Work Text:
Bobby had always been an affectionate person all his life.
Whether it was giving hugs, gifts, or helping around the neighborhood. He had never changed… Always being taught to express love to the ones he cared for most. Which is why he loved giving Athena everything. And I mean, everything.
Dating…
“ ‘Thena, you need anything? I’m on my way over right now”, his voice came out of her phone.
Athena let out a weak chuckle, “unless you can find a way to take off period cycles for good, then no.”
“Is my baby in a lot of pain? Are you sure you want me to come over?”
She pressed her phone closer to her ear, “you have no idea”. She paused slightly, “yes I’m sure, and hurry up please, I could really use the arms of my man right now.”
“I’ll be there soon sweetheart”, he said with a promise. “I love you”.
“Love you more handsome, now hurry your behind up”. She ended the call with a smile. But it was quickly replaced with a grimace as she felt a pain in her lower back.
If only she could find that stupid heating pad she bought for May a few months ago.
Athena rose up ever so slowly from her couch with a small wince. Mother nature liked to be a bitch at the worst of times… Well, at least for all women.
She moved carefully towards May’s bedroom, scanning it once more for the heating pad.
“Now where the hell did this girl put this thing?” Athena checked her phone to see if May replied to her message, but there was still no response.
A sharp spike of pain erupted from her lower abdomen, making her freeze inside her daughter’s bedroom. “I can’t wait for menopause, good Lord,” she grumbled.
She pressed her hand against her lower stomach to try and find a way to ease the pain.
Athena was no stranger to pain, there was always something she faced on a daily basis. Whether physically or emotionally, it was all a part of the job. Hell, she went through a betrayal of marriage for goodness sake! But when those certain days came up every month, although some worse than others, all made Athena lose her sense of tolerance.
She let out a few deep breaths to push through the series of cramps. Her feet carried her back into the living room then towards the kitchen, hoping to find something she could fill with hot water.
Just as Athena found one of Harry’s old bottles, she heard the front door knob click open.
“Hey ‘Thena, where are you?” Bobby’s voice carried all the way to where she was standing.
“Kitchen!”
Athena heard his steps coming down the stairs and towards her rather quickly. Immediately she noticed him carrying some store bags, which made her raise her brow.
Bobby put the bags on the counter before pulling his girlfriend into a sweet hug. “Baby, are you feeling better?” He kissed her forehead.
“Just fantastic,” she couldn’t help the sarcasm. “What did you bring for the kids now? I told you they don’t need anymore—”
“These are for you,” he moved back a little signaling to the bags. “I stopped and got you a heating pad, ibuprofen, some snacks, and hopefully dinner. But only if you’re up to it.”
Athena’s breath caught at his response.
“Of course if you want me to leave I can, I’ll just leave these bags here.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“N-No I want you to stay,” her voice came out softer than she expected. “I just didn’t think you were gonna bring all this.”
“Well I mean, you said you weren’t feeling so good… I just wanted to do anything I could to help.”
“I could’ve managed—“
“Don’t be stubborn, baby… Not with me.” Bobby pulled her closer by her hips, and his hand came to cup her jaw. “I got you ‘Thena, always.”
Her heart melted even more at his words.
If you could describe Athena’s household growing up, warm and comforting wouldn’t be the exact right words… It was almost as if she was raised being prepared for war.
“Big girls don’t cry Athena, get your behind back up and do it again!”
“You tryna be fast girl? Don’t wear that! And take off that nail polish!
“Pretty girls don’t eat all that junk, watch your weight!”
Her mother's words spun in her head as she pressed her head against Bobbys chest. His hand moved to her back, his fingers making small circles.
“I got you baby.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’m always here for you.”
Athena pushed slightly against his chest. “Thank you Bobby, you don’t know how much that means to me.” She quickly swiped the tear falling from her eye. Being vulnerable had never been something she liked, no matter who she was with. But with Bobby, it almost felt normal.
“Don’t thank me for loving you sweetheart.”
Her lips curled into a smile. “Well thank you for bringing me all these things anyway. I love you boo.” She pressed her lips against his softly.
She felt his hands squeeze her gently before he pulled back. “I love you more ‘Thena.”
Athena moved out of his embrace to open the bags. “Now when you mean snacks what did you bring?”
“Well I read online that dark chocolate—“
“You stay reading articles baby…” She trailed off pulling out her favorite brand of chocolate from the bag. “And you know me very well I see.”
“Only the best for my girl.”
Engaged…
“Hey baby girl, you and Harry doing okay? What y’all up to at your dads?” Athena asked with her phone pressed against her ear.
It was one of those days where her house was empty of kids. But was full of the presence of her and her man.
Bobby’s thumb applied the slightest pressure to the sole of her foot while the low noises of the tv faded in the background. She wiggled her toes as a way of asking for more before Bobby let out a low chuckle.
“Mhmm, yea y’all better not be doing anything crazy over there.” She let out a soft sigh as she felt his hands work her feet. “No, I'm just here with Bobby, we’re watching a movie.”
“You should tell her it’s one of those cringy romcoms you say you hate,” Bobby murmured.
She gave him a light push on his shoulder. “Yea baby I’m still here… You said you want what?”
Bobby gave her a curious look as her lips formed a smile.
“Yea we can have a girls day baby, I just gotta see where your brother—”
“I can take him,” Bobby cut in.
Athena looked at him as if he had five heads. “Mhmm we can go to that nail spot again. I’m just not spending a fortune on those drinks you consider to be coffee.”
Bobby moved her feet off his lap carefully, before getting up from the couch. He went to his overnight bag before pulling out his wallet, and quickly came back to sit down.
He pulled out three crisp hundred bills from his wallet and handed it to Athena with ease.
Her eyes widened at his actions, she immediately shook her head and refused them. “Yea babygirl we can do it next Saturday… Mhmm I love you more, be careful and give a kiss to Harry.”
Athena put her phone down on the coffee table before turning to Bobby, but he spoke before she could even talk.
“I’mma treat you guys baby, and I can take Harry off your hands for a little while.”
“First off, I’m not gonna take your money Bobby.” She put her hands on her lap. “And you have a late shift on Friday, so I know you need your rest.”
Bobby put the bills on top of her phone and motioned her to sit on his lap. When she didn’t move a muscle, he grabbed her hand softly trying to pull her onto him. “Please ‘Thena.”
She moved slowly and placed herself as carefully as possible without getting too close. But Bobby wasn’t having any of it. He pulled her closer by the waist, to the point where their chests touched, and her soft breaths could be felt against his.
“I want to treat you girls, you guys deserve to be pampered and loved for as long as I live… And I can never be too tired to hang out with the only kid who still finds me cool at 50 something.” His thumbs slipped under her tshirt, rubbing circles softly.
“No I’m not gonna—”
“Stop being stubborn ‘Thena.”
She rolled her eyes, her fingers coming up to pull his collar. “I’m not being stubborn, I just don’t want you to feel obligated to do these things ‘cause we’re together.”
“And you thought that I wouldn’t want to?”
“No… I just don’t want to…” Her voice came out low as she trailed off her words.
His hand moved to her chin so their eyes could meet. “You don’t want to what sweetheart?”
“I don’t wanna make you feel like you have to play that role of fiancee and basically stepfather. It would be almost cruel because of what you went through,” she said quietly.
“Baby, although I will never forgive myself for what I put not only my family, but all those people through… Right now, with God’s help, I wanna try and love who I have in my life right now, because tomorrow is never promised.”
It was rare for him to mention his past to anyone, but after meeting Athena, he knew that any conversation could be done with full honesty without her judging him.
“Bobby, you know it was not your fault—”
“We’re not gonna play the blame game ‘Thena, it was my mistake and was my fault. I cannot change what happened, but I can only work on my future. And my future is with you baby, and those beautiful children of yours.” He cupped her cheek. “And I’m gonna do everything in my power to keep you guys safe and loved.”
Her breath caught at his honesty, it was something that she was still uncovering more of.
“I love you so much Bobby.” She didn’t even wait for his response before pressing her lips on his. Her hand came up to the back of neck, and she couldn’t help but press her body against his more. In turn, causing his hands to caress her back with care.
A little dazed and out of breath Bobby pulled back just enough that their foreheads touched. “Just to clarify, is it a yes to me spending time with your son?”
She let out a chuckle, “I think so.”
“Well in that case… I love you more.” He peppered kisses across her face before he pulled back once again. “And you’re taking the money too.”
A soft whine left her lips. “Is that an order Captain?”
His hands moved down onto her ass, holding her in place. “Do I have to make it one?”
“You might,” she bit her bottom lip.
Married…
If Los Angeles ever decided to be a normal city then it would be the happiest of days for someone like Athena.
But, the world is never fair to those who help out their own communities…
“For the last and final time sir, you either cooperate with my officers or you end up dealing with me. And we don’t want that… Do we?” Athena’s voice came out cooly.
The man stared at her up and down. “As if you could ever—“
She didn't even wait another second before she snapped her cuffs on him.
“Unbelievable," Athena grumbled under her breath.
The hours of the day stretched ridiculously long. Way too long for the Sergeant’s liking anyway. All she wanted was to go home and relax.
She handed the man off to another officer before heading back inside her patrol car. Her phone vibrated while sitting in the center console.
|Bobby: How’s your shift going baby?
|Bobby: I was thinking of making chicken and rice for dinner, you okay with that?
Bobby always liked to check in on her midshift as much as he could. One of the perks of having a first responder as a husband, he knew how rough some days could get.
|Athena: Tiring, I can’t wait to be in your arms
|Athena: Sounds good to me
Her lips curled into a faint smile as she replied. No matter how crazy the shift, she knew that being with her man would just make her feel just a little better.
|Bobby: They will both be ready for you when you come home
|Athena: I love you baby
|Bobby: I love you more
Practically dragging herself with a prayer, Athena continued her shift. Although extremely proud in her skills and level of expertise, sometimes she wished the city of LA didn’t need her constantly on her feet.
After a few more hours, she finally made it to her doorstep with a sigh. Her keys turned the lock, and as she walked in the smell of dinner made her stomach grumble.
She went quickly to secure the gun in her safe, yet there was a faint scent of her favorite vanilla soap coming from the bathroom. But she shook it off, thinking the day was just too long before heading towards her husband.
“Hey handsome,” she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face on his back.
He let out a soft exhale. “Hey there beautiful, dinner is almost finished then these arms will be all yours.”
“Aren’t they always mine?” She took a step back to reach for her favorite wine glass. Athena quickly realized that it was missing, so she looked towards the dish rack and came up empty once more. “Bobby have you seen my—”
“On your bath tray baby.” He said, checking on the rice without missing a beat.
“What?”
“I got a bath running for you… I know you like taking them after long shifts.”
Even after being together for a few years, Bobby remembering her habits and quirks made her stop a beat.
“Then you must remember that I don’t like taking them alone.” She quickly recovered by placing her hand on his bicep.
With just a simple touch she saw the tips of his ears become a faint shade of pink. “I think that I should sit this one out… Plus I think I have something saved better for later.” He gave her a kiss on her head. “Now go enjoy that bath Sergeant.”
Athena clicked her tongue. “That something for later better be worth the wait Captain.”
“It will be, I promise.”
Heading towards the bedroom and stripping off her clothes, she did just as Bobby said, and enjoyed that bath. Which she needed more than she thought. The harshness of the day unraveled off her skin, as she soaked into the sweet and calming scents of vanilla. After a little while, she forced herself to get out to at least enjoy dinner before sleeping.
Athena completed her routine meticulously, rubbing in her lotions, oils, and serums where they were needed. She found herself pulling out a pair of comfortable cotton shorts and one of Bobby’s soft tshirts, knowing that she would rather be cozy than anything.
She grabbed her slippers and padded into the living room with Bobby sitting at the table with two plates. Athena didn’t even think twice as she slipped into his lap and reached out to grab her plate. One of Bobby’s hands came to her waist for support while the other he used to feed himself.
“How was your day, baby?” Athena’s voice was definitely lighter than before.
“Better now that I’m with my gorgeous wife,” he said as he squeezed her.
“You are such a smooth talker Mr. Nash.”
“I got to be, ‘cause I’m married to the most beautiful woman on earth.”
She let out a sarcastic scoff. “There you go again.”
“What? You expect me not to think that?”
“Boy stop tryna be smart,” she turned her head to look at him.
A chuckle erupted from his lips. “Well for the record you are a goddess.”
“Why are you more lovey dovey than usual? What did you do?”
“A man can’t love his wife?”
“Yes he can, but a man could also—”
The door rang before she could even finish her thought.
“You expecting someone Bobby?” She slipped off his lap
“Not someone… Something,” he wiggled his brows
Athena rolled her eyes at him playfully, she couldn’t stop the smile from forming on her lips.
Bobby quickly ran up the stairs, all she saw was him opening the door and handing a person some money before pulling a white bag into his hand. She shook her head and walked quietly towards him before he made a beeline down the stairs. He almost bumped into her with excitement.
“What are you hiding in there baby?” She looked at how his smile was almost a mile wide.
“Well I got you a little something—”
“The surprise I’m assuming?” She cut him off.
“Ding, ding, ding, but you have to finish your dinner first.” He tried to move around her to place the bag on the kitchen counter.
“Bobby, I am not a child.” She stopped him from getting closer to the kitchen, practically calculating his next steps.
He stuck his arm as high as it could go with the bag. “But you’re short like one.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You wanna play like that huh?”
“Thought you were too tired to play.”
“Don’t mess with me baby, I’ll have you on the floor in 10 seconds flat.”
“Gonna have to test that theory then.” He practically ran towards the kitchen, and they got trapped in a chase from across the island. “Thought you could get me in 10 seconds sweetheart.”
“Don’t worry about what I said…”
The game of cat and mouse only lasted a few more seconds before Bobby tried to fake a left, but Athena knew him all too well. She caught him, and pinned him against the counter the best she could.
“Show me the bag Nash,” her Sergeant voice came out.
“Or what? Gonna arrest me?”
“Now we both know you like that,” she replied.
“But if I’m not mistaken, you like it as well,” he spoke.
“Boy just tell me what’s in there," she huffed.
He paused for a second. “It’s your dessert.” Bobby reached for the bag behind him, revealing a bakery bag from a place he knew Athena liked.
She let out a soft gasp. “You got me something from that place near Hen’s! Is it the—”
“The tiramisu,” he finished the sentence. “Come on ‘Thena, you should know that I already know what you like.”
“You better… After all this time together.” She took the bag from his hand, pulling out the dessert that she grew to love tremendously. “I’mma eat some right now, you want a bite?”
“Now you already know you ain’t gonna share with me baby,” he chuckled.
“But I still offered, and that’s all that counts.” She moved to grab a spoon from a drawer, and Bobby moved right behind her. “Now what else?”
“Just loving a little on my wife before she divorces me for a piece of pastry.” One of his hands came across her breasts, while the other itched to touch her thigh.
“You better be careful before the tiramisu starts loving on me.”
His lips moved to the side of her neck. “You stuck with me forever baby, I’mma just have to start making my own tiramisu.”
She leaned back a little more into his embrace. “Can’t wait for that day… But come on baby let go I’m tryna eat my gift.”
Bobby reluctantly let her out of his grasp, and he watched as she opened the dessert container. A small moan fell from her lips as the pastry reached her taste buds.
“Never gets old,” her whole face was beaming with joy. It made him happy just to see his wife pleased.
Athena was in her own little world enjoying her dessert. She didn’t even realize Bobby came behind her until she felt a smack on her ass, causing her to intake a sharp breath.
“Finish your dinner first baby.”
“I think I’m gonna finish this first boo, thanks though.”
“You’re gonna need the fuel ‘Thena.”
She turned to him with her spoon in hand. “For what?”
Bobby moved closer to her, pulling her against him with his hands on her ass. “Cause I want my dessert next.” His eyes bore into hers with a heat she recognized all too well.