Reservoir

John hadn’t bothered making reservations. It was a Thursday night; there was no way the restaurant would be full. Really, there was no reason to bother making a reservation to him. She insisted multiple times that week. Tania knew how the popular the restaurant was. John just wouldn’t listen.

“Don’t you thing you should get ready, John?” She asked, coming out of their bedroom, heels hanging in her hand and a sweater draped over her arm.

He turned from his spot on the couch to see her. “It’s only 6.” He shrugged, sending her a smirk. “What’s the rush?”

A frown dug its way across Tania’s face. They’d fought too much over this. John had insisted over and over that it’d be fine and they’d get their booth. She knew though. She’d been there at lunchtime with her co-workers a few times and even then, it was packed. It was popular and John was ridiculous for thinking they could just walk in and get a table. “John, please.” She groaned, sitting down on the other end of the sofa to slip her heels on. “Go get ready.”

She could see his mouth part, lips reading to speak back at her, sparking another argument. It had been an exhausting day, one were she had to juggle school and work. The only motivation she had to get through it all was knowing John was taking her out that night for their first real date in months. He had come back from tour a few weeks prior to this, but he’d complain of being too tired or wanting to hold her too much to go out in public. She finally won though, now John was roped into taking her. “John.” She spoke clearly, cutting off any excuse he was about to deliver. “I fucking need tonight, will you please just cooperate?”

He sighed, nodding in agreement. “Okay.” He smiled, pecking her lips before standing from the couch.

John came from the bedroom fifteen minutes later, freshly showered and dressed. Slipping into his suit jacket, he stepped into the kitchen. Tania was there, scrubbing the dishes she hadn’t gotten the chance too the night before, her homework keeping her busy until 2 that morning. John couldn’t bite back the smile at seeing her so determined to scrub the pan clean. Even when she let out a frustrated groan, dropping the pan into the soap water and dropping her arms in frustrated, John’s smile didn’t fall, a slight chuckle falling from his lips. “Tania, baby, it’s okay.”

“If I could have done this last night it wouldn’t be so damn difficult.” She turned, frowning at his smile. “What’s so funny?”

“You.” He chuckled out, stepping closer to her. “How frustrated you get. It’s fucking adorable.”

Tania sent him a hard glare, turning back to the sink to pull the pan from the water to continue to scrub it. It wasn’t until John coiled his arms around Tania’s waist, did she stop. When he started pressing kissing to the back of her neck, she dropped the pan again, falling back again him a little. “John,” She whined, trying to regain control and brush his lips from the stop that made her sink. “S-stop.”

He chuckled into her, not stopping the trail of kisses he was working on. “I’ll stop…” He breathed into the space, one hand unwinding from her waist to brush her hair from the back of her neck. “When you relax.”

It took her a few minutes before she finally relaxed enough to get John to drop his arms from her and let her go. She tried twisting from him a few times, muttering cruel curses at him when he wouldn’t let her go. When he finally did though, he silently pulled the sponge from her hands and set it in the sink, handing her a paper towel from the roll. “Dry off so we can go.”

Tania listened, drying off and taking John’s open hand. He pulled her out the door, hushing her every time she tried to remind him to turn off a light. He didn’t care; after seeing her so stressed out over the dishes he knew she needed a night out with him, no dishes, pets, or homework to distract her. Once they made it into the car he heard her sigh, sending him a smile and a thank you when he went to back out the driveway. John’s hand stayed laced with hers as she told him about her week and her classes. He’d give her hand a reassuring squeeze or turn to her with a few sweet words or a smile when she explained the assignments she’d turned in, apprehensive about her grades. When they arrived at the small restaurant she stopped talking about her stresses, instead smiling at him and hugging him when she stepped from the car, thanking him over and over again for taking her here.

John was the one to walk to the hostess, leaning over so she could hear him over the music playing in the waiting room. It was crowded, all the benches full and a line starting to wind out the door. Tania watched him nervously, hoping he’d use his charm to work something out. She knew the restaurant was full and the tables were booked, she just hoped that he’d worked out something or would surprise her with a reservation he’d made and hid from her.

“Okay, here’s the deal.” John reconnected his hand to hers, kissing her cheek and pulling her aside. “They’re booked until about 10.” He bit his lip, watching her face drop in disappointment.

“I fucking told you this would happen…” She interrupted, jaw tightening in frustration. “I told you over and over this wasn’t a place you could just walk into a expect to get a seat.”

John put his finger over her lips, stopping her rant. “They have some seats open at the bar.” He continued, “The hostess said they serve all the food there plus we'll have faster service.”

He could see how upset she was and he felt guilty about it. He didn’t listen to her insisting. He promised her this night and she needed the break, but he hadn’t kept up his end of he deal, making it a less-then perfect night. Tania looked away from him, blinking a few times as she traced the line of people on the other side of the room. “I’m sorry.” He mumbled, kissing her temple. “You were right.”

Tania only shrugged, stepping out of his grasp. “I need a drink.” She groaned.

The bar only had two empty stools, both of which Tania and John took. He tried offering her his hand when she went to step up to sit in it, but she pushed it away, climbing up herself. It just made it more obvious how upset she was with him. John bot down on his lip softly, climbing into the one beside her and resting his arm across the back of hers. She called for the bartender before he could, ordering herself a shot of whiskey and a beer.

“Tania.” He tried after she down the shot, a heavy sigh escaping her. “Talk to me, baby, please. I feel awful.”

She shook her head hard, looking away as she sipped on the beer then. “No.” The word was sharp and snappy. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat. He hadn’t bothered ordering a drink, knowing that she was going to drink enough for the two of them at that point. Instead, he reached for the bottle in her hands, tearing it away, and taking a long swig against her protests.

“Stop.” She pulled the bottle from him. "Get your own damn drink.”

He chuckled at her, licking the taste of the German beer from his lips. “Someone’s gotta be the responsible one right now, Tania.” He spoke, watching her tighten her hands on her bottle as she brought it to her own lips. “And I guess it’s gotta be me since you just had an entire shot of whiskey and have almost finished your beer and we haven’t even been here ten minutes.”

The bottle hit the bar, her teeth gritting as she looked at him. “Seriously, John?” She stared at him, her eyes digging into him, making him immediately regret the comments. “I’m allowed to have one fucking night. One, perfect night. I go to school. I work. I clean. I cook. I walk the dog. I do the laundry. I ask you for one fucking night and you can’t even get a damn reservation so I can have someone else cook for me and clean up after me. Don’t tell me you’re the responsible one when you can’t even handle one simple job.”

She was so right. Too right. John tried to think of something to fight back with, but he came up short. Tania worked her ass off while he did nothing when he wasn’t touring. He’d try to help around but she’d always insist to do it all herself. Getting into some routine when he was home where he’d help out would only make him leaving home that much harder. She’d have to relearn to juggle it all. He’d never protest it either seeing as he was never one for chores anyways. The guys were always jealous, Kennedy complaining of Emily’s constant whining about him not helping and Garrett’s own groans and mumbles when Melanie would make him leave band practice early to deal with his puppy. John was aware of how good he had it.

“Then let me fucking help, Tania.” He tried, catching her hand when she went to wave for the bartender for another round. “Let me wash the dishes or take Nolan for his walk in the evening. You do too much. I want you to be able to relax when I’m here.”

Her eyes caught his, a smirk playing across her lips. “We’ve talked about this John—“

“Let me help.” He insisted, watching her. “Please. I’ll hire a dogwalker or make Shane come do it or something. You do too much, Tania.”

It shocked him how easily she gave in, stepping out of her own bar stool to press a kiss to his lips. “Okay.” She agreed, before giving his another peck, and another, and another. He could still taste the whiskey on her lips, making him kiss her harder on the last one, not letting her pull away as quickly. It wasn’t until they heard the bartender clear her throat that he let her go, a blush spread evenly over her neck and cheeks.

“What can I get you?” He spoke with a smile, watching her climb back into her seat.

“2 more shots and 2 beers.” She smiled, holding her fingers up for the correct number.

After the bartender nodded and walked away, going to get her drinks, did John lean over to her, brushing the hair from her ear. “Two, baby?” He whispered, sending his breath down to the concave of her neck, making her shiver. “You still wanna get drunk that fast.”

“One’s for you.” She turned to him. “We need this. I’ll call one of the guys later to come get us, okay?”

John smirked, bring his lips to hers again. “Okay.” He mumbled into the kiss.