"Spinner, where are we going?"

"Would you just be quiet and enjoy your loss of vision? You've complained the entire time, I told you I had a surprise. Keep going straight," he said, keeping his hands clasped over her eyes, "I'm going to move my hands now. Eyes closed." He reached into his pockets to grab the keys to the apartment.

Four months solid work; paint, dry wall, some minor plumbing work with Jaycee's remarkable, yet odd, talent for home improvement. Realistically the improvements should have taken them three more months but Spinner had secretly called in a few favors for Jay and various others to finally complete the apartment. He had to get Jaycee out of that horrible motel.

He pushed open the door with his foot and lead her to the bedroom, the final room to be completed. He dropped his hands and instructed her to open her eyes.

Though they poured countless hours of their life into the apartment, it wasn't glamorous. They had to be frugal, all of their money going towards items for repair, leaving little money for decoration outside of necessities. But it was hers, a place for her to raise her son, to give him the life she came here for.

The walls were light gray and in the center of the room was a queen sized bed, donated by his mother, with multiple pillows and a damask print duvet set. Above the bed was a canvas print portrait of Bentley and Spider-Man at the arcade. There was a dark walnut bedside table between the left hand side of the bed and the window, where the setting sun passed through the sheer white curtains and a small walk in closet and second hand dresser on the opposite wall.

Jaycee looked around, nearly speechless. "Ho-whe-where did you find time to do this, Spin? We weren't supposed to be done for months." A smile played on her lips as she turned to face him.

He shrugged modestly, "A lot of late nights and early mornings, after school, before school, after work. Jay helped. We got a shit ton of noise complaints from the neighbors but the landlord already code checked it and okayed it. We can get you moved in tonight."

Jaycee hid her face behind her hands, dark hair spilling over her shoulders. She stayed like that for a few moments, trying to wrap her mind around the tremendous amount of time Spinner must have sacrificed to finish the apartment. She'd come here with the soul purpose of finishing school and raising her son, wanting to make it on her own but somehow the Universe presented her with Gavin Mason, dork in shining tinfoil. She didn't know what to say.

She felt his hand on her right hip and she looked up when she did. Not knowing how to thank him with words, she leaped to close the height gap between them, throwing her arms around his neck in an embrace and hung there, feet dangling inches from the carpet. She fisted his shirt beneath her hands, resting her head in the crook of his neck, "Thank you," she said, happy tears pricking her eyes, wetting her dark lashes.

His arms wrapped around her waist, returning her hug. Her silence spoke for itself. It was warm and content, in a way he could feel at home no matter where he stood. He tugged at her hips, removing her gently. When her feet hit the floor she looked at him through saltwater eyes, her cheeks collecting the warm liquid falling from them.

He'd never seen her cry before.

His hand cupped her cheek, wiping away a tear with the pad of his thumb. Spinner grabbed her by the hand, leading her to the bed and making her sit. He kicked his legs up, causing him to fall into his back with a soft 'plop.' He crosses his arms behind his head, "So do you like it?"

It was then Jaycee saw him in a new light, with his hipbones pointing towards the same ceiling she would come to stare at on the nights she couldn't sleep, fearing that she was truly meant to live out her days alone. There was so much of him surrounding her.

He sat up when he didn't get a response, other than her staring blankly at him. She never did carry much emotion in her eyes. "Jace?" He turned himself in her direction until their knees were touching and reached out to brush her hair behind her ear to get a better read on her expression. Her eyes caught his and an electric feeling passed to his. Their breath mingled through parted lips, a certainty of what was coming next. Jaycee traced her thumb along his bottom lip, as if she needed confirmation he was actually in front of her. She closed her eyes fearlessly and without hesitation, pushing her plump, velvet lips into his.

Much like their relationship, there was nothing 'nice and easy' about the kiss, it started out fervent as their tongues said the hungriest of hellos. And, Dear God, he couldn't fight the thoughts running through his mind as she ran a finger down his spine, pulling him close until there was no space left between them, so close he could feel her heart beat in time with his. Months of sexual tension fueled the moment as he slid his hand into the thick of her hair, lowering her until the curve of her back tickled the blankets. He found himself between her legs, easing his weight into her. Her hands tugged at the hem of his shirt and pushed it up his sides, before pulling it over his head completely.

But it had been three years since she was intimate with anyone, much less seen anyone but herself exposed.

Devastation gut punched her as she realized for the first time in three years she had a 'mom bod'. Though she spent time at the gym regularly after B's birth to regain her figure, 730 days of running and abdominal toning couldn't touch the skin pooling under her belly button or erase the stretch marks etched proudly into her stomach and hips, her chest never regained that natural perk after a year of breastfeeding.

She was not naive to the fact he'd had other partners in the past but the majority of the girls her age had tight and toned bodies. You know, minus the fetus. Her eyes lingered on his torso a little to long, an indication something was on her mind.

"Hey," Spinner spoke softly, "You're beautiful, Jaycee. I'm not worried about what's underneath," he pushed up her shirt with his hand, tracing over her marks with his fingers, "I know it's worth the wait."

Jaycee propped herself on her elbows and gave a flustered grin, "I haven't been with anyone since I was pregnant with B, the whole 'mom body' reality drop kicked me for the first time. I haven't been on birth control since Reed left me, either."

Spinner raised a cocky eyebrow, reaching to his back pocket, unfurling a long strip of condoms. "A good Boy Scout is always prepared."

"Someone thinks himself a stud, does he?"

"Haven't had any complaints so far," he winked, crashing next to her on the bed. He ran his hand along her stomach, tracing her stretch marks, "I voluntarily read scripture and 'purified' myself for my ex, I can handle it if you're not ready."

Jaycee watched his fingers run along her c-section scar. It felt numb, like his hand wasn't even there, but that's what happens when someone cuts through seven layers of skin and muscle. A small sacrifice to bring life into the world.

As much as she tried to hide it, she loved having Gavin Mason around. She liked the way he pried his way into her life and God, did he earn it. He was gentle, always walking on eggshells as he slowly deteriorated her emotional force field where anyone with common sense would have ran. Perhaps companionship, or a little more than, wouldn't be as terrible as she thought.

Even in this oxytocin fueled moment he managed to remain kind and respectful of her boundaries. The electric feeling returned as she positioned herself on top of him, reaching to the bedside table for a condom. She held it between two slim fingers as she lowered herself to Spinner's lips, hands on either side of his face, kissing him with raw intensity.

A kiss of salvation, a kiss of better things to come.

Moving in could wait.