"One cell phone, blue."
Willow put the cell phone onto the kitchen island and reached into the box in front of her again.
"Two games controllers, black."
She took the final thing, or set of things, out and placed them with the rest.
"Keys, silver with various different colored covers and one fob, black."
"Do we have to do this?" JJ asked, pained.
Willow lifted her chin haughtily.
"You were so eager to go to prison before, this is how they treat people there."
JJ gathered his confiscated items in his arms.
"I'm not grounded anymore. Aren't you supposed to forgive and y'know, forget?"
Willow arched an eyebrow.
"Will I forget you snuggling up with me and Mom on Saturday night to watch My Best Friend's Wedding?"
JJ scowled as he walked away.
"You shouldn't shame me for not indulging in toxic masculinity."
"My brother!" Robyn grinned and lifted her hand to high five him for that, but he apologetically indicated his hands were full, "Catch you later."
"My sister from another mister!" JJ winked back at her.
"Don't call her that!" Willow called after him with a frown.
Robyn swung herself onto a stool.
"Got any hop juice?"
Willow kept frowning.
"Why would I give you a beer?"
Robyn shrugged one shoulder.
"…I didn't know that meant beer. It just sounded good on this western they showed us in school."
"It is," Willow smiled, "Which you'll find out when you're 21 and not a day before."
Robyn rolled her eyes.
"Don't do that," Willow chastised with quiet frustration.
Robyn rested her chin on her upturned palm.
"Why? What have you ever done for me?"
Willow's mouth dropped indignantly.
"I'm the one who rubbed lotion into your butt crack when you had chickenpox!"
Robyn visibly cringed.
"Gross."
"Not to mention, oh, I don't know, carrying and giving birth to you?" Willow continued, crossing her arms on her chest.
"Did I ask you to do those things?" Robyn countered in a mocking tone.
"You begged for the lotion actually," Willow replied petulantly, but when she paused, she started to smile fondly, "You were only three. The twins were still babies so Mom had to bring them to your grandparents until you were better. JJ already had the pox but you were a grumpy little thing so he stayed with Alex while you were sick. It was just you and me."
She leaned over the island and took Robyn's hands.
"You used to sleep all curled up like a kitty when you were little. And that week you slept all curled around my leg. I'd wake up to you rubbing my foot against your belly where most of the spots were."
Robyn, surprisingly, didn't force her hands away.
"That was real? I thought I remembered a dream."
"You remember that?" Willow asked softly.
"Kinda?" Robyn replied unsurely.
Willow smiled some more.
"You were really little," she said and tapped Robyn's hands, "Are you all packed for the cabin?"
Robyn nodded quickly.
"I like the cabin. All the furniture is recycled wood."
"Hallelujah," Willow threw her hands up.
Robyn rolled her eyes but turned her back to walk away first.
"Make sure you pack my tofu dogs!"
Willow looked pained as Tara passed by Robyn and joined Willow in the kitchen.
"Is she on a vegan kick again? You know she always throws in the towel the first time we order pepperoni pizza!"
"No," Tara replied in a calming voice, "We talked about it and agreed to be meatless two days a week as a compromise."
Willow looked unimpressed.
"I'm not eating a tofu dog."
Tara gripped Willow's arms and pressed their lips together.
"You don't have to. I'm bringing them for her for the BBQ. Along with plenty of regular, good old fashioned American hot dogs. Which probably has far more questionable ingredients than the tofu dogs."
"Ignorance is bliss," Willow smiled cheerily.
Tara put her arms around Willow's neck.
"Did you officially lift JJ's grounding?"
Willow nodded.
"Warden Willow carried out her duties."
"Ooh, I could be interested in that," Tara grinned and pushed her hips against Willow, who grinned back.
They hugged for a moment and Tara popped another kiss on Willow's cheek.
"Is the car packed?"
"Just have to get the girls' things," Willow replied, pushing off the island, "You'd think we're moving up there permanently with the amount of stuff I've lugged into the car. Well, honestly…Kayden did a lot of the lugging. But I pointed him in the right direction."
"Of the car?" Tara grinned.
Willow stuck out her tongue.
Tara winked.
Willow smiled.
"Have we got medications and Emily's inhaler?"
"In my purse," Tara confirmed, "With my Epipen. We're all good to go."
"And we're not even late!" Willow threw her hands up in delight, "Let's grab those tofu dogs and hit the road!"
Forty miles or so south of home, every window in the minivan was rolled down and the lucky few sitting right beside them had their heads hanging out of them.
"How does something vegan smell like a stinky pig?!" Lily exclaimed distastefully.
"Yeah, like a stinky pig that hasn't been abused!" Robyn shot back, holding her crossed arms as close to her face as possible so she could bury her nose in them.
"Robyn, enough," Willow said sternly through the mirror, resentful that she needed both hands on the wheel and couldn't use one to plug her nose.
"Sweetheart, we spoke about the preaching," Tara called back gently.
Robyn's brow furrowed glumly.
"They started it."
"I'll try one of your Tofurkeys, Robyn," Kayden said kindly, though his eyes blinked repeatedly as he tried not to inhale inward.
Robyn dropped her arms and looked at him gratefully.
"Oinkers and Piggie Smalls thank you."
Willow shook her head and muttered to Tara.
"I knew it was a bad idea letting her adopt those pigs."
"You approved her bi-annual spending forecast," Tara replied pointedly with an arched eyebrow.
Willow pouted, unimpressed.
"Are we there yet?" Lily called impatiently from the back.
"Halfway kiddo," Willow advised with a sigh.
"Who wants to play a car game?" Tara suggested, to lift spirits.
"NO," was the resounding answer except for Kayden and Emily who offered a sweet 'Me' and 'I do, Mommy!' respectively.
It only took about three minutes of The License Plate game for everyone in the car to be pointing and shouting at each new car that passed by and playfully fighting over who saw it first.
Moods had been lifted as they arrived at the state park where their cabin home was to be for the weekend. Willow looked out sadly as they passed by the 1-bed cabins where she had Tara had originally been booked into for a steamy weekend away for their anniversary.
She could just see the big, comfy bed with Egyptian cotton sheets and pillows made of cloud. The big, open fireplace with the plush rug in front of it made for lying on to absorb the warmth and the warm cedarwood walls that bounce so delightfully against that red, silk robe of Tara's as it slipped away from her body…
She sighed.
Well, the fireplace would still be in the big house, she guessed. That was some consolation.
She drove up a hill to the family cabins and a particular set of three. Outside the first, the Harris family were unpacking their wares and outside the third, Alice, Jesse, and Ella were doing the same. As Willow parked up, she spotted Becky and Brian exiting the third house to help with the final load. All that separated each house was some shrubbery.
"How did this go from a cabin for two to a cabin for…nineteen?" Willow looked at Tara longingly.
Tara playfully tapped Willow's nose.
"You told Xander."
Willow rolled her eyes.
"Who told Jesse, who told Becky, who was overheard by Buffy," she sighed, then looked up curiously, "Hey, these cabins are three-beds…Wouldn't that mean Jesse and Alice are sharing since they all went in on the one house?"
Tara put a finger against her lips and Willow quickly nodded.
"Alright kids," she said as she opened her door, "Get haulin'!"
"Why do we have to do?" Robyn asked grudgingly.
"Because it's the only benefit of having five kids," Willow returned with a grin.
The doors slid open and Woofy jumped out, delighted with all of the new grass and shrubs to sniff and mark. He went into full zoomies when Aurey appeared from the other house, all long limbs, and excited drool as she barreled toward him.
Everyone grabbed a bag or cooler and made their way toward the house. Tara picked up the last cooler and thrust it at Willow, smiling sweetly.
"It's the only benefit of having a wife."
Willow stuck out her tongue and Tara arched an eyebrow. Willow blushed.
Seven people did empty the car pretty quickly and Willow left the car open to air out.
"To-frickin'-furkey."
Xander came out of his house and waved at Willow.
"Howdy, neighbor!"
Willow couldn't help but smile. They hadn't all been together like this in a while and it was supposed to be a nice weekend, weather-wise. There were some lovely walks in the area and they'd brought bikes for the kids. There were waterfalls and playgrounds and even fishing facilities, which is why Xander had been so eager to come, Willow knew.
"Howdy," Willow returned with a smile, "Where are the—"
Just then Pixie came skipping out and over to their yard.
"Hi Aunty Willow," she greeted with ethereal happiness and Willow once again wondered how that child could have come out of Anya.
"Hey Pixie-sticks," Willow smiled with a wave and looked back to Xander, "Going fishing?"
"Taking the boys first thing," Xander answered excitedly.
"Better you than me," Willow returned with a grin.
Anya came out of the house upon hearing a conversation and walked over with her arms crossed.
"Can you believe they didn't give us a discount when we brought so many people here?"
"Um, what now?" Willow asked in disbelief, "You didn't—"
"At least the bed seems sturdy," Anya continued as if Willow hadn't spoken, "We've moving onto page 69 of our new book and you know that will be a good one. Where's Tara? I want to tell her about page 69."
"She's quite familiar already," Willow barked back.
"She's read it too?" Anya's face lit up and she walked through the gap in the shrubbery to follow Pixie into the house.
Willow shot Xander a firm 'look'.
"Um, honey?" Xander called after her, "Tara probably needs a chance to unpack."
Anya threw her hands up and came back.
"Oh, alright. 69ing can wait."
Willow's back teeth clenched together but she raised her hand and forced a smile.
"See you later! The missus will make me sleep on the couch if I don't help her unpack."
Xander grinned goofily.
"Don't want to miss out on that sturdiness."
Willow offered a placating smile and quickly retreated.
"Hey Beck," she called over the yard as she went in the door as Becky was coming out, "Glad you and Bri were able to make it too."
"Cheap bed, why not?" Becky asked with a smile, "Jess just wants payment in beers, which happens to be a currency I'm very familiar with."
"Do I get a referral fee?" Willow asked cheerily.
Maybe this weekend wouldn't be so bad after all.
Becky winked.
"I always pay my debts."
Willow chuckled and went into the house.
She stood in the hallway and just enjoyed her surroundings for a moment. There was something very grounding about standing in a log cabin with the windows open, appreciating the sights and sounds and smells of nature.
"I WANT THE BED BY THE WINDOW SO I CAN SEE IF ANY FAIRIES COME TO VISIT!"
Lily's unique brand of screech ripped through the sounds of nature and Willow forced a smile as she ascended the stairs to referee.
"Okay, all of you, OUT!" she instructed, waving her arms in the direction of the door, "Go have a pebble finding competition or sniff some flowers or something. Do you know how many kids would kill for this kind of—Robyn, you're standing in front of a mirror, I can see you mocking me."
Robyn's mouth promptly clamped shut and she ran toward the door.
"Let's go play hide and seek in the trees!"
Willow caught Emily's wrist as she followed the rest of them out. Willow bent down to her level.
"Emmy, do you want the fairy bed?"
Emily's eyes grew troubled and she glanced at the laughing going on outside the door, heading for the stairs.
"You can have it if you want it," Willow said with a reassuring nod, "You didn't pick the bed in Hawaii or California."
Emily's bottom lip shook for a moment before she glanced at the window and back at Willow, eyes full of wonder.
"I want the fairy bed, Momma."
Willow smiled and rubbed Emily's back.
"Go play with your sisters and Pixie. Don't forget to get Ella!"
Willow put Emily's Winnie the Pooh backpack on the bed closest to the window. She put the other two bags belonging to Robyn and Lily on the other beds to close the matter once and for all.
She walked past the boys' room but their bags had been abandoned in place of exploring so Willow continued on to the master bedroom in the back.
"Where did they get this fairy thing from anyway?" she asked Tara, who was neatly folding away their clothes for the weekend.
"I've been telling them bedtime stories about the fairies who live in the woods here," Tara smiled and Willow felt a bit of fairy magic in the air at how she lit up the room.
"That'll do it," Willow's head bobbed in response, "We're going to have to leave some dust or something around now."
Tara lifted a little baggie of glitter from her case. Willow grinned.
"Always prepared. Were you a girl scout and never told me?"
Tara got a flash of something on her face and looked down at the shirts she was folding.
"No," she answered quietly, a little bit hollow.
Willow winced. She came over and put her hand on the small of Tara's back.
"I'm sorry, Tara."
"It's totally fine," Tara replied and looked up with a little trying-to-be-reassuring smile.
Willow swallowed.
"I know things are probably still raw since…"
Tara moved away to put the clothes in the dresser.
"Honestly, I'm just relieved JJ seems to have learned his lesson."
"We still need to be careful now that he has privileges back. I understand Cleo is important to him but she's not an excuse for any bad behavior."
"I'd like to spend more time with her," Tara replied definitively, "Maybe she can come up to visit."
Willow's eyebrow arched.
"And stay in which room exactly?"
Tara gave Willow a pleading look.
"Let's not ruin this nice weekend, okay?"
"You brought it up," Willow returned with a sigh as she looked out of the window, "Sun is going down. Buffy and Angel will be here soon with Liam. You better hurry down if you want to capitalize on those toddler snuggles before he goes to bed."
She smiled at Tara and came over to help her unpack. Once that was done and the cooler was emptied into the fridge, Willow popped open a bottle of wine and poured two glasses, which she brought out to Tara sitting on the little patio in the front.
As she walked out, Angel's SUV pulled up on the curb. All of the windows were tinted so they didn't see Liam until Buffy freed him from his car seat and he came barreling toward them on uneven legs.
"Aunty Ta-wa!"
Tara picked him up just as he jumped into her arms.
"Hey, he's getting better at pronouncing my name."
"We've been working on it," Buffy called out in a tired tone from the car, "Think you could…?"
"Go ahead," Tara smiled at them and then back down at the boy, "Hello Mr. Liam. How are we doing today?"
She swung him around the place and elicited much giggling.
Willow smiled watching them and then somehow found herself convinced to get on all fours in the grass to be the red-maned lion that he and Tara had to tame.
"Good look for you, Will," Buffy grinned as she came back down to lock the car.
Willow rose to her feet with a few indignant creaks.
"I will have you know I played the part of The Cowardly Lion himself in my drama class's production of The Wizard of Oz in college."
Buffy looked skeptical and Willow sighed.
"Okay, I read lines with the Tin Man. Once. Because he was standing behind Tara and I could secretly check her out."
Liam toddled over to Buffy, rubbing his eyes.
"I think somebody needs a bottle and a bedtime story, huh?" she asked him sweetly after plucking him up, "Say night-night to Aunty Willow and Aunty Tara."
"Nigh'-nigh'," Liam replied agreeably, and sleepily.
"Night-night, Liam," Willow and Tara said at the same time.
Buffy disappeared back into the house and Willow and Tara retook their seats on the patio. Willow smiled as she clinked their glasses together. It was a rare moment of peace with the kids off playing and the other adults finalizing things in their houses.
"This is what I imagined when I first booked a cabin for us."
"Well let's savor it," Tara replied with an answering smile.
Willow looked sheepish.
"Because the kids will be back in twenty minutes; filthy and demanding food?"
Tara chuckled.
"Because we have this moment and we should live in it."
Willow looked at Tara and found new love filling her heart. Like the universe, it just seemed to keep expanding and expanding.
Tara recognized the look and smiled alluringly.
"I love to see those flames dance."
Willow was helpless to stop it.
"Burn, baby, burn."
"Uncle Xander, it's not gone bad, it just hasn't been formed by churned cruelty."
"Well it needs to churn itself all the way over the edge of my grill, little lady," Xander replied to Robyn jovially, "Sorry, kid. Can't get that stank into the burgers."
Robyn scowled and marched away, indignant.
Willow weaved through the crowd of everyone gathered in their back yard, though with only small bushes separating the houses it was easy for there to be overflow.
Everyone was in little groups chatting and the kids were playing and it felt very much like a party back home but with a much better view. Green grass, trees for miles and if you were quiet you could hear a waterfall falling into its pool nearby.
Of course, right now it was completely drowned out by the chatter but Willow enjoyed the buzz of conversation and happy squeals from the girls and Liam who was lapping up all of the attention.
Willow caught Tara's eye, who was caught up in apparently heated conversation with Anya involving lots of hand gestures and body movements, to see if she needed a drink or saving, but Tara just smiled gently in Willow's direction and dodged Anya as she did a body roll in Tara's direction.
Willow was happy to stay away.
She walked across the yard to where Kayden was sitting in the grass, running his fingers through the blades. As she got closer, she saw he was playing with a ladybug.
She lowered herself onto her knees beside him.
"You know ladybugs aren't bugs — they're beetles."
Kayden looked up with a shy smile.
"And when they lay eggs, some of them don't have an embryo. They're little snacks for their babies when they're born," he said and looked excited to be able to continue, "And they have two sets of wings. One in their shell for protection and the other ones to fly."
Willow smiled fondly.
"You are a nugget of information."
Kayden shrugged his shoulders bashfully.
"I did a report in sixth grade."
Willow smiled some more and patted Kayden on the shoulder.
"Come on, nugget," she said, slowly straightening up her knees again, "Let's get some burgers before Xander has one too many beers and starts to burn them."
On their way, they passed the other boys.
"Your girlfriend is so hot," Alex fanned himself as he looked over JJ's shoulder, who was showing off pictures on his phone now it was back in his possession, "Isn't she hot, Kayden?"
Kayden stalled.
"Oh, umm," he gulped but recovered quickly, "O-of course."
JJ flicked onto a new photo and Alex ran around in circles.
"DUDE! How can she like you?!"
Willow frowned, annoyed on many levels, and patted Kayden's back before going off to the grill by herself.
As she approached the grill, the men were all huddled together sloshing beers and being generally macho as they stood around burning meat.
"Am I a piece of lump charcoal baby?" Jesse said with deep intonation, "Because my wood is sure hard."
They all started laughing, even Angel gave a smirk, and Xander snapped his tongs in the air.
"Damn girl! Was your dad a grill master? Because you are sizzling!"
"Heaven must be missing an ambrosia salad!" Willow piped up as she walked into their space.
They all looked at her blankly. Willow gulped.
"'Cause it's the food of the gods? And BBQ food? Like oh, you're a goddess? And heaven is…missing…your…salad."
She frowned, then looked down and thrust her plate forward silently.
She received two burgers from Xander and quickly moved off to fix them up the toppings station. When she looked back into the yard she spotted Tara on her own and took the opportunity to get her attention.
Determined to redeem herself, at least in her own mind, she approached Tara with her chin raised high.
"Do you sleep on your stomach?"
Tara frowned.
"What? No. You do though."
Willow floundered, not anticipating that answer.
"Uh… Um… Can I?"
"Can you what?" Tara asked, looking at Willow in bewilderment.
"Sleep on your stomach?" Willow asked with a sheepish creak in her voice, then pouted, "I was trying a line."
"You don't need a line," Tara replied with a slightly arched eyebrow, "You just need your face."
Ira must be a grill master because Willow felt her insides sizzle.
"Now there's a line."
Tara winked.
"And I didn't even tell you where you need your face to be yet."
Willow blushed and giggled.
"I knew I should have just been hanging out with you all along," she said, perching her butt down and holding the plate between them, "Burger?"
She picked at one of the burgers.
"They put on extra cheese because of my cheesy attempt at a pick-up line. They think they're so funny. I should have pushed Xander into the waterfall when we were there earlier."
Tara accepted some food from the plate.
"Do you remember why we're down here at the cabins in the first place?"
Willow looked up and smiled.
"Of course," she said, leaning over to press a long kiss to Tara's cheek, "Happy Anniversary."
"Happy Anniversary, my love," Tara returned sweetly and smiled out at the party, "We didn't do too badly for ourselves, huh?"
Willow leaned her head in on Tara's shoulder and kissed her neck.
"All because a girl plucked up the courage to ask another girl to hold her hand."
Tara held her hand up and Willow took it proudly.
They each ate one-handed so they didn't have to part and even stood together in unison when they decided to walk back over to the grill, where most of the adults had congregated to sit and eat. They refilled their single plates and pulled up seats to join the conversation.
"I just want her hair but also her face and body and accent and just everything about her?" Becky said to Alice, gesturing up and down her upper body as she held an empty plate on her lap.
"Becky's going through a Margot Robbie phase," Brian informed Willow and Tara with a fond smile.
"Hey, me too," Jesse cut in and chuckled, "Probably not in the same way."
Alice frowned and quickly looked away.
Becky flicked her hair back and grinned across the group.
"Everyone knows the only chick I would ever bang is Tara."
"She is the only non-celebrity on Becky's list," Brian supplied helpfully, "David Tennant…Lebron James…Tara."
"Not only is she stealing my wife, but she's also stealing my favorite Doctor," Willow replied indignantly, "I'm surprised you haven't made it a threesome."
"I'll take David and Lebron in a threesome," Becky smirked, then winked and lifted her glass in a toast, "I want Tara all to myself."
Tara blushed and raised her glass. Willow slapped her wrist down.
"Don't cheers that!"
She frowned at Tara, then gestured wildly off to the side.
"Oh, look Kayden has his guitar!" she very purposefully jumped conversations, "Please son, save me from this nightmare."
Kayden blushed as all of the attention suddenly turned on him.
"Um, I wanted to sing a song for you for your anniversary."
"That's so sweet," Tara beamed, quickly turning her chair around to face back into the yard.
Everyone else did much the same.
Kayden hadn't really anticipated the utter silent attention he would have for this but surprisingly, it didn't make him want to back away.
He looked to Tara shyly.
"I know you like The Beatles so I hope you like this one," he adjusted the guitar on his knee and smiled at Willow, "Maybe somewhere else in the multiverse they're called The Ladybugs."
Willow put a hand over her heart and smiled.
The kids had all crawled back for the show and the little girls were sitting around Kayden's feet.
Kayden smiled at them and started to play.
"There are places I'll remember all my life, though some have changed. Some forever, not for better. Some have gone, and some remain."
Willow took Tara's hand again and squeezed tight. They didn't need to look at each other and wouldn't, giving all of their attention to Kayden.
People swayed as he played and though his cheeks were red under the moonlight, Kayden's smile was splitting his face.
"…for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them…in my life I'll love you more."
His eyes flittered from Willow and Tara to the girls and JJ, who had actually put his phone down long enough to listen with a grin and finally to the wider group and back to Willow and Tara.
"In my life I'll love you more."
"Herrugh!"
Willow heaved the heavy trash bag full of empties into the can outside and blew out a puff of air.
Everyone had gone home nicely tipsy with promises of returning in the morning to help clean up but Willow knew there was somewhere between jack and none of that actually happening. She definitely didn't want to be trying to run around after some wayward napkin while they were trying to corral the kids into getting ready to go in the morning so she'd just smiled all pacifying like and did the clean-up herself.
Even Tara had sneaked out on her.
She did a last check of the yard and turned off all of the lights before returning into the house. Dishes would have to be done in the morning after breakfast anyway, so Willow decided to leave what was there.
As she made her way into the hallway, intending to go upstairs and see if Tara was still awake, she noticed shadows bouncing off of the walls coming through the doorway into the living room.
She peered into investigate and her breath caught.
Tara had found her.
Just as Willow had imagined.
Fire roaring, plush rug, red satin robe.
Willow gulped.
"I didn't know you brought that."
Tara lay on her side on the white rub with the low flicker of flame from the small fire she'd set lapping behind her. Her head rested on her upturned palm, one ankle was turned provocatively over the other and she bore the smirk of a plan well executed.
She hooked a finger and curled it toward herself. Willow took the instruction like a magnet being pulled.
As Willow sank onto her knees, Tara reached into her bra under her robe and produced a piece of paper folded into a small square. She held it up between two fingers.
"I want to show you my list."
"Is Becky top of it?" Willow asked with an unamused look on her face, "With her non-jellied-belly and lack of surgery scars and boobs that weren't sucked dry by a helpless infant."
Tara held out the square for Willow to take.
Willow took it and with skepticism, slowly unfolded it. Scribbled everywhere, in different sizes and even different styles, was Willow's name. Over and over and over again.
Willow's smile bloomed. She leaned over Tara and kissed her, hard.
Tara fell onto her back and pulled Willow on top of her. As they kissed, she started to unbutton Willow's sweater.
Willow pulled back during a gasp.
"Here?"
"They're asleep," Tara whispered, the fire lighting up her grin, "And I got some tips earlier."
Willow grinned back.
A little while in, Willow's clothing was loosened and her mouth was engaged on Tara's neck but her body grew stiff when she heard some sort of crashing.
Her head popped up.
"What was that?"
"The fairies," Tara replied wryly and Willow giggled, followed swiftly by a moan.
As the single lit fire log dimmed to almost nothing, Tara tugged a breathless Willow by the hand.
"We should go upstairs. We need the bed for the sturdiness if we're going to do page 69 properly."
Willow's eyes popped.
"That wasn't page 69?"
Tara smirked again.
"Not even close."
Willow looked overwhelmed.
"Then what was that?"
Tara winked as she stood.
"All me."
Willow scrambled up and ran after her wife as fast as she could.
In the middle of the night, JJ slept on the bottom bunk in his and Kayden's room because he hadn't been quick enough when they arrived to grab the top.
He'd just laughed and said 'alright dude' when Kayden had claimed it because he hadn't really seen Kayden have the confidence to do something like that before.
He slept with his arm thrown at an angle above his head, holding his phone in case he got a message from Cleo.
However, it wasn't vibrations that woke him up.
It was licking on his face. It wasn't unpleasant given the dream he was rousing from but when he crossed the threshold from sleep to wake, he started to splutter.
"Wha—Jeez, Woofy, get off me!"
He gently batted Woofy away, who started to bark incessantly.
"Can't you hold it?" JJ whined when Woofy began pawing at him desperately.
He grumbled and threw the blanket off. He walked over and put his hand on the doorknob.
"Ow!" he exclaimed and shook out his finger in annoyance.
He pulled the ajar door open fully.
He gasped.
"Oh shit!"