A/N: It's a good day...Eddie gets to go to the zoo and we get a new episode tonight! Let's hope for lots of Jamko (but my expectations are low as always, ugh). -Sandy
"So, um," Jamie said to the back of Eddie's head. "Where to first?"
She spun around and yanked the map from Jamie's hands as he tried to unfold it. Impatiently she shook it open but she held it down at her side without looking at it. "Let's just go this way. Koalas, pandas…" She grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind her, past the arrow pointing out the koala exhibit.
Jamie wriggled his hand in hers until their fingers were intertwined. "Are koalas the ones that grab their own arms instead tree branches and then fall down and die?"
"What?"
"Koalas. Don't they fall out of trees all the time?"
Eddie shook her head. "No, I think you're thinking of sloths. And that's not even true."
"How do you know?"
"Because how could it even be possible? What, sloths don't have nerves in their arms? They can't feel if their hand is wrapped around their arm instead of a tree branch?"
"Aren't they really dumb animals?"
"Slow, yeah, and they're weird, ugly-cute. But I don't think they're dumb."
"How can something be ugly and cute?" Jamie laughed.
"Um, you are," Eddie said, and she jabbed an elbow into his ribs before galloping up ahead now that the koala habitat was in sight.
"Hey!" Jamie yelled.
"Come on, Reagan, you walked right into that one," she smirked. She circled back and stopped right in front of him, blocking his path. "Don't worry. You're actually just cute." Rising up on tiptoes, she kissed him before turning back to look at the koalas.
Jamie looped an arm around her waist and tugged her around so she faced him again. "I forgot—we can do that now," he said, and he kissed her forehead before tipping her chin up to peck her lips. "I like it."
Eddie pushed against his chest, trying to wiggle free. "Hey, quit distracting me," she complained. "There are koalas!"
"Glad you've got your priorities straight, Janko."
"You're coming back to New York with me, mister. These koalas aren't so lucky."
They fell into step next to each other and held hands as they strolled along the outside of the habitat. Eddie kept her eyes on the koalas, completely enthralled as they lazily chewed on leaves. But Jamie hardly noticed the animals. He couldn't take his eyes off Eddie as she excitedly jabbered and pointed, wanting to share with him every single detail that she saw.
They passed elephants, big cats, and camels before reaching the arctic area. Two keepers were inside the penguin enclosure with buckets of fish, and Eddie watched the entire feeding as the penguins swam and swarmed and wrestled each other out of the way to get to the food.
"When I was little I thought it would be fun to have a pet penguin," she shared.
"Yeah? Why?"
"Because they're funny! And look how adorable! But my dad told me they grow too big to keep in the bathtub, which was my plan, so it never happened."
"You couldn't come up with a better idea than keeping a penguin in your bathtub?" Jamie laughed.
"Hey, I was like six, Reagan. And it was before we moved to the house with the pool."
"You know, once two people have had sex I really think they can move on to a first-name basis," he joked quietly.
"I call you Jamie all the time—Reagan," she replied. "But I still have to save the last name for when you get a little too snarky for your own good."
"So when you're at my dad's house and you call me Reagan and eight other people answer you, what happens then?"
Eddie's eyes shot up to Jamie's face. "Um, what? Listen, champ, we are still in California so let's wait until we get home before we worry about your family or the fact that everyone in the precinct is going to know that I'm the girl who got partnered with the boss's son and then slept with him on a work trip."
"For what it's worth, everyone thinks we did it a long time ago anyway."
"Nope," Eddie warned, and she brought the back of her hand up against his chest to keep him from talking. "Until we get home, you are only mine, and we don't need to worry about anyone else."
"Okay, fine, I can live with that."
"Oh my God, look at the polar bear!" She bounced on the balls of her feet, lightly smacking his arm to get his attention. "It's yawning!"
"Looks like you in the morning."
"Yeah, well, I'm not the one who took fifteen minutes to comb their hair before we left the hotel."
Jamie shrugged. "I had to fill the time with something, since someone still had to pack."
"I was going to pack last night before I went to bed," Eddie defended. "You're the reason that didn't happen. Everything goes back to you, Jamie, so quit trying to make it my fault."
With a grin she shouldered him to the side. He dramatically fell away from her, stumbling sideways until he reached a nearby bench and righted himself. "I've got your boarding pass, you know," he called. "I could leave you in California."
"You put all the boarding passes in my purse, genius, so you better shape up or I'll leave you. Now let's go, there are monkeys coming up!"
They'd arrived at the zoo close to opening when it was still practically empty. Now, though, it was starting to get a little more crowded. The place wasn't too packed on a Monday at the end of February but Jamie and Eddie still had to dodge a few elementary school field trip groups as she dragged him along. Any hints of tiredness were lost beneath her overflowing excitement about each new animal they saw. Seeing her like this, having so much fun by his side, Jamie had never been more grateful about a canceled flight.
For a moment Jamie flashed back to his childhood, remembering how his parents used to try their best to feign interest whenever he or his siblings pointed out such mundane things as cool rocks or funny-sounding birds. Even as a young child Jamie had been perceptive enough to know when it was all an act. He couldn't help but think how lucky Eddie's future kids would be to have her as their mother, how excited they would be about life with her tireless enthusiasm as their example—how lucky he would be if her kids were also his, and he got to witness it all every single day. But no, he couldn't get ahead of himself. As long as he'd harbored strong feelings for Eddie, and as drawn-out as their undefined almost-more-than-partnership had been, he had to remind himself that they were hardly even dating yet. He couldn't risk spooking Eddie by bringing up anything like that so early on.
And anyway, if this whole thing went the way he hoped, there would be plenty of time to imagine their future together—and then a whole lifetime to live it.
"Reptile walk!" Eddie exclaimed. She reached back and took Jamie's hand again as he caught up to her from reading a plaque. "Come on!"
They crossed a bridge and ended up underneath an open-walled pavilion full of native California reptiles. They saw a couple of lizards first, and then they stepped in front of a snake habitat. The four-foot snake lounged lazily atop a flat rock. Eddie tightened her grip on Jamie's hand and tucked herself behind his shoulder as she stared.
"What are you doing?" he laughed, dropping her hand to put his arm around her shoulders.
She ducked under his arm and hugged it in front of her. "Snakes creep me out."
"It's behind glass!"
"I know. But still."
"Well, we don't have to look at the snakes. There are lizards, turtles…" He started to step away, but Eddie tugged on his arm to bring him back. "What?" he asked.
"They creep me out but I still like to look at them!" she said. "I mean, they're just so—weird. How they move without legs? Their muscles? Scales? Ugh." She shuddered. "They're so freaky. It's awesome."
He shook his head at her. "That doesn't even make sense."
"Yes it does!" she insisted. "Come on, you've never been both scared and fascinated by something all at the same time?"
Jamie pivoted to face Eddie and tugged her closer with the arm she wasn't clinging to. "If I said you, would you be pissed?"
She wrinkled her nose but it wasn't enough to hide the little smirk. "No, actually, that's a damn good answer. Just make sure you remember it."