The Unexpected

Warning: Love Scene

Jason spent the week crammed into workshops in a nondescript industrial park just outside of Boston, his mind swimming with schematics for hybrid engines. The specialized training had been intense, pushing his mind to his limits, and all he craved was a long shower and a decent night's sleep. It was hard enough sleeping without Kelsi snuggled beside him, but away from home too made it brutal. As he shut his eyes and eased back into his seat again, a sudden jolt of the plane caused him to grip the arm rests. "What the–?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

The pilot's voice crackled over the intercom. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Due to a rapidly developing storm system off the coast, we have been instructed to land at LaGuardia Airport. We apologize for any inconvenience…" The pilot's announcement ran on, the fasten seatbelt sign illuminating overhead, but Jason was already desperate to get out of his seat

The plane soon touched down in New York. Of all the places between Boston and Albuquerque.

Not long after the wheels touched down on the rainy tarmac, his phone buzzed with a text from Allan that he'd gotten the notice of the delayed flight and assured Jason the company would cover expenses incurred as usual. He scrolled through weather updates. Sure enough, a freak early-spring storm was brewing off the coast, bringing with it the threat of torrential rain and high winds. A frazzled airline employee informed him that the flight was delayed until at least the next morning and all passengers were being offered accommodation in a nearby hotel. When he realized the love of his life was hardly far away, he instantly forgot about the inconvenience of the weather and accepted. He hadn't seen her in months, and the thought of surprising her sent a thrill through Jason's veins.

He quickly called Kelsi, his heart pounding with excitement. "Hey, stranger," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Hey, baby, are you home from Boston already?" her sweet voice rang in his ear.

Jason couldn't help but smile knowing she'd soon be in his arms. "Not exactly. Guess who's unexpectedly in town?"

An excited gasp buzzed through his phone. "No way! But why?"

"My flight home got diverted to LaGuardia because of the storm, and..."

"And what?"

"They're putting me up in a hotel for the night."

"Give me an hour and I'll be there."

He quickly gave her the address and heard her shuffling around in the background.

"Will you be ready for me?" she asked.

"I'll make a stop," Jason answered with a grin and hung up. After navigating the chaotic terminal to retrieve his luggage and making a convenient stop at a pharmacy inside the airport, Jason caught a cab over to the nearby hotel and checked in. One more text gave Kelsi his room number, leaving him pacing until a knock finally sounded at the door, signalling the arrival of someone he had been aching for.

He quickly threw the door open to the sight of Kelsi standing in the hall, her raincoat dripping from the angry storm she had braved to meet him. His eyes instantly became dark and desperate. "Kelsi…" he breathed as he pulled her into a confident embrace, his lips settling on hers in a long awaited kiss. "Damn, I missed you woman."

"Hey, Gearhead," she replied through anxious pants of desire. She quickly stripped off her sodden coat. "I need you, J."

Jason hoisted her quickly to his hips and gave the door a gentle shove to seal out the world from their impromptu reunion. They became a blur of activity, clothes falling quickly to the floor. Skin connected with skin, electric kisses arcing between their lips as they grasped for each other.

He quickly slid a condom on and made his way roughly between her thighs. He sighed deeply as she snugged tightly around him, her body responding in every perfect way that was uniquely her. Thrusting hard right out of the gate, he pressed deeply into her with wild force. "This'll be a quick one, baby," he groaned as he felt his climax hurtling forward. "I'm feeling impatient."

"Go for it, J!" she gasped, the tightening of her womb stealing her voice away. "I'm right behind you."

With a few more sure strokes, Jason fell over the edge, then reached quickly between Kelsi's legs to finish her off, their bodies shaking as their pent up desire was finally released. The aches in their souls for each other gently eased as they lay entwined, holding each other close, neither willing to let go.

"I better deal with this," Jason muttered as he unhooked her legs from his hips. "Geez, even a quickie with you is just as good as spending an hour at it."

"That sounds like fun when you're ready to go again," Kelsi said with a smirk.

Jason grinned as he caught his breath. "We'll see if I have it in me, this week has been exhausting."

"You have to tell me all about that course!" Kelsi exclaimed as Jason settled back into the bed with her, sitting up cross legged, eagerly waiting to hear.

He spent the next little while filling her in on his week, sharing every detail since it enamoured her as much as it did him as was evident in how she hung on his every word. "Alright enough about me, how was your interview?" Jason finally asked when she stopped peppering him with questions about his training.

"I think it went well, they seemed really interested in my work here at Juilliard, and they said they enjoyed the recordings of the shows I sent with my application. I hope my request for a reference came through, it was a bit last minute," she answered, "but wouldn't that be so wild?! Me teaching at East High?"

"It would, and the school isn't too far from my place actually, I run past it sometimes."

Kelsi fiddled with the sheets beneath her, an obvious discomfort crossing her face.

"What's the matter, Kels?" Jason asked, noticing her expression.

"I guess that makes me think about what you asked me before I left at New Years."

Jason's pulse quickened in hopes she'd finally give him an answer, and hopefully the answer he wanted. "Would you seriously just let me move in?" Kelsi asked, her voice small, almost a whisper.

Jason chuckled, pulling her closer. "Of course I would. Why wouldn't I?"

Kelsi hesitated, picking at a loose thread on the duvet. "It's just... I don't know, it seems so soon, and it's not like I helped buy the place. And what if we end up hating each other?"

Jason raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt that. Besides, you've practically lived there since last June. We'll split the bills, the chores, and enjoy our time together. What else is there to really work out?"

Kelsi bit her lip. "It's just... I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Of messing this up," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "Of moving in then realizing it was a mistake and ruining everything."

Jason cupped her face in his hands. "Hey, look at me. You're not going to mess this up. We're not going to mess this up. Okay? It's not like you'd be some tenant who has to follow my rules, silly. You'd be in bed with me, where you belong, us doing life together."

Kelsi blushed, but her eyes were still filled with doubt.

"Kelsi, I know you, babe, you can't hide it from me when something's off. Please, talk to me. Whatever it is, I'm here." She hesitated, and leaned back against the headboard, pulling away from his embrace as the anxieties she grappled with put a silent distance between them.

"Kelsi…" Jason probed, his voice firm. "Are you keeping something from me?"

Her eyes remained downcast, trying and failing to hide the thoughts that had plagued her mind for weeks, worries she hadn't shared with him.

"Come on, Kels. Don't you want to live with me?"

Kelsi hesitated. "I do want to, it's just..."

"Just what?"

Tears welled up in her eyes and she finally gave in. "I might not even be moving back to Albuquerque."

Jason's heart sank. "What do you mean?"

"I've been shortlisted for a couple of teaching assistant positions at Juilliard," she explained, her voice choked with emotion. "I won't know for sure until the last weeks of the semester."

Jason felt a wave of panic wash over him. "Kelsi, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you," she sniffed. "but now that you're really serious about us living together, I thought you should know that it's possible I might not be coming home."

He pulled her into a hug. "Well, that would change things for us..." Jason didn't know what else to say, the news hitting him right in the heart. They sat in silence for a few moments, Kelsi's head resting on Jason's shoulder.

"I'm worried. If I get one these jobs here at Juilliard, I can't say no waiting for the East High job," she said, pulling closer to his comforting warmth, "I don't know what to do."

"It'll be okay, Kels," he replied.

"So, what happens now?" she asked finally.

"We wait," Jason replied. "Until you know for sure. And then we'll figure it out together. Okay?"

Kelsi nodded, a small smile spreading across her face. "Okay."

"And in the meantime," Jason added, "let's enjoy the time we have right now."

"Deal," Kelsi said, squeezing his hand.

As they lay there, Jason couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness at the thought of Kelsi potentially staying in New York. But he knew that he would support her no matter what. As the night deepened, he pulled Kelsi close under the sheets.

"Now, we got a spring visit after all, and we should still make the most of it," he said with a chuckle. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't make it for a proper trip until grad this term, baby."

Kelsi sighed and lifted her leg over his hip. "It's okay, honey, we've been given this small gift, I plan on taking full advantage of it." With a devilish grin she pulled her body closer to his, her exposed heat gently grinding on his shaft. "Get another one, J, I'm ready for round two."


A couple of weeks later, as the end of the semester loomed, Kelsi retreated to her dorm once again. Another final exam performance aced, another day closer to graduation, but her heart was heavy with waiting. Waiting for anyone to call her back, one of her interviews to accept and clear some of the anxieties and uncertainties of her future. As she settled on her bed with her notebook of lyrics, her phone rang loudly in her bag and she jumped up to answer it.

"Hello, this is Kelsi," she answered. Nearly two weeks had passed since a wave of other interviews, all declining her applications so far. The teaching assistant jobs at Juilliard hadn't answered yet either, and any call now carried the possibility of a job. She couldn't afford to miss a single one.

"Good afternoon, my name is Sandra Lewis, I'm the HR manager at East High School in Albuquerque, I'm calling regarding the virtual interview you had with us last month," a crisp voice buzzed through the speaker.

"Yes ma'am," Kelsi replied, her breath hitching as she waited patiently for her to speak again.

"I'm calling to inform you that we would like to offer you a teaching position in our music department. I understand you're an alumni and your impressive transcript from the Juilliard School caught the attention of our hiring board. Not to mention a stellar reference from the director of the arts department." Kelsi breathed a silent thanks to Ms. Darbus who had answered her call for a reference and accepted jubilantly. "The position won't be available until the fall, but if you are interested, we can complete your on-boarding process before the school year ends," Sandra said. Kelsi thought she would faint. She was going to teach at her old school!

"Yes, Ms. Lewis, I would be delighted to accept. I am still currently in New York though, I have another week of classes and graduation at Juilliard then I'll be moving back home," Kelsi replied, holding her breath again that she wouldn't miss this opportunity over logistics.

"That's quite alright, Ms. Nielsen," Sandra replied, "we are in the digital age so anything urgent can be sent to you electronically and the remainder of your on-boarding will take place at the end of the summer."

"Thank you for your call, Ms. Lewis, I'm looking forward to the position," Kelsi said keeping her emotions at bay until Sandra wished her a good day and hung up.

"YES!" Kelsi screamed. She flitted about her dorm, dancing happily at the news. When she finished her mini dance party, she dialled Jason's number, eager to share the news.


Jason's phone vibrated on his tool box, rattling the mess of random, misplaced bolts beneath it. The screen lit up with Kelsi's beautiful face and he reached for it without a second thought.

"Hey, baby," he answered quickly remembering he was on the clock, "is something the matter? I'm at work."

"Hey!" Kelsi's voice leapt through his phone, some unknown excitement palpable in her tone. "No, nothing's the matter, I just have to tell you quick that I got the job at East High and I'm moving in with you, okay? Talk to you later, love you! Bye!" The line beeped as she hung up and Jason could hardly move the phone from his ear. Her words bounced around in his head for a moment before they finally registered. It was the answer he'd hoped to hear and he couldn't stop the gleeful smile that broke across his face.

"What's up, Cross?" Dylan asked as he noticed Jason's expression and his pause from their diligent work on an old Firebird.

"Oh nothing, just my crazy woman," he said, smiling as the news sank in. She was moving in, and he could count on his trembling fingers the days until he would see her again