If I Thought You Didn't Know, I Would Have Said This Earlier (30 Rock, Jack/Liz)
Title: If I Thought You Didn't Know, I Would Have Said This Earlier
Prompt: 100_situations #060. Commit
Fandom: 30 Rock
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Spoilers: "The Ones"
Word Count: 726
Rating: PG
Table: Number Two.
Summary: He knows something is worrying her. (Follows " Second Best is Better Than Nothing (Almost).")
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue!
*
Jack is finally getting used to living with someone. Not that he was uncomfortable with his and Liz's living arrangement during the previous three months, but his last two serious relationships featured a lot of time apart. And living with her, working with her, not having to worry about when he would next see her, has made him fully realize how much he disliked the distance. And actually sharing his life with Liz has made him appreciate how much he loves her; how glad he is that she's the one who stayed. That she's the one who's sitting on the kitchen counter, fingers balled into fists around his shirt, arching her hips against him as he kisses her.
He pulls back a little. Says, "I love you," because he does love her. Because he sometimes worries that, if he doesn't remind her often enough, she'll find a reason to second-guess this.
"I love you, too," she says. Her face turns serious, almost sad; this look has become familiar to him in the recent past, and the fact that he has no idea what she's thinking in these moments unnerves him.
But he takes a guess, tells her: "We only started trying, Lemon. I wouldn't worry." Many seconds pass before he sees a spark of recognition in her eyes, so he knows he hasn't correctly surmised the source of her worry.
"Yeah, I know. I didn't expect to get pregnant right away."
"Then what's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Tell me," he says.
Liz's palms press against his chest. "I know you love me." Her gaze shifts to her hands. "And it's stupid that I care about this... No, it's not stupid. But I should just be fine with you loving me--"
"I don't understand what it is you're attempting to say."
Her eyes meet his again. "You're the only man I want. I think you might be the only man I've ever really been in love with."
"And this... upsets you?"
She exhales. "I know I'm not the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with. I mean, if you had your choice, you'd be with Elisa. And that... it's fine. I don't need to be the person you're perfect for because, let's face it, I knew I'd never be anyone's first choice--"
"Liz--"
"I'm not angry. I'm not even sad about it, most of the time--"
"I haven't seen Elisa in two years--"
"I'm not accusing you of sleeping with her--"
"I understand what you're saying. I'm telling you why you're wrong. I haven't seen Elisa for two years, and I've survived perfectly well. But if I didn't have you, I'd be lost."
"That makes me sound like a Blackberry."
She's smiling slightly, but he can't tell if her joke has arisen from a desire to bring levity to the situation or if she still doesn't understand the depth of his devotion to her. "You're the only woman I want to spend my life with. You're the only woman I'm in love with. You're the only person in my life I truly need."
She hesitates. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"I'm saying it because it's true; I've never lied to you."
Jack supposes he has lied by omission to her by leaving out some details of his life. By not telling her what happened that summer in D.C., by being ambigous about the incident that resulted in the scar on his abdomen. By not saying I love you when he first thought it to be true; in his defense, he also lied to himself during many of those moments when romantic feelings danced around the edges of their friendship. Tricked himself until he no longer could, hid from her until he no longer wanted to. In fleeting, more quixotic moments, he wonders if he resisted his feelings for Liz for so long because he knew he wasn't ready to give her what she wants. But he's ready now, and he wants what she wants, and he wants her.
"You're the one. Regardless of what I thought before, that's what I know now," he says. Starts to explain: "You remember what that means--"
"That thing you thought of all on your own?" Her smile loses its touch of uncertainty. "Yeah," she says. "Yeah, I do."
END
Prompt: 100_situations #060. Commit
Fandom: 30 Rock
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Spoilers: "The Ones"
Word Count: 726
Rating: PG
Table: Number Two.
Summary: He knows something is worrying her. (Follows " Second Best is Better Than Nothing (Almost).")
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue!
*
Jack is finally getting used to living with someone. Not that he was uncomfortable with his and Liz's living arrangement during the previous three months, but his last two serious relationships featured a lot of time apart. And living with her, working with her, not having to worry about when he would next see her, has made him fully realize how much he disliked the distance. And actually sharing his life with Liz has made him appreciate how much he loves her; how glad he is that she's the one who stayed. That she's the one who's sitting on the kitchen counter, fingers balled into fists around his shirt, arching her hips against him as he kisses her.
He pulls back a little. Says, "I love you," because he does love her. Because he sometimes worries that, if he doesn't remind her often enough, she'll find a reason to second-guess this.
"I love you, too," she says. Her face turns serious, almost sad; this look has become familiar to him in the recent past, and the fact that he has no idea what she's thinking in these moments unnerves him.
But he takes a guess, tells her: "We only started trying, Lemon. I wouldn't worry." Many seconds pass before he sees a spark of recognition in her eyes, so he knows he hasn't correctly surmised the source of her worry.
"Yeah, I know. I didn't expect to get pregnant right away."
"Then what's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
"Tell me," he says.
Liz's palms press against his chest. "I know you love me." Her gaze shifts to her hands. "And it's stupid that I care about this... No, it's not stupid. But I should just be fine with you loving me--"
"I don't understand what it is you're attempting to say."
Her eyes meet his again. "You're the only man I want. I think you might be the only man I've ever really been in love with."
"And this... upsets you?"
She exhales. "I know I'm not the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with. I mean, if you had your choice, you'd be with Elisa. And that... it's fine. I don't need to be the person you're perfect for because, let's face it, I knew I'd never be anyone's first choice--"
"Liz--"
"I'm not angry. I'm not even sad about it, most of the time--"
"I haven't seen Elisa in two years--"
"I'm not accusing you of sleeping with her--"
"I understand what you're saying. I'm telling you why you're wrong. I haven't seen Elisa for two years, and I've survived perfectly well. But if I didn't have you, I'd be lost."
"That makes me sound like a Blackberry."
She's smiling slightly, but he can't tell if her joke has arisen from a desire to bring levity to the situation or if she still doesn't understand the depth of his devotion to her. "You're the only woman I want to spend my life with. You're the only woman I'm in love with. You're the only person in my life I truly need."
She hesitates. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"I'm saying it because it's true; I've never lied to you."
Jack supposes he has lied by omission to her by leaving out some details of his life. By not telling her what happened that summer in D.C., by being ambigous about the incident that resulted in the scar on his abdomen. By not saying I love you when he first thought it to be true; in his defense, he also lied to himself during many of those moments when romantic feelings danced around the edges of their friendship. Tricked himself until he no longer could, hid from her until he no longer wanted to. In fleeting, more quixotic moments, he wonders if he resisted his feelings for Liz for so long because he knew he wasn't ready to give her what she wants. But he's ready now, and he wants what she wants, and he wants her.
"You're the one. Regardless of what I thought before, that's what I know now," he says. Starts to explain: "You remember what that means--"
"That thing you thought of all on your own?" Her smile loses its touch of uncertainty. "Yeah," she says. "Yeah, I do."
END