A/N: Another one! I love this chapter… yes her parents are very open, it's a relationship I admire. I have a good relationship with my parents, but not like this, and I guess this is something I almost wish I had.
Hope you enjoy this! Lots of cute stuff coming!
Christmas passed and the new year rung in. Back in Pittsburgh, January seemed to bring an even harder downfall of snow than December. JJ felt as though she was busier than ever, between juggling sponsorship opportunities, seeing her new sports therapist, and trying to find the time to take some online classes. But still, she made it a priority to make time for Will. Even more so than before the Olympics, her downtime was incredibly important. Even if it was just to watch Netflix.
She'd gone to Will's for dinner, and then, after much begging, had agreed to watch The Avengers with him. She wasn't really into superhero movies, but the sheer look of childlike joy in Will's eyes when he had asked her was enough for her to say yes.
Late into the evening, the movie was nearing an end, and Will's attention hadn't been diverted from it for quite some time. Transfixed by the action scenes, he watched it with a keen eye; even though he had seen it before, it was one he never failed to enjoy.
"I hope you haven't fallen asleep there, you're gonna miss the best bit," he murmured to his left, his eyes fixed to the screen. JJ was leaning against him, her head resting on his shoulder.
He got no reply. Turning his head slightly so he could see her face, he was surprised to see that her eyes were closed and her chest was rising and falling evenly. She was fast asleep, and now that he thought about it, she had been for quite some time.
Butterflies flew up in his stomach. What was he supposed to do? He felt bad waking her up, but he also didn't know if JJ, or more importantly, Sandy, was comfortable with the idea of spending the night as a couple.
Heaving a little sigh, he picked up his phone from the bedside table.
He was just going to have to ask Sandy.
She had been sitting up waiting for JJ when the text came through. A quiet buzz against the table, pulling her attention away from the show she was watching. She frowned when she saw the notification telling her she had a text from Will.
Hi Sandy, I hope I haven't woken you up. JJ fell asleep about an hour ago while we were watching a movie, and she's out pretty hard. Do you want me to wake her up and bring her home, or shall I leave her?
Sandy paused, her fingertips hovering over the keyboard as she considered her reply.
There was no doubt JJ was exhausted. Life after the Olympics had proven to be just as tiring as the training beforehand. Sandy knew that JJ wouldn't have wanted to fall asleep while spending time with Will, but clearly, exhaustion had won out.
But did she want her daughter spending the night with her boyfriend, most likely in the same bed?
'Stop it,' said a little voice in her head. She let out a breath.
JJ and Will had spent many nights together over the last ten years. Even as teenagers with raging hormones, she had always allowed them the privilege of staying in the same room. She trusted them, short and simple.
And Will had been sweet enough to ask what he should do. Rather than simply assume. She knew JJ was more than safe with Will.
And, after all, they were both adults now. As crazy as that was to her.
She smiled, tapping out a quick reply.
No, that's ok. Leave her where she is. She must be exhausted. Thanks for letting me know.
She hit send, pausing for a moment. With a slight nod to herself, she got up, heading out of the lounge room and towards the stairs.
Weak sunlight filtered into her vision, slowly pulling her from her dreams. She squeezed her eyes shut, nuzzling further into her pillow as she fought off wakefulness. She took a deep breath, hoping to resettle her brain, but almost as quickly, she was hit by a slightly unfamiliar smell.
That was definitely not her pillow. It didn't smell anything like the fabric softener her mom used on all their linens.
Begrudgingly, she forced her eyes open, taking a few moments for the sleepy fog to clear from her vision.
When she could finally see clearly, she was taken aback to find herself staring directly at Will's sleeping form.
Will's shirtless sleeping form, to be exact.
'Mom is gonna kill me,' she thought, her heart hammering away in her chest as panic started to flood through her. They had only been official for a few weeks, and here she was, clearly having spent the night in her boyfriend's bed.
She clumsily began to untangle herself from the blankets, running a hasty hand through her hair as she pushed herself up. But before she could clamber off the bed, she was pulled back.
"It's ok," Will mumbled sleepily, relaxing his grip where he had grabbed her hand. "I told your mom you had fallen asleep… she said it was fine"
"Oh," JJ said softly, slowly sinking back onto the mattress as Will's breathing began to even out once more.
She sat there for a few moments, silently processing everything, before the sleepy haze began to envelope her again. Slowly, she crawled back beneath the covers, finding comfort in the warm linens of Will's bed.
She turned her head towards Will. He was laying on his back, the sheet bunched up around his waist. His head was tipped away from her, his chest rising and falling evenly as he slept on.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't tear her eyes away from his abs. They looked so perfectly chiselled, highlighted by the smooth contours of his skin, that she almost wanted to reach out and touch them.
Gaining a little courage, she shuffled closer, until she was close enough to rest her head on his shoulder. After a split second inner debate, she did so, smiling to herself ever so slightly as she allowed her eyes to drift closed.
Naturally, her hand came to rest on his stomach, his skin warm to her touch, every muscle rippling beneath her. He smelled so good… felt so nice… she could hardly believe life was this sweet.
One of Will's hands came to rest on top of hers, making her heart flutter ever so slightly.
Surely this was what love was. These sweet, quiet, warm moments.
This was love.
"So," William said conversationally as Will walked back into the room after seeing JJ out. "Somethin' you wanna tell us?"
Will looked up at his parents, frowning. "What?"
"You and JJ…," William said slowly. "Presumably spent the night in your bed?"
"Well, yeah, I… wait, no, nothing happened!" Will stammered out. "I swear, we just slept"
He saw his mom purse her lips from across the room and felt a defeated weight settle in his stomach.
"Will, you don't need to hide it if anything did happen, you're eighteen years old, we're not going to punish you," Janine said softly. "Although I do have to say… you've only been together for a month-"
"A fact that I'm highly aware of actually," Will said sarcastically. "I'm telling the truth, ok, nothing happened. We've only been dating for a month, I'm not… I'm not ready for that yet"
"Ok," William said calmly. "We just want you to know that you can feel comfortable talking to us when something does happen. If you want to, of course"
"I'm sure I'm going to feel really comfortable getting the third degree every time JJ and I are alone in a room for more than two minutes," Will said snarkily.
"William Junior," William said warningly.
"Ok, I'm sorry," Will sighed. "I just… I know I can come to you guys when I need to. I just need you to trust me. We're not going to do anything stupid… this is serious. Ok? I… I love JJ. I've loved her for years. We're taking this slow. I'm not going to screw it up"
He looked back at his parents, a palpable silence falling between the three of them. Eventually, his father nodded once, turning his attention back to his newspaper.
"We know you love JJ," Janine said softly. "Anyone with eyes can see it in the way you look at her. Don't feel the need to conform to the 'usual' dating standards if you're not ready to. I think what you guys have is special… and I also know that we raised you to treat women right"
"I know Mom," Will said softly. "Can I go upstairs now?"
Janine nodded. Will immediately turned, leaving the room and heading back upstairs to his room.
Taking a deep breath, JJ walked into the kitchen, where both of her parents were sitting at the table.
"Hey sweetie," Sandy said warmly, looking up from the tests she was marking.
"Hey," JJ replied. "Can I talk to you guys about something?"
"Sure," Sandy said, removing her glasses and setting them aside as Michael lay down his newspaper.
"I know I stayed over with Will last night and that that was a bit of an accident, but… I've been thinking about whether you guys would be ok with that becoming a more regular thing? Not just at Will's, but here as well"
"Well… you're 18, honey… you're at perfect liberty to make decisions for yourself," Sandy said gently.
"That's true, but… it's your house," JJ replied, leaning against the back of the adjacent chair. "I don't want to do anything you guys aren't comfortable with"
She glanced over at her dad, and was surprised to find his expression completely unreadable.
"I… I'm thinking about going back to training soon, and if I do, nights are going to be the only time Will and I are going to be able to spend time together. And I think… because of my schedule, it's going to be important to take advantage of that," she stammered.
"I know," Sandy said. "Look, leave it with us. We'll have a think about it, ok?"
"Ok," JJ said softly, giving her parents a smile before turning and leaving the room.
Sighing, Sandy turned towards Michael, sitting back in her chair. Upstairs, JJ's bedroom door closed, confirming she was out of earshot.
"I can already tell you're not ok with this," she said quietly. "You could've said something"
"What am I supposed to say? 'Sure sweetheart, you can shack up with your boyfriend under our roof'," Michael shot back.
"Mike, she's 18! And it's Will for Christ's sake. We have to actually trust her to make the right decisions for herself. They've been sharing a bed for years and it's been fine"
"It's different now San, and you know it"
"Michael, be realistic. You can't shelter her from everything. She and Will have a lot of chemistry and a lot of history, it's probably only a matter of time until they-"
"Don't"
"-end up having sex"
"Sandy, I don't want to go there"
"Maybe you don't, but you have to be real. And I don't know about you, but I would actually prefer that when that does happen, it was somewhere safe and familiar as opposed to the backseat of a car in an alley somewhere"
Michael let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes.
"She's an adult-"
"Barely, San. Barely an adult. She's 18, but she still lives under our roof and can't even legally drink yet"
"Well, she can in pretty much every other country," Sandy smirked.
"Getting off track," Michael mumbled.
"Ok, look. Yes, she might be barely an adult, but she's beyond her years. She can look after herself and make the right decisions for herself, and I know Will. He wouldn't take advantage of her like that. I think we need to be open and allow them to actually freely explore their relationship. Besides… JJ's right, if she goes back to training, they're barely going to see each other unless they can spend the nights together"
Michael exhaled heavily. "I guess"
"Mike, if we restrict her and the things she and Will do, then sex becomes this dirty, shameful thing that she feels like she has to hide… and quite honestly? I think she's already heading down that track"
Michael looked up in surprise. "Really?"
Sandy nodded. "The last time I spoke to her, I got the impression that she feels ashamed of it. And I don't want her to ever feel like that… sex is natural and healthy, and I'm not saying we have to offer them the house and cheer them on. I just want them both to feel comfortable under our roof and feel like they have a safe place where if it happens, it happens and no-one is going to get upset"
Michael sighed. "I guess… I don't want her to feel like that either. I just… spending the night is a big thing-"
"That's already happened?"
"By accident," Michael reminded her with a small smile. "I suppose things are different now compared to when you and I were dating. You didn't spend the night in our day… you got married and moved in with each other"
Sandy chuckled. "Like you and I ever paid attention to those rules. I remember that night in your parents' barn"
Michael laughed. "God I was so terrified my dad was going to come in at any minute"
"I could tell"
"Hey," Michael chided, still laughing as he sat back in his chair. Unable to stop smiling, he sighed again, running a hand through his hair. "I think part of me just doesn't want JJ to grow up. She's our youngest, and I guess… once she reaches this stage where she's spending the night with her boyfriend… I have to accept that our kids… aren't kids anymore"
Sandy smiled, reaching across the table and squeezing Michael's hand. "You know, letting them cross over into adulthood doesn't mean letting them go altogether. She's still your daughter… she's just maturing… having new experiences… and believe it or not, that's a good thing"
Michael chuckled, nodding in agreement.
"She's been very sheltered her whole life because of gymnastics. But even so, we've raised a daughter we can trust. I mean… look at how she approached this. She could've just asked him to stay over and not really given us a choice in the matter, but she respects us enough to actually ask if it's ok. And I think that speaks volumes about her character," Sandy said gently.
"Yeah… we really can trust her," Michael breathed. "And like you said… it's Will. He's a good kid"
"And he's too scared of you to put a hand on her," Sandy chuckled. "It's just sleeping. That's all she implied. If it goes further… it happens. She's 18. She understands everything. Jason, on the other hand-"
"God, don't remind me," Michael groaned. "14! He and Sam LaMontagne sound like they came from the same gene pool"
Sandy laughed. "Pretty much"
Michael exhaled heavily. "Ok. You've swayed me. It'll be fine"
Smiling, Sandy stood up and came to stand behind him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "You can't be super protective forever"
Chuckling, Michael turned his head to look up at his wife. "You know me, Sandra Dee. I'll try my very best… and you'll knock me down swinging every single time"
Sandy laughed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his lips. When she pulled away, she smiled, patting his cheek.
"She'll be fine, Mike. She's grown into an incredible young woman. How could she not with a father like you?"
Michael grinned, pulling himself out of his chair. "Now you're just fishing"
Laughing, Sandy turned her head towards the door.
"JJ?" she called out.
"Yeah?" came JJ's voice from upstairs.
"Can you come down here?"
They listened, Michael coming to lean against the counter, as JJ made her way down the stairs. A minute later, she came through the door, looking at her parents expectantly.
"We've had a chat about Will staying over, and… after some discussion, we've agreed it's fine," Sandy said gently. JJ's face immediately lit up.
"Really?"
Sandy nodded. "Really"
Looking over at her dad, JJ gave him a small smile. "Are you sure you're ok with it Dad?"
Michael softened. The fact that JJ really wanted his approval meant more than she knew.
"It's fine, baby girl," he said softly. "I know you can look after yourself"
"But it does mean… we're going to revisit our discussion about safe sex," Sandy said firmly. JJ resisted the urge to groan.
"Do we have to? With Dad?"
"Hey, if you can't talk about sex, you shouldn't be having it," Michael chided with a grin. "I might be ok with this, but I will not be ok with becoming a grandfather at 54"
"You technically could, you know. If Jason and Katie have a baby," JJ smirked. Sandy laughed.
"Not what I meant, kiddo," Michael replied with a grin.
"We don't have to have that discussion today. You and I can talk about it later. Take from today that Will is more than welcome to stay over, and if Janine and William are happy, you can stay there as well. Just let me know in advance if we'll have an extra for dinner," Sandy said warmly. "Ok?"
"Ok," JJ said happily, before rushing forward and throwing her arms around her mom. "Thank you"
"You're welcome honey," Sandy replied, kissing the top of JJ's head. "Now, care to help us with dinner?"
"Sure," JJ said, heading over to hug her dad as Sandy made her way into the kitchen. Michael gave her a tight squeeze, kissing her temple, before pulling back and ushering her into the kitchen after her mom.