"And isn't it ironic? Don't you think?"
Who? live4themoment, meandmyrockstar, and eventually couturejourno
What? When lesbros have shitty timing
When? Saturday evening
Where? Jack’s apartment
Rating: High.
Mandy had definitely enjoyed her time out with Jack. He was having a good day, and had felt like showing her around a bit, which was nice. She knew bits and pieces of New York, but Jack knew the city far better than she did, and he’d shown her some really interesting places. After a great dinner at some authentic Chinese place, they’d come back to Jack’s apartment to chill. He’d popped in a DVD, and the two of them were nibbling on their leftovers as they watched the movie together.
Or at least attempted to watch the movie. Mandy had never been one for subtlety, and she’d been attracted to Jack since they first started talking on Facebook, and meeting him in person had only added to that. He was cute... gorgeous, really, and there was something so real and honest in him that Mandy couldn’t help but appreciate. With a grin, the woman turned to Jack. “I wish I’d known you sooner, you know,” she said playfully. “I could’ve used a cute tour guide months ago.”
Jack was a little on the tired side, but he was trying not to let it show too much. Good days for him were probably the equivalent of average days for most other people. He had to take it easy, and trekking around New York like that had maybe was pushing the boundaries just a little. But she had seemed so keen on him showing her around that he hadn’t had the heart to jump in and say that maybe they really should put the brakes on a little before his brain did that for him and he found himself plastered on the the New York sidewalk after blacking out.
When dinner time came, and he could start to feel the lethargy setting in, he jumped at the window to slow things down a little and figured Chinese was quick enough, after which they could go back to the slower pace of his apartment. New York really was an overabundance of activity, and it was maybe too fast for him sometimes. Like he had told her online, he was constantly aware he was sick and the boundaries he needed to have, or he could end up regretting it. He just hoped she didn’t mind that at the end of the day. To keep having a good day, it had to be a day he rationed too much activity or it would lead to countless bad days. It was times like this he seriously, seriously hated being the sick person. Sometimes, he just really wanted to be normal.
His head had come to rest back against the sofa and he just pressed his lips together with a smile, shaking his head. “Sorry, I really don’t take compliments easily. I wish I had a cool response to that, but I just don’t.” He set the carton of leftovers aside, more than done with eating. “I’m not even sure why you picked me, if I’m entirely honest. But let’s not go there. Definitely not fishing for compliments. I’m just glad you had a good time.”
Mandy could tell Jack was tired, but she wasn’t sure how badly that could effect him if they stayed out too much longer. She didn’t want their outing to do anything to make things harder on him, that was for sure, so when he’d suggested they go back to his place, she’d been more than accepting and happy to go along. Besides, the City was crazy, and even for a world traveler like Mandy, there were times when it was nice to just go back inside and settle in for a bit away from the hustle and bustle.
Jack’s apartment was nice and cozy, and despite the sound of the movie, it was still pretty quiet. Part of her felt somewhat guilty for asking him to take her out and about in the city, and if he ended up really sick again because of this, she’d really hate herself for it. Honestly, she would’ve been just as happy to hang out with him at his place watching movies all day, but she hadn’t been sure how asking if he wanted to do that would’ve gone over. She needed an in, at least in her head, and getting a tour of the city had been her clever plan. But despite that, she was having a nice time just hanging out.
Setting her bowl of egg-drop soup aside, Mandy turned to look at Jack, her smile warm and sweet. “I had a great time, actually. There’s so much to do here... I feel like I could be here for the next ten years and not even begin to see it all... I mean, I’ve lived in London for a long time, but I guess it’s different when it’s home. You get used to things one way, and every city’s so different from the next.” Pausing she leaned just the slightest bit closer to him, not wanting to freak him out. “Well, I think I chose well... You’re a good tour guide.”
“Britain is amazing, though. The history there is great, and it has things America could only dream of. Everyone has a place they consider home, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the world doesn’t have things to offer and make them thrive. If we were only meant to stay in one place forever, things like planes and boats would never have been invented.” Jack glanced at her, but then turned to face her too with a wry smile. “I do have a confession...”
He cleared his throat and scrunched his nose up with a mix of sheepishness and faint regret. “I’m really tired. I’m not saying that to try and indicate today sucked or anything, because it totally did not. But I just thought you should know that my awesome stamina isn’t so awesome at all. I feel okay! I don’t want you thinking I’m about to melt into a puddle of misery because I’ve overdone it. I just have limits that other guys wouldn’t and sometimes that can be a total dampener on fun times. Plus, it does suck for me to have to cut in on fun things and say, hey, might be a good idea if I stop now. Seriously, that has pissed chicks off in the past. They’ve all been ‘Oh, I understand and I’m okay with it’ but when push comes to shove and it’s becoming a burden, they don’t like it and they just want normal. I’ve come to find it easier to just get on with my own stuff. Not to turn things serious here. I just figure if we’re going to be hanging out, it’s only fair you have an awareness of... stuff. I say that loosely. Stuff can cover a lot of things,” he laughed.
Mandy nodded. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Britain... And of course Ireland. It’s so old at the risk of sounding insulting... I don’t mean it as an insult as all... America’s still so young, but Britain and Ireland... all of Europe, too... There are buildings you pass by without a thought that were built before the US was even a nation. I love it there, and some days I really miss it.” She smiled just a little as he admitted to having a confession to make. “You’re actually a serial killer, and about to add me to your corpse collection that you keep in your linen closet?” she offered as a joking guess.
She nodded, not wanting to make a big deal of the situation. It really wasn’t all that big a deal to someone whose boss had the kinds of fits that Blaine had. She understood when someone’s brain forced them to slow down and it was nothing to worry about or be ashamed of. “It’s not a problem, love,” she said easily, shrugging as she settled back into the couch, still turned just a bit to focus on his face. “Well, I hope you still had a bit of fun, though.” She couldn’t help smiling as he laughed. God, he was seriously a great-looking guy, and whether out and about in New York City, or parked on the couch in front of the TV, she was having a great time with him. “I must say,” she added, her voice dropping just a bit lower as she leaned closer to him. “You’re the best-looking tour guide I’ve ever had... And that includes a Spanish one who was a dead ringer for Antonio Banderas...” Her tone was just slightly teasing, but there was no denying the attraction there, at least on her side, as she boldly moved just a bit closer, taking his chin in her hand, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips... Not pushing too hard, because if he wasn’t into it, she wanted him to have the option to end it, but she did keep it firm enough that he would know she was more than open to deepening the kiss if he was feeling it.
Jack’s first strange thought was ‘Shit, am I allowed to do this?’ He realised it came from some sort of sense of respect to Blaine they had forged since they spoke about their illnesses. Blaine and Kurt turned out to be amazing guys. Not that Jack necessarily doubted that on any level, it was more a fact he never stopped to think what sort of guys they were. They were just another celebrity, one that Leslie fangirled to the max, and one that Jack very, very secondarily worked with but had never met. It was eye-opening to meet them and realise they were normal dudes with normal battles just like the rest of the world, and really nice guys to boot. So in love. That had been what surprised Jack the most. They didn’t even have to be saying anything, it was just an air about them, a look in their eyes, the way they subtly touched each other... and yeah, maybe Jack did yearn for that, but he gave up trying to find it long ago when he got sick of people freaking out when he was sick.
But she was kissing him, and he was shocked by the forwardness of it, though not in a bad way. It had just been awhile since a chick did that with him. Actually, it had been awhile since he had been with a check, period, because certain parts of his anatomy just hadn’t been coming to the party. He had even been in talks about Viagra with his doctor, but he didn’t have any dating prospects, so what was the damn point. It just all seemed like too much work. It wasn’t like he was going to die if he didn’t have a boner or an orgasm on the regular. He knew his bits did still work on some level, because there had been awkward moments with wet dreams, but the sleep subconscious was a weird thing. It was enough to tell him it wasn’t all said and done, though.
He was back to the notion of whether he should be doing this, though, because he didn’t want to piss Blaine off or anyone attached to Blaine who had a protective streak. Still, she was hot, and he seriously hadn’t gotten any action in a hell of a long time, so was it really going to do any harm? Blaine had actually been the one who texted him not all that long ago to tell him not to give up on love, because when you find the real deal, the illness won’t be an issue... so with a small inhalation to brace himself, Jack started to kiss her back intently.
She felt the slight hint of tension go through him, and she wasn’t sure exactly what it was, still she was fully prepared to let him go if he wasn’t feeling it. No harm done, and even if he didn’t want to kiss her, they could brush it off, chalk it up to an awkward moment, and get on with their lives. In fact, she was just about to back off when Jack returned the kiss. And damn, but he was a good kisser. And bloody hell, had it ever been a long time since she’d really been able to get her makeout on with somebody, and especially somebody so fucking gorgeous.
Her hand moved from his chin to plant firmly on his shoulder as she turned on the couch, giving her a bit more leverage to move closer to him. So, yeah, maybe it was really forward of her, but then again, forward was Mandy’s style. It got her into trouble more often than not, but maybe this was the kind of trouble she wanted to get into. With a bright grin, she pulled back just a moment, eyes sparkling with a glint of desire as she breathlessly told him, “You could’ve told me you were such a brilliant kisser, you know,” before she moved back to capture his lips again.
Jack didn’t actually really know he could be classified as a good kisser. Okay, in the past, he had been complimented and one chick actually told him he was amazing in bed, but these weren’t the sort of compliments he usually knew how to process because he always saw himself as just average. He would concede his work was good because he knew he had a talent there with it, but when it came to himself, his self-confidence wasn’t the best for obvious reasons.
He didn’t have a chance to reply before she was kissing him back again and shifting her weight. He found himself soon slumped right down on the sofa in the kiss and her on top of him, and boy was she an enthusiastic one. Did he need to stop for a breather? Maybe, but it wasn’t like he was going to. He was still a hot blooded male with hot blooded needs, and these needs hadn’t been met in way, way too long. His hands had a mind of their own and he was operating on instinct he was glad he still had, and one was exploring over the top of her shirt whilst the other swept down from her hip to her ass and pulled her a little closer. Oh hell yeah, he still had it, bitches. Hopefully. Oh fuck, please at least last a little longer before going on strike again...
Mandy was pleasantly surprised when his hands were doing their thing, and one moved to her ass, their bodies moving closer together as one of her arms slipped around his neck to hold him that much more firmly against her. The other hand slid down over his chest, and under the hem of his shirt to stroke at the bare skin there. He was seriously beautiful, and she didn’t feel any shame in showing her appreciation.
On the other hand, she wasn’t sure how tired he was exactly from earlier, and she didn’t want to make him sick or anything. If he was feeling tired now, and wore himself out more, and ended up having several really bad days, she was going to feel terrible. “Hey,” she said, pulling away from the kiss just a moment, despite everything in her that wanted to keep going. “Is this okay?” she asked, meeting his gaze. “I don’t want to do anything that’s going to make you feel crap later.”
“No, no... just... it’s okay...” Jack really didn’t want her to pull away. In fact, he didn’t particularly want the mood interrupted by his condition if he could help it, but he understood her hesitation. He had been trying to lay all the groundwork about his condition so none of it came as a shock if it happened, but that also could end up being a dampener the other way too. “It’s okay,” he repeated with a smile. Really, if it was on the menu, he wanted to get his making out on, and stat.
He pulled her back close to him and picked up the kiss where it left off, intensifying it this time to try and show her he wasn’t just saying it to placate her. He felt fine beyond some lethargy and that wasn’t going to kill him. If it all went down hill later, it would be so worth it. Things heated up a lot more then, once she seemed to accept his reassurances and that was when Jack realised with a gasp into the kiss that he was actually getting aroused. Her hand skimmed beyond the waist of his trousers, and there was no doubt about it, he was getting hard.
That smile... Holy hell, what a smile... It gave him this perfect sort of mixture of mischievous boyish charm with a sort of roguish, and very adult, attraction... but he was assuring her that it was okay, that he wanted to keep going, and that was enough for Mandy, especially when he’d pulled her back against him, the kiss hotter and deeper than before. And that was when her hand brushed the bulge in his jeans, and a soft sigh escaped her. Her hands were exploring without her even thinking about it, and her free hand at the moment slid up under his shirt further to press against the soft skin of his stomach.
After a moment, her hands came to the front of her own top to start unbuttoning it. She wasn’t sure how long any of this was going to last, but she fully intended on getting some at this point. He was great looking, and quite handsy, and she was relatively sure that he was quite okay with things continuing as they were. Once her shirt was unbuttoned all the way, she was pulling him even closer. God, she really hoped he had a condom handy, because she wasn’t in the mood to have to pause this again.
It had been so long since any sort of sexual contact that he had no idea how this was going to go. His track record indicated he might only get so far before it could inevitably fail anyway, and he really hoped if that happened, she wouldn’t get pissed off at him like other chicks had in the past. He knew Leslie often wondered why he didn’t just put himself out there more, fuck the jerks who didn’t like it, but it was so exhausting for him to get this far, and then have to face the failure all over again then, of course, have to discuss it after the fact to try and save face. He was internally giving himself a pep-talk to just not think himself into a circle here and sabotage everything. Instead, he just let himself get lost in the event and the little voice kept praying for momentum somewhere at the back of his mind.
He hooked his leg around hers and reflexively rocked his hips up against her for some sort of friction. Holy shit, that actually felt awesome. Why were there so many layers still between them? With a small hum of probably arousal and a hint of frustration, he lowered his hand to get the button of his jeans undone. He just wanted to try and at least get a little more skin-on-skin contact. His sofa wasn’t the biggest in the world, so it was a tight squeeze, but he got his fly undone in the midst of another hungry kiss.
Leslie was fucking exhausted from this whole trial thing. Nothing could’ve prepared her for constantly being faced with the disappointed, angry, and hateful faces of her parents as she testified against the character their precious son who was now six feet under, and good riddance, she said. The prosecution, to top that off, was ripping her apart, and it took every damn bit of energy in her to keep herself under control in the courtroom. Dani had coached her well, and she was doing the best she damn well could. Still, at the end of a long day in court, she needed to unwind, and she texted her lesbro to see if he was up to some chill time.
When he hadn’t responded a good half hour later, Les started to worry. Jack was usually pretty quick to respond to her texts, unless he wasn’t feeling well, and if he wasn’t feeling well, Les didn’t like for him to be alone. She gave him another few moments and sent another text that went unanswered before she left her apartment, walking the two blocks to his place and letting herself in with the key he’d given her forever ago. “Jackie?” she called out when she walked in, glancing around with worry when she didn’t see him right away.
Mandy hissed against Jack’s mouth as their hips ground together, the friction absolutely fucking awesome, and somehow managed to push her shirt completely off, unbuttoning her own jeans before sliding her hand down the front of Jack’s and wrapping her hand gently around him, giving firm, but careful strokes, not sure how the fuck they were managing this without breaking the kiss.
But that was when she heard the voice in the entryway, and froze awkwardly, her hand still down Jack’s pants as she straddled one of his legs, shirtless and with her pants undone. Why the hell was a woman letting herself into Jack’s apartment?! She knew that Jack wasn’t seeing anyone, but either way, it was extremely awkward to be caught like this, and she pulled back to look at Jack, panic written all over her face.
Still lost in the brilliant haze over the fact he actually had a boner, Jack didn’t exactly register what was going on until Mandy was suddenly pulling back from him and the next thing, Leslie was standing there in the doorway and it was like the world just froze or something. A few beats of absolutely stunned silence passed until Jack managed to find his voice again. “H-Holy fuck, Les!” he shrieked, shoving himself up onto one elbow in the mess of arms and legs he and Mandy had managed to tangle themselves in on the sofa. “Seriously?! Right now?! Seriously?!” So, he didn’t profess to have anything very rational to say when he did find his voice.
Right when he was just getting a bit of successful action for the first time in probably over a year, Leslie had just walked in on it. He wanted to tell her to leave really quickly and maybe they could all just pretend this never happened, but he was already more than aware that any success he was just having was already rapidly depleting and he hung his head with a frustrated groan before letting his drop back onto the sofa arm rest so he could rub a hand over his face. “Fuck my life.”
What she found on the sofa in Jack’s living room was seriously the last thing in the world that Leslie expected. After months of trying to talk her best friend into at least trying to get his sex on, because, let’s face it, no matter what his health situation, Leslie knew he had needs just like anybody else. It just happened that they were finally being met for the first time in... however the fuck long it had been, and she kind of felt like shit for interrupting. “Oh, God, Jack... Shit, babe, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed, any apology she could think of just not quite enough for the situation at hand.
“I didn’t know you... You never... I... Shit, I’m sorry,” she repeated again, backing back up toward the door and trying to figure out what the fuck one said in such a situation.
Well, this was seriously an awkward situation... No... not awkward... awkward didn’t cut it for the level of holy shit, what is this? that was going on here. Mandy had been just about to have sex with a guy she really seriously liked, which was something she hadn’t gotten a chance to do in quite a while, and all of a sudden, Leslie, his best friend, the journalist, was standing there gawking at the two of them. “Well, fuck,” she said quietly, as she slid her hand out of Jack’s pants and looked around for her shirt. What the fuck had she done with her shirt?
Glancing around to find it, she slowly slid the hand that was under his shirt down to brush lightly against his stomach, meeting his gaze to let him know that it was okay, and she wasn’t going to flip her shit or anything. And then she had both of her hands to herself again, and was trying to somehow get herself off the couch and find her top. This epically sucked.
Jack just huffed out a heavy breath and gave a wave of his hand between the two of them. “Mandy, meet Les, my lesbian. Les, meet Mandy, Blaine’s gopher. Should I put the kettle on?” he mumbled and pushed himself up into a sitting position to zip his jeans up again. Whatever celebrations had been going on in them a little while ago was over not. Now, there was just a whole lot of nothing much. His shirt was still hanging open and he rested his elbows on his knees to peer at them both, nose and forehead scrunched up a little wryly. It might be awkward and embarrassing, but Jack found himself just feeling flat and unsatisfied. Who knew what would have happened without the interruption? Maybe nothing, but maybe very much something.
“You know, a knock is generally the favoured first option when you come to someone’s door...” he felt the need to add pointedly to Leslie with a distinct Look of ‘Are you kidding me?’
This was awkward as all fuck, and Les really just kind of wanted to walk away and deal later, but at this point, she’d already prevented her lesbro from getting any, and she figured she might as well stand there and take the bitchpls looks as she well deserved. “Um... Nice to meet you, Mandy,” she said, though she’d spoken with the other girl just briefly before at Kurt’s beach house. “Or, meet you officially, at least.” Ordinarily, she would’ve offered a hand shake, but with where the other woman’s hand had just been, she wasn’t sure that was something she wanted to do.
“I’m sorry,” Les offered lamely, glancing at Jack for a moment. “You didn’t answer your text, and I was worried... It’s been a shitty few days, okay? My brain isn’t on the most rational of wavelengths.”
Mandy nodded to Leslie, still searching for her top, which she finally found tossed over the back of the chair next to the sofa. Sighing softly, she pulled it on and set about buttoning it up before sinking down heavily onto the sofa next to Jack. Without even thinking about it, she moved to let her hand rest on his arm, letting him know that it was okay, and she wasn’t upset, if a little disappointed. “Your article about the boss was brilliant,” she said with a forced smile. It was true, and she did think it was great what Les had done, but just the same... She was extremely horny, and now she was pretty damn sure she was just going to have to deal.
Still, she didn’t want to just leave, so she sat tight, turning her gaze to Jack. “So... how long have you two known each other?” she asked in a lame attempt at conversation.
With losing his momentum, Jack was just starting to feel extensively tired. He had put one hand up so he could rest his head in it and his lips were pressed against his middle finger. It was basically just his eyes following the small volley back and forth of conversation. He blinked slowly as he waited for them to wade a little though the awkward. In all honesty, he wasn’t particularly sure what the hell he was supposed to say. What was there to say? It was obvious to everyone what was just going on, so there was no sense denying it. It was also obvious that no matter whether Leslie left now or not, it really wasn’t going to pick back up where it left off. His chance to see if anything was in action was gone. Cock wasn’t coming out to play anymore.
He was faintly annoyed and faintly frustrated, but mostly just tired now and feeling on the cynical side. It was probably way, way more embarrassing for them than it was for him, because frankly, he was used to being embarrassed in the most embarrassing ways ever. “Um, a few years now. We met in college. So, like, five years ish. I had a false start in college, so it was my second shot that I met Leslie.” He glanced up at Leslie now. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer my texts, but I’ve been just a little bit... distracted. I didn’t hear my phone. Is this all going to keep being with the awkward small talk? Should we just call it a night and cut our losses?”
Leslie seriously felt like the most epic dick on the face of the earth for putting an end to Jack’s evening like this. If she’d had even an inkling of what was going on, she never would’ve shown up. It was knee-jerk, just assuming that Jack was having a bad day if he didn’t return a text, and usually sent Leslie right into protective mode. Right now, she was really wishing she’d let him alone... He probably would’ve gotten good and laid, and he deserved it. She could definitely feel the awkward, and Jack was clearly uncomfortable and frustrated with the situation. With a shake of her head, she moved toward Jack and kissed the top of his head with a soft, “I’m sorry... I’m gonna go.”
Mandy gave Les an awkward wave as the journalist started toward the door, and once it was closed behind her, she turned her attention back to Jack. “Well...” she said with a forced grin. “That was... interesting.” It was a little awkward for sure, but she didn’t just want to leave after that. “I’m... I’m sorry if I was too forward... I kind of tend to be that way sometimes... My mum says I’m too much for some people, and I should be more polite, but... I’ve never had any fun by being polite.” Still, her overly-forward kiss had caused one hell of an awkward moment for all of them, and she really didn’t want to be that bitch who made things weird right off the bat like that.
“Look,” she said finally, her words well thought out this time. “I’m sorry I created the possibility of a super awkward moment that came to fruition, but I’m not sorry I kissed you.”
Jack glanced at her with a half-smile, half-smirk. “Mom always told me that it took two to tango,” he reminded her and the waved his fingers. “It’s okay. Seriously. This... is just the dymanic with Leslie and me. She’s basically my carer when I’m sick and my folks can’t be in town, so she gets the good, the bad, and the ugly, and because sometimes that can be pretty full-on, she worries when we don’t stay in touch. Plus, she has a key because there are times I can basically just black out without warning. Heat can make my symptoms worse sometimes, so now and again, she’s had to peel me up off the bottom of the shower. Really not a good look, but she’s not really intruding. This is just the way it has to be because I haven’t really got anyone else in the city I can rely on to that degree,” he explained.
And then blew his messy hair back from his eyes, remembering he needed to get it cut sometime soon. “This...” He pointed back and forth between himself and Mandy. “Not a common event. It wouldn’t have been her first assumption when I didn’t answer my texts. More like I’m out cold on the floor and need medical help.”
“It’s good that you have somebody like that who cares enough to keep an eye out for you... That’s how us lot are with Blaine... It’s what’s made it kind of difficult to step aside when Kurt came in. We’re learning, though. Kurt makes Blaine so happy, and he’s really stepped up with the fits and everything. I’m happy they’ve made it official. They really are beautiful together...” She trailed off quietly, glancing over at him. This really wasn’t about Kurt and Blaine at this particular moment, though, for the life of her she wasn’t sure entirely what it was about. But she was pretty sure she had some idea.
“Okay,” she said with a grin. “Here’s the thing, Jack... I really like you. And I get that I’m a little over the top sometimes, and way forward, and that’s not for everybody, so if you’re not interested, you totally won’t hurt my feelings, but... There you have it.”
Jack gave her a small point and nodded. “I saw that. The day Les was getting her article from them and I went to get the photos, Blaine was sick. He had a fit. Nothing intense, but enough. Kurt slotted right into gear without thinking, and he seemed totally on the ball. He knew exactly what to do and was sort of explaining to us what was going on so we didn’t freak out and end up freaking Blaine out. That’s what led me to explain that I got it on some level, just for different reasons. I don’t have fits, but I can black out and have all sorts of weird and wonderful things happen to my body. I just wanted the guy know he didn’t have to be embarrassed, and he seemed grateful I confided in him. Not that what I have is a secret. It can’t be,” he said with a shrug. “They definitely have it going on. I have very, very much seen that and to what extent with my own eyes. It was a pleasure to photograph them. It was no effort, they made the photo talk. I hardly even had to edit.”
He bit on his lip wryly and then tugged them to the side. “It’s not that I’m not interested. By any means. It’s just that we’ve sort of, uh, lost the opportunity. It’s been awhile since opportunities, um... arose, so to speak...”
“It’s beautiful how Kurt’s taken to it, really. I know it terrifies him, and things that are out of his comfort zone often get him into trouble, but yet here he is, stepping well and truly out of it because Blaine needs him. It says a lot for what the relationship means to him. They very nearly lost what they had, but they’re in it for the long haul now. It’s... It’s just amazing to see.” She paused, her eyes focusing on Jack’s. “It really meant a lot to Blaine that you told him about your MS. I think he’s just glad sometimes to know he’s not the only one, because most times, he feels like he is. It’s a bit of a bubble we all have to live in, you know? Just for safety’s sake more than anything. It’s not like Blaine can just walk into a bar or a restaurant and be treated normal. And sometimes, that’s even more stressful and makes it harder... Although he’s incredibly gracious toward his fans as long as his daughter’s not involved.”
“That’s okay,” Mandy assured him, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips, this time gentle and undemanding. “You’re a special guy, Jack. And... Well, I wasn’t really getting at just sex, although when and if the opportunity arises again, I’d love to use a rain check.” She offered him a small half smile, one corner of her lips tilting up. “But... if it’s not too awkward, I’d like to keep hanging out... Totally up to you, mind... But I like spending time with you. You’re sweet, and funny, and damn good looking to boot... So... what do you say?”
Wow, this was quite heavy and Jack realised he was at somewhat of a crossroads here. A big part of him just wanted to say no to protect himself, because as sweet as she was, she hadn’t seen him sick and that was the big teller every single time. It was intense to witness and he wasn’t sure he could agree to something again only to have it crash and burn on him all over again. Been there, done that. But at the same time, their worlds were connected now, and maybe it made sense? Blaine was married to the PA of Jack’s sister, and this right here was Blaine’s PA. That was a lot to take in too. On one hand, it could be a good idea, but on the other, what if it didn’t work out. So, he probably infuriatingly decided to take the easy ground for the moment, just so he could feel his way around the situation a little more.
“Sure,” he said with a smile. “We can keep hanging out.” It wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t an outright yet. He had to protect himself a little here. Maybe once she saw how intense it was when he got sick, and she was okay with that, it might help him see the situation a little more clearly. Until then, he couldn’t deny it, he was just plain scared.
Mandy could understand why Jack hadn’t immediately jumped into it and pulled out his phone to make it Facebook official. It was a pretty big thing, and he’d admitted more or less to her in the past that his condition made dating rough, and it usually didn’t last very long. She could tell him anything she wanted to, but the fact was, she wasn’t going to convince him of anything. That was only fair to accept. She wasn’t going to push him, because deep down she understood that he’d been burned before and he was trying to protect himself. There was nothing she could do right now to prove to him that she was any different.
So instead of trying to push it any further, Mandy gave him a small smile. “Sounds like a plan, then,” she said, smiling as she patted his arm gently. “So should we finish the movie now?”
Jack just gave her a tired smile and nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.” He knew at this point he would have to face the interrogation of Leslie when the penny dropped for her what she had walked in on and what she had probably prevented occurring. There would be guilt and regret, and Jack would have to convince her that it was all fine... because honestly, it was. He knew this was just his lot in life, and as hard as it was to swallow sometimes, he was used to it. There wasn’t a day that went by that he woke up wishing he could just be normal, and especially the days he woke up ill, but he wasn’t dying and for the moment, he was relatively healthy. He could still walk, talk, see, speak. All of those could, one day, evade him. For now he just wanted to take each moment as it came, and hopefully he didn’t have to face the permanent loss of any of his functions any time soon. He just really hope Mandy did understand the enormity of that and if, at some point in the future, she had to witness what this illness did to him, she didn’t freak out to the max.
RP LOG, SCENE COMPLETE
What? When lesbros have shitty timing
When? Saturday evening
Where? Jack’s apartment
Rating: High.
Mandy had definitely enjoyed her time out with Jack. He was having a good day, and had felt like showing her around a bit, which was nice. She knew bits and pieces of New York, but Jack knew the city far better than she did, and he’d shown her some really interesting places. After a great dinner at some authentic Chinese place, they’d come back to Jack’s apartment to chill. He’d popped in a DVD, and the two of them were nibbling on their leftovers as they watched the movie together.
Or at least attempted to watch the movie. Mandy had never been one for subtlety, and she’d been attracted to Jack since they first started talking on Facebook, and meeting him in person had only added to that. He was cute... gorgeous, really, and there was something so real and honest in him that Mandy couldn’t help but appreciate. With a grin, the woman turned to Jack. “I wish I’d known you sooner, you know,” she said playfully. “I could’ve used a cute tour guide months ago.”
Jack was a little on the tired side, but he was trying not to let it show too much. Good days for him were probably the equivalent of average days for most other people. He had to take it easy, and trekking around New York like that had maybe was pushing the boundaries just a little. But she had seemed so keen on him showing her around that he hadn’t had the heart to jump in and say that maybe they really should put the brakes on a little before his brain did that for him and he found himself plastered on the the New York sidewalk after blacking out.
When dinner time came, and he could start to feel the lethargy setting in, he jumped at the window to slow things down a little and figured Chinese was quick enough, after which they could go back to the slower pace of his apartment. New York really was an overabundance of activity, and it was maybe too fast for him sometimes. Like he had told her online, he was constantly aware he was sick and the boundaries he needed to have, or he could end up regretting it. He just hoped she didn’t mind that at the end of the day. To keep having a good day, it had to be a day he rationed too much activity or it would lead to countless bad days. It was times like this he seriously, seriously hated being the sick person. Sometimes, he just really wanted to be normal.
His head had come to rest back against the sofa and he just pressed his lips together with a smile, shaking his head. “Sorry, I really don’t take compliments easily. I wish I had a cool response to that, but I just don’t.” He set the carton of leftovers aside, more than done with eating. “I’m not even sure why you picked me, if I’m entirely honest. But let’s not go there. Definitely not fishing for compliments. I’m just glad you had a good time.”
Mandy could tell Jack was tired, but she wasn’t sure how badly that could effect him if they stayed out too much longer. She didn’t want their outing to do anything to make things harder on him, that was for sure, so when he’d suggested they go back to his place, she’d been more than accepting and happy to go along. Besides, the City was crazy, and even for a world traveler like Mandy, there were times when it was nice to just go back inside and settle in for a bit away from the hustle and bustle.
Jack’s apartment was nice and cozy, and despite the sound of the movie, it was still pretty quiet. Part of her felt somewhat guilty for asking him to take her out and about in the city, and if he ended up really sick again because of this, she’d really hate herself for it. Honestly, she would’ve been just as happy to hang out with him at his place watching movies all day, but she hadn’t been sure how asking if he wanted to do that would’ve gone over. She needed an in, at least in her head, and getting a tour of the city had been her clever plan. But despite that, she was having a nice time just hanging out.
Setting her bowl of egg-drop soup aside, Mandy turned to look at Jack, her smile warm and sweet. “I had a great time, actually. There’s so much to do here... I feel like I could be here for the next ten years and not even begin to see it all... I mean, I’ve lived in London for a long time, but I guess it’s different when it’s home. You get used to things one way, and every city’s so different from the next.” Pausing she leaned just the slightest bit closer to him, not wanting to freak him out. “Well, I think I chose well... You’re a good tour guide.”
“Britain is amazing, though. The history there is great, and it has things America could only dream of. Everyone has a place they consider home, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the world doesn’t have things to offer and make them thrive. If we were only meant to stay in one place forever, things like planes and boats would never have been invented.” Jack glanced at her, but then turned to face her too with a wry smile. “I do have a confession...”
He cleared his throat and scrunched his nose up with a mix of sheepishness and faint regret. “I’m really tired. I’m not saying that to try and indicate today sucked or anything, because it totally did not. But I just thought you should know that my awesome stamina isn’t so awesome at all. I feel okay! I don’t want you thinking I’m about to melt into a puddle of misery because I’ve overdone it. I just have limits that other guys wouldn’t and sometimes that can be a total dampener on fun times. Plus, it does suck for me to have to cut in on fun things and say, hey, might be a good idea if I stop now. Seriously, that has pissed chicks off in the past. They’ve all been ‘Oh, I understand and I’m okay with it’ but when push comes to shove and it’s becoming a burden, they don’t like it and they just want normal. I’ve come to find it easier to just get on with my own stuff. Not to turn things serious here. I just figure if we’re going to be hanging out, it’s only fair you have an awareness of... stuff. I say that loosely. Stuff can cover a lot of things,” he laughed.
Mandy nodded. “Don’t get me wrong. I love Britain... And of course Ireland. It’s so old at the risk of sounding insulting... I don’t mean it as an insult as all... America’s still so young, but Britain and Ireland... all of Europe, too... There are buildings you pass by without a thought that were built before the US was even a nation. I love it there, and some days I really miss it.” She smiled just a little as he admitted to having a confession to make. “You’re actually a serial killer, and about to add me to your corpse collection that you keep in your linen closet?” she offered as a joking guess.
She nodded, not wanting to make a big deal of the situation. It really wasn’t all that big a deal to someone whose boss had the kinds of fits that Blaine had. She understood when someone’s brain forced them to slow down and it was nothing to worry about or be ashamed of. “It’s not a problem, love,” she said easily, shrugging as she settled back into the couch, still turned just a bit to focus on his face. “Well, I hope you still had a bit of fun, though.” She couldn’t help smiling as he laughed. God, he was seriously a great-looking guy, and whether out and about in New York City, or parked on the couch in front of the TV, she was having a great time with him. “I must say,” she added, her voice dropping just a bit lower as she leaned closer to him. “You’re the best-looking tour guide I’ve ever had... And that includes a Spanish one who was a dead ringer for Antonio Banderas...” Her tone was just slightly teasing, but there was no denying the attraction there, at least on her side, as she boldly moved just a bit closer, taking his chin in her hand, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips... Not pushing too hard, because if he wasn’t into it, she wanted him to have the option to end it, but she did keep it firm enough that he would know she was more than open to deepening the kiss if he was feeling it.
Jack’s first strange thought was ‘Shit, am I allowed to do this?’ He realised it came from some sort of sense of respect to Blaine they had forged since they spoke about their illnesses. Blaine and Kurt turned out to be amazing guys. Not that Jack necessarily doubted that on any level, it was more a fact he never stopped to think what sort of guys they were. They were just another celebrity, one that Leslie fangirled to the max, and one that Jack very, very secondarily worked with but had never met. It was eye-opening to meet them and realise they were normal dudes with normal battles just like the rest of the world, and really nice guys to boot. So in love. That had been what surprised Jack the most. They didn’t even have to be saying anything, it was just an air about them, a look in their eyes, the way they subtly touched each other... and yeah, maybe Jack did yearn for that, but he gave up trying to find it long ago when he got sick of people freaking out when he was sick.
But she was kissing him, and he was shocked by the forwardness of it, though not in a bad way. It had just been awhile since a chick did that with him. Actually, it had been awhile since he had been with a check, period, because certain parts of his anatomy just hadn’t been coming to the party. He had even been in talks about Viagra with his doctor, but he didn’t have any dating prospects, so what was the damn point. It just all seemed like too much work. It wasn’t like he was going to die if he didn’t have a boner or an orgasm on the regular. He knew his bits did still work on some level, because there had been awkward moments with wet dreams, but the sleep subconscious was a weird thing. It was enough to tell him it wasn’t all said and done, though.
He was back to the notion of whether he should be doing this, though, because he didn’t want to piss Blaine off or anyone attached to Blaine who had a protective streak. Still, she was hot, and he seriously hadn’t gotten any action in a hell of a long time, so was it really going to do any harm? Blaine had actually been the one who texted him not all that long ago to tell him not to give up on love, because when you find the real deal, the illness won’t be an issue... so with a small inhalation to brace himself, Jack started to kiss her back intently.
She felt the slight hint of tension go through him, and she wasn’t sure exactly what it was, still she was fully prepared to let him go if he wasn’t feeling it. No harm done, and even if he didn’t want to kiss her, they could brush it off, chalk it up to an awkward moment, and get on with their lives. In fact, she was just about to back off when Jack returned the kiss. And damn, but he was a good kisser. And bloody hell, had it ever been a long time since she’d really been able to get her makeout on with somebody, and especially somebody so fucking gorgeous.
Her hand moved from his chin to plant firmly on his shoulder as she turned on the couch, giving her a bit more leverage to move closer to him. So, yeah, maybe it was really forward of her, but then again, forward was Mandy’s style. It got her into trouble more often than not, but maybe this was the kind of trouble she wanted to get into. With a bright grin, she pulled back just a moment, eyes sparkling with a glint of desire as she breathlessly told him, “You could’ve told me you were such a brilliant kisser, you know,” before she moved back to capture his lips again.
Jack didn’t actually really know he could be classified as a good kisser. Okay, in the past, he had been complimented and one chick actually told him he was amazing in bed, but these weren’t the sort of compliments he usually knew how to process because he always saw himself as just average. He would concede his work was good because he knew he had a talent there with it, but when it came to himself, his self-confidence wasn’t the best for obvious reasons.
He didn’t have a chance to reply before she was kissing him back again and shifting her weight. He found himself soon slumped right down on the sofa in the kiss and her on top of him, and boy was she an enthusiastic one. Did he need to stop for a breather? Maybe, but it wasn’t like he was going to. He was still a hot blooded male with hot blooded needs, and these needs hadn’t been met in way, way too long. His hands had a mind of their own and he was operating on instinct he was glad he still had, and one was exploring over the top of her shirt whilst the other swept down from her hip to her ass and pulled her a little closer. Oh hell yeah, he still had it, bitches. Hopefully. Oh fuck, please at least last a little longer before going on strike again...
Mandy was pleasantly surprised when his hands were doing their thing, and one moved to her ass, their bodies moving closer together as one of her arms slipped around his neck to hold him that much more firmly against her. The other hand slid down over his chest, and under the hem of his shirt to stroke at the bare skin there. He was seriously beautiful, and she didn’t feel any shame in showing her appreciation.
On the other hand, she wasn’t sure how tired he was exactly from earlier, and she didn’t want to make him sick or anything. If he was feeling tired now, and wore himself out more, and ended up having several really bad days, she was going to feel terrible. “Hey,” she said, pulling away from the kiss just a moment, despite everything in her that wanted to keep going. “Is this okay?” she asked, meeting his gaze. “I don’t want to do anything that’s going to make you feel crap later.”
“No, no... just... it’s okay...” Jack really didn’t want her to pull away. In fact, he didn’t particularly want the mood interrupted by his condition if he could help it, but he understood her hesitation. He had been trying to lay all the groundwork about his condition so none of it came as a shock if it happened, but that also could end up being a dampener the other way too. “It’s okay,” he repeated with a smile. Really, if it was on the menu, he wanted to get his making out on, and stat.
He pulled her back close to him and picked up the kiss where it left off, intensifying it this time to try and show her he wasn’t just saying it to placate her. He felt fine beyond some lethargy and that wasn’t going to kill him. If it all went down hill later, it would be so worth it. Things heated up a lot more then, once she seemed to accept his reassurances and that was when Jack realised with a gasp into the kiss that he was actually getting aroused. Her hand skimmed beyond the waist of his trousers, and there was no doubt about it, he was getting hard.
That smile... Holy hell, what a smile... It gave him this perfect sort of mixture of mischievous boyish charm with a sort of roguish, and very adult, attraction... but he was assuring her that it was okay, that he wanted to keep going, and that was enough for Mandy, especially when he’d pulled her back against him, the kiss hotter and deeper than before. And that was when her hand brushed the bulge in his jeans, and a soft sigh escaped her. Her hands were exploring without her even thinking about it, and her free hand at the moment slid up under his shirt further to press against the soft skin of his stomach.
After a moment, her hands came to the front of her own top to start unbuttoning it. She wasn’t sure how long any of this was going to last, but she fully intended on getting some at this point. He was great looking, and quite handsy, and she was relatively sure that he was quite okay with things continuing as they were. Once her shirt was unbuttoned all the way, she was pulling him even closer. God, she really hoped he had a condom handy, because she wasn’t in the mood to have to pause this again.
It had been so long since any sort of sexual contact that he had no idea how this was going to go. His track record indicated he might only get so far before it could inevitably fail anyway, and he really hoped if that happened, she wouldn’t get pissed off at him like other chicks had in the past. He knew Leslie often wondered why he didn’t just put himself out there more, fuck the jerks who didn’t like it, but it was so exhausting for him to get this far, and then have to face the failure all over again then, of course, have to discuss it after the fact to try and save face. He was internally giving himself a pep-talk to just not think himself into a circle here and sabotage everything. Instead, he just let himself get lost in the event and the little voice kept praying for momentum somewhere at the back of his mind.
He hooked his leg around hers and reflexively rocked his hips up against her for some sort of friction. Holy shit, that actually felt awesome. Why were there so many layers still between them? With a small hum of probably arousal and a hint of frustration, he lowered his hand to get the button of his jeans undone. He just wanted to try and at least get a little more skin-on-skin contact. His sofa wasn’t the biggest in the world, so it was a tight squeeze, but he got his fly undone in the midst of another hungry kiss.
Leslie was fucking exhausted from this whole trial thing. Nothing could’ve prepared her for constantly being faced with the disappointed, angry, and hateful faces of her parents as she testified against the character their precious son who was now six feet under, and good riddance, she said. The prosecution, to top that off, was ripping her apart, and it took every damn bit of energy in her to keep herself under control in the courtroom. Dani had coached her well, and she was doing the best she damn well could. Still, at the end of a long day in court, she needed to unwind, and she texted her lesbro to see if he was up to some chill time.
When he hadn’t responded a good half hour later, Les started to worry. Jack was usually pretty quick to respond to her texts, unless he wasn’t feeling well, and if he wasn’t feeling well, Les didn’t like for him to be alone. She gave him another few moments and sent another text that went unanswered before she left her apartment, walking the two blocks to his place and letting herself in with the key he’d given her forever ago. “Jackie?” she called out when she walked in, glancing around with worry when she didn’t see him right away.
Mandy hissed against Jack’s mouth as their hips ground together, the friction absolutely fucking awesome, and somehow managed to push her shirt completely off, unbuttoning her own jeans before sliding her hand down the front of Jack’s and wrapping her hand gently around him, giving firm, but careful strokes, not sure how the fuck they were managing this without breaking the kiss.
But that was when she heard the voice in the entryway, and froze awkwardly, her hand still down Jack’s pants as she straddled one of his legs, shirtless and with her pants undone. Why the hell was a woman letting herself into Jack’s apartment?! She knew that Jack wasn’t seeing anyone, but either way, it was extremely awkward to be caught like this, and she pulled back to look at Jack, panic written all over her face.
Still lost in the brilliant haze over the fact he actually had a boner, Jack didn’t exactly register what was going on until Mandy was suddenly pulling back from him and the next thing, Leslie was standing there in the doorway and it was like the world just froze or something. A few beats of absolutely stunned silence passed until Jack managed to find his voice again. “H-Holy fuck, Les!” he shrieked, shoving himself up onto one elbow in the mess of arms and legs he and Mandy had managed to tangle themselves in on the sofa. “Seriously?! Right now?! Seriously?!” So, he didn’t profess to have anything very rational to say when he did find his voice.
Right when he was just getting a bit of successful action for the first time in probably over a year, Leslie had just walked in on it. He wanted to tell her to leave really quickly and maybe they could all just pretend this never happened, but he was already more than aware that any success he was just having was already rapidly depleting and he hung his head with a frustrated groan before letting his drop back onto the sofa arm rest so he could rub a hand over his face. “Fuck my life.”
What she found on the sofa in Jack’s living room was seriously the last thing in the world that Leslie expected. After months of trying to talk her best friend into at least trying to get his sex on, because, let’s face it, no matter what his health situation, Leslie knew he had needs just like anybody else. It just happened that they were finally being met for the first time in... however the fuck long it had been, and she kind of felt like shit for interrupting. “Oh, God, Jack... Shit, babe, I’m sorry!” she exclaimed, any apology she could think of just not quite enough for the situation at hand.
“I didn’t know you... You never... I... Shit, I’m sorry,” she repeated again, backing back up toward the door and trying to figure out what the fuck one said in such a situation.
Well, this was seriously an awkward situation... No... not awkward... awkward didn’t cut it for the level of holy shit, what is this? that was going on here. Mandy had been just about to have sex with a guy she really seriously liked, which was something she hadn’t gotten a chance to do in quite a while, and all of a sudden, Leslie, his best friend, the journalist, was standing there gawking at the two of them. “Well, fuck,” she said quietly, as she slid her hand out of Jack’s pants and looked around for her shirt. What the fuck had she done with her shirt?
Glancing around to find it, she slowly slid the hand that was under his shirt down to brush lightly against his stomach, meeting his gaze to let him know that it was okay, and she wasn’t going to flip her shit or anything. And then she had both of her hands to herself again, and was trying to somehow get herself off the couch and find her top. This epically sucked.
Jack just huffed out a heavy breath and gave a wave of his hand between the two of them. “Mandy, meet Les, my lesbian. Les, meet Mandy, Blaine’s gopher. Should I put the kettle on?” he mumbled and pushed himself up into a sitting position to zip his jeans up again. Whatever celebrations had been going on in them a little while ago was over not. Now, there was just a whole lot of nothing much. His shirt was still hanging open and he rested his elbows on his knees to peer at them both, nose and forehead scrunched up a little wryly. It might be awkward and embarrassing, but Jack found himself just feeling flat and unsatisfied. Who knew what would have happened without the interruption? Maybe nothing, but maybe very much something.
“You know, a knock is generally the favoured first option when you come to someone’s door...” he felt the need to add pointedly to Leslie with a distinct Look of ‘Are you kidding me?’
This was awkward as all fuck, and Les really just kind of wanted to walk away and deal later, but at this point, she’d already prevented her lesbro from getting any, and she figured she might as well stand there and take the bitchpls looks as she well deserved. “Um... Nice to meet you, Mandy,” she said, though she’d spoken with the other girl just briefly before at Kurt’s beach house. “Or, meet you officially, at least.” Ordinarily, she would’ve offered a hand shake, but with where the other woman’s hand had just been, she wasn’t sure that was something she wanted to do.
“I’m sorry,” Les offered lamely, glancing at Jack for a moment. “You didn’t answer your text, and I was worried... It’s been a shitty few days, okay? My brain isn’t on the most rational of wavelengths.”
Mandy nodded to Leslie, still searching for her top, which she finally found tossed over the back of the chair next to the sofa. Sighing softly, she pulled it on and set about buttoning it up before sinking down heavily onto the sofa next to Jack. Without even thinking about it, she moved to let her hand rest on his arm, letting him know that it was okay, and she wasn’t upset, if a little disappointed. “Your article about the boss was brilliant,” she said with a forced smile. It was true, and she did think it was great what Les had done, but just the same... She was extremely horny, and now she was pretty damn sure she was just going to have to deal.
Still, she didn’t want to just leave, so she sat tight, turning her gaze to Jack. “So... how long have you two known each other?” she asked in a lame attempt at conversation.
With losing his momentum, Jack was just starting to feel extensively tired. He had put one hand up so he could rest his head in it and his lips were pressed against his middle finger. It was basically just his eyes following the small volley back and forth of conversation. He blinked slowly as he waited for them to wade a little though the awkward. In all honesty, he wasn’t particularly sure what the hell he was supposed to say. What was there to say? It was obvious to everyone what was just going on, so there was no sense denying it. It was also obvious that no matter whether Leslie left now or not, it really wasn’t going to pick back up where it left off. His chance to see if anything was in action was gone. Cock wasn’t coming out to play anymore.
He was faintly annoyed and faintly frustrated, but mostly just tired now and feeling on the cynical side. It was probably way, way more embarrassing for them than it was for him, because frankly, he was used to being embarrassed in the most embarrassing ways ever. “Um, a few years now. We met in college. So, like, five years ish. I had a false start in college, so it was my second shot that I met Leslie.” He glanced up at Leslie now. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer my texts, but I’ve been just a little bit... distracted. I didn’t hear my phone. Is this all going to keep being with the awkward small talk? Should we just call it a night and cut our losses?”
Leslie seriously felt like the most epic dick on the face of the earth for putting an end to Jack’s evening like this. If she’d had even an inkling of what was going on, she never would’ve shown up. It was knee-jerk, just assuming that Jack was having a bad day if he didn’t return a text, and usually sent Leslie right into protective mode. Right now, she was really wishing she’d let him alone... He probably would’ve gotten good and laid, and he deserved it. She could definitely feel the awkward, and Jack was clearly uncomfortable and frustrated with the situation. With a shake of her head, she moved toward Jack and kissed the top of his head with a soft, “I’m sorry... I’m gonna go.”
Mandy gave Les an awkward wave as the journalist started toward the door, and once it was closed behind her, she turned her attention back to Jack. “Well...” she said with a forced grin. “That was... interesting.” It was a little awkward for sure, but she didn’t just want to leave after that. “I’m... I’m sorry if I was too forward... I kind of tend to be that way sometimes... My mum says I’m too much for some people, and I should be more polite, but... I’ve never had any fun by being polite.” Still, her overly-forward kiss had caused one hell of an awkward moment for all of them, and she really didn’t want to be that bitch who made things weird right off the bat like that.
“Look,” she said finally, her words well thought out this time. “I’m sorry I created the possibility of a super awkward moment that came to fruition, but I’m not sorry I kissed you.”
Jack glanced at her with a half-smile, half-smirk. “Mom always told me that it took two to tango,” he reminded her and the waved his fingers. “It’s okay. Seriously. This... is just the dymanic with Leslie and me. She’s basically my carer when I’m sick and my folks can’t be in town, so she gets the good, the bad, and the ugly, and because sometimes that can be pretty full-on, she worries when we don’t stay in touch. Plus, she has a key because there are times I can basically just black out without warning. Heat can make my symptoms worse sometimes, so now and again, she’s had to peel me up off the bottom of the shower. Really not a good look, but she’s not really intruding. This is just the way it has to be because I haven’t really got anyone else in the city I can rely on to that degree,” he explained.
And then blew his messy hair back from his eyes, remembering he needed to get it cut sometime soon. “This...” He pointed back and forth between himself and Mandy. “Not a common event. It wouldn’t have been her first assumption when I didn’t answer my texts. More like I’m out cold on the floor and need medical help.”
“It’s good that you have somebody like that who cares enough to keep an eye out for you... That’s how us lot are with Blaine... It’s what’s made it kind of difficult to step aside when Kurt came in. We’re learning, though. Kurt makes Blaine so happy, and he’s really stepped up with the fits and everything. I’m happy they’ve made it official. They really are beautiful together...” She trailed off quietly, glancing over at him. This really wasn’t about Kurt and Blaine at this particular moment, though, for the life of her she wasn’t sure entirely what it was about. But she was pretty sure she had some idea.
“Okay,” she said with a grin. “Here’s the thing, Jack... I really like you. And I get that I’m a little over the top sometimes, and way forward, and that’s not for everybody, so if you’re not interested, you totally won’t hurt my feelings, but... There you have it.”
Jack gave her a small point and nodded. “I saw that. The day Les was getting her article from them and I went to get the photos, Blaine was sick. He had a fit. Nothing intense, but enough. Kurt slotted right into gear without thinking, and he seemed totally on the ball. He knew exactly what to do and was sort of explaining to us what was going on so we didn’t freak out and end up freaking Blaine out. That’s what led me to explain that I got it on some level, just for different reasons. I don’t have fits, but I can black out and have all sorts of weird and wonderful things happen to my body. I just wanted the guy know he didn’t have to be embarrassed, and he seemed grateful I confided in him. Not that what I have is a secret. It can’t be,” he said with a shrug. “They definitely have it going on. I have very, very much seen that and to what extent with my own eyes. It was a pleasure to photograph them. It was no effort, they made the photo talk. I hardly even had to edit.”
He bit on his lip wryly and then tugged them to the side. “It’s not that I’m not interested. By any means. It’s just that we’ve sort of, uh, lost the opportunity. It’s been awhile since opportunities, um... arose, so to speak...”
“It’s beautiful how Kurt’s taken to it, really. I know it terrifies him, and things that are out of his comfort zone often get him into trouble, but yet here he is, stepping well and truly out of it because Blaine needs him. It says a lot for what the relationship means to him. They very nearly lost what they had, but they’re in it for the long haul now. It’s... It’s just amazing to see.” She paused, her eyes focusing on Jack’s. “It really meant a lot to Blaine that you told him about your MS. I think he’s just glad sometimes to know he’s not the only one, because most times, he feels like he is. It’s a bit of a bubble we all have to live in, you know? Just for safety’s sake more than anything. It’s not like Blaine can just walk into a bar or a restaurant and be treated normal. And sometimes, that’s even more stressful and makes it harder... Although he’s incredibly gracious toward his fans as long as his daughter’s not involved.”
“That’s okay,” Mandy assured him, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips, this time gentle and undemanding. “You’re a special guy, Jack. And... Well, I wasn’t really getting at just sex, although when and if the opportunity arises again, I’d love to use a rain check.” She offered him a small half smile, one corner of her lips tilting up. “But... if it’s not too awkward, I’d like to keep hanging out... Totally up to you, mind... But I like spending time with you. You’re sweet, and funny, and damn good looking to boot... So... what do you say?”
Wow, this was quite heavy and Jack realised he was at somewhat of a crossroads here. A big part of him just wanted to say no to protect himself, because as sweet as she was, she hadn’t seen him sick and that was the big teller every single time. It was intense to witness and he wasn’t sure he could agree to something again only to have it crash and burn on him all over again. Been there, done that. But at the same time, their worlds were connected now, and maybe it made sense? Blaine was married to the PA of Jack’s sister, and this right here was Blaine’s PA. That was a lot to take in too. On one hand, it could be a good idea, but on the other, what if it didn’t work out. So, he probably infuriatingly decided to take the easy ground for the moment, just so he could feel his way around the situation a little more.
“Sure,” he said with a smile. “We can keep hanging out.” It wasn’t a no, but it wasn’t an outright yet. He had to protect himself a little here. Maybe once she saw how intense it was when he got sick, and she was okay with that, it might help him see the situation a little more clearly. Until then, he couldn’t deny it, he was just plain scared.
Mandy could understand why Jack hadn’t immediately jumped into it and pulled out his phone to make it Facebook official. It was a pretty big thing, and he’d admitted more or less to her in the past that his condition made dating rough, and it usually didn’t last very long. She could tell him anything she wanted to, but the fact was, she wasn’t going to convince him of anything. That was only fair to accept. She wasn’t going to push him, because deep down she understood that he’d been burned before and he was trying to protect himself. There was nothing she could do right now to prove to him that she was any different.
So instead of trying to push it any further, Mandy gave him a small smile. “Sounds like a plan, then,” she said, smiling as she patted his arm gently. “So should we finish the movie now?”
Jack just gave her a tired smile and nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me.” He knew at this point he would have to face the interrogation of Leslie when the penny dropped for her what she had walked in on and what she had probably prevented occurring. There would be guilt and regret, and Jack would have to convince her that it was all fine... because honestly, it was. He knew this was just his lot in life, and as hard as it was to swallow sometimes, he was used to it. There wasn’t a day that went by that he woke up wishing he could just be normal, and especially the days he woke up ill, but he wasn’t dying and for the moment, he was relatively healthy. He could still walk, talk, see, speak. All of those could, one day, evade him. For now he just wanted to take each moment as it came, and hopefully he didn’t have to face the permanent loss of any of his functions any time soon. He just really hope Mandy did understand the enormity of that and if, at some point in the future, she had to witness what this illness did to him, she didn’t freak out to the max.
RP LOG, SCENE COMPLETE