JakexF!MC
Genre: Romance, Drama
Suitable for everybody.
Events during the chapter in chapter 8
Warning: mention of death
Previous chapter
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*Jake POV*
I don’t know what to expect from that room, does it have something to do with the investigation? What is full of stuffed animals from when she was little? What would make a girl her age embarrassed?
She slowly opens the door to that room, passing through first as if she wanted to check that everything is in order.
“Okay, come on in.”
I go in fearful, but then I am surprised. It's… A totally normal room. Well, almost normal, because it almost seems like a museum full of frames with news instead of works of art.The room appears to be quite clean for a room where no one sleeps. The bed is small compared to the one I’ve seen in her room. A desk full of family photos. I’d like to take a closer look at them.
It’s quite… Lovely that she’s shy about hiding this. So I inadvertently let out a small laugh.
“Is this what you were hiding?” I ask, approaching to read a newspaper clipping about a man with the same last name as MC who appeared in a photograph taken from afar, arresting someone.
"You said you wouldn’t laugh" She reproaches, looking to the side.
“I’m not laughing,” At least not making fun of her. I point to another piece of news. “They’re all from the same man.”
“Yes… While in my adolescence my friends had posters and photos of trips or friends hanging in their rooms, I had newspaper clippings of the person I admired the most” she approaches me looking at the newspaper clipping, with a strange smile “He was a great police inspector. And sometimes her daughter collaborated with him when he got stuck in understanding the behavior of some suspect” she laughs, but I notice her differently. Distant.
"And so began that girl’s little detective life.“ I put a hand to my chin, giving her a curious look. No wonder she paid attention to little details.
"And as time went on, some of the police didn’t like it, too many people wanted the inspector job. If the girl were to occupy that position, it would be quite unfair.” I notice how she clenches her hands tightly, now angry. “But they all came up against a problem that even she couldn’t solve, so the jealous adults’ taunts came from her and her insecurity appeared, causing her to prefer to dedicate herself to investigating stories. Something that her father didn’t like. He hated reporters ever since that cold case.”
"What happened to the inspector?“ I look at her, sympathetically “You speak of him in the past tense.”
She bites her lip and looks at me. I notice how she tries to hold back her tears.
“It was at Christmas. He and her daughter argued over a stupid article in the newspaper where she worked but she had nothing to do with it, because he thought it was some kind of revenge for those adults who laughed at her.” She sighs, putting a hand to her head, more annoyed by the past than because she had asked. In that article they laughed at the police for being incompetent because you can see that they should never have lost their perfect assistant. She tried to reason with him, they were both stubborn. They left the party arguing” little by little she reduces her words, slowing down speaking “They continued arguing in the car. Her daughter was the one driving, getting more and more nervous.” she replies, her voice cracking “Finally there was an accident. He and his wife died. Luckily his daughter was saved. But…”
"She hasn’t recovered yet” I try to dig a little, I feel like she’s not talking about someone else. I can’t force her to tell me.
"Yes, she recovered. It’s just that sometimes she thinks about why they should have argued that day. Let’s say that… She can’t forgive herself for not having apologized to him… Nor that she got to see the truck on time because she preferred to continue yelling at him than to choose to look in the rear-view mirror… Some journalists thought that the police covered up that the daughter was drunk because she was the daughter of her partner” she whispers that last angrily. MC lets out a sigh and smiles. “I’m going to prepare the food, I’ll leave you in charge of the last camera.”
She heads for the door, but I stop her with my words.
"I don’t think that girl should feel guilty.“ I look at her with a certain melancholy, understanding her. “Or at least… I think so…”
“I’ll tell her when I sees her.”
She leaves me alone in the room, ready to set up the cameras.
It is impossible not to read all the articles, in some they talk about a mysterious police assistant who helped the inspector. I guess it’s in her genes. The photos are of the same man who must have been his wife and MC, at different stages of her life. In one of them, there is the man and MC showing just one of the articles where they talk about the mysterious assistant. Her father is smiling proudly and she seems happy. Seeing them makes me know more about her and makes me happy.
By looking at it all, I completely unlock memories from my childhood. Even in that we are totally different, but… There was also a happy time in my life, although it lasted only a short time. To have someone to admire and from whom to learn.
"She has decided to open up to you… She hasn’t told any of the group about this.“ I look at my hand. I tremble. MC has trusted me by telling me her story. Perhaps I should…
I finish putting the last camera in and start to smell the food. My stomach growls. I almost always eat in restaurants or motels, a homemade meal? It had been years since anyone had prepared anything for me. MC must have been the person who had cared the most for me in a long time. I like it.
“The food is ready.” She enters the room with a different attitude, more cheerful. “For the record, I don’t use the kitchen very much, so I don’t know how it turned out.”
“I’ll take a shower and go out to eat.” I grab the backpack and hang it on my shoulder. I have everything that I need in it.
"Oh! Do you want a towel? Do you use any special shampoo? I can go to sho-
“MC, I appreciate your concern, but I have everything I need right here.” I point to the backpack.
“Then give it to me!”
“What?”
“If you have dirty clothes, I can wash them.”
I don’t want to take advantage of her. I refuse by throwing my shoulder back, not wanting her to grab my backpack. And I don’t mind washing my clothes in twenty-four-hour laundromats.
“Jake, you really shouldn’t feel like you’re taking advantage of me.”
<< You read my mind!>>
“Look, I put the washing machine in the clothes-”
“You mean the clothes in the washing machine” she corrects me.
Great, I can’t even speak properly anymore.
“I put the clothes in the washing machine.”
She puts a hand to her mouth, chuckling. Very funny, MC, making fun of "your grandfather”.
I finish drying my hair and sniff the air. The soap she had put on this morning was now used by me. How am I going to be able to go back into hiding after this? All our chats on the mobile, having met in person… How am I going to go back to having the life I had if I’m here with her now?
“Come on Jake! It’s going to get cold! ”
Her voice wakes me from my thoughts and calms me down. I must take advantage of the now, we will see the later.
I see her set the table when I go out, the lighting makes all her features stand out. She has a nice smile, she looks happy… Is it really because of me?
“I could have helped you.” I walk over and she looks up, giving a small jump in surprise to hear me.
“No, you’re my guest, I’ve already told you” she repeats.
“I’m not a guest,” I replied, placing a hand on my hip, somewhat annoyed “let’s just say I’m your guardian for the time being.”
"Well, anyway, being my guardian, I have to take care of you.“ She forces me to sit down and pats the table "You will leave here as if you had been in the Hilton hotel.”
I laugh at the serious expression on his face. But she doesn’t change.
<< Yes, she says it seriously. She will not leave me until I satisfied. >>
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*MC POV*
I watch Jake eat, waiting for him to say something, is it good? It lacks salt? Too much salt? I usually buy the pasta to microwave when I’m in a hurry, I cook very little, so I want to know if it’s good… Maybe he doesn’t like the sauce! I should have asked him first.
“They haven’t cooked for me in years…” he says, his voice cracking.
“And is that good or bad?”
<<Maybe I shouldn’t have asked. >>
He remains thoughtful for a while, looking at the plate but without looking at it. Seeing beyond his thoughts.
“Pretty… well.”
I smile happily. I would hug him if it weren’t for the fact that we’re eating and it’s not polite to do that…. And that may make Jake uncomfortable.
“But MC, don’t you think you’re trying too hard just for me?” He asks me and my heart breaks to pieces. I guess I went too far… But… I was so excited to have him here by my side…
“Sorry, I guess I overwhelmed you.” I reply, trying not to sound sad.
“You haven’t.” I look at him and I know he’s telling the truth. I see him relaxed, something has happened. ”Looking at your photos, I remembered something. ”
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
He stops eating and crosses his arms, deciding whether or not to answer me. He sighs and scratches the back of his neck, wincing.
“I’m not used to just changing places to run away from the government.” He begins to speak, I notice him more confident. “When I was little, my mom and I moved around quite a bit. We weren’t flush with money to put it that way.”
"Still, I’m sure she was one of those mothers who didn’t want her son to lack anything.”
“Exactly,” he lets out a small laugh at the memory. “She was even trying to get me a father. But all the guys that she knew weren’t nice at all. It was the reason to move, they spent the rent money and again a new house, a new city, a new life.”
I push the plate away and lean against the table, looking at him. He doesn’t seem nervous at all, on the contrary, talking about his mother seems like he likes it, how long has it been since he talked about her with someone?
"At twelve, she decided it was time I got a computer to keep up with my studies.“ His lip forms a smile. Jake’s beginnings on a computer. "A normal computer was enough for me, I didn’t need one that was so extravagant. So she asked the man in the store for a second-hand one” he said ’Man’, not ’guy’, that’s a good thing. “He and my mother did not stop talking while I was there looking at them. It was the first time I saw my mother laugh like that. I liked him quite a bit.”
“ ’Always stay with whoever makes you laugh, not cry’ “ I recite, smiling at him "It was something my mother used to say. ”
“Very wise.” He affirms my sentence. “So, they started dating. It was all perfect. I finally had something like a family.” His eyes sparkle. It looks even more beautiful. “So, when my mother got off work, you can imagine what that computer-savvy man was doing.”
"Look for adult content?” I joke, like the first time I answered him about what he could find in Hannah’s files.
Jake arches an eyebrow, giving a little laugh. He had caught on right away.
“One fine day, he sat me down next to him, put an arm around my shoulders and said ‘I’m going to teach you to have the digital world in your hands’. Imagine those words to a twelve-year-old, ‘He’s going to teach me to be a hacker. I will be like a spy from the movies!‘ ” I laugh when he gestures and speaks as if he were twelve years old, remembering that moment.
"Little Jake’s first beginnings?“ I ask jokingly, imagining an excited young Jake looking at the computer screen.
“At first it was fun,” he continues narrating. ”But imagine when you want to make friends and you propose to hack the director’s computer remotely so that every time he puts in his password, he has to listen to ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’.”
"No…”
“Yes.”
“I can’t believe you.”
“You wouldn’t believe the punishment we got for the whole school because the guilty one didn’t come out either,” he blushes embarrassed and it makes me laugh to see him like that, so sincere “No class went down to the playground for three months. Although well, it wasn’t a problem for me since I always stayed in the library practicing a little of what I was learning.”
“Unbelievable, I have a juvenile delinquent in front of me,” I exaggerate making him laugh.
His laughter is pleasant, sweet. I see that he even gets little crinkles in his eyes from laughing. I love knowing about Jake’s past.
“Did your mother know it was you?”
“No, nothing at all.” A mischievous smile escapes her. Oh… It looks good on him, he’s attractive.
“And you… that man?” I don’t know whether to call that man stepfather, so I left it as he himself named it.
“Of course,” he crosses his arms, arching an eyebrow “it was the first thing he taught me and with the neighbor’s computer. Every morning we woke him up with that song” we laugh again imagining the situation in our heads. Amazing that Jake was so naughty. “Yeah… Those were good times until that incident happened…“
His expression changes, all happiness had disappeared.
"At fourteen, he just disappeared,” he continues much more slowly now. “My mother was very sad because she didn’t know about him. She asked his companions, his family… Nobody knew anything, they reported him missing. Months later, they ended up finding him… But it wasn’t a joy at all. My mother got sick. Do you know about those birds that if their partner dies, so does the other?” A lump forms in my throat. Is tougher than I thought “I would have preferred that he really had run off with another…”
"You can stop.“ I grab his hand, knowing he needs support. "Jake, it wasn’t your fault. Nothing about what happened. ”
“As a result of that, I got too much into the world of hacking, investigating what had happened. I came across a long list of important people on his hard drive. It was hard to put it back together. ”
“And you decided to continue with his work.”
“Bad guys never sleep.”
At least the man wasn’t a criminal. Jake had a good reference and that’s why he’s so cautious. He knows what can happen if you run into the wrong people, what can happen if you’re not careful.
“My mother wanted me to find my family” he continues, his gaze penetrating me “and that’s why it’s so important to me to find Hannah. I can’t lose anyone else. “
Out of an impulse, I hug him. I want to break this distance between the two of us. I want him to know that he is not alone, that I’m with him. For now I’ll wait until one day, he can break the next barrier.
He ends up hugging me, tightly. It’s a hug that neither of us had had for a long time.
And I’m glad for it.
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*Jake POV*
I offer to wash the dishes, preventing her from refusing. I had stopped her by placing a hand on her face pulling her away from me, while she moved her arms to catch them. She deserved my help for everything she did for me.
I was also relieved that I had told her about my past. It was a weight that had been lifted from me. The memory didn’t hurt so much anymore.
“No, I won’t be able to go” she leans on the furniture talking on the cell phone, while I finish washing her plate. I arch an eyebrow, curious “I have to take care of my grandfather, he’s not feeling well.”
“Wha-”
She raises her hand as if to tell me to keep quiet. MC is the one in charge in her house, I can’t do anything.
“Yes… Yes,” she nods as she answers the short words. “Okay, half my salary this month, I understand.”
I almost dropped the glass when I heard it, what does it do?
"Tomorrow I’ll go and buy the coffee,” she says resignedly. The delivery girl again. “Goodbye…” she hangs up and she looks at me, placing her hands on her hips “I’m staying here with you.“
"MC-”
“No.”
“You don’t have to-”
“Ssshhh.” she jokingly places a finger in my mouth to make me shut up. I furrowed my brows. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind if they take away half, my dear grandfather is much more important at this moment and I shouldn’t leave him alone.”
I stopped scrubbing, continuing to glare at her slightly.
"You’re not going to change your mind even if I refuse, are you?” I lean against the sink, looking at her with disapproval.
She smirks playing with the mobile in her hands, then she pats me on my shoulder.
“Tonight we have a movie session, so get ready.”
“MC, I can’t just go out like that.”
"Who said we’re going out?” Her expression is full of happiness. My heart beats too fast to see her "You can put on your hacker stuff while I look for something to entertain us with tonight to laugh, drama over for today.”
I give up. I am too weak with her.
I spend the afternoon setting up the cameras from a distance, seeing if they work well.Although I promised that she would not appear on cameras, she does appear in one preparing the room for tonight. Dancing. She’s wearing headphones. I turn the volume up a little so I can hear it. She can hardly sing because she can’t stop laughing at how happy she is. They are completely ridiculous and meaningless steps, but she feels happy. I watch as she picks up the television remote and uses it as a microphone.
I lets out a laugh. How bad she does. And yet, I like it.
“Never show up to a singing contest, MC” I joked, switching cameras, checking the next one.
It definitely was movie night.
There was a large bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and some drinks.MC looks at me proud of her work after having placed cushions on the floor as a bed.
"What is all this?“ I ask, avoiding laughing.
"Well, I want to give you a night that you can’t forget,” she walks closer to me, with her arms behind her back. “And like I said, let’s see something to laugh about. You’re gonna find out my dark teenage secret.”
"What kind of movie are you going to put me?”
“This one.” She pulls out the entire ‘The Twilight Saga’ collection and I groan.
“I can’t believe it…”
She laughs preparing the first film.
I sit on the floor pouting. Where is the government chasing you when you need it?
I don’t get it… I just don’t get it, was this what teenage girls liked?
“Please tell me you didn’t like Edward when you were a teenager…” I begged her, taking a popcorn.
“Well… I wasn’t on 'Team Edward’ for nothing.” I know she’s kidding. I have her well covered.
"I just don’t get it.“ I point at the screen, almost disgusted. "This guy tells her to stay away from him. He stays away from her for a while because he tells her he’s dangerous. Then he approaches her. He interrupts her intimacy to see her sleep. In the second movie he leaves her when he hasn’t even done anything wrong. But when he finds everything fixed, as if he hadn’t even hurt her by leaving her, what kind of teenager dreams of this? ”
MC looks at me for a moment, then looks away blushing.
"My goodness, I think I have a type…” I hear her whisper.
I look at her confused, not understanding. Got it, there are still things that I don’t know about her behavior or what she says. Either that or I’m really getting old for not understanding her.
MC ends up asleep, laying her head on my lap.I forget the movie entirely to watch her sleep. I lift my hand, wanting to move it away from me and into a better position, but she settles even more into my lap. I sigh, looking at her peaceful face.
Instead of pulling her away, I wrap the blanket around her better and decide to caress her cheek gently. Smile. This is fine… isn’t it? This feeling of peace and not feeling persecuted… It’s what I want. But not just for me. I will do my best so that MC can take her life back when all this is over. I swear.
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*MC POV*
I wake up with the sun bothering my face. Something missing here.
“Jake?” I sit up, rubbing my eyes.
I’m alone in the living room and everything is tidy.A feeling of loneliness washes over me completely. Has he already left?
“Has he left without saying goodbye?” I ask myself, covering myself with the blanket.
<<No… He wouldn't… right? >>
With resignation I get up from the ground, sad. I would have liked so much to say goodbye.
I decide to go to my room to get ready for another day at work. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
I open the door and my eyes go wide as I see a dark figure sitting in my chair.
"Good morning, MC,” Jake turns and greets me, the computer screen displaying the different areas of the house. “I didn’t want to wake you up, so I came here to work. ”
I avoid jumping to hug him because he hasn’t left. I want to keep my composure and don’t think he has upset me.
"Did I fall asleep?” I ask embarrassed.
“Just a little” he lets out a soft, pleasant laugh in my ear.
“And I wanted to have fun watching movies with you… ”
“About the movie… I saw it all” he blushes, as if he’s embarrassed that I knows.
“And you liked it?”
"No” I laugh. “But I didn’t saw much the fourth and I don’t like to leave things unfinished.”
"How come you didn’t saw it if you were awake?”
“There was… Something else much more interesting.” he turns back to the computer. Even though he doesn’t see me, I give his a small smile. “You should hurry up and prepare yourself, you don’t want to be late.”
The work! If I’m late, they’ll be even angrier.
I grab everything I need in a hurry, making a lot of noise in the room. Sorry Jake!
"Another thing” I stop to look at him when he catches my eye, he turns back to face me “I’m leaving tonight.”
“Oh…okay.” I unintentionally sound sad. Shit…
“After dinner.” I can see a gleam of excitement in his eyes for having said it. My heart is beating fast “I wouldn’t want to leave without saying goodbye… And I don’t want you to worry if I leave without eating something. “
Wait a minute… This one wants me to make him dinner. In the end, he decided me to taking care of him, huh?
"Then I’ll think of something you can take with you later in case you get hungry the next day,” I say, closing the closet, with all the clothes ready, “You’ll see! A banquet worthy of a farewell. ”
"I don’t need much either.“
"I told you: LIKE THE HILTON HOTEL!” I exclaim aloud, so that he stops denying himself.
He rolls his eyes, then shrugs in surrender to me.
We laughed at the same time, creating quite a cozy atmosphere for me.
Chapter 4 (And yes, this time the last one XD) soon