She once told Cece that Nick's kiss made her see through time and space, and to this day, she's not entirely convinced she was being metaphorical. That kiss, those lips, took her some place shiny and shimmery and every thought but him went out of her head. Some people wait a lifetime for a kiss like that, and it's insane to think that she can experience a bit of that magic practically any time she wants now.
It's funny how those same lips that tend to trip over words, especially words related to his feelings, can be so ridiculously skilled at telling her the way he feels without them. When he kisses her lips, she knows how much she means to him and it makes her feel special, like she's the only girl in the world. When he kisses her forehead, she knows how much he wants to take care of her and she thinks just how much she wants to take care of him right back. When he kisses her neck, she knows how much he wants her (and how much she wants him right back). And when he kisses her anywhere else, well, she's generally too far gone for any coherent thought.
And his goodnight kisses, those are something else entirely. Since they've been together and made it officially official, he's always, always kissed her goodnight. It doesn't matter if they've just exhausted themselves out having sex, or if they've been bickering, or if one or both of them has had the kind of day you just want to end. He always leans over, presses those wonderful lips against hers, and says goodnight. Chaste and sweet and it makes her think of old married couples, and if she had to describe it in just one word, she'd say it feels like a promise.
A few years down the line...
They're watching her from afar, letting her explore the world and have her own fun. Where she gets her ability to keep herself so thoroughly entertained, Jess will never know, but she admires her imagination and her spirit. But her sense of adventure does come at a price, and she takes a rough tumble to the ground, and then she's hurried back to them, just another kid on the playground in need of comfort.
Big wet tears slide down her face. "I hurt my knee," she cries, and before Jess can do anything more than register this information, Nick's already got it covered. "Oh baby bear, let me see," he says and he scoops her up into his arms. Jess leans in to inspect it too, and is happy to see that though the knee has a white scrape on it, the injury didn't actually break the skin.
"It's not so bad," Nick tells her, but her tears continue.
"It still hurts."
"Alright, well I can fix that." he says, "Daddy's gonna do a magic trick. You close your eyes, and I'm gonna kiss it better, okay?"
"Okay," she agrees, and closes her eyes. Then he curls her body even tighter in his arms and leans down to press his lips to her knee. Innocent and sweet, a father's promise to heal his little girl. She opens her eyes when he pulls away, and she's got his smile, Jess thinks. "It does feel better!" she exclaims, popping back up almost immediately. She turns to her mother, wide eyes full of belief and happiness. "Mommy, Daddy's kiss is magic!"
Nick, still not entirely grown up in spite of everything, wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at Jess, who laughs and runs a hand through her daughter's soft hair. "Yeah, sweetie, I know."