must have nodded off because it was two hours later when he checked the time. Hoover was still stuck to his side and looked up when he felt Bobby move. He started wagging his tail and put his paws on his chest to be able to lick at his face. 

“Oh, down boy. We can never tell Athena about this.” Bobby laughed and pushed the dog gently away. He was not interested in getting canine saliva on his face. 

Hoover whined a little but went back to his spot. A few minutes later they heard the front door being opened and it didn’t take long for the dog to fly off the bed, wanting to know who entered their house. Bobby heard May giggling and saw her coming into the room with Hoover in her arms. The scruffy dog was wiggling and whining and it made both Bobby and May smile. Who would have known Hoover was gonna be such a ray of joy in their lives?

“How are you doing?” May asked her stepfather after she put Hoover back onto the bed. Her mom already told her he was allowed these days, because Bobby got bored without some company. 

“It’s getting better, but it still takes way too much time.” He complained and showed her by very slowly moving his arm and hissing a bit, because even the littlest movement hurt.

“Don’t do that!” May reached out to stop him from moving even further. She rolled her eyes at his foolishness and threw the sheets back. 

“Mom told me you need help to go to the bathroom. Let’s go.” If he was gonna act like a child she was going to treat him like one. Hoover was standing amongst the snacks, just wagging his tail and looking confused. He wasn’t used to stern voices around the house, so even he knew to listen when someone used it.

“You remind me of someone.” Bobby groaned, slowly moving his legs over the edge of the bed. His over-the-counter pain meds were not working anymore, but he wasn’t eager to take more. Another thing May would push him on if she found out about it.

“Don’t say it.” A small grin escaped onto May’s face, even when she tried to be stern. Bobby could be so stubborn when he wanted to, so she shouldn’t be surprised.

The both of them got Bobby in the bathroom with very slow and deliberate steps, having an injury to both his shoulder and ankle did not make this any easier, but they got the job done. Bobby felt out of breath when he was finally back into his bed, something he was definitely not used to, because he was supposed to be in top-fit condition to run the 118. 

“I am gonna get you some new drinks, let Hoover outside and after we can watch those episodes you talked about.” May pulled the sheets back up to his waist, smiling brightly at her stepfather. It wasn’t easy to see him like this, but she was glad she could be of some help to him and help ease her mother’s mind by being here. 

“Okay, let’s do that.” Bobby smiled back at her, closing his eyes for a moment while listening to the sounds May made while walking around the house. It didn’t take long for Hoover to sprint back into the room, taking his rightful spot next to Bobby on the bed. The dog stayed there even when May returned to the room with the drinks and during the hours they watched Bobby’s favorite show.

He must have dozed off again, because the next thing he felt was the bed dip on the other side. Slowly he moved to his back, opening his eyes to see what was happening. 

“Go back to sleep, baby. It is just me.” Athena’s voice always felt like a balm to his body and soul. Bobby wished he could turn over one more time to face his wife, but instead he smiled sleepily before he closed his eyes again, reaching out blindly to her so he could pull her closer to him.

He felt her head on his good shoulder before he slowly slipped back into a restful sleep. 

Chapter Text

It was one of those Sundays. 

Athena had the day off while Bobby was working until after dinner. The kids were at Michael’s for the weekend so Athena had the whole house to herself. She got some groceries and cleaned every nook and cranny of their house.

Now she is bored. 

There was one thing she wanted to do for ages, but it was also a daunting task. It required her to go through all her clothes and decide what she wanted to keep or what needed to be donated. She accumulated a lot of stuff over the years ever since Micheal and her moved into this house. There were probably clothes in her closet that hadn’t seen any daylight in more than a decade. 

It all started relatively easy. She had a nice pile going on with clothes she either wanted to donate or needed to be thrown away. Nobody needed to see her maternity underwear she bought while pregnant with Harry or a stretched out shirt she once stole from Micheal.

In the background she had some soft music on to get her going in the sorting process. She never realized how many clothes she actually had and how much of it she never wore, especially dresses for some reason. Athena held up a little black dress which was not fitting her anymore, putting it against her body to see if she really couldn’t make it work. 

“That’s a shame really.” She mumbled to herself before she threw the dress on the donation pile.

Eventually she got to her underwear drawer, starting to pull everything out and threw it on the bed. She sat beside the pile and was once again grateful that both her and Bobby always put everything back in sets. This way it was much easier to throw something on in the mornings, but it was also very helpful while sorting what she wanted to keep or not.

Her eyes fell on a black set she totally forgot about. These days she gravitated to more colorful sets, favoring red and orange over black and white. Bobby was always telling her how good she looked in those bright colors and they made her feel sexy and most of all they made her feel wanted, because of how her man reacted to them. A feeling that was definitely lacking in her first marriage.

Athena took the black set between her fingers and all of a sudden she was flooded with memories. It was a pair she bought as one of the last attempts to get Micheal to look at her in the final year of their marriage. They weren’t lying when they told their therapist there was no sex life between them, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t tried to allure Micheal into bed with her.

The lace slipped through her fingers and Athena had to take a deep breath while the memories rolled around in her head. There was no way she would ever forget the look on Micheals face when she got the courage and put the lingerie on, showing him what he missed out on. 

--

Athena tried to set the mood with some music in the background, sitting at the foot of their bed in her favorite heels with the black lingerie on her body. The wired balcony bra gave her breasts a lifted look while still being almost completely see through. Her matching panties hugged her ass nicely and Athena felt sexy for the first time in months, maybe even years. 

The feeling faded away the moment her husband walked into the room. Micheal almost looked afraid when he saw her sitting there on the bed, her intentions clear as day. Normally he was pretty good in brushing her off without hurting her feelings, but she was never this daring in getting her needs across. He had stuttered some lame excuse and didn't know how fast he had to leave the room. The man slept in the guest room the rest of that week, leaving Athena feeling rejected and unwanted.

--

Needless to say, Athena didn’t try again after that encounter. She pushed her feelings and this lingerie set far far away and she never thought about it again. Until now. The lace almost felt heavy in her hands, but she knew it was just her mind playing games with her. It was the feeling of embarrassment and humiliation that made this scrap of fabric feel like lead. 

Even though her mind screamed at her, Athena decided to put the lacy set on. She took her clothes off and put the black pieces on. There was a huge pit in her stomach and she didn’t dare to look at herself. After a few minutes and a lot of deep breaths she crossed the room to their full length mirror. It was crazy to feel these feelings again, because it had been so long. In her marriage to Bobby there was absolutely no need to feel any of this, because her man was so attentive to her and couldn’t leave her alone when there was no one around. It made her feel good and confident and strong . 

Not one of those feelings came to the forefront of her mind right now. No, right now she felt lost in the whirlwind of emotions she was experiencing. Her gaze went to her reflection in the mirror and her hand came up to her stomach. She stroked the skin just above her panties and she turned around to see her backside. Her fingers were just following the lines on her skin, results of her pregnancies. Athena never thought about them anymore but in this headspace every little flaw was blown up.

“Hm, I don’t think I know this one.” His voice cut through the room and her head jerked in his direction. Bobby was leaning against the doorframe in his LAFD shirt and her favorite jeans. He wore a shit eating grin on his face, obviously enjoying the view. He pushed himself away from the door and walked over to her, not immediately noticing the emotional turmoil his wife was in. Athena stood still, lost in her thoughts and her skin jumped when his fingers finally reached her. 

“What were you doing baby?” He nuzzled the side of her head before he kissed her temple, resting his hands on her hips before sliding them to her stomach where they met hers. The lack of response worried him, used to Athena reacting to his advances very enthusiastically. 

“I think you’re beautiful, baby.” His voice was thick and heavy in her ear. Bobby spread his fingers over her stomach and dropped his lips to her neck, showing his appreciation for her attire. 

Whatever he was doing, it was working. She felt the fog in her head lift just enough she could respond to his advances. Her hand came up to the side of his head, stroking the short strands on his temple. Athena was loving the way his hair slowly turned more and more grey, jokingly telling him she couldn’t wait to see him as a full silver fox, how he would be so incredibly sexy. 

“I didn’t hear you coming in.” Athena let out a sigh and dropped her head to her opposite shoulder, giving her husband more room to love on her neck.

“I did say your name when I came in, but it looks like you were too busy.” He licked a strip from her ear to her shoulder and he felt her breath hitch. Bobby was glad to see her come back from whatever funk she was in when he walked into the room.

Athena was slowly melting in his arms and every negative thought was slowly slipping away from her mind. Bobby was giving her a completely different reaction to her apparel which boosted her confidence. It didn’t take a lot for her to get back to her normal state of mind. This man was truly a magician and he didn’t even know it.

She turned around and pressed her lips against his. Bobby’s hands fell down to her ass and he started to grab at her. Her fingers closed around the bottom of his shirt before she started to pull at it. 

“Off, baby.” She managed to get out between kisses. He let out a disgruntled noise, not wanting to part from her lips, which made her laugh and she suddenly felt so much love and gratitude for this man. 

They stumbled back to the bed where Bobby unceremoniously threw the other pieces of underwear on the ground before he fell onto the bed. She climbed on top of him and groaned softly when she felt his skin beneath her fingers. There wasn’t much she loved more than just touching his body and drawing all those delicious sounds from him. 

— 

Together they fell back on the sheets after some very well spent time. Athena was trying to catch her breath while trying to dodge his fingers on her rib cage, breathlessly laughing at her husband.

“Let me go to the bathroom, c’mon.” She was pushing his hands away, plucking his shirt from the ground before she threw it on. 

“I’ll be right back.” Athena walked over to their bathroom on wobbly legs. He never let her down. Bobby let out a disappointed groan when her body disappeared from his view.

When she came back Bobby was looking around their room as if he never saw all the clothes when he first came in that evening. She climbed back onto the bed and into his arms, resting her head on his chest and putting her hand on his belly. 

“I was going through my clothes and trying them on to see what I wanted to keep or not.” She held up the black bra they threw on the bed. “I found this which reminded me of the last year of my marriage to Micheal. Let’s just say you had a very different reaction to me wearing this.” Athena said softly, knowing Bobby would understand what she meant by that.

“This definitely feels like a keeper.” Bobby murmured into her ear before he kissed her temple. Athena didn’t have to look at this face to know he had that shit eating grin on his face again.

“Well you might have to convince me. I am not 100% sure yet.” She turned around on her stomach and smiled innocently at him. It didn’t take long for Bobby to almost yank her on top of him, causing Athena to let out a surprised yelp. He didn’t use his strength a lot against her, but it was so good when he did.

“Luckily there are many ways I can convince you baby.” Bobby groaned in her ear, tugging softly at her lobe with his teeth. He would keep her in bed all day if she let him.

And oh boy, did he convince her.

Chapter Text

Quiet Sundays held a special place in her heart.

With their busy lives it was a lot easier to appreciate the slower days. The kids would come over for dinner, but Sunday afternoons was for the both of them. Most of the time they would watch a trashy reality show, but today they chose to read a book. Or well, Bobby was reading to her from this mystery book they started a few weeks ago. Every now and then they would lay down on the couch beneath their own blankets, Bobby would get their book and her favorite tea and they settled down together.

Athena started out on her own end of the couch, pulling her blanket up to her face while she looked at her husband sitting on the other end. It was storming outside and they just started their fireplace which helped create a cozy atmosphere. The couch was barely big enough for the both of them to comfortably stretch out, but she didn’t mind entangling her legs with his, taking any excuse to touch her husband. 

The rustling of paper brought her attention back to the man in front of her. Bobby was thumbing through the book to get to the spot they left off the last time, peeking at her just above the pages with an amused look. Somewhere between getting her tea and settling down he got his glasses perched on his nose. Athena was wondering if he knew what this look did to her, especially when he added his soothing voice to the mix.

“She has a name, it’s Lauren, and she said all of the bruises on the torso had the telltale ring mark except one. Have a look.” She indicated each." Bobby gently read out loud, oblivious to Athena’s brain working a mile a minute across from him. One of his hands held the book in place while the other made his way beneath the blanket to caress the outside of her calf. The feeling of his fingertips brushing along her skin made Athena shiver pleasantly. Bobby was such a tactile man, showing his love and appreciation by lovingly touching her.

The first time she asked him to read to her came as a surprise to Bobby. Up until that moment they read together, sitting side by side with their own books, but Athena was tired after a long shift and didn’t feel like reading. She handed him a new book and asked him to read to her, wanting to hear his voice and knowing what the book was about without actually having to read herself. They ended up cuddling while he read the book until Athena fell asleep on his chest, switching the book for his own, not wanting to continue reading without her. 

It started a new habit for them, reading together whenever they could, sharing the story between them. They would share their thoughts about what was happening in the book, ending up in lively discussions which was half of the fun. Most of the time it was Bobby who was the one reading out loud, but there were days where he asked Athena to read to him instead so he could lay his head on her chest, wrap his arm around her waist and let her presence just wash over him.

Today was not one of those days. Bobby felt his wife come closer and closer to him, slowly moving from her end of the couch to his. He heard her blanket hitting the ground before he saw and felt her hands on his upper body.

“Pardon me, ah, detective, who’s the spectator here?’ Nikki shook her head.” He continued without stopping, even when he felt Athena lifting his blanket, stretching her body along the back of the couch, her head on his shoulder so she could take a look at the book as well. He lifted his arm around her so she could move to his chest. She pulled the blanket back up to her face, closing her eyes, letting out a content sigh. His side was so much warmer, just like she had expected when she decided to move over. 

“How come you always end up under my blanket?” Bobby said with an amused tone, putting the book down, gently brushing her hair from her face. She started letting it grow out more, the longer strands framing her face quite nicely. He didn’t really care what she did with it, because she looked gorgeous in every hair style. 

“You are just so warm.” Her voice sounded muffled, having her face pressed against the side of his chest. Athena slung her arm and leg over his body, trying to burrow herself more into his body and get comfortable in this new position. She felt his hand slowly caressing along her upper arm now, the movement enough for her to close her eyes again. Every sense of her was filled with Bobby; his voice in her ear, his body beneath her fingertips, his smell in her nose, she would see him if she opened her eyes again, but she was just so cozy and could fall asleep just like this so she kept them closed.

“Sure, baby.” Bobby said gently against the dark hair closest to his face before he got back to their book, starting to read the next page of the mystery. 

His voice rumbled through his chest and with every word he spoke Athena felt how she slipped more and more into a restful sleep, her hand holding his side going slack the moment she was out. Bobby put the bookmark on the page they left off, fixing the blanket around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her crown. 

She reminded him of Harry when they were just married. The boy got nightmares every now and then, asking Bobby to tell stories about his shifts to try to calm down whenever Athena was on shift. Bobby would lie down with him in his bed and the preteen always ended up sprawled over his chest (just like his mother was now), sleeping soundly after only a few stories. It was how Athena would find them the next day, both fast asleep on Harry’s bed. 

This time it was Harry who found them asleep together on the couch, their book long forgotten.

Chapter Text

Athena stared down at the box laying on the bed. 

She wasn’t sure what she was thinking when she clicked on the ‘add to cart’ button. It must have been Hen’s slurring voice in her ear telling her to do it. Sharing two bottles of wine on their regular girls night ended up with Hen insisting Athena needed to buy new lingerie, because a woman could never have too much sexy underwear.

They scoured their favorite websites together, both of them buying new pieces for their collections. Most of the underwear they chose were lacy and skimpy, but nothing too crazy . Not until Hen started giggling and pointed at something on the screen, bringing Athena’s attention to a red set called ‘Gynger Unlined’. 

Both the bra and the panties had a big bow on them. It was all that would cover her chest and ass, giving an easier access to them for her man. The thought of Bobby’s reaction to seeing her wear the lingerie was enough to make her shiver. Before she realized what she was doing the set was added to her cart and she was already paying for her whole order. 

--

The regret definitely sunk in when the package got delivered a few days later. It was just her luck that Bobby didn’t really care what she ordered, knowing she would show whatever she wanted him to see. That gave her a chance to get the package to their bathroom, closing the door behind her and opening the box all by herself. 

Athena put everything on the counter before she got each set out, putting the tamer sets in their laundry basket, giving herself a mental reminder she needed to do laundry before Bobby would. While the red set was the big surprise, Athena didn’t want her husband to see the other sets before she had the chance to wear them. 

She decided to do a quick hand wash and hoped for the best it would be dry that evening. It was definitely time for an ‘everything’ shower. So when Bobby went out for some chores Athena washed her hair, shaved everything, exfoliated her skin and ended up painting her toenails. Normally she went for a mani-pedi with May, but her daughter was so busy with college there hadn’t been a day where their schedules matched up for weeks now. 

When the bra and panties were finally dry, Athena walked back to their bathroom to drop her robe and the panties she was already wearing. Slowly she slipped the new fire red bra and panties on, letting the ribbons flow along her body. Athena felt a little ridiculous when she looked in the mirror and saw the wire framing her chest but no cups to cover her skin. She held one of the ribbons between her fingers before she started tying them across her breasts. It took her a few tries before she got it just right and she started realizing the panties were gonna be the biggest problem. How to tie them just right when she couldn’t see what she was doing?

It took her way longer to tie the back than it took to tie the front, but eventually she got it. She already lathered her skin in Bobby’s favorite body lotion and applied some make up. Feeling all dolled up she sat down at the foot of their bed, hearing the front door open. 

“‘Thena?” Bobby said loudly into the quiet house, dropping his bags next to the front door. He walked to their bedroom when he didn’t get a response, getting worried something was wrong. The first glimpse of Athena on their bed had him almost tripping over his own feet. 

“Baby wh-“ he stuttered, feeling his cheeks flush when he realized what was happening. He couldn’t move from his spot in the doorway, his eyes transfixed on his wife. 

Athena felt nervous under his scrutinizing look, her heartbeat quickening the longer her husband was quietly watching her. She got up from the bed, putting her hands on her hips where her fingertips were softly touching the ends of the bow on her ass. Bobby finally pushed himself from the doorway, crossing the short distance between them and put his hands over hers. 

“Take a deep breath, baby.” Bobby said gently, nuzzling the side of her head before pressing a kiss to her temple. He didn’t know where to look because he saw something new everywhere his eyes went, the familiar freckles on her skin seeming to form a new path in this light. 

With a soft smile he caught her lips with his, deepening the kiss the moment she opened her mouth, drowning the surprised groan she let out. They exchanged heated kisses for a while, chasing each other's tongue, nipping at both of their lips, grabby hands at her hips and his chest. 

“Come on, let me see you. I want to see everything.” He finally muttered in her ear, a little breathless, squeezing her hands before he took a step back from his wife. Maybe he was being subjective, but he absolutely loved the fire red color on her skin. Athena looked gorgeous in every color, but there was something about her in this one that made his body thrum with need.

Athena found her confidence back, throwing a sultry smile to her husband before she slowly made a turn, showing him everything . It had taken her a while to get the bows to sit the exact right way, stretching across her curves, giving the illusion they would fall away at any second. The satin of the panties felt nice against her skin, sliding softly against her mound when Bobby suddenly turned her around and dropped to his knees. He nosed at the skin of her ass showing beneath the tied ribbons, playfully biting at her cheek. That got him an admonishing tap against his head from Athena. 

“I never thought I would get to unwrap you like a present. Christmas came early.” Bobby breathed against her ass, slowly tugging at one of the ribbons so it gave way and loosened the carefully tied bow from her behind. He let out a sharp breath when it revealed her ass to his gaze, couldn't help himself when his hands came up again and grabbed a handful of her cheeks, softly squeezing them in his palms. Above him he heard Athena’s breath quicken, one of her hands ending up in his hair, grabbing the strands between her fingers.

“God, you are absolutely gorgeous.” he muttered, more to himself than her, mumbling his running thoughts out loud about how much he loved her. How lucky he was that she chose him all those years ago. How he is gonna show his gratitude to her for the rest of their life together. How there was no one else for him and would never be. It would be her and him until the end of days and there was no other way he wanted it to be. 

When he was ready to take his eyes and hands off her ass, Bobby turned her around again, pressing his face in her silk covered mound and inhaled deeply. Athena’s fingers stayed in his hair, lightly scratching at his skull. 

Early in their relationship she would’ve felt self conscious if he looked at her like she hung the moon, but she didn’t feel like that anymore. Now his looks got the fire starting in her belly, growing her desire for him to show him how much he meant to her . She looked down at him, slightly breathless because he was deeply breathing in her scent from her core. It made her drip from her center, growing the wet spot in her panties.

“I love you. I really do, but you need to do something because I will explode.” The words barely left her mouth before she felt him push her gently back onto the bed so she was sitting at the edge. Her eyes settled curiously on her husband kneeling between her thighs with a cocky grin on his face. His fingers curled around the waist of her panties, silently asking her to lift her hips so he could drag them off her body.

Bobby wrapped his arms around her legs, pulling her core closer to his mouth while pulling her core apart so he could feast on her. His tongue glided through her wetness, lapping at her weeping center. There was nowhere for Athena to go so all she could do was accept his attack on her core. She writhed against the sheets, letting her moans fall from her lips.

Her husband was tasting and teasing until Athena started to whimper and gasp, firmly grasping the sheets between her fingers, trying to grind her hips against his mouth to get him closer. It didn’t take long for one of her hands to leave the sheets to grab his hair instead, fingers tightening around the strands when Bobby pressed a finger inside her core. He added one more, matching the pace of his fingers with his mouth and tongue.

Above him he heard Athena call out his name when she fell over the edge, pressing her thighs against his head, her muscles tensing and fluttering around his fingers. Bobby kept licking and stroking her while she came down from her high. She fell back onto their sheets, breathing hard and pushing his head away from her when she felt overstimulated. 

It was that moment Athena realized he was fully clothed while she was laying there in only her bra. Feeling a little boneless, but wanting her man out of those clothes she got up on her elbows and told him to strip. Half of her wanted him to make a show of it, the other half just wanted him naked back between her legs. 

“Hurry up.” A little impatience seeped into her tone while she watched her husband almost trip over his jeans when he tried to kick them off. She slowly moved up the bed, trying to calm her breathing down, closing her eyes for a second. Her body jumped when Bobby suddenly climbed between her legs, pressing his lips against her collarbone. 

“I love this bra, but it has to go.” Bobby muttered against her sweat-slicked skin, licking the salty taste from her neck. He gave her a wicked look before he kissed a path from her ear to her breasts. The unwrapping part was a nice touch, especially when the result was his wife completely naked beneath him. 

With a grin on his face Bobby took one of the ribbons between his teeth, tugging slowly so it fell away. He moved the ribbons away from her chest, admiring the view before he got his mouth on her, kissing and licking along her skin. The smell of her arousal and the damned body lotion he loved so much were driving him crazy, causing him to suckle and bite a mark just above her breast. He knew better than to leave any marks that couldn’t be covered.

Athena felt him hot and heavy against her leg, his hips unconsciously moving against her skin ever so slightly. She got back up on her elbows to give him some room to remove her bra completely. The moment her bra hit the ground, she rolled on top of her husband, softly grinding against him with a smirk on her lips. 

Athena loved being on top, getting to decide the pace and how deep he would go, knowing he would flip them back the moment she tipped over the edge to drive into her, getting to his own peak. For now she stayed right where she was, slowly getting up on her knees before moving back down, welcoming him into her body. When he was fully sheathed into her, hips meeting hips, Athena stopped and leaned over so she could kiss her husband, needing the extra connection with him. 

Slowly she started moving against him, putting her hands on his chest again so she could push herself up and had some leverage to move her hips against his. Having him inside of her like this would never grow old to Athena.  

“You feel so good, baby.” Bobby’s voice came out restrained, trying to hold onto the last shreds of control he had left. All of his senses were filled with Athena , consuming his thoughts and his body by her movements. His hands moved to her hips where he gripped and groped at her skin in an attempt to ground himself.

Athena’s movements grew faster, feeling her husband holding harder onto her hips to keep her in place, elevating her a little from him so he could decide on his own pace to thrust into her. The slapping sound of skin to skin made Athena groan loudly, feeling the heat from her belly spread through her whole body.

Bobby felt the pressure built in his belly, the tightness and warmth of her body bringing him closer and closer to the edge. It was Athena who fell over it first, breathing out his name when she was shoved head first into her release. Her arms gave out, causing her to fall on his chest with her face pressed on his chest. He followed her right after, holding her body close to his until the last spasms and twitches left them both, feeling thoroughly satisfied.

Bobby was not sure how much time went by until he felt himself slip from her heat, hearing his wife groan at the loss of him inside her. He cuddled her closer, kissing her head and once again wondering what he ever did to deserve her. 

Chapter Text

Bobby wasn’t sure if he ever felt this tired. 

It was the kind of tiredness that settled deep within his bones, making it so much harder to move his body or do anything at all. He had exhausting shifts before, but today it felt differently than normal. Bobby had never been so glad the shift was over so he could get home. Athena didn’t have a shift today and the thought of finally seeing his wife after 48 hours was truly a balm to his weary soul. 

Bobby dropped his bag and shoes at the front door when he got home, walking down the hallway to their kitchen to get a glass of water, hoping it would help with the headache that was starting to settle at the base of his skull. After he downed two glasses of ice cold water Bobby went back to the hallway, striding to their bedroom door. 

It was later in the evening, but he saw the light from their bedside table lamp peeking beneath the door, indicating that his wife should be still awake. Or she fell asleep while reading again. It wouldn’t be the first time that happened, because Athena had the habit of losing track of time when she was fully submerged in one of her mystery books.

The door creaked a little when he tried to open it very slowly in case Athena was asleep, but it seemed unnecessary because he felt her eyes on him the moment he stepped into the room. 

--

Tonight Athena decided to take a hot bath and get in bed a little earlier so she could try to finish the mystery she was reading. Clad in her blue satin pajamas she was ready to call it a day, lying down on their bed with a cup of tea on her nightstand. She was laying in the middle of their bed, feet planted against the mattress, her legs drawn up with her book resting against her thighs.

The moment Athena heard her husband walking down the hall she dog eared the page where she left off before putting the book down on her nightstand. Without saying anything she let her feet slip down their comforter so her legs were resting against the fabric before letting them fall open. On her face she was wearing a gentle smile, reaching out to him with wiggling fingers to get him to come to her.

It didn’t take long for Bobby to cross their bedroom and climb into their bed, making his way across the sheets to finally lie down between her legs, his head resting on her chest and his arms pressed against her body. He buried his face against the side of her breast before letting out a huge sigh, feeling the stress from his shift finally starting to leave his body. 

After a few seconds Bobby felt her fingers in his hair, softly stroking the strands on the back of his head. They were still slightly damp from the shower he took just before he left the firehouse, not wanting to take the grime home from the last call. Athena didn’t seem to mind, silently stroking from the back of his head down to his back. 

The quietness between them was definitely not unwelcome to Bobby. It gave him the opportunity to try to calm his own thoughts down. Being completely surrounded by his wife was helping and he wished there was a way for him to climb into her skin, trying to find a way to get even closer to her, but lying on top of her would have to do for now. 

One of the reasons their relationship worked so well was the fact they both gave and took comfort so easily. Neither of them needed much to see what the other needed, silently and effortlessly anticipating their needs. 

Bobby loved how she didn’t even question what he needed tonight, she just gave him the comfort he so desperately craved. He was sure it wasn’t comfortable for her to have him lie on her body like this, but she wasn’t complaining and just held him closer to her. 

--

On nights where Athena had been worried about him all day, Bobby would wake up to her fingers on his back, softly stroking along the fabric of his shirt while her thoughts were miles and miles far away. He wasn’t sure if she was aware of what she was doing or if it was just something to keep her grounded as well, but he would just give her a kiss and ask her what’s wrong. Athena would give him one of her smiles, telling him to get back to sleep and they would talk about it the next day. 

--

Bobby pressed a kiss to her sternum before he tried to get up, but Athena tightened her grip onto his body once again, willing him to stay right where he was. She wasn’t ready to let him go yet, maybe needing this just as much as he did.

“Baby, let me get up. I am too hea-“ he mumbled against her satin top, pressing a kiss to the fabric. 

“I don’t mind. Stay for a little longer.” Her voice soothed the final frayed nerves, getting rid of any leftover anxiety by just those eight words. The woman was a miracle worker and he was so glad she knew what he needed and would give it to him with no hesitation.

So Bobby hummed happily and pressed his face into her chest once more, squeezing his arms around her waist. The soft feel of her satin top felt nice along his cheek and the feeling in combination with the familiar smell of his wife was almost enough to put him to sleep right there and then.

So before he actually fell asleep Bobby slowly slid down her body, keeping his face in contact with her body while doing so until he reached the hem of her top. He pulled the fabric up her stomach a little so he could kiss her warm skin. There was something about her when she was languidly lounging like this, all warm and soft and a little sleepy that made him love her even more. Bobby wanted to soak it all up to keep in a jar so he could use it on harder days when she did have a shift and wasn’t able to comfort him.

He felt her fingers once again in his hair before he lifted up his head to look at Athena, grinning goofily at her. It was a wonder how a few minutes in her embrace was enough to lift the stress from his body. Bobby pressed one last kiss just above her underwear, getting off the bed to walk to their bathroom.

There wasn’t a cell in his body that wanted to wait any longer to join her in their bed.

Chapter Text

“Damn it!” 

It was the first thing Athena heard when she walked into her home. She closed the front door and quickly walked down the stairs to the source of the voice. It didn’t take her long to locate the person who cursed, seeing the man she was about to marry holding his thumb close to his chest in her kitchen. His face was scrunched up like he was in a lot of pain, lips rolled inward and his eyes closed. 

“What happened, baby?” Athena moved quickly to Bobby’s side, gently peeling his free hand from around his thumb. She pulled his injured hand towards the light to see if he did any serious damage to his digit, but it looked fine aside from being tender and red. There were no wounds or anything so Athena just took him to the sink, running some cool water over his skin before getting the ice pack from the freezer. Raising two children taught Athena early to always keep an ice pack (or two) around. 

“I tried to install a hook above the sink to keep your ring when you do the dishes so it won’t disappear again like last week.” Bobby suddenly sounded a little unsure, keeping his eyes trained on the ice pack covering his hand instead of meeting hers.

Athena’s thoughts flew back to the particular night Bobby was talking about. She had a busy day and came home to two very hungry kids, sitting at the dinner table with a plate of grilled cheese and a pot filled with their favorite soup. It was one of the dishes May could get ready without adult supervision and apparently the kids were hungry enough they couldn’t wait for her to get home and cook them a meal. 

Dinner was filled with stories about their days, laughter at Harry’s silly jokes and rolling eyes from May. Having these family dinners with her children meant a lot to Athena, especially after the divorce. While it still hurt she was also so proud of how Micheal and her handled the whole situation, making the transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved. It got easier when they both realized the kids were the most important part of their lives and they could be civil about this. 

After dinner Athena shoed May and Harry to whatever they wanted to do so she could do the dishes. Before she got to the dishes Athena decided to put on some Billy Holiday in the background to make the kitchen less quiet when she did the dishes. She cleaned off the table before she got back into the kitchen, turning on the faucet. It didn’t take her long to finish washing and putting away all of their dishes. That is when she noticed it. 

Her engagement ring was gone. 

She had been so careful with it ever since Bobby put the big damn diamond on her finger last Christmas Eve, wearing it on a necklace when she couldn’t wear it out but still wanting it close or putting it in her locker or safe if she was going to work. Always being so careful to take care of the piece of jewelry. And now she lost it doing the freaking dishes? 

In a blind panic Athena started patting the bottom of the sink in the soapy water, but she didn’t feel it anywhere. Her heart rate shot up, along with her breathing when she couldn’t see it around the kitchen on the counter or the floor. It took everything in her to not burst into tears the moment she realized she could not see it anywhere. Athena was sure she had been wearing it during dinner so it couldn’t be far. Right?

It took Athena an hour before she finally called Bobby, her fingers trembling when she opened her phone. She figured out the ring must have dropped down the drain and her man probably knew how to get it out of there. Even if she had to tell him what happened and how she lost his ring after only a few months of wearing it. 

Bobby’s heart dropped to his stomach when he heard her fear-filled voice on the phone when Athena finally called him. Not because he cared about the value of the ring, but because he knew how upset Athena must have been at that moment. So he dropped the laundry he was doing and got over to her place in a record time. 

Her fiancé, being the saint he was, didn’t need a lot of time to open up her drain and get the ring right out. The relief Athena felt when her eyes fell onto the shiny rock was unfathomable, reaching out with trembling fingers to get it back to her finger where it belonged. Bobby gently pushed her right hand away so he could put the ring back onto her left one, just like he did a little over four months ago. He would put his hands on her face to kiss her if he didn’t just touch everything that got out of her drain with the ring. They settled for a quick peck without touching the other, smiling against each other's lips. 

“Let me put everything back and maybe we could watch another episode of that crime show before I go back home?” Bobby grinned sheepishly at her, finally admitting to liking the show he was so sure he would not like when she told him about it a week ago. He got back beneath the sink so he wouldn’t see Athena’s knowing smile. 

They ended the night on the couch, legs intertwined with her lying across his chest watching the crime show he claimed he didn't like, her hand wearing the ring clutching at his shirt along the neckline so she could look at it whenever she wanted. There was absolutely no way she was ever gonna let it leave her sight again.

--

Her losing the ring was why Bobby let himself into her house with his spare key today, carrying his toolbox and a baggie of hooks into the kitchen. There was a spot close to the sink that would be perfect for a hook for Athena to put her rings when she would cook or do the dishes without needing to be worried about losing the piece of jewelry again.

He barely got started when for some reason his finger slipped and he hit his thumb instead of the nail he was trying to hammer into the wall. The blinding pain made Bobby drop the hammer and cry out an expletive. A second later he heard Athena coming into the house after her shift, walking down the stairs towards the kitchen. 

Suddenly he started to doubt his idea, feeling nerves climb up his throat. It sounded great when he got some hooks and drove over, but now he felt like he was overstepping. This was not his house yet and doing small home renovations was maybe not his place. Not yet anyway. Athena and the kids had been so welcoming to him and it gave him a sense of security, but maybe he had been too quick in feeling safe. Before the negative thoughts could cloud his head too much, Athena was already in front of him, taking care of his hand.

“Is this okay? I am not overstepping a-” Bobby couldn't finish his sentence, because Athena put her hand over his mouth, effectively shutting him up after dropping the cold pack on the counter. She was giving him that smile again, as if she exactly knew what he was doing and why. 

“This is more than okay, baby. Soon this is gonna be your house too and this is probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me.” Athena’s smile was so wide it almost hurt and her heart felt like it was bursting out of her chest with the amount of love she was feeling for this man. She put her hands on his cheeks, pulling his face softly towards hers so she could press her lips against his. 

When the pain finally subsided from his thumb Bobby went back to the kitchen to finish hammering the hook in place. Athena leaned over the counter to look at what he was doing, part of her curious but another part was worried he would hurt himself again. It didn’t take him long to get the hook ready, turning back to her with a grin she wanted to kiss off his face. So that was exactly what she did and with a few strides she stood by his side, pulling his face once again to hers to kiss them both a little silly.

—

It was a few days later when Bobby’s phone pinged during his shift. He pulled it from his pocket to see he got a new message from Athena. With a flick of his thumb he opens the text, seeing a picture attached to it from her kitchen sink filled with sudsy water and her ring dangling from the hook. 

Thank you so much baby. See you tonight x

Chapter Text

There was something about feeling her lips on his.

It was when all of Bobby’s senses were overflowing with her , he was at his happiest. The feel of her hips in his hands, the smell of her lingering perfume in his nose, the small happy sounds she made in his ears, the taste of her lips and tongue in his mouth, the sight of her face up close to his if he would open his eyes. He would probably be able to see the slight color difference in her dark eyes, even if they were blown wide with arousal from them making out for the past thirty minutes.

Bobby felt her hands stroke over his chest where they ended up gripping his shirt near where the fabric met his throat. His own were grabbing at her ass to get her closer to him, even when the denim made it harder for him to actually feel something, but the way these jeans looked on her made it so worth it, causing him to trip over his own feet whenever he saw her in them. Athena probably chose them on purpose, knowing how he reacted the moment he saw them on her. 

She took his sweater off his body the second she walked into his apartment, dropping her go bag at the couch before claiming she wanted to feel closer to him and the sweater was just in the way. It didn’t take them long to get down on the couch, making out for a bit before they would sit down to have dinner together. 

Their make out session continued halfway through the movie they were watching after dinner. Athena’s fingers were exploring the planes of his chest over his shirt, feeling it fall and rise with his breathing. The worn cotton felt soft beneath the pads of her fingers before she finally managed to get her hands beneath the fabric, absorbing the heat of his skin. 

A pleasant shiver ran through Bobby’s body when she nipped at his bottom lip, demanding entrance to his mouth again. It didn’t take long for him to open his mouth, welcoming her in with great enthusiasm. He felt one of her hands move up to the back of his head, fingers slipping between the short strands just above his neck, softly scratching the skin which made goose bumps appear on his skin. One of his favorite ways to wake up was to Athena lightly scratching his back on the mornings they could sleep in and there was no rush for them to get up.

Bobby took a deep breath through his nose, inhaling the familiar scent of his girlfriend. It was a heavier vanilla fragrance mixed in with her coconut scented body wash. He asked her one day what made her smell so delicious, the combination enough to make him act like a young teenager, pining after his girlfriend. Athena let him smell the bottles, but it wasn’t the same scent that drove him insane. There was one important thing missing, the lingering scent of his girlfriend beneath the perfume and body wash.

Athena was straddling his hips while they were making out which gave her the perfect leverage to lightly grind against his body. She felt his hands on her hips, helping her movements along but also stopping her just before his jeans got a little too tight for comfort. The annoyed sound leaving her lips told him she didn’t like that.

“Hm- ba-.” Athena tried to speak between their kisses, but every time she started talking she felt his lips back on hers and all her thoughts went out the window. She felt Bobby pressing her closer with his hand on her back, trying to lose himself in her presence again. The only thing he could hear was his own heartbeat thudding in his ears, drowning out all the other sounds around them.

“What, baby?” Bobby said with a smug smile on his lips, letting her sit back down on his thighs to put the smallest amount of distance between them. His lips were hovering over hers, feeling her quickening breath ghost over his skin. It made him want to close the distance between them once more and continue their make out session. He wasn’t lying when he told her he could kiss her all day if she let him.

“May and Harry will be home very early tomorrow. I have to go.” Athena bit on her lip, wanting to press them to his again. He looked so cute with his red, swollen lips and mussed hair so before he could answer, she pressed herself against him, attacking his mouth with hers. Athena buried her fingers in his hair to keep him still, not wanting him to be the responsible one and actually trying to get her home. One of them had to make the difficult decision to stop this and calm down before they would start something else they could not finish.

It took him longer than normal, but after another ten minutes of them simply groping and kissing Bobby finally managed to distance himself from her. He watched Athena get up, dropping her gaze to his jeans with a sultry smile. 

“Are you sure you don’t need help with th-?” Before Athena could finish her sentence and start reaching out, Bobby got up and grabbed her wrist softly. With a small grin he pressed a kiss to her pulse point, smelling her perfume and body lotion even better from up close.

“Another time, baby. You will hate yourself if you don’t get home and into your bed soon.” He knew how much she loathed waking up early, especially if she went to bed late the day before. The kids needed her up and running the moment they got home and Athena needed her sleep to achieve that.

Bobby gently steered her away from him so he could put some distance between them. He pressed a kiss to her temple before he went back to the kitchen. A little snack would probably make her feel a little bit better about having to leave. There was a freshly baked brownie cooling down on the counter so he cut her a slice of that before he walked over to her. Athena was just zipping up her go bag, turning around to him with a small pout. Bobby just smiled at her and handed over the packaged brownies. “A little something for when you get home.” 

“Why are you so reasonable?” Athena almost whined at him, but she got her stuff together and walked with him to the front door, their hands wandering on the way there. At the door Athena turned to Bobby for a final kiss, dropping her bag and purse so she could slip her hands in the back pockets of his jeans, pulling him closer and teasingly squeezing his ass. She felt him open his mouth beneath hers, giving her all the room she needed to invade his mouth with her tongue. They could do this all day if they had the time, but time was not something that was on their side today. 

“I will see you soon.” Bobby promised her, giving her one final kiss before opening the door. He felt her sigh against his lips before slowly turning away from him so she could pick up her bag. Her petulant behavior made him laugh softly, not wanting her to go either but sometimes life called them away. There would be another day where she could stay over so he could wake up to her face next to him.

“Drive safe, baby. Let me know when you’re home, okay?” Bobby couldn’t help himself, always worried about his loved ones. Bobby just realized Athena had been on that list for a while now, long before they even started dating.

The realization hit him when he closed the door after her, his eyes darting through the room.

She took his sweater.

Chapter Text

Don’t come in when you get home.

Athena had her fair share of cryptic text messages from her husband in their marriage, but he never told her she wasn’t allowed to walk in their house when she got off her shift. Maybe she should have expected something when one of the rookies gave her a package at her desk where she was writing some reports mid-shift. Bobby sent her some new clothes (nothing too scandalous) and a note telling her to shower and get ready for a date night at the precinct before she could come home.

So that is what she did, taking a shower at the precinct, getting into the outfit he bought for her; a pair of black pleather pants and a long sleeved, off shoulder red shirt with a scooped neckline, showing a hint of cleavage. She paired it off with her ankle boots she always kept in her locker and the jewelry she put on this morning. Elaine somehow figured out what was happening and grinned knowingly at her when Athena walked by her office to leave the building, shaking her head laughingly at her boss. 

While surprise dates were not that uncommon, the timing always was. Athena had to admit her man was better at them than her, being the romantic he was. His love for Valentines was not something he kept secret for her, but even outside of the holiday he always went the extra mile to surprise her and it made her feel very loved by him. He never hid his love for her, but whenever he planned these surprise dates from start to finish Athena realized exactly how lucky she actually was.

When she arrived home Athena parked her car at the usual spot in their driveway, getting her purse before she got out of the car. From the outside their house looked pretty normal which only made her more curious what her husband’s plans entailed. Athena got her phone and shot Bobby a text that she was waiting outside.

When he came out of their house Athena almost purred at the vision that was her husband on date nights. Tonight he wore a white dress shirt with a pair of jeans, knowing how much she loved that look on him. He didn’t need a lot of pointers from her anymore and Athena forgot how fun it was to put on clothes for your partner because they loved them and how fun it was when he did the same for her. 

-- 

It didn’t take Bobby long to cross their living room, get up the small stairs so he could open the front door for his wife. There was no way to hide his appreciation seeing her wearing the clothes he chose. They looked even better on her than he expected, it was classy but also very sexy and he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. 

“Please put this on.” Bobby grinned at his wife, handing her a silk sleeping mask. He saw how her eyes widened in disbelief and she opened her mouth to protest, but he was quicker.

“It is just for a minute, baby. I promise.” He took the mask back from her and walked around her to gently slip it over her face when she sighed softly, but didn’t actually tell him to stop. 

He took one of her hands in his before he gently pulled her with him to the front door. They discarded her purse at the door after they closed it, slowly walking further in their home. The first thing Athena noticed was the smell of one of her favorite scented candles. It was the one she rarely bought for herself, because she couldn’t justify the price tag. When she was led further into their home she noticed he had layered the scent with her other favorite scented candles. She smiled at herself by the thought he took notes of what candles she used and combined them all tonight.

“Watch your step.” Bobby carefully guided her down the stairs and around the candles he lit. Before he lit the candles earlier that evening Bobby checked if the fire alarms were still working and put a distinguisher right around the corner in the kitchen just in case. Micheal might have had sprinklers installed, ever since St. Paul he didn’t trust those blindly anymore.

The couple didn’t take long to end up in the middle of their living room. “You can take it off, baby.” Bobby said sheepishly, getting a bit nervous about her reaction. While he loved thinking about surprises for his wife there was always a second where he wasn’t sure what she would think of the whole situation.

Athena slowly took the sleeping mask from her face, blinking against the soft light coming from the dozens of tea lights and candles lit around their living room. The chairs and couch were pushed out of the way to make way for a collection of blankets and pillows in front of their lit fireplace. It looked like Bobby gathered every pillow from all over the house to put down on the floor. When she let her eyes wander a little more she saw their dinner table set for two, even more candles surrounded the table and their kitchen. 

She slowly turned back to her husband, all wide eyed and slack jawed. Athena smelled the candles when they walked in, but she didn’t expect their living room to be rearranged and for there to be so many candles besides the scented ones, not even sure if they had this many tea lights. It must have taken him quite some time to cook dinner and rearrange the whole living room to make room for the blankets and pillows.

“Oh, baby this is amazing.” She smiled at him, sounding very pleased. Athena walked over to him to put her hands on his chest, slipping them up to his neck so she could pull his face closer to hers. Even in her heeled boots there was a significant height difference and she really wanted to kiss him. 

The moment her lips touched his Athena let out a small moan, feeling his fingers digging into her hips. Every time she got to do this with him Athena felt a thrill, kissing her husband never got old and it was so easy to get distracted when doing it.

This time it was Bobby who cut their make out session short, remembering there was food in the oven when he heard the telltale beep from the appliance. He pressed one last kiss on her lips before pulling her softly with him to the dinner table where he pulled back her chair. It didn’t take him long to pull the lasagna from the oven to bring over to the table alongside a garden salad. 

Dinner was filled with laughter, saucy smiles and lots of wine (for her) and sparkling water (for him). Bobby wasn’t surprised to feel her foot slowly inch up his leg towards his thigh, ending just short of his groin where his pants increasingly got tighter and tighter. The cocky smirk on her lips told him she knew exactly what she was doing. The little minx . 

Their tiramisu was quickly forgotten when Athena asked him to show her the blanket situation he made in front of their fireplace. She never thought of the idea to use their living room floor like this, giving them all the room they needed for certain activities. 

It didn’t take Athena long to get her man down on the floor in between the pillows with her, straddling his hips before she leaned over to his face with her hands on his chest. She pressed her lips against his and tried to coax his mouth to open so she could deepen the kiss, as if there would ever be a day where Bobby would deny her.

His hands weren’t idle either, groping at the hem of her shirt, trying to tug it up over her head. The need to feel her skin was setting his body on fire and he let out a frustrated groan when the shirt caught on her elbows, forcing them to part and end their kiss. With heaving chests they both got rid of their shirts before Athena wrapped her arms around his neck so she could get his lips back onto hers in another hungry kiss.

It was clear tonight they weren't going to take things slow. Their clothes got ripped off their bodies and discarded without much thought but with a lot of speed, grabby fingers removing each and every item, adding them to the mountain of pillows and blankets around them.

The feeling of her skin on his made Bobby’s head spin, causing him to turn the two of them around so Athena was lying beneath him with a questioning look on her face. He could only grin at her before he dropped his face right next to hers, nibbling on her earlobe.

“I want to taste you, baby.” Bobby’s voice was hoarse when he whispered the words against her earshell, licking and biting his way down her body where Athena’s legs fell open to welcome him between her thighs. 

He wrapped his arms around her hips, pulling her center closer to his mouth while using his thumbs to pull her core open so he could feast on her. Bobby’s tongue glided through her wetness, noting how worked up she already was from their kissing. He grinned against her when he heard her moan loudly above him, knowing she wouldn’t try to be silent when they were home alone and he loved to hear her.

All Athena could do was accept his attack on her center since there was nowhere for her to go with his grip around her hips. She writhed against the sheets, letting her moans fall from her lips. Her husband always brought his A game when he went down on her and he never ever let her down. She weaved her fingers in his hair before pulling on the strands when he hit a sensitive spot within her with the pads of his fingers. 

She soaked his chin when she came, her body going rigid above him, tightening around his fingers and Athena felt the heat rise from her toes up to her belly, exploding in fireworks. All thoughts were completely wiped from her brain, the only thing existing was her and Bobby between her legs.

Vaguely in the background Athena felt her husband pressing soft kisses against her inner thighs before he slowly climbed up her body while kissing every inch of skin he could reach, helping her calm down her racing heart and her quickening breath. She wrapped her arms around his neck when he was on top of her again, smiling lazily at him.

Tasting herself on his lips was never a turn off for Athena so she welcomed her husband when he tried to kiss her the moment he reached her face. She put her hand on the back of his neck, the other going to his bicep where she squeezed the hell out of it when she felt his fingers once again at her oversensitive core. 

“Mmm baby I ca-” Before she could finish her sentence Bobby silenced her by pressing his lips against hers again. His fingers got more persistent, pressing into her while the heel of his hand grinded against her clit. It didn’t take long before a weaker orgasm washed over her, completely taking her by surprise. 

Athena felt completely sated and would have been happy to lie there for the rest of the evening, surrounded by the blankets and pillows with the heat from the fireplace hitting her skin. It was that moment she felt his arousal against her thigh, hot and heavy. With a teasing smirk on her lips Athena reached down to wrap her fingers around his cock, stroking him slowly up and down. 

She knew she had Bobby completely distracted, because he had a surprise look on his face when she scrambled from beneath him and pushed him onto his back so she could straddle his thighs. His wicked smile told her he didn't mind it one bit, putting his hands on her waist to help her lining him up to her core. Athena didn’t need a lot of time to slide him home, the two orgasms she just had easing his way inside.

They let out a mutual groan when he bottomed out and she was fully seated on top of him, skin meeting skin. Athena rolled her hips once against him, testing his response which didn’t disappoint. She loved hearing his breathy moans and seeing the expression on his face when he was inside of her, having her slowly move on top of him.

“God. You’re so sexy.” Bobby swore softly under his breath. The flickering of the candles and the fireplace bathed Athena in a soft and warm light that made her skin light up. It made her look like the goddess she was named after and he couldn’t get enough of her.

It didn’t take them long to get into their familiar rhythm, one that always hit the spot and was never boring to them. She bit her lip when a targeted thrust hit that spot within her that made her lose her breath. Athena felt the heat start from her toes and wash over her body, she was gripping around him like a vice when she toppled over the edge. Bobby only needed two more thrusts to be right there with her, diving head first in his own release.

Athena’s arms gave out, falling on top of his heaving chest. For minutes there were no sounds except their panting and the soft crackling from the fire. She groaned softly when he eventually slipped out of her, already hating the feeling of emptiness he left behind. Athena laid down beside him, putting her head on his shoulder and intertwining her legs with his, her fingers tracing nonsensical patterns on his chest.

“I don’t know why we didn’t do this before.” She said when she caught her breath, gesturing around them. 

“We couldn’t have done this with the kids around, baby. Also I wasn’t sure if this was going to be comfortable.” Bobby wiggled slightly to see if he could feel the flooring beneath the mountain of blankets, but he only felt softness. 

“I am super comfortable.” Athena sighed happily, pressing a kiss to his chest. She reached behind her to pull a blanket over their bodies. They had to get up sometime to take a shower and get into their bed, but for now she was quite content to stay where she was. Her fingers traced the planes of his chest, gliding through the sparse hairs she secretly (not so secretly) adored. 

Athena felt Bobby’s breathing slow down beneath her, telling her he fell asleep. She smiled softly at her sleeping husband, gently untangling herself from his grip to put on his shirt. While her body screamed at her to get some sleep, her brain told her to blow out all the candles first. If she fell asleep and woke up to a fire she would never forgive herself. Trying to be quiet but quick, Athena went around the room to blow out the many many candles before she laid back down with Bobby. It was actually pretty comfortable and she didn’t want to end their date just yet, needing to soak up every moment.

Her brain was running a mile a minute with new ideas for future surprise dates before combination of the heat from the fireplace and the satiated feeling from their lovemaking pulled Athena back to sleep.

Chapter Text

There was a package on her side of the bed when Bobby woke up.

If there was an opportunity at the firehouse Bobby would always try to take Valentine's day off. It wasn’t a secret how much he loved the holiday ever since he was a child. Baking heartshaped cookies and brownies with his grandmother was one of his favorite memories from his childhood. He won over the hearts of all the girls in his classes with the baked goods. It was safe to say Bobby never had trouble finding dates for his proms.

Sharing his love for Valentine’s with his kids and first wife was everything Bobby ever wanted. Brook traipsing around him in the kitchen, wanting to know everything he did and helping him with every step. The thought of his kids and Marcy still hurt, but the sharpness of the pain dulled a little over the years. It was easier for him to remember the good things instead of feeling the overwhelming guilt that followed him like a shadow all the way from Minnesota to California. 

The painful event dulled his love for the holiday for a long time, but meeting Athena brought every bit of it back to him. It was easy to fall back into that love, because he had someone to share it with again. He spoiled May and Harry with chocolates every year, gifting their mother the same box but always added flowers and a little something for the both of them. 

This year Athena beat him to it, giving him her present before he even saw her that day. The neatly wrapped package stared at him from across the bed. With a grin on his lips Bobby reached for the gift and he started to unwrap it so the paper and ribbon would fall away, showing him the contents within. It didn’t take long for Bobby to recognize what exactly his wife gave him. 

It was a green apron with ‘Kiss The Cook’ stitched across the chest.

His aprons were destroyed in the fire and Bobby had been complaining about how much he hated cooking without them in the new apartment. It was obvious Athena listened to him, also understanding the underlying message he conveyed with those words. If it was possible Bobby loved her even more for it, the way she just understood him. He never expected to be drenched in love once again, but now he couldn’t imagine ever living without it.

Bobby grinned to himself when an idea popped up, slowly getting off the bed with the apron in his hand. He put the apron on, tied the knot around his waist so it was secure around his upper body. The apartment came with a full length mirror on one of the bedroom walls. Besides the many nights of fun they had with that, it also came in very handy when taking certain pictures. 

He almost dropped his phone the first time Athena decided to test that theory, sending him a picture of the side profile of her hip and ass with their sheets draped around her body. It was a tasteful picture and certainly not scandalous enough to stir any trouble for them if it ever got leaked, but it did the job for him. Chim threw him a weird look when he saw his Captain fumble with his phone, quickly realizing what was making the man blush like a fool. Naturally he teased him with it during the whole shift, Buck and Hen catching on really quick and getting in on the teasing.

Ever since that shift Bobby had been thinking about how he could get her back, but there were only so many pictures he could take unlike his wife. Every inch of her body drove him crazy and she always knew the exact right angle to take her pictures where he had absolutely no clue.

Deciding to forgo the mirror for now and going for a sneak peek Bobby walked into the bathroom to get some better lighting. While he felt a little awkward he still took a picture of the apron resting on his bare thigh, the sparse twinkle of hair something he knew Athena would appreciate. 

Thank you for the gift, baby. I can’t wait until you get home tonight.

He shot the text to his wife, removing the apron and getting into his white shirt and jeans. There were a few hours left before Athena got home and he needed to prepare a bunch of things before that. 

It didn’t take long for Athena to reply to his text. 

I am glad you like it. You better wear it just like that tonight. 

Without realizing Bobby was grinning like a fool when he read the text, wishing he could forward the time even faster so he could show her just how good the apron looked on him. 

The first stop was a flower shop where he bought a slightly-bigger-than-necessary wild flower bouquet. After that he got the usual chocolates (he already scheduled the chocolate delivery for both May and Harry), a waffle iron (Athena felt like they couldn’t justify small unnecessary purchases like that at the moment, but waffles were a necessity to her in his opinion) and a lacy little number they could both enjoy later (he was only a man and he knew how much Athena loved getting new pretty lingerie). 

Bobby ended up cooking a nice dinner for them, his presents wrapped on the dinner table with the flowers right beside them so it would be the first thing Athena would see when she walked in. Seeing what time it was and suddenly remembering the picture he sent her earlier Bobby turned the stove off and rushed to the bedroom where he dropped all of his clothes before tying the apron once again in place around his upper body. 

He heard the door open when he just finished tying the knot on his back. Feeling the anticipation build in his body Bobby moved over to the bedroom door so he could lean with his shoulder against the frame. He grinned sheepishly at his wife when she noticed him and did a double take, as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, even after she told him to look just like this when she got home. 

“Oh baby, what a nice surprise. This is even better than the picture you sent me.” Athena couldn’t stop the huge smile from forming on her face when she walked over to her husband. Her hands slid over his apron-clad chest to his neck so she could pull him down for a lingering kiss. 

“This is not even everything, but maybe we should start with dessert.” Bobby murmured against her lips, nipping the bottom one when he finally was ready to take a breath. The sound leaving her mouth went straight to his groin, causing him to let out a matching groan. All his original plans for tonight were thrown out the window the moment he saw the look in her eyes when she walked over to him. 

They moved quickly, feeling the heat building between them. Bobby pulled her sweater off and threw it behind them before he walked the both of them back to their bed. He felt her hands giving his ass a firm squeeze, chuckling against his lips when she did.

“I can’t believe you waited for me fully naked. I would have given you it much sooner if I knew.” Athena sounded breathless from their heavy kissing and she let out a shriek when he lifted her and got her on their bed. She pulled him right on top and got to work removing the knot in his apron. 

--

After roughly thirty minutes of basking in their afterglow Bobby heard Athena’s stomach growl, eliciting a laugh from him. He got up from the bed to get her one of his shirts so she could wear something. Suddenly he couldn’t wait for her to open his presents.

The two of them sat down at the dinner table with the reheated food on their plates. Before Athena could take a bite Bobby gave her the first present. 

“You might like this.” He grinned at her, barely able to contain his excitement.

With a questioning smile Athena started to tug at the paper so she could see what was waiting for her within. The moment she saw the waffle iron Athena let out a gasp, darting her eyes between him and her gift as if she couldn’t believe what he had bought her. It wasn’t an expensive or extraordinary thing, but the thought behind the gift was so precious to her.

“I thought we weren’t gonna get one before we got to the new house. We barely have room to store it here, baby.” She said softly while she inspected the iron. Ever being the romantic Bobby bought her a heart shaped one which made her smile and Athena was sure she would smile every time they would eat the waffles made with this iron.

“I know, but I also know how much you love them. And pancakes are just not the same.” Bobby looked at her knowingly. They tried to eat pancakes instead of waffles and while she didn't complain, Bobby knew how much his wife missed her waffles. 

“You know me too well. Happy Valentines, baby.” Athena smiled at him, leaning over to press her lips against his, trying to convey her appreciation for his thoughtful gift. 

Happy Valentines indeed.

Chapter Text

Athena was laying on her stomach in their bed, the sheets draped around her hips, leaving her back bare for her husband to kiss. It was exactly what he was doing, pressing his lips in a nonsensical way on her skin. She sighed happily when she felt him just above the spot where the sheets met her lower back, Bobby continuing to love on her until he completely stopped. 

“What are you doing, baby?” Athena almost whined at the loss of his warmth on her skin. She tried to look over her shoulder, but his face was just outside of her view so she still had no idea why he stopped his ministrations. While she blindly trusted her husband, Athena just wanted him to keep going and not stop like this.

“I am just looking.” Bobby pressed a reassuring kiss to the small of her back before he continued his thorough research of her skin. After five years he knew every inch of her body, but he absolutely loved to look at the freckles on her back and shoulders. Especially when the sun peeked through their curtains and made her skin glow even more, causing her freckles to look more pronounced and Bobby couldn’t stop himself from touching them with the pads of his fingers very lightly. 

The small marks were barely visible from a normal distance, but that’s why he loved them even more. Not a lot of people noticed the freckles which almost makes them feel like they are there just for him to see and enjoy. Maybe he could take her on a sunny holiday so the freckles would turn darker, scattering even more of the precious little marks all over her skin. It probably meant he would turn into a lobster, but nothing a lot of sunscreen couldn’t help with.

Kissing her skin was another way for him to worship her body, showing his wife how he felt about her and how special she was to him. Having Athena this relaxed beneath him felt like a privilege, and Bobby loved the little sighs and happy noises she let out when he was loving on her like this, whenever they had these slow mornings where the both of them didn’t need to be anywhere but together in their bed.

While the rush of their jobs was exhilarating at times, it was these quiet moments that really strengthened their bond early on in their relationship. To find out how the other spent their down time, figuring out a new way to spend it together when they got married and Bobby moved in. Waffle breakfast with and without the kids, shared baths, reading books, visiting farmers markets and eventually even running together. It was a full life and it was the perfect balance to their hectic work lives.

“You are staring.” Athena wiggled her hips slightly in an attempt to distract him from his thoughts and get his attention back to her body. The move never failed her, because Bobby was bending over her again, one of his hands slipping the sheet down over her ass so he could nip at her cheek. Athena let out a surprised shriek, blindly reaching behind her to swat at his head which made Bobby chuckle. 

“How can I not stare at you?’ You’re gorgeous.” Bobby grinned at his wife, tugging the sheets back over her hips so he would be less distracted. Going for another round would surely break the two of them and he was actually enjoying this slow worship of her smooth and shiny skin. Oh, those pretty freckles only he was able to see. 

“You are a smooth talker, Captain. But I’ll forgive you if you get back up here.” Before Bobby decided to go on a detour by going down her back, Athena had been very content wrapped up in his strong arms, enjoying a morning cuddle where they weren’t wearing any clothes. Didn’t he realize how rare those were? She absolutely loved to feel his skin on hers and wouldn’t mind wearing no clothes to bed if her husband wasn’t so scared one of the kids would burst into the bedroom in the middle of the night when they slept here. 

“I am here, Sergeant. How can I help?” Bobby appeared next to her on his side, head resting on his hand with his elbow pressing into the mattress and wearing a cocky smirk on his lips.

“Well, you can start by staying right here .” Athena said with a smile on her face when she playfully tugged at his arm so he fell down on the bed, Bobby was the one now letting out a surprised gasp. She didn’t waste any time and gently pushed him on his back so she could get back to her old spot with her head on his shoulder and one of her arms around his chest, wiggling her way closer to his body.

“You’re warm.” Athena said with a satisfied tone to her voice, happy she got him right where she wanted.

The both of them liked to joke about how Bobby always ran hot and how Athena for some reason felt cold a lot of the time, especially when it was summer and they had the AC on to keep Bobby from having a heat stroke inside the house. He would still sleep shirtless  because Athena never gave up trying to crawl beneath his skin when the room was slightly too chilly for her. To be fair, she probably used the temperature as another excuse to be close to her man. 

Bobby chuckled softly at her remark, brushing her hair away from her eyes. It was getting longer again and while he would love every hair style she had, Bobby was also curious how long she would let it grow and how it would look on her. Over the years she grew out her short pixie cut into a bob, giving him more than enough room to play with the strands when they were cuddling.

It was clear to him Athena wasn’t moving anytime soon, feeling her breathing slow until Bobby was certain she fell asleep again. He pulled the sheets up over her shoulders before he got his glasses and his book from the nightstand. Ever since Athena showed him how sexy she found the glasses, he had no problem wearing them around the house anymore.

With her rhythmic breathing as background noise Bobby went back to his book.

Chapter Text

It was the anniversary of their first date.

If Athena closed her eyes she would still be able to see Bobby’s nervous face when she crossed the restaurant. How his eyes went up and down her body when he thought she wasn’t looking. The thought alone still gave her butterflies fluttering around in her belly.

She never thought she would ever feel that way again, but here she was. Four years since they took the jump and fell into a warm bath instead of the ice cold sea. Athena was scared she had to cling to any floating device in the sea to save herself, but Bobby was right there to save her and the cold feeling never came. It was refreshing for Athena, thinking Emmett would be the only one who could make her feel this loved. Maybe he had a hand in sending this wonderful man to her, decades after his death. She wished there was a way to thank him for that.

--

Athena packed their bags for a night away. With no more kids in the house there was more room for spontaneity, which was one of the upsides of being empty-nesters. She told Bobby she had a surprise for him, but he didn’t have to do anything and she would take care of it. The only thing he had to focus on was getting home from his shift, taking a shower and getting in the car with her as soon as he was ready. 

She even laid out his clothes to wear for the first half of the night. It was one of her favorite outfits for him, a plain black shirt with a pair of black jeans and his black boots. There was something so simple, but very sexy about the outfit and Athena couldn’t help herself whenever Bobby wore it to dinners, dates or parties. Hen already caught on her obsession and liked to tease Athena whenever her man decided to wear it to a team outing. 

Seeing he was gonna wear her favorite outfit it was only fair she would wear one of his favorites. It was a red sleeveless top with a hint of cleavage and a pair of black cargo pants. It was also simple, but worked every time. 

“Athena?” Bobby’s voice cut through the otherwise silent house and Athena heard him walking down the stairs towards the bedroom. She closed her bag and turned around just in time to see him entering the room.

“Hi, baby.” Athena felt giddy seeing him, knowing where they were going in about 30 minutes, if everything went according to plan. It was even more fun, because her husband had absolutely no clue and she was not gonna tell him.

It took 3 strides for Bobby to cross the room to Athena so he could wrap his arms around her and kiss her hello after not seeing each other for 24 hours. Athena hummed happily against his lips, sliding her hands up his back beneath the LAFD issued shirt he was wearing. She scratched lightly at his warm skin, feeling goosebumps arise wherever her fingers went. Her man could be very ticklish, a trait not well known among his friends, but she knew and was not above using it to her advantage.

After minutes of them just lazily exchanging kisses back and forth Athena finally let her husband go, taking a step back. “You need to get ready or we will be late.” She couldn’t stop the smirk on her face from appearing, even if she wanted to. Giddiness was flooding her senses and she could not wait to show him what she had planned. 

“I suppose there is no way you can tell me what we are doing?” Bobby stepped back to her, getting his hands on her lower back to her ass in the hopes of persuading her into telling him. He grinned at Athena when she leaned into him and gave him another kiss before she backed out again, this time getting their bags and actually leaving the room.

“It is no fun if you know, babe. The sooner you are ready, the sooner we can go. “ Athena said over her shoulder while she walked out of the room to put their bags into her car. 

--

It took Bobby 20 minutes to shower, change into his clothes and stuff some food in his mouth before he was ready to go. During that time Athena was just patiently, not so patiently, sitting at their dinner table, waiting until he was done. Her reward was seeing her man freshly showered traipsing around their kitchen, clearly feeling the pressure to get ready fast. Athena had a soft spot for this version of him and if they didn’t have a reservation to go to, she would act on her feelings about him smelling like his soap and being all warm and rosy. 

There was no time for any funny stuff, so she got up when Bobby put on his shoes and looked expectantly at her from where he was standing in the living room. Athena walked up to him, pressing her lips against his one more time. Walking away from him was a lot harder this time, but she did it anyway. She grabbed his hand with one of hers while the other got her purse from the side table in the hall. 

They got in the car just in time and a few minutes later they were on the highway driving to their hotel on the other side of town. Athena wanted to spend a night away from home in a nice room with a hot tub and a beautiful view and share that experience with her man on this special day. It didn’t hurt that the hotel had a really nice restaurant downstairs where they even served flan (something Athena checked before booking). 

--

Traffic was light during this time of day so they arrived at the hotel before they knew it. A bellboy arrived the moment Athena got out of the car, ready to take their bags and guide them inside. Their car would get parked by one of the men from the valet service. She already felt pampered and their stay was only just starting.

They got checked in and followed the bellboy to their room after they got checked in at the desk. Athena grabbed her husband’s hands, entwining their fingers while they were walking behind the young boy through the hallway of the hotel. She felt Bobby softly squeezing her hand which made her look up to his face. He had this happy, content look on his face she hadn’t seen in a while. Work has been stressful for both of them. More reason to finally leave their house and spend some quality time together where no one would bother them.

“Here you go Mr. and Mrs. Nash.” The young boy turned around to them in front of one of the doors. He slipped the keycard through the slot and the door opened easily. He put their bags inside and walked out the door again. 

Bobby stopped him before he could disappear. “Thank you.” He smiled at the boy and slipped him a 5 dollar bill, turning around and walking into the room after his wife. 

The room was very spacious and light. A king sized bed was standing in the middle of the room against the wall, but there was enough room for a cozy sitting space with two chairs and a small couch. To his right there was a door to the bathroom and he couldn't help but open it to peek inside. There was a big tub with jets and a walk in shower with two shower heads. A double sink with a large mirror above it adorned one of the walls. 

“Athena, how -?” Bobby was at a loss for words, because he was sure he had never been in a room like this, let alone stay the night. 

“We haven’t taken a single vacation together since we got married and I know how crazy work has been for the both of us. I felt like we deserved to treat ourselves for once.” Athena came up in front of him, putting her hands on his chest to smooth out any imaginary wrinkles in his shirt.

“This is only part one of the surprise, you know?” She smiled teasingly at him when she felt his hands come up to her face, framing her cheeks before pulling her into a kiss. He nipped gently at her bottom lip, seeking entrance to deepen their kiss, something Athena granted him willingly. She would never say no to an opportunity to kiss him. Bobby had the ability of making her thoughts stop running around and get her zeroed in on only him. The world could stop spinning around them but Athena wouldn’t notice. Not as long as he would kiss her.

It was Bobby who ended the kiss, smiling excitingly at her. “When are you gonna tell me about the second surprise?” He wasn’t sure it could get any better than this beautiful room with his favorite company. 

“Not yet. But I can tell you what you have to wear. Just open your bag and put your jacket over this shirt.” Athena felt the giddy feeling rise in her body once more. The biggest surprise would be the next day, but this dinner was also something she couldn’t wait to share with him. The view from their table should be amazing if she could believe the raving reviews. 

“You are a tease. You know that right?” 

“Oh, baby. You haven’t seen anything yet.” 

They went their separate ways. Athena took her bag to the bathroom, leaving her husband in the bedroom. She wanted to see his reaction to the new dress she just bought that afternoon. It was black, tightly fitting from her bust to halfway her calves. The sweetheart neckline was held up by two thin straps, giving just a hint of her cleavage. It was flirty, but still classy, just the way she (and her husband) liked it. She finished the look with a pair of black heels. There wasn’t a lot of time to do her hair and make up so a quick touch up would do. 

“Are you ready, ‘Thena?” His voice had the slightest hint of impatience. Bobby was buzzing with excitement and couldn’t wait to get to his next surprise. He also wanted to see what she was wearing, because she always looked stunning. No matter what she wore. 

“Almost.” Athena applied the last bit of her lipstick before dropping the item in her small bag. She got her jacket from where it was draped over the tub before opening the door where Bobby almost fell into her, because he was standing so close due to his impatience. 

“I- wow. You’re gorgeous.” Bobby stumbled over his words, trying to describe how he felt about her look. He reached out to Athena’s waist and let his fingers go over the soft fabric of her dress, clinging to her skin. They ended up on the swell of her ass where he pulled her gently towards him. 

“Thank you, baby.” She smiled up at him. Even in her 4 inch heels she still had to look up to be able to see his face. Athena secretly loved the fact he could tower over her, but he wouldn’t abuse that power. Well, unless she asked him. They had a lot of fun with that when it was just the two of them. Her hands went up his chest to the top button of his shirt, undoing the first one. Not too much, but she would get the tiniest hint of his chest whenever she looked over during dinner.

Athena softly patted his pec, pressing one last kiss to his lips and wiping away the remnants of her lipstick. She turned around to grab her purse. “We don’t have to go far, but somehow we are still late.” Athena remarked when she saw the time on her phone. She huffed softly and turned back to her husband who was looking at her with that adoring look in his eyes. She rolled her eyes playfully before grabbing his hand to walk out of their room.

--

Their dinner was amazing. The view was indeed just as pretty as the reviews told Athena, showing them the city and the ocean in the far distance. After the sun set beneath the horizon the couple was able to see the city by night with lights adorning the scenery. It was a view they knew, but it would never bore them. 

After their food arrived (Bobby ended up with some sparkling water and a rib eye, while Athena went with the filet mignon and a glass of a nice red wine the waiter recommended to her). It was nice to be able to talk to each other about everything that happened lately, and take all the time they wanted without being worried about needing to be somewhere or someone needing them. It was nice to be just them for a little bit.

When the main course was over and they ordered their dessert, Athena got another glass of wine and decided to sit next to her husband instead of the opposite of him. She slid in the chair next to Bobby with a flirty smile, dropping her hand to his thigh and squeezing the thick muscle there. Athena would take any excuse to touch her husband and the alcohol coursing through her system wasn’t helping either. Luckily Bobby didn’t mind her handsy approach after two drinks.

“Weren’t you close enough, baby?” Bobby said with a teasing tone, knowing exactly why she decided to sit next to him. To be honest, he preferred to sit next to her at dinners anyway so he was not gonna complain about her decision. With a grin on his face he put his arm around her shoulder, softly stroking the skin of her shoulder, the thin straps giving him all the access he needed. 

“I am still not close enough. You know I prefer to sit in your lap when I can.” Athena’s voice wasn’t as quiet as she thought, causing the people at the neighboring table to throw a look at them, only making Athena smile sheepishly in return.

“I know. We just have to eat dessert and we can go upstairs. Maybe use that bath with those jets?” Bobby grinned at his wife, kissing her temple when she lit up at the idea of the bath. As if she forgot for a moment they had one in their room like she didn’t book the room partly because of that reason.

“Ohh, the bath. Smart idea baby.” Athena smiled at him just when the waiter arrived with their desserts. She went with an affogato since the filet mignon was more filling than she expected and Bobby got the flan (which was no surprise).

“That looks really good.” Athena looked over at his plate where the caramel sauce on his flan was looking good enough to distract her from her own dessert. Before she met Bobby she had flan maybe two times in her whole life, but since their first date Athena had it so many times and she understood why her husband liked it as much as he did. 

“It does. You can have half.” Bobby pushed the plate over to her so she could reach it easier. They liked to share their food anyway, but flan was not usually on his sharing list. But he wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t offer the dessert to her. Bobby got a piece on his fork and held it up to her lips so Athena could take the bite. The happy sigh she let out after swallowing the bite was making it all worth it to him. 

Between sharing their desserts and some discreet kisses it took them another hour before they found themselves going upstairs to their room. Their hands (especially Athena’s) weren’t idle on their way, gliding over the fabric of their clothes to get to the skin beneath, but nothing too scandalous. While Athena might have been inebriated, Bobby was not and he was not about to put on a show for everyone who saw them.

When they entered the room Athena went to take off her heels and Bobby walked into their bathroom to turn on the faucet of their bath. He waited a little bit to get the temperature just right before walking back into the room where he found his wife clad in just her underwear, the black lacy fabric stretching deliciously across her curves. It was safe to say Bobby didn’t take long to shed his own clothes and get the both of them into the bath where the jets were already on. 

It was the perfect ending to a perfect night.

Chapter Text

The smoke was too thick and the flames from the fire were licking at the boots of his uniform, but Bobby kept stubbornly going forwards, determined to find the last occupant of the house. A fifty something year old woman who was supposedly still sleeping in her bed on the second floor. Of course her bedroom was the furthest away from the stairs, and Bobby had been the closest when he got the call over the radio that there was still someone in the home. 

It took Bobby longer than he expected to get to the room, pushing against the door to get inside. The smoke made it hard for him to see anything at all so he mostly went by touch now. He heard Chim screaming over the radio that he had to come out, that the structure was unstable and it could go any minute. For some reason Bobby didn’t listen and moved further into the room until he finally saw a sleeping form on the bed. 

“Ma’am we need to go!” Bobby went to pull back the sheets, but the woman whipped her head around, screaming in his face. The second Bobby blinked, the woman’s face changed into Athena’s, so now it was his wife that was screaming at him. Before he could move to get her out of the bed, Bobby felt the floor give way beneath him, causing the whole bedroom to fall down. 

“NO -“ 

Bobby gasped when he woke up from yet another nightmare, pushing himself up from their bed, breathing quickly as he wasn’t sure where he was for a second. His eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to the dark, even when there was a small amount of moonlight trickling through their half open curtains. Athena told him once how she didn’t like complete darkness when she woke up in the middle of the night, so they settled on opening their curtains slightly, allowing some light in.

Athena’s soft breathing coming from his right was the first thing that reassured him he was at home, together in bed with his wife and not alone in his bunk bed at the station or in that burning house. 

His breathing slowly calmed down, but his heart kept racing as if he just ran a marathon instead of sleeping like he had been doing on and off for the past few hours. The alarm clock on his bedside table told him it was a little past 3am, way too early to be awake for someone who didn’t have a shift the next day. 

Bobby pulled the sheets up his body after he laid down again, lying his head down on his pillow once more to face his wife. He slipped his hand beneath her silk nightie to feel her warm skin on her waist. Sometimes touching her was all he needed on the hard nights where he toppled from one nightmare into another. Bobby laid there awake for at least another thirty minutes, staring at the sleeping form of his wife.

Athena was facing him, her hand curled beneath her pillow and the other one rested on the mattress between the two of them. She looked so peaceful in her slumber and Bobby didn’t have the heart to wake her, so he could tell her about the nightmare he just had. The uneasy feeling still hadn’t left his body and it made it hard for him to fall back asleep.

It would be so easy to pick up Athena’s hand and pull her closer to him so he could hide his face in her neck, where he was able to take in her scent. Bobby just didn’t want to rouse her, even if she made him promise to always wake her when he had a bad night. 

For now it had to be enough to simply watch her finally getting the rest she needed after a brutal week filled with gruesome shifts. Their schedules hadn’t lined up all week, so this was actually the first night they were able to sleep in the same bed for more than a couple hours. They would wake up and eat breakfast together tomorrow morning and Bobby already knew he was gonna make waffles, simply because they were her favorite and he wanted to see her smile when she realized what was for breakfast. 

Cooking and baking was definitely a way for him to show his love to the people around him. Bobby regularly gave May enough leftovers to last all week, including baked goods because the girl had the biggest sweet tooth. Harry called him at least once a week to ask something about a recipe he was trying, which always ended up with the two of them together on a FaceTime call so Bobby could actually show the boy what he needed to do. It was so easy to love those kids and he gladly showed it by feeding them their favorite foods and learning them new kitchen tricks.

Suddenly remembering he had enough to make some cinnamon buns for when May came over tomorrow, Bobby slowly sat up to not wake his wife. Baking would also soothe the frayed nerves he felt right now, the nightmares still lingering in his head. 

“Don’t you dare move.” Athena’s voice was raspy from her sleep and when Bobby looked at her he noticed her eyes were half open, as if she didn’t want to wake fully. 

“I was just going to-“ 

“Bake until tomorrow morning, when we both know you need to sleep.” Athena grumbled softly, already reaching out to him so she could wrap her fingers around his wrist. It didn’t take a lot of strength to tug her husband back into her. She knew he wasn’t sleeping well, but he probably also didn’t want to talk about it, especially if he was about to bake as if his life depended on it. 

“I was just gonna make some cinnamon buns for May. Nothing special.” Bobby murmured softly, willingly lying down beside her, pillows smushed together so he could be even closer to her. On some nights there was no way he could sleep at all after having a ton of nightmares, but maybe tonight it would be different. If he was lucky his brain would shut down enough, allowing him to get a few more hours of sleep.

“C’mere.” Athena still hadn’t fully opened her eyes, hoping she didn’t need to be completely awake to get him back to sleep. Raising two babies taught her she was totally able to comfort her babies to settle down enough to fall asleep again, and maybe she could use the same techniques on this grown man. 

She pulled the sheets up to his shoulders before she let him slip his hand beneath her satin nightie again. There wouldn’t be any funny business, but just the feel of skin on skin was enough for Bobby to calm down. To make sure he would be fully relaxed Athena pulled out the big guns and slipped one of her hands in his hair, softly scratching at his skull down to his neck and upper back. 

It took her longer than she expected, but eventually Athena felt his breathing slow down, her husband actually close to sleep as he moved even closer to her. His breath hit her collarbone as he got comfortable on her pillow, pulling at her waist so there was not an inch of space between them. It wasn’t the most comfortable position to sleep, but Athena would do everything right now, so her husband would sleep a little more restfully than the first half of the night. 

“Sweet dreams, baby. I love you.” Athena whispered softly in his ear, pressing a kiss just below it, before she let her hand fall away from his head to curl around his neck. 

Unsurprisingly it didn’t take her long to fall back asleep as well.

Chapter Text

Bobby was very good at keeping his work and private life separate. 

Except the fact where almost all of his friends were also his subordinates, and he keeps running into his wife on calls. Maybe the lines were blurrier than he thought, but Bobby realized he didn’t mind the natural flow between the two parts of his life. He loved being able to see his wife while on shift and the 118 family when they threw barbecues in their yard. Bobby realized he was one lucky bastard to always be surrounded by people who loved him, something he never thought he would have again after Minnesota.

But there was one rule he religiously tried to follow to make sure his two lives were at least a little more separated. He would not take any work home with him and do his best to try to finish all of his reports at the fire station.

Today he was not successful and Bobby ended up taking a couple of reports home. It had been a busy shift and he was itching to get home to see Athena. Deciding it was better to do some work and be able to see her, than staying late at the firehouse by himself. 

So that’s how Bobby ended up at the dinner table with his stack of papers. He had come home to Athena cooking dinner, softly singing to a song playing in the background while moving graciously through their kitchen. It was a sight he would never ever get tired of, Bobby was sure of that. Seeing her fully relaxed and at home always pulled at his heart strings and he knew he was one of the few people who saw her like this, making the scene all the more precious to him. 

So he dropped the papers on the counter before he walked over to Athena, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. Bobby pressed a kiss behind her ear, burying his nose in her hair right after so he could smell the combination of her shampoo and the perfume she decided to wear today. It never failed to ground him after a long shift, Athena’s presence was all he needed to truly let everything go.

Dinner was nice, the both of them sharing stories of their latest shift. Athena showed him a picture Harry sent her about his first day at his new job, the boy standing tall and proud in the new suit Micheal had bought for their son. Bobby already talked to Harry the day before about his new job, telling him how proud he was and that he missed him. The two of them talked almost every week about everything and anything that was happening in their lives. 

After cleaning up the kitchen Bobby moved to the dinner table to get started on his paperwork. If he would not be distracted there was a chance he actually might end up finishing his work quickly, so he could spend the rest of the night on the couch with his wife. Tonight there would be another episode of her favorite reality show on tv and maybe, if Bobby was really honest to himself, he was also looking forward to seeing it.

For some reason Athena felt very needy tonight, wanting to be all up in her husband's business. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t used to being without him for 12 or 24 hours, but there was just something about Bobby today that made her want to be near him at all times from the moment he walked into the door. Maybe it was because she had a rough shift when he was on his, and she knew being close to him would help her forget about it.

So after dinner she made them a cup of coffee, setting both of them on the dinner table. Hers was black while Bobby liked his with a little bit of sugar, poured in their own mugs. 

Both Bobby and David got a ‘best stepdad in the world’ mug for Father’s Day a few years ago and now it was Bobby’s proudest possession, using it whenever he could at home. Athena always smiled a little when he noticed the mug, his eyes got a little brighter and his lips curled in a content smile. It was the cutest thing and she didn’t mind indulging herself in seeing that look by giving him the mug.

It didn’t take Athena long to join him at the dinner table, her latest mystery book in hand, sitting down on the seat to his right. She smiled sheepishly at him before she moved slightly to lift her feet to his lap. Her toes wiggled against his stomach in the process of her getting comfortable on her chair, lifting his LAFD shirt a bit which showed off the hair just above his pants. Athena knew exactly how those strands felt beneath her fingertips and it took everything in her to not get out of her chair and into his lap to feel them again.

“What are you doing, baby?” Bobby sounded amused, peeking over his glasses to his wife who was still smiling at him like she was thinking about a funny inside joke. One of his hands dropped automatically to hold her ankle, effectively holding her foot where it was, in case she would pull back.

“I am just gonna read my book here.” She said it like it was the most normal thing she could do, but they both knew she preferred to read on the couch, the chair in the living room or their bed. The dinner table spot was not even close to her top 5, but for some reason she decided to sit down anyway. A reason Bobby would very much like to know.

“You never sit here except for our meals.”

“Is there something wrong with a woman wanting to be close to her man? Especially if she hasn't seen him in 2 days?” Athena’s voice got a little annoyed, which made Bobby stroke the soft skin just above her ankle to smooth over any irritation she felt at his remark.

“No, of course not, but your show is gonna be on any minute.” Bobby gripped her ankle once again when he felt her retreat. It wasn’t as if he minded her being close, not at all, and he didn’t want to scare her off.

“I’ll wait. Until you’re done. We can rewind back to the beginning.” Athena smiled at him and pulled her legs from his lap so she could press a kiss to his cheek as a reassurance. She really did not mind that she had to wait before she could see her show, as long as she was close to him Athena was just fine. 

It took him roughly an hour to finish the reports with Athena sitting right beside him, slipping her feet on and off his lap anytime she had to change the way she sat on her chair. It was one of the reasons she did not like reading here, the dining chairs not made for lounging around and cosying up.

“Are you ready, baby?” Bobby smiled at his wife, squeezing her calf just after he closed his last report. Paperwork was by far his least favorite part of the job, but someone had to do it and having good company was one way to make it better. 

Athena moved her feet from his lap and slowly got up, dogearing the page in her book before she removed his glasses with a smile. She leaned over the table to finally press her lips against his like she had been thinking about in the past hour. Something about her man being all serious and wearing his glasses was very arousing to her. 

“Ba-” Bobby got interrupted by Athena kissing him again, one of her hands slipping in his hair to lightly scratch at the nape of his neck. She nipped at his bottom lip before she rose back to her full height, smirking at her flushed husband.

“What?” Bobby’s brain wasn’t fully working, still trying to catch up after that mind blowing kiss. 

“Come on. We have to watch that episode.” Athena grinned at her husband, gently pulling him from his chair so she could direct him to the living room. Bobby, still dazed, followed her without much complaining to their couch.  

It didn’t take them long to get situated, Bobby sitting on the far right with Athena wrapped around him, her head resting on his shoulder and one of her arms wrapped around his chest. She was fully focused on the tv, not noticing how her husband was looking at her. 

Because while Bobby would have never chosen this show to watch himself at the beginning, he didn’t mind as much now. It just gave him another reason to be close to his wife and he would never say no to that. The show wasn’t half bad either after all, but he would not tell Athena that.

Chapter Text

Athena was sitting at the dinner table, a cup of steaming coffee in front of her and a bunch of papers scattered across its surface. She liked to stay on top of their taxes, so that when it was actually to file, it would take less effort to make sense of their administration. 

The sun was just setting, bathing the whole room in a warm glow that made the task feel far less daunting. Bobby was off on a hike with Chim, but he would probably be back within the hour or so. The two of them went out on a nature trip whenever their schedules allowed, and sometimes Athena would meet up with Maddie and Jee for their own little date. Today though, she had declined Maddie’s invitation so she could tackle her ever-growing list of chores from the past few weeks.

She heard the front door open and close just a second later. It was too early to be Bobby, and Harry was still in Miami with his dad. The boy was due for a visit soon, and Athena made a mental note to call him later today to schedule a time for him to come over. Maybe she could convince both Micheal and David to join their son, because god knows those two men work too hard. One thing Athena hadn’t expected after the divorce was how well everyone would get along, which was nice for the kids, but also for all four adults involved.

But with both Harry and Bobby ruled out, there was only one person who had a key and could just walk into their home at this time of the day.

May.

“Mom?” It was indeed her daughter’s voice that broke through the quiet of the house. May came down the stairs, dropped her bag and cardigan on a chair in the living room, before she moved toward the dining table where her mother sat. She greeted Athena with a kiss on her cheek, tilted up towards her in invitation, and a small side hug.

“Hi, baby. I didn’t expect you to be here today. Didn’t you have class?” Athena’s brows furrowed. She was always happy to see her daughter, but she had not expected her to be here today. Normally May dropped by on the weekends or on her days off from college.

“Class ended early, and I just wanted to see you. Where is Bobby?” May’s voice sounded a little small, which only piqued Athena’s curiosity further.

”He is on a hike with Chim, but he will be back for dinner. We were thinking about ordering in for dinner. Want to join us?” Athena pushed herself away from the table a little, crossing her legs and gave May her full attention.

 “Yeah, that sounds good.” May nodded, biting on her lower lip as she glanced at the garden. It looked beautiful in the late afternoon sun, especially since her step father had started working on it. Bobby was very proud of the yard and he called it his favorite thing to unwind from a tough shift. 

Last year, he started a vegetable garden at the back of the yard, planting some lettuce and tomatoes to begin with. It wasn’t enough to feed them all yet, but May had already received more than one picture of him eating a salad made entirely from vegetables he grew himself. She saved those pictures for the moments she missed her family the most, when college got overwhelming or their shifts just kept them apart for too long. Her favorite ones were when Bobby smiled at the camera, mouth full with lettuce, or when he tried to feed Athena with one hand and take the picture with the other. The latter always ended up blurry, since Bobby could never keep his hand still while Athena tried to dodge his fork filled with lettuce.

The borders of the yard were filled with the prettiest flowers, some of them picked and arranged in a vase on the dining table. She knew Bobby planted some of the same flowers from Athena's bridal bouquet as well, so that each year, when they bloomed again, they would have a living reminder of that special day. It was one of those small gestures that raised May’s bar for what she would expect from her future partner. She wasn’t sure anyone would ever reach it.

But there was Darius.

The boy she first met in one of her high school classes. He happened to be friends with a guy that one of her own friends had a huge crush on, so her friend kept dragging her along as an excuse to see them. It only took three hangouts for May to realize she liked Darius more than just casually, and after just one more meeting, it was Darius who asked her out.

Their first date was simple. They went out for ice cream and a walk right after. It was very low-key and definitely something they did as friends before, but this felt different, just the two of them. Darius even brought her back to her father’s apartment earlier than needed, which was something May really appreciated. 

The two of them broke up when Darius moved to attend Stanford, the distance too much to maintain the relationship. But then, out of the blue, Darius texted her about possibly moving back to Los Angeles. May’s heart had skipped a beat when she read it. There was a chance they could pick up where they left off.

It was exactly what they did, almost directly from the moment Darius returned to Los Angeles, May accompanying him in visiting the colleges around and eventually brought him over for dinner with her parents.

She should have known both Bobby and Athena would immediately see through their excuses, but May was happy they didn’t ask any questions right away with Darius there. They were curious, of course, but didn’t pry. When they finally did ask, May told them honestly: they were slowly figuring things out. No labels, yet.

“Why are you really here, May?” Athena didn’t beat around the bush with her daughter, getting a little worried about the lack of response from May. While surprise visits were not rare, there was obviously something bothering the girl today.

“When do you know you really love someone? Not just liking them.” May kept her eyes trained on her mother. Athena’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting that question, but then they softened with relief, because there was nothing wrong with her daughter.

”Are you wondering if you love Darius?” Athena smiled gently at her, pulling her chair back to the table so she was closer to May.

”I just don’t know, Mom. We are having a lot of fun and he is really good for me.”

Athena smiled when she heard her daughter speak that way about her boyfriend. It was everything her and Micheal had hoped for their little girl, and she was so happy Darius was actually living up to the expectations they had.

”Well, let me tell you something, baby.” Athena leaned slightly over the table, so she could brush a strand of hair behind May’s ear. Her smile stayed soft, careful not to make her daughter feel embarrassed, because it was a sensitive subject to talk about.

May made a small noise to show she heard her mother so Athena continued. ”There’s this spot on someone’s temple.” She touched May’s temple exactly on the spot she was talking about, just behind the hairline.

”When that spot smells like home, you know it is love. Emmett smelled like citrus and mint, it was exciting and fresh, just like young love. Your dad had a more comfortable smell, it was nice and exactly what I thought I needed at that moment.” Athena let her hand drop from May’s face and she sat back into the chair again.

”And Bobby?” May felt the last of her nerves dissipate at the confession of her mom, her shoulders dropping and finally relaxing again.

”Oh, Bobby. That is when I understood what true love felt like. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Emmett, and I still love your dad, but this was different. Bobby smelled safe and warm, it was everything I didn’t even know I needed.” Athena didn’t add that Bobby’s temple was still one of her favorite spots on her husband's body. That was something the girl didn’t want to know, so she would save her from finding out such intimate details.

May was in awe of her mother’s honesty. It wasn’t often they talked about subjects like this and she didn’t expect Athena to be this open about her feelings. She’d noticed her parents weren’t as physically affectionate as her friends’ parents, but she’d never realized love could show up in something as subtle as a scent. She made a mental note to check it later when she would see Darius, just to check if the spot would give her the final push to tell the boy about her feelings. 

“I am glad you found Bobby, mom. He is so kind and so good to you.” May reached over to squeeze her mother’s hand with her own. She loved Bobby. He had started to feel like another dad, which she had never expected at first, but that was just the kind of gentle and warm man he was.

As if on cue, the two women heard the door open again. Bobby followed his usual routine of dropping the keys in the bowl by the door before walking down the stairs and into the kitchen where he saw both women. 

“Hi May. I didn’t expect to see you here.” He smiled warmly at the girl, always happy to see her. 

May got out of her chair quickly to hug her stepfather, before he could even greet her mother, too eager but also still in need of a little comfort. That was something Bobby would always give her and this hug proved just that, always being able to take away her nerves with just a hug. 

Bobby shot a questioning look at his wife, who just waved it off. We will talk later. May was okay for now and the only thing she needed was for them to reassure her. Athena would fill him in on the details when the girl would go back home. 

“I just dropped by to see you guys and I heard you were ordering in. You know I can’t say no to that.” May's voice was muffled against Bobby’s chest, half her face smushed against him. What she didn’t know was that Bobby had learned to never let go of a hug until the other person did, so he kept his hold on her until May stepped back. 

Then he turned to Athena, smiling at her and pressing a kiss to her temple where he, like always, took a moment to smell her hair. 

Unaware of it, Bobby was doing exactly what May and her mother had just been talking about. May glanced at her mother in surprise, because she hadn’t expected to actually witness it happen, especially not before Bobby even knew they’d discussed it. Athena simply smiled at her daughter, then shifted her gaze back to her husband, who had pulled away slightly to meet her eyes. She gave him a quick kiss before letting him rise to his full height.

“How was your hike?” 

“Oh, you know. Chim was making dumb jokes about the plants we saw, and even tried to get me to make a video with him. I said no.” Bobby shook his head at the memory, but couldn’t stop the grin from spreading on his face. It had actually been really fun to explore some hike trails with Chimney and they would go again very soon. 

“But May,” he said, turning back to her. “What kind of takeout are you in the mood for?”

“Chinese sounds good.” 

“Chinese it is.” 

Bobby gave her shoulder a squeeze as he walked past her toward the kitchen. There had to be a menu from their favorite place in one of the drawers, though they would probably end up ordering the same dishes as always.

May and Athena exchanged one more look before joining him in the kitchen, ready to decide on their dinner.

Chapter Text

It was just another day at the firehouse.

Bobby had prepared his famous lasagna for his team to enjoy between calls. His decision to reinstate family dinners had turned out to be one of the best choices he had made as Captain. It was a nice way to calm down and a chance to strengthen their bond with one another. 

Every now and then, Athena would drop by and join them for dinner. She enjoyed spending time with the boys, and Hen, and it didn't hurt that it gave her another chance to spend more time with her husband. Some weeks they barely saw each other at home because of their conflicting schedules, making the firehouse the only place where she could see Bobby without the rush of a call.

The smell of bubbling cheese and freshly baked lasagna greeted her as she stepped into the firehouse. Athena waved at a rookie coiling up some hose, offering him a gentle smile as she moved further inside. Buck’s laughter led her exactly where she needed to be, the dining table in the kitchen. Nearly every member of the 118 was gathered around it, a steaming pan of lasagna at the center of the table, flanked by a couple of side salads.  

“Hey hey.” 

She didn't see Bobby at first, his seat at the table empty. Hen looked up at her friend with a smile on her face, immediately rising from her chair to greet her with a hug.

“Hi ‘thena, Bobby went to his office to grab something. He will be back in a second.” Hen grinned at her as she pulled out a chair for Athena to sit in, who slid into it without a second thought. Without realizing the woman got her own seat at the table , even if she was not an actual member of the team. 

Athena made a small sound of acknowledgement, her eyes drifting towards the stairs every now and then. It had been a little over twenty-four hours since she had last seen Bobby outside of their calls, and her whole body ached with anticipation of seeing him again. 

“Hi baby, I didn’t know you were stopping by.” 

It didn’t take long for Athena to look up, head flicking towards him the moment she heard his voice over the rambunctious laughter of his team. Her eyes immediately softened the second they landed on him, looking as handsome as ever. 

“A little birdie told me you were making lasagna. You know I can never say no to that.” Athena turned fully in her chair, tilting her face upward in invitation for a kiss. 

Bobby leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before taking his usual seat at the head of the table, just to her left. “You look really beautiful.” 

Athena furrowed her brow as he pulled away from her. “You missed.”

Her husband gave her a puzzled look. “Missed what?” 

Athena let out a soft sigh, amused by her clueless husband, and leaned over the table to press a kiss to his lips. 

“There. I fixed it.” 

Bobby immediately broke into a wide smile, and he gave her another kiss, just for good measure. 

“You could have told me, baby. You know I would kiss you all day, every day if you let me.” 

It wasn’t until Hen cleared her throat that they remembered they weren’t alone. “Careful, Cap. We don’t want to lose our appetite.”

Athena let out a laugh, completely unfazed by the teasing. Bobby, on the other hand, flushed pink from his cheeks down to his throat. His light complexion didn’t leave any room for him to hide his embarrassment, which made it even more amusing for Athena.

“Let’s eat, shall we?”

Chapter Text

Today was the big day.

May was moving into her dorm, which she would be sharing with three other girls. They weren’t necessarily girls she would have chosen herself, or even the age she would have preferred (because she felt old next to them), but she was confident everything would turn out just fine in the end. And if it didn’t, her parents lived close enough to campus so that she could always stop by.

After texting them first, of course. May had no interest in repeating what happened the last time she showed up unannounced. The image of her mother leaning casually against the doorframe in Bobby’s turnout coat still burned in her brain.

May would be sharing her bedroom with one of the girls, while the other two would share the second bedroom. The two bedrooms would be connected by a small common room and a bathroom for the four of them to share. It would be a tight squeeze, and May was already dreading the adjustment period where they would all have to get used to each other. She just hoped there wouldn’t be any fights, because if there were, this school year was going to feel a lot longer than it needed to be. 

She already missed her apartment. And her dad.

Micheal was currently at home with Harry back in Miami, while David was on a work trip in Haiti, but he promised to visit before school officially started, so he could check out her new place. Knowing her dad, he would probably show up with a gift and inspect the entire dorm for structural safety within five minutes of arriving. May smiled to herself, realizing how lucky she was to have four loving, involved parents who all genuinely wanted the best for her.

Athena and Bobby were walking back towards May’s dorm, each holding a box in their arms. 

“I can’t believe this is actually happening.” Athena sighed. “I thought she would continue to work and skip college altogether.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, the strands at a longer length than she normally kept it. Something her husband seemed to enjoy.

“She always said she wanted a degree,” Bobby replied, bumping her shoulder playfully and earning a look in return. “May is smart. She just needed time to figure things out. I didn’t go to college either, remember?”

“I know.” Athena said, bumping him back with a smile. “But that’s not what I imagined for my babies.” She paused. “God, I sound like my mother.” 

“You’re nothing like your mother,” Bobby said, gently. “May and Harry love you. They feel safe enough to follow their own path, even if you do tell them what you think of it.” He said with a grin. Micheal and her created a safe space for both their children, and he was happy to have played his part into it.

“Thank you, baby. It just feels... sudden, even though she hasn’t lived at home for a while.” Athena’s voice wavered slightly and her eyes misted over, the emotion catching her off guard. She thought she had adjusted to May being out of the house. So why did this hit harder?

“Ah, ‘Thena, don’t cry now. She is still very close to us. I am sure she will still be over once a week for dinner.” Bobby tried to lighten the mood, knowing Athena wouldn’t want to show her tears to May, because this was supposed to be a happy day and May was already nervous enough about the changes. 

Athena paused just outside of May’s dorm, taking a deep breath, her eyes meeting Bobby’s who put down his box filled with hair brushes, toiletries and make up. He should have known better by now. After living with her and Athena for three years, he had seen how many things women packed, but it still surprised him.

Bobby stepped closer, placing his hands gently on her shoulders, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “May is a strong girl who knows exactly what she needs to do. She takes after her mother.” He winked at her and got a chuckle in return. Gently, he wiped away a tear threatening to fall from her lashline, relieved to see her smile return. Then he bent down to lift the box again before walking into the dorm.

“My eyes are up here, Sergeant.” Bobby said over his shoulder. He didn’t have to look to know where her eyes had landed the moment he bent over. Her amused chuckle that followed his remark was all the confirmation he needed.

“You can put that box there, Bobby.” May said, pointing to the windowsill. She watched her stepfather carry the box of books across the room, grunting slightly under the weight.

“Are you sure you need all these books?” Bobby wiped his brow after setting the box down, feeling the sweat drip down his skin. He knew there were still a few more boxes in his truck, and he was already feeling slightly out of breath. This trip might just be the thing that did him in. Not a fire, not a rescue, but lifting a few boxes to move his step daughter into her dorm. The heat outside certainly wasn’t helping.

May was the first of the girls to move into the dorm, making the trips that much easier, no other boxes to trip over, no one else trying to talk over them. It was nice to just be with her parents while she went over all her stuff, figuring out where she wanted everything to go in her half of the room.

“I definitely need those books. You know, for college?” May grinned, shaking her head fondly at her stepfather’s antics.

“Right, mom?” She turned to Athena, who was staring at her husband and seemed completely lost in thought, not noticing her daughter talking to her.

“Mom?” May said again, taking a step forward so she could wave a hand in front of Athena’s face, snapping her out of it.

“Hmm? What did you say, baby?” Athena blinked back into focus, looking at her daughter like she hadn’t just been zoning out.

“What were you staring at?” May glanced over to where Bobby was grumbling to himself while he shifted a heavy box from the floor to the desk. His shirt clung to his back from the heat, and his arms flexed visibly as he lifted, biceps straining under the sleeves of his burgundy polo shirt.

“N-nothing.”

“Mom, were you staring at Bobby?” May lowered her voice so only the two of them could hear her, not wanting the man to catch the comment. She already knew how much her parents loved each other, but May still was a bit surprised to see her mother so openly ogling her step father. Athena was usually more discreet, especially in public.

“Maybe I was.” Athena shrugged, her eyes drifting back to her husband. Across the room, Bobby bent to open another box, his shirt pulling up just slightly. He grunted under his breath, muttering something about “why the hell books had to be this heavy.”

May rolled her eyes and turned to her own stack of boxes. “You two are disgusting.”

As May began unpacking, Athena lingered a second longer, watching Bobby’s shoulders shift beneath his shirt as he moved to the final box. Bobby paused mid-lift, then straightened up slowly. He turned his head just enough to catch Athena in the act.

“You know,” he said, his voice low and teasing, “if you keep staring like that, I’m going to start charging a viewing fee.”

Athena didn’t flinch. “Worth every penny.”

For a moment, May didn’t respond. She just glanced between them, Bobby lifting a lamp from a box, Athena watching him like he might disappear if she blinked.

By the third box, his arms were fully flexed, sleeves straining with every lift. That burgundy polo shirt really did him favors. It was Athena’s favorite on him, and today she remembered exactly why.

“You are unbelievable, mom.” May said with a laugh, giving her a gentle nudge before turning back to one of her own boxes to start unpacking more items. 

Her parents’ relationship was definitely the kind of love she wanted for herself. Not that Darius wasn’t great , because he was. He made her laugh and didn’t mind her weird obsession with crime podcasts. But they were still new. Still figuring things out. And seeing her mom this ridiculously in love, after everything they had been through?

It gave her hope.