Why Don't We One Shots

Notice - Jachary

Lately, it had been feeling like Jack was ignoring Zach.

Zach wakes up and Jack is already gone, up early for work every day. Jack comes home every night, claims he's exhausted, and goes upstairs and sleeps. It's like the two of them were running around in circles, and Zach doesn't like it one bit.

A day that starts like any other, Zach wakes up to the slamming of a door, knowing that Jack is gone. He lets himself cry, knowing that he was stuck in the same circle, again. He would woke up every day hoping for a change to the viscous cycle, but no change ever came.

Through his tears, Zach doesn't hear the door open again. He doesn't hear footsteps coming back to the bedroom. He doesn't hear the door open, revealing Jack. But Jack does notice him.

"Honey, what's wrong?" He asks, sitting next to him on the bed. Zach can't answer him because of the tears running down his face.

When he finally calms down and sits up, facing Jack, he says, "You barely hear anything I say anymore, so why do I even bother?"

"What?"

"You get spaced out in our conversations, we barely speak anymore, and you can't focus!" Zach yelled through his tears. "And it makes me miss you even when I'm with you! It feels like something's broken!"

"Zach, I know it's been a hard year with the move and my new job and everything, but I promise I'm listening to you. Every day."

"No you're not. That's our problem!"

"Oh really?" Jack says, taking Zach's hand. "You think that I don't notice how you brush your hair out of your brown eyes? The way you blush when you drink red wine? The way you smile when you try to bend the truth? You think that I don't notice all the songs you sing underneath your breath? You still tear up at a beach sunset, and you dance just like you're the only one in the room." Zach gapes at Jack. "You think that I don't notice, but I do. Zach, heaven help me, but I can't help but notice you."

At first, Zach says nothing. Then, he leans forward and captures Jack's lips in a kiss. Jack puts his hand on the back of Zach's neck and pulls him closer, loving him with everything he had.

"What made you come back in here?" Zach whispers, his forehead on Jack's.

"Forgot my keys," Jack chuckles.

"Well, go get them! You can't be late!" Zach says, pushing Jack away, beaming.

"If I have to leave you," Jack says dramatically, grabbing the keys from the dresser and kissing Zach's cheek. "Tonight, after work, we're going out for dinner and we can see that new movie you've been dying to go to. How does that sound?"

"How did you know I wanted to see a movie?" Zach asks, bewildered.

"Oh baby," Jack calls as he rushes down the steps to avoid being late for work. "You think that I don't notice but I do."

~