Author's Note: Sorry friends, I've been suffering from the world's worst case of writer's block! The next few chapters are mapped out, but the fillers are a little harder. This chapter will have a small time jump in the middle as we prepare for what comes next.
We also have a little bit of morning-after adult time, so skip to the second page break if that's not your thing :)
Please review! I love hearing from you!
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Chapter 31-Let's Just Let Them Be Happy
Hank woke up the next morning nearly nose to nose with Jenna. She was asleep on her stomach, one arm tucked under her pillow and one draped across his waist. Hank smiled, brushing her hair away from her face. She had a soft smile on her face, one of the things he loved about her, and he looked forward to seeing that smile every morning for the rest of his life.
Hank knew he should probably let Jenna sleep. They were up very late, and they had both woken each other up during the night. But he couldn't help himself, so he slowly pulled the sheet down to Jenna's waist, exposing her naked back. He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her back, just above the sheet. He smirked when he felt goose bumps form beneath his lips, loving that he could get a reaction out of her even in her sleep. His lips trailed up her back until he reached the base of her neck. By that point, Jenna was very much awake, and she couldn't help the giggle that slipped out when his lips found a certain spot behind her ear.
"Good morning," Hank whispered before kissing her cheek.
"Good morning. You just couldn't let me sleep, could you?" she asked.
Hank shook his head as his lips moved to her shoulder. "Waited as long as I could. Not my fault you were laying here looking so beautiful that I couldn't keep my hands to myself any longer."
"Or your lips apparently," she said as his mouth retraced its path back down her spine.
His hand replaced his lips on her back, drawing small patterns with his fingers. "So, Mrs. Voight, what do you want to do today?" he asked in her ear.
Chills raced down Jenna's spine. "This," she said softly, biting her lip to keep from moaning.
"This?" Hank asked. "Anything else?"
"Only this. All day."
Hank chuckled. "Whatever you want, babe."
As Jenna's eyes slipped closed again, Hank shook his head. This woman was going to be the death of him.
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Later that afternoon, as Jenna's lips were making their way down Hank's chest, his phone rang. He groaned, putting his hand on Jenna's head to signal her to stop.
Jenna glared at him. "If you answer that phone, you're sleeping alone tonight."
"It's Erin," he said when he picked up the phone. "I don't think she would interrupt unless it was important. Just give me two minutes."
Jenna rolled her eyes as she rolled over to lie next to him.
"Erin, if you're calling me about a case, I'm firing every single one of you," Hank said as the phone connected.
"Oh calm down," Erin said as she laughed. "I was just checking in to see what dinner plans were for tonight."
"Dinner plans?" he asked, cutting his eyes at Jenna, who shrugged.
"Yeah. Paige said you made plans for dinner with all the kids tonight, and she invited me to come too. I was given the pleasure of calling to interrupt your day to find out what we're doing."
Hank sighed. "I'll talk it over with Jen, and we'll let you know something in a little while."
"Sounds good. Talk to you soon."
Hank hung up the phone, dropping it on the bed next to them. "We agreed to go to dinner with our children the evening after our wedding?" he asked. "Do you remember that?"
Jenna shrugged. "I suppose it's possible." She moved to lay her head on his shoulder, looking up at him. "I was in a state of absolute bliss last night, so I could've agreed to anything," she said, smiling at him.
"I guess I might have done the same thing," Hank said, laughing. "So, do we drag ourselves out of this room and spend a couple of hours with the kids?" he asked.
Jenna thought for a moment. A smirk crossed her face as her hand slowly drifted down Hank's chest. He put his hand on top of hers, stopping its movement. "Don't start something we don't have time to finish," he said as he laid his forehead against hers.
"Text Erin and say we'll meet them tomorrow. I have no intention of letting you out of this room today," Jenna said softly.
"Deal," Hank said. He quickly sent a text to Erin, turned off his phone, and released Jenna's hand, allowing it to go wherever it wanted.
As Erin looked at her phone, she shook her head, trying not to laugh. "Looks like we've been ditched by the parents," she said, showing the girls the text.
"Ugh," Taylor said, rolling her eyes.
"Give them a break. They just got married yesterday. I'm not surprised they don't want to spend the evening with us," Paige said.
"They are happy," Erin said. "Let's just let them be happy."
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Hank and Jenna's first month of marriage found them settling into a comfortable routine. They moved into their new home, no longer bouncing back and forth, no longer questioning where they would sleep each night. Although they were practically living together before they got married, there was something different about marriage that left them both feeling a new level of contentment.
On their one month anniversary, Jenna cooked dinner, and Hank brought home flowers. It was simple, sweet, and just perfect for them. As they laid in bed that night, Jenna could sense that something was off with Hank.
"Are you ok babe?" she asked, her finger drawing small circles on his chest.
"I'm fine," Hank said softly.
"Are you sure? Something feels off."
Hank sighed. "It's nothing, Jen."
Jenna sat up, looking down at him. "Are you…not happy? Here, with me?" she asked as tears came to her eyes.
Hank sat up and took her in his arms, cradling her against him. "Of course I'm happy with you. I'm happier than I've ever been. Why would you question that?"
"Because you're off. I've noticed something the last few days. Talk to me, please."
"I just…I'm not used to this, feeling like this. I just…have this feeling that something is going to go wrong."
Jenna put her arms around his neck. "We've got to work on your positivity, Hank."
He shrugged. "It's just hard to believe this isn't going to disappear." He pulled her close and kissed her deeply. "This has been an incredible month," he said, cradling her face as his thumb lightly stroked her jaw. "I love you so much."
"I love you too," Jenna said tearfully.
They lost themselves in each other, celebrating this milestone as they made promises to each other for so much more in the future. The heaviness in Hank's mind lifted, at least while his wife was in his arms. But little did they know, one of the biggest challenges of their lives was on the horizon.
