Never Too Soon

Jack has a busy life, you see. He has to balance all of his obligations while making time for at least a mediocre social life. It's just, there's a lot of stuff that he has to do. And sometimes certain stuff gets pushed to the bottom of the stuff-pile, and he forgets about said 'stuff'. This is when he ends up needing 6,000 words on the rise and fall of the Chinese empire by the next morning, and like, an opinion. Jack doesn't even have an opinion on the rise and fall of S Club 7.

And he also needs at least three sources, only one of which is allowed to be from the internet, naturally; so he heads to the library, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and pursuing the shelf labeled 'non-fiction.' He picks up about five books with titles he thinks might be relevant, and is about to take them over to one of the tables when he bangs his hipbone on the top of the shelf and drops all of them.

He leans down to pick them up, but someone is already there, on one knee, gathering his books for him. It's not a familiar head of hair (or rather, a familiar beanie- the guy's wearing a beanie, does anyone actually do that?), but he looks up and gives Jack a shy smile.

"Hey, thanks," Jack says, offering the guy his own smile in return- one that he hopes falls more under the friendly category and less under the serial killer. By the way the guy's looking at him like please stop talking to me you strange tall person, he thinks it must be more of the second.

He feels bad. Beanie-kid is not at all someone Jack feels serial-killer towards. Actually, he's someone Jack might like to.. take out for coffee, or something. Beanie-kid is unfairly attractive.

Jack watches the guy stand up and hold out the books to him. "Here," He says and Jack takes them with a grateful smile. He can't help but notice the guy didn't give one of the books back. He eyes it. "That one any good?"

"It's, um. I haven't actually read it, it just. It has really nice photographs."

Huh, Jack thinks. What a strange and fascinating creature. It's a convenient coincidence that he also happens to be one of the most gorgeous people Jack has ever actually talked to- Clearly someone who cares about his appearance in a gray button down, black cardigan and skinny jeans. His hair is perfect from what Jack can see underneath his beanie.

Jack is in a black hoodie and a white t-shirt with a coffee stain on it. He really should have planned for this better; but how was he to know people actually went to the library anymore?

"Well, I'll tell you what, maybe when you're finished with it you could drop it off at my house? It's right down the street, the gray one. Also, I'm Jack." He says, smiling so much it sort of looks like his face might just split in half. He doesn't bother mentioning he won't need the book after tomorrow. That is not the point of the exercise.

"Alex," The boy says quietly. Jack grins and grabs his hand, writing down his number.

"I would say call me, but I hate cliches," He says.

Alex smiles. He has nice teeth.

---

When Jack gets home, he manages to type out 5,954 words of utter bullshit before passing out. The shrill beep of his alarm clock at six AM is not exactly his favorite sound in the world the next morning, and he goes through his daily routine with his eyes barely open- actually managing it pretty well except for the toothpaste that miraculously ends up on his shirt.

He stumbles down the stairs and into the kitchen, where his sister Rachel hands him a cup of coffee. She's a freshman in high school and Jack is not exactly enjoying her looming presence in the hallways. He loves his sister, honestly, he does, but she is kind of evil.

"So how was the library?" She says with a smirk, her big brown eyes gleaming with a certain sort of mischief that makes Jack want to hide under his bed and never, ever come out.

He yawns. "I met someone..."

"A special someone?" She teases.

"Not yet." Jack says, taking a tentative sip from his coffee mug. He'd never liked the taste, but tolerates it for the caffeine. "He was really hot, though."

Rachel snorts. "Did you at least get a name?"

"Yeah, but you don't." Jack says.

Rachel sticks her tongue out at him.

--

Squinting, Jack tries to see what was by his door from the street. And then it hits him. It is definitely a book.

"Aw, fuck, no," He says, running over to find it, still having a bit of hope that maybe it was for his sister. Or his mom. Or his dad. Or someone else that reads books. Just not him, dammit.

But sure enough, the title is some stupid thing about the Chinese Empire and Jack thinks it would be a really good time for the earth to just swallow him up whole, because he hates his life. He'd missed what seemed like his one chance to get in touch with Alex.

Grabbing the book, he flings open the front door. His mom looks up from where she's watching Dr. Oz on the couch. "Jack, what are you doing?"

"Did you see who dropped this off?" He says, the words coming out fast, even for him.

"No?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Fuck," Jack curses.

His mom rolls her eyes, turning up the volume on the tv.