EXAGGERATING
A/N: You have waited… and waited… and waited… and we're both SO SORRY for that. But it's finally here. Our first prompt in the Domestic Linstead series.
I for one, think this couldn't have come at a better time. I have a feeling we're going to need all the fluff in the next couple of weeks. So welcome to fanon, where Erin and Jay live happily together and nobody leaves and the worst problem they encounter is… well, you'll see.
Brought to you by the beautiful and talented justkillingtimewhileiwait and my little something lindsayandhalstead
Let us know what you think!
/
He was gonna kill her. It wasn't even two days ago he'd scrubbed this bathroom top to bottom, including pulling all her hair from the clogged shower drain, the one she constantly complained drained too slow but never listened when he told her why and or how to stop it from happening. And now here he was standing in the door way of their shared master bathroom thinking he'd seen bombed out buildings in Afghanistan with less damage done to them.
And it wasn't just the bathroom. Erin knew how to leave her mark wherever she went. He could tell you exactly what she had for breakfast this morning, because her jam stained plate was still in the sink and crumbs littered the counter. At night, she'd discard her cloths as she walked towards the dresser to dig out a pair of pjs, leaving a trail behind her.
And don't even get him started on the shoes. He swore she owned more footwear than she could possible wear in an entire year. It took her forever to find a matching pair, usually searching on hands and knees in the bottom of their closet, cursing and tossing unwanted items over her head until she found the match she was after. He cringed when she'd casually kick everything back towards the general vicinity of the closet when she was done. He'd once suggested lining them up in pairs or buying a shoe rack to stack them on and she'd looked at him like he was insane, or stupid, or maybe a bit of both.
But he'd let it all go. He loved her after all and living together was an adjustment for both of them. So he picked up behind her and hoped that eventually she'd bend a little to his needs as well.
That was six months ago. Six months of washing dishes he didn't use, picking dirty laundry up off the floor, scooping her hair out of the drain and tripping over her boots. Enough was enough. He'd come into the bathroom tonight to take a long hot shower after a day that had kicked his ass only to find Armageddon.
"Erin!" He hollered, no longer able to wait patiently for her to start bending a little to the fact that she no longer lived alone. That this was no longer her bathroom to destroy but a space they both shared.
"What's wrong, babe?" Erin asked coming into the bedroom, concerned by the edge in his voice.
"What the hell?" He quipped.
"What?"
"What do you mean what? Look at this place! It's ready to be condemned!" He exclaimed waving his arms around the bathroom to emphasize his point.
Erin popped her head in the bathroom and looked around. "What's the problem?" The room seemed fine to her, in the same condition she'd left it not half an hour earlier.
"Problem? You don't see the problem here?" He asked, his voice pitching with frustration. "Your make up is everywhere! Look, hair dryer, brushes, creams, I can't even see the counter, your clothes are just dropped everywhere, when the basket is literally right there. The bathmat is sopping wet left on the floor, God knows what kind of rot and mould is growing under the tiles. I'll probably come in here one day and fall through the floor killing poor Mrs. Osborne while she's having her bath downstairs. And the water is still slowly draining in the tub because your hair has clogged the drain again because you won't listen to me and I'm just gonna add, you're gonna pay for the plumber when sewage starts seeping back up into the tub. And for the love of God, do you have to leave the tap dripping?" He finished completely exasperated.
Erin bit down hard on the corner of her lip trying to suppress her smile watching Jay get all riled up. She knew most people found him intimidating like this but Erin couldn't help but smile at the adorable flush of his skin when he was irritated.
"Babe, don't you think you're exaggerating just a little bit?" Erin asked, fighting to suppress her chuckle.
"Exaggerating? No I don't think there's any exaggerating what a slob you are."
Jay immediately regretted his choice of words when the amusement in her eyes turned to fire. But he was in too deep now and there was no way he was backing down. He was done sucking it up and it was time she learned to be more considerate of his feelings and needs, instead of him always being the one to bend. He turned and left the bathroom completely frustrated leaving her to yell at the back of his head.
But she didn't follow right away so he went in the kitchen, grabbed a beer from the fridge sat back on the kitchen stool and tool a long slow pull, hoping the cool liquid would cool his temper. The first sip didn't do it, so he took a few more. When he pulled the almost empty bottle from his lips he felt her chin rest on his shoulder and hands snake around his waist from behind, sliding up to rest flat against his ribs.
He huffed at her attempts to cool him off. All pretences were in vain, because Jay knew he couldn't stay mad at her for long, especially while she was stroking her chest soothingly and still leaning her chin on his shoulder and her scent of vanilla mixed with jasmine attacked his senses. His body relaxed under her touch, and he almost hated her for her ability to do that.
"Are you mad?" She asked, murmuring into his ear with her low and raspy voice. She didn't need to ask. In six months of living together, she has never seen him go off like that. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
She did her best to hide the fact he hurt her feelings, but reasoned with herself. It had to have been justified, because Jay was never a complainer about anything. And the last thing she wanted to do was dismiss his feelings, when it was so obvious it was bothering him.
A sigh of desperation escaped him, not because he was still mad, but because he had heard those words so many times before. Even though he couldn't see her in their current position, he imagined her lips forming a slight pout.
There was also a change in the air between them, and Jay knew she had successfully succeeded in distracting him from their "fight", if you could even call it that, even though technically they did yell so it was a fight.
Erin pressed a couple of kisses down his neck, obviously trying to defuse the tension (or simply transfer it to another type of tension), and it worked. Just like she knew it would.
He pulled her into his lap by grabbing one of her arms, and she left out a gasp of surprise before he silenced her with a hungry kiss. His lips found hers—a now already familiar destination. He never needed to look at her to know exactly where her lips were. He could find them in a dark room full of people.
She returned the kiss with equal fervour, wrapping her arms around his torso, and he knew she could do anything and he'd forgive her. If she'd just kiss him long and hard enough.
Grasping for air, she pulled back. "I'll go clean it up," she murmured, getting up. There was a familiar mischievous glint in her eyes. The one that meant she was definitely messing with him now.
"Oh, no you don't." He stood up and pulled her back, her body crashing against his as a result. He grinned down at her, and his arms wrapped around her waist, creating her favourite cage, which prevented her from going anywhere.
She smirked at him, knowing that even though he started this fight, she had won the battle when he picked her up and carried her to their very neat and organized bed. So what if she noticed that her side of it was a little less neat, because she forgot to straighten the comforter before she put the pillows on the bed. It still didn't mean he was right.
He laid her on the bed, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it on the floor, because the one time he didn't care about being neat was when his half-naked girlfriend was waiting for him on the bed.
Her pyjamas joined his shirt on the floor, and she even accompanied it with a theatrical "oops" sound when she threw it. The corners of his lips tugged upwards and then he kissed her in reply. It was an argument she couldn't go against.
She loved that he took control, even though she started this—and she did it knowingly of what would happen. Jay never could get enough of her, so when she slid her hands up and down his chest earlier, she knew what would happen.
What she didn't know, was that Jay would take this opportunity to show her just how frustrated her mess made him feel.
He continued his kisses down to the valley between her breasts. She moaned when he flicked her nipple with his tongue, but only just barely touching the sensitive skin. His kisses moved south, never leaving an inch of her skin out and by the time he reached her navel, she was already squirming underneath him, desperate for his touch.
His hand drew her legs apart, sliding his fingers softly up her thigh. Seeing the already slightly flushed skin made his heart go crazy.
She could hardly breathe. Her skin felt like it was going to burst into flames at any second, and his stubble tickled her thighs in the best way when he reached down to leave a trail of peppering kisses. There was this area of skin on her inner thighs, where she was so incredibly soft (and sensitive), and that's where his lips found her creamy white skin. Her hand laced through his hair, pulling him closer.
Jay smirked. He knew what she wanted. He just wouldn't give it to her quite just yet.
He hooked his index finger behind the fabric of her panties, slowly pushing them down her legs. Then he resumed the kisses up her thighs, careful to kiss every inch of her skin besides the inch she really desperately wanted him to.
After her exasperated groan, he finally gave in. His tongue found her core, and pressed the softest of kisses against it. Her laboured breathing and soft moans filled the room as he traced her clit with his tongue. Every time she got close, he slowed down, teasing her towards her climax.
"Jay—I—please?" Her words were a confused tangled mess, but they somehow made sense to him. He took mercy on her and finished his sweet torture, applying just enough pressure to send her over.
She cried out his name and her body tensed first, and then shook in violent tremors. Then she went lax in his arms, and he could not help but love the way she pulled him down on her, so her lips could meet his in a demanding kiss, while she could still taste herself on his lips.
Her eyes looked up at him with gratitude because he always put her pleasure before his own, and even when he was teasing her, he never could deny her anything for long.
He discarded his sweats on the floor and joined her on bed again. She was quite a vision, naked, with a flushed skin and misty eyes. His heart ached with how much he loved her, and so did another part of his body. She smiled up at him, their earlier bickering forgotten. There was nothing but love between them in that moment. They both agreed they would leave their problems outside of their bed.
He lingered at her entrance, then moved into her with one single thrust, losing his mind in the process. Her fingernails dug into his back, leaving red tracks behind them, but she didn't—couldn't find it inside her to care. The waves of overwhelming pleasure she felt every time he thrust inside her, had her fingers wrapping around the comforter in a desperate attempt to cling onto something as the waves washed her away.
He groaned against her, feeling the familiar build up himself. Her hands cupped his face, and her eyes found his, and it was the silent I love you she murmured that sent him over the edge.
She snuggled up against him, after they were able to catch their breaths. She lifted her head so he could wrap his arms around her, and she could rest her head where it belonged.
"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said, or more the way I said it."
"I'm sorry too. For being such a mess."
"You're not a mess. You're just… messy." They both chuckled at that.
"I guess I can try to be more organized," she admitted, more to herself than to the man next to her.
"That's all I'm asking."
"I just—I want—I want you to be happy here. With me." It was hard to get those words out, but when she did, she felt nothing but relief. Ever since Jay had moved in she was worried she wouldn't be enough to make him stay. That he would eventually realize it was all a mistake, and leave. Maybe worried wasn't exactly the word. Erin was more scared that he would turn out to be just another person in her life who would walk out on her.
He looked at her as if she'd gone insane. "Erin, I'm the happiest guy in the world. This little frustration is nothing compared to the feeling I get when I wake up next to you every morning." Happiness couldn't even describe that feeling. He was pretty sure they had yet to invent the word for it.
She smiled without a reply and nodded. "Same," she murmured sleepily, before drifting to a peaceful slumber, a half-finished plan crafting in her head.
If this didn't prove she loved him and was making an effort, she didn't know what would. Erin pushed through the doors of the popular home decor store and immediately wrinkled her nose at the smells that assaulted her. She felt completely overwhelmed as she tried to take in and make sense of the multitude of lush colour coordinated displays.
Girls like her did not belong in shops like this. Was this the kind of girl Jay wanted her to be because there was no way she could pull off any of this.
"Can I help you with something?" The overly cheerful sales associate greeted her.
Normally Erin was one to hide from sales associates who tried to accost her while shopping, but today she was so grateful to see the middle-aged woman wearing the name tag that read Jill and bright smile that she could hug her.
"I need to save my relationship," Erin blurted out. She knew she sounded like an idiot without even looking at the dumbfounded expression on Jill's face.
"Okay?" Jill shifted awkwardly and looked around her like she was hoping the answer was mixed in with the bed sheets or maybe with the kitchen gadgets.
"It's my bathroom," Erin said taking pity on the poor woman. "Apparently, I'm a slob and he's tired of the make-up and hair and doesn't want to fall on Mrs. Osborne's head."
Jill tilted her head to side considering Erin's words. "Well I'm not so sure about that last part, but if you need some help organizing and freshening up your bathroom, that I can help with."
"That would be great!" Erin breathed out in relief.
Two hours later her relief vanished and she was ready to toss the multitude of baskets, hanging containers, and some other items Jill had proclaimed functional yet stylish over the balcony.
She had no idea hanging a shelf level was this tedious. She blew the strand of hair that had fallen out of her messy bun off her face and reminded herself why she was going to all this trouble. For Jay. Because after all that man had done for her he deserved at least to come home to a clean bathroom. She glanced at the time on her phone and realized she had only an hour left before he'd be back.
"Come on Lindsay. You take down criminals for a living. You can screw a damn shelf to the wall."
He dropped his keys and their take out on the counter wondering why the apartment was so quiet. There was no sign of her in the kitchen or the living room, where she usually was, watching TV, or reading a book, if she came home earlier than him.
"Erin? Babe?" She had to be home, he had seen her keys on the shelf, along with two bags of trash that she apparently forgot to take out.
He couldn't help but wonder if she was still mad at him for that comment he made about her being a slob. They hadn't talked about it since their fight, at least not since they fell asleep wrapped around each other.
The search continued, until the last place she could be in was the bathroom. He knocked once, not wanting to startle her, and then pushed the door open when he didn't get an answer.
It blew his mind.
The bathroom he had just been complaining about yesterday was unrecognizable. There were extra shelves installed, all the stuff neatly put away. The towels were folded, and all Erin's make-up was put in plastic organizers. The bathroom was also scrubbed clean, much to his dismay.
"You amaze me," he managed to say, with a loss for real words. He thought the argument would just get pushed under the metaphorical rug again, and a month from now they'd be having the same fight, but here she was, taking his feelings into consideration and making a real effort to fix it.
The object of his appreciation was currently soaking in an increasingly cold bath, looking like the world defeated her, but still offered him a warm smile, and a teasing little preview of her gorgeous leg.
"Thank you," he murmured, sitting on the edge of the tub, leaning down to kiss her. He pushed back the emotions that were threatening to show because this was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for him.
"Couldn't risk you going to live with Mrs. Osborne. She has a thing for you, you know?" Her voice sounded sleepy and she looked like she was barely keeping her eyes open. The bathroom must've taken her at least a couple of hours. His girl put together shelves for him. He was do damn proud.
"Well lucky for you, I only have eyes for one girl."
The smile she gave him was worth every frustration he had ever had, and better than anything she might have said. And when he carried his sleeping girlfriend to bed minutes later, he knew he would never go anywhere else.
He had everything he needed right here.