Reservoir

He was playing with his phone, looking for anything to do besides help his girlfriend while she shopped. John hated these trips. He hated shopping around and clipping coupons. if it were up to him, they’d just run out and grab it all and go home. This was just a waste of time.

“What about this one, baby?” Tania held up a top for him to look at. He didn’t even bother, simply nodding his head and taking another step in the opposite direction.

John walked away briefly, giving her another nod when she asked where he was going. His eyes stayed on the phone as he continued distracting himself from the store. The game he was playing we boring and he was tired of standing around. He circled the store, once, twice, three times. His fingers constantly flicked across the screen and he’d only glance up ever few seconds to make sure he wasn’t about to walk into something in front of him.

When he got back to Tania, calming down about the shopping, and deciding that as long as he was out with her he could deal, he didn’t expect to see what he did. Tania was still standing at the rack, another guy flipping through the clothes with her, talking animately. John cringed when he went to rest his hand on her shoulder for a second.

“Tania.” John approached, immediately wrapping his arm around her waist when he stepped closer. She sent him a funny look, pulling away and going back to the sales rack. “Baby, you ready?”

She watched him step closer, seeing his jaw tighten when she looked at the man who was talking to her. He was jealous, she could see the fire in his eyes when she smiled at the guy. She didn’t like him there or talking to her, but she was being polite. He had invited himself over when she switched to a different rack. So far, she’d learned his name and where he went to school and why he was here.

“Baby,” John said louder, sending the guy a glare, “Ready?”

Tania smirked, reaching out for his hand and pulling him over. “John, this is Devin, he goes to ASU, just like you did.”

John grimaced and she giggled, watching the two of them scan over the other. They mumbled some hello, before the guy sent her a smile, and walked away.

“Well he was a creep.” John mumbled, uncoiling his arm from her and reaching for his phone again. “What the fuck was he doing with you?”

Tania only giggled, pecking him on the cheek. “Look at you being Mr. Jealous.” She said between giggles.

John blushed, trying to push away before she captured his lips, pulling him into a kiss. His arms wrapped around her frame, an exhale leaving him when her hand slid down the front of his shirt. He pulled away quickly when she started giggling against his lips.

“I wasn’t jealous.” He whined into her ear. “I was just protecting you from the creeps.”

“He wasn’t even that bad, babe.” She smirked, pressing a peck to his lips again when he tried to retract further from here. “Trust me, there have been far worse.”

John gasped, pulling away to see her to see if she was serious. “Really?” He asked, watching her.

She nodded, “But don’t worry, Em protects me from the creeps.”

“Em?” John snickered, tightening his arms around her hips, a hand sliding into the back of her shirt. “She’s like two feet tall, how the hell does she protect you?”

She giggled again, pulling away when John’s hand rose up more under her shirt. “Because she’s scrappy as fuck and amazing.” Tania picked up the few things she’d picked out and put them back on the rack, grabbing John’s hand and headed for the door. “Like a corgi.”

John chuckled, wrapping his arm around her again, pressing a kiss to the crown of her hair. “So that’s why Ken likes her, huh? She’s scrappy.”

Nodding, Tania twisted in his arm, directing the two towards the main entrance of the mall. “Probably more because she’s amazing, but yes, Kenny probably loves her scrappiness a lot too.” Her hand extended out, pulling the door open as John yawned, resting his temple on the top of her head. “What were you doing anyways?”

He sunk down some, so more of her weight rested at her shoulders. Tania groaned at him but took supported him, walking towards his car. “Hmmm?” He mumbled out, “Doing what where?”

“In the store?” Tania held the arm hanging over her, trying to push him up so she could walk normally. “While the guy was talking to me?”

Before she could speak another word, John pulled out his phone and passed it to her. He only yawned then, giving her a bit more of his weight. She took the phone, unlocking it and looking down at the picture displayed. “I was playing a game.”

“John, baby,” She said sweetly, giving him a final push so he’d stand up more. “What happened to my picture?”

It startled her when he pulled them to a stop only feet away from the car. He chuckled, rising off her and twisting her so he could look at her. John kissed her first, taking the phone from her midway through. “It’s just a kitten, baby,” He whispered into her ear when she pulled away, “No reason to be jealous.”

They took a few steps closer to the car, Tania’s scowl present when he pulled away from her. “I’m not jeal--”

John stopped her midsentence, pushing her against the back of his car and kissing her hard.