(n)everafter: Jake and Morgan's Happy Ending

[Morgan Tonaya]

Dedicated to Raerae-love, and everyone who just wants things to work out for these two. Lynxie PRESENTS....

Prologue

Once upon a time, in a place and time far far away, there was a world where things were different. People made different decisions. Things happened different. And this whole new world was born. These are snapshots of this world, what its like, and the people who live in it.

And they live happily (n)everafter.

The End Beginning.

One

Jake’s eyes fluttered open, the feel of a warm arm around his waist as the slats of streetlight escapeing in through the blinds cut across his skin. He took a deep breath and rolled over, Morgan’s sleeping countenance troubled when his eyes too suddenly opened.

“s’wrong?” He asked sleepily, his fingers curling and uncurling against Jake’s back.

Jake smiled and hid part of his face in the pillow. “…dream.” He said sheepishly, disguising a yawn by burying his face in the plush object.

Morgan snorted slightly with laughter and squeezed him close in a hug. “You freaked me out over a dream?” He chided half-heartedly, though a playful smile crossed his face. “Jerk.”

Playfully, Jake shoved at Morgan’s chest. Causing the blond to laugh lazily and roll onto his back. “And an abuser. I’m calling the cops.” Jake thumped Morgan on the chest viciously. The sound that rebounded was hallow and heavy, and Morgan wheezed slightly in protest. To amend the deed, Jake laid his head over Morgan’s heart.

“I take it back.” Jake grunted sleepily, laughing slightly at the faces of fake pain Morgan was making.

The brunette turned his eyes to the clock, whose red flashing numbers glared the early hour. Six o’clock. He still had half an hour to sleep. Snuggling down against Morgan’s chest Jake yawned and closed his eyes.

Morgan’s eyes cut to the clock as well and he shook his head, sitting up so that Jake slid into his lap. “No way. Its time to get up.” Morgan announced, trying to wriggled out from under the brunette who had managed to snake his arms around Morgan’s waist in order to get him to hold still.

“No.” Jake said simply.

Laughing, Morgan wormed his hands between his own hips and Jake’s head. “Jake, we have to get up anyway. Just stay awake!” He prompted, Jake’s only response a tighter squeeze. Morgan was beginning to have trouble breathing, so he just shook his head. Leaning down slightly (as much as he could with Jake clinging to his waist). “What if I go make coffee? “ He whispered seductively. Nothing tempted Jake more than the promise of coffee.

Well. Certain things did. But that’s for another time.

Jake’s grip loosened and one eye peeked up at Morgan. “…and waffles?” Jake prompted. Morgan laughed and began to get out of the bed.

“Chocolate chip. The best for my Morning Person.”

Grudgingly, Jake released Morgan and watched the blond move into the kitchen in only his pajama pants. Sleepily he smiled and sat up, scratching his head and yawning. It wasn’t long after Jake had stumbled into the bathroom at he heard the radio click on in the kitchen. Morgan always danced when he made breakfast.

He couldn’t decide which was better: Morgan…

…or Morgan’s waffles.

Two


“Come on! We’re gonna be late!” Jake hollered, having already bolted out the door. Morgan shook his head as he hopped on one foot, trying to jam the dress shoe back on properly. Laughing heartily, he snatched up his identification badge of the kitchen table.

“Well if someone had kept his hands to himself we wouldn’t be late!” Morgan yelled back. Whatever Jake responded, if he’d heard at all, Morgan couldn’t hear. He was already halfway down the street. Where Jake suddenly managed to get his energy, Morgan couldn’t guess. Though he was sure it had something to do with not wanting to lose his job.

Morgan figured he probably ought to have some similar concerns, but there were other things on his mind.

Just before walking out the door, he tucked his hand in the pocket of his jeans, running his finger over a ring he’d had made about a month ago.

“MORGAN!” Jake snapped from the doorway, causing the blond to start and nearly topple over from surprise. “Lets---“ Jake snorted and then began to laugh, walking back through the wide open front door to stand in front of Morgan and straighten his shirt fussily. “Lets go.”

Ever the mess, Morgan withdrew his hand from his pocket and held Jake’s hand against his chest for a moment. He kissed Jake's fingers and released him again. “Whatever you say.” He said softly, shrugging a bit. As Jake began to drag him to the door, he looked over his shoulder skeptically.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jake asked, a wily grin on his face. Jake knew the answer. He always knew the answer. It was always the same. He just liked to hear it.

“I just love you, that’s all.”


Three

Chewing his sandwich thoughtfully, Jake swiped a plus-sign next to the ‘B’ on the test he was grading. Since his hiring at Hammel as a trainer (thanks to some serious string-pulling by Morgan), he’d been able to snag a few substitute teaching gigs. At first he’d been sure it wasn’t his bag, but he’d been growing to enjoy it more and more. And the lunch break in the staff lounge was nice too.

That was until something blurred oddly in his vision and there was suddenly a young blonde woman standing opposite of his sitting position. Jake gasped, and began to choke on his sandwich. “Emma!” He wheezed, holding his throat. The former Hammel student-turned-recruiter fussed and thumped Jake hard on the back with a closed fist.

“Christ you big baby!” She grunted, thumping again until Jake made a gagging noise and waved her away. “I just wanted to talk.” She said, putting her hands on her hips in a sassy manner that spoke to the trouble she got to in her teenage years.

Emma Cousins. Morgan’s favorite student to date. Jake rubbed the back of his neck and winced. He could feel the bruise rising where Emma had hastily (And incorrectly) tried to save him. “About…? Couldn’t it wait?” He inquired moodily. Emma would occasionally show up at the house to visit Morgan, and by extension Jake, and the brunette couldn’t help but feel the occasional pang of jealousy.

He hated to share.

“Nope. Its about you, Jakey-poo.” Emma said, pulling over a chair and sitting down. She tented her fingers and looked at him sternly. “I want to know what you’re going to say. Before it all goes down.”

Bewildered, Jake put down his sandwich and wiped his hands on his pants. He scoffed slightly and his face split into a half-smirk. “What in God’s name are you talking about?” He asked.
Emma smacked her palms on the table and leaned forward. “Uh. Morgan. Duh. What are you going to say to him?”

Jake turned his head and looked at her out of the corner of his eye, then shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said slowly. Did he do something wrong? Or worse…
Did Morgan do something wrong?

Balking at him, the blonde woman pushed an unruly curl of hair back in her messy bun. “Shit! Jake~! Are you really that clueless?” She whined, though her face slowly began to glow with happiness. “Morgan wants to propose!”

If Jake had still been eating, he would have choked again. Instead he just stood up and began to laugh. He suddenly stopped and turned around, incredibly pale. Pale with…excitement. His heart was thumping so hard in his chest he thought it would explode. “That’s not funny.” He accused, point at Emma and using his free hand to lean against the table.

Emma leaned forward, shimmying her shoulders in excitement. “You know I’m not lying. You haven’t stopped smiling sicne I said ‘propose’.” She whispered, her eyes sparkling with glee. It was like she was already a bridesmaid.

“I mean…I’d say yes.” Jake said softly, awe in his voice. He leaned back up, standing up straight. “Yes!” He repeated. Emma squealed and launched herself at him, hugging him with a ferocity he wasn’t used to. Both nearly fell to the floor laughing.
Amazing how one word could make Jake smile so hard his face hurt.

A proposal.

Four


“I don’t know why I’m nervous, I’m just nervous.”

“You’re practically married already!”

“I know I just…I want it to be perfect. He deserves it to be perfect.”

“Morgan…”

“Anya…”

The dark-haired Russian woman rolled her eyes when Morgan mocked her stern tone, but both soon fell into giddy laughter.

Morgan’s coffee fluttered in his cup, his hands shaking nervously. “He…he just deserves it.” Morgan said quietly, looking fondly over at his old friend. She only shook her head and stood up as the bell rang. Smiling sweetly at him and laying her hand on his arm, she shook her head.

“You both do. And it will be perfect for him because its you giving him the ring, Morgan.” Putting his mug down and hugging the fellow trainer heartily, Morgan nodded. She laughed and patted his back before slipping out the door.

“Thank you, Anya!” He called after her, running his hand over the ring in his pocket again. Anya peeked around the door frame and winked playfully.

“Let me make your wedding cake and consider it even!”

Five

Taking a knee, Morgan reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. It was a simple titanium ring, and there was no box…but Jake had never been one for a lot of flare. He was straight forward, to the point.

“That’s what makes me want to marry you.” Morgan said, looking up fondly before he smiled stupidly at the ring. “You’re just…perfect the way you are. No embellishment necessary.” He shook his hand slightly, the ring catching the light. “Just like this ring.” He laughed to himself, his face beginning to ache his grin was so big.

“That and…you make me smile. More than anything else.” His eyes started to well up. Christ he couldn’t believe he was being such a baby. “And you made me who I am…and I want you to keep making me who I am and I just…” He laughed and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

“Just…Jake, Will you marry me? That’s all you have to say dumbo.” He whispered to himself in the mirror, wiping the tears of joy that preemptively rolled off his face. “Just Will you marry me?” He reminded himself, straightening his shirt as he tucked the ring back in his pocket and got up off his bended knee.

As he walked down the stairs to meet Jake in the car, Morgan realized he’d always thought there weren’t enough words to sum up how much he wanted to be with Jake. By now he knew he only needed two:

I do.


Six

“I do.”

Morgan blinked down at Jake, his hand pausing halfway in running through Jake’s hair. He looked heartily confused.

“You do what?”

Jake sat up, leaning his forearms on Morgan’s chest and pushing the blond back against the tree they’d been leaning against. There was a playful glint in his eye and Morgan could only grin at his strange behavior.

“I’m just practicing.” Jake said, kissing the corner of Morgan’s mouth gently. The blond pulled back and looked him in his eyes.

“For?”

Jake cuffed him on the shoulder, causing Morgan to laugh slightly and loose his balance. Squawking in dismay, Morgan rolled onto the ground, Jake landing easily on top of him.

“You’re going to marry me, aren’t you?” Jake said, quirking an eyebrow pinning Morgan to the grass by his wrists, like if he’d said no something bad would happen to him.

As if Morgan would say no.

Morgan grinned boyishly up at Jake, blowing his blond curls out of his eyes. “Yeah. Of course I am.”

Jake’s face softened and he sat back on his knees, pulling Morgan up so he could kiss him suddenly. Flustered, Morgan waved his arms a bit to gain his balance, Jake’s fingers threading in his hair.

Returning Jake’s heated kiss and trying to dig in his pocket for the ring proved too difficult to multitask. Morgan’s laughter broke their kiss. Morgan pecked Jake’s lips suddenly and then held the ring up in front of his nose.

“Will you marry me, too?” Morgan asked. He shrieked in surprise when the full weight of Jake’s body around his neck sent him careening into the grass again. Mouth smothered by Jake’s answer (a kiss, as usual), Morgan could only smile and pull his new fiancé close.

“Yes.” Jake whispered. “Yes. Yes. Yes!” He said, punctuating each word with a kiss to Morgan’s face. Morgan’s face ached with the force of his smile, the air around them dimming slightly. Jake began to laugh loudly and rolled off of Morgan.

The blond leaned up on his elbows and looked over at Jake. “What?”

Jake covered his mouth to hold in his snorting. “You’re…you’re doing it again!”

“What?!” Morgan implored, reaching out to wrap his arm around Jake’s waist.

“You’re…You’re glowing!”


Seven

“You’re glowing, again.” Jake chided, reaching over and pinching Morgan’s side. “Its not like we’ve never done this before.”

Morgan grunted and wiggled away from him on the bed, running his hand over the sheer white canopy. The light that clung to his hand transferred to the floaty cloth, making it seem like ethereal smoke rather than something manmade. Morgan simply sighed. “Yeah…but never when we were on our honeymoon.” He whispered, looking over at Jake who was stretched out like a lazy cat.

Jake rolled over to face Morgan, snuggling down into the pillow. “No…That’s because we’ve never been on a honeymoon before.” Jake teased, sticking his tongue out at Morgan who in return pinched Jake’s side.

“Sassy.” He growled, reaching out and pulling Jake to his chest before he threw the covers over them. Jake laughed and kissed Morgan gently, leaving his eyes closed when the kiss had ended.

“Good night…husband.”

[Morgan Tonaya]

Epilogue One

Jake’s eyes fluttered open, the feel of a warm arm around his waist as the slats of streetlight escaping in through the blinds cut across his skin. He took a deep breath and rolled over, Gabe’s sleeping countenance troubled when his eyes too suddenly opened.

“What are you doing?” Gabe whispered gruffly, as Jesse curled fingers twitched near his shoulders. Looking meek and confused, Jake just looked over Gabe’s face blanky.

“…dream.” He finally answered in a whisper. Wrinkling his nose in annoyance, Gabriel wound his arm around Jake’s back and yanked him closer until Jake’s head rested against his collar bone.
“Ignore it and go back to bed.” He grunted, letting his eyes slipped closed.

Jake closed his eyes as well and breathed out, wondering if the life he would have had could be better.


Epilogue Two

“Daddy? Daddy!”

Morgan started with a sharp intake of breath, opening one of his eyes to gaze at the mop of blond curls poking just over the edge of his bed.

“Daddy, I’m scared.” Came the terrified whisper of Morgan’s child. Smiling tenderly at the miniature blur, he held out his arms. His sight may not of been good, but he could hear the tears welling in her voice.

“Morgan, what is it?” came the still mostly-asleep voice of his spouse on the other side of the bed.

“Its our youngest. That’s all.” He whispered back, hauling the blond toddler into bed between he and Anya. The little girl snuggled down into the sheets and smiled.

“I love you Mommy and Daddy.” She whispered. Morgan nodded and closed his eyes.

“I love you too, girly girl.” Opening his eyes again, turning his nearly-blind gaze on Anya. He reached out and stroked her dark hair as she drifted back to sleep. “Both my girls.” He whispered. His face fell slightly as he wrapped his arms around his daughter, drawing her to him like a doll and nuzzling her hair.


This was better than the life he would have had….


He was sure of it.

The Beginning End