A/N - Though this fic takes place somewhere in my "firsts" series, it can easily be read on its own. All you need to know is that it's an established relationship. If you've read the rest of the series, this story takes place somewhere around Adventures in Babysitting.
It was after midnight in Portland when Jake and Cassandra stumbled back into the annex, but after the day they had both had, neither one felt particularly ready for bed. They had just returned from Nepal and had recovered Buddha's alms Bowl, a challenge that had proven to be a bit more difficult than Jake's clippings book had originally suggested. He was grateful that he had asked Cassandra to tag along with him as her math skills came in handy disarming several of the booby traps that stood in their way.
Despite the lateness of the hour, Jake realized just how hungry he was. It had been ages since either one of them had eaten, both too caught up in the case. His stomach growled and he looked sheepishly at Cassandra.
"I know it's late, but what do you say we go find someplace to eat?" he asked her. "I'm still running off adrenaline anyways, there's no way I'm gettin' to sleep anytime soon."
"I'm starving, too," Cassandra admitted. "What's open at this hour, though?"
Jake thought for a moment before remembering something.
"There's that Waffle House a couple blocks from your apartment. It just opened the other week. They're always open."
"Oooh, waffles!" Cassandra beamed, twisting her hands in excitement. "I love waffles!"
Jake chuckled at his girlfriend's excitement. "Everyone loves waffles, darlin'." He smiled as he untangled her hands, taking them in his own. "So whaddya say?"
"Sure," Cassandra agreed, lightly swinging their joined hands between them. "I've never been to Waffle House before."
"Never?" Jake asked. Cassandra shook her head. "Well then, you're in for a treat." He smiled affectionately at her as he released one of her hands, still holding the other one as he lead her out of the annex and to his truck.
A short while later the couple found themselves snuggled up together in a corner booth at Waffle House. The restaurant was fairly empty, as was to be expected at that hour, which allowed the two to have some privacy. They sat close, Jake's arm around Cassandra's shoulders, her head resting on his. They shared a single menu, as they sipped the drinks the waitress had brought them earlier, a decaf coffee for Jake and a hot chocolate for Cassandra.
"You can get chocolate chips in your waffles!" Cassandra pointed out excitedly, her finger tracing that particular section of the menu.
"A lot of places do that, darlin'," Jake chuckled at her enthusiasm.
"I know, but I've never had chocolate chip waffles before."
Jake smiled at her and placed a soft kiss on her temple before turning back to the menu. He eventually decided on strawberry waffles for himself, and the couple decided to share a side of bacon and hashbrowns covered in cheese.
They stayed cuddled up while they waited for their food to arrive, and soon Cassandra started to shift slightly in Jake's grasp. He gave her a questioning look and asked what she was doing.
"My feet are sore," she complained. "I'm trying to kick my shoes off."
Jake sighed and shook his head, doing his best to fight off a small laugh. He had warned her about her shoes when he picked her up that morning and noticed she was wearing Mary Janes. They weren't necessarily impractical, but he knew just how much running they would be doing that day and figured after a few hours she might regret not wearing her sneakers. Still, watching her twist in his arms as she tried to kick off the offending footwear, Cassandra was just too adorable. He couldn't help but smile.
"I told ya to wear your sneakers," he tried to scold her but his voice came out soft.
"Got it!" she exclaimed, having finally kicked off both her shoes. Then she turned to Jake and said "Some days I have to choose between adorable and practical. Wouldn't you rather I choose adorable?"
"You're adorable no matter what you wear," Jake insisted with a smile and a wink before adding "but you're a little more adorable when you ain't complaining 'bout your feet."
Cassandra mocked being offended and stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend, who smirked, but leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose anyways. Cassandra blushed, her lips curving into a shy smile.
"Like I said," Jake said, gently taking Cassandra's chin between his thumb and forefinger. He rubbed his thumb softly across the front. "Adorable."
The waitress appeared with their food, and the couple separated just enough that they could eat comfortably, though their legs were still touching. Cassandra made a mad grab for one of the strips of bacon that had been placed between them, scarfing it down in just two big bites. Jake cast an amused glance her way but didn't say anything. He was too busy cutting into his stack of waffles. Cassandra did the same with her own stack as she finished chewing her bacon. They ate in silence for a couple minutes, both realizing just how hungry they were. When Jake had eaten about half his waffles, he looked over at Cassandra.
"You gotta try this, darlin'," he broke off a piece of the stack with his fork and held it up for her. "These are so good."
Cassandra set her own fork down and leaned in slightly, letting Jake feed her from his own fork. She closed her eyes and moaned softly as she swallowed. Jake watched her with a dopey, lovestruck grin on his face, the first thing Cassandra saw when she opened her eyes.
"Those are amazing," she said deeply as they continued to share a lingered stare. After a moment Cassandra broke off a piece of her own waffles and held her fork out. "Okay, your turn. You try mine."
Jake followed her lead, leaning in and slowly eating the bite of chocolate chip waffles that was resting on the fork. He chewed slowly, his eyes never leaving Cassandra's. She watched him, her lips slightly parted, and when he had finally swallowed Jake grinned wickedly at her and leaned in for a kiss.
Cassandra gasped when his lips touched hers and pulled back just slightly. "Your lips are sticky," she giggled.
"I know," Jake whispered playfully, leaning in even more. This time Cassandra didn't bother to pull back, giving in to her boyfriend's sticky kisses. When he finally pulled away, she licked at the syrup remaining on her lips, Jake watching her all too intently. "Well that's sticky," she finally said. Jake chuckled at her, and the two of them went back to finishing off their food.
A short while later, after all the food was eaten and the waitress had brought them their bill, Jake reached for his wallet and started grabbing a few bills. He noticed, once again, that Cassandra was shifting in the booth, slowly sliding lower, a baffled look on her face.
"Uhh, Cassandra?" Jake asked her skeptically. "Whatcha doin'?"
"I can't find my shoes," she squeaked as she continued to search for them with her feet.
Jake shook his head and chuckled. "Have you tried using your eyes, darlin'?"
Cassandra rolled her eyes at him but peeked under the table anyways. "Oh, honey, they're over by you. How'd they get over there? Can you kick them my way?"
Jake continued to shake his head in amusement as he gently kicked the shoes in her direction. After Cassandra had strapped them back onto her feet, they got up and headed out to his truck.
Jake parked his truck on the curb outside of Cassandra's apartment, and then lifted up the centre console. Before she had a chance to slide over into the middle seat for a goodnight kiss or five, Jacob reached down and gently lifted up her legs, laying them across the bench so that her feet were resting in his lap.
"What are you doing?" She asked curiously, though she clued in as Jake started undoing her shoes.
Jake didn't say anything, simply shushed her and started pressing circles into her feet through her tights with his thumbs. Cassandra leaned back against the door and closed her eyes, finally starting to feel completely relaxed after the day they had. She let out a soft moan when Jake's thumbs hit a particularly stiff pressure point and he smiled, enjoying the affect he had on her. After a few minutes he stopped, gently tugged on her leg, and she willingly slid across the bench into his arms.
"Thank you," she spoke affectionately, her arms around Jake's neck.
"You just remember this the next time I tell you to put your sneakers on," he scolded playfully.
"Oh, I will," Cassandra winked at him. "I'll remember that not listening to you lead to a foot rub."
"Hmmm," Jake breathed, but he didn't really reply. Sometimes Cassandra was just too cute to argue with, and instead he leaned in closer for a goodnight kiss. Without the addition of syrup on his lips, Cassandra didn't hesitate to return the kiss, eagerly leaning in to meet his lips. They pulled away far sooner than either would have liked, but now that their stomachs were full they were beginning to realize just how tired they each were.
"I'll call ya tomorrow, okay?" Jake said, his arms still around Cassandra, not quite ready to let her go just yet. "Maybe around lunch time, though, so you can sleep in a bit."
Cassandra nodded in agreement, then leaned in for one last kiss before sliding back across the bench and getting out of the truck. She waved goodbye before shutting the door, and Jake watched her from the driver's side to make sure she got inside okay. He started up his truck's engine, and chuckled to himself as he pulled back out onto the road. They should have late night meals more often, he thought. He liked the result.