Archive of Our Own ^beta

“This one? No, it’s smushed at the bottom. This one? No, it doesn’t have a stem. Oh, that one there! Ugh, no no it’s green on one side.”

Jax’s grin was wide with leisure as he watched the ragdoll in front of him carefully inspect each pumpkin in front of her. He couldn’t remember whose bright idea it was (probaby Gangle’s. . .totally Gangle’s) to go to the pumpkin patch as a group, and truthfully it didn’t really matter. All he knew was that Ragatha had come home in tears after dealing with her mother’s condescending attitude at the real estate office that day. Usually her mentor Kinger was there to run interference on the evil wench, but with his wife Queenie falling ill, he wasn’t around as much as he usually was, and Ragatha would never dream of asking him to take time away from such an important personal issue. She was just that selfless. It was one of the things he loved most about her.

When he’d asked her what happened she had tried to tell him, but all she could do was bury her face in her hands and shake her head. Jax felt a fearsome need to protect her wash over him, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be okay. So he did. Multiple times. Somewhere in between she’d gotten a call from one of the girlfriends and suddenly they were making plans to visit the local pumpkin patch to buy produce and drink pumpkin spice lattes or whatever else it was that girls did at pumpkin patches. Ragatha had smiled weakly with a sniff and agreed to the plans and the next thing he knew they were here at Caine & Abel Farms looking for, as Ragatha put it, The One.

In the past he would have balked and absolutely refused to partake in such a banal activity. She had told him repeatedly it was okay if he didn’t want to go, that she understood if it wasn’t his thing. But then she looked up at him with a single crystal tear in her eye and he could feel any resistance immediately drain from his body. In that moment, he would do whatever she asked of him, if it would make her happy. All he wanted was for her to be happy.

It’s what he kept telling himself as they trudged through the mud towards some unknown and possibly unobtainable goal.

“I mean, what’s the big deal? Just pick the biggest one.”

Ragatha made a noise of protest and whirled around to place her hands on her hips, giving him her best mock offended pose.

“Excuse you, there is an art to finding The One, ok?”

Her tone was indignant yet playful. Jax snickered and stuck his hands inside his hoodie.

“Whatever you say, Raggy,” he teased back, using the nickname he knew she hated most. Ragatha shot him a glare that clearly stated I’m not trying to hear that right now and went on her way. Which was fine by him, as it gave him a chance to admire the way the plaid dress she wore hugged her in the right places of her body. She could wear a paper sack and he would drool over it, because as far as he was concerned, she was most beautiful girl to ever walk the planet. He’d been called a simp by Zooble more than once when they’d caught him staring at his woman in awe. He always ribbed back about how much of a puddle-of-goo they turned into whenever Gangle was around and thus the back and forth would commence.

He looked back at the couple in question trailing behind them. They walked arm in arm, the ribbon girl chattering away and occasionally pointing out a pumpkin she liked, and Zooble would nod and add their input. They would be happy with whichever one she picked, simply because Gangle picked it. God, they were so sweet together it made him sick to his stomach.

As if they could hear his impish thoughts, Zooble caught his eye and flipped him off. Jax smirked and made gagging motions with his hand, turning back around before they could egg him on further. Instead he looked around the field for a sign of a jester hat anywhere but no such luck. Pomni had broken away from the group almost immediately upon arrival, which was a bit unusual for her. Of course, he hadn’t missed the way her face lit up when she caught a glimpse of a tall gator restocking one of the produce shelves. Pomni was a private person, and didn’t socialize much aside from their close knit group, but he knew his friend well enough to know when she was on the prowl. He was sure she would turn up later either giddy with triumph or downtrodden but unfazed.

Ragatha seemed to be on the same wavelength, as she paused her stride to turn in a little circle, scanning her surroundings.

“Where’s Pomni? I haven’t seen her since we got here.”

Jax shrugged, knocking a misshapen pumpkin onto it’s side with his boot.

“Don’t know. Last I saw her she was making goo-goo eyes at one of the workers inside the barn, so who knows.”

Ragatha perked up, turning her body fully around to face him.

“Oooh, do you think she’s going to talk to him? I know she’s been wanting to put herself out there more, how exciting!”

Jax flinched, his eyebrows knitting together with a frown.

“She what now?”

The ragdoll suddenly took on the appearance of a deer-caught-in-headlights and looked to the side, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

“Oh yeah, you know we’ve just been talking more about how she feels kinda like a fifth wheel lately. Nothing bad, just sort of out of place, I guess.” The words were clumsy, as if she didn’t know if she should be saying them.

Pomni had never mentioned feeling anything of the sort to him. Why would she say something to Ragatha, but not to him? Before he could react, she began blurting out whatever came to mind in an effort to sooth his ego.

“I-I mean we were just talking one day and she just happened to mention it, that’s all. Who knows, maybe this will be the start of a budding romance, you know?”

Jax blinked and without even thinking rolled his eyes.

“Yeah and then maybe we can all go on triple dates and be one big happy family.”

It came out of his mouth before he could stop it, dripping with all the sarcasm and contempt that he was so well known for. He knew by the immediate drop in her expression that he’d gone too far. There you go again. Why can’t you keep your mouth shut for once, huh? He felt a pit of regret settle in his stomach as he watched her cross her arms and look at the ground, kicking at bits of mud.

“I. . .I’m sorry if I said anything to upset you Jax.”

She was blaming herself. The pit grew larger.

“You know it’s really ok if you don’t want to be here. I can find a pumpkin on my own. You can wait for me in the car, if you like,” she trailed off after that, her tone a somber version of her usual cheerfulness. He might have fallen for that people pleasing act before, but these days he knew better. He mentally smacked himself on the forehead and cursed himself silently. He was supposed to be making her feel better, not worse. That was the whole point of this stupid outing in the first place. Pomni and Ragatha talking more was a good thing. His two favorite people in the world getting along was important to him, and getting jealous of their bonding was a sure fire way to blow everything he’d worked for sky high. Pomni had been his only friend for so long, he wasn’t used to sharing her.

But it wasn’t like that anymore, and he needed to remember that. No one forced him to be here, he wanted to come so he could be with his girlfriend and make her happy because it’s what she wanted to do.

He grunted, mustering every last bit of effort to think of something that would reassure her that it wasn’t her fault.

“No Rags, I didn’t mean. . .t-that wasn’t. . .sorry, ok? That was uncalled for.”

God, that came out so clunky it made him want to vomit, but it was too late now. He took a moment to gather his next thoughts before continuing.

“She just never told me she felt that way, that’s all.”

Ragatha’s eyes flickered up and fixed him with a pensive stare. He felt panic start to bubble in the back of his throat. Had he said the wrong thing? Again? He was no good at apologizing, or finding the right thing to say to make everything okay. He was trying, though. For her, he was trying the hardest he ever had for anyone. Maybe she couldn’t see that, but he was hoping she could feel it.

Finally she stepped forward and hooked his fingers into hers, a tiny smile on her lips. The relief he felt at her touch was instant.

“I’m sure she would have eventually, Jax. I think she just didn’t want to worry you.”

As usual, she was probably right. Pomni tended to keep things close to the chest if she thought it would only serve to upset someone. She probably thought telling him such things would be a burden to his budding relationship with Ragatha. He made a mental note to bring it up to the jester later.

Jax reached out to grasp her other hand so they were connected by both. He looked into her eyes with emotions he didn’t have the courage yet to put into words. He had so much to say to her, and one day he hoped to tell her every thought and every feeling with ease.

“I’ll take your word for it, dollface.”

She started to blush under his scrutiny, looking down and tucking a strand of red curls behind her ear. She buried her forehead into his hoodie to try and hide it, and Jax felt a surge of warmth spread through his limbs. Is this what true contentment felt like? He never wanted to leave this spot.

“Thank you for coming, by the way. It really means a lot to me.” He felt her turn her head and smile against him, and he knew the mischief was slowly returning. “I do need someone with muscles to carry the pumpkin, after all.”

A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. That’s my girl.

“I see how it is. You’re just using me for my body.”

She looked up, her eyes crinkled with bemusement. He leaned even closer, his shadow engulfing her face as she tilted to meet him halfway. He never thought he would be here, standing in the middle of a pumpkin field with the girl of his dreams, making cutesy talk just to watch her get flustered. She was so damn cute when she was flustered. It made him want to kiss her until she was breathless, then scoop her into his arms and-

Her one eye suddenly unfocused and fixated on something just over his shoulder. Her face broke out into a broad smile as she pointed at something behind him.

“There! That’s it!”

Miffed that the moment had been cut short, Jax turned to meet the interruption with every ounce of fury he had when he saw it. Like a light beam opening from the heavens and shining down, there it was, The One. Perfectly round, just the right shade of orange, with a stem curling just so at the top. This was definitely it.

“Oh wow, you weren’t kidding,” he said, his pupils wide. Ragatha clapped her hands together and ran over, inspecting it from every angle to make sure it was in fact perfect. He followed in her footsteps at the same time Gangle trotted up to meet them holding her own pumpkin, and he watched as they oohed and aahed over their shared treasure. He could feel his gaze soften as another kind of warmth bloomed inside of him. It wasn’t the same as the one with Ragatha, but similar in a way that he couldn’t yet explain.

“Sap.”

Zooble’s voice taunted him from the side. They stepped into his peripheral vision, they’re expression smug and knowing. He scoffed and almost immediately fell into their usual banter.

“Yeah well, takes one to know one,” he quipped back. When he glanced over at them though, he could see there was no real malice on their mismatched face, but a sort of serenity he wasn’t used to seeing from them. In a rare moment of peace between the two, they shared an understanding look.

“Jax! I need you!”

Ragatha’s voice rang through the air, summoning him like a beacon. The moment broke as he stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders.

“All right ladies, stand back and watch how a real man does it.”

He made a big show of scooping the pumpkin up and placing it on his shoulders, trying not to let the burning sensation in his muscles show. Zooble shook their head and turned to head back to the barn, followed by Gangle, then Ragatha. Jax trailed behind, grunting a little under the pumpkin’s weight. He stopped walking for a second as the others moved ahead, shifting it around to his other shoulder. He’d never admit it was too heavy, not in a million years. He was only taking a quick breather is all.

A pair of boots came into his vision and he looked up, one button eye and red hair flashing before him until a pair of lips touched his. Firm but gentle and leaving him wanting more. Just as he closed his eyes and started to lean in she pulled back, glowing at him in a way that was only meant for him.

“Thanks Jax,” she said softly. He suddenly felt like he could lift ten pumpkins at once if she asked him to. He huffed and grinned down at her, gazing at her like she was the only spot of color in a dull and grey world.

“The things I do for love.”

When they caught up with the others, Gangle had filled Zooble’s arms with a myriad of tiny gourds and they were slowly making their way towards the register. A pair of giant teeth with eyeballs greeted them boisterously, calling himself Caine and bragging about being the owner and how great of a boss he was because he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty with his workers. Jax tuned him out after the first few sentences and scanned the crowd, his eyes landing on Pomni in the distance as she smiled and waved at that same gator worker before making her way towards the group. Ragatha followed his line of vision and beamed as the jester approached.

“Pomni! Did you get that guy’s number?!” The ragdoll looked like she was about to burst from excitement. Pomni turned pink under her already rosey-red blush marks. She laughed nervously, waving a hand around.

“I-It’s nothing, we were talking and he asked to exchange numbers. Really no big deal.”

Ragatha continued to fuss over their friend, who was insisting that they had just met and there was nothing more to it. Jax gave Pomni a knowing look, promising her without words that she had some explaining to do. She smirked back and brushed him off, distracting his girlfriend by complimenting the pumpkin and asking how the search went. He glanced up at Zooble and Gangle still locked into conversation with the giant set of energetic teeth, Zooble’s antenna starting to twitch in irritation.

That warmth was back. He wouldn’t say it out loud yet, but in his head? He had no problem admitting he had a nice time.

He could definitely get used to this.