Disclaimer: Nothing's mine. I just want some pampering from Jesse, like Suze.
Rating: T
A/N: It's not funny and it's not specific to anything. But it's cute and something I really wanted to add in. :) Thank you for the sweet! response to the last chapter! :D I stumbled across that story traffic thing the other day, and was very surprised by the amount of times this stories been faved! So on that note, I can't thank you all enough. :) I hope you enjoy this one!
Cocoa Butter Comfort...
Twisting and turning in front of the full-length mirror in our room, my hand absently scratched over my swollen and very, very itchy stomach. Sighing with frustration, I tugged and pulled the jumper taut over my back to get rid of the itch back there too. Then it crept to my arms and back around to my stomach. It felt like I had something creeping around the inside of my jumper, knowing it was pissing me off and doing it more.
"I've had enough!" I growled to my angry reflection.
I narrowed my eyes, scowling at the fat, ugly image I made in the mirror. How could Jesse love me considering how I looked?! I didn't like me right then. In fact, I hated me. I was tired and fed-up. Sighing I slumped a little more. I was making myself feel so much worse by still standing there and looking myself over. But I just couldn't shake the grumpy uncomfortable feeling I had hanging around me.
Because that was all I'd been for the past couple of weeks. Uncomfortable.
I was like a waddling fat penguin, that couldn't even lift herself off the couch anymore. Couldn't get out of the bath without some help. Had to roll off the bed and didn't even fit behind the wheel of my car. Not that I was allowed to drive anymore. I'd gone on maternity leave a couple of weeks ago. And I'd still be working if I hadn't have had a labor scare. Next thing I knew, I was being ordered bed rest and no stress.
Yeah, tell that to the ghosts that still wanted help.
Which they took advantage of, seeing as I was bed-bound. Jesse had helped out where he could. Keeping his annoyance and temper in check when they tried pushing it a little too far, too many times. And it wasn't just the dead that visited me. Oh no, I had my family and friends making regular appearances. Just, 'dropping by to see if you need anything,' Like I wasn't capable of walking to the shops if I did.
I'm pregnant, not ill!
Flipping my image the bird, I waddled across the room with my hand supporting my back, going in search of Jesse. Deciding I'd feel better if I had a moan to him. I followed the sounds of the T.V. to the living room, and watched him for a moment. His feet propped on the coffee table, beer in one hand and Galen's soft brown fur being absently stroked in the other. I shook my head at the mischievous dog lying on the couch and waddled to stand directly in front of them.
Both Jesse and Galen raised their heads at the same time.
"What's wrong, querida?"
Hearing that softly spoken sentiment nearly had me bursting into tears. What wasn't wrong with me, I almost bawled in front of him. But instead, I silently shooed his feet off the table and climbed onto his lap rather awkwardly. Jesse was used to my need for comfort and regularly climbing onto him by now and just put up with it. I shifted a bit, trying to make myself comfortable before I stopped; realizing I wasn't going to.
I sighed for the umpteenth time and dropped my head to rest on his shoulder. Full-on pout well in place by then. I fiddled with the buttons of his shirt, undoing a couple to slip my hand into the opening and laying it over his warm, smooth chest. His magic hand rubbing up and down my back in soothing movements had me relaxing into him a little more. He never complained about the heavy weight sitting on him. Because he's just too nice to admit I'm fat, I guess.
"I don't want to be pregnant anymore, Jesse. It's not fun."
Jesse chuckled at me, kissing the top of my head. "You only have four more weeks to go, Susannah," He murmured, trying to make me feel better. "That time will fly past before you know it. In the meantime, why don't you tell me what's wrong. And we'll see what we can do to make you feel better."
I lifted my head capturing his sincere stare. He was doing all he could do for me. He'd been the best, most understanding father-to-be any pregnant woman could ask for. I just wanted to be comfortable for a change. Not to feel so fat, itchy and ugly. I can't remember a time when I felt so yucky.
"I can't stop itching," I whined, scratching my belly to emphasis my point. "And my back aches. I've got big, swollen ankles and feet, and I just want to shave my legs. But I can't reach over my fat stomach! I feel ugly and useless. It's not fair, Jesse." Galen rested his head on my leg, whining and looking up at me. "See, even Galen feels sorry for me." I sniffled.
I wanted to reach out and pet the dog that had quickly wormed his way into my affections too. But I couldn't get past the mass of belly in the way. So I snuggled deeper into Jesse instead, ignoring the twinge in my lower-back.
"Hmm," I felt Jesse rumble. "Okay, I have an idea." I sat up and raised a wary eye at him. He laughed again, capturing it. "Nothing bad, Susannah. Come on," I pulled myself up from my lovers lap with the extra push and help of course, following him out of the room. He took me back up stairs and down to our bedroom. "Wait here." He requested, pushing me to sit on the bed. Then he disappeared off into the bathroom, leaving me clueless.
It was only seconds later that I heard the sounds of the bath being filled up. I fingered the edge of the comforter, smiling for what seemed the first time in ages when I could hear Jesse rummaging through the cupboard for some bubble bath. I rolled myself off the bed and went in search of the baggiest less restrictive clothes I had. Stretched sweats and one of my favourite t-shirts of Jesse's. It didn't look anything like what it did before I nicked it, but I loved it.
I threw the ready clothes onto the bed and met Jesse in the foggy, lightly scented bathroom. Looking over at the full tub, brimming with bubbles. I could feel my muscles relaxing just staring at it.
"Ready when you are." Jesse smiled, offering me his hand. I ignored it and threw my arms around his neck instead. Giving him the best hug I could, with a big pregnant belly getting in the way. He laughed lightly and wrapped pull me as close as I could get. "Let's see if we can't make you a little more comfortable, and feel as beautiful as you are querida."
I pulled away and looked at him. Tears actually coming to my eyes when I heard that. Being pregnant really made the water works turn on quickly.
Jesse helped me strip off. Lifting the de-formed and stretched jumper over my head and dropping it to the floor carelessly. His warm roving eyes had me blushing and smirking before him. But he soon grinned and laughed, helping me lose the pants I couldn't bend down to do, before helping me climb into the warm, bubbly bath. Slowly sitting down, I stretched myself out and leaned back. Finding a bath pillow being placed behind my head as I settled.
"Thank you, hon." I murmured, reaching out to rest a hand on his arm.
Jesse winked and sat himself on the edge of the bath, watching me relax and sink into the popping bubbles. I felt a piece of hair fall down my shoulder, dropping to the water. I was about to sit up and ask for a clip, when Jesse was suddenly there, ready and waiting with it already.
"Here, let me." He requested. Tilting my head forward, I closed my eyes when I felt Jesse gently pull out the alice band and gather my hair into his hands. His fingers tentatively raked through the strands, making me moan with how good it felt when shivers ran down me. He kept up the soft touch for a few more minutes, before he clipped it all back and away from my neck. "All better?" I nodded, peering under half-lidded eyes when his hand gently removed an errant lock from my eyes.
"Much," I eventually replied on a sigh.
I lay back for a while longer, enjoying no itchiness creeping over my taut skin, my back-ache fading away. I didn't realize how much I missed my old body until I started feeling the strain and tiredness that would appear out of no-where, just walking around the supermarket or something equally as mundane. I couldn't wait until I could get back to my kick-boxing. When I'd have more energy to do all the things I took for granted before.
Jesse pulled me out of my pitying thoughts when he opened a drawer, rummaging around for something. He turned back to me with a triumphant grin when he found it. Holding up a pink razor and giving me a questioning look.
"You won't mind?" I asked, sitting up a little. I lifted my dripping leg up from the water, frowning at the shoddy attempt of shaving my legs my last try had been. "I'd feel so much better if they were done."
"Of course I don't mind," He kneeled by the side of the bath, uncapping the blade. "If it would make you feel more feminine and comfortable. Just . . . don't let on to Jake. We'll just keep it between you and me." I giggled at that, already knowing Jake did the same thing when Kate was pregnant with Maddie.
But I wouldn't burst Jesse's manly bubble. Or Jakes, by spilling that little piece of gossip. "Secrets safe with me, Jesse."
He grinned, grabbing the sponge and shower gel, creating a foamy mess before rubbing the sponge up and down my legs, covering them. I laughed again when the sudden memory of the pay-back prank I did to Jesse all that time ago, came flooding back. When I put blue food dye into his shower gel for revenge. Jesse looked at me, pausing in his job of my legs and gave me a questioning look.
"I was just remembering when I pranked you with the shower gel," I smirked, answering his unasked question. "You were such a nice shade of blue. Grumpy smurf."
He shook his head, showing the small grin I knew he couldn't hold back. Once the color had disappeared, we had a good laugh about it. He told me how he and Jake had been plotting it for weeks, before finally plucking up the courage to actually go through with their pranks. And I did admit eventually, that his ideas were pretty clever.
Just frustrating at the time.
When he finished pampering my legs, he made a fresh sponge full of shower cream and ran the ticklish bubbles all over me. Slowly up my back to trail down my arms. Rubbing soothing circles on my belly, where the baby had thankfully taken a break and settled for a while. Jesse grinned as he always does when he felt movement beneath his hand. Before finishing up and rinsing me off.
I lifted my arms up to Jesse, letting him pull me up to my feet and out of the water before I turned into a prune. Bundling me into a big white fluffy towel before I'd even stepped out of the tub properly. I looked down at my legs; not seeing any nicks or cuts from his work. He probably did a better job of it than I do myself, when I thought about it.
"Good job, hon." I praised, smiling at him.
"Why thank you, ma'am."
He grabbed the bottle of cocoa butter and shooed me out of the bathroom into our bedroom. I sat back down on the bed, changing from the towel to my thick purple bathrobe in seconds with Jesse's help. Sitting back while he dried me off, a happy little smile edging the corners of my lips the whole time I stared down and watched him. He'd been so attentive and understanding to me. Going out of his way to help in any possible way he could. He's just wanted to make me happy.
And if possible, I fell more in love with Jesse each time he looked at me like I'd given him the most priceless gift.
When I was dried off, Jesse kneeled before me on the plush carpet, filling his hands with cocoa butter. Warming it between his hands, I leaned back and let him rub the cold cream into my belly. Taking away the dry itchiness before it could set in again. Adding it to my arms, neck and back. Before stretching my bare legs across his lap and massaging cream into those too. His hands kneading the muscles in my calves, making me melt into the mattress.
I took the offered help of climbing into my over-sixed clothes and sat up against the headboard to our bed, my legs levitated on four fluffy pillows. The whole time Jesse sat at the bottom by my feet, massaging cream into my swollen ankles. He smiled at my dopey expression when he gave me a delicious foot-rub making me relax into the propped pillows behind me.
I couldn't remember the last time I felt so comfortable, non itchy, feminine and free.
Jesse wriggled my toes when I felt myself dreamily drifting off to sleep. "Lay down, querida," He said, his voice just as soothing and relaxing as his touch. He crawled up the bed, meeting me when I snuggled down to lay on my side. A pillow wedged under my belly to relieve the pressure, with Jesse's added weight the other side of me. Trapping me in comfort and security.
I reached up to lay a hand on his smooth cheek, drawing him down to give me a loving, mind-numbing kiss I broke away from breathlessly. Too comfortable and drowsy for anything more. More than happy to just lay there forever with Jesse. "Rest." Jesse whispered to me.
Just before I fell into one of the best sleeps I got to have before I had the baby, I felt Jesse's arm wrap around my swollen stomach, his chest pressed to my back as a constant presence. His delectable lips placed a kiss on the side of my neck, followed by his deep, rumbling voice echoing in my ear.
"I love you, querida."
A/N 2: I just really wanted to write this. :) Thanks for reading, please review!
'Imperfection is beauty. Madness is genius. And it's better to be absolutely ridiculous, than absolutely boring.' :)
Anonymous Reviews:
ilovejesse - Hi there! Thank you very much for dropping a review for this story! :) I really appreciate it. I love hearing what you all think of this one. It's my pride and joy out of all my stories. I loved the opening to your review, I was struck speechless myself. Jesse is someone I've gotten so comfortable writing, I have trouble writing other characters sometimes. Suze in particular.
I agree with you, Suze is the type to take life in the 'whatever' attitude. But I have real trouble writing that side to her. That's part of the appeal to writing her in this one. I can pretend Jesse has mellowed her over time. Helped her learn patience and everything. I've never been one hundred percent comfortable writing Suze. She for me is just not easy unfortunately. And the more I try to make her as Suze-ish as possible, it just doesn't always work I'm afraid.
I'll keep trying at it though, I'm sure I'll get eventually. :) Thanks so much for the love; it's good to hear you're enjoying this so much. *Hugs* Take care! x
Meg - Heya! Thanks for dropping a review, hun! I loved that you thought it was cute. :D It was being very stubborn to write, and wouldn't flow as easy as I wanted it to go. But I still love it! I was psyched when Satellite Falling mentioned Jesse trying ice-skating. I had the best image of Gina skating circles around him while he tried to find his footing, lol. Poor guy still went down though.
I absolutely adored writing Jesse in this chapter! It's not as detailed or special as some in the past; but I just had to write it out. It wouldn't leave me alone. I just needed something relaxed, sweet and fluffy, lol. So I hope you like this one too! Take care! *Hugs* x