geeky_agent | (no subject)

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(no subject)

From here.

June 19, 2011

Still half-asleep, Chris rolled over, trying to move a little farther from the sunshine steaming though the window.

The apartment was quiet and she snuggled down in the covers, ready to sleep some more till a thought pushed through her mind. Jack's here. She opened her eyes, blinking, and for a second the night before seemed like a dream.

But she knew it wasn't and wondering if he was still here, she got out of bed, threw her robe on and tiptoed into the living room. Jack was still asleep on the couch, Coco had parked herself near his feet and raised a lazy head to look at Chris.

Without waking him, Chris crept back into her room. First, a shower then the store.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Well I'd guess not, though it's been ages since I've had a Skittle. Or a Fuzzy Navel."

"You're not missing out, trust me."

"Yeah, somehow I thought that," he says, shoveling another forkful of eggs in his mouth. "What are you up to today?"

"Not much." Aside from ignoring the date. "I'll probably do some housework."

She doesn't want to ask because it means he'll be leaving and she doesn't want to think of that. "When do you have to catch your bus?"

He glances over at the clock on the microwave--around 7:30. "About quarter to ten." Not that he particularly wants to leave. He's a little too comfortable at the moment, he knows that. It doesn't mean he's not enjoying it.

She looks down at her plate, pushing the eggs around. "Do you know where you're going?"

"Home. I'll head north, cross the border at Vancouver, then head east. It'll take a while, but I'll get there."

She nods, then glances up at him. "Hopefully, you'll get back to the bar soon."

"Yeah, hopefully," he says. Things might be better, but he doesn't want to leave Kim for too long. "I have a door to the bar in my cabin, so I've been able to come and go from a stable door for the last little while. At least until yesterday."

"Jack? When you get back, could you tell my dad that you saw me and that I'm ok?" They hadn't left things on the best terms and each day that passed that Chris couldn't return, her guilt grew.

He nods. "Sure I will. Anything else you want me to tell him or anyone else?"

Chris thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. "No. Just that."

He nods. "Okay. Whenever I get back I'll tell him. Hopefully you'll be able to tell him yourself, though."

"Yeah. Hopefully," Chris says dully. It sounded as if a few months had passed in the bar and ever since her dad had seen the door, she'd been reminded of how temporary this situation was.

He reaches across the table on impulse, putting his hand on hers, wanting to reassure her but unable to find the words. You never knew with the Landlord just when you'd be picked up again, so he can't just mouth the empty words that wouldn't be reassuring anyway.

After a moment he pulls his hand away and goes back to eating breakfast, the conversation picking up on some other topic and moving along until they're both finished, their dishes stacked in the sink.

After washing the grease off his hands, Jack looks over at the clock, wishing tme wasn't moving quite so fast. Not sure when he was going to see her again--or if ever--he's reluctant to leave. "I guess I'd better be going."

She had been waiting for him to say that, knowing it was coming while hoping he'd find some reason to stay.

"All right," Chris says softly, looking at him. "Do you need a ride or anything?"

"No, I'd better not--it'll probably be safer if I walk a few blocks, then call a cab or something." It would also make it so much harder to leave. "Thanks for the offer, though."

She nods. "Right" It was the answer she was expecting.

Chris waited a moment, debating, then realizing she might not see him again till who knows when (if that), she leans forward to hug him.

"Take care of yourself."

He's taken off-guard by the hug, but not enough to not reciprocate in kind. He wraps his arms around her, the familiarity of it, even after all this time, sweeping over him.

"I will. You take care or yourself," he says, softly.

Chris nods again and she doesn't want to let go but she does.

She brushes a strand of hair from her face and looks around. "Do want any food for the road ... or anything?"

"Well, I could take some of that cold pizza off your hands," he says, his mouth curling into a slightly nervous smile.

"Sure." She turns towards the refridgerator. "I was surprised there was some left."

"Well how much did you have before you started falling asleep?" he asks, holding the refridgerator door open for her.

Chris scoffs. "Like I remember. I just remember that Coco was just waiting for one of us to let down our guard."

"Well it looks like we succeeded," he says, taking the pizza box from her hands and opening it.