The Bet

"You've been playing that game for hours, Jack."

Jack barely glanced at his roommate, focused completely on Mario hopping through the forest.

"If I remember rightly, you were playing with me earlier."

"Yeah, when it was still fun. For an hour. You've been playing for nearly five. I wanna watch TV!"

Jack paused his game, raising an eyebrow at her. "And what if I say no?"

Tay sized him up for a moment, and then she smirked.

"Alright, I have an idea. Let's make a bet. I'll play you again, and if I win, I get to watch TV right now and shower first for the next month. Because you always use up all the hot water and it drives me crazy."

"Hey, if you're not fast, you're last, love," Jack grinned, laughing. "Okay, I'm intrigued. What if I win?"

"You get to keep playing games. And, whatever else. I don't know. Pick your prize. Not that it'll matter, I beat you every single time playing earlier," Tay muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Hey! Don't brag, bitch."

"Hurry up!"

Jack grinned. "If I win, I get a kiss. A real kiss."

Tay stalled, staring at him with raised eyebrows. So maybe she hadn't been expecting that. But there's no way she was backing out. And she would win. Of course she'd win. So it wouldn't matter.

"You're on," she grinned, righting herself and walking over to shake Jack's hand.

///

They were three levels deep in another Mario game, and this was the final round.

Jack had won the first game, much to his delight, and Tay had won the second. But despite her pleased gloating, she was regretting it.

The idea of a kiss from Jack, now that she thought about it, wasn't actually so bad. And she couldn't believe she was even thinking of sabotaging her own bet just to get it and make him happy. She loved seeing him smile. Was showering in cold water for the rest of her life worth it? Yeah, probably.

That's why she found herself making Luigi run into bad guys and fall down cliffs and get hurt, losing lives and precious time, giving Jack a better chance to reach the end before she did.

"You're totally beating me," Jack whined, because somehow she had still drawn ahead, and one look at his pouting face did it for Tay.

She ran Luigi straight into a ditch and he fell to his death for the seventh time, and Jack overtook her.

"Yes, yes, yes!" he yelled, jumping up from the couch and throwing his arms in the air. "I won!"

Tay pretended to huff about it, but she still grinned at his little happy dance, shimmying around the coffee table in his sweatpants and an old Foo Fighters t-shirt.

"Do I get my kiss now?" he beamed, coming to a stop in front of her.

Tay looked up at him from her position on the couch and her smile faded, nerves settling in. She swallowed and nodded, slowly getting to her feet, and Jack took a small step back.

He was nervous too, but he could barely contain his utter glee at what was about to happen.

Tay licked her plump lips and reached out for him, placing her hands awkwardly on his waist. Jack moved to touch her several times but retracted, finally running his fingers clumsily through her hair and bringing them to rest on her neck.

Taylor ended up getting on her tip-toes, and she closed her eyes, because the look on his face was making her blush. Jack decided it was time to just do it, and he leaned down to connect their lips.

All the awkward clumsiness melted away. Tay's hands slid to Jack's hips, pushing his shirt up slightly to stroke at the bare skin. It was warm, tingling on her cool fingers. Jack's hands went back to Tay's hair, stroking it smoothly without incident. It felt more perfect to touch than silk. Everything just seemed to fit.

They pressed closer, tongues coming out to meet simultaneously. Tay gave a soft moan and Jack took in a sharp breath through his nose, pulling away with bright eyes.

"This is totally worth taking cold showers for the rest of forever," Tay said with a dreamy smile, catching her breath.

Jack grinned cheekily.

"Maybe now you could start taking hot ones with me instead."

///

Despite Jack's shower comment that earned him a pinched thigh, they started dating.

It was kind of inevitable. Jack admitted he'd wanted to kiss Tay for a long time, and Tay had realised that maybe they had been perfect for each other all along.

They also ended up sharing showers too. It was quite a good system, despite the fact that the water eventually ran cold anyway when they hadn't even washed themselves yet because they ended up getting preoccupied by... other activities.

But after three months, the day came to introduce Jack to Tay's closest friends. Even though she'd been living with him for six months before they started dating, the guys had never met Jack, or even been round to the apartment. Tay didn't really like having people over for some reason. It always felt strange to her, but Jack insisted they throw a little get-together for her friends.

So, they arranged for them all to come over on a Friday to watch some football and eat pizza, maybe play some board games or something. A nice chilled night in.

Jack came home with the pizza after everyone had arrived, but he didn't exactly get a warm welcome.

Tay's closest friends were all guys. Except for her sisters, but they lived in a different state currently, so Jack wasn't going to be meeting them for a while.

Sat in Jack's livingroom, there was Jordan, Cameron, Mike and Rob.

They all gave him this weird look and he immediately felt uncomfortable in his own apartment.

"Uh, hi," he smiled. "I brought pizzas!"

They all smiled and greeted him after that, but there was a weird air settling around the room with everyone. Tay seemed oblivious, watching the first half of the football game either perched in Jack's lap or sat on the floor between his knees. He didn't miss the glares from Jordan and Mike.

It was only when Tay was in the bathroom, and Jack was in the kitchen with just Jordan and Cameron, did he get an idea of why they were acting so hostile.

"So... how long have you and Tay been dating?" Jordan asked, sipping his beer.

"Uh, three months. Didn't she mention that?" Jack frowned, picking up a couple of peanuts from the breakfast bar and crunching them.

"Just double-checking. What's the deal with dating your roommate though? Isn't that kind of a low move?"

Jack frowned deeper, glancing to Cameron, but he had the same questioning expression as Jordan.

"I... I don't think so? Why would it be?"

"Oh, I don't know," Cameron chimed in. "Isn't it kind of... easy access? You know? Like a free fuck. She isn't even an apartment away from you, not even a neighbour. She's got a room right down the hall from you. Easy, am I right?"

"Um..."

"You wouldn't just be using her for sex, would you? Have you slept together yet?"

Jack swallowed, taking a couple of steps back. "I don't think I should really be, uh, sharing that... with you... um..."

"Why? Is it because you're just fucking her for the fun of it? Huh?" Jordan strode towards Jack with a furious look in his eyes.

That was around about the time that Jack turned and bolted for the livingroom, disheartened to see Tay still wasn't back.

Mike and Rob were staring at him from the couch.

"Jack," Rob spoke up. "Just so you know, if you hurt our girl, we'll get you."

Jack's eyes widened at the way Mike was nodding beside him. This was not the relaxing Friday night he'd been hoping for.

"Yeah. Making sure a guy is good enough for Tay, that's our job. She's like our baby sister, so just watch your back. If we find out you're fucking her around, we will fucking get you," Jordan said from behind him, having followed from the kitchen with Cam in tow.

Just when Jack was starting to fear for his life, a tiny girl in red jeans came to his rescue.

"What the hell is the matter with you guys?!" she shouted, appearing from the hallway. "What are you doing?! Threatening my boyfriend, what is that about? You assholes, you're supposed to be nice to him, not make him wanna piss his pants and run!"

All four boys looked rather sheepish and Jack was stunned that this petite little lady could keep them all in line.

They all muttered, "Sorry, Tay," in sombre tones.

"Don't apologise to me, apologise to Jack!"

All four boys looked at each other with red cheeks and Jack had never felt quite so happy.

///

Several minutes and another beer later, they were all seated around the coffee table getting explanations.

"We are really, really sorry, guys. Especially to you, Jack. It's just... Tay's been fucked around in the past, y'know? And we don't want her to get hurt. So, whenever she dates someone new, we all do the intimidating big brother thing. It usually works," Jordan explained.

"I can't believe you do that to every guy I start dating," Tay shook her head. "Please promise you'll stop it. To anyone. Ever."

"We promise," they all said after a second's consideration.

"Thank God, you're all fucking creepy and terrifying when you wanna be," Jack chuckled in relief.

Cameron laughed. "We all think you're actually a pretty cool guy, but we wanted to make sure you weren't just in it for sex or... I don't know. We're sorry."

"You guys are an embarrassment," Tay groaned.

Jack laughed again. "It's alright. Forgive and forget. Let's say we all watch football and drink beer. As friends this time."

"That sounds good to me," Rob nodded, everyone else making sounds of agreement.

"It's kinda sweet you're all so protective," Jack said after a minute or so of them watching TV. "But I have to admit, I'm glad to learn nobody's actually gonna beat the shit out of me for having shower sex with your best girl friend."

Tay spluttered and covered her face while the guys all stared at the couple, appalled.

"Well dating you is gonna be an adventure," Tay muttered, snuggling into Jack's side and ignoring the embarrassed throat-clearing of her friends.

"You'd do anything for a hot shower, fuckin' slut."

Tay smacked his arm, but she was laughing again. "Jack, seriously!"

"Just as long as your friends all know you're not such an innocent little angel, that's fine with me."