Calm after the Storm (JM)
A/N: the one where I decide Jack’s career path + life for him and he’s an ex-Youtuber and a popular DJ. hope y’all enjoy <3
It was a normal event for me, a new dress fitting my figure, my makeup blended to perfection, hanging out with the same group I tended to stick to, and overall, just wanting to go home and take the whole facade off. I’d been having a rough few weeks-my Youtube channel had taken a hit over a small misunderstanding and I’d finally cleared it away but what I needed right now was time alone. Not a PR event.
“He obviously agreed to the gig because he knew the demographic,” Greta laughs beside me. “Didn’t he tweet you that one time Y/N?”
“Tweeted who? Who tweeted me?” I realise I wasn’t keeping up with the conversation but my friends don’t seem to mind.
“Jack Maynard-London’t top DJ at the moment?” Our other friend reminds me.
“Oh yeah.” I remember being extremely flattered as I’d had a huge crush on him back when he did Youtube. “He’d sent a heart when I said I was feeling overwhelmed by all the sudden negativity with my followers-“
“Awww,” both friends make that face people do when they find something cute and sad at the same time. They glance over at Jack who was setting up his equipment. As they go on to discuss other cute guys at the event, I tune them out again and glance back at Jack. When I’d gone through the backlash on Twitter a lot of my friends spoke out to support me but a lot of my friends didn’t-which stung. Jack was one of the few popular strangers that showed me support even though he wasn’t following me anywhere.
He glances up at that moment and looks into the crowd and I assume he was too far away to notice me staring so I keep my eyes on him. Except he does notice me. He nods my way with a smirk and I smile and quickly glance away.
“I’ve got to use the toilet,” I lie, feeling a little overwhelmed. “But I’ll catch up to you two later?”
My friends let me go and I quickly locate the mostly-empty women’s room. Inside, the harsh lights above the mirror highlight the small pimple that was refusing to calm down on my chin and accentuates my badly done eyebrows. This night wasn’t easy on me and I wasn’t being easy on myself either, I decide. It was darker outside and it really didn’t matter. Not like anybody would want to take pictures with me tonight. After all, what did I have to lose anymore? So with that thought, I push the door open and run smack into a broad chest.
“Oh jeez sorry,” two large hands grab hold of my biceps.
“Oh sorry,” I apologise before getting a good look at the handsome face. Of course it was Jack Maynard.
“Sorry, my fault-I was rushing to the storage room, I need to set up quickly before I get in trouble.”
“Oh no no, I should’ve checked before I-“
“You look familiar,” Jack squints. “Have we met?”
“Um,” I feel the blood draining my body. How would I explain that the scandal was probably how he knew me.
“Didn’t you come to one of my earlier gigs once and call me Conor-“
“Before falling on you? God, good memory,” I cover my face with my hands. Back when I was the type of fan to go to concerts I saw Jack live and got the chance to meet him. It wasn’t my finest moment. “To be fair my friend was trying to hug you and I took a wrong step in between you two! How do you remember that? I was so bloody nervous!”
“I guess bumping into one another is our thing?” Jack laughs. “I remember faces well. But I think I’ve read about your…situation on Twitter recently. It’s a bummer but I’m glad to see you’re doing better.”
“Only slightly,” I fidget with the strap of my purse. Somehow, Jack made me more embarassed about my teen obsessions than recent events. It was refreshing.
“They’ll forget about it soon. You did great handling it-trust me.” Jack places a hand on my shoulder and it feels electric. He must feel it too because he looks to where our skin touches and removes it. “Uh but I should get back.”
“Right. Of course. Don’t want to get you in trouble.” I tease-nothing to lose right?
Jack chuckles ans takes a step backwards towards the storage room before speaking. “No-although you seem trouble already. For me.”
I pretend not to be as affected by the comment as I am but when he turns to go I turn and squeeze my eyes shut. Was Jack Maynard just flirting with me? Me, Y/N? Jesus.
Once the bar opens up, I drink in hopes of numbing my senses a little. I couldn’t take people glancing at me when they thought I wasn’t looking, curious looks as if they could spot something about me others couldn’t. When Jack begins his set, most people head to the dancefloor and I head for another drink. As I sip it, Jack makes eye contact with me and winks. I raise my glass to him and take another sip. He tilts his head in the direction of the dancefloor and I shake my head, trying not to look crazy.
“Go,” Jack mouths as he looks at the dancefloor. I point to my glass to indicate I was drinking and he shakes his head, looking back down at his music. After the second glass, I feel my foot tapping to the bass and with the way Jack keeps shooting me glances, I feel recognised in a way I hadn’t in a long time. Like someone was looking at me and seeing me, not the girl who screwed up or the girl who was lost.
When Jack looks at me next, I narrow my eyes at him and give a defiant smile. I would give him the trouble he asked for; I sashay my way to his direct line of sight and begin dancing to the music, but mostly dancing for him. Everytime I turn his way, I make eye contact and make sure he’s looking. I try to hide the smile as his face grows more and more serious until he’s barely looking and concentrating on his controls a little too hard.
Once the event ends, I wait by the coat check for my jacket, flushed but happy. Even though I couldn’t find Jack after, I had a night I wouldn’t forget. But miraculously, Jack finds me standing in line at the coat check. He looks nervous, almost like I did with him all those years ago. His hair is perfectly tousled and none of his equipment’s with him.
“It’s Y/N-right? I had to actually ask around for your name since you didn’t give it. But anyway I was wo-“
“1230?” The man at the coat check takes my ticket and interrupts Jack. His pink cheeks makes me want to tease him but his nervous tic of running his fingers through his hair feels like he’s teasing me.
After I get the coat and fold it in my arms, Jack almost trips over his words asking: “I was wondering if you’re busy tonight?”
I raise my eyebrow but my eyes fall on his lips. I can’t help my gaze as it travels over his toned arms and lower.
“As busy as you’ll be,” I say without thinking. Jack glances at me with a shocked expression he covers with a smile and I internally cringe. My big mouth is the reason I got into any messes and somehow I still hadn’t learned my lesson! “Sorry I-“
“I have a feeling I’ll be really busy,” Jack finally takes the step towards me so we’re only inches apart. He’s so close I can see the depth in his eyes as they search mine. We were on the same page, it seemed. His hand comes around to my back and I feel electric again. Except this time, Jack doesn’t let go. “My car’s outside. I just need to tell my team I’m going home.”
“Sure,” I say. The word home sparking a warm feeling in my stomach. He leads me outside, his hand still on my back and leads me to the car. I lean against it as he fumbles to find his keys.
“That was quite a show you put on on the dance floor,” Jack says, glancing at me.
“I’m known to put on shows-I love drama if you haven’t heard.” I say bitterly. I couldn’t help it, after dealing with the world’s negativity recently, it had somehow seeped into me.
“Hey,” Jack stops what he’s doing and lays his hand on my shoulder. “Stop-stop doing that. Putting yourself down-I think the internet’s doing that plenty.”
I can’t respond to him for a moment because I’m shocked at him for calling me out. For caring enough to say something all my friends were afraid of saying.
And again, I’m at a loss for words when he slides his hand up my neck and cups my face, leaning down to kiss me. Luckily, I remember to close my eyes and as soon as his lips touch mine, the warmth in my stomach flows through me. I go to pull him closer but his phone vibrates between us.
“Wait. Sorry I should-,” Jack pulls away and picks it up. His team was asking where he was. When he’s done he turns back to me. “I should probably open the car doors now?”
I laugh, we’d done a good job at getting distracted.
The drive home is filled with the radio and I feel Jack’s gaze on me but I feel too nervous to meet his eye in the small space. I could feel the electricity between us-we obviously wanted each other but I couldn’t figure out if I was just another Maynard girl and Jack was sweet to get his girls in bed. Or. If I was seeing a rare side of Jack.
All doubts escape me, however, once we reach his flat. As soon as the door’s closed behind us we’re leaving a trail of clothing leading to his bedroom, putting all that electricity and eye contact to work. And afterwards, I’m surprised when Jack wants to cuddle and lets me lay my head on his chest.
“I was serious about what I said earlier.” Jack mumbles into my hair after a while. “You’re really special Y/N, don’t let all the bullshit get to you like this.”
I don’t respond, letting the words soak into me instead. Our conversation feels intimate even though we talk about general stuff and then more specifically about us. The scandals we faced, how hard it was, our families, having our whole lives public. It’s morning by the time we’re done and Jack keeps stroking my face which leads to getting in between the sheets once more. By the time our “night’s” over, it’s 8am and I tell him I should go.
“It really was a busy night,” Jack says as I put on my clothes. I laugh and he swipes my phone as I reach for it on the bedside table. “I’ll give you my number in case you have another night to be busy on. Or maybe we can grab dinner or something?” He looks at me with those clear blue eyes. “I really like you Y/N.”
“Are you trying to get me back in bed?” I play off the intense moment; Jack saying that made me nervous. I knew he was a player-was this a line he threw out or was he being serious?
“You and Jack?” Greta asks on the phone later that day. “Are you kidding Y/N? That man is not what you need right now!”
“What do you mean?” I ask. I’d come home and taken a shower, made a cup of coffee, and called Greta right away. “He was really sweet.”
“After everything you’ve just been through? That man’s just going to add more drama in your life. You’ll be known as his girlfriend! Imagine how much publicity you’ll have to deal with! All the girls he’s been with probably think those baby blues are sweet.”
I chew on my lip. Of course she was right. “You’re right. But what do I do?”
“Nothing!” Greta shouts. “He gave you his number. The ball’s in your court. And you do absolutely nothing babe.”
And so I do nothing but my brain can’t seem to comply. Jack is on my mind without even trying, the way he felt and the way his words fell intimate on my heart. And I’m unsure. A couple weeks later I have a message from him online asking if he’d upset me. I ignore it until he messages me again, asking if I was alright and if I wanted to hang out. I blow him off, telling him I’m busy but I pull up the message throughout the day, wanting to ask him if he was worth it? If he was worth the risk of exposing myself all over again.
I could just imagine all the headlines criticizing me, all the fans saying I wasn’t worthy. Maybe Jack said what he said to all the girls he spent the night with, I decide, and try to force it out of my head.
Fate, or the universe-whatever it was must have pulled our strings taut because I don’t expect to bump into him at a club I always visit yet almost a month after our night together, I spot him there. When he spots me, his eyes bore into mine before he walks my way.
“Hey,” he says in my ear.
“Hi,” I swallow the hot guilt and it burns going down. “How’ve you been?”
Jack looks at me, confusion flicking across his features. “Is that-is that what you want to know?”
“I…” I didn’t. I wanted to reach up and hold his face, bury my own into it. I wanted to ask him if he meant what he said, if the sadness I felt the last couple weeks was the love I was denying myself of.
“I didn’t realise you only went home with me for the one night.” Jack says, his jaw clenched as he glances around before leaning down to say. “Didn’t realise your words to me were empty. That it was just another night for you.”
“That’s not it-“ I try to say.
“You don’t owe me an explanation,” Jack says close to my ear. “I guess I just read you wrong.”
He turns to leave and I panic, grabbing his sleeve. He freezes and I tug on his arm to get him to turn.
“Did you mean everything you said that night?” I ask once he’s close enough. Greta’s warning passes over me, but I didn’t care. I remain open to Jack, letting him see the doubt and the caution. But also, how hard it’d been to stay away all this time. His eyes search mine and slowly, his hands wrap around my waist. I keep my arms to the side, waiting for his response.
“Of course,” his voice rumbles.
“You really meant it? It’s not something you just…said?”
“So read me now,” I let my protective armor slide off and show him everything, ask him to try again with me. His eyes soften and I see him too, all of him.
I didn’t know if there would be a storm coming for me again, or if Jack would be my calm after the storm. But when his lips meet mine, I find an answer-one that settles the rapids and leaves no doubt in my heart.
