Tattooed & Famous

Literally crawling into his bed and easing into the crisp sheets, Jake breathed a gasp of relief. A smile graced his features as he hugged his pillow closer to his head. Breathing in the clean, crisp smell of his sheets, he sighed gently as his tired, heavy eyelids closed. A moment of peace, of quite, of stillness without gibberish, and a moment for his sore aching muscles to relax, eight hours of deep heavy, coma-like sleep his body desperately needed.

“No.” He moaned at the knock on his front door. “Just laid down.” He whined like the three-year-old sleeping one door down from him. “I’m coming.” Pushing himself out of bed he stumbled towards the door. “Yes…Penelope!” He straightened up at the woman standing on the other side of his door. “Uh…” His mouth floundered as stared at her.

“You’re home early.” She whispered. “Everything okay?” Jake blinked confused as he stared at her in awe. “The game’s not over yet…” Quickly pointing at her house nervously, she licked her lips. “I was watching at home… it’s barely half time…”

“Oh… yeah.” Stepping aside Jake let her into his picture perfect home. “Everything’s fine. It’s just he was falling asleep and the…” rubbing the back of his neck nervously, he sighed gently. “A bunch of paparazzi showed up, so I felt it was best to leave before they noticed me. I mean, a hat only works for so long.”

Penelope nodded slowly. Her eyes lingered on his exposed upper torso and strong legs. He stood there in all his glory, only covered by tight boxer briefs that hugged toned muscle. The heat rising in her face made her eyes divert from his chiseled abs.

Jake, on the other hand, was having similar problems. She was standing there in nothing more than a practically see through cami, a red bra with black lace, and a pair of red boy-shorts that hugged the curve of her rear perfectly.

“I’m sorry.” Jake cleared his throat as he looked away from her toned, perfectly curved, and tattooed body. “If anything comes out of this.” He finished gently. “Tabloid wise. I guess I didn’t think it through.” Admitting his mistake was something he didn’t want to do.

“I figured you knew what you were doing when you agreed to watch him.” Penelope sighed.

“I just thought I’d have a fun day with the little guy.” Jake whispered. “Forgetting the fact people have this odd sense of obsession with me.” Penelope snorted.

“How do you forget that?” She whispered. “With a toddler involved?”

Jake scratched the side of his neck and focused on his hard wood floor. Licking his lips, he slowly shrugged at the idea of forgetting how with every turn and step he took, he was documented.

“I guess I feel like a normal guy around the little monster.” Jake whispered. “I don’t get to feel that way very often, let alone lately. So I enjoy having him around. He doesn’t know, and if he does, he doesn’t care that I’m in movies and famous… I like that feeling.” He whispered sadly. “I forget that and I feel normal for a day. I mean…I don’t remember the last time I’ve had this much fun and been in so much pain at the same time.” Laughing quietly he shook his head at the thought. Every muscle burned and ached, yet he wouldn’t change the day for anything.

Penelope smiled at his crooked, dopey smile and licked her lips at the lost look in his eyes. She, like many people, had been judging him slightly on the fact that he was Jake Gyllenhaal, the movie star. As much as she tried not to, she did judge him on the fact.

Reaching out, her long fingers ghosted over the growing stubble on his jaw line. She let her palm press flat again his cheek. Taking a step closer, she sighed gently.

Lifting his gaze to hers, a nervous lump formed in his throat as their blue eyes locked.

“Things happen, Jake. It’s okay. It’s not like you walked out the front door with him and put on a hat that said ‘I’m Jake Gyllenhaal take pictures of me with this kid’” Lowering his gaze, Jake nodded weakly. “You actually took notice of what he wanted and tried to hide in plain view.”

“I’m still sorry. It won’t happen again.” Penelope laughed at him.

“Oh…please don’t let that be true.” She whispered. Running her thumb over his cheek, she sighed. “Because if it is, one day you’ll see me crawling, bloody, and torn to shreds to your door begging for you to just hang out with him for a few short minutes, if not completely take him off my hands.” Failing for more words, she swallowed nervously. “He loves you.”

A faint smile etched its way onto Jake’s face at her words.

“I love the little monster too, but I don’t love wrestling with him.” Reaching around, he rubbed his back slowly. “I think he tried to kill me.” Jutting out his bottom lip a deep, over dramatic pout washed over features.

“I told you he was a terrorist.” Crossing her arms over her chest a weak, playful shrug rolled off her shoulders.

Jake frowned at the new found cold against his cheek where her hand had once been.

“Yeah.” Jake swallowed and gave a short breath. “I believe you now.” Again, she shrugged playfully in an I-told-you-so way. “The kid’s strong and fast.”

“Maybe you should come on a hike with us one day.” Penelope offered. “We’ll probably leave you in the dust.”

“Yeah… right.” Jake laughed. Waving his hand he rolled her eyes at her. There was no way a three-year-old was leaving him in the dust. His ego wouldn’t be able to take that if it was true- So much for exercising everyday if a little monster could out hike him.

“Alright, when’s your next day off?” Penelope challenged.

“Huh?” Jake looked up confused. Floundering for words, the look burning in her eyes was making his knees weak. She was determined to make this work. It reflected in her blue orbs like fire. “Oh.” Rubbing his chin, he hissed at the idea. “Next week?” He pondered, unsure of his own schedule. “I think I have a few readings tomorrow with a bunch of bimbos, and after than fitting with the dicks, and…” His soft words trailed off at Penelope’s bubbly laughter filling his living room. “What?” He laughed back at the contagious sound.

“Bimbos and dicks? And here I thought you’re a nice, all-around lovable guy.” Shaking her head she couldn’t stop her laughter.

“What? They are! The women they’re picking are nothing but fake tits, fake hair and faces, no IQ what so ever. I’m amazed they can read!” He gasped truthfully. “And the dicks picked the name themselves. They’re a bunch of gay guys. Their club is ‘The Dicks’ slogan, ‘men only or only things we can blow’.” Grimacing at the slogan, he shook his head at the idea of getting hit on all day long and grabbed in rude places. So much for a nice day of just getting measured.

“Seriously.” She placed her hands over her wide open mouth. Nodding Jake glanced around as he felt his eyes lids grow as a touch heavier. “Wow.”

“Yeah, a full day of being groped and hit on by guys. I mean,” Shrugged apathetically he sighed. “I don’t mind being groped I just wish it wasn’t by guys measuring my inseam trying to guess my size.”

“Wow. I didn’t know you were so dirty.” Again Jake shrugged.

“I didn’t know you thought I was lovable.” Wiggling his eyes brow suggestively, a dopey grin twisted onto his thin lips. Penelope rolled her eyes, pushing him away with a gentle laugh. “You wanna finish the game with me?” He nodded his head to the monster television in the next room over. “Eh? Eh?” he added a few eyebrow wiggles at her.

“Umm…” smoothing her shirt out Penelope tried to not think of what she was wearing in front of him compared to what he was wearing. “Sure.” She smiled up at him.

“Sweet. I don’t think I can stand much longer anyway.” Jake laughed walking into the media room and easing into the middle of the couch. “You gonna sit?”

“What do you shop only at IKEA?”

“Hey!” Jake pointed. “After one piece from IKEA, I statred shopping at other places. IKEA furniture is the bane of my existence.” Shuddering at the one IKEA piece he’d actually bought coming out of the box. “I can do a RUBIX Cube faster than putting their shit together.” Huffing, he flipped the TV on to the game, making sure the volume was low. He didn’t want to wake up the little monster. Jake couldn’t take more running around or he’d fall over dead.

“At least you managed getting it together.” Penelope took a seat next to him, one leg tucked under her, the stretched out before her drawing Jake’s attention to the mile long tanned limb.

“After swearing, beating it, throwing pieces of it, smashing my thumb,” He held up his right thumb in her face. Penelope took it in her hand and noticed a small scar on the side of it. “Then beat the living hell out of it and it went together.” He sighed. Penelope kissed his finger to make it all better. “Thanks.” He flushed, pulling his hand away from her slowly.

There was a series of booing and their eyes locked on the screen. One man was sprawled out on the ground, the other waving his arms at the ref wildly.

“Still got it together.” Penelope hushed at him. “Better than most people.” Jake smiled at the screen. “Be proud I couldn’t do that.”

“You fix cars for a living! How could you not put a piece of furniture together?” Jake pressed, staring at her confused.

“Because I have a three-year-old that steals parts and screws and I have enough trouble wrestling car parts from him let alone pieces I don’t know I need till he’s already hidden them or buried them in the backyard.” Shaking her head at the idea.

“He buries them?” Jake laughed. Penelope nodded slowly turning to look at him. “Why?”

“He thinks if the pieces go missing, you’ll be done sooner and be able to play with him.” Licking her lips, she sighed. “He doesn’t like being ignored and that’s why he likes you.” Jake raised a brow curiously. “You don’t ignore him.” She whispered gently.

“You don’t ignore him either.”

“No but I’m mommy,” Pointing at herself she glanced back at the TV. “I’ll never leave him alone or ignore him, not even when he’s thirty.” Jake laughed knowing that feeling. His mother was constantly calling him and checking up on him. Some days it was nice to know she cared, other days he wanted to beat himself with the phone or he just avoided the call.

Silence drifted over the two for several minutes as they watched the game. Sighing, Jake tugged at the bottom of his boxer briefs and paused as he realized what he was wearing. Swearing mentally, he took in a deep breath.

Penelope watched the game idly, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. Her mind was focusing on Caden wondering if he was actually okay or not. She trusted Jake, but she wondered if he was like Caroline, didn’t want to talk about injures or boo-boos. Jake didn’t seem the type though.

“Can I ask a personal question?” Jake whispered nervously. His minded had floated to the subject of Penelope and Caden, to their family portraits, to the couple at the park. Not one photo he’d seen had a father figure in it. Nor had he meet a father type figure. Though Jake wasn’t over at their house all that often, it was more over the fence conversations with Penelope when he was home, that also bothered him. If he had a woman like Penelope, he’d kill whatever guy was flirting with his wife, lover, or girlfriend over their back fence. Or severely threaten the guy. If that didn’t work, move all together.

“Sure.” She whispered looking at him.

Tentatively Jake looked at her, not sure if he should ask.

“Where’s Caden’s father?” He breathed gently.

Penelope glanced away with a scowl as her hands tightly balled into fists.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have asked.” Jake quickly scolded himself.

“It’s fine.” Penelope whispered, trying to calm her temper. “He walked out on us when he found out I was pregnant and wasn’t getting an abortion.” She stated simply. “And I’m glad, ‘cause he was a horrible human being.” She sighed. “Just took getting out to see that.” Nodding, Jake reached out, grabbing her hand gently. She smiled weakly at him as he gave her a reassuring smile.

“Well if I see some guy beat up in your front lawn or run over in our street, I’ll know not to call the police and help you hide the body… or hit him again.” Laughing she leaned into his side, nudging her shoulder against his. “I’m sorry that had to happen to you though.” He truthfully stated.

“We’re better off without him.” Penelope breathed. “Now shush, game.” She pointed at him. Sitting upright, Jake saluted and faced the game.

They sat watching the game, hands still clasped on her thigh. It only took ten minutes of silence before Jake was leaning against Penelope, losing the battle to stay awake. Squeaking, Penelope toppled over as Jake's dead weight hit her. Grunting, she froze at his gentle snoring.

“Umm…” She breathed. “Okay.” Pushing him up, she frowned at the groans leaving his thin lips. “Shut up.” She laughed. He muttered something under his breath.

With trouble, Penelope managed to get Jake up the stairs and find his room. Dumping him into bed, she tucked him in with a huff. He was heavier than he looked. Just by his weight compared to his height, he was nothing but walking muscle.

Running her thin fingers through her hair, she blew a piece up and out of her vision. Shaking her head, she headed back down the stairs, taking in everything of his house. It honestly looked like each room had dropped out of a magazine, even the family pictures in his stairwell. They looked fake, so photo shopped it couldn’t even be close to true with the warmth and caring nature that radiated off him. He’d grown up in a nice home or he’d be a cynical, money grubbing, attention seeking human being.

She paused, mulling over what she actually knew about him. If he was cynical, he wouldn’t want anything to do with Caden. Hell, he wouldn’t have even introduced himself to them. He wasn’t money grubbing or he’d live in a large Beverly Hills home, not a quaint little suburb, no matter how nice or expensive they were. They were still too small for a money grubber and as for attention seeking, he’d be doing stupid things all the time and purposely getting put into tabloids and have to buy extravagant things all the time that people took notice of. He didn’t do any of those.

Jake Gyllenhaal was a normal guy living in a surreal world with his head down to earth. Sure, she’d discovered he was rather dirty and crude, but that just made him more normal if anything.

Sighing gently, she turned off the television and went home. She couldn’t help but think of how amazing he’d looked in nothing but black boxer briefs. Rubbing her hands up and down her face, she tried to rid herself of the image and clear her mind to get a good night’s sleep.