HAVE YOU HEARD THE STORY OF THE SUN AND THE MOON?

GET BUSY LIVING OR GET BUSY DYING. Don't depress me by making me introduce myself. Jackson Collins.19. Bibliophile

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney​:

laney blinked at him in an unamused way when he replied to her question– whether he wanted to go to her brother’s impromptu beach afterparty–with a sentence that did not at all answer her question. he was always doing that, only giving her hints of himself when she was least expecting it and never when she asked for it. theoretically, she’d love to get out from other everyone’s gaze and surround herself with people who are too drunk or high or in love with themselves to care much about her. but for the most part, she really wanted to be with jackson more. and if jackson couldn’t be himself around her brother’s rich friends the same way laney couldn’t be herself surrounded by her parents’ friends, then that didn’t count. either way, he made no indication of his true feelings other than the way he pointedly did not touch her even as they sidestepped huddles of people. laney wondered what had spawned that reaction–cody? the old lady? laney herself?–but tried to give him room as they filed into her bedroom. obviously, he was too smart not to have noticed anything amiss, but just what all was he able to read between the lines? enclosed into her bedroom, which was dark and slightly messy as a result of the rushed preparations earlier that day, laney immediately sighed with relief at both the sudden privacy and the removal of her heels, which were lazily nudged aside. 

jackson started talking but not about really anything in particular, and laney narrowed her eyes at him in confusion until she realized he was trying to avoid his feelings just as much as she was. she smiled cynically to herself when he remarked that he hated the sea at night, because it was the only sea that laney had ever known. “if a bikini counts as ‘not much else’, then that’s exactly what you’re going to get,” she reassured him, peering at him for a moment as her sluggish brain tried to figure out her next move. he was flirting with her but not touching her while agreeing to be her date to yet another party, on the beach beside the ocean he didn’t swim in. laney took a step towards him, mostly just to make sure he wouldn’t automatically take a step back in his sudden awkwardness, then turned her back to him in an invitation to unzip her dress, pulling her hair to one shoulder so he could do so, which was arguably not a romantic or sexual gesture when she just needed to change. she sighed as the material loosened around her waist, a little annoyed that one party was enough to make her second-guess what jackson was thinking or second-guess the implication of each comment or action or lack thereof. laney took that as an opportunity to put some space between them and walked to her closet to change, tugging the delicate dress straps from her shoulders along the way. she took her time wrestling the dress back into its garment bag and freeing herself of all of her accessories, dropping each piece of jewelry into their respective jewelry boxes with a light thunk.

she took her time selecting a bikini, not because she was thinking about which one to choose or because she had so many, but because it took her a few moments to get her thoughts straight again. jackson was too smart to not notice laney’s secret-keeping for too long, and laney had always known that. she just never expected so care as much what he thought of her, if he trusted her, if he saw more than what others saw. she tied on a red gingham bikini that had a vintage cut and wouldn’t clash horribly with her hair and makeup and then pulled on some high-waisted white shorts over the bottoms. she tugged a few beach towels and a beach blanket from a shelf in her closet instead and tossed them at jackson to get his attention when she went back into her bedroom. there were a couple of joints on her desk, pre-rolled just in case of an occasion just like the one before them, and she pushed them down into her back pocket and just in case, began to carefully roll yet another, her eyes occasionally glancing through her window facing his, between which liam and sabrina and company were carrying a keg, someone already blasting hip hop music from a bluetooth speaker loud enough that it reached even laney’s ears. “i know you know this,” she began, turning her head towards him and sitting up straighter, afraid her hair would disturb her rolling, “but you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” she reminded him. if she were him, she wouldn’t want to go. “at least not when it comes to me.” it was a gentle prompting for him to explain where his mind was at, if he really wanted to go to the beach with her and other people they probably both hated, or if he really wanted to touch her or not, if he was as frustrated at her inability to be totally truthful with him as she was. guessing a bit at where his head was, she put the third joint in her pocket and added, “i couldn’t care less what other people think, jackson.”

“I do like getting what I want,” he smiled at her words and watched as she stepped towards him, his eyes taking in the lines of her body easily. Without her heels she was noticeably shorter and her height difference to his was far cuter than it had any reason to be. The mess inside of his mind dissipated slightly as she turned her back to him, pulling her hair to the side and exposing more tempting skin for him. As he unzipped the material he gave into himself just a small amount, the backs of his knuckles grazing against her skin but he easily stepped back so she had the space to change. Having her so easily play with his emotions was frustrating, especially when she clearly wasn’t even trying to, and he forcibly ignored the bubbling in his stomach that told him how much he wanted this intimacy more often. He wanted to honestly care for her and be alone with her and have it mean more than casual hang-outs and hook-ups. But Laney had made it clear more than once that it was pure and simple fun for her, for both of them, and as much as he wanted to bring up what the woman had said to them he knew realistically he shouldn’t. Because having Laney as a friend was the best thing to come from the situation and he wasn’t about to put that on the line because he couldn’t control his ridiculous infatuation with the mysterious girl. 

Loosening the tie around his neck and taking his jacket off, Jackson relaxed into the familiar room and glanced around in amusement at the mess. There were so many elements to Laney that, honestly, he couldn’t be blamed for how he was feeling and even though he knew it wasn’t quite love like the lady had earlier suggested it was definitely building to something. Before he could talk himself out of staying and quickly leave the room, Laney wandered back in and threw several towels at him. The flex of her body was enough to distract him for a moment and he smiled knowingly at her actions, amused at how she could be so predictable sometimes and yet a complete mystery at other times. At her words he let out a little laugh; he knew he didn’t have to do something he didn’t want to but there was just something about her that had him acting so out of character he barely even knew himself. But after being faced with the people that Laney usually surrounded himself with Jackson found himself almost needing to prove something. He didn’t have a yacht to whisk her away, or money to take her on spontaneous trips, and there wasn’t a chance in Hell he could afford to throw lavish parties or take her to expensive restaurants and so if he could give her a party on a beach with people she generally spent time with then he was going to do it. He knew why he wanted to give her those things too but he was sure she wasn’t willing to hear that. 

He took a few seconds to weigh up his options on how to reply and watched her as she rolled her joints. “I know you don’t care,” he reassured her with a nod, almost surprising himself with his voice after being quiet for so long and he reached across to place his hand on her thigh. “Just figured you would get bored if it was just me and you, you know? Plus you were going at that bottle before so I thought you’d just want to party properly with your friends and you are dressed for it now.” The implication that he didn’t want her to get bored of him evident even if he didn’t say it out loud. Having her next to him in just a bikini top and those shorts was enough to drive him crazy and he smiled at her before moving his hands to her hips, encouraging her until she moved so she was straddling across his lap comfortably. One hand rested on her lower back and Jackson knew he could write forever and still be unable to explain how much better he felt touching her after telling himself he wouldn’t. His other hand moved to her pocket and pulled out one of the joints, holding it between them with a faux-thoughtful look. “So we can have this and chill for a bit here before we go and then we get the best of both worlds. Because as cool as your family are I’ve wanted you alone like this most of the night and I don’t want to share you just yet.” The urge wasn’t quite as overwhelming as it was when he saw another guys arm around Laney’s shoulders but he wasn’t lying either; if given the choice he’d choose spending time with Laney over most other things any day. 

Placing the unlit joint between her parted lips with a small laugh Jackson pressed several kisses against her the bare expanse of her chest in front of him in quick succession as he waited for her to light it. It was a lot easier to be himself when he didn’t feel eyes on him and he wondered for a brief moment if she felt the same, despite claims she didn’t care what people said. Hoping she was just drunk enough to forget his next words, he continued. “I’m serious by the way. it’s been difficult to not touch you with all those guys around, you know? Like I’m not usually a jealous guy but ain’t gonna pretend like I didn’t totally think about taking you right there so they’d get the message.” With a smile on his face to try and hide how serious he was, he leaned back to look at her. “Next party you have to look less hot. Deal?” 

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney​: 

they’d grabbed the corner seats at the bar to eat, the bar stools swiveling enough to allow laney to bump her satin-covered knees alongside his playfully as she picked at her food. it was one of the few places you could sit down and eat properly, which most of the other guests weren’t particularly concerned with at the moment. the hired bartender behind the bar was much too busy filling orders from the busy party guests for anyone nearby to really be thinking too much about the couple or eavesdropping on their conversation, but laney glanced around suspiciously as jackson openly observed that eyes had been on them all night and avoided reacting by pushing a forkful of buttered lobster meat into her mouth. laney knew she’d sound marvelously egomaniacal if she’d said so out loud, but she hadn’t really noticed being watched anymore than normal, but that was probably because people watched her everywhere she went. here, eyes followed her because she was a pretty girl and because she was a bitch and because she had a rare disease and because she was incredibly good at getting around in a small town. the addition of jackson, another pretty person she was inevitably getting around with, was just icing on the cake. her gaze followed his to the couple currently being separated, and the longing on his face was so obvious to laney that it almost felt like a personal insult, like here’s what he wants and here’s exactly what you can never give him. the feeling that curled in her stomach was not good and she stopped eating, taking time to sip at what remained of her champagne even though it wasn’t going to make her feel any better. the only thing that would was exactly what he proposed: sneaking away where they would only be jackson and laney, and not constantly reminded of the real world encompassing them. sabrina and liam began making out and laney’s unsettled expression became more pronounced as jackson looked at her again, talking about going to the wedding. the wedding, which would probably be over a year away. laney didn’t even know if she’d be at the wedding and jackson was hoping he’d be there, too. as her date? as a guest? they should get used to me, he said. he was being smooth about it, but he was fully confirming out loud what laney already knew from his kisses. he was falling for her, falling for her hard and fully enough that he expected to be with her for a long time. half of her reaction was familiar, the same uncomfortable panic that accompanied knowing you would have to disappoint someone soon. the other half was new, a choking feeling of loss that accompanied knowing that you were also disappointing yourself in the process. 

unfortunately–or maybe fortunately, because if laney had opened her mouth too soon, she thought all that would come out is a scream–a tipsy guest took it upon themselves to begin to stare at the couple at the moment. she was an older lady, hair artfully died a pinkish red and adorned in multicolored scarves and jewelry that look like it’d been crafted by children. a local art teacher or theatre director her mom had befriended, if laney had to guess. the lady realized that laney was staring back with an alarmed expression and stepped forward to stutteringly apologize, “look at you two. if i didn’t know any better, i’d think you were the ones getting engaged!” if only because she knew it was the expected response, laney gasped out a laugh and smiled brightly, mumbling about how funny that was of her to say until she trailed off around the rim of her champagne glass. the others at the bar let out good-natured chuckles in agreement, mumbling about young people in love, but a few who knew laney or her parents well enough to realize the comment could be quite awkward for laney to hear gave sympathetic looks, one of her dad’s employees leading the woman towards the food helpfully. laney typically viewed drugs and alcohol as just something extra, something to make parties more fun or dancing feel less silly or music sound better, but in that moment, she really needed something to take her mind elsewhere because she simply could not be the cool and collected laney o’neil she needed everyone to think she was all of the time. quite rudely, she slipped out of her seat and got onto the tiptoes of her heels to pluck a bottle of liquor from behind the bar, giving the bartender a look that dared him to protest against the girl whose last name was on the liquor label and his paycheck. 

“why are the old people drunker than us?” she muttered to jackson before tipping it back. it burned all of the way down. she didn’t even know what it was, she never did. her dad made far better alcohol than she bothered buying to get drunk at a party with. probably whiskey. the resulting low groan she made at the taste was drowned out by the sudden descent of liam and his friends upon the bar, sabrina and her friends fluttering behind in their tricky heels. most of liam’s friends began to call out drink orders but liam and cody–god, cody– spotted laney and jackson and stood beside them, cody throwing an arm over laney’s shoulder casually as liam began to explain that they (they being everyone under thirty at the party) were moving the party to the beach soon. laney shrugged off his shoulder roughly for many reasons, including that she was obviously there with a date and she was upset and a little drunk and she didn’t want to give cody any ideas and she was always slightly self-conscious about her freckled shoulders, which her dress left mostly bare. thankfully cody got the message and didn’t move any closer, though he did unhelpfully steal her recently-stolen liquor bottle. “so, uh, grab your suits or whatever and come down to the bonfire whenever you get bored here, okay?” liam finished, rubbing at his bottom lip where red lipstick smudges remained. “okay,” laney agreed reluctantly, dragging the last vowel out, because liam wouldn’t have personally come over and invited them if he didn’t really want them there. they were left nearly alone again, liam’s friends only remaining to nab their drinks and retreat to wherever they stashed their swimsuits and laney lifted herself back into her seat, her eyes on jackson as she wondered how much he was able to read between the lines of everything that’d just happened. “we don’t have to if you don’t want to,” she allowed, forcing herself to eat a few more bites so her sudden lack of an appetite didn’t look so obvious. 

There was a look that Laney got sometimes when Jackson spoke that he couldn’t quite figure out. He didn’t know where to place it if he even wanted to, but it was becoming a familiar sight and though he knew she told him that sometimes she got inside of her own head and it wasn’t anything to do with him, the look only ever seemed to come out around him. Part of him knew that he was probably asking too much to see inside of her mind so instead he took a long sip of his drink, pushing some food around his plate, It was clear she wanted a subject change and he wondered if it was his presumptuous wording that had caused it or if she was just completely over the talk of her brothers wedding. Too busy wondering if he could move the conversation in another direction, Jackson almost didn’t notice the woman who seemed to be wearing the entirety of colour for everyone at the party. He hid his laughter at the look on Laney’s face but turned to her anyway politely. Her comment struck something in him and he raised his eyebrows, unsure how she’d gotten to that conclusion but realising he didn’t exactly dislike the idea of being seen like that. Laney’s reaction spoke volumes about how she viewed them though and he nodded to himself quickly, smiling at those nearest to him with a good-natured eye-roll. “She should be so lucky,” he joked to the woman next to him and the glazed look in her eye let him know his joke wasn’t quite that funny despite her laughter. As Laney got out of her seat, Jackson let his elbow rest on the table and his fingers played with his lower lip in an attempt to really hold back anything else he wanted to say. For once he couldn’t find it in him to disagree with her decision to grab something slightly stronger and laughed at her sentence, completely in agreement.

“They got here earlier. Better head start on the drinking but I don’t doubt you’ll catch up easily,” he theorised, watching her take back the alcohol. As much as he wanted to join her he could tell there was something lurking beneath for her and he simply let her be, vowing to stay mostly sober so that he could make sure she wouldn’t do something completely ridiculous or chaotic. Before he could suggest anything else there was some guy, some rich looking douche, throwing his arm around Laney and Jackson didn’t even need to ask who he was. Judging by his stance, his comfortable way with Laney, the way he drank from the bottle that her lips had just been touching, he was definitely one of the guys Laney had on call if Jackson had said no to tonight. His first guess was Cody--the guy with the yacht and the ability to be right there at Laney’s wishes--and he took him in quickly. In a fight he was sure he could probably take him but everything else told Jackson that he was just a male version of the girl he was sitting next to. And that irked him more than anything. That maybe this guy was so comfortable with Laney because he understood her world a hell of a lot more than Jackson did, or ever would. He hadn’t even realised how rude he was appearing--quiet, tense, his eyes on everything but the group--until Laney spoke and he felt the muscles in his arm and jaw relax. When he looked at her again, quickly throwing a smile on his face, he couldn’t help but see the guys hand on her shoulder and the worst part was he wasn’t even allowed to feel like that. Laney and Jackson weren’t even anything, he was pretty sure they weren’t even something, and even though the bubbling in his stomach that shot burning jealousy through his body told him otherwise--he ignored it. She shrugged him off, he told himself. That meant something.

Jackson wasn’t about to ask if she wanted to go because of the guy that had just been so fucking comfortable around her because he wasn’t an idiot, and he wasn’t possessive, so he shrugged at her words and tried to stop thinking about how much more that guy would have touched Laney had Jackson not attended the party. “He’s your brother and it is his party. He probably wants you there,” he reminded her diplomatically though he was sure she’d want to go; there would be alcohol and zero supervision and she could let loose, far more than she was able to at a party her parents were hosting. “But I am going to keep you for a little bit longer before we go, if that’s cool? I did promise to sneak you away and I’ll need to get changed though because this suit is gonna have to last me years, you know?” With a soft smile he tugged Laney from her seat and nodded towards the house, indicating she should change too and using it as an excuse to get her alone for a while longer. As soon as she stood Jackson put his hands into his pockets, far too conscious now that people were definitely looking at them and forming ideas, and not wanting to feed into that by holding her hand or gaining that attention. Laney’s house was familiar as they made their way to her bedroom but it just made it more clear how different her life was to his and he attempted to chase the thoughts away. “Just as a disclaimer though, if you get wasted you’re not allowed to try and drag me into the water. I hate the sea at night so you’re gonna have to find someone else for that.” Not touching her was weird, he was so used to having his hands on her that it felt alien to have her there and not under his touch, and he played with the keys in his pocket. While Laney went kind of quiet when she had too many thoughts; Jackson rambled and he found himself unable to really stop. It was easier than listening to his racing mind about relationships and money and the different pages they were very clearly on.. “And as much as I like you in that dress I’m not totally against you modelling something different to wear, you know? I’m thinking shorts and not much else.” If he could keep it flirtatious then maybe, hopefully, whatever mood she had found herself in would be lifted.

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney​:

it was true that jackson wasn’t the type of guy laney usually spent her time on, but maybe the fact that he was so different was precisely why she liked him so much. when he placed his hand on her back, she knew that it was because he wanted to touch her and not because he thought it would make him look more important or something. laney whole-heartedly agreed that a real housewives of cannon beach style party would indeed be a lot more interesting than this boozy engagement-and-networking hybrid of a party was, but only laughed lightly at the thought and insisted, “well my mom almost did throwdown with the caterer when they told her they had forgotten vegan substitutes earlier.” she glanced at the table nearby, vegan substitutes hastily shoehorned into the crowded buffet table. “but guests aren’t supposed to see any of that. ruins the perfect family image.” her tone wasn’t as bitter as the words, mostly because her family was kind of perfect. any part of it that wasn’t perfect was kind of, well, her. laney’s laughter hitched in volume as he offered himself up to be her target later, and added, “don’t tempt me.” her laughter might’ve caught the attention to some ears, because she glanced up to see a gaggle of her wealthy peers shooting occasional glances over at her and jackson and then to each other. apparently laney’s choice of date was interesting enough to be party conversation. she raised her glass minimally in the subtlest of cheers and sipped at it, withdrawing it from her lips safely as jackson re-oriented her. the brunette pouted just barely at the mention of making her dance, which was only really as lame as it was because the only music was coming from the polite pianist covering romantic pop songs. still, she downed it and placed it aside to free her hands in surrender, letting him nudge her into the swaying bodies on what was becoming a dance floor. 

“sunrise yoga,” she reminded him once she’d gotten over the cocktail’s aftertaste. it was becoming a very convenient excuse, she realized, the perfect way to explain being home before the sun came up without actually explaining the danger of the sun. he guided them into proper dancing posture, her hands raising to curl around his neck, but she was surprised that he quickly closed the distance between them for a quick kiss. some warmth flooded into her cheeks and she leaned back a bit too far a bit too quickly, her habit of secret-keeping and acting-on-impulse making her afraid of so many eyes on her. how many times could he kiss her in front of others until one of sabrina’s friends sidled over and insinuated that she was a slut or one of her dad’s friends called him her boyfriend? but as that rush of fear washed over her, it was quickly followed by the realization that even that short kiss had warmed her head-to-toe, and the last thing she wanted to do was make him think he’d done something wrong. relaxing in his arms once more, she glanced down to their swaying feet and laughed again, more sincere this time. “absolutely not,” she answered, her hand cupping the back of his neck gently. “they wouldn’t dare trust me with something like that,” she laughed, and stretched up on her toes to kiss him again, this time for a bit more longer and a bit more deeply before settling once more against his body, her fingers scratching just slightly into the hair above his neck. as the song began to draw to a close and her arms were tired of stretching the distance of their heights, she drew closer and let her cheek rest of his shoulder, her arms wrapping around him waist under his suit jacket. it smelled like the inside of the boutique it’d come from and like jackson already somehow. then, as predicted, there were the toasts. 

the engaged couple were brought to the front, sabrina all platinum blonde and deeply tanned and striking in red and her brother looking like a slightly happier slightly more sure version of himself. despite herself, laney did actually like sabrina, but only when separated from her flock of fellow tennis-playing rich girls. still, she’d never told anyone laney’s secret, so at least there was that. though laney was indeed not making any toasts, laney knew she was expected to at least be near them as part of the family and tugged jackson over as they began. the toasts were every bit as sentimental and grandiose as laney had expected, but also thankfully swift, and after hearing both of the couple’s parents and already-selected best man and maid of honor go on about the joys of growing up and becoming independent and having someone to hold onto the entire way for about ten minutes–laney actually began to feel the beginnings of a hard lump in her throat. if asked, she would’ve said it was entirely because she was emotional for her brother. and while that contributed, it also came from a more envious place; she would never know the things that all of these other people knew and celebrated. she shrunk away from her family and into jackson’s side fractionally as the couple began to pose for pictures, sabrina flashing the ring helpfully for the photographers. laney’s mom appeared and laney wrestled a smile onto her face, but laney’s mom had spent too many years being laney’s mom to be fooled and pressed her cool hands along laney’s face soothingly and explained deftly that she wanted a photo of the whole family with the couple, jackson, too, chasing away laney’s emotions expertly. though her mother did shoot her a pointed look behind jackson’s back that so very clearly urged her to tell him. that plus the flash of the bulbs and the rush of alcohol to her head from all of the toasts was a bit unsteadying, and she was glad for the food being served. to go along with the classic hollywood theme, it was a bunch of american classics. mostly fresh seafood and fancy types of bread and vegetables, mixed and marinated, and desserts like red velvet cake and petit fours and bon bons. and as always, an artful list of cocktails mixed with o’neil liquor. laney filled her plate properly, small portions of what she liked, and then very improperly filled the rest of the space with a slab of red velvet cake. “judge all you want,” she tittered to jackson before even meeting his gaze. “i know what i like.” she also hadn’t eaten since that morning due to all of her pampering, but she didn’t expect a guy to understand that.

His eyes brightened with amusement at her telling him not to tempt her into starting drama. Jackson knew that all she’d have to do was show how bored she was, or how over it, or simply bemoan the fact they had to be there and he’d give in and fall into whatever idea came into her mind. “I would pay money to see your mom fighting over vegan food,” he told her, not even to annoy her about how much he liked her mom. Mostly because it really would be funny to see. Her laughter was a complete win for him though, either way, and he hid his proud smile behind his glass as he took a sip. His face pulled a little into a grimace but it was free and there was no way he was going to throw away alcohol, even if the elite had absolutely no taste and the cheap beer he’d had at parties seemed more palatable. Ignoring the taste his eyes remained on Laney as she curiously glanced at those around him and then gave into his demands to dance. She knew he didn’t dance, was fully aware of it, but the excuse to have his body against hers in an appropriate way was far too temping and he bit back his sigh as her hands moved around his neck. His kiss didn’t go unwanted, it seemed, and he tilted his head to the side gently as he laughed. “I don’t know why. I like listening to you speak,” he shrugged honestly, the rhythm they found themselves in relaxing him from his previous worries about attending the party with her. “Besides I won’t even know the cues for Sabrina’s mom’s crying moments, you know? With you at least I have a chance of enjoying the speech.”

Each time she kissed him he felt something new and it wasn’t any different when they were surrounded by the richest people he’d ever seen. He worked hard to push any thought that this was a date out of his head but it was hard to do when she relaxed against him and brushed her fingers over his skin and how she reluctantly pulled away from him when the toasts began. It wasn’t hidden that Jackson enjoyed love and falling in love, even if he didn’t always outwardly show it, and he found himself smiling during the speeches. He’d yet to find the sort of person who would make him stand in front of friends and family and strangers and pour his heart out but he wasn’t ignorant to the fact he eventually would find that person. He also wasn’t dumb to the knowledge that he was hoping that person would be Laney; she’d made him feel more in the short time he’d known her than he was used to and to pretend she didn’t would be a simple lie. As he glanced at her he saw her face, emotional and sweet, and he wondered if she knew how she looked in that moment. Photo’s were taken and Jackson was ready to step aside but found himself dragged into a few, his smile a little more reluctant than when he was alone with Laney, and he wondered if everything was this ridiculous and scripted when you had money. But still, he found himself talking to her dad and thanking her mom and it was almost stupid how easy it was to talk to the O’Neil’s given how much he liked their daughter. They were definitely getting some looks and while Jackson followed Laney to the food, he also watched as people glanced at him and then Laney and then away. 

“Trust me, I know exactly what you like,” he flirted quietly with a small laugh. His own plate was filled with food but he decided to leave the dessert until later unlike her. Still it made him smile how she was so elegantly dressed, and so breathtakingly pretty, but how her plate resembled that of a toddler when given the opportunity to eat whatever they felt like. It was easy to find somewhere to sit and eat; most other guests were happily stood around, drinks in hand, talking about businesses and other parties and people Jackson didn’t know existed. There was definitely a different dynamic than he was used to at his family parties but the basics stayed the same; parents went around making sure everyone had a good time, the younger crowd separated from the adults, people pretending they weren’t talking about other people as soon as backs turned. “You know people have been looking at us all night. Not sure if I should be worried or not but I’ll be pissed if I have to fight someone when I look this good. Even if it would give them something to watch,” he teased, picking at the food on his plate happily, eyes almost rolling back at how good it tasted and he made a note to grab more. Jackson was mostly sure the looks were coming from people because of how Laney looked but also because of his newcomer status, though he wasn’t ignorant to the lingering stares at her legs or her back on display. His eyes wandered around the room, stopping on Sabrina and Liam, taking in how happy they looked, and he softened slightly at the image. “I mean I’m planning on sneaking you away as soon as your mom stops looking at us but still they should get used to me, you know? If the food is gonna be this good and you’re gonna look like that I’m inviting myself to the wedding.” 

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney​:

laney was pretty sure the last time she’d had a moment of peace was the night before, nestled in jackson’s bed. ever since she’d slipped back to her house half an hour before sunrise, she’d been subjected to party preparations and instructions to keep the dog from getting underfoot and to stay away from the doors, as they were constantly opening and closing as caterers and assistants and friends came in and out with decorations and food and liquor. and once everything was neatly draped and hung and centered, laney and her mom and liam’s girlfriend–well, fiancee–were spray-tanned and manicured and expertly-styled and made up and could easily pass for vintage hollywood actresses by the time they parted to dress. laney intentionally took her time, discouraged by the chatter of early arrivals, sabrina’s family gushing over her marilyn monroe-esque red dress and employees from the distillery coaxing pre-party drinks out of her parents. she meandered behind her closed bedroom door in her underwear as long as she could stand, peering just slightly around the curtains of her window to see if she could glimpse jackson getting ready too, but afraid of actually seeing him looking back and knowing he made her more nervous than she’d ever let on. 

she finally dressed as the party-goers’ conversation was drowned out by the tinklings of the pianist on their baby grand, and spent a few extra moments admiring the smoothness of the satin before she added some vintage drop earrings and a diamond bracelet she’d gotten when she turned eighteen and then barely ever worn again, on account of never going anywhere that such a bracelet wouldn’t be endangered. her hair was in victory waves, her brows made sharper, cheeks artificially-peach, and lips lined just so to accentuate the cupid’s bow of her lips. compared to sabrina’s approachable attention-grabbing get-up and her mother’s classic look, laney would appear exactly as dark and severe as she’d need. which was good, because she’d exited her bedroom in the same moment a swarm of liam’s friends entered from the balcony, all the same tanned too-rich-to-care-about-college types, hair slicked back to go with the theme and cheering too loudly for an upscale engagement party. most of which she’d at least kissed if not at most entertained a months-long fling with. she was absorbed into side conversations here and there, her parents’ employees thinking that being nice to her was gonna get them further ahead and extended family who knew she had a disease and look at her too pitifully for her liking. her brother, already formidably intoxicated, pulled her all the way downstairs to his bedroom because the bowtie she’d bought him was apparently too bright to match sabrina’s dress and “girls understand colors better”. after she’d located a darker red bowtie in his closet and tied it for him, he passed her his mint julep as thanks, which she downed and handed back.  

as soon as she had a moment to herself, she went searching for ziggy. her parents thought it most polite to keep the dog locked away during any social events and laney thought it was cruel, especially since all he ever wanted was just to make friends, and had a habit of releasing him mid-party when her parents wouldn’t care enough to put him back. thankfully he was not locked away in the laundry room, but allowed to stay on the balcony right outside the party, alternating between sniffing each new guest with interest and curling up on a chaise to chew on his new pork-chop bone courtesy of the catering. a nice attempt to meet laney’s pleas halfway, laney begrudgingly thought. she scratched behind his ears delicately and tied her brother’s discarded bowtie around his neck so he’d fit in with the guests until his attention was caught by a newcomer. laney stood to see it was jackson, starkly handsome and matching her emerald dress and looking way more like a movie star than any aspiring writer from oregon had a right to. her probing gaze was shortly interrupted by some of her mother’s artist friends entering behind jackson and she stepped aside to say, “don’t worry, you’re not late. everyone gets here early to get the really expensive booze before it runs out.” 

voices sounded from the side of the house, girls her age heel-clicking around the house to the balcony, sabrina’s friends. once they’d spotted laney and jackson huddled on the moonlit balcony in their matching ensembles in a rather romantic-looking tableaux, they slowed and quieted, tittering and shushing each other in a way that made laney think that what they were saying would not make her happy to hear. “let’s go,” she said with a slight roll of her eyes, taking his arm in a very theme-appropriate way and tugging him into the party. her parents, looking for her, cornered them and did lots of hand-shaking and complimenting and thanking that was only so formal because they were surrounded by people listening in and liam gave jackson a typical drive-by clap on the back and thanked him for showing up, as if jackson was there for him and not laney. determined to have a few moments with him unbothered before people started dancing and making toasts and getting misty-eyed, laney lead them between a long buffet table with carefully-labeled food and the pianist and sighed heavily. “you look nice, by the way.” it sounded lackluster after the exaggerated praise he’d just been given, but to say much more would make her self-conscious. even though she technically wasn’t supposed to, she plucked two highballs from a passing caterwaiter for them and relaxed gradually as she handed his over, her fingers not shy about brushing his. “i like parties, but these types of things stress me out. it’s too structured. i’m pretty sure sabrina’s mom was in the guest bathroom earlier practicing her toast, crying on cue and everything.”

Waking earlier that day, Jackson had been disappointed to find that Laney had already left. His hand had moved across the sheets to find them cool to the touch and through the fog in his mind he wondered, briefly, just when she had left. While he had been hoping to wake up to a smiling girl, he settled on the thought that today was an important day for the O’Neil’s and that Laney had obviously been asked to go home early. Not one for assuming he didn’t look for some kind of note but he did glance out of his window towards the O’Neil house to see if he could catch a glimpse of her. There was no real clues to where she was but he did see constant movement and his eyes cast over to his suit already sure that even the things being carted into the house were more expensive than anything he could fathom. Rather than dwell, and possibly talk himself out of going, Jackson quickly replied positively to a message asking him to work a short shift until the early evening and showered. Of course his dad had sent him curious glances over breakfast but the topic of Laney stayed hidden, only a brief “that girl was nice” being the single acknowledgement that Jackson had brought someone home. Most would assume it was because Jackson was an adult who could invite whoever he wanted over; Jackson knew his dad wasn’t bringing it up because he probably didn’t remember much of Laney. Work dragged and Jackson split his time between deleting messages from Lauren, serving the few customers between dull moments and trying not to think too much about what Laney was doing or if she was complaining about having to help or what she was potentially wearing. It was ridiculous because daydreaming about girls wasn’t something Jackson entertained but he found himself doing it more often than not and he was also finding himself fighting it a lot less. He wasn’t sure what time he was supposed to arrive really but his eyes kept glancing at the clock anyway, like he was going to be late, and he smiled faintly at comments about having a “hot date” because while it was true--Laney was incredible--he wasn’t going to talk about it to anyone else. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” his boss, Kier, told him as he left and Jackson laughed but ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn’t need to impress Laney; she liked him and she told him so. But her parents, and the people attending, and her brother were a different kind of worry and even as he arrived home to clean himself and shave any stubble and change into his expensive suit he couldn’t stop thinking about them. Eventually, through no clear memory of his own, Jackson found himself walking up to the O’Neil house and any of his worries immediately dispersed at the sight of Laney in a dress so perfect for her and hiding out with her dog. His grin was wide, even as people entered behind him, and he nodded at her words. He inhaled deeply as she spoke, her perfume apparently calming him further, and he caught her as she looked over at the group of girls. Rich, pretty and perfectly presented as they were Jackson couldn’t really tell what they were saying, or why they were a source of attention, and he let Laney lead him away. 

If he’d been hoping for a moment with Laney he was wrong. Almost immediately he was talking to her parents and he charmingly brought up the candy he’d bought her mom and smiled happily at the positive reply, nudging Laney just enough to annoy her briefly and he kept the polite smile on his face. His congratulations were genuine as he greeted her brother and he held back any laughter he felt at the look on Laney’s face, almost like she was completely over the party already and ready to leave. “You look sensational,” he returned as they found themselves alone, taking the drink and letting his other hand rest on the small of her back as he glanced around the party. There were a few younger people in attendance and Jackson let himself wonder which one would have been Laney’s choice had he not said yes. He side-eyed her at the comment of Sabrina’s mom and when he realised she wasn’t joking he laughed, completely amused at the thought of it. “Too bad. I was kind of hoping that someone would be pushed in the pool or some other kind of argument you see on the TV about these kinds of parties. Real Houswives style, you know?” he told her, his fingernails teasing at the exposed skin gently. “Maybe later you can throw a drink in my face and watch them lose their minds as they go off script.” His smile gave him away that he was joking but he really didn’t want to put it past her that she would actually do something like that just to liven up the night. Noting that there were a few eyes on them, Jackson turned them slowly so she could focus on only him and maybe so he could keep an eye on those lingering glances towards Laney from some of the guys standing in a crowd. “And you’re going to owe me a dance, by the way. You left early this morning and I was kind of looking forward to waking up with you properly,” he tugged her body gently towards his and swayed slowly with her, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her lips just because. “Are you going to make a speech. I have to see that.”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney​:

laney said nothing when jackson offered to be her confidante, because to explain the conflicts of her life and the complexities of her emotions was to tell him everything and she was simply not willing to do that yet. if she ever would be. she didn’t tell anyone about her disease because it was simply none of their business, or because her daily interactions with them would be changed or ceased forever. teenage girls and drug addicts and past hook-ups generally didn’t hang out or party or sleep with girls who were one sunray away from dying. she would not tell jackson that she was one sunray away from dying because she never wanted him to realize that she was always half-hiding. and if he were really truly falling in love with her, to tell him that she had no future was to take away part of his, too. though jackson’s broad shoulders did most of the work of obscuring her view, she could tell that he was trying to hide parts of his life, too. either jackson’s dad was just as deep of a sleeper as he was or alcohol had eased him into a sleep deep enough to carry him through the sounds of the tv and their entrance and the discomfort of the chair. she didn’t think too much of it; her still-married and mostly-stable parents were the exception were helped along by immense wealth, a common workplace, and the existence of a diseased child. the brunette bit back any sound she made in response to his fondling, hands occupied and trying to stay politely quiet until they spilled into jackson’s room. 

if jackson’s room looked like the inside of jackson’s head, then jackson’s head was nearly entirely occupied by only things it needed to function and books. laney folded her newly-freed arms across her chest to peruse the spines to see if she recognized any, glancing over at him bemusedly as he quickly undressed and lounged on his bed as if she weren’t there. “if ice cream isn’t food, then what it is it?” she countered, only the tiniest bit miffed that he’d predicted her first argument before she could even voice it. “it’s not a drink.” she wandered over to his windowsill and plucked one of the books resting there, with a particularly pretty purple cover. she knew the old adage about books and their covers, but she didn’t know enough books to judge any of his any other way. she held the book unevenly so the pages fluttered this way and that giving off a paper-and-ink smell and glanced over at him without moving as he urged her to join him, because that was her way. “i’m plenty comfortable. you just want to see me in your shirt,” she accused, putting the book back in its place and picking up a familiar stuffed animal nearby instead. “or you just want me to stop looking at your bedroom.” it was the bigfoot she’d won him at the fair and she turned to wag it at him before also putting it back, taking her time. 

his bedroom window looked almost directly into hers. though her blackout curtains were nearly always drawn so she could sleep during the day, they still occasionally drifted open where they parted and sometimes she opened them when she felt particularly sun-starved. “you ever peeped into my bedroom?” she asked, her tone entirely curious and unoffended by the idea. out of things to entertain herself with without invading his privacy, she turned to his dresser and pulled out one of the shirts poking out of the drawer, black and soft cotton with a graphic on it that she didn’t understand. she undressed and dressed without thinking, unsuggestively and leaving her discarded tank top and shorts and shoes in a pile on his floor and noting how her spray tan had faded a bit on the back of her knees as his shirt fell towards them. she fumbled with her hair once more, pulling it from the neck of his shirt and gestured to the top of his dresser, toeing her way towards his bed as she spoke, “see, that looks like the perfect place for a fish tank. the fish would be like a night light.” laney should’ve thrown one leg over him and kissed him, started something that would’ve made her presence there feel less intimate and more strategic and give her a safe out by morning. but instead she folded herself into his side, cheek to his shoulder, one leg thrown over his, and breathed the scent of him deeply. laney pressed into jackson closely and then relaxed with a sigh, reaching behind her to nudge his phone out from under her so it was fully audible again. “i don’t care. whatever it takes to stay out of the party venue next door.” this was a lie, of course. returning to her house wouldn’t have been any real issue, nor would finding somewhere else yet to go. but pretending to only be there to avoid her family was another crafty way to hide. 

He made to tell her that ice-cream was dessert not food before realising that his argument was paper-thin, a pout forming in realisation. Unwilling to lose something so petty when bickering with Laney he shrugged, watching as she moved around his room. “It’s just a really thick milkshake,” he decided, before adding on. “Besides food needs to sustain you. Ice-cream is just tasty but it doesn’t make me any less hungry.” Generally when people messed with his things Jackson would find his way next to them, removing his items from their grasp and placing it back where it belonged. But with Laney he was surprisingly relaxed. She didn’t treat his belongings as just simple things, even if she didn’t appreciate them quite as much as he did, and his jaw tensed a little as she found the stupid toy she’d won at the fair. He wasn’t ashamed of having it, obviously, but giving Laney fuel for teasing him was an idiotic move and he smiled in relief as she placed it back without so much as another word. “Clearly I’m more than into the idea of you wearing my stuff. Don’t fish for compliments. Besides, you’re not going to find much in my room even if you wanted to. I really don’t spend that much time in here,” Jackson said quietly, focusing on how she fit just right into his personal space.

His attention lifted as she noticed that she was able to see towards her bedroom from his and he laughed out loud, genuine and unfiltered, at her comment. “No. Cause of your weird ass sleeping pattern you’re usually still asleep when I’m heading out to work but now I’m pretty sure you look over here. Sometimes I see your mom though,” he grinned at her but his thoughts were still on the idea of being able to see her from his room. The idiotic romantic inside of him enjoyed the thought, excited at the prospect of her being close enough to see, but he pushed that immediately away and reminded himself quickly of their situation. By the time he’d blinked back into his room she was undressing and he looked away, his fingers playing with the drawstring of his sweats. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to look but knowing that they weren’t going to have sex, watching her undress seemed kind of creepy and he was adamant that he could still be more of a friend than anything else if it came to be he was more into her than she was into him. Still that didn’t stop his unbridled attraction to her when she captured his attention with her soft voice again. “I’m going to start getting worried about your obsession with these fish,” Jackson noted but he liked how she planned out little things like that, completely amused by her. “Let’s be real though I’d probably end up forgetting to feed them and then you’ll be pissed I’ve killed your little glow in the dark friends.”

Feeling her body against him caused his muscles to relax slowly and he turned from her slightly, a smile curving on his lips in his attempt to hide in from her. Her words had him questioning why she wouldn’t want to be there but he ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the conversation, not if the reason for her being here meant that he could feel her weight against him and her soft breath on his chest. “We could always skip the party tomorrow if you think it’s gonna be that bad,” he teased her, fully knowing she’d want to go. He hadn’t seen much but he got the image that her brother meant far more to her than she ever let on and he knew she wouldn’t miss his engagement party but it was still a nice thought. “You could still wear that hot dress and I’ll put the suit on but we’ll go somewhere else. Realistically I’ve probably got enough money for, like, a couple burgers so we might look out of place but we could get high and I could ruin your dress for you. Could probably find somewhere to sell those dumb fish and then you can get some and call one Jackson, obviously.” One of his hands moved to her hair, running his fingers against the thick strands and sighing softly at the feeling of her next to him. It wasn’t even like he was a stranger to having someone share his bed with him and yet with Laney it felt different and he hated he was able to tell the difference in such a short amount of time with her. The need to fill any silence with the noise of music or a movie wasn’t there and he wasn’t an idiot as to why that was a thing. “We’ll just sneak in right at the end. Act like we’ve been there the whole time. It’s a solid plan.”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney​:

the quiet that followed after she cut off the jeep’s engine was harrowing, and laney realized that even if he was letting her talk about whatever crossed her mind, maybe he could tell that she was scared, too. it was dark out, especially as she slipped the keys out of the ignition and the car lights flickered off, but she still felt like she had to measure each change in her expression carefully before she actually let it show. her lips twitched in an almost-smile when he began to reassure her that she shouldn’t feel obligated to come over if she didn’t want to, but that also she could if she wanted to, and that he wasn’t just inviting her over to have sex with her. she shifted just to make some kind of noise, and began to lean back in her seat when he accused her of making up the fish that glow in the dark. “they’re real,” she argued assertively. “they’re genetically-engineered fish that have the dna of some kind of coral that glows in the dark, and they’re more likely to be mated with than the normal fish, and a lot of people think they’re like, ungodly abominations.” laney gave him a firm look to show him that she was entirely serious and then relaxed gradually. 

without telling herself it was okay to, laney began to giggle quietly and then openly. only jackson could like her enough and honestly enough to scare her into awkwardness, think to blame himself for it, and then know exactly what to say to coax her out of that awkwardness. “thank you for saying that,” she was able to say after quieting again some. guys only wanting her for sex wasn’t a big insecurity of hers, or at least not one she tried to give any power or voice to, but it was nice to hear all of the same. if she were gonna be completely honest, she’d tell him that he had more reason to feel that way than she did. she exited the car and inclined her head to indicate to him to follow and then removed his garment bag from the backseat for him. the walk between their houses was short but uneven and she focused on keeping her footing until they were on his front porch again. 

“jackson,” she began, folding the garment bag evenly over her arms, waiting for him to open the door and lead the way to his room, “you know i do this thing where i disappear sometimes. well, sometimes i get moody or quiet, too. it’s like there’s so much going on that i have to remove myself from it. it doesn’t have anything to do with you.” lacking free hands, she had to toss her head back so her hair would follow, the motion moving it out of her face. “you can pretty much always assume it never has anything to do with you. you’re too nice to me already.” already, she matched his earlier eagerness to be behind closed doors with him, if only to see how well his room reflected his personality, and she showed this by playfully jostling him through the open doorway. laney pursed her lips closed to keep from speaking or chuckling, if they were doing the sneaking-in-past-the-parents thing. even if his dad would respond kindly to laney’s late-night reappearance, she wasn’t sure if he’d also also respond kindly to the gifted tux. 

Despite how nervous and out of place he felt in that moment, her adamant tone when it came to the weird fish occupying her mind made him smile genuinely. Honestly he didn’t really care about some horny fish that apparently looked like a glow stick, but she was so stuck on being right that he swallowed the laugh that was building and just nodded in amusement. There was no doubt in Jackson’s mind that when Laney O’Neil knew she was right about a topic--or thought she was right--there would be no changing her mind and he was completely fine with that. In fact, he was sure it was what he enjoyed most. He got out of the care with her with a smile on his lips; both from her quiet thank you and because of her small giggle that lifted any of his worries. The truth was that he was so used to being able to read people and situations that when Laney had arrived into his life--all mysterious words and veiled truths--it threw him. But there was also something about her that he trusted and if she assured him that everything was okay, and that she was comfortable and he hadn’t upset her, then the only thing he could do was believe her. Besides, she hadn’t really given him any other reason to doubt her.

Her words caused him to pause at the door and he looked at her as he half listened to her and half listened to see if his dad was awake. With him being in a good mood earlier the chances of him falling into some drunken mood were low, but it was still something he worried about Laney having to see. Not that he thought she’d judge. The movement of her head made him laugh quietly and he didn’t hesistate to push her hair back; both because he liked the feeling of being able to touch her and if only to be helpful. “Yeah I figured you were okay,” he lied, mostly to stop feeling like an idiot for thinking the worst and he nodded his head at her. “But you should probably note down somewhere that I’m around if you need to, like, vent about whatever it is making you quiet. I thought we established a while ago that I much prefer hearing your voice -- In whichever situation.” His need to make the atmosphere light again outweighed any other worries he may have had about their current situation and he let himself be gently pushed into the house, his eyes already rolling before his feet had hit the interior of the house. Downstairs held a singular light shining in living area and Jackson glanced long enough to see his dad asleep on the chair, his body slumped to the side, and he sighed at the image but found he couldn’t be surprised anymore. He was just glad his dad wasn’t awake and ready to remind Jackson that women weren’t shit and they never stuck around anyway, Jackson moved his body to block most of Laney’s view and nudged her up the stairs first, moving his hand down to squeeze at her ass briefly because he could and, well, it was right there.

His room was, as his aunt would say, an organised mess. While the floor was clear of any items, the drawers of his black dresser remained open with a few shirts sticking out and his bedsheets were unmade. Books lined one wall but a few lingered on the windows, pages curled a little and stained by sunlight. The dark grey sheets of his bedding contrasted harshly with the white of the walls and most of the colour came from either the books and notepads on, what seemed like, on each surface or the movie and music posters he’d haphazardly put up to make the walls seem less stark. Taking the bag from Laney he hung it on the already open door of his closet before kicking his shoes off and removing his shirt, leaving him in his sweats as he moved to lay on his messy bed and focused his attention on her. “If you haven’t eaten I was going to order pizza or something tonight and, no, ice cream doesn’t count as food,” he told her, his arms coming to rest behind his head as he admired the image of her in his bedroom. Removing his phone from his pocket he put on some music, some easy RnB that he’d been listening to earlier, to give them both some background noise and he let his eyes wander over her body slowly out of habit. There were a few messages on his screen but he ignored them, dropping his phone next to him before gesturing to his tv in an attempt to prove he was serious about not sleeping with her--even if she was ridiculously tempting while doing absolutely nothing. “We can put a movie on or whatever too. Just put one of my shirts on or something because as hot as you look right now you’ve gotta be comfortable in this bedroom, it’s the rule.” It probably wasn’t his smartest idea; Laney’s legs in those shorts were already distracting enough and he knew that her wearing his clothing probably wouldn’t help the situation but he grinned at her anyway. “Either way just need you over here.”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney​:

compared to laney, jackson was timid and sensible. but he was still surprising and passionate, which he had easily proven by kissing her with no second thought, soft and deep and tasting like ice cream. too deep for the kind of relationship they had. normally, laney had found that if guys kissed you like that, it was because that’s how they kissed everyone and they had first hand knowledge that kissing like that got a girl to take her clothes off. but jackson wasn’t like that, he wasn’t the type to be acting out some kind of predetermined script or con some girl into falling for him, which meant that when he was kissing her like he was falling in love with her, it was because he was. and even though she didn’t know enough of the feeling to recognize it for what it was, she had an inkling that she was in danger of falling in love with him, too. and even though she had meant for this kiss to be some kind of a test, she couldn’t decide whether he’d passed or failed. she made a small sound–of desire, of fear, of surprise–when he dragged his lips away from hers and along her jawline, landing by her ear. without realizing it, her hands had reached to grip at him, her fingertips creating five deep creases on each hip. 

his answer strayed far from her actual question but her focus was much too fuzzy to argue when he was saying things like being caught is a turn on and i like being seen with you and you’re going to make me hard. she was dazed and frustrated and didn’t want to think about whether or not he was going to hear from his ex because of her later that night, so she easily closed the space between them again, pressing her body close to his to create enough space so her arm could snake behind her and tug on the door handle, unsmiling. in that moment, she was very happy and also very afraid that she was very happy, and so she was not smiling back. “let’s go,” she said huskily, thrown off in every way. she tugged the door wide enough to pry them apart, laney stepping onto one side of it before folding herself in the car and leaving him outside. after a delayed moment, she unlocked the rest of the doors for him, too, and used the time it took him to walk around the car to fiddle with the knobs on the car stereo, drumming up a station that was playing something thumping and frenetic and loud enough to dredge her mind out of all of the mixed feelings that she was feeling. 

the streetlights shining down through the jeep windows as they passed by almost matched the rhythm of the song playing, adding to the chaotic emotions swirling inside her. laney’s hand gripped the steering wheel a bit too tightly, making her take turns just a tad too quickly or sharply. she felt an urgency to say or do something that had everything to do with herself and nothing to do with him, so she cleared her throat halfway through the drive to his house and said, “i know we’re going to your place because mine is full of party planners and flowers and everything right now, but really, your place is too big for just two men.” the way she said it was matter-of-fact, no room for argument, and the amused tone she adopted was nearly entirely feigned, “i think you need a pet. a dog or a cat or a guinea pig. maybe some fish. tropical fish that you can see through or ones that glow in the dark or something.”

Jackson looked at her as she pushed their bodies apart and tried to not show his concern too deeply. The sexual tension was there, at least on his side, but Laney had completely voided her face of emotion and--for one of the first times in his young life--he questioned whether kissing her was the right thing to do at that moment. He’d thought it was; but then looking at her as she sat in the car, slowly unlocking the doors, he wasn’t sure. Honestly he was thrown for a loop. One minute he was pressing against her and the next she was slipping out from his touch. He’d been the one to say they should go, of course, but he had been expecting some kind of fight from her or some attempt at teasing him into going a little further somewhere darker. Instead he was walking around the front of her car, readying to go back to his place, and he attempted to push any thoughts of out his head before getting into his car. Not that it would matter really; the music she playing was enough to drown any anxious thoughts he might have had out. He didn’t say anything as she drove, both happy to just sit quietly and not break the awkward tension he felt in his stomach. His eyebrows drew together at her behaviour but he dismissed it in favour of being ignorant. The problem with asking her if something was wrong would be finding out that something was. 

She spoke and he looked at her in confusion at the random topic but laughed quietly anyway, unsure how to respond and kind of caught off guard. “When we first moved in it was full of real feminine stuff. Lots of candles and, like, pictures that matched the flowers in the room or whatever. My aunt is pretty big on things matching,” he shrugged. The memory of moving to Cannon Beach wasn’t the most vivid; he just remembered packing up with his dad, his favourite book clutched tightly in his hands, and driving and driving and driving. It had felt like days, when in reality it was far less, and then he’d arrived at his favourite aunts house with his favourite cousins which was awesome. “But my dad is like huge on sports and all things physical which makes him easy to buy for on his birthday or Christmas, hence all the shirts and stuff that are framed. Couple are autographed too.” Realising he hadn’t really answered her question about animals he smiled to himself in amusement wondering why he was so eager to offer her little pieces of information about himself. If he let himself think hard enough he knew why but letting that particular thought manifest was definitely idiotic. “But I’ll think about the pet situation. My dad would probably love a dog but it wouldn’t be fair since, y’know, we’re both out at work so it’d be left alone all day. And cats are mean as hell so I won’t be getting one of those. Maybe a guinea pig, they’re pretty cute.”

Realistically he wasn’t going to get a damn animal just because she said it but he also wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to fall into a conversation with her. She didn’t seem mad or annoyed with him but there was definitely something lingering in her and she was hard enough to read on a good day, never mind in the dark and with no clue as to what he’d even done to prompt such a swift response. His house came into view and he rubbed at his lip with him thumb nervously, his attention twisting to meet hers. “So I know I said you could come and stay at mine if you wanted but don’t feel like you have to or whatever,” he told her, his tone as nonchalant as he could make it despite him still being unsure. Maybe he’d pushed it too far or something. While she was impulsive and she definitely would have told him to back off if she was uncomfortable he couldn’t help but notice her small mood change after he’d hinted at wanting her and it was the only connection he could make honestly. Briefly he wondered if she was offended he’d basically offered to fuck her after she bought him an expensive suit but that just wasn’t Laney--or, at least, it wasn’t the Laney he knew. The one she let him see. “The offer still stands though. I mean I don’t have siblings but I’m sure having to help host an engagement party for one is probably a pain in the ass. Just don’t want you thinking that’s all I’m asking you over for, you know?” He frowned because, truthfully, she hadn’t even said anything bad or hinted that something was even wrong and he was reminded how much he overthought pretty much anything. He put his hand on the handle of the door opening it slightly as his other hand pulled off his seat belt, signalling he was fine with either option. “Or we can ignore I just said any of that if you’re good with staying and I’ll let you design the fish tank for these made up fish you’ve invented that glow in the dark.”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌: 

laney knew that if she weren’t so selfish, she might’ve encouraged jackson to broaden his horizons and go to new york city if that was what he wanted instead of feeling the need to stay near his dad. she would’ve discreetly laughed off his suggestion that she’d be around in the future. she would’ve let him think there was a chance that it was her parents that drove her crazy. but instead she was smiling at him appreciatively, as if he’d just given her a gift somehow, telling her that he already had a reason to stay in oregon before he even met her. laney’s leg swayed under the table, her ankle brushing by his a couple times, rhythmically. “that’s sweet,” was all she felt safe to say, her tone casual and not betraying how much she wished she could just return the sentiment somehow without being a liar. how do you tell someone you wouldn’t be there in his future, but that you wished you could be? noticing he’d finished off his ice cream too, she delicately began to gather the contents of their table into a nest of paper and wafer and melted ice cream in the middle of their table, cone turned down into his cup, napkins wadded up in the remaining space in the cup to soak up the excess ice cream. 

the brunette had not, in fact, read any of his stuff. truthfully, she hadn’t known he’d even sent it already, eternally unrushed and disorganized and incapable of checking her email. “that’s no fun,” she scoffed as if she were disappointment, though they both knew that giving him compliments via sex would indeed be fun to her. “no, you’re going to get a full-fledged critical analysis and review when i’m done and any sex that’s had will be entirely unrelated,” she assured him, confident that they had many hook-ups in their future. saying it out loud really wasn’t even flirting with him, more like a statement of fact. they were just drawn together. and maybe it was just what happened when two people were sexually compatible or found each other to be extremely attractive or maybe they were actual soulmates, she didn’t know, but here he was, proving her right by putting his hands on her at his first opportunity. her fingers were warm against the flesh of her thigh, her whole body cooled from the ice cream, and it took her just a bit too long to respond to his comments. “oh, i’m very aware of that,” she agreed with a cheeky half smile, leaning a few inches forward towards him over the table. “you can have me for the rest of the night. i just wanna make sure you’re not going to get tired of me first. i mean, we’re going to see each other tomorrow and we’ve been seeing an awful lot of each other lately.” laney was mostly joking, but also maybe posing a genuine question. was he really planning on sticking around? did he really find her so interesting that he was willing to waste his time on a girl who’d never wasted much of her own time on anyone else before? 

laney was a bit too confident as she stood from the table and carried their trash to the nearby trash can, circling back around to jackson’s side even though it would’ve been simpler to just wait for him outside of the door than to walk out with him. and as they triggered the little tinkling bell over the door as they exited, laney slipped her hand into his back pocket for the short walk over to her car. so maybe she kind of loved that jackson was definitely going to win some brownie points against his ex. at least that was one good thing she could definitely do for him. her cheek rested against his jostling arm for a handful of moments, betraying the contentedness she felt in his presence, and then wrenched herself away from him to skip ahead a few steps to the jeep and press her back against the driver’s door, arms tucked behind her, her fingers hitting the unlock button on the car keys with a shifting sound. “i’m waiting for you to kiss me,” she announced, her head tilted upwards to meet his. with a tiny waiver of her easy-going demeanor, her eyes flickered across the street to where lauren’s friend was almost definitely watching. “or are you worried about who might see?”

There was something in the way she said ‘that’s sweet’ that told Jackson to leave the subject alone for now. She was smiling and he could feel the electricity as she moved her own foot beneath the table, but there was still something about her words that he caught onto. Realistically he knew he was probably overthinking it and he tried not to wonder if the way she avoided any talk like that was her way of letting him know to not pin his hopes too much on her sticking around. Instead he let her lead him into a more flirtatious conversation, one that he admittedly started, and pushed the thought immediately out of his mind. Her assurance that they’d have sex in the future made him laugh quietly to himself and he nodded, completely amused with her words. “You’ve said it now so I’m going to hold you to that,” he promised her but he could barely hide the smile on his face at the idea of her actually taking the time to read his words, to analyse and help him with his writing. Plus the idea of sleeping with her again was definitely a helpful thought. Her thigh was almost distracting under his fingertips and he felt the muscle tighten a little as she leaned her body towards him, his eyes immediately darkening as she told him that he could have her for the rest of the night. She followed it with something that made him narrow his eyes thoughtfully, unsure why she’d even think that. “Believe me I don’t think I can get enough of you, Could see you everyday and not get bored. Don’t act like you don’t know that.” 

It was a thoughtless comment because they both knew they couldn’t see into the future and inevitably they’d get annoyed with one another, but it was a truthful statement too. They left the store and he made a show of grabbing the taffy he’d bought for her mom and shoving it into his pocket tightly, mostly because he definitely liked the way her jaw would tighten a little when he mentioned her mom. He couldn’t help but look at her as they walked, her body close to his own, and he wondered if she knew what she was doing to him or if she was completely ignorant to how his body responded to her. Laney was the kind of girl who worked hard to get whatever she wanted so she had to know but there was still an innocent way about her that had him questioning. Her words caught his attention and he watched her curiously, his own head tilting to the side as he glanced back towards the store, and then he focused his entire attention back on her. It was definitely a challenge she was setting but he couldn’t figure out why. Not that he really cared when she looked like that. He didn’t reply; instead closing the distance between them and pressing their hips together before kissing her. One hand rested on her waist, pressing under the fabric covering her and letting his fingers run against the bare skin. His other moved to cup her jaw, his thumb against her throat softly. He let himself get completely caught up in the deep kiss with a quiet moan against her lips despite still being in the street. 

There was a tightening in his stomach as he felt their hips roll together and he dragged himself away from her mouth to drop his lips against her jaw, the curve of her neck, beneath her ear. “I should probably tell you the whole risk of being caught is kind of a turn on for me so you really don’t need to worry about who ‘might be watching’ or whatever,” he told her, his words teasing but he wasn’t exactly lying. It was clear at that point that she could drop to her knees there and he’d have absolutely no shame. He knew that probably wasn’t what she was meaning when she mentioned him worrying about who might see but keeping the tone light and fun was easier.  “Besides I kind of like being seen with you. I mean I am going to put on a suit for you, that should prove something.” The hand on her jaw dropped down to her hip but he let the one holding her bare waist linger, intoxicated by the way she felt under his hands. His attention turned to their surroundings but the streets were fairly quiet; the couple who had entered the shop after them were leaving and there were a few people further up the street but he knew he couldn’t get too carried away with her. As much as he wanted to. “But you’re going to make me hard so we should probably go before I throw you in the back of the car. Can stay at mine if you want?” He pulled his hips back from hers just slightly to find some relief and smiled at her, eyes shining. 

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

a more polite or discreet person would’ve feigned disinterest in jackson’s conversation with the girl behind the ice cream counter, excuse herself to the tables or turn to the napkin dispenser or something. but laney was neither particularly polite and definitely not discreet so she stood attentively at jackson’s elbow, openly watching each of them as they spoke, an amused smile playing at her lips between licks of her ice cream cone. apparently, lauren was a mutual friend and she was just doing amazing. laney might not’ve technically been in high school, but she dealt with high school tactics often enough to recognize it for what it was–and honestly? an accountant? just the thought made laney want to gag. jackson didn’t seem particularly interested in the topic either and laney nearly beamed at his lack of response, if only because she knew it would make lauren’s friend cringe. but she also supposed that it was comforting to know that jackson wasn’t particularly hung up on his high school sweetheart. after giving the girl behind a counter a taunting look, the brunette followed him over to the chairs with a jaunt in her step and a swing of her hair and wondered vaguely if his ex finding out he was out buying laney o’neil ice cream in cannon beach would be a triumph over him finding out his ex was dating an accountant in new york city. 

laney lounged back in her chair, her legs stretching underneath the small table so she could rest them on the edge of his seat, the action just a bit too carefree and possessive to not be influenced by their recent interaction. still, laney shrugged at his remark that it’d been awkward to bump into her–laney wouldn’t know, she didn’t really have exes and even the people who did count themselves her ex usually didn’t have hurt enough feelings to care after several years. “well, that friend seemed particularly bitchy,” she replied, no heat or hushed quality to her tone, just matter-of-fact. uncharacteristically, laney didn’t really react to his comment about moving somewhere big and densely-populated, just went on eating her ice cream. it gave her a bit of a chill, so she pulled her legs back some to tuck them under the table where they were supposed to go, looking at cannon beach through the glass windows, wondering if she should defend their hometown or not. he nudged her and asked her where she’d live if she could live anywhere, so she bought time by cleaning ice cream off her lips before she answered, but was saved by his mom comment. laney returned his foot nudge with more force for his comment and gave him a look that said that if he continued this line of teasing he would suffer for it. “i can speak french, for your information,” she corrected, bringing the conversation back around to a safe topic despite the fact that her mom in fact was bilingual. “and yeah, probably somewhere in europe. or everywhere in europe, just traveling from one country to the next.” if she could’ve actually gone to college, she liked to think she would’ve wound up in some european college in bucharest or barcelona or amsterdam studying folklore and the classics, but saying this aloud would only make him ask more questions, so she didn’t. 

she was starting to notably wear her ice cream cone down and nibbled at the cone experimentally to see if it had a nice taste; it tasted closer to paper than wafer. that was alright, she was satiated. mostly. “for the record,” she added off-handedly, “cannon beach isn’t that bad. i’m one of those neighbors you know, remember?” she laughed a little to herself. “the tourists coming in and out keeps things from being too boring, and most of the people who live out here are here to just relax, you know? plus i think being so close to the canadian border makes everyone nicer.” laney was parroting some of the typical things she repeated to herself whenever she grew frustrated with forever being a cannon beach resident or felt particularly trapped. some people came from all over the world just to see her corner of it, her whole family had moved there for her, and it had served her well so far, longer than anyone expected. “my theory is that you’re going to bump into your exes or your ex’s friends no matter where you go anyways. the world just likes to punish you like that. but say your writing takes off and you need to be in the middle of the writing scene, where would you go, really? new york city?”

“I think she’s just sour about embarrassing herself. When Lauren and I broke up she was messaging me immediately, saying how I deserved better and shit,” he shrugged, his interest in it dissipating as Laney gave him her attention. He wasn’t saying it to make her jealous or get a reaction either, more like an off-handed comment, and it wasn’t like either of them really hid their past. “But I guess ‘bitchy’ works too.” It was embarrassingly clear that Jackson only had interest in one member of the O’Neil household but the way she kicked out at his foot as he mentioned her mom, and the withering look she sent him, only caused him to delve into gentle laughter.  Teasing Laney about her mom was far more entertaining than it should have been. It only quieted when he registered what she had said and he looked at her sharply, his eyebrow raised in subtle interest. “You’re going to have to prove that to me,” he decided, hardly any room for argument in his words. It was hardly a surprise that language was a turn on for Jackson but even he was surprised at how her admission of being able to speak another language ignited his interest. He ate a few of the chocolate pieces from his ice-cream in quick succession and nodded as she mentioned Europe, hardly surprised at that. He could imagine her impulsiveness taking her all over the world, her keen eye searching out new adventures and he held back from asking why she hadn’t done it considering the vast amount of wealth right there for her taking. The air of mystery that surrounded Laney O’Neil was definitely something she had mastered and he had a feeling that even if he asked, she’d avoid it. Truthfully he figured it was because she was trying to keep him guessing about her, but he didn’t mind. It was kind of fun. “Sounds expensive. But exactly like something you’d do,” he settled on instead, digging into the ice-cream.

He glanced to her when she spoke about Cannon Beach being nice and how she was one of his neighbours too and he slowed his eating of his dessert as he tried to figure out if she was seriously offended by his remark or if she was making conversation. Her defence of their home town was kind of sweet and it only added another layer to who he was working her out to be. With a shrug he tried to rework his previous words. “I guess. Sometimes I think I just want to see what else the world has to offer, but who knows? Maybe the whole world is just made up of thousands of Cannon Beach’s and I’ll never get away from the small town vibe. You being my neighbour doesn’t exactly hurt though,” he flirted, mostly because it was true. Previously he’d found himself growing bored, resorting back to petty thefts just to entertain himself, and then he’d crossed paths with the girl sitting across from him and suddenly things seemed more interesting. That couldn’t just be physical attraction, he was sure of it. Not that he’d say it out loud. Not yet, anyway. At her theory he smiled. “Luckily for me I only have one ex and she’s long gone so I only have to deal with the awkward friendship groups,” he said, giving him time to think about what she asked. New York was likely. When Lauren had first left she had enthused about how good the writing scene was and how easy it would be for him to be noticed, but they had fallen out of contact and, honestly, he didn’t know if she was just saying that at the time. “Maybe. Or Seattle. Even Portland -- there’s a big independent writing scene there and I wouldn’t be far from my dad.”

As much as he wanted to move away and be his own person, Jackson knew that it was always going to come back to his dad and how he was coping. “Plus if I go somewhere like that then you’ll always have a place to crash when your parents drive you crazy. I’ll need you around if I need another suit,” he joked softly. It didn’t even matter in what way she was going to be in his life, friendship or otherwise, Jackson was certain she’d be there. She was inevitable at this point. He finished his ice-cream and glanced around the store again; there was another couple at the counter buying something but he knew that he and Laney were definitely being watched and it just reinforced the notion that he really didn’t like people. Except the girl next to him, and quite possibly his friend Parker. That was it. “Before you kidnapped me I sent you my first draft,” he reminded her, a shy tone to his voice as he discussed his work but of all the people to read it he trusted Laney to be the most explicit with her honesty. “Like I know you’re busy with your brothers engagement but when you do get around to reading it I’m just letting you know now that I take compliments in the form of sex only and if you have nothing nice to say you should probably just distract me with sex before letting me down gently.” With his hands now free he was able to finally touch her and he let his hand fall to her thigh with a soft familiarity and pressed his fingers in firmly. “How much longer do I have you for, like do you need to go back and set stuff up for tomorrow? Because I haven’t kissed you yet and your car is right there. Not sure if you’re aware of that.”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

at his notion that as her date, he’d be hanging on her arm and keeping her from getting too drunk, she scoffed. “it’s a party right outside of my bedroom. if i can get too drunk anywhere, it’ll be there. it’ll just be your job to get drunk with me.” laney knew he wasn’t as big of a fan of being under the influence as she was but even he had to admit that a fancy party all about praising the happily ever after for two people barely older than them would not be survivable sober. laney raised her eyebrow at him as he tried to rationalize her gift for him, like he just couldn’t say thank you and be excited for his good fortune. “i don’t even know when your birthday was,” she protested. and if she had, his gift would’ve been a lot more exciting than just a suit. “besides, i know i don’t have to. i pretty much already buy everything i want, but the fun part is really buying other people stuff they really want.” she was pretty sure her mom had been interviewed about her philanthropy once and was quoted saying it was scientifically-proven that spending money on other people brought more feelings of satisfaction that spending money on yourself did. so laney knew that was just not some obnoxious rich people proverb or something. 

her eyebrow wiggling mirrored his when he mentioned owing her in favors and laughed under his words when he clarified not in sexual favors. laney tried not to reveal that though she hadn’t even bothered to ask the prices–her dad had always told her it was tacky–she was nearly positive it was actually more than double the amount he had guessed. instead, she wrestled a thoughtful expression onto her face; did she want anything more from him? not anything else than he was already giving her. he was already freeing up his nights for her, letting her be her cryptic flighty self without holding it against her, even already hinted that he wanted more even if she couldn’t give it, which she’d have never expected from him. “i’ll keep that in mind,” she warned him, shaking her head slightly at the idea that she’d ask him to do anything with her that required deep water. 

“i’m a night owl, remember?” she reminded him by way of his complaint about how late she always started their nights together. it didn’t seem that late to her, early enough for an after-dinner dessert or walk on the beach. but she supposed even four in the morning didn’t seem that late when you’d slept all day. at the mention of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, she peered at him from the corner of her eye almost suspiciously as she started to walk across the street over to the ice cream parlor, knowing he could easily catch up with her with his longer legs. “that’s actually my favorite,” she admitted with a slight seriousness to her tone that made it clear she wasn’t just lying for his benefit. technically, she supposed ben and jerry’s half baked ice cream was her favorite, with chunks of cookie dough and brownies in it, but it was close enough. the ice cream parlor also doubled as a candy store, one of those tourist traps that enticed kids with its bright colors and rows and rows full of vintage and international candies, candies you could scoop into a bag and pay for by the pound, and buckets of ice cream flavors and toppings galore. there was even a little station for campers to customize their own s’mores supplies before they took them to their bonfire, different graham crackers and cookies, different squares of chocolate and variously flavored marshmallow. laney and liam had been going there since they were greedy little kids and many bads of their candy had gone to waste. “if you really want to make my mom like you, you’d buy her some of that saltwater taffy,” she informed him as they stepped through the door, though of course she didn’t really want to encourage that dynamic. the place smelled amazing, you could practically smell the sugar and butter in the air, the dark scent of espresso, the seductive scent of chocolate. most of the ice creams were colorful despite their normal flavors and laney confidently ordered a small cone of a cookie flavor (inexplicably bright blue) with cookie dough and brownies and various other chocolate candies mixed in, cherry on top, before she stepped away and let jackson handle the rest of the transaction. 

The way she spoke was the same way someone would talk about lending a movie or buying someone a drink. She had a free, easy, thoughtless way about her when it came to money and it was clear to see that Jackson and her wouldn’t really ever understand one another in that aspect. But she could have had worse habits, he thought. Being kind and buying people things because she wanted to wasn’t exactly a flawed character trait. Knowing she bought whatever she wanted kind of put any dents in his plans on getting her something too but he decided to just let it go. He wouldn’t win anyway. At her ‘I’ll keep it in mind’ he gave her a quick look, kind of amused that she was willing to go along with his weird ideas, but also very aware that her impulsive nature would be the kick-starter behind anything she probably asked of him. “But if you want to make at least one of them sexual then I’m completely down for that too,” he noted quickly, almost like he was saying it to himself. It was sort of crazy the hold she had on him; they hadn’t kissed, or even held hands, that night and yet his mind was happily picturing hundreds of scenarios of them together. 

He glanced at her as she mentioned her favourite ice-cream was the same as his and he nodded in satisfaction. There was a lot of things he could deal with but having bad taste in desserts definitely wasn’t the way forward with him. The store wasn’t one he frequented often but he wasn’t a stranger to it either; his ex was a big fan of the candy and he’d often find himself running in after work to get her something. It was familiar enough that he knew his way around but he still found himself looking at all of the different combinations, his eyes lighting up at all of the various sweet items and though he rolled his eyes a little at Laney’s comment about impressing her mom -- he picked a bag up. “Listen, she’s cool and she’s made me breakfast. More than my mom did. She’s having them,” he cut her off before she could say anything by going to look at the chocolates. Realistically he knew what he was getting and he let Laney go ahead before ordering his own cookie ice-cream and requesting a ridiculous amount of additional chocolate, caramel and cookie pieces to be added. The girl behind the counter was vaguely familiar to him and it wasn’t until he was paying did he realise it was an old friend of Lauren’s, his kind nature kicking in at the realisation. Not that they were that close; after the break up she had immediately messaged him on Instagram with not the kindest words about his ex and how he had deserved better only for the message to go ignored on his end. “Thanks,” he finally said, breaking their silence and handing Laney her cone before taking his own cup and paying. “How have you been?” And it wasn’t like he cared that much but Jackson always tended to want to make things as comfortable as he could and keep the peace. “I’m great. Saw Lauren a few weeks ago, went and stayed with her in New York. She’s doing amazing. Dating an accountant.” There was a ridiculous emphasis on the word amazing but Jackson wasn’t one to play games nor get involved in cheap tactics and he smiled, nodding politely. There wasn’t exactly a space for a conversation in her words and he took the items awkwardly, nudging Laney towards some chairs well in the corner. He didn’t really care whether they stayed or left just as long as they moved away from the counter.

“Never understood by bumping into your exes friends is more awkward than bumping into an ex,” he mused, answering a question he was sure she wasn’t going to ask. Sitting down in the one of the small seats offered to them Jackson happily tucked into his dessert, the bag of saltwater taffy for Maude placed on the table so he wouldn’t forget it and also to remind Laney he was definitely still going to give it to her mom. “I’m going to move to a city where people don’t even know their neighbours. I think that would be more preferable to always bumping into history,” he decided around the spoon in his mouth, already imagining a large penthouse with open space and large windows looking out over skylines. Realistically he knew he wouldn’t achieve that type of wealth the the one book he’d finished but it was still nice to think about. With his hands full he found he couldn’t touch Laney as he was so used to doing; laying a hand on her thigh, playing with her fingers, and he scolded himself quietly for recognising that he missed it and he nudged her foot with her own like it would quell the ache a little. “If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go? I mean if you’re going to spend that money on anything it should be something awesome, right? I’d probably go somewhere in Europe but only because I think people who are bilingual are hot,” and just to annoy her he added swiftly. “Can your mom speak French or anything?”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

when jackson reluctantly accepted her gift, laney felt something in the small of her back untighten. truthfully, she’d been halfway expecting a full-on you’re-not-letting-me-feel-like-a-man argument that ended with him stomping out of the store, and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t sprung the matter on him so suddenly for that entire reason. she probably could’ve warned him about the personal-stylist-slash-catered fitting appointment before they showed up as well. it was manipulative, sure, but laney’s life only ever worked as well as it did when she took care to distract from the strange and never be more honest than a conversation called for. making someone accept a gift was hardly the worst thing she could force someone to do or that she had ever done. still, she could see he didn’t like it. the brunette girl was so deep in thought wondering if extravagant gift-giving could really be considered a flaw or not as he hinted at his expectation that her invitation to the engagement party meant that she wanted to claim him, and that he wanted to keep her to himself. laney quickly flipped a switch; none of her inner feelings spilled into her expression and instead she just looked thoughtful, curious, searching his face for any further hint of his feelings. it wasn’t that laney didn’t long for commitment, and, sure, it was already difficult to think of jackson as something other than hers–it was just that he was already asking for more than what she could give him. 

she nodded kind of dumbly, distracted by her own worries, when he stepped away and suggested that it was time to change out of his tux. laney was a little slow on uptake as he raised his phone to snap a photo of her, but quickly remembered herself and posed reflexively, one hand pulled back to rest on her hip, the other curled towards her chest in a faux-surprised gesture. she couldn’t help but to chuckle as he asked for his own picture like it was prom night or something, and worked her camera magic to snap an effortlessly flattering picture of him. he exited his fitting room before she did, and she pulled her hair from its bun as she peered at the space between the end of the curtain and the wall to watch him as he ate a canape. “no dancing,” she promised, edging her toes back into her shoes before she exited her own dressing room with her dress on a hanger and draped delicately between her arms. always perfect at her job, sheila came swooping by to take the dress from her and laney knew she was off putting their ensembles in garment bags and putting tissue-paper in little bags for the ties and little boxes for earrings. the smile that played on her lips faltered a little as he vowed to make it up to her and she interrupted, “don’t worry about it. seriously.” if he truly knew how small of a purchase this was compared to her bank account, maybe he’d understand how not big of a deal it needed to be, but somehow she didn’t think it would be helpful to add that to  the conversation. “you’re being my date for the night, that’s all i want.”

sheila chose that moment to swoop in with the various items and laney deftly divvied out the garment bags between them and passed jackson the bag for his tie, making sure the receipt was in one of the bags destined for her house and not his. she kind of felt bad about not finishing off the canapes, but she was sure it happened all of the time. laney thanked sheila profusely as they were shuffled out of the door so the store could finally close, several thousand richer for their troubles, and unlocked the back doors so they could stash everything and out of sheer muscle memory, slid into the front seat and turned over the engine. truthfully she had no plans for the rest of the night; she was kind of surprised she’d even gotten as far as she did, getting him to agree to be her date, try on tuxes, and accept one. “for the record,” she began, giving him a simpering look. “is there anything you’re going to be okay with me buying you? because i spend money on people as a hobby.” she knew she’d kind of barged in on his night plans when she showed up at his house, and she knew they’d see each other soon, but she kind of didn’t want to end the night just yet. cannon beach, as small as it was, had two business right across from the boutique and her eyes darted to the ice cream parlor. “like ice cream?”

She was doing that thing where she was being cute without trying and it almost frustrated Jackson. From the coy way she posed for her pictures, to her own kind of dorky photography style--not that his poses were any better--Jackson felt a weird sensation of being young and simple. While his dad tried, it wasn’t a secret in his family that Jackson did have to grow up a lot quicker than most of his cousins and though he adapted to it well he didn’t really have the young, foolish time the rest of his peers did. Instead he lost himself in books and writing and, eventually, working. Laney brought out a different side of him. He just kind of hoped he had some sort of influence on her too. True, having her buy him a suit that definitely cost more than he could make in a few months wasn’t exactly his idea of a great time -- it was still an opportunity to spend with Laney. She stopped him as he tried to think of a way to repay her and smiled at her words, even if it was only a gentle smile. She hadn’t really reacted to his joke earlier about nobody else standing a chance with her but he could tell him going with her was important, even if it wasn’t quite in the same way he’d been hoping. Being a person’s date could have way too many different definitions and it was better to live in ignorance of what her thoughts were on it than be disappointed.

“Somehow I don’t think hanging on to your arm and making sure you don’t get too drunk is going to match up to whatever you just paid for that suit, but it’s a start,” he relented, reading easily that this wasn’t something she’d really back down from. And truthfully, if he was going to impress the right people he was never going to do it in the clothes he could afford. Still it didn’t completely sit right and he raced through options in his head; taking her for a meal, cinema dates, paying for her fuel since she drove everywhere. But he wasn’t stupid; the O’Neil family had money Jackson couldn’t even fathom. And he knew that. He followed her dutifully out to the car, carrying bags that were probably more expensive than the shoes he was wearing, and got into the car with her. She caught his attention again and there was a little lilt to her question, like she was sort of hoping he’d agree, which he nodded at with a soft laugh. “Ice cream isn’t going to break the bank. I could probably get them for us. You don’t have to get me anything else, you know? We’ll call this a real late birthday present or something.” his words were quiet, mostly because he was still sort of lost in his thoughts of repaying her while she was excited about buying him more things  She’d probably argue but in the short time he’d known Laney, he wasn’t surprised. She had an answer for everything, a cheeky way about her, and he was finding it insatiable. 

“I could always owe you in other ways,” he started, his eyebrows wriggling at her, completely uncaring of how he looked. Honestly he just wanted to make her laugh, or smile, and since it was usually his goal each time they were together he figured he was getting better at it. “And before your dirty mind goes into overdrive; not just that way. You could ask me to do three things--because that suit was probably, like, three hundred dollars or something--and I’ll do them. No questions asked. Unless it involves deep water ‘cause you’re my friend and all, but I am not about to die for you.” He glanced across to the parlour to see if it was open and saw a few lights. Truth was he really didn’t want to go home; she kind of did that to him. “We really need to start coming out earlier and it’ll be easier to find places that are open,” he nodded, but the place seemed to still be open and it wasn’t super late but he was still sure if there was someone working they’d be pretty annoyed at their late arrival. Then again she could ask him to cross state lines and start a damn new life and he’d probably consider it just because of the adventure with her. Before he drove himself slightly crazy overthinking about everything he let her guide them over to the parlour, briefly wondering if this was another person she knew well and would owe her a favour. “Fair warning if you get anything other than chocolate chip cookie dough whatever this is with us is totally over, okay?”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

laney didn’t even respond to his exclamation that he couldn’t afford anything from the store. obviously, she knew that. no one their age would be able to unless they were paying with mommy and daddy’s money, which laney coincidentally was. so laney just smiled at him, rolling her eyes slightly to herself as he rambled on about how he had one from his high school prom that was probably more ill-fitting than he realized. did he honestly believe laney had dragged him into an expensive store last minute for her family’s event with no intention of covering the cost? she suspected that was why sheila tittered a laugh at him; he was too polite and new to the world that she catered to that he didn’t realize laney already had a plan in place. her eyebrows raised slightly in surprise as he chose the green one, probably the one least like her usual style, but she didn’t protest a bit. generally, she was open to trying new things, especially if it was jackson asking her to. besides, it would fit with the old hollywood glamour look that sabrina and her mother were already working with, decorating with huge white feathers and strings of pearls. 

he moved closer to her, her mouth suddenly going dry at the drop of pitch in his voice, his nearness. hyper-aware of sheila not too far away on the men’s side of the tiny store, all she could do was hold her breath and stare at his earlobe, because if she inhaled, she would smell him and probably touch him and make things very awkward indeed. truthfully, she might’ve considered it awkwardness aside if her mother wasn’t good friends with the owner herself. she took one breath in, short enough to not breathe in his scent too deeply and chastised, “you’re being very rude right now.” but the way she said it made it obvious that she was the victim here, for having to refrain from letting it happen. so maybe he was also occasionally embroiled with sexual fantasies whenever she was around, too. it made her feel the teensiest better, it a strange way. a guy in lust was a lot easier to control and fool than a man in love. sheila approached with a tux then and jackson mercifully stepped away, leaving laney to pull back the curtain in one of the fitting rooms and hang the dress up inside, taking the time to watch him as she pulled her wavy hair into a bun with the scrunchie on her wrist, mostly just to make sure he tried it on without any arguments. she pulled the curtain closed just as he entered the fitting room adjacent to hers and paused undressing at his remark. “why would i laugh?!” she asked, bewildered. was jackson honestly that ignorant to just how handsome and suave he could be? and that he would undoubtedly be more so in such an outfit?

the dress fit nearly perfectly, the neckline giving her the illusion of cleavage and the shorter hem meaning that they wouldn’t be there longer just so sheila could hem it. it looked pretty on her, she had to admit, and would look nice under the warm lighting at the party. truthfully, the only thing she didn’t like about it was that it seemed to bring out the pallor of her skin. maybe she could get a spray tan in the morning. jackson called her and she smiled a bit at herself in the mirror, liking the easy way he called after her. she pulled the curtain back and stepped out, her posture too casual in her fancy dress and barefoot. to her credit, jackson looked the tiniest bit uncomfortable too in his get-up, the bow tie hanging untied around his neck. laney circled him with a balled up fist pressed to her lips, pretending to be critical at first but then smiled despite herself. “you look like james bond,” she informed him, which made him unbearably sexy in her book. she stepped forward to tie his bow tie for him, but then stopped, a new idea overcoming her. something that would hopefully make him feel a bit better about her buying his outfit for him. laney pulled sheila aside conspiratorially and asked her to pull an suit identical to the tux and letting her voice grow a bit louder, also asked for the pearl earrings and silk red bow tie her mother had called after earlier. laney turned back to jackson, beaming, but added without turning her head, “i think that, this dress, and a satin green tie–a skinny one–to match will be everything. just charge it to the card on file.” sheila went away quickly to gather everything, undoubtedly excited about the big sell, and laney fixed jackson with a look that said not to question her. “i’m getting you a suit instead of a tux,” she explained, smoothing her hands down the lapel of said tux to soothe him. “because you’re going to need a suit for all of your fancy book publishing meetings you’re going to have anyways. so really, it’s less of a gift and more of an investment.”

Jackson wasn’t used to dressing up properly. At work he was simply expected to wear a white shirt and dress pants, but they were cheap and comfortable and he stopped himself from fidgeting in the clothing so he didn’t rip it accidentally or get a dirty mark on it. The owner didn’t seem to pay him much mind, simply checking the length of the jacket as he waited for Laney to step out. There was a sound of the curtain pulling back and he glanced up, utterly pleased with the sight in front of him. The problem with Laney was she suited everything, it seemed. He’d seen her in a handful of different ways but he’d yet to find her any less attractive and watching her step out in a dress, that was in a colour he wasn’t used to seeing her in, only proved how much he wanted her. She walked towards him and he didn’t even attempt to hide his smirk, enjoying the way her hips moved under the fabric and he stood still as she circled him. His hand clenched at his side as she smiled, completely struck, and he exhaled deeply. “You look hot,” was all he could think to say which was pretty annoying considering he could consume hundreds of thousands of words a week. “Incredible, really.” The colour contrasted against her skin and her eyes, the dark colour of her hair standing out and only serving to highlight her lips to him, Knowing her back was exposed and that he would be free to trail his fingertips over it throughout the night, keeping her close, threw him into a spiral of images and he really hoped he’d be able to hide the want on his face around her parents tomorrow. She turned back to the owner and Jackson distracted himself with a mirror checking himself out and his eyes cast to Laney as he heard her voice, completely attracted to the way she was holding her own and how comfortable she was in this environment. 

The fact she was so easy to buy him an entire suit left a heavy feeling in his stomach but she looked so happy, and kind of smug, that he didn’t want to lose the feeling into an argument. Truthfully Jackson knew that there was no way he’d be able to afford anything that would be acceptable to wear to an engagement party at the O’Neil’s, but he also didn’t want to feel indebted to her either. Instead of getting too lost in his thoughts--or overthinking as she would say--he gave her a gentle smile and a quick nod to let her know he wouldn’t disagree too much. Still, he filed it away under things she did for him. “You know, making sure I have a tie that matches your dress is a pretty good way of letting people know that I’m your date,” he told her, his hands dropping to her waist and lingering warmly. The comments from earlier that she would have to find someone else to take instead were still there in his mind and he didn’t really care if he was reading too far into things; he liked being seen as hers in whatever way that was. His fingertips tightened against her slightly and though he tried to not give his weird jealousy away, he knew she could read him too easily. “Think it’s going to give me just enough permission to make sure anyone who thinks they have a chance with you tomorrow knows exactly where they stand.” It was as much as he was willing to give away but he was sure she understood what he was saying; that tomorrow she was his even if it was just for that singular night. There was a noise behind him and Jackson was reminded that the store wasn’t as large as he was clearly acting and he glanced at the dressing room and then down to the tux he was wearing. “I’m going to get changed. You can definitely keep that on because I am so not against that idea. Actually, wait.” He went back into the private room and sent Laney a quick wink before grabbing his phone, a wide smirk on his face as he looked at her. “You’re way too attractive right now. Give me this one?” He took a quick picture just because he could before pressing his phone into her hand, tilting his head to the side just a little. “Get me a picture in there?” He requested, mostly to keep a flirty banter between them but also because he wanted one. 

Deciding to give the owner a break because, seriously, she definitely knew what was up he decided to get changed and went back into the little room. Carefully he got out of the tux, hanging it up as gently as he could before letting out a small laugh at how dumb he was being. It wasn’t like they charged by the minute he had it on his body. Still, as soon as he put his sweatpants and t-shirt back on and slipped his feet into his sneakers he felt a lot less tense and a lot more comfortable. Unsure what to really do with the tux Jackson left it hanging in the dressing room and walked out, immediately going to the canapes and grabbing something to eat before sitting down in the complimentary chair. He took a look at the water before changing his mind because sparkling water was gross and he tilted his head back, waiting for Laney to change and come out in more familiar clothing. “I don’t need to know how to dance at this thing or anything, do I? I mean I figure it’s not going to be some kind of Jane Austen type engagement party but if I’ve got to waltz with you I’m going to have to change my mind and go to work instead.” He laughed quietly to himself at the thought before she stepped out and he smiled at her again, kind of annoyed at how attractive he still found her. He stood up, sure they were ready to leave, and put his hands in his pockets. “Thank you for this, by the way. The suit and stuff. Not sure how I’m gonna make it up to you but I’ll figure something out, you know?”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

laney could tell by his softening expression that he was going to agree even before he said so, but that didn’t stop a smile from spreading widely across her face as he matched each of her points with enthusiasm, even adding that he wanted to see her in a dress–which, on her part, she was kind of excited to see him dressed up as well. as much as these types of events were a bit of a bore, men in tuxes always seemed to liven her spirits. “god, you don’t know the kinds of boring country club types i was considering asking if you turned me down,” she exclaimed, relieved as they started the short climb from his front door to her garage. secretly, she felt comforted by even the fact that he knew which car they’d be taking or where it was, this small bit of familiarity he already had with her. so much of her life seemed to be an endless orientation to her, her family, her habits, her house, and already the idea of having to drive him away and lose that familiarity made her feel a little sick inside. as she began to drive, she shook her head amusedly at his reminder that they were from different social classes but was still nonetheless surprised when he remarked that he’d never had more than two hundred dollars. she was pretty sure just the throw pillows in her house alone added up about that amount. laney decided right then and there that she was going to help him with his publishing costs whether he agreed or not. whether he was still around or not. “i screw up regularly,” she admitted, well-aware that the words her parents’ colleagues used to describe her (spitfire, free spirit, heartbreaker) was just code for the words her brother’s friends used to describe her (bitch, psycho, slut). even upper class forty and fifty-somethings were privy to local gossip in such a small town. “besides, like i said, if i wanted to take someone who was an expert at navigating these things and not someone i actually wanted to spend time with, i would’ve asked cody from kappa sig to dock his yacht early so he can be my date to the engagement party and pretend to flirt with every woman over forty.” it sounded like a parody of a stereotype, but she was in fact, thinking of an actual person that vacationed in cannon beach regularly who was a much regretted hook-up. “seriously, though, even if sabrina is from a family that belongs to a country club, my dad makes alcohol for a living and my mom is like the leader of the northwest oregon hippie moms. it should definitely not be as bad as it sounds, i swear.” 

the two were already more than halfway there when jackson mentioned the whole ring situation again, making her look pointedly through the windshield and not at him. she really wished he were less observant and smart. couldn’t he be more like her and be constantly embroiled in sexual fantasies when he was around? weren’t men supposed to think about sex like, thirty times a minute? her head turned to him despite herself when he mentioned that her brother had spoken to him privately, running back her memories of their interactions for the night: had he been any more hesitant or look at her like she could shatter? no. liam must’ve kept his mouth shut for once. at least about the big thing. “okay, first of all, ew.” plenty of her and liam’s friends teased them about their mom being a milf that she could already guess where his head had gone, and it bothered her more. not that she thought jackson was really the type to act on it or anything, it still made her tone a bit scathing as she added, “and don’t flatter yourself, she’s nice to everyone. that’s just how she is.” because she knew he was too observant, she circled around to his original question so he didn’t overthink it, especially her brother’s comment that she wouldn’t use it. “and yes, he did use the ring, and no, i’m not upset about it.” laney inhaled and parked in front of the boutique, which was all lit up and ready for them, staying open later just for their appointment with laney like they usually did with their high-paying customers. with a sigh, she elucidated, “it’s… symbolic, you know? both my parents are into their heritage and the family business, and liam’s the first-born son who’s gonna take it over when dad retires and carry on the family name. and then there’s me.” she trailed off, unsure of how to put it without sounding completely pathetic and self-pitying. “college and marriage and a nine-to-five is just not for me. and they don’t want me to be anything but myself, but it just sucks sometimes, y’know?” she refused to dwell on such a seemingly small concern–oh no, my parents don’t lay all of the pressure of the family’s future on me!– and shortly exited the car, her sandals crunching over the crushed seashell driveway. 

the boutique was definitely used to catering to the rich residents of cannon beach, seaside, and astoria, the o’neil’s in particular because laney’s disease meant that traveling more than a few hours away at night to shop was a rare occurrence. so the deal was that they dropped a few thousand regularly and in return, the store was always available for them. the owner, shelia, greeted her like they were old friends, air-kissing her cheek before standing back and letting laney introduce her to “my date for tomorrow evening, jackson”, earning him a short, “oh, very handsome”. without giving him a chance to reply or object, laney began to explain that jackson needed a tux as she lead the way to the seats near the fitting rooms, a bistro table ready with canapes and blue glass bottles of sparkling water with reusable straws. clearly, they had been expecting her to bring her mother. without announcing she was doing it, jackie produced a tape measure from nowhere and began taking his measurements and explained that the rack nearest them was full of dresses and jumpsuits that she’d pulled believing they were laney’s style, in order of dress code. “it’s black tie optional,” laney informed sheila, knowing she’d need it to select suits for jackson, and sheila replied to check the far right. there were three dresses before her, and they were indeed laney’s style just from the first glance; a black two-piece dress that would reveal a bit of her midsection, beadwork along the neckline and hem giving it a bit of an old hollywood glamour feel, the corset-back a bit sexy but not too much for the occasion. next was a deep burgundy dress with a gauzy skirt with a thigh-high slit, the lacy high neckline balancing it out to make it sophisticated. the last was an emerald green dress, satin with a draped neckline and an open back, reminding her a bit of the one keira knightley wore in atonement. not wanting to let their hospitality to go to waste, she nibbled on a canape while she waited for jackson to be given a break, silently wagging her eyebrows at him as sheila measured the distance from his inner thigh to his ankle. as soon as sheila was off to gather suits and tuxes, laney took a hanger in each hand and held each dress over her body so he could closely imagine what she would look like in it. “you pick,” she instructed him. 

Unaware he was really doing it, Jackson pulled a face at the mention of a Cody. Cody who had a yacht. Cody who would, apparently, dock that yacht at the very siren call of Laney, And the problem was she said it so casually--like every guy with a trust fund would just cancel their plans to go where she wanted them to go--that he knew it was probably true and something she knew she could do. Fuck, he’d just cancelled work the next night for her so he knew others would fall into line too. Unconsciously the fingers of his right hand rubbed over the knuckles of his left and he smiled quickly as she reassured him the event would be fine, which realistically he knew it would be. Deciding not to mention anything about the heated jealousy that had started in him, shocking with it’s intensity considering their situation, he tried to focus on the fact there was the potential for him to introduce himself to some of the right people in the right circles. At her cute little ‘ew’ he let out a laugh that only continued when she tried to say that it was only because her mom was nice that Jackson got a good impression from her. “Nope. I’m going to give her my number and I bet you right here and now she’ll use it,” he enthused, already enjoying how easily that tiny topic got under Laney’s skin and storing the information away. The fact her mom was hot and kind definitely helped. He tried to not look too interested in the conversation about the ring but he was glad she answered it and he gave her a lopsided smile, not really sure how to answer that because--being an only child--he was always automatically the favourite. And the fact he went to college, was quiet, helped out the family he was also the favourite cousin. He didn’t really know what would help. Before they left the car he called her name, though he was sure she was completely over that particular conversation judging by the way she ended it in such a typical Laney way. “You’re a lot more important than you probably think you are. But if it ever sucks too much I’m around to help. If you need.” 

If he had felt under-dressed before in his sweats now he was just uncomfortable. As they walked towards the store and Laney led them inside only to be greeted by some lady who was clearly waiting for them. He’d kind of been expecting to just pick up something she’d ordered but, nope, apparently there was food and a whole area ready for them. He was going to ask if they were even supposed to be open at this time before stopping himself and remembering he was with Laney, it shouldn’t have been surprising. As soon as he shoved his hands into his pockets in expectation to simply be relegated to waiting for Laney to try on dresses they were pulled right back out again and the lady was checking him for his sizes. “Uh, Laney there is no way I’m going to be able to afford something from here,” he said quickly, giving the nice lady who called him handsome a smile. She definitely got points for that even if she kind of tickled him a little with the way she was quickly taking his measurements. But Laney was looking at dresses while he was definitely being mishandled and he cleared his throat. “The last suit I bought was for my prom and I looked so good that I wore it to one of my cousins weddings a few years later so I know it still fits. Kind of. My arms have gotten bigger but I can make it work.” The owner even laughed a little at his last words but he didn’t know if it was because of his ego or in sympathy of him panicking over prices. His head snapped down as she took his inner leg measurements and he was grateful he’d left his underwear on because that was way too awkward and he felt the blush on his neck heat up. She soon left though with a polite smile and Jackson decided he liked her, even if there was no way she was going to get a sale out of him, and he turned his attention to Laney and the dresses in her hands. All of which appealed to him in different ways. 

“I definitely remember telling you I liked seeing you in red and none of those are matches,” he said, pretending--and failing--to be disappointed in her choices. Truth was each one was going to drive him crazy in it’s own way; the black would highlight her stomach and the burgundy would tease him with her legs and the green gave him secret places to touch. He took his time to trace his eyes from the length of her legs up to his favourite area of her neck, lingering over her collarbones as memories flashed quickly through his mind just how she tasted there. “I’ve seen you in black before and as sexy as that burgundy color is, I think I want to see you try the green one,” Jackson told her, the deep timbre of his voice giving away exactly where his thoughts had been heading. He moved closer under the guise of taking the other dresses away and placing them back on the rack, ignoring the fact they didn’t have price tags on them which only gave away the fact of how expensive they were, Licking his lips slowly, mostly to gather his thoughts, he lowered his mouth next to her ear. “It’s taking a lot for me to not take you in the dressing room right now so you need to go and try it on before I get us both banned for life.” He heard the approaching steps of the owner who, he was sure anyway, only took so long to give them privacy and took a step back as she explained to Jackson quickly to try the first suit to double check it fit correctly over his shoulders and into his waist. Whatever that meant. He took the black suit, glaring a little at the bow tie like it had done something wrong, and followed the directions to the changing room himself. “You can’t laugh at me when you see it,” he warned Laney over his shoulder as he entered the room though he was sure the girl was busy with her own dress and expertly making herself look nicer. Even with no interest in buying it Jackson changed into the suit--leaving the bow tie untied around his neck because he wasn’t going to attempt that challenge--and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked good, he knew he did, and trying on something expensive felt kind of thrilling but he felt bad knowing the owner had worked hard finding it for him only to figure out he’d never afford it. Stepping back into the area the lady came back to him, brushing her hands over his shoulders quickly and looked at him with a sweet gaze. “You’ll make a wonderful date for her,” she whispered at him and Jackson blinked quickly, kind of unsure where that came from and kind of excited at it being the second time being referred to as Laney’s date. “Uh, yeah,” he nodded before she nodded to herself at the fit. “Laney, come see me look like a higher paid waiter than I am.”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

laney was very unused to parents and houses that weren’t hers. being confined to the house half of the time and allergic to commitment did that to a person. not to mention that everyone loved her big house, full wine cellar, and free-spirited mother so much that it was the hangout spot of choice anytime any of her friends could be tempted away from the beach and the houses they rented. most adults she interacted were being paid to do it; therapists, tutors, stylists,  doctors… needless to say, it didn’t really occur to laney that she needed to brighten her surly demeanor or offer any information further than what she wanted to provide as she greeted jackson’s father. thankfully, he seemed to be just as graceless as she’d been, opening the conversation dubiously but letting her inside nonetheless. if her house was a feminine love letter to the coast they lived on and an occasional featurette in home decor magazines–full of designs inspired by seashells and soft nude colors and clear glass panes for walls– jackson’s was what she imagined to be a bachelor pad, the logical product of two single men living together for years, but still eye-pleasing enough that they clearly appreciated aesthetic. she knew other people had remarked to her that hers felt more like a hotel or a museum, but the inside of his house was so suddenly foreign that she just folded her arms behind her almost shyly, afraid to touch anything. okay, so maybe she should’ve thought it through a little more as she impatiently waited for sky to turn from orange and pink to silver blue. 

laney nodded mutely, but the exasperated-but-endearing tone in his father’s voice as he described jackson’s habit of getting lost in books made her smile softly. that smile turned cheeky as jackson made his way down, disheveled and looking shocked by her sudden appearance next to his father–and to think, he most likely didn’t even have some huge lifelong secret to hide from him to worry about. “right, sorry, i forgot to introduce myself,” laney interjected, recovering enough from her lapse in charisma to laugh at herself lightly. “i’d say i have no home-training but the truth is that i’ve had an excess of it. i just get wrapped up in myself sometimes.” this was said with the slightest apologetic tone to both father and son, hoping her self-awareness would balance out her rudeness. she let jackson lead her towards the door with a rueful smile but grinned over her shoulder as his dad told her it was nice to meet her. “we sure will. it was nice to meet you, too, mr. collins.” truly, laney would’ve preferred to just call him by his first name like they were old friends, but jackson has sneakily refrained from giving it. “i don’t mind meeting your dad,” she reassured him. sure it might’ve been weirder if he were anyone else, but they were next door neighbors; if they hadn’t already spoken before and forgotten about it, they inevitably would in the event of a lost pet or dead car battery or borrowed cup of sugar or something. it was really a feat that laney and jackson had never spoken before; if laney had ever laid eyes on him before the night in the liquor store, she would’ve made it happen. “he speaks his mind, i like that.”

at the question of her plans for the night, she perked up slightly but felt a tinge of nervousness inside as he mentioned he had work the next night. she really didn’t know what she’d do if he said he wouldn’t be her date–she couldn’t miss her own brother’s engagement party. probably just ask one of her past hook-ups, one of the button-up golf-playing types from astoria, and try to get champagne drunk enough that hooking up again was out of the question. but was that really worth asking jackson to give up a night of work? she really didn’t know, as spoiled as she was. “i came over without telling you because i have to ask you something, and i knew the sneak attack method would be more successful than giving you a chance to overthink it,” she replied truthfully and glanced back at her house, every light ablaze, her mother visible inside hunched over a laptop alongside sabrina, sabrina’s mom, and her assistant, booking flowers or fondue pots or something. she stuffed her hands in the back pocket of her denim skirt anxiously, hiding it by letting the motion elongate her body some as she peered up at him. “liam proposed, so there’s an engagement party tomorrow. very grown up, black tie and champagne and schmoozing and all of that, but with liam’s friends, it might devolve into something else entirely by the end of the night. do you want to go with me?” before he could answer, and maybe a little too quickly, she tugged one of her hands free to make a stopping motion before returning it to her pocket. “and before you answer, please note that if you say yes, some of my mom’s publishing contacts have already rsvp’d, we can always sneak off to my room, and you not leaving me to look like some kind of frigid black sheep to all of my brother’s and parents’ friends would make me very very happy.” she punctuated this plea with a wide-eyed faux-innocent look, her shoulders swaying slightly. “i have to go pick out a dress at a boutique in town tonight. we can get you a tux too.” 

He couldn’t help but smile at Laney’s positive words about his dad but he knew he wouldn’t be introducing them again unless he really needed to. It wasn’t event that he didn’t want to do it; in fact the very thought of Laney being comfortable in his home, around his family, accepted and integrated was more than appealing but he still wasn’t entirely sure if that was the road they were heading down. “Yeah he does. Just don’t take everything he says too seriously. He thinks he’s being funny when he’s really not,” he mentioned lightly, not wanting to give too much away but hoping if another unannounced visit happened--and his dad was in a less accommodating mood--she would be prepared. Not wanting to linger, and kind of falling for her cheeky look as she stood in front of him, Jackson let the conversation melt away into what she was planning for them. He watched as she turned to look back at the house and an offended look crossed his brow at being told he would overthink. it was true, but she didn’t need to say it. She grew a little nervous, fidgeting, but it just endeared him more and if the way she asked him to attend her brothers engagement party wasn’t enough to say yes then her cute attitude sealed the seal. The fact it was the following night wasn’t really an issue for Jackson; he would call in sick and if the restaurant had an issue with it then they could take it up with him another night. As much as he wanted to earn money, and he would probably move a shift around instead, he was kind of amused he was Laney’s first choice. At least he hoped so. 

“Well now that you’ve mentioned that some publishing people will be there I’m not going to say no, am I? And I suppose the idea of making you happy is kind of tempting too,” he shrugged, though it was obviously written on his face how pleased he was at being asked. It sounded terribly like a date, even if she never actually mentioned the word, but Jackson stopped himself from saying anything. He was sure there were hundreds of guys, or girls, far better suited to the kind of party the O’Neil’s would be hosting but she was standing in front of him and so he counted that as a win. “But, I mean, I think what’s really winning me over is the promise of being able to sneak away to your bedroom eventually and getting to see you in a dress.” The images in his mind weren’t exactly awful to imagine; Laney in a sleek dress, hugging her figure tightly, sneaking him off somewhere dark and secluded for a moment of privacy whilst the elite partied beyond a closed door. Even if he had to wear a tux, which she wouldn’t be buying, it seemed like a pretty sweet deal. Even though he was sure they’d be going somewhere expensive, and he definitely not dressed correctly in his grey sweatpants and t-shirt, he gestured towards her car instead and walked towards it, letting her unlock it before he swiftly got into it and checked his pocket for his phone. There was no way he was going to let an opportunity pass to see Laney in a different style of clothing than he was used to without having photographic evidence. “I know your family are going to be busy all night celebrating Liam and things but you need to remember the most money I’ve had was when my Grandma sent me $200 for my birthday when she won at Bingo. You’re gonna have to get used to me following you around so I don’t screw up.” 

The whole thing was said as a joke. Most of the time Jackson barely noticed the money aspect of Laney and having breakfast with his family only reiterated how normal they were, but the guests likely to attend might have not been as laid-back as the O’Neil’s and as light-hearted as his words were Jackson knew he’d spend most of his night staying close to someone he knew. He knew he could be charming and courteous as needed but he didn’t really want to risk it too much; if only because he wanted to impress her parents for reasons he wasn’t willing to think about. As Laney drove a thought struck Jackson and he debated bringing it up. At the breakfast there had been a tense atmosphere and as he left Liam had mentioned Laney not being as strong as she tried to show, which had only further fuelled his intrigue about the girl. There was clearly a side to her she wasn’t willing to show him yet and Jackson knew he could be patient but he still wanted her to be aware that, if she needed, he was available to her to talk. “So, did Liam end up taking the ring and using that to propose? Figure it might not be a topic you really want to talk about but you seemed sort of upset about it the other day and I didn’t want to overstep by asking you in front of everyone. And I know you said it’s ‘cause you didn’t like him speaking for you, or something, but I still wanted to check in. He spoke to me outside when we left and he seems like a chill kind of guy. Just wanted to make sure you were okay, that’s all.” His questions mostly came from a place of care but he was also very familiar with how quickly Laney could switch a subject, so he attempted an out for her just in case. “Or we can talk about something else? Like how I’m pretty sure I’m gonna be your mom’s new best friend.”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

it had only been a couple days since her brother had successfully popped the question at some fancy restaurant thirty minutes away and the o’neil’s being the o’neils meant that they had to throw a party. thankfully, the o’neil’s being in the alcohol business generally meant that the snooty judgmental types stayed away and most party guests tended to be outgoing cultured people genuinely happy for the family and their contribution to cannon beach and surrounding areas. unfortunately for laney, that also meant that while she tried to sleep during the day, she was treated to the noise and bluster of sabrina and her mother party-planning, booking musicians and caterers and manicurists. so laney had already been up and ready long before the sun finally sank down over the horizon of the ocean, a little grumpy from her lack of decent sleep and just the tiniest bit nervous about asking jackson to be her date. 

as the youngest sister of the happy couple, she obviously couldn’t go without a date without getting pitying looks. and even though it was just a party that her parents were throwing at her own house, she didn’t want to mess things up with jackson by taking some other guy. but she also didn’t want him to get ahead of himself. as soon as it got dark enough that both laney and her mother deemed it safe, laney took the keys to the jeep and her wallet full of credit cards and went over to jackson’s house unannounced. she knocked on the door precisely, firm enough to be heard but undemanding, happy to wait on the doorstep and check out his view of the ocean while she waited for it to open. when it opened, and jackson’s dad was there, she was not quick enough to hide her disappointment that it was not his son, which would make it much easier to just tug him out of the house and a few feet over to the garage without much room for argument or complex conversation. she glanced around what she could see of the house around his dad’s frame for jackson before asking, “hi. is jackson around? i want to take him on a field trip.”

On answering the door, James Collins couldn’t have looked more confused if he had tried. It wasn’t like Jackson had a constant stream of girls at the door, that he knew of, but he had been watching an old game before the door went and being interrupted for a friend of Jackson’s didn’t seem worth it. “At your age? Sure. If that’s what you’re going to call it .” He stepped aside to let the girl in, glancing up the stairs and shouting Jackson’s name loudly and closing the door behind Laney to lead her into the home. There was a few piles of laundry in the hallway, folded and ready to go to a bedroom but had clearly been forgotten about, and James apologised for any mess she would see if she looked hard enough. The house, though not quite as grand as others, was fairly large on the inside and the neutral walls were livened up by framed football jerseys, movie posters and a few pictures of Jackson through the years. Through the short hallway was the kitchen but James turned left into a living area, the television paused on the game he was watching and his beer resting on the small table. “If he’s up there reading you don’t stand a chance of getting his attention. Boy puts his headphones on loud enough to go deaf. You won’t catch sight of him until he’s done or he decides it’s time to eat.” He opened his mouth again to give directions to Jackson’s room when the guy in question jogged down the stairs, pulling his shirt over his head with a sheepish smile casting in Laney’s direction. “Hi?” Jackson said to both of them, honestly weirded out at the image of both of them standing near each other, before catching the look from his dad and internally rolling his eyes at the silent conversation that asked him who the hell was standing in the hallway. “Dad this is Laney O’Neil. She’s my friend from across the road and likes funfairs and talking in code. Laney this is my dad. I call him dad. That’s about it.” 

There was an unspoken rule in the Collins house for Jackson to not introduce anyone to his dad unless he was serious about them; but in his defence he didn’t invite Laney over, that he remembers, and so he was sure he wasn’t in trouble. Still, he itched to get them both out of there as it seemed his dad was settling in for the evening. “I’m just gonna go talk to Laney outside,” he told the older man, trying to ignore the amused look they were both getting, and encouraged the girl to walk back out of the front door with him. “It was nice to briefly meet you, Laney. Maybe next time we’ll get a full conversation.” His dad called from behind them which made Jackson laugh lightly and he was just glad that his dad was in an okay mood tonight which meant he was talkative and somewhat approachable. Another night could have seen his dad staring blankly at a wall or angry at his failed marriage and that wasn’t something Jackson wanted Laney to ever really witness. Despite it having been so many years since his mom walked out, Jackson sometimes thought his dad got angrier and angrier the more time went on. He was more than happy to let Laney have the illusion he had everything together than admit sometimes he struggled. However the unannounced visit made him a little jumpy at the could-have-been’s and he pushed it away as he looked at her. “So that was my dad. Could have used a little warning before you decided to come over, you know? I would have made sure I came to the door instead. But I can’t complain since you look nice,” he smiled, his attempt to rid them of any awkward air. He noted briefly the keys in Laney’s hand and the look in her eye and he tilted his head at her, already reading that she was planning some kind of adventure and he smirked at her. “Where are you taking me? Because I have work tomorrow night and I’m gonna need to call in if you’re going to kidnap me.”

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

laney could tell by the gleam in her mother’s eye that she wasn’t going to stop at just suggesting contacts and offering to be a reader. jackson’s mere mention of the word money was enough to kick in laney’s mother’s altruistic instincts, regardless of whether jackson could save up the money on his own or not. so her mother agreed to look over his draft as soon as he could get it over to her but laney knew that if she liked it even a little bit, she’d probably be looking into different grants and emailing any editors she could rub elbows with and probably start a short list of potential investors and donors without ever telling him. and if that weren’t enough, jackson had to go and politely mention that he didn’t often have homecooked meals, making maude exclaim that he was welcome over anytime, him and his father, and that they had way too much food that went to waste anyways so it would be a blessing instead of a burden to have guests. laney couldn’t help but to snicker slightly beside jackson. it was pretty much exactly what she had predicted her mother would do; anyone who cared about her daughter half as much as she did would always be on the receiving end of her compassion, and while laney was kind of jealous she couldn’t be the one helping jackson herself, she was pleased she could at least be the middle man.

laney’s mother and brother was not near as good at lying as laney was and laney knew jackson would inevitably feel uncomfortable but she was still surprised when he curtly pushed his plate in front of him and thanked them for the meal like he was leaving. for no reason she could possibly discern, she felt a twinge of panic at the idea of jackson leaving her; rationally, she knew she probably just dreaded spending another day in the house alone, but she also knew that it was ridiculous to expect anything else from him. he had his own life and his own completely opposite sleep schedule. laney had already slipped the nail of her thumb in between and gnawed on it anxiously when he leaned it and suggested he should leave, to which she quickly pulled her hand from her mouth and argued, “don’t worry about it, liam’s about to go on his run.” true to form, liam was indeed already up and out of his chair, pulling his earbuds from around his neck and bidding his mother goodbye, taking advantage of jackson’s presence to get out before laney could turn her wrath on him. laney honestly wasn’t upset about the implication of liam’s words, she was moreso just upset that he couldn’t watch his mouth. it was laney’s secret and not his to go blabbing about. losing interest in her own breakfast, laney turned in her chair so her knees knocked against his and her expression grew a little strained as she explained, completely aware that the rest of her family could hear, “the ring’s just this family heirloom we have and i’m not going to use it but i still don’t like other people talking for me.” 

the sadness in her hushed voice when she confirmed she would never use the ring was barely detectable, but it made liam and maude both go into their caretaking modes. her brother gave her a pathetic apologetic puppy dog look over jackson’s shoulder and her mother insisted that jackson was a guest and he was not lifting a finger, taking the rest of the plates from the table and readying them for the dishwasher, giving them a bit of privacy by turning her back to them and letting the running water tune them out. at the mention of walking him to the door, the brunette girl automatically turned to judge the amount of sunlight outside, which was enough to make the waves shimmer a few feet away from the porch; enough to risk a sliver of light coming in through the door to save face? but before she even had time to consider it, liam jumped in and said, “i’ll walk you out, dude. i gotta lock up behind you.” he was just trying to be helpful after screwing up, but it probably came off to jackson as an overprotective brother thing–not wanting to see his sister kiss some dude goodbye or something. but laney couldn’t come up with a more convenient lie, so she just mouthed sorry at jackson and leaned forward to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. “i’ll text you later, okay?”

The welcoming attitude of Laney’s mom made him smile and thank her again, unable to hide his amusement at how sweet and accepting she was. Next to him he could hear Laney laughing quietly and he wondered if he looked as overwhelmed by the woman as he felt; while she was the nicest mom, possibly in the world, she was just so positive. “I’ll let him know you offered,” he replied diplomatically, knowing his dad would probably only accept if Jackson begged him or if he felt he couldn’t say no. But as nice and as loving as the woman was; Jackson could only really pay attention to the girl next to him. Not that it surprised him. Laney was quickly becoming the only person he could really ever think about. Her words, her tone, something in her eye almost convinced him to stay. And as much as she was giving him an explanation Jackson knew that there was something more to her story than she was letting on but he didn’t really know what it could be. There wasn’t really much he could say to make sure she was okay; siding with Laney was obvious but he didn’t want to cause anymore issues at the table and making a joke would probably fall flat. Instead of making the obvious comment that she was probably too independent for an engagement ring he gave her a soft look, his smile as gentle as he could make it. He didn’t want to say anything more in front of her family but the sad tone in her voice made him ache a little and he wanted to know how to fix it, even if he could. 

“Talk to him,” was all he could really think to say and he knew it wasn’t enough but he did hope that she’d talk to Liam and maybe feel better. There was a thick air around them and Jackson was perceptive enough that he knew he wasn’t being told everything but pressing it with Laney would lead to her ignoring the conversation more than likely. At Liam’s offer to walk him out Jackson didn’t even attempt to hide his disappointment, his eyes dropping to her lips to convey how badly he wanted her to be the one to walk him out so he could at least kiss her the way he wanted to. He knew to not push it though and satisfied himself with the kiss she placed on his cheek, nodding at her promise. “Make sure you do,” he said, lingering a second more to try and see if she really was okay but standing up. Laney hated feeling coddled or overprotected and he didn’t want her to feel that way with him. “Thanks for everything again, Mrs. O’Neill. I’ll send the stuff over as soon as I can.” He bid the older woman a goodbye and followed Liam out of the house, his fingers brushing against Laney’s back as he walked past her in an attempt to sate his need to touch her before he left. His car was still outside as both guys left and he kept his face as neutral as he could at Liam’s look. In fairness he mostly looked amused but Jackson wasn’t about to give anything away and he took his keys out, unlocking the car. “Hey, dude. Thanks for bringing Laney home last night, that was good of you,” Liam said quietly and Jackson didn’t miss the glance he gave back to the large door like he was hoping the girl couldn’t hear them. For a moment Jackson didn’t really know what to do, or say. Her brother wasn’t an idiot and both guys knew why he brought the girl home, even if it wasn’t the initial intention, but they danced around the topic expertly. “She can be hard sometimes but, you know, don’t let her. She’s not as strong as she seems so you have to be patient with her.” Jackson’s attention perked up at that but Liam was already looking through his phone at his music and Jackson really needed to know how both he and Laney could just drop conversations so easily. “For what it’s worth I think it’s cool you’re getting engaged and Laney probably does too. She talks about you sometimes,” Jackson finally said, nodding at the boy and opening the door of his car. When it became clear there wasn’t more of a conversation to be had he got in and started the engine, backing out of the area and driving the tiny distance to his own home. He had work later that day but Jackson knew he’d spend the rest of the morning hoping Laney would stick to her promise of contacting him.

[jxncollins]

plainlylaney‌:

laney was fine letting jackson and her dad make small talk over her, more preoccupied with the silent conversation she was having with her mom across the table with her, who was telling her with her face that she was already impressed and laney replied without words that she agreed. but then jackson dropped a familiar name and laney turned to look at him automatically, stunned expression on her face, trying to figure out why he’d mentioned one of her regular doctors–only to realize he was talking about his aunt. a dozen thoughts ran through laney’s mind at once; did he know more about her than he said? she reminded herself that on the off chance his aunt had ever even mentioned her condition to jackson, she legally couldn’t have said laney was the one who had it. but could he figure it out? definitely, if the slight surprised looks on everyone’s face at the table told her anything. recovering the fastest, laney turned to her mom with a slight look of panic in her eyes, her voice deceivingly disinterested as she remarked, “i think we’ve all gone to her a few times, right, mom?” maude o’neil was not near as good of a liar as laney was, so she waited a bit too long before she nodded, “yeah, yeah, she’s a nice lady.” her voice got louder and less worried as she recalled something truthful, “actually, i remember she was the one who popped liam’s shoulder back into place when he dislocated it playing beach volleyball when he was eight.” her brother added in an amused “oh yeah, i remember that, it hurt like hell,” oblivious to everything else going on. 

as he bumped her hand aside and claimed that he was in fact the champion, she gave him a faux glare for only a few heartbeats before she went right back to stabilizing her creation. she didn’t even look up as he asked if he was okay to get coffee, replying in a low voice “me casa es su casa” as she broke a strip of bacon in two and pinned it over an open square of space with a toothpick, makeshift window curtains. she meant it genuinely. now that her family had met him and seemingly had no qualms (which they would’ve made known right up front, she knew from experience), he was welcome pretty much anytime. that had always been the policy with the o’neils, for any of the extended family or significant others or friends–laney supposed when you had a big house and a lot of food and talked a big game about helping others, you’d be a hypocrite if you didn’t at least open your doors to the people you trusted. and though she couldn’t explain how much it mattered to jackson, her family really didn’t want her to be lonely. laney glanced up in time to see jackson refilling her dad’s coffee, too and smiled at his self-assuredness. other boys would’ve ignored her dad altogether. and while it may have just been jackson exhibiting general hospitality, she knew it’d go a long way with her dad, too. but that slight progress was pretty much immediately walked back by the mention of his serving job and jackson’s hand on her upper leg. laney, of course, appreciated the small affectionate gesture but still glanced at him, taken aback by either his sudden confidence or lack of awareness. just because they both weren’t sure what they were didn’t necessarily mean they should act freely in front of their parents, right? trying to move on from the moment, laney relaxed under his hand and replied, “i think we should put it to a vote.”

to her parents’ credit, neither one reacted much. liam, however, finally looked up from his waffle creation and grinned, completely entertained. just then, a phone rang, and laney knew from its ringtone that it was her father’s business phone, which rang frequently. he pushed out of his seat and fished the phone out of his pocket, heading to the living room to take it and replied, “i vote with your mother.” unexpectedly, liam called after him, “dad, could you try to be quick? i wanna talk about something.” liam knew as well that laney did that their dad disappearing from breakfast to take a phone call could very well mean not seeing him until dinner that night. ready to be done with her construction and begin with the actual eating of the breakfast, especially with all of the vitamins turning in her stomach, laney finished lining the roof with a canister of whipped cream and berries as her dad muttered into the phone about shipments in the next room, and presented it for voting, establishing, “obviously, we all vote for ourselves.” laney’s mom was too nice and she fully expected her to vote in favor of jackson just because he was the guest–however, after a complimentary analysis of each waffle house worthy of an art history major (laney’s had good structural integrity, jackson’s was a creative standout after years of observing waffle houses, she adored liam’s waffle drawbridge door), laney’s mom declared that both the o’neil parents voted for liam’s, making him a winner. “good, cause i’ve got a prize in mind,” liam jeered. now that her hands weren’t busy building, her hand slipped over jackson’s instinctively, fingers curling around his. okay, so maybe acting like they were barely more than friends in front of others would be harder than it looked, she concluded. “

“i’ve got to go into the distillery early,” her dad announced as he re-entered the kitchen, already reaching over to kiss his wife goodbye before liam interrupted. “wait, wait, before you go.” he looked sheepish but relaxed as he stood from the table and said, “i’ve decided to ask sabrina to marry me.” her mother gasped excitedly and her dad actually smiled at the news and laney glanced over in apology to jackson for submitting him to the romcom that was liam and sabrina: high school sweethearts, but anxiously, liam added, “and i was wondering if i could have mom’s ring.” this news was more ruggedly received; the ring was a family heirloom that mostly stayed in a safe in their parents’ closet because it ran through their mom’s side of the family, and she wore the ring their dad had bought her when he proposed instead. but it was valuable, pretty, sentimental. too much to not see the light of day. the complicated part was that it could go to either o’neil sibling. “i think you should discuss that with your sister,” her mother said diplomatically, followed by her dad nodding in agreement. “why? it’s not like laney’s going to use it!” liam exclaimed, exasperated as usual by anything but their parents’ full and immediate approval. “can you shut up?!” laney said louder than anyone else, giving her brother a real glare now, her heart thumping. both her parents said each siblings names warningly, always quick to put out any fires between the two before they could spread. to his credit, liam looked appropriately chastised from his seat at the table for bringing his sister’s eventual death up in nothing but a bid for a ring he could afford to do without. the brunette refused to look at jackson for fear of making him think her reaction had anything to do with with him, and only looked back to her plate, quickly plucking the toothpicks out of each corner so it would be ready to eat. “you can have the ring,” she grumbled, slipping into her normal unbothered tone as she lied, “seriously. i don’t want it. i’d want something cruelty-free anyways.” 

normally, the o’neils probably would’ve made them talk it through, but jackson was there, so they couldn’t. so laney’s dad just went on bidding everyone goodbye, kissing laney’s head and shaking jackson’s hand and saying it was nice to meet him, clapping liam on the back and telling him he was proud of him for making such a big decision. laney glowered through her hair and stabbed at her waffles while she watched her dad descend the stairs and then pushed it away. this was seriously not how she’d wanted the breakfast to go, but all she could do was pretend it was completely normal. just the spoiled o’neil kids being spoiled. “uh, mom, jackson here has a novel he wants to try to publish. i figured you could refer him to some publishing contacts, where to receive grants and funding, that type of thing.” that was all she needed for her mom to go off jabbering overenthusiastically about what genre of novel and if he had any publishing house preferences, seattle publishers versus portland publishers, name-dropping editors and authors laney was sure jackson probably didn’t know in the first place. laney took the length of their conversation to completely compose herself until she could smile encouragingly at jackson and occasionally roll her eyes at liam’s nosy questions about what genre novel.

Ignorant to the silent conversation Laney was having with her parents, Jackson simply nodded along with however it was that they knew his aunt. Most people did. Cannon Beach was only just large enough that there was only a slight chance you might not really know someone, and with his aunt working at the hospital and being their neighbour for years he sort of expected them to know her. “Yeah she’s had to fix me up a few times too. Figure working at a hospital isn’t as glamorous as TV makes it out to be. She never tells me any stories about work though so it’s probably all just broken bones and items swallowed,” he addressed Liam mostly but let the conversation lie. He was close enough to his aunt that eventually he’d probably tell her about Laney and it was good to know that the family had a positive relationship with her. The whole experience of being able to have a breakfast like this was surreal to Jackson; from building houses of food to the familiarity of the interactions, it was nice. Generally people saw a big house and people with money and they assumed the worst but it was good to know that the O’Neil’s not only lived up to their good reputation but it seemed to come naturally to them. It made a smile form on his lips though at the small rebellious streak in the self-titled baby of the family. His attention was taken as her dad took a call and he watched as he excused himself, kind of in awe of how well the guy was put together. His easy acceptance of Jackson at the table relaxed him a little and noting how her mom didn’t say anything, he let his hand stay there even as he lost to Liam because of a drawbridge. “Okay I’m not saying it should have been a tie but mine was superior,” he told Laney and even if he tried to hide his smile at her fingers brushing over his own, he couldn’t. Instead he cleared his throat, using his free hand to pick at the waffles on his plate. 

He was sure he’d be forgiven for his attention being kind of behind but the waffles were good and he had no idea who Sabrina even was, but Jackson smiled along with the family and took cues from their excitement that it was a good thing. The only information he’d retained was how they were sweethearts and there was a breakup, but the guy looked happy and he gave him a supportive nod like it even mattered what he thought. There was a mention of a ring and Jackson, though new to the dynamics, felt a swift shift in the air and politely turned his attention to the coffee in his cup. His eyebrows furrowed at Laney’s exclamation and his protective need kicked in, his hand slipping out of hers for only a second before placing it on her knee and running his thumb against her skin. It was out of the way enough he figured her parents couldn’t see but she was refusing to really look at him and he pulled his hand back, putting it into his lap as he quickly tried to reassess the boundaries they had. Not that they were all that great at setting boundaries honestly. “It was great meeting you too, sir,” he said quickly as he shook her dad’s hand and said goodbye, needing the distraction from the girl next to him that had suddenly become impossible to read. She was far too good at doing that. The subject changed, thankfully, and Jackson jumped at the opportunity to move away from a conversation about a ring he had no idea about and why Laney was never going to use it. “I’m working on a science-fiction piece and I have most of it finished. Laney said she’d read it over for me but, I mean, if you wanted to too then that’s cool,” he let her mom know, a charming smile working across his face in an attempt to be charismatic rather than a guy trying to sell his book. “But, seriously, I appreciate the help with the names and stuff. My dad is on board with me writing but he doesn’t even know where to start when it comes to the rest of it and neither do I really. I do know the Seattle houses might be better for me when I finally have the money together but some of the bigger ones are out East so that’s something to think about.” 

Realising he’d started speaking more than eating he turned his attention back to the waffles. “Also, these are amazing. Makes me wish my dad could cook more than cereal,” which was true, but also Jackson knew his dad worked hard and didn’t have time to always cook up breakfast--or even dinner--often and it was left either to Jackson or the pizza place that basically knew him by name. His eyes occasionally drifted by to Laney to try and read her emotions but she was so talented in adjusting her expressions to each environment that it was hard and even as he glanced across to Liam he could still see the very small undercurrents of annoyance. There was clearly something they needed to talk about as a family and he figured Liam’s announcement probably didn’t need to include him. “Thank you for breakfast, Best one I’ve had in ages,” he said quickly as he pushed his plate forward.and looked to Laney, lowering his voice. between the two of them though he was sure the other two in the room could probably feel his awkwardness. “Maybe I should go? I’ve kind of jumped in on this whole engagement announcement and I think maybe you all should talk about that as a family,” he suggested, trying to keep his tone as easy as he could with the fear he was going to spook Laney off or have her dismiss him a little too easily. Part of him figured her mood mostly came from being tired and having Liam announce he wanted the ring in front of someone so that she couldn’t refuse and he sent her a teasing smile, trying to at least lift her mood back to where it had been that morning. “I mean I can stay and help clear up if you need? If my aunt heard I left a table a mess she’d leave work early to come and kick my ass but that’s not something I need you to see so early in this friendship, you know?” Almost to prove his point Jackson stacked all his used items onto the plate neatly, finishing off his coffee. “You could walk me to the door if you want to be a good host though?”