Title: It Is So Ordered
Rating: M (Explicit sex)
Pairing: David Rosen/Jake Ballard
Disclosures: This story is SLASH. Don't like, please don't read. Constructive feedback on the writing is appreciated; but no hate allowed, only love. If you do read, please consider leaving a review! I do not in anyway own the characters - we have beautiful Shonda to thank for them! I'm just playing with these slashy tidbits I'm making up. Thanks too to my super-fantastic beta.
Story: Current day, June 25-26, 2015. Established relationship. Several chapters, stand-alone for now. David and Jake manage their way through the week that ends with the SCOTUS decision to uphold same-sex marriage.
Spoilers: None
David returned to the Supreme Court Building after his celebratory lunch with Jake. He checked in with the Marshal and the Joint Chiefs. There were rumblings, general concern, but nothing that necessitated his attention at this time. David made his way up to the second floor and stopped by the Justice offices. He exchanged pleasantries and congratulations with Ginsberg, Kagan and Kennedy. His exchange with Kennedy was touching. It was truly a historic day and David let it all sink in. He thanked them for their hard work and they each thanked him for his support.
He was humbled by their acknowledgment and gratitude. David was glad to know the Justices knew they had a friend in him. The microcosm known as the intersection of US legal and political avenues was not lost on him. There was a lot of work to be done, and David was glad to know where he stood with these great minds. He aspired to be in their company.
On his way back to the central stairwell, David passed by the courtroom. He stepped inside and found Justice Sotomayor. "Your Honor," he greeted and went to shake her hand. "It's a great day, ma'am."
"It is that, Mr. Rosen," the Justice put down the files she was gathering. They discussed how the path lead to the decision. "Giving liberty to more citizens does not take it away from the citizens who originally had that liberty. The right to be married is embedded in our Constitution. How could we have allowed states to bar some people from that embedded right?" David agreed, thankful for the opportunity to have this conversation with her. "Plus, everyone enters into marriage with their own vision of it, don't they, Mr. Rosen?"
"I'm sure that is correct, Justice Sotomayor."
She considered him. "Mr. Rosen, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
"Not at all, ma'am."
"Do you find yourself with the inclination to marry?" She asked with a knowing smile.
David reciprocated, by smiling and closing his eyes a beat longer than necessary. "I do now, ma'am."
She visibly appreciated his candor. "It was nice to see you at the reception this week."
David had to swallow past a lump in his throat. "At the White House?"
"Did you attend more than one reception this week, Mr. Rosen?"
"No, ma'am," David shook his head and smiled again. "I didn't have the pleasure of seeing you there."
"It was quite the evening. I wasn't there very long. My brother asked me to attend." Justice Sotomayor picked up her files again. "I was glad to see you there. It looked like you and your friend were having a good time."
"We did, yes." David needed to not think about how good a time they had that night when they got home. He would surely blush then.
"I must be going, Mr. Rosen. Nice to talk with you today," and she handed David a file folder with what looked like a single piece of paper in it. "For you."
"Thank you, your Honor. It is a privilege and honor to serve our nation with you," with that, David walked out with the Justice. He held the door open for her to the chambers and they parted ways when Justice Sotomayor went up the stairwell to her office and David exited down toward the first floor.
He should go back to his office and see what else needing wrapping up before the weekend. The sun started peaking back out and he decided to walk. This was what he loved most about DC: the walks he could take, clear his thoughts, create new thoughts... They were all the best reasons. David headed directly for the Capitol Building, around the Visitor Entrance. Celebratory citizens peppered the waiting line. He smiled, excited to see people taking advantage of everything the city had to offer them on this day.
Instead of going back to Constitution to DOJ offices, David headed down Madison Drive toward the National Gallery of Art and the attached park. It was a funny little park with walled displays of art, as well as structures in the forms of trains and houses, and entire trees made of silver. It was family-friendly yet abstract. David found himself people-watching the gamut of visitors.
Young couples with kids, middle-aged groups of singles, older people who stood close and he couldn't discern who they might be to one another. It was easy to take notice that day, maybe for the first time, how many of these couples were same-sex. Women with women, men with men, kids and families of all variations. All kinds of comfort and familiarity, in partnerships and familial stature.
Also easy to observe today in all of these people, in all of these combinations, was the exuberance. The extra joy, and also what might be considered the overly-overt displays of affection: the hand holding, arms entwined, arms around waists, embraces and kisses. He wondered if he didn't notice it before, if he hadn't wanted to see it?
David went to the Pavilion and purchased a water, found a bench and sat down. When he thought about why he was so invested in this decision, in what happened in DC that day, he didn't have to think too hard about it. When he cleared away the distractions of the morning from his mind, it was clearer. When he just thought about what his actual feelings were as he looked around the park, it was crystal clear.
He wanted it all. He wanted to be married. He maybe wanted to have a child in his life. He wanted to belong to someone and have that someone belong to him. ...and for the first time he was faced with the realization he wanted that someone - of course - to be Jake.
The realization scared him because he didn't have any clue if Jake felt the same. In the three years they've been together, they had never discussed it. They were barely 'out' by any measure, and had never discussed anything beyond the next weekend. Thinking on it, David realized they hadn't even ever taken a vacation together or talked about planning anything.
Looking around at these couples, these families, he could tell they were not all from DC proper. There were families in board shorts and t-shirts, some over-dressed in sweatshirts and coats like they were cold on this early yet temperate summer day. David hadn't ever considered going to the Midwest, or the West Coast. Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Disneyland, the Grand Canyon! All places he wanted to see and hadn't been west of the Mississippi. He hadn't thought of traveling to any of them since college, back when all things seemed possible. He wanted to travel with Jake, take a vacation.
David finished his water and walked the block and half north to his office building. He stopped in briefly, it was already late afternoon and he heard immediately from Alissa that most of their officemates had left to go to SCOTUS parties. He dismissed her, amid her objections and told her to just 'go, have fun, enjoy.'
He gathered some files he may or may not have been committed to reviewing the upcoming weekend. It gave him the permission he needed to leave as well. Home was another twenty minute walk away and that was just fine with him. Making his way toward the White House, he hung a right and just past K Street, he was home.
David nodded his greetings to the doorman, held the elevator for Mrs. Johnston from the second floor, and arrived. The relief of arriving home was palatable. David opened the door and was greeted by an overwhelming sense of warmth.
Candles, a hundred of them easily, were placed everywhere in the living room. He smelled lavender and a woodsy-smell. He removed his messenger bag and light jacket. Closing his eyes to appreciate it all, he stood there until a new scent entered his purview. Shea butter. Jake's soap. David opened his eyes and saw his lover standing before him.
"Hey you," David greeted.
"Hey," Jake responded and approached David and took his things, placing them on the chair next to the door.
David took a deep breath and could only let it all go. "I want it, Jake. I want it all," David kissed his partner with everything he had. He let his lips and tongue and hands roam freely. They separated briefly and Jake looked at David with a look of expectation, wanting more of an explanation from him. David continued. "I do. I want all of it. Everything we want together." David wanted Jake to want what he wanted, but at the very least he wanted them to figure it out together.
Jake stood a little stunned at David's declaration.
David's adrenaline was pumping now that he was home. "It looks great in here. Smells good too. ...everything," David smirked while he went in for another kiss. Relaxed and steady, he tried to slow his heart rate a little and show Jake how appreciative he was for everything today. "Thank you again... for coming to find me today, for lunch, for this," David motioned to the living room. "It's amazing. You're amazing," David kissed Jake again, sweetly and simply. It was a slow burn, the kindling on what could be a much bigger fire by evening's end.
"You're... excited," observed Jake, smiling and appreciating his partner's presence. He kept his arms around David and waited until they were in sync enough to take a breath together. And he enjoyed a few of those while he just smiled and dropped sweet kisses on David's lips. Finally, he took David's hand and led him over to the couch where a bottle of white wine chilled and two empty glasses were waiting on the coffee table. "Tell me about today," Jake asked gently, opening, pouring and offering David a glass of wine.
"Jake, seriously, it was so amazing. Seeing that kind of history being made. Seeing all of the people who cared enough to be there. Seeing the citizens this change in law would impact, the emotions it spurred in them," David shook his head reflectively and took a drink of wine. "And our lunch. Our lunch was perfect." He kissed Jake and Jake smiled again. "Then," said David, "I went back and checked in with the Supreme Court Police Marshal, and the Justices. I spoke with several of them," David still let it resonate. "A longer conversation with Sotomayor. In chambers... it was really something." He let out a deep sigh and took another sip of wine. "I swung by the office quick and now here I am."
Jake listened to David while sipping his own glass of wine. He alternated between tenderly holding David's hand in his and caressing his lover's forearm with the other. He smiled and engaged and listened to David. He sat, a bit overcome by David's energy, and that was at war with wondering what David had been thinking about today.
Jake had taken everything in as much stride as he could, with as much information as he had. He knew when he heard this morning that the decision would come down today that he needed to go to David. Calling Alissa, tracking David's phone, led him to finding his love on the steps of the Supreme Court Building. He had a feeling of course that David's behavior had something to do with the decision on Same-Sex Marriage. That had been big enough of a realization that Jake had taken time to digest and consider it. He had never, ever considered getting married. His younger years, as David already knew, had been full of wanderlust. This had given way to years of being disconnected by means of the Navy and his subsequent government service. Jake looked at David with love and understanding, silently begging him to tell him whatever he needed to tell him.
"You're quiet," David offered. "How was the rest of your day?"
"It was good, really," Jake replied. He reached forward, eyes closing at the last moment and kissing David. He breathed in David's own breath and treasured the moment. "David... what did you mean when you came home and said you 'want it all'?"
David smiled. He felt good. And confident. Sure. Sure of what he wanted for the first time in what seemed to be... his whole life. "I mean exactly what I said, Jake. I want it all. I know I've been agitated for a while, probably bordering on weeks," he smiled again seeing the recognition in Jake's eyes. "But today, as I watched history unfold... I realized... this. affects. me. ...This could affect us. And for the first time I thought it. I admitted it: I would love to be married. I want to talk about having kids. Nothing is off limits for us anymore. Nothing." David was grinning more than outright smiling at this point. He had grabbed Jake's hands at some point during the conversation, and he just waited.
Jake squeezed David's hands and smiled to reassure him. Okay, he thought, at least he was on track. He just hadn't expected David to be so... enthusiastic. "That's great, baby," Jake helped David set down his glass of wine, and gathered him into his arms. "It's going to be great."
A/N: Please consider a review - I would greatly appreciate it!