[Fanfiction] An Entirely New Direction, by callieach
Title: An Entirely New Direction
Author: callieach
Fandom: Bones
Prompt: 095. New Direction
Character/Pairing: Angela/Jack
Rating: PG
Word Count: 873
Summary: One chilly Saturday morning in February, two people met on a virtually empty Washington street.
Authors Notes/Disclaimer: For 100_prompts. Nothing you recognize is mine. Angst with a glimmer of hope, set in the future, after what's supposed to happen in early season 4. No major spoilers to speak of.
One chilly Saturday morning in February, two people met on a virtually empty Washington street.
Her dark hair was cut short and pinned back off of her face. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and the exertion of keeping the tray of coffees in her hand upright despite slipping all over the sidewalk on the ice. Two blocks away, her best friend and host for her week-long visit would be just waking up and finding her note - picking up breakfast; be back in a flash, A.
His curls were untameably long and threatening to fall into his eyes. Three minutes earlier, he’d ended this morning’s fight with his girlfriend by pulling on his coat and walking out the door, all the while tugging at the thick rubberband around his wrist until the flesh underneath was red and puffy. The argument was the same as ever: she wanted a relationship and he wanted a good time.
These two were anything but strangers. They’d known each other in years gone past, in every way. But to the traffic camera patrolling the block or to anyone else watching, the man and woman might have been casual acquaintances, at best.
The interaction started with simultaneous nods of acknowledgement, then progressed to the man reaching out a hand to touch the woman on the arm, smiling at her and saying “You still look good, Angie.” So she had to smile back, thank him, echo the sentiment.
Then she said, “What a strange place for two people like us to meet up.”
He dropped his hand but held his gaze. “Not so strange once you’ve fallen in love in a forensics lab.” He pauses. “So you’re back in DC?”
“Only for my annual visit to check on Bren and make sure she’s not working herself to death.” She laughed and he almost forgot he has to respond. It had been a while since something made him ache for her, and now that she was here, in front of him, laughing, his heart wouldn’t be unbroken.
“Oh. So, is she? Working herself to death?”
“She seems to be doing fine. But… wouldn’t you know?”
“I left not long after you did. I only went to work because I enjoyed it and…” He shrugged. “I didn’t anymore.”
“Oh,” she replied, blowing the syllable out with a long puff of frozen breath. She heard all he wasn’t saying: I couldn’t be bothered to stay without you.
Long seconds ticked by in silence. A car drove by, fishtailing on black ice when it reached the stop sign at the bottom of the hill. They both watched its progress.
“How have you been?” she asked, her eyes focused on him in a concerned way.
“Fine,” he lied thinly. “Mostly great.” He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, inadvertently showing off his still-agitated wrist.
“You’ve been angry this morning,” she observed, her lips curving into a teasing smile.
“Fight with the girlfriend.”
“You being smothering?”
He laughed once, though not in mirth. “Me being distant.”
“That’s not like you.”
“If you get too close, you get hurt. You’ve taught me that lesson.”
“Jack…”
“Forget I mentioned it, Angela. I don’t mean to put you on the spot here in the street. And I’m sure Brennan will not appreciate her coffee being cold because of me.”
She nodded through his last sentence. “Of course. What way are you heading?”
“Any way. I’ve got nowhere to be.”
“Then…” she looked at the ground, the awkward one with the invitation for the first time in their long-dead relationship. “Why don’t you walk a ways with me?”
“I think I’d like that.”
They walked the two blocks slowly, asking basic questions in their conversation. Where have you moved? How’s your family? Have you heard any news from Zack?
Just outside of Brennan’s, she asked him to hold the tray of coffee while she dug the set of keys she’d been given out of her purse. After opening the door, she turned back for the coffee and goodbye, only to slip on ice and tumble into him, the epitome of Hollywood clichés.
She laughed but didn’t make a move to leave his embrace. It was still as comfortable there as ever. “Thank you for catching me.”
His response consisted of the lopsided grin she would always love and the quiet, almost whispered words, “I try.”
For a moment, she contemplated kissing him. But then she reminded herself the mess they’d been and how he’d only ever tied her down. And she stepped back, taking her coffee and purposely looking ashamed.
“How much longer are you in town?” he asked.
“I’m scheduled to fly out Tuesday morning.”
“I was thinking maybe we could meet up for lunch before you ran away again. I miss you,” he added quickly, as if he wasn’t sure he was allowed to say it or not.
“Tomorrow? The diner?” she suggested, not acknowledging the slight pleading tone to his voice or his I miss you.
“Sounds great.” He smiled.
She smiled back. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she disappeared inside, leaving him alone.
He chose to walk back the way they came, though he liked to think of it as an entirely new direction.
Author: callieach
Fandom: Bones
Prompt: 095. New Direction
Character/Pairing: Angela/Jack
Rating: PG
Word Count: 873
Summary: One chilly Saturday morning in February, two people met on a virtually empty Washington street.
Authors Notes/Disclaimer: For 100_prompts. Nothing you recognize is mine. Angst with a glimmer of hope, set in the future, after what's supposed to happen in early season 4. No major spoilers to speak of.
One chilly Saturday morning in February, two people met on a virtually empty Washington street.
Her dark hair was cut short and pinned back off of her face. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and the exertion of keeping the tray of coffees in her hand upright despite slipping all over the sidewalk on the ice. Two blocks away, her best friend and host for her week-long visit would be just waking up and finding her note - picking up breakfast; be back in a flash, A.
His curls were untameably long and threatening to fall into his eyes. Three minutes earlier, he’d ended this morning’s fight with his girlfriend by pulling on his coat and walking out the door, all the while tugging at the thick rubberband around his wrist until the flesh underneath was red and puffy. The argument was the same as ever: she wanted a relationship and he wanted a good time.
These two were anything but strangers. They’d known each other in years gone past, in every way. But to the traffic camera patrolling the block or to anyone else watching, the man and woman might have been casual acquaintances, at best.
The interaction started with simultaneous nods of acknowledgement, then progressed to the man reaching out a hand to touch the woman on the arm, smiling at her and saying “You still look good, Angie.” So she had to smile back, thank him, echo the sentiment.
Then she said, “What a strange place for two people like us to meet up.”
He dropped his hand but held his gaze. “Not so strange once you’ve fallen in love in a forensics lab.” He pauses. “So you’re back in DC?”
“Only for my annual visit to check on Bren and make sure she’s not working herself to death.” She laughed and he almost forgot he has to respond. It had been a while since something made him ache for her, and now that she was here, in front of him, laughing, his heart wouldn’t be unbroken.
“Oh. So, is she? Working herself to death?”
“She seems to be doing fine. But… wouldn’t you know?”
“I left not long after you did. I only went to work because I enjoyed it and…” He shrugged. “I didn’t anymore.”
“Oh,” she replied, blowing the syllable out with a long puff of frozen breath. She heard all he wasn’t saying: I couldn’t be bothered to stay without you.
Long seconds ticked by in silence. A car drove by, fishtailing on black ice when it reached the stop sign at the bottom of the hill. They both watched its progress.
“How have you been?” she asked, her eyes focused on him in a concerned way.
“Fine,” he lied thinly. “Mostly great.” He awkwardly ran a hand through his hair, inadvertently showing off his still-agitated wrist.
“You’ve been angry this morning,” she observed, her lips curving into a teasing smile.
“Fight with the girlfriend.”
“You being smothering?”
He laughed once, though not in mirth. “Me being distant.”
“That’s not like you.”
“If you get too close, you get hurt. You’ve taught me that lesson.”
“Jack…”
“Forget I mentioned it, Angela. I don’t mean to put you on the spot here in the street. And I’m sure Brennan will not appreciate her coffee being cold because of me.”
She nodded through his last sentence. “Of course. What way are you heading?”
“Any way. I’ve got nowhere to be.”
“Then…” she looked at the ground, the awkward one with the invitation for the first time in their long-dead relationship. “Why don’t you walk a ways with me?”
“I think I’d like that.”
They walked the two blocks slowly, asking basic questions in their conversation. Where have you moved? How’s your family? Have you heard any news from Zack?
Just outside of Brennan’s, she asked him to hold the tray of coffee while she dug the set of keys she’d been given out of her purse. After opening the door, she turned back for the coffee and goodbye, only to slip on ice and tumble into him, the epitome of Hollywood clichés.
She laughed but didn’t make a move to leave his embrace. It was still as comfortable there as ever. “Thank you for catching me.”
His response consisted of the lopsided grin she would always love and the quiet, almost whispered words, “I try.”
For a moment, she contemplated kissing him. But then she reminded herself the mess they’d been and how he’d only ever tied her down. And she stepped back, taking her coffee and purposely looking ashamed.
“How much longer are you in town?” he asked.
“I’m scheduled to fly out Tuesday morning.”
“I was thinking maybe we could meet up for lunch before you ran away again. I miss you,” he added quickly, as if he wasn’t sure he was allowed to say it or not.
“Tomorrow? The diner?” she suggested, not acknowledging the slight pleading tone to his voice or his I miss you.
“Sounds great.” He smiled.
She smiled back. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she disappeared inside, leaving him alone.
He chose to walk back the way they came, though he liked to think of it as an entirely new direction.