Tension's Like a Fire

Jack tossed and turned in his bed that felt empty and too big for just him.

“You don’t seem to comfortable in that big bed all by yourself.” This long missed voice rang like a chorus of angels to his ears.

His large brown eyes flew open falling on her standing in the doorway with it closed tightly behind her. He watched as her small delicate hand moved to turn the lock. To make sure they had privacy.

He gulped as she smirked at him.

Her eyes were the familiar brown he adored, not the blue he observed in the picture.

“You miss me Jack?” She asked in a tone she didn’t possess when she was 13. It was -dare he even think it- seductive.

Jack sat up so he could watch her better. “More than you’d ever know.” He managed to stutter out.

Her smirk expanded and she crawled onto the bed.

He watched her as she crawled slowly up to him.

She wore what she wore in the photograph because he was seeing the grown her, the 19 year old her.

She was clad in a black dress that clung to her ample curves -which he was getting a great view of while she climbed toward him agonizingly slow- and made her seem taller than her barely 5 foot status.

Her left hand landed flat on his chest and her other held her up as she knelt over him straddling his waist.

That contact gave Jack the ok to do what he‘d always wanted to.

His hand that seemed gargantuan in comparison to hers wrapped around her forearm and he gently pulled her to his lips.

This kiss was almost cathartic, almost healing, the wounds of losing one he loved so much for so long. It was soft, sensuous, and loving.

His hand released her arm and cupped the back of her neck while the other one he rested gently on her jaw line with his thumb on her chin almost controlling the kiss.

She moved her hands to his cheeks pulling him to sit all the way up.

Their lips meshed and mixed their tastes onto each other’s tongues.

Her hand slid back and she tightly clutched his dark brown locks getting totally lost in the kiss. She broke from him and whispered breathlessly directly on his lips. “I love you Jack.”

“I love you too-”

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

His eyes flew open and he sat straight up, frantically searching the room for the one who’d just been inhabiting it with him.

That’s when he realized, it had all been a dream.

Probably the most delightful dream he’d ever had. He never had a dream about Sally that went anything like that. His adoration usually had more of an innocence to it.

He fell flat back onto his bed staring at the ceiling muttering, “Why the hell do I set that thing?”

Jazz rolled out of Alex’s damn near sleep death grip not really caring if she woke him up because she had to piss.

‘He’s clingy when he sleeps.’ She thought to herself as she roughly rubbed her eyes and sleepily and sloppily walked out of his room and into the bathroom not even noticing Rian and Zack already awake to mutter a simple “Hello”.

She did her business and washed her hands and face knowing there was no way of getting back into that bed and getting back to sleep, at least not without waking the beast. He may have been nice yesterday but he woke up on his own, no telling what could happen if you woke him.

She heard Jack’s alarm going off, he was always worth speaking to, always interesting, and he never depressed her. She kinda worried what else Rian and Zack could tell her.

She walked to his door and knocked gently like she always did.

“Come in.” Jack groaned.

She peeked around the door the way she always does. “Hey Jack.”

He smiled even though he didn’t really want to. “Get in here Jazzy pants.”

She laughed at the nickname as she walked all the way in. “I’ve never been called that before.”

“That’s because you’ve never known anyone anything like the Jack Barakat before.” He said as happy as he could play.

She looked at him skeptically having already learned what his voice sounds like when he’s normal... Or what you’d consider normal for Jack.

“Ok B-kat, what are you all mopey about?” She asked as she laid down next to him watching him.

He smiled lightly knowing that her being so sweet and concerned for other people’s well-being is what helped Alex. “I dreamt of Sally.” He said softly not looking up from his Ninja turtle sheets.

The concern in Jazz’s eyes became obvious. “We’re gonna get her back.”

“What if they did something to her?” His voice dropped even lower.

“Jack.” Her voice became stern. “We’re not goin’ there. Don’t think like that.”

He still didn’t look up.

She grabbed his chin and brought his eyes up to hers.

“Got it?” She asked just as sternly.

He nodded and dropped his head again.

Jazz looked down at the sheets and laughed. “I didn’t know they made these sheets for beds that weren’t twins. Now I know why you have a pea green comforter, I thought you just liked wacked out colors.”

He laughed at her skillful subject change. “Hey don’t knock the Ninja Turtles!”

She laughed “normal” -Again using that term loosely- Jack was back. “Hey man the Ninja Turtles were amazing one of my foster brothers had those sheets... Of course he was 9. I forget that you‘re really just a really tall 9 year old.”

Jack scowled at her, pretending to be angry. “I’m so not 9. I’m 13 because I like boobs and boys have no interest in those until that age.”

She rolled her eyes and continued laughing, “Ok Jack 13.” She got up off his bed and started toward the door. “I should leave because I know how 13 year old boys act with girls in their room, plus I wouldn’t want anyone to think I’m a cougar.”

“Eh, I’m getting up too. That first morning’s piss is calling my name followed by breakfast.” He followed her out.

“Breakfast sounds all sorts of amazing right now.” She rubbed her stomach and walked over to the open kitchen space. “Morning Rian, Morning Zack. Are you two always the first ones up?”

“Yeah we’re the early risers.” Rian said flashing his big pearly white smile.

“Am I always the last one up?” She asked. “How does that happen? Jack should totally get up later than me.”

Alex jolted up out of bed.

It came to him.

He heard ‘Jack should totally get up later than me.’ as he got to the kitchen

Alex came out of his room looking as if he had a beautiful epiphany.

“They want Jazz. I say we give her to them.” He sounded excited by that idea, like he was excited to get rid of her.

“What?” Rian shouted out in anger and disbelief. He thought this was a step backward.

Her eyes were huge, afraid that he was serious. That he wanted to throw her out to the wolves that were huffing and puffing attempting to blow her house down so they can devour her.

“Not like that.” He said rolling his eyes. “We use her as bait. The guys come to get her and we capture whoever tries and torture them until they tell us what they’ve done with Sally.”:

“That’s a great idea.” Zack responded surprised this was an idea and not a Gaskarth bitter moment.

Jack walked out of the bathroom zipping the fly of yesterday’s jeans that he just so happened to fall asleep in. “This is the story of my life. I miss everything! Who had a good idea and what the fuck was it?” He asked with his hands on his non-existent hips.

They all looked over at Jack and shook their heads suppressing their laughter.

“Alex did. We use Jazz as bait to get Sally back.” Rian brought him up to speed.

Jack’s eye sparkled with the prospect of getting Sally back but looked at Jazz who’s face still looked afraid. “Are you ok with this idea Jazz?” He was silently pleading for her to say yes.

She looked up at him and could read it plain as day on his face ‘Please say yes’ and she smiled up at him. “Of course.”

They all got too caught up in their developing plans to notice Jazz lying through her pretty little teeth.

She was terrified. She wanted to tell them that she couldn’t do it but she knew being in the line of fire was the only way.