#warmer

“I suspect that I should choose my next words carefully,” he moistened his lips, a glimmer dancing in his dark eyes.    

“You should,” Y/n warned lightly. After another moment of easy silence, they both snorted a brief fit of quiet laughter.

When they settled, Y/n bent her head and bought John’s hand to her lips, pressing a chaste, lingering kiss to his knuckles. She always felt the need to be gentle with his hands; they’d been through so much, it only made sense that someone take the time to offer them- like him- some tenderness and care. “I’m sorry I made fun of you,” her tone dropped, remorse finally seeping in; it wasn’t his fault that he’d never been afforded simple pleasures of the holiday season, like cocoa with marshmallows during winter or a Christmas tree.   

Or someone to spend the holidays with.

“Its okay,” John flashed her a faint smile, weaning his hands out of hers to hook his fingers under her chin. The rough pad of his thumb caressed her jaw and he added softly, “I know you didn’t mean anything by it.”   

“I didn’t,” Y/n confirmed, shifting her face to peck the inside of his wrist before pulling away altogether, returning to her saucepan on the stove. Giving the contents a gentle stir with a wooden spoon, she reached for the festive mugs she’d left nearby. “This should be cool enough,” she announced, lifting the pot off the stove before setting it down moments later on a pot holder and reaching for a ladle so she could fill up both mugs.

“So how do we do this?” John’s voice behind her coupled with his hands suddenly landing on her hips made her jump a little, and he chortled quietly. “Sorry,” he mumbled, bringing his lips to the top of her head. His face lingered there for a moment, nose buried in her hair, breathing the scent of her shampoo. 

It always amazed her; he was so big and imposing, yet so impressively quiet when he moved- Y/n supposed it came with his job description.     

“We do it," she giggled softly when his hands slid from her hips to her front, while he simultaneously stepped forward a bit, so her back would be flush against his chest. “Like this,” Y/n managed through her laughter, just after topping the mugs with whipped cream and a few mini marshmallows.     

“Try it,” she encouraged, turning in his tight embrace to offer John one of the mugs.   

“It looks sweet- like sugary,” he clarified, furrowing his brows a little before finally bringing the cup to his lips. At the initial taste, John- her back coffee, one sugar, whiskey neat man- hummed appreciatively. “Its good, actually,” he sounded weary, as if the thought liking cocoa was a threat to his reputation as a big, bad assassin who could punch his way through any situation that called for it.     

He squinted his eyes a little when she put her hands over her lips, stifling a small laugh, “What?” 

“You’ve got a little…..” She reached up, using her pointer to swipe some whipped cream off the top of his nose, subsequently popping her finger into her mouth.   

“See why I’ve never done this?” He joked, setting the mug down on the counter once more as she leaned against the edge.   

Y/n snorted, “Cause you hate whipped cream?”    

John huffed, smile softening, “Cute, but no,” with his hands now free, he reached for hers, lifting them a little between them, “Because I’ve never had someone to share it with.”   

Her cheeks warmed up and not knowing how else to respond, Y/n tilted her head slightly and regarded him with a fondness that was reserved only for John, “I think you might be sweeter than the cocoa.”    

A soft sound- like a hum contained low in his throat- was John’s immediate response. Though, after a moment, he let her hands go in favor of wrapping his arms around her in a hug, something that was a little unconventional with John; in their time together, he’d started becoming more acquainted with physical affection-with the idea that his body could do something more than inflict pain- but conventional hugs were still a rarity. Y/n got the sense that they must have made him feel too vulnerable, and while she did enjoy being close to him, she loved him more than enough to respect his boundaries and the pace he wanted to go at

She also appreciated the moments where he trusted her enough to initiate one.