Long Time No See

The beginning of August rolled around, and things for Jon and Leslie had been going smoothly. They saw each other nearly every day.

Leslie laughed as Jon emerged from her bathroom, wearing a suit and tie. She was helping him pick a suit for an event he had to attend the next day. He frowned.

"Does it look bad or something?"

Leslie shook her head and stifled a giggle. "You look sexy." He smirked. She took a step towards him. "But..." She reached up and grabbed his tie, pulling him towards her. She kissed him before adding, "You clearly don't know how to tie a tie."

Jon scoffed as she fixed it. "I'm not the only one on the team."

Leslie raised an eyebrow at him. "What do you guys do then? Don't you wear suits a lot?"

Jonathan nodded. "Most of us just go for the whole shirt and suit thing."

Leslie laughed. "What will you do without me back in Chicago?" she teased.

Jon's smile faded. "I really don't know."

Leslie ran her fingers through her hair, sighing. "I'm sorry, Jonny, I shouldn't have brought it up-"

"No, we're going to have to face it soon enough," he pointed out. He sat down on the bed and looked at the floor, frustrated. She walked over and sat beside him, intertwining their fingers.

"Jonny." Leslie put her hand in his hair before turning his chin towards her and kissing him gently. She took his face in her hands and looked him straight in the eyes. He looked at her with frustration in his deep brown eyes and she put her arms around his neck. He picked her up slightly so that she was sitting on him, and he put his arms around her waist. "It's gonna be okay," Leslie said in a quiet voice. "Everything always works out somehow. If it's meant to be, it will be." she whispered.

Jon put his face into her neck and she held on to him as tight as she could. He kissed her neck, her jaw, her cheek and then her lips before laying her down on the bed and kissing her again. He pulled away and put his back against the wall. Leslie sat up beside him and he put his arm around her shoulder.

"What do you think about..." Jon started but didn't finish. Leslie looked up at him expectantly. He rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I don't know. Its insane," he laughed nervously.

"Well, you can't leave me hanging now," Leslie smiled.

"Would it be crazy for me to ask you to come back to Chicago with me?" Jon said after a pause.

Leslie looked at him, surprised. She pulled away from him slightly. "Chicago," she repeated. He sighed and Leslie spoke quickly before he regretted saying it. "How long have you been thinking about this?"

"For a week or so," Jon replied.

"Jon, I don't... it's not that I wouldn't...I just..." Leslie couldn't get her words out properly, and Jon started to get up. He was obviously disappointed with her answer and Leslie felt herself panic as he removed his arm from around her shoulders. She rolled over onto him and sat on his stomach, with her legs on either side of his stomach. She put her hands on his chest and sighed. She noticed he couldn't hide a slight look of amusement as she sat on him. "Jonny. You know I would love that more than anything. But what if this... what if it doesn't work out between us?"

"Then we'll be friends... and if you really don't like it there, you can always move back..." he tried to convince her but his voice got quieter at the end, as if he had given up. "I'm sorry, it was a stupid-" Leslie cut him off with a kiss.

"Do I have time to think about it?" she whispered, her face still close to his. Her hair fell down and he reached up to brush it away.

"Of course."

"How long?"

"Two weeks..."

Leslie nodded and rolled off him, then grabbed her jacket.

"I'm going to go. I'll talk to you later?" she said. He walked her downstairs and she gave him a soft kiss before heading out the door.

***
"Will you take care of her? Respect her wishes? Let her have her space, but be there when she needs you? Help her fit in there?" Leslie blushed furiously as her dad drilled Jonathan with questions at the dinner table. Leslie took his hand under the table and he answered calmly.

"I will do my best to take as good care of her as I can, sir. I respect her wishes, and I always will. We're very good at communicating, so if she needs her space, she'll tell me, and vice versa. I know I'm busy a lot but I will make sure I'm there for her, even if it's not in person, I'll be a call away. And your daughter will be perfectly fine there, sir. She's great and everyone will like her, I'm sure." He smiled at Leslie and Leslie squeezed his hand. Good job, she said to herself.

"Leslie and George, will you come help me bring out the chicken?" her mom called from the kitchen. Leslie didn't want to leave Jon alone, but she did so anyway.

"Hey, what do you need help with?" Leslie asked. Her mom leaned against the counter beside her dad and they looked at her. "What?" Leslie asked cautiously.

"We're just worried... we trust your decisions, honey. But we just want you to make sure you're thinking through this clearly." her mom said.

"And he's a professional hockey player, sweetie," her dad reminded her. "He won't be around a lot. You know you're not good at being alone." Leslie rolled her eyes.

"Mom, Dad. I love you, and I know you love me, but I'm twenty two. And he's not 'a professional hockey player', Dad. He's Jonny Toews, from 45 Star Lane. The Jon I grew up with. He'll take good care of me, I'm sure of it."

"What about a job?" her mom asked.

"I looked into this before I even brought it up to you. There's a great job offer and they have an interview for me booked for three weeks from now."

"Where would you live?" her dad asked. Leslie winced. This was the question she had been hoping to avoid, even though it was impossible.

"Jon has an apartment, and he said I could stay there, and I wouldn't have to pay rent..." she tried to analyze her parents facial expressions, but they remained blank.

"Leslie, honey. I just don't want you throwing your life away for a summer crush." her mom said bluntly.

Leslie ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know if you understand, but I don't think he's just a summer crush. This could be the real deal... and if I do need to come home, I can. I know it's taking a risk, but if I don't, I'll never know."

Her parents surprised her by pulling her in for a hug.

"Is that a yes?" Leslie said, her words smothered by her parents shoulders.

Her mom nodded. "Just be careful, honey. That's all we ask."

"And sleep in separate rooms," her dad added.

Leslie looked at him awkwardly. "You know I would never..."
"
That's all i need to hear," her dad said, raising his hands. They all laughed and went back into the living room, where Jonathan was waiting patiently.

After supper, Leslie went out onto the back porch while her mom took the dog for a walk and her dad and Jon talked hockey. She took in a breath of fresh air and let her thoughts take over. This was crazy... What if he was lying? She was almost positive he wasn't, but there was that little chance that he only wanted her physically, and once he got that, he would be gone. But even as the thoughts entered her mind, she quickly pushed them away. The way he looked at her, and held her... he was being completely honest, and he felt it - whatever it was that she was feeling- too. She was almost sure of it.

She heard the back door open but didn't turn around. She knew who it was, and she smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder. She leaned into him and placed her hand on his cheek. He kissed it and she smiled, then turned around and faced him, wrapping her arms around his sback.

"So," he smiled slightly and Leslie looked at him curiously. "Don't get mad, but I kind of overheard your conversation with your parents..."

"Jon," Leslie said, with a slight smirk on her face. "I'm not mad, silly. But that's horrible." she buried her face in his chest and smiled as she felt him laughing quietly.

"I was very impressed." he said kissing the top of her head.

"By which part?"

"Well, everything you said was impressive, but I really liked what you said about me."

"Oh." Leslie blushed. "Uh-"

"I don't think this is just a summer crush either," he cut her off, and his eyes were smiling.