All The Small Things

173

[Luca POV]

A couple weeks in, I entirley stopped going to Carter's, and today Spade was at home since Jacob was off. Jacob had started mentioning how his certification for working in a fire department was still valid. He apparently did everything he needed and got the certificate saying he passed all the exams and physical requirements. He even went to the boot camp/training program that a fire station recommended for him. He had gotten everything he needed and was equipped to work there, but then he met Kayden at the park with me and got off track quickly. And he asked me if I thought he should try to get back into it.
"Yes!" I exclaimed almost instantly. "Jacob, I want more for you than a shitty waiting job. I feel like if you're qualified and ready and you wanna do it, there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't,"
"You think I could really do it?" He asked, picking at the dirt under his nails.
"You could. Jacob, you passed the training!" I emphasized, hoping he'd realize his potential. "You can genuinely save people's lives!" He smiled at me before pulling me into a hug and then kissing my face.

"I love you so much, Baby," He whispered to me, pulling me in his lap.

Another week later, after he had put in his application to almost every fire station in the general area, he got a response from a few. After a little deliberation between the two of us, we decided to go with the one that paid slightly less but was closer. Because I mentioned he'd probably pay the difference for gas because of how far away it was. It didn't take even a day for them to ask for an interview.
"What should I wear?" He asked the morning of said interview.
"Jeans. But the nice ones. They can't have holes," I suggested, still in bed considering it was 7 am.
"Dark blue or light blue?" He asked further.
"Dark," I quickly answered, rubbing my eyes and sitting up.
"You don't have to get up," Jacob reminded me as he dug for a shirt.
"I wanna eat with you," I mumbled, standing up in spider man PJ pants and Jacob's oversized black T-shirt.

"How many pancakes do you want?" He asked as he turned the stove on.
"I don't want any. I really just wanna sit here with you," I mumbled, not having to look up to know he was frowning at me.
"You said you wanted to eat breakfast with me. So, I think you gotta have breakfast," He said. I knew he was making jokes to lighten the mood, but he still wanted me to eat. So I compromised.
"Will you just make me one?" I asked, making him sigh.
"How 'bout one and a half?" He suggested, making me agree. I hoped that if he gave me fruit, I could eat both of them cause I wanted him in a good mood when he went in for that interview.

"Do you want syrup on top or the side?" He asked, setting the plate in front of me.
"Side," I answered, assuming he didn't want me to say neither. He poured some out for me before sitting next to me at the table. I started tearing them in strips with my fingers, making Jacob chuckle.
"Luca, let me cut them up for you," He said, sliding my plate over to him and cutting them into much neater straps than I was.
"Thank you," I mumbled, starting to pick at it. I ate my fruit first. Then I forced down all but three strips of pancake.
"You don't have to eat the rest," Jacob assured me while I was staring at them, trying to figure out what to do to get them down.
"I gotta go. I love you. Just call me if you need me. Okay?" He said, standing up and slipping his phone and wallet into his back pocket. He kissed my face and I told him good luck before he left.

[Jacob POV]

I've been certified to be a firefighter for a while, but I never got around to applying for the job. So when I brought it up to Luca and he encouraged me to do it, I didn't hesitate to apply. But I forgot how much I hate interviews.
"So, why'd you take some time between getting your certificate and applying?" They eventually asked.
"Well, some stuff came up with my personal life that took a lot of attention and was pretty serious, so I thought I should wait until it was resolved to apply for a highly demanding job like this," I answered. It's not their business what exactly was happening in my life at the time, and I doubt they fucking care, so I kept that part of it relatively vague.
"Do you think you could handle the demand of this job now?" He asked.
"Yes, sir. Through that situation, I've learned how to handle stress and when to seek support from other resources," I answered, hoping he liked that answer. The interview went on for another 40ish minutes before he shook my hand, said he was grateful I came out, and that I'd get an email in the next few days.