[log] || Wednesday Night With Ace

[more_flexible]

Jack did his best to push everything to the back of his mind and enjoy his dinner with Sara, but once it was over he found he was exhausted and still shaken. He couldn't think of anyone who would understand how hard the night was going to be except for one person, and without really thinking about it, his feet lead him down and down flight after flight until he darkened her door.

"Ace? It's Jack."

It wasn't so much a door as it was a curtain, and the faint strains of Queen filtered through the fabric. Ace leaned up on her elbows - she'd been laying on the bed staring at the ceiling, just thinking a bit about nothing. "... Come in." She wasn't terribly used to visitors, but he was always welcome. Clothes were strewn about, books piled here and things spilled out of her rucksack onto the floor - she wasn't much of a... neat person.

He ducked in and looked at her laying there. Opening his mouth to speak, he closed it again, followed fast by a complete slump in his posture. "I came down to ask you if you meant it...if I needed..." he began, fingers curling into a tight fist. "I mean, can I stay here? Tonight?"

She sat up, and moved to stand. "'Course you can. You know you can always stay 'ere, I told you that." She bent slightly to peer at him. "Wosswrong, Jack?" Her brow knit as she shoved clothes off of the end of the bed so that he'd have somewhere to sit.

"Always. And I mean it. Alright?"

"Nothing," he replied, sitting automatically. He rubbed his thighs nervously and looked around, everywhere but at her. "Love the decor."

She sat next to him, pulling her legs up on the bed. "... I don't believe you. And I've been meaning to do the laundry." She wrinkled her nose at it, then bit her lip while she figured out how best to help. If it was better to act like there wasn't something, or yank it out of him.

"Always been bad about dealing with it. Sometimes just think I could bin it all." She thought for a moment. "Well, 'cept the things I came in."

He nodded slowly, fighting to keep calm. "I could do it for you. If you want." He reached over and grabbed a sweatshirt...the one that hung off her shoulder, and he smiled. "You look nice in this."

She made a face at him when he said he could do her laundry, and when he grabbed it, she leaned forward to take it from him. "Oi! I know I have to do it-" When he said that she looked nice in it, she faltered, and paused with her hand barely touching the cloth. There was something about compliments that made her feel odd, like she should automatically decry them. "... Thank you." It was quiet, almost grudgingly as she didn't look at him, her shoulders tightening up.

"But you don't have to do my laundry, alright?"

He hadn't really stopped nodding, holding the sweatshirt closer to his chest. "Okay, I won't." He looked over at her for a minute before he realized just how tired he was. "Anyways, I just need to get some sleep someplace safe."

Someplace safe.

She nodded, and then swallowed, her voice quiet. "Would you mind- I mean. I- We talked about it, before, and..." She rubbed the back of her neck - she didn't want him alone, and so she needed to make it be her not being alone, and-

"Could you sleep here? I mean. ... Right. Here."

"I can do that," he replied, so much more comfortable with the thought of holding her instead of needing her close to him. "We kind of suck at sleeping, though," he chuckled.

Ace's face burned, but she ducked her head. "Well, we do, but... we can try." She wasn't precisely sure if he meant what they'd been doing before the last time or the nightmares, but either way... "Thanks, Jack." She looked up at him, and her hand squeezed his. "I should change. ... Do you need anything?"

He shook his head, then said, "Do you have any shorts? You know I don't wear...anything. I'd kind of like to get out of my jeans."

She chewed on her lip, and then her eyes lit up. "Hold on, I'll be right back." She slipped out of the room, and Ace sprinted up the stairs, to the Laundry room - it only took her about four minutes all told, smiling as she arrived back at her room with a pair of shorts and a bit short of breath.

"And don't be all.. .making a face. Alright?"

"Okay," he laughed, wondering what she'd gotten up to.

She held out a bright green pair of shorts. "This was what I found. Will they work?" She smiled, and rubbed the back of her neck with a hand.

"Of course," he replied reaching out to take them, still holding her sweatshirt. With full hands, he stripped off his shirt and began to undo his jeans, then gave her a Look and motioned with his hand for her to turn or go as he gave her a genuine smile. "No peeking."

She turnedaround, her face pink as she stripped herself. Her back bare to him - then realised that she'd forgotten to grab the sweatshirt. She turned back, her shirt held over her chest. "Could I have that sweatshirt?" She was still pink, but she bit her lower lip.

He had the shorts on already and he handed the sweatshirt off. He kept his eyes lowered as it was only fair, and once she had it, he went to straighten the covers and laid down, waiting for her. "Would you mind leaving the light on tonight?" he asked, almost shy.

She tugged it over her head, and it came past the tops of her thighs, a little bit of the very short shorts showing. "It's alright. Not a problem." Her brows knit, and she slipped into bed with him. Once she was in bed with him, she looked up at him. "... Jack."

"Yeah, Ace?" he said softly, arms wrapping around her and holding her close. Just the feel of her kept him calm.

She lightly ran her fingers over his face. "Jack, what happened?" She was talking softly, her eyes searching his.

"Nothing," he said automatically. He took a deep breath, his arms tightening around her, then he opened his eyes and looked at her. "That's not true. You know I got beaten up, yeah? Other things happened too. I just got a scare today, is all."

Ace's eyes searched his again. "Jack-" She knew that she didn't want to make him tell her, but she very gently kissed his cheek. "... You know that if you need anything at all - you do, don't you?" Her eyes were dark with worry.

He nodded and held her tighter, rolling a little to bury his face against her shoulder. "It was only a kiss. He couldn't have known. I didn't even know, Ace. I thought it was done. Put away. But he kissed me and I didn't want him to and I couldn't stop thinking about that night," he whispered, the words flowing in a rush. He didn't even care of he made sense, he just had to say it.

Her eyes widened. "Who, Jack?" She'd put two and two together, and- She wrapped her arms around his neck, and moved closer, her leg slipping around his own as well. "Who was it?"

"A friend of Greg's," he said. "James. You know how I am, Ace. I flirted with him...I flirt with everyone. But he said no and that was that...but then he kissed me. Hard." He took a breath, shivering against her. "He couldn't have known. He's new. He wasn't here then. He didn't know."

She shook her head slightly, and her fingers skimmed his face. "Not him, Jack." She gently kissed his cheek. ".... It's alright." She wasn't going to press, although she did currently want to hurt someone. "I promise."

Even in this state, he wasn't stupid. She had nitro and knew how to use it. There was no way he was coughing up Faramir's name. Not now. He settled under the covers and ran one hand down her side, holding her thigh that was draped over him. "It's all right," he repeated, his breathing growing deep and even as he fell asleep tangled with her.

She wasn't sleeping, her face pressed against his neck. It took hours for her to even relax - she tried to avoid herself from moving her hand enough his hair. This... It was horrible. It truely was, and she wanted to do something. Help. ... She likely could just by being here, and that's why she would.