Morrijack - What if we never met like we should have

The matter of love

     That day I bumped at Jack really just by the coincidence. I was hurrying down the hallway to the dinning room, and almost knocked him down on the staircase.
     "Both late for the breakfast, huh?"
     I made a face. "You know, didn't sleep much. After... Yesterday," I finished looking at the ground. He was quiet, but after his deep breath I felt his soft lips on my forehead.
     My breath quickened, as he lifted my head and slided the tip of his nose across my left temple. Jack slowly kissed my cheek. One, two, three kisses in a row.
     Every time, his lips touched my cheek closer and closer to my mouth. I breathed out slightly, moved my head a little bit and our lips connected, first time just for a second, then for longer, and harder. It was like time time has stopped. Like in the globes in the Museum of Stolen Moments...

     No.

     I put my hand on Jack's chest and pushed him away.
    He stepped backwards and with a gaze on the ground, he muttered: "Sorry. I didn't mean to..."
     I held his hand and kissed his cheek, but didn't look him in the eyes.
     "It's okay. Just let's go, or we won't get the breakfast at all."

° ° °

     To my happiness, the dinning room wasn't empty. I wouldn't be very comfortable sitting there just with Jo- I mean, Jack, after what happened on the staircase.
     If I thought about it now, it was kinda stupid thing from us to do. Anyone could see it all.
     But still, I was quite curious about what would they think. From their point of view we've met just yesterday. Hm...
     -Stop it. Now.- I thought, this strange feeling tinkling in my stomach. Excitement? Love, maybe?
     When I stepped to the canteen, I felt Jack stepping away from me and he sat at the table. He was sitting on my chair, what was the fact, I wasn't about to ignore.
     Later I could barely explain, why I acted like I did, but I was like... Nervous, or... Angry. But yeah, by the all of this, I wanted to act like I didn't know him. And how better can you avoid any suspicions, than getting into the fight?
     "You're sitting on my chair," I said. He frowned, caught my gaze, and - frankly - understood, what I was up to.
     Fen was lying in front of the hearth, Martha was doing the dishes on the other side of the room, and Kedgeree was in the empty foyer, from where he could possibly hear us.
     Jack raised one eyebrow. "Your chair. It's not like you live here longer than I do."
     I opened my mouth slightly. "I live here for like... Five years."
     "Oh, really? I live here like what... Two times as long?"
     I rolled my eyes sitting down on the other side of the table. "Sometimes it's hard to be a bigger person, but I'll try. So... you go to this school... How was that name? Graysmark school for bright... What was it?"
     I saw the live sparks in Jack eyes, as he snapped: "Graysmark school for bright young men."
     "Oh, yeah, I'll remember it now," I snapped back. It didn't look like an argument anymore, so I changed the topic. "Heard about your knack."
     After this sentence, it felt like the room breathed in and held.
     Jack looked down at the table. "I won't tell you a thing," he lifted his head, smirking. "Why do you ask? 'Cos you like... Don't have any?"
     I stood up. "So you dare to underestimate my power?!"
     - Hm, I've ever wanted to say this. -
     "Hey, hey, hey, what's up over here?" Jupiter ran to the dinning room.
     Jack looked up and shrugged: "Ceiling, maybe?"
     I straightened my back and fought the urge to laugh. "This... Jackie-boy was sitting on..."
     "What? Don't listen to her, Uncle Jove, she's..."
     "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Jupiter rolled his eyes. Me and Jack looked at each other. "Wait, what?" we breathed out.
     My patron turned on the heel. "Into my office. Now."

° ° °

     He shut the door, sat at his table, and put his fingertips together. "Okay you two, what's the problem?"
     "Well," I started. "He was si-"
     "Hey, hey, hey, don't come up with this to me. First I see you kissing in the hallway, now you are arguing in the kitchens. What's. Going. On?"
     I froze. "Wai... Wait. You saw what?"
     Jupiter rubbed his forehead. "Oh, come on. You were standing on the stairs, literally anyone could see you."
     I looked at Jack. He breathed in and opened his mouth to say something, but Jupiter continued: "Look, I know what dating is about, but... Come on! You met just yesterday!"
     I lowered my head. "Well, about that..."
     Jupiter looked up.
     Then he stared.
     He stood up. "Hold on. Hold on for a second. You mean... Holy shit, you two... So that was the thing I saw just... Jack, why didn't you tell me?"
      Jack shrugged: "Well, I didn't know it's her at first. I thought I'll never see her again. It felt just... pathetic to say anything."
     "Yeah, but why didn't you tell me then?"
     I held Jack's hand. "I think you didn't really let us."
     Jupiter nodded. "Yeah. Right." He looked at the table, as there was the answer for all his questions, but he didn't know how to read.
     I shrugged: "Well... We can tell you now."

° ° °

     When we left Jupiter's office, it was a noon already. We went to get lunch and started our shifts in restaurant.
     After all the drama and everything that happened this summer, just after I told it all to Jupiter, I felt really fine.
     Jack kissed me, every time we met at the bar. The restaurant was full, but quite calm and I felt the same.
     Full of new feelings and memories, but calm, because I knew, there is someone, who'll ever be here for me, if I fell, to help me get up again.

     Someone, who is more, than a friend.