Eyes Can Be Deceiving (Jack/Liz, Danny/Liz)
Title: Eyes Can Be Deceiving
For: ham_napkin
Prompt: uncertainty
Pairings: Jack/Liz, Danny/Liz
Word Count: 589
Rating: PG
Spoilers: 'Black Light Attack!'
Summary: "I think you should go for it."
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue!
*
"I think you should go for it."
Jack glances away from the game to look at Danny. "Go for what?"
"You know. Tell Liz how you feel about her."
His first impulse is to laugh in Danny's face, but he suppresses it. "I can't. I'm her boss, and I don't believe she has the same... passion for me that I do for her--"
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."
He freezes. Did Lemon also fabricate a tale of unrequited love? To what end? Dear God, did she confess actual feelings to Danny? Is Lemon's infatuation for him reemerging now that her libido has increased to surprising heights? (Surprising for her; for a normal woman, it's still rather low.) "What did she say?"
"Nothing," Danny replies. "But I've been watching the two of you. Not in a creepy way, though I realize saying it's not creepy makes it seem creepier. In America, anyway; Canadians always accept people's stated intentions."
"I suppose you're always surprised when a contractor is unreliable."
"Contractors are unreliable here?" He seems sincerely taken aback. "Anyway, I've been watching the two of you, and she... Liz is crazy about you. She looks at you the same way you look at her."
"She looks at me the way I look at her?"
"Exactly, Jack." There's a pause. Danny lets out a breath. "She's in love with you."
Jack wonders if love looks substantially different in Canada. Or maybe Danny is lying to him. Attempting to trap him in his previous fabrication.
No, Danny wouldn't be so devious. Danny's incapable of being devious. It's one of the few things Jack finds troubling about him.
It has to be a culture clash.
"And I don't think you should let the fact that you're her boss get in the way. I didn't let Liz being my boss get in the way."
"One, you should have." He stops before he begins to lecture Danny on proper workplace ethics; who is he to advise Danny away from the sort of affairs he used to have the benefit of, especially since Jack can enjoy Danny's stories of conquest now that they're no longer about his best friend? "And two, it wasn't serious. It was probably never going to be serious."
As he says the words, he realizes that he believes them; maybe he should have let their kissing-saturated affair run its course and told Danny he didn't want to hear the details. Shared him with Liz until she tired of sneaking around.
No, no. He did the right thing. For the show, for Danny and Liz. For the part of him that enjoys discussing sports.
"But, obviously," he continues, "it would have to be serious between me and Liz. Since I'm so in love with her. And if it went wrong, if we didn't last, it would be bad for our working relationship. For the show. For our friendship. She's one of my closest friends. I can't risk losing her, even if it means never having her."
Jack notices sadness in his voice. He almost feels it; perhaps he's too good of a liar.
"Think about it," Danny says. "It would be a shame if you missed out on something great."
"Okay. I'll think about it."
Jack takes a long sip of his beer. Does find himself thinking.
Then stops. Danny's perceptions are not reality. He and Liz aren't in love. Danny wouldn't believe such a ridiculous premise if Jack hadn't been dishonest with him.
He returns his attention to the game.
END
For: ham_napkin
Prompt: uncertainty
Pairings: Jack/Liz, Danny/Liz
Word Count: 589
Rating: PG
Spoilers: 'Black Light Attack!'
Summary: "I think you should go for it."
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue!
*
"I think you should go for it."
Jack glances away from the game to look at Danny. "Go for what?"
"You know. Tell Liz how you feel about her."
His first impulse is to laugh in Danny's face, but he suppresses it. "I can't. I'm her boss, and I don't believe she has the same... passion for me that I do for her--"
"I wouldn't be so sure about that."
He freezes. Did Lemon also fabricate a tale of unrequited love? To what end? Dear God, did she confess actual feelings to Danny? Is Lemon's infatuation for him reemerging now that her libido has increased to surprising heights? (Surprising for her; for a normal woman, it's still rather low.) "What did she say?"
"Nothing," Danny replies. "But I've been watching the two of you. Not in a creepy way, though I realize saying it's not creepy makes it seem creepier. In America, anyway; Canadians always accept people's stated intentions."
"I suppose you're always surprised when a contractor is unreliable."
"Contractors are unreliable here?" He seems sincerely taken aback. "Anyway, I've been watching the two of you, and she... Liz is crazy about you. She looks at you the same way you look at her."
"She looks at me the way I look at her?"
"Exactly, Jack." There's a pause. Danny lets out a breath. "She's in love with you."
Jack wonders if love looks substantially different in Canada. Or maybe Danny is lying to him. Attempting to trap him in his previous fabrication.
No, Danny wouldn't be so devious. Danny's incapable of being devious. It's one of the few things Jack finds troubling about him.
It has to be a culture clash.
"And I don't think you should let the fact that you're her boss get in the way. I didn't let Liz being my boss get in the way."
"One, you should have." He stops before he begins to lecture Danny on proper workplace ethics; who is he to advise Danny away from the sort of affairs he used to have the benefit of, especially since Jack can enjoy Danny's stories of conquest now that they're no longer about his best friend? "And two, it wasn't serious. It was probably never going to be serious."
As he says the words, he realizes that he believes them; maybe he should have let their kissing-saturated affair run its course and told Danny he didn't want to hear the details. Shared him with Liz until she tired of sneaking around.
No, no. He did the right thing. For the show, for Danny and Liz. For the part of him that enjoys discussing sports.
"But, obviously," he continues, "it would have to be serious between me and Liz. Since I'm so in love with her. And if it went wrong, if we didn't last, it would be bad for our working relationship. For the show. For our friendship. She's one of my closest friends. I can't risk losing her, even if it means never having her."
Jack notices sadness in his voice. He almost feels it; perhaps he's too good of a liar.
"Think about it," Danny says. "It would be a shame if you missed out on something great."
"Okay. I'll think about it."
Jack takes a long sip of his beer. Does find himself thinking.
Then stops. Danny's perceptions are not reality. He and Liz aren't in love. Danny wouldn't believe such a ridiculous premise if Jack hadn't been dishonest with him.
He returns his attention to the game.
END