[DISCONTINUED] FIND YOU ( T. WALKING DEAD )

- XIII.

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FIND YOU

CHAPTER THIRTEEN;
( retrospect. )

❛ elijah confronts jack. ❜

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"WHAT DO YOU think?"

Tearing her eyes away from the book in her lap, Jack hesitantly diverted her attention to Elijah, standing expectantly beside the bathroom. As soon as her eyes were glued to him, he placed his hands on his hips and looked down at his white t-shirt, only to immediately look right back up at her. "You look good," she answered distantly, nodding slightly.

"What do you really think?"

"Well," she huffed, "it's white, so I can see your sweat stains. You could try a darker shirt."

Elijah was quick to counter with, "It's hot outside and darker colors attract more heat."

Placing the book onto the dining table in defeat, she held back the sigh that dared to burst from her. "Just try the blue Henley," she advised, as the quickest way to fix the problem.

"You always say the blue Henley."

"I wouldn't if you looked ugly in it," she countered. "It brings out your eyes."

"You flatter me," he sarcastically droned as he sulked back into the bathroom without another word. Smugly complacent, she began to pick the book back up, just as the bathroom door creaked open and Elijah stepped out, now wearing a button-down. "What about now?" he inquired, his attention too focused on the buttons as he struggled to close the rest of the shirt.

Exasperated, she stood to her feet and paced over to him before he could realize it. "Here, stop," she muttered as she swatted his hands away from the buttons. "You look fine," she assured him, deftly maneuvering the buttons between her fingers. "Don't overthink it."

"Yeah... you, too."

Now fixing his collar, a sharp scoff escaped her, the breath fanning out against his neck. "Smooth," she commented sneeringly. "Whoever you're dressing up for tonight will be so impressed."

"Well," he smiled sheepishly, glancing down at her, "I try, y'know." Things between the two were strangely quiet, bodies almost touching as she finished adjusting his shirt. He didn't know what to say; she didn't think anything needed to be said. Every time they would make eye-contact, it would only be for less than a second before one of them looked away. With his shirt buttoned, collar straightened, and sleeves rolled, he mumbled a small, "Thank you."

With a deep inhale, she finally backed away. Quietly, she nodded, and for a moment it seemed that would be her only response. Until she was quick to state, "I gotta go out, bye," before rushing out of their apartment.