Title: “Just tell me why you did it!”Fandom: Check, Please!Word Count: 2,926Ship: ZimbitsFind it on my AO3 & pillowfort!Blurb: Eric has a boyfriend and Jack? He is fine with that. Totally and completely and absolutely fiiiineeee. Hey, stop looking at him like that. This takes place in an AU where the Graduation Kiss(TM?) never happened. Jack is in his second season with the Falconers and Bitty is in his senior year at Samwell and, of course, Captain of the hockey team. The prompt was: “Just tell me why you did it!” “Because I’m in love with you, okay!”I did change the punctuation a bit with the first half because it just fit better for the tone. I hope y’all enjoy!
Eric had a boyfriend.
And Jack? Jack was okay with that. He was even happy for his friend. Because that was what he and Bittle were, friends. And next to Shitty, Bittle was probably Jack’s best friend. Their relati—err… friendship might have started off a little rocky and Jack knew now with the aid of hindsight that it had all been on him, that rockiness, but they had grown past that. He wished, sometimes, that he could pinpoint the exact moment they became something like friends and not just teammates who barely spoke. He wished sometimes, that he could mark that day on a calendar, and just celebrate it by remembering. But, it had been a thing that had grown gradually, and that itself was special, Jack knew.
Their friendship was special, special enough that Jack could and would ignore that strange feeling he felt in his stomach at the fact Bittle had a boyfriend. He could also handle Bittle and that boyfriend (Doug. The boyfriend’s name was Doug (but honestly, what kind of name was Doug?)) staying the night at his place. Because that was precisely what he and Bittle were discussing right now.
“Lardo can’t make it to the game,” Jack was saying, as he attempted to get comfortable on his couch, only to give up and stand up to begin pacing around his apartment. Talking about Bittle and Doug, gave Jack a nervous kind of energy. “You and Doug can stay in my guest room and Shitty will likely end up in my bed.” Because without a warm body to cuddle, he knew where Shitty would end up.
“Or he might end up in bed with me and Doug,” Bittle said, with his honeyed laughter.
“Euh, I’ll make sure he ends up in my bed, just for you, Bud,” Jack said, even while a mental image of Shitty spooning the mysterious Doug and ruining whatever private moments could be shared between Bitty and Doug danced in his head. He did feel guilty about that thought, honest and he knew he would be dragging Shitty to his own room in order to prevent what he had just pictured from happening. Because Bittle was his friend and that was what friends do.
“Ain’t you just a sweetie pie, Jack. Thank you,” Bitty said, all soft and sweet and why did his voice make Jack just melt?
A friend’s voice probably should not do that.
“JACKABELLE, BRING THAT BEAUTEOUS ASS OVER HERE!” Shitty exclaimed loudly, his arms wide and expectant.
Jack, laughter bubbling out of lips, closed the gap between him and Shitty. He all but melted into the embrace, hugging him back tighter than was probably warranted. He missed this, hugs and being held. Living on his own, Jack was sometimes acutely aware of how touch starved he could be. He missed waking up in the middle of the night to an armful of Shitty. He missed the constant noises of the Haus. It had been two years, and he thought that he might have begun to miss it the place and the people a little less—but, no. With an armful of Shitty, he realized, how much he desperately missed it all.
“Jack,” and there behind Shitty was Bitty. Jack let his gaze linger on his friend.
“Bits,” Jack said as he disentangled himself from Shitty’s grasp. Then Bitty was launching at him, and Jack scooped him up in a hug.
“That was a great game you played,” Bitty said, his voice slightly muffled. Jack smiled, bigger than he had in days, before letting Bitty down. Suddenly, all too aware of another guy standing back, hovering awkwardly near Shitty. It dawned on Jack that that man was probably Doug.
Objectively, Doug was attractive. Tall with dark hair and light eyes. He looked like he worked out but not as much as say, a professional athlete or collegiate athlete might. He was wearing a Falconers’ shirt and Jack supposed he should appreciate the support. He also supposed that he should let go of Bittle, eh? So he did, and Bitty, laughing a little breathlessly, moved away from Jack to grab a hold of one of Doug’s arms, and tug him gently forward.
“Jack, this is Doug. Doug, this is Jack.”
Jack reached out his hand and shook Doug’s. Doug had a decent grip, Jack supposed.
“Nice to meet you, Doug.” Jack said, and then, “want to meet the rest of the guys?”
Doug looked absolutely terrified of the prospect and Jack maybe felt a little too happy about that.
—
“How are you feeling, brah?” Shitty asked as he rolled onto his side to look at Jack. Jack, he was laying on his back and staring up at his ceiling, willing his ears not to pick up any stray noises from the guest bedroom next door. Shitty was speaking at a low volume, and Jack raised an eyebrow before turning his head to look more fully at his friend. Concern was etched on Shits’ face and Jack frowned.
“I am feeling great, Shits. I played a good game of hockey and I have my best friends here to celebrate.” Jack said, deflecting even if he was not quite certain just what he was deflecting.
“Even if one of your best friends is totally spooning another dude in the room next door?” Shitty asked, and Jack rolled his eyes. He appreciated Shitty’s concern, he did. He just did not want it right now. He was not ready to talk about… that. And what that did with his heart.
“Plenty of my friends spoon other dudes, Shits. Some even fork them.” Jack deadpanned.
Shitty guffawed and punched him lightly in the arm. Jack retaliated by thwacking him across the face with his pillow. A wrestling match ensued, and soon both men were out of breath and laughing. Jack, smiling so big that his face hurt. He was happy, really. Even if there was the slightest of pangs in his heart when he did hear some muffled noises from the room next door.
“Jacko, I’ll be big spoon tonight,” Shitty said, opening his arms and Jack rolled into them. “And if you decide you are ready to talk, I’m here for you.” Shits added, barely above a whisper.
“Thanks, Shitty,” Jack said replied, just as quiet, like if they both spoke quiet enough everything could just stay unsaid even longer. Jack knew that eventually, he would have to talk to someone but for tonight, he was prepared to ignore whatever feelings were trying to wriggle their way to the forefront.
—
“Jack?”
The voice on the other end of the line was unfamiliar. Just as unfamiliar as the number. Jack had regretted answering the phone as soon as he had, his mind not really focused on what was going on. He was exhausted from a roadie and just wanted to sleep in his bed, but he had to shower still and eat something before then.
“Yes, who is this?” Jack grunted, knowing that maybe he ought to be friendlier.
“Oh! Um, Doug. Bitty’s boyfriend?” He said the last bit like a question like he was not sure he actually he was Bittle’s boyfriend. Jack rolled his eyes and then felt distinctly unkind for that action even though Doug could not see it.
“Hi, Doug,” Jack said, trying to keep his impatience out of his voice. “Did you need anything?”
“Yeah! So, Bitty and I are coming up on our six month anniversary…” and Jack knew all about that. He and Bittle had just had a conversation about that. Bitty all lovesick and Jack too, he had realized. It had hit him hard and he had finally given names to the emotions swirling within him as he heard Bittle talk, on and on, about his relationship. Jealousy and hurt and disappointment. Dash of happiness too, because even if Jack was hurting, Bittle was not. Bittle was happy and that made Jack happy—which made him realize that he probably loved Eric. And… well, at least Shitty had been able to answer his phone call right away.
Jack tried to focus on what Doug was prattling on and on about.
“So, do you think you can help me out, Jack? I know it is a lot to ask.”
What? Help out with what? Jack stared at his wall like a deer caught in headlights. “Euh… sure, but let’s go over that plan one more time, eh?” Jack stammered, and Doug was silent for a moment before he let out a breath of relief and once again began to prattle—Jack for his part, forced himself to listen and did his best to ignore the crumbling of his heart. Shitty would definitely be getting another phone call tonight.
—
It was a couple of weeks later and Jack was lounging on his bed, a rare Friday night off with no travel or games. He had had the sudden urge to hop into his truck and drive to Samwell, but he had fought that urge. The boys did not have a game going on either, and nothing going on for Saturday morning, that it was really good a kegster was being thrown at the Haus. Jack was not sure he had it in him to deal with the crowds at the party without Shitty, and Shitty was drowning in school work at Harvard. He was reaching for a book when his phone rang, and he knew it was Bitty.
Jack answered immediately, feeling concerned.
“Bits?” He asked as he answered.
“Jack,” Bitty breathed, and Jack heard rustling on the other end. He pictured Bitty laying in his own bed, and he willed his imagination to not supply Bitty in those short shorts he tended to sleep in.
“What’s up? I’m surprised you aren’t having a party tonight,” Jack said, surprised but happy he added to himself.
“Oh, the boys are throwing one. I’m just not in a partying mood, and I can’t bake in the kitchen because the Haus is full,” Bitty explained.
“Bits, what’s wrong?” Jack asked, definitely concerned now.
“I think I need to break up with Doug,” Bitty said, after a moment or two of silence. Jack was not certain he had heard Bittle correctly.
“What? Last week you were telling me that you thought you might-…” Jack did not want to say those next words out loud, so he changed track. “What happened? What did Doug do?” Because if Doug hurt Bittle… well, Jack was not entirely certain what he would do. He would be there to pick up the pieces, that much he knew, but he felt anger boiling in him that he tried to tamper down. He had to get the story first.
“Oh, honey. Doug did nothing. He’s as sweet as ever. I think he’s planning something really special for our six months… and, oh Lord I’m a monster.” Bitty said, and Jack could hear the quiver in his voice like he was fighting back tears. Jack also knew all about Doug’s plans for the six month anniversary. He was supposed to be helping Doug pull off the surprise. Jack latched, instead, on the monster part.
“Bitty, you aren’t a monster…” Jack protested.
Bitty laughed and it was bitter. A sound that Jack was not used to coming from Bitty, and it struck something in him. It made his heartache, hearing that. “Bits…”
“Jack, I lied. I lied about how much I like Doug. He’s a sweet boy, but… I’m lying. I don’t—I can’t—…” Bittle trailed off, and Jack felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. It felt like they were on the edge of something. He needed to know why Bitty would lie about that to himself, to Jack, and he supposed even to Doug, though that was more of an afterthought than anything.
“Just tell me why you did it,” Jack said, quietly. Maybe too quiet because he was unsure if Bitty had actually heard the question or not. Finally, though, he heard an intake of breath from the other line.
“Because I’m in love with you, okay! And… and I know you’ll never—… fuck. Doug, did you hear all of that?”
On the other line, Jack can hear another voice now. Then suddenly, the line was dead. Jack stared at the phone in his hand for a moment. Bitty’s words replaying, over and over in his head. They had been said with such sadness and certainty. Especially the never part that Bittle did not get to finish before being interrupted. Jack was on his feet and off the bed before he gave much thought to it
—
It had begun to rain about halfway to the Haus, but Jack continued to drive. It hardly registered when he parked the car a few blocks away. He had the foresight to grab a hat to pull low over his eyes, and a light jacket that he always left in his car was pulled on before he stepped out of the car and headed to the Haus at a jog. The kegster was still going on when he approached it, music thrumming loudly. He entered the Haus and was grateful when no one paid him any mind. He kept his head low, and went towards the kitchen first—but there was no Bittle.
He reached in his pocket for his phone, only to realize he must have left it back at home. Jack’s gaze went up towards the ceiling, and he left the kitchen, careful not to bump into anyone. He did not have a plan, really. He just knew that he had needed to see Bitty after that confession. That… Bitty… he loved… and Jack. Jack needed to see Bitty, and so he had driven all the way from Providence to do that. And.. then what? Jack tried to shut his thoughts off as he went up the stairs and approached Bitty’s closed door.
He stared at the door for a full minute. Then he knocked.
“M’not in the mood for company,” came Btty’s muffled voice and Jack felt his heart crumble. Instinctively, he went to open the door but found it locked. He wondered if Bitty had heard that or not, so he knocked once more on the door.
“Lord, leave me alone, please.” Bitty pleaded.
“Bits… It’s me…” Jack called, a little louder than he would have liked but he wanted to make sure Bittle heard him. He heard movement on the other side of the door and suddenly, there was Bitty, just standing there. His eyes were red-rimmed from crying, his cheeks puffy and wet. Jack was dimly aware of the rumpled Samwell Men’s Hockey shirt he was wearing and the pajama pants. His gaze mostly focused on Bittle’s face. Absolutely beautiful and broken looking with the tears.
“Jack…”
“Because I’m in love with you, okay?” Jack said, repeating what Bittle had said over the phone less than an hour before. Bitty opened his mouth to say something, his face etched with confusion. Jack, not much for words but getting better all the time with them thanks to Shitty, his psychiatrist, and Bittle himself, decided to let his body do the talking. He stepped into Bittle’s room and reached out to gently cup his face, before leaning down to kiss him.
He felt Bitty tense and Jack tensed himself until suddenly, Bittle was kissing him back.
—
Jack was mindlessly tracing shapes with his finger, up and down Bitty’s back. Bitty’s head was on Jack’s chest, and there was a comfort to the weight of Bitty on him. Jack sighed, content and Bitty craned his head up, tilting until he could press a chaste kiss to Jack’s chin. Jack smiled.
“I feel so bad about Doug,” Bitty spoke up, quiet. Jack instinctively tightened his grip on Bitty.
“He is going to be okay, Bud,” Jack said, and he wondered if he ought to feel more guilty than he did, with how everything seemed to be playing out. Except, he was far too content holding Bitty right now. He mostly disliked the fact that Bitty felt bad and guilty.
“I should not have dated him as long as I did,” Bitty continued. “I just kept hoping that eventually… those feelings I was faking for him, would turn true, you know? That eventually I would be able to get over you. But lord was I wrong and foolish. The longer I was with him… well, nothing worked. I kept wishing harder he was you.” Bitty finished, and he hid his face against Jack’s neck and Jack shivered at feeling Bitty’s breath there.
“I kept wishing I was him too,” Jack said, quietly.
And he had wished that he were in Doug’s position hundreds of times over the past few months. Bitty looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.
“Doug said you were helping with his plans for our anniversary,” Bitty said, his voice neutral to Jack’s ears.
“I was going to help,” Jack began, bringing his hand up to play with Bitty’s hair. “I figured… if I couldn’t be with you then… euh I wanted to—..” Jack paused, trying to collect his thoughts. “If Doug made you happy then I wanted to help him make you happy.”
“Oh Jack,” Bitty said, quiet and sweet. Then they were kissing again, and well… Jack could get used to that. He knew they had a lot more to discuss but for now, he would enjoy their pockets of conversation and kisses between those.
From the dialog prompts, number 57: “Out of all the things you could have said, and you went with that.” 😊 - Wrathofthestag
Title: Prompt Fills and Drabbles for OMGCP!Fandom: Check, Please!Chapter 3: “Out of all the things you could have said, you went with that.”Word Count: 2,378Ship: ZimbitsFind it on my AO3 & pillowfort!Blurb: Jack tells his Mom that he is dating Bittle. The only problem is—they are not dating. Luckily, Bittle decides to help his bumbling captain out.
Jack could do this. He had to do this. He had no choice in the matter. Jack hesitated a moment before bringing his hand up to knock gently on Bittle’s bedroom door. His knock sounded too loud in the strangely quiet Haus. Everyone was still out with their parents and other family members who came in for family weekend. He knew that Bittle’s parents were unable to make it up for the weekend, but that they had promised to come up later on in the year. There was some movement on the other side of the door and finally, it opened.
Standing in front of him and looking adorably sleep rumpled was Eric Bittle. Jack had to fight the sudden impulse to reach over and smooth down Bittle’s cowlick. Bittle rubbed his eyes and fought back a yawn.
Standing in front of him and looking adorably sleep rumpled was Eric Bittle. Jack had to fight the sudden impulse to reach over and smooth down Bittle’s cowlick. Bittle rubbed his eyes and fought back a yawn.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Jack asked, suddenly feeling more guilty.
“No, no. I was studying,” Bittle replied and Jack must have looked at him with unmasked disbelief because Bittle huffed before adding, “fine, fine. I may have fallen asleep while studying. Didja need anything? Where are your parents? Oh, is everything okay?” Jack watched in mild amusement as Bittle woke up more fully before his own eyes, and his questions began to tumble out of his mouth quicker and quicker.
“Everything is fine, Bittle. Euh, Maman went back to the hotel. Euh… maybe everything is not fine? Can we talk?” Jack asked and he found himself rubbing the back of his neck as he waited for Bittle to answer.
Bittle nodded and stepped aside, leaving his door open. Jack followed him into the room. It was not the first time that he had been in Bittle’s room but it was still a little jarring to see how different it looked now that Bittle lived in this space and not Johnson. Jack preferred the way that Bittle decorated the space, it felt more lived in and homey. Comfortable and warm. Bittle was perched on the edge of his bed, looking a little apprehensive. Jack wanted to put him at ease but he could feel his own heart rate ticking up a notch.
“Jack…” Bittle prompted and Jack realized he needed to say something.
“I was talking to Maman at Annie’s and we got to talking about the team,” Jack began, and Bittle still sat on the edge of his bed, watching Jack quietly. Jack decided to start pacing around the room. “And euh, she noticed that I was talking about you a lot. She thought it was cute that I knew your coffee order because she got the same drink you always get this time of year, the overly sweet one?” Jack realized he was rambling. Usually, if he was with Bittle and someone was rambling it was the Georgian and not the Canadian. Jack stopped his pacing and huffed out a sigh.
“She kept asking questions and hinting and euh. I… euh I might have confirmed for her that you were my boyfriend?” Jack spat out the last bit in a rush, hoping that maybe Bittle would not latch onto it. Bittle stared at him with an expression that Jack could not read.
“You what?” Bittle asked and Jack could feel that his cheeks had turned red.
“She just.. she said that.. it seems you and I spend a lot of time together? And I euh just said it was because we were boyfriends.” Jack wondered if the floor could swallow him up whole. Or just drop him down into the floor below and maybe even further into the basement.
“Out of all the things you could have said, and you went with that,” Bittle stated and Jack nodded his head in misery. He was still having a difficult time reading the expression on Bittle’s face. To be fair, he was not really looking too hard at the other man. He was trying to avoid direct eye contact with those big brown eyes. The thing was that Jack had almost blurted out to his mother that he wanted Bittle to be his boyfriend but he had caught himself in time and only dropped the wanted and replaced it with an ‘is’. And his Maman, oh she had looked so happy. Too happy and Jack had not had the heart to tell her that he had not meant that, that he had said an awful joke, or confess a crush to his.
“You could have said the truth, that we are just friends and teammates. Classmates too,” Bittle said, and there was a hardness to his voice that Jack realized he had never heard before. He realized then he never wanted to hear that tone again.
“Bits—Bitty—Bittle—Eric,” Jack began and stopped and began again, not knowing exactly what to call Bittle for once. He took a steadying breath, “I am sorry. I don’t know why I said that.” A little white lie. A fib, really. He knew why but if he was not ready to admit that he knew. “I… euh I have dinner plans with her tonight after the game. Euh… I’ll tell her the truth then. She just looked so excited and happy for me,” Jack explained and he noticed Bittle seemed to have softened his expression some.
“Jack, d’ya want me to pretend to be your boyfriend until she leaves to go home? Maybe telling her the truth will be easier over the phone when she is in an entirely different country than you?”
“Bittle… you… are you serious?” Jack knew he should be saying that no Bittle absolutely did not have to pretend to be his boyfriend. He knew that was crossing some lines. He also knew that pretending would in no way help his little crush at all. “You don’t have to, you shouldn’t, I should be able to tell my Maman the truth…”
“Jack, I will do this. But you will owe me,” Bittle said and he glanced at his phone.
“You are taking your nap soon, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Jack also nodded his head, he felt something like a bobble-head.
“Okay, we should hash out some details before your nap. How long have we been dating? When did we start? Lord, we have so much to discuss. Your nap might have to be a shorter one than usual,” and Bittle gave Jack a look that meant he would not be able to argue that point. And Jack would not. He tried to ignore the way his heart thudded in his chest and that happy, warm feeling, in the pit of his stomach.
What he and Bittle were about to do would all be an act but dammit Jack was still happy. Almost as happy as if it were real.
—
So, when did you two become more than just friends?”
Jack could feel his cheeks turning red as he glanced at his mother from across the table. She had insisted that he and Bittle sit on the same side of the booth, and even encouraged them to squeeze close together so that she could send a picture to Papa. Jack had thrown his arm around Bittle’s shoulder and had tried hard not to focus too strongly on how nice Bittle’s hair smelled and how nice Bittle felt pressed close to his side. “Maman…” Jack said, not bothering to mask the exasperation in his voice that only his beloved parents could bring out in him.
“Oh, hon. Let your Mom be curious,” Bittle replied with ease. He leaned forward in the booth, pulling away the warmth of his body being so close to Jack’s. Because even if the picture had been snapped more than ten minutes ago (not that Jack was keeping track of time or anything) he had not inched any further away from Bittle and neither had Bittle.
“You have heard about the checking practices we have?” Bittle asked, with a brow of his raised quizzically. Jack wondered, briefly, if Bittle was trying to kill him. He also wondered how a raised eyebrow could be so… so attractive?
“Yes, Jack mentions those checking practices, once or twice a phone conversation,” Maman laughed, and Bittle joined in. Jack outright pouted at that.
“He neede—… “ before Jack could petulantly mutter any further, though, Bittle looked back at him with an expression of pure fondness and Jack found himself unable to say anything else. He shut right up.
“Jack has been a great help, and a great Captain even if he does wake me up at ungodly hours. Anyway,” Bitty continued, turning his gaze back towards Alicia. “Last week during a checking practice, your son had me against the glass and for one wild moment, I thought he was going to kiss me.”
Suddenly Jack found it difficult to breathe and he was certain that he had begun to blush once more. He hoped the poor lighting of the booth hid how red his face was. He remembered that checking practice last week because he had been so close to kissing Bitty then. There had been something about the way Bitty had look, face all flushed. Their practice was coming to an end and Jack had realized how happy he was and how most of that happiness came from just being around Bitty—and he had maybe only realized then just how big his crush had gotten. He remembered thinking that Btty’s pupils looked blown out and then Jack had pushed away from him, coughed, and—…
“But, he pushed away and gruffly invited me to Annie’s for a coffee instead,” Bitty said, with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. Jack looked over at his mother and realized that she was actually pouting about the story. Jack was also pretty positive that his face would never stop being so warm and red.
And everything Bittle said had been true. He had invited Eric to Annie’s after practice, something that they usually did. Bitty needed more coffee by that point in the day and Jack just wanted to extend whatever time they had together in the mornings. It was their special time when they were not surrounded by a bunch of their teammates or hausmates. Jack treasured those quiet moments together. Moments mostly filled with Bitty’s idle chatter—which was interesting to Jack—but lately, Jack had been filling in the quiet moments with his own talk. It always made him feel so warm and secure, being with Bitty.
“… And it was just as we were leaving Annie’s that Jack blurted out he liked me and wanted to know if I would go to dinner with him.” Bitty finished, and he laughed. A kind laugh that made Jack’s insides warm. His mouth felt dry, though because he really wished he had asked Bitty out. He was beginning to wonder if Bitty would have actually said yes. Jack noticed his Maman just giving him a look and Jack ducked down to look at his food, when had their food arrived?
Talk moved away from the topic of his and Bits’ fake relationship. Jack realized as he sat with his Maman and Bittle that he was really enjoying himself. That he wished all of this was real. He was still very aware of how close he and Bitty were seated on the bench, their arms constantly bumping into each other as they ate, and at some point either he or Bits had pressed their legs together underneath the table and neither one had moved away.
—
“Thank you so much for dinner, Mrs. Zimmermann,” Bitty was saying as he hugged Jack’s mother one more time.
“Oh, please call me Alicia.”
Jack heard Bitty make a noise at that and he could not help the grin that crossed his face. Soon, he was hugging his Maman tightly, and he heard her whisper just for him. “You two are so sweet together, Jack.” Then she pulled away after pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I am going to get out of your hair for the evening boys. You two have a nice night,” and then she winked at the two of them.
“Maman!” Jack groaned, then somehow all at once he startled and relaxed as Bitty looped his arm through Jack’s, and they waved goodbye to Alicia as she climbed into the car she was renting for the weekend.
The Haus was not too far of a walk and so Bitty and Jack began to walk home. He hoped that Bitty would not remove his arm as a weighted silence fell between the two of them as they walked. It was dark and no one else was around them on the street, and Jack could feel his heart thudding harder in his chest than their walking speed should warrant.
“Jack”
“Bits”
They had both spoken at the same time. Bittle stopped in his tracks and turned his body to face Jack and that forced Jack to finally let go of Bitty’s arm, and he kind of hated it. Bittle was staring at him intently in the dark.
“What is it, Jack?” Bittle asked, his voice quiet but Jack felt there was an edge to the quiet.
“That story you told my Maman about checking practice…” Jack began and then stopped himself. Bittle kept on looking at him with that intense look in his eyes. Waiting, Jack knew, on him to just say it. Jack licked his own lips before continuing after what felt like too long. “I wanted to kiss you that morning. You looked so beautiful…”
“Jack, if you don’t kiss me right now, Lord, I don’t know what I will,” Bitty said, his voice sounding strangled to Jack and Jack? He did not need to be told more than once what to do. He cupped Bitty’s face with his hand and then kissed him, soft and gentle. Bits was the one who deepened it. He did not know how long they stood there, in the dark and deserted street sharing kisses, but Jack pulled away first, reluctantly.
“We should get back to the Haus,” he said.
“You are probably right, Mister,” Bitty said, his voice breathless and Jack’s lips turned up into a smile as Bits took his hand for the walk back to the Haus.
Title: “I’m not quite sure how it happened, but it did.” Fandom: Check, Please!Word Count: 1,225Ship: ZimbitsFind it: ao3 & pillowfort Blurb: Finally starting on my dialog prompts! This one takes place in an AU where Jack and Bitty get together while Jack still attends Samwell. The prompt was: “"I’m not quite sure how it happened, but it did.”
“I’m not quite sure how it happened, but it did,” Bitty said, with an overly exaggerated sigh. Jack wondered if Bitty was chirping him right now. “And no deets for you, Shitty.” Bits added.
Bits was seated on Jack’s bed, the blanket resting over his lap. His bare chest completely exposed, giving the impression that Bitty could be fully naked underneath that blanket. Jack had to force his brain not to short-circuit with that thought. Instead, he turned his gaze towards Shitty. This was not at all how he and Bitty had planned on coming out to their teammates. They had wanted to wait a little while longer too. Jack could not parse his emotions at the moment, they were a mixture of: annoyance at being found out like this, anger at Shitty for never knocking on closed doors, relief that someone else knew too, worry that maybe Shitty might not be so happy with Jack and Bitty being together. He could feel something in him tick, as if he were just getting to the edge of panic. He did the best he could to swallow it down.
“You and Bitty,” Shitty said, thoughtful and quietly this time, then he broke out into a smile.
“JACK GIVE ME A HUG!” Shitty shouted, which startled Jack, and then he was being engulfed into a tight hug. “I am so happy for you,” Shitty said, quietly and Jack suspected that it was just for him to hear. Then, Shitty released him and launched himself onto the bed to engulf Bitty into a hug. Jack stared at the bed and began to feel a bit more at ease, especially after Shitty demanded Jack join them on the bed for a quick three-way hug, and then Shitty promised he would leave them to it.
The scene before him was not at all what Jack had pictured when Bitty had sent him that picture a couple hours before, but he was not at all heartbroken by the reality of what was happening before him right now. He felt relief. Maybe it would be nice having someone know, someone in their corner until they were ready to tell the rest of the Haus and team.A Couple Hours Earlier:
For once Jack ‘Gives 110%’ Zimmermann was having a decidedly difficult time giving his attention and focus to his lecture. He often doodled hockey plays in the margins of his notes in classes, but he was also fully capable of jotting down notes when he needed to, and of actually absorbing what was Professors were saying. Today, though, his mind was elsewhere. He had felt his phone vibrate in his pocket just as he was taking his seat. The lecture had been due to start in a few minutes, and so he felt no guilt in checking his phone. His lips curled into a smile when he saw that he had gotten a text from Bitty. And then his eyes had grown wide at the picture that Bitty had sent.
Bitty had gotten out of his own class early. The Haus, he said, was going to be empty for the next few hours, and Bitty was going to take a nap while he waited for Jack to get out of his own class. That text message alone, coupled with a winky face, was enough to get Jack’s blood going but then he saw the picture Bitty had snapped—him laying underneath Jack’s covers, his blond hair slightly askew from the pillow, his eyes looking sleepy, and a bare chest. Somehow Bitty had managed to look both angelic and devilish and it took all of Jack’s strength to not duck out of class and skip the lecture. With slightly shaky hands Jack had responded quickly, he had meant to chirp Bitty, but his fingers betrayed him and all he sent was a message that he could not wait to get out of class.
The class felt like an eternity.
This thing with Bitty was new, only a few weeks. They were keeping it quiet from the rest of the team. Jack was enjoying the little bubble they had created for themselves. It had all begun at the end of a checking practice. Bittle was red-faced and tired, but smiling so brightly. His helmet was off and they were just about to skate off the ice. Jack had suddenly been caught with how beautiful Bitty was in the light, the morning sun peeking through the windows of Faber. Bitty had noticed him staring and had started to say something but Jack’s ears had not picked up what he was saying. All he knew was that he had to kiss Bittle and he did (after quietly and awkwardly asking for his permission).
Since that morning they had shared more secret kisses, usually before and after their checking practices. Sometimes, they lucked out and had moments in the Haus when no one else was around. They seemed to be always on the search for hidden alcoves on campus when their classes were near each other. They talked, texted, and chirped as much as they always had. And Jack, Jack was happy. Happier than he had been in a long time.
He also really wanted more with Bits. More than just stolen kisses and that was what kept him incapable of focusing on class.
Luck seemed to be on his side though when the Professor dismissed them early, an unheard of with her. Jack surprised himself with being the first out of the classroom, his books and notes shoved haphazardly in his bag. He would organize it properly later on after the Haus was full of their teammates and friends after they had a couple of hours alone with no one else.
Jack practically ran to the Haus.
As he entered, he became aware of noises coming from upstairs. It sounded like Bitty almost shouting at someone. Not quite a shout but not quite normal talking levels, either. He hesitated before bounding up the stairs and pushing open his door just in time to hear Shitty exclaim quite loudly, “Jack does not like naked people in his bed, Bits!”
“Shitty…” Bitty said, and then he noticed Jack in the doorway. “Jack!”
Bitty’s face was red, he had that blanket tugged up on him. Shitty was half on the bed, half off it. He was in a pair of what looked like swim-trunks with American flags on them, and a Samwell Men’s Hockey t-shirt that he had cropped. His flow was a mess, half up and half down. He was now staring from Bitty to Jack, his expression surprisingly difficult for Jack to read.
“Shitty…” Jack said, looking at Bitty. Silently trying to read what he ought to say or do. He noticed Bitty give a slight shrug of his shoulders, and Jack did his best to relax but it was difficult. He was running on adrenaline now.
“Bits and I… we are uh.. we are together,” Jack said, realizing as he did how uncertain he sounded. Bitty gave him a look, half exasperated and half indulgent.
“I’m not quite sure how it happened, but it did,” Bitty said, with an overly exaggerated sigh. Jack wondered if Bitty was chirping him right now. “And no deets for you, Shitty.” Bits added.
21 or 51 for the dialogue prompts? Whichever you like better
Title: “I am not dramatic, it was a very big spider.” (prompt 21)Fandom: Check, Please!Word Count: 1,073Ship: ZimbitsFind it on my AO3 & pillowfort!Blurb: The Samwell Men’s Hockey team goes camping. This is just a little scene from their camping trip.
Nature at night was way too loud.
Bitty laid in his tent with his sleeping bag zipped up to his chin. He was dressed in the warmest pair of sweat pants he had packed, a t-shirt, and his well-worn and beloved Samwell Hockey hoodie. The hood was pulled over his hair but he still felt a cold. The tent did nothing to keep him warm (he would begrudgingly admit that it did at least stop the wind from hitting him). He could hear the wind howling and the leaves and branches of the nearby trees rustling because of it. He could hear animals too, frogs and insects that seemed impossibly loud. He could also hear Ransom or maybe it was Holster—or maybe both—snoring loudly from their tent across from his. He tried to drown out the noises of nature and some of his sleeping teammates out because he wanted to sleep.
He wished Lardo was actually in the tent with him but she had gone off with Shitty to get high at the lake and try to do some painting by the moonlight of it. He had watched as the two of them had headed down the wooded path that led to the small lake near their campsite. Part of Bitty had wanted to go off with the two of them even if he had no intention of smoking any of the weed. Lardo and Shitty high were entertaining even when he was sober, but he had seen how closely Lardo had been walking with Shitty and how Shitty had draped his free arm over her shoulder and tugged her against his body as they walked. Bitty had decided that maybe they had needed this alone time.
Now, though, he regretted not tagging along with them. He was cold and tired and nature was just too loud to sleep in. Bitty stared at the ceiling of his tent. He sighed. He rolled to one side. Then he rolled to his other side. There were more sighs that slipped out of his mouth before he wondered if he was being rude to Jack, who was sleeping in the tent next to his. He stopped his sighing, wondering as he did if he could even be heard over the snores and the wind and those loud, loud, LOUD animals.
Bitty was just about to roll back onto his bed when his eyes landed on a dark shape right in front of his nose on the canvas wall of the tent that he was facing. He squinted his eyes in an attempt to see the shape clearer in the dark. A shadow of sorts, large and with what appeared to be way too many legs. Bitty felt his heart race and he reached out slowly for the flashlight that was near him, he flicked it on and shined it on the dark shape. He had hoped that the shape had just been a figment of his imagination or a play of the darkness in the tent, but no. There, right in front of him. There, so close to his nose that if he leaned just slightly closer he would touch it, was a spider. And not just any spider, either. Lord, it was the biggest spider that Bitty had ever seen in his life.
He may have screamed before he rolled away from the wall, dropping his flashlight in his haste to escape the confines of his sleeping bag. His fingers did not want to work with the zipper. He panicked at that which made unzipping the thing even more difficult until his eyes landed once more on the spider. He yelped this time for certain and managed to unzip the bag enough so that he could slip out of it without falling on his face. Then it was one more zipper to open his tent door before he ran out of the tent, slipped and fell on his butt, and then got up once more. He ignored the tent across from him and instead went straight for the one Jack was sleeping in.
Only he did not make it to Jack’s tent because he crashed into his captain before that. Jack caught him before he fell once again on his butt.
“Bittle! Are you okay?” Jack asked, and even in the dark, Bitty could make out the concern in his blue eyes. At least it was too dark to see just how blue his eyes were. At least it was too dark to get lost in the eyes. Bitty thought, maybe a little hysterically, how nice it was too that his heart was thudding hard because of a spider and not because of Jack being so close to him, and Jack having his hands on his shoulders. Steadying hands.
Jack had asked him a question and Bitty realized he had not answered it yet. He took a gulping breath.
“There was a spider in my tent,” He said, not even minding for once that his Georgian twang was coming out thick.
“A spider?” Jack said, and Bitty could hear the amusement in his voice.
“I am not dramatic, it was a very big spider. Man-eating big,” Bitty said, defiance in his voice even as he was aware that maybe that last bit he said was dramatic.
“I never said you were dramatic, Bittle.” Jack pointed out, though his voice still sounded amused. Bitty was then surprised to feel Jack tugging him close into a hug. His nose pressed into Jack’s chest and he smelled nice. He smelled really nice for a camping Canadian. The hug was quick and almost over before Bitty really registered it.
“Why don’t you come and sleep in my tent? Shitty and Lardo can stay with that man-eating spider of yours,” Jack said, and he stepped away from Bitty. Bitty whose head and heart were still reeling from the hug. He almost thought of protesting but then he thought of the spider and decided that Jack’s tent would be much safer even if it was not exactly the best decision for his sanity. He could share a tent with his crush. It would be fine. And it would be a lot better than sharing it with that spider.
“Thanks Jack,” Bitty said, once he found his voice. Jack led the way to the tent, holding the flap open for Bitty who gratefully climbed into it.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 14/14
Fandom: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Shitty Knight & Jack Zimmermann, Eric "Bitty" Bittle & Shitty Knight
Characters: Eric Bittle, Jack Zimmermann, Camilla Collins, Shitty Knight, Larissa "Lardo" Duan, Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Denice "Foxtrot" Ford, Original Child Character(s)
Additional Tags: Kid Fic, Teacher AU, Pining, Fluffy, Drinking, Smoking, Misunderstandings, Awkward Flirting, Introspection, Parties, vague mentions of hockey being played, referenced infidelity, Swearing, bromances, Recreational Drug Use, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, POV Eric "Bitty" Bittle, POV Jack Zimmermann, Implied/Referenced Character Death, one chapter is Shitty POV
Summary: Jack's daughter, Maisie, is going to Kindergarten and her teacher, Mr. Bittle, has a nice laugh.
Elementary school teacher AU. Jack still plays hockey but the rest of the gang are teachers at Samwell Elementary School. Shenanigans and fluffiness and pining will commence. A happy ending for all is in the works.
My first multichaptered fic that I finished. I’m proud of this baby, so I figured, I’d repost it.
so, I think I am going to try my hand at a RW&RB fic. This idea is like screaming at me right now. Whenever I want to dabble in writing fic for something, I usually start with some kind of Hogwarts/Harry Potter universe AU because that is where my comfort is. Because I have been RPing HP based characters and shenanigans for over ten years that there is just a comfort in it, it is easier for me to insert other characters I love into that world.
So, I don’t know when I’ll start this as I wanna finish my current zimbits wip first and then start working on it. Plus, the aforementioned HP RP means I have threads I need to reply to as well but... like I am excited and here is the rough idea that I have for it.
Henry is the grandson of the current Minister of Magic. There will be references and heartache associated with Lord Voldemort and Henry’s past. I will have to tweak timelines a bit but that is finneee. He’s definitely a Hufflepuff, but the hat stalled and was debating another house for him.
Alex is the son of the President of MACUSA. He attends Ilvermorny. I’ll likely heavily borrow from the headcanons and things me and my fellow RPers have incorporated for our Ilvermorny.
They will both be 7th years and are also going to be the first students to partake in an exchange program of sorts. Alex will spend the first half of the year at Hogwarts and the second half of year Henry will be joining him at Ilvermorny.
Enemies to friends to lovers in between. I dunno. I am hoping by vaguely babbling about it that I will actually write it. But I am also absolutely terrified, like always, about dipping my toes into writing fic.
I started the thing. You can read it below or on my AO3. I am really terrified about this but going to keep on writing and keep on sharing. This is a work in progress and I hope to finish and post chapters on Thursdays.
Jack is seated across from his daughter’s room, absentmindedly humming the Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood theme song. Maisie’s door is closed, but he can hear her banging around in her room as she picks out her outfit for the day. Jack tries to ignore that anxious feeling he has, tries to squash it down deep. It will be her first day of Kindergarten, and that is a big change for her. But Jack reminds himself that she went to preschool for three days a week last year, and did fine and then the year before that when she was only just three years old, she went to preschool twice a week and did fine. Kindergarten just feels an awful lot bigger, and he knows it is. But, he also knows, that worrying too much about it won’t do either one of them any favors.
“Maisie…” Jack calls through the closed door once he finishes his humming. He glances down at his watch, wondering how long it will take his daughter to pick out her outfit. She insisted that she do it herself today because she’s a big girl now. Hearing that felt something like a gut punch to him, but he had managed to school his facial expression—forced a smile though it hurt—and agreed.
“Almost done, Papa!” Maisie sounds almost winded and that causes Jack some concern.
His phone vibrates in his pocket and he fishes it out. His lips curl into a smile as he reads the text.
Uncle Crappy:
Jack-attack! How is your beautiful ass today? Oh, and you?
Jack:
Both of us are fine. I’m waiting for Maisie to finish getting dressed. She is picking out her own outfit today, and I’m not allowed to help. Then Camilla will be coming over, and we’ll both be dropping her off at Samwell together.
Uncle Crappy:
Excellent, I will see you there, brah! Also, Bitty is the best kindergarten teacher we’ve got. And Maisie is going to kick ass as a kindergartner.
Jack:
Thanks, Shitty. See you then.
Jack pockets his phone once more, and as he does, Maisie’s door opens. She steps out of her bedroom, looking almost shy. She is dressed in a Falconers’ jersey, bright pink leggings, and one of her poofy purple skirts. She’s wearing rain-boots that do not match, one is blue with pink unicorns all over it and the other is black and shiny. Jack hopes she remembered to put socks on with those boots. Her dark hair is a mess and needs to be brushed. Her big, brown eyes that look just like her mother’s, are gazing up at him.
“I love the look, kiddo,” Jack says, and Maisie’s face lights up. She jumps up and down excitedly before hugging him tight around the legs. Jack laughs, “we need to brush your hair before your Mom gets here,” Jack explains as he ushers her to the bathroom.
The conversation on the way to Maisie’s new school is light and easy-going. It was a couple of years after their daughter was born (about a month before her second birthday) that Jack and Camilla realized they no longer worked well as a married couple. They struggled a little while longer, trying to rekindle what they had had back in college and at the start of Jack’s professional career. But the sparks weren’t there, and they realized, it would be better to call it quits. The divorce had been painful even if it was something they both felt was right for them, and their daughter. There have been ups and downs, but Jack is confident and he knows Camilla is too, that they made the right decision for their family. Co-parenting can be difficult at times, but they work hard at it and have fallen into a routine.
He is grateful to have a partner like Camilla in parenting.
“Did Papa do your hair?” Camilla asks lightly, craning her head to look in the back seat at their daughter.
Maisie nods her head up and down, making her slightly uneven pigtails bounce up and then down. “Yep!”
“You are getting better at it, Jack,” Camilla says just loud enough for him to hear, before speaking up louder for Maisie. “It looks great, just like your outfit.”
Jack can’t help the way he feels proud about getting better at doing Maisie’s hair. He is best at pulling it back into a simple ponytail. Braiding hair is still beyond his skill level, even after watching numerous videos on youtube. He has even tried to practice braiding on Shitty’s hair, but it always ends up a mess. Probably because Shitty seems incapable of sitting still long enough, and he is always exaggerating how much Jack pulls on his hair when braiding. Pigtails, he likes, even if they are somewhat lopsided, but he would like to be able to do more for his daughter.
They pull into the school parking lot and Jack climbs out of his car. He moves around to the back, opening the door. Maisie has unbuckled herself and jumped down from her seat. She looks at him with bright eyes, absolutely happy and thrilled with the upcoming adventure of a new school year. Jack feels a mixture of emotions as he looks at her: happy, excited, terrified, and anxious to name a few. His daughter does not seem to have an ounce of fear or anxiety. She has jumped down from the car, holding onto his hand for minimal support. Camilla hands her herDaniel Tiger backpack, and it looks impossibly big on her small frame. Jack is aware of other families with kids walking into the school, and some look just as small as Maisie while others look too big. Way too big to be going into the same school as his daughter. It is a little jarring to know that she’ll be that big too one day. Maisie reaches her left hand out towards him, her mother already holding her right. Jack forces a smile as he takes his daughter’s small hand in his. He tries to forget how scary this is to him, and instead, tries to feel only happy about it like Maisie is.
“Uncle Crappy!” Maisie squeals as she spies Shitty standing near the school entrance. Jack has to hand it to his friend, he cleans up nicely for work. Maisie wriggles out of her parents’ hands and runs towards Shitty, who scoops her up into a hug and spins her around. Seeing and knowing that one of his oldest friends will be teaching at the same school, will be in the same building as Maisie, settles Jack’s nerves. Shitty is hugging Camilla now and looking expectantly at Jack who moves in for a hug of his own.
“Okay, Sir Maisie, your favorite uncle needs to get to his own class. Killer outfit, by the way.” Shits says, setting down Maisie who pouts.
“I wish you were teaching me, Uncle Crappy!” Maisie says, crossing her arms over her chest. There’s a stubborn look in her eyes, and Jack knows she is rearing up to argue her case.
Shitty squats down to Maisie’s level, resting a hand on her shoulder. “I know, kid. Me too, but you know what? Mr. Bitty is a great teacher. You told me you liked him when you met him the other day.” Shitty pauses for a second or two, before stage whispering, “I have it on good authority he bakes little pies for all his students on the first day. You wanna get your pie, don’t you?” He straightens up, winking at both Jack and Camilla. Maisie now looks absolutely thrilled, once more, to be going to school.
They say their goodbyes to Shitty, and his daughter takes the lead. She walks a little ahead of her parents, not wanting to hold either one of their hands. Jack at least knows he can grab her quickly if he needs to. They weave between parents and kids saying their goodbyes to each other. He plays professional hockey, and this won’t be the first time he has left Maisie. But it feels different because when he is on the road, he knows she is with her mother. But today, they will be dropping her off with a virtual stranger, and not just for a couple of hours, but all day long. He feels Camilla nudge him gently in the shoulder with her own. Jack looks over at her quickly.
“It is going to be okay, Jack,” Camilla says, loud enough for him to hear.
“I know. I just… I can’t help but worry,” He admits, and Camilla nods her own head.
“Yeah, me too.”
They have reached Maisie’s new classroom. The teacher, a short blond man with brown eyes and a ridiculously cute nose, is standing by the door. He smiles to the three of them, before crouching down towards Maisie’s level. He has the promised mini pie in his hand, and he hands it to her.
“Hello Miss Maisie, I really like your boots.” He says, and Maisie takes the pie. She frowns for a second, looking at her teacher.
“Uncle Crappy calls me Sir Maisie because I’m a knight.” Jack watches as the teacher’s lips twitch into an amused expression before he schools it and manages to look serious.
“I am so sorry, Sir Maisie. I had no idea you were a knight,” he explains, looking sufficiently shamed.
Maisie watches him for a few seconds before her face lights up into a smile. Then she sing-songs, “It’s okay to make mistakes! Try to fix them, and learn from them too.” Good ol’ Daniel Tiger, Jack thinks. Maisie then turns to her parents.
“Bye Mom! Bye Papa!” She gives them hugs and then bounds into the classroom. Camilla had slipped into the classroom with her and is showing Maisie where her cubby is to put her backpack. Jack watches the two of them, oddly frozen on the threshold of the door.
“She will be okay, Mr. Zimmermann,” Eric Bittle says, and Jack looks over at the smaller man. He has an encouraging smile on his face that reaches his dark brown eyes. They seem to twinkle and Jack feels momentarily breathless. This isn’t the first time he has met Maisie’s teacher—there had been a parent’s night the week before and then just last night, an open house for the students to see their classroom and meet their teacher—but a smile from Mr. Bittle being directed solely at Jack, does things to him, that he really needs to not focus on. Jack manages what he hopes is a natural smile of his own.
“Uncle Crappy?” Bittle teeters, “I may have to start calling Shi-… Mr. Knight that myself,” and then he laughs and Jack finds himself laughing too.
“It seemed better than Uncle Poopy,” Jack admits, his cheeks turning a little red. Mr. Bittle laughs even harder and Jack likes it.
“Well, I won’t keep you from getting your goodbye hugs, Mr. Zimmermann,” Bittle says gently, and Jack nods his head before stepping into the classroom. Maisie calls him over excited to show him her cubby and the table she will be sitting at during class.
“Jack, I have something I want to tell you,” Camilla says. They are almost back to Jack’s house for her to pick up her car. Then he has to go to practice. Jack glances at Camilla out of the corner of his eyes. He still feels a little tense from dropping their daughter off, and he is looking forward to skating with his team.
“What is it?” He asks, his gaze now focused on the road ahead of him.
“Steve and I… well, I’m pregnant Jack. We are going to tell Maisie about it soon, but I wanted you to hear it from me first.” Camilla says, somewhat breathless like she had been holding those words in for way too long. Once the meaning of the words sink in, Jack finds himself smiling. He knew that Camilla and Steve were serious. They lived together and Steve was just great with Maisie. His Maisie was going to be a big sister… and then Jack realized he had stayed quiet for too long. He could feel Camilla staring at him.
“Camilla, that is great news! I am happy for you both. Really,” he adds.
When they pull into his driveway, he gets out of the car to give Camilla a tight hug. “Congratulations again,” he says.
He watches as she gets into her car and drives off. Jack stares at his own car, knowing things are definitely going to be different now. Mostly, though, he does feel happy for his ex and he holds onto those feelings. Tries not to let the worry about how Maisie will feel get to him. He gives his parents a call before he heads to practice.
Title: Samwell Elementary
Fandom: Check, Please!
Word Count: 2,370
Ship: Zimbits
Chapter: 9
Previous Chapters: on tumblr and on ao3
Blurb: The Halloween party continues with Eric’s point of view.
Eric has lost Jack Zimmermann.
He regrets the decision they had made earlier, to come back inside, and get a picture of him and Shitty in their matching costumes. The picture itself was a success, Bitty remembers being tugged tightly against Shitty’s body, his nose at one point pressed uncomfortably into Shits’ armpit, but once he got his face out of there, laughing despite the smell and vague discomfort of it all, Jack snapped a handful of pictures and they were nice. Bitty had demanded, playfully of course, that they see the pictures straight away. The picture taking itself had been fun but it was after looking at them that Bitty and Jack got separated. Ransom and Holster had roped Bitty into playing beer pong.
Part of Eric had wanted to say no, but a large part of him felt a little guilty that he had been spending most of the party glued to Jack’s side, and so, he let his friends rope him into a game, and Eric lost, and then he also lost Jack Zimmermann in it all.
Bitty is aware that maybe he is not exactly sober. Not like he was sober before the beer pong, but he is definitely a lot less sober now. He weaves between friends and acquaintances alike, stopping to have conversations when people seem like they want to. All the while, he keeps part of his attention on the lookout for Jack and he is aware as he does that, that maybe he is being a little clingy and a little desperate. Also more than a little rude to those he talks to as his attention is not fully in what they are saying. His mama would be appalled, but Bitty is too not-sober to care. He does not really want to call himself drunk even though he is well aware that he is.
His phone vibrates and Bitty leans back against the wall, near the stairs that lead up to his bedroom. He mindlessly looks at his phone and then frowns. It is a text message from Trevor. A strange sense of guilt overcomes Bitty as he looks at the message, but does not really read it. He had been upset and hurt when he found out that Trevor had been cheating on him, but he realizes he had gotten over that hurt quick. He has not really given too much thought to Trevor in the last few weeks. He wonders why he feels guilty about that, even drunk, he knows that is a stupid thing to feel but he feels it all the same.
The text from his ex is innocent enough, simply wishing him a Happy Halloween and he wonders, finally pushing that weird guilt he was feeling if Trevor’s boyfriend knows that he is texting Bitty or not. He wonders if he should reply or not. Most of Eric wants to ignore the text even if some part of him will feel rude for it.
“What did your phone do to you?” Jack asks and Eric startles, looking up to see Jack Zimmermann leaning against the same all that Eric is. He fights back the sudden giggle that wants to pop out of his mouth.
“What d’ya mean?” Bitty asks, trying to keep his words from slurring too much. His head is swimming with more than just alcohol. It is swimming now with his proximity to Jack. Ever since Eric found out that Jack was single, no longer with Camilla, well… he has let himself hope and wonder. It makes him giddy sometimes just being close to Jack.
“You were just glaring down at your phone,” Jack points out, and Bitty thinks he detects concern in his voice.
He bites down on his lower lip, looking down at his phone instead of at Jack. A few seconds pass before he looks up. “Trevor, my ex, sent me a text. Just wishing me a Happy Halloween,” Bitty explains, fidgeting with his phone in the process.
“Oh,” Jack says, and that Oh seems to linger in the air. Awkwardness seems to be hanging between the two of them before Jack clears his throat. “Do you want to talk about it?” He asks and it feels gentle even if he is talking more on the louder side because of the music.
Eric shakes his head, “No. I was going to head up to my room to charge my phone. I think I have enough photos for the night anyway. Um.. want to come with me?” His face is red and he can feel it. His face was red from the drinks anyway, but it feels redder and warmer.
“Sure,” Jack says, and Eric’s stomach flips.
Somehow Bitty makes it up the stairs without tripping over his feet. He is all too aware of how close behind him Jack. He also intensely regrets not picking his room up some before inviting Jack in. He is worrying his lips with his teeth as he reaches the landing. It is only a few steps and then his door is on the left. He glances over his shoulder, and Jack is right there. The hallway light is off and Jack’s face is all in shadow. It seems a little dramatic to Bitty’s drunk mind, and he fights down a giggle.
“I should warn you that my room is a little messy,” he explains, before pushing the door open and stepping in. He flicks the light switch on and heads over towards the nightstand to plug in his phone. He notices Jack is standing in the threshold of the door, having not quite entered yet. He is looking all around the room, his expression difficult for Bitty to read. Finally, Jack seems to shake himself out of whatever it was and he steps into the room, closing the door behind him. Bitty is all too aware of how quite his room seems, with the music and party from downstairs dulled by the door.
“Did Shitty ever tell you that I lived in this room for a little while?” Jack asks, looking around once more. “When Camilla and I decided we were really going to divorce. I like what you have done with the place.” Jack says, and he turns to Bitty with a smile.
Bitty feels like he could fly because of that smile.
He really has not done too much to the room. He supposes, he has added his own personal touches. The bedding is all his, soft and comfortable and a light blue in color. He has pictures on the small desk that sits beneath the window, and a few cookbooks on the bookshelves that also house a lot of Shitty’s old books. The dresser is filled with Bitty’s own clothing, and there is a pile of dirty clothes next to the hamper that is actually full of clean clothing that needs to be put away. Bitty has a system with his clothes, they usually end up clean and in the hamper until he needs it to carry the dirty laundry downstairs. He suddenly feels more than a little embarrassed about that. He hung his own curtains over the window. And of course, Senor Bun is plopped on his bed, and Bitty hopes Jack has not noticed that yet. Trevor always made fun of him for Senor Bun.
“No, Shitty never told me.” And now Bitty wonders if that shirt that he found shoved in the dresser was Jack’s. He still likes to sleep in it most nights and he ducks his head to hide his blush. Jack moves even further into the room and takes a seat on the bed. Bitty hesitates a moment before sitting down next to him, close but not too close. He remembers how close they had gotten earlier in the evening, on that swing. He remembers the feel of Jack’s arm around his shoulder, of how pressed into his side Bitty had been. He remembers how Jack smelled and how he had hoped and hoped for a kiss of some sort but nothing ever came and Bitty had not been brave enough to initiate it. He can feel his heart racing again.
“Maisie wanted me to stay living with Shitty forever,” Jack says, and Bitty can feel Jack’s eyes on him. He chances a look and he all he can see is softness in Jack’s eyes and that smile he always seems to get on his face whenever he talks about his daughter. It makes Bitty melt. “She was very disappointed when I got my new place, at least for the first few days. She said that Uncle Crappy would be sad without me around, and without her around. But, now she really likes the house I picked and her room.”
“Shitty is a great friend,” Bitty says because it is true. He does not quite know what he would have done if Shitty had not offered him a place to stay.
“He is,” Jack agrees, and then Bitty feels the mattress in the bed dip as Jack shifts his weight and turns his body some to look at him. Bitty wonders if Jack can hear how hard his heart is thudding all of a sudden against his chest. “Did you want to talk at all… about Trevor? You looked upset?” Jack questions, as if he is not quite sure that Bitty looked upset.
Bitty slumps his shoulder some, and shifts on the bed himself. He leans his back against the headboard, he can see Jack easier this way. Jack’s hands are close to Eric’s legs, and he could probably easily touch them if he wanted. He leans his head back, sighing in what he realizes is probably in an overly dramatic kind of way.
“I was hurt and angry when I found out that Trevor had cheated on me,” Eric starts, he has spoken some about this with Lardo and Shitty. He is surprised to find that he does want to talk about this with Jack too. It is strange, they are not exactly friends, but he feels comfortable around Jack. And Jack with his kind blue eyes, the way his whole body is facing Eric’s, the way he seems to be really listening. The concern he had, and the fact he even asked Bitty to talk about it—it makes it all easier to just tell him. “But, I was not as upset as I probably should have been at the end of a two-year relationship? Don’t get me wrong, I cared about him. I probably still do, but… when everything was officially over when I was all moved out… I was not as sad about it as I would have thought. It makes me feel guilty that I am not as upset as I feel people assume I should be.”
He feels Jack drop a heavy hand on his ankle, and give it a squeeze. Bitty does his best to ignore how much he likes that simple touch of comfort. Jack says nothing and so Bitty continues to talk, “And his text just reminded me of that. It really was an innocent text, I think. I did wonder if his boyfriend knew he sent it. And even if I am not as upset as I feel like I should be, I don’t think I am quite ready to exchange pleasant texts with him.”
Again he feels Jack squeeze his ankle, and he notices that Jack does not move his hand any. Just that he leaves it there on his ankle, a comforting weight. Oh Lord.
“Don’t reply, then. And don’t feel guilty about not being upset enough over the relationship ending,” Jack says, his eyes glued to Bitty’s. And Bitty even though part of him wants to break the eye contact because it makes his heart race, it makes his throat feel dry, he does not. Lord Jack has such pretty blue eyes and Bitty wants to drown in them. “There is no right or wrong way to feel at the end of a relationship, no matter how it ends.”
What Jack says is basically what Lardo and Shitty have told him, but it seems to sink in a little better with Jack saying it. Bitty smiles and watches as Jack’s own face breaks into a smile too.
“Thanks, Jack.”
Jack nods and then sighs and stands up. Bitty surprises himself with how cold his ankle feels once Jack lets go of it and with the level of disappointment at seeing Jack stand.
“I really should get going,” Jack says, unable to fight a yawn.
“Oh, you have to travel tomorrow, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I actually had been looking for you to say goodbye,” Jack says, and he looks hesitant. Like he wants to say something else like he is weighing his options. Eric wonders wildly if Jack is thinking about kissing him. God, he hopes so. Jack instead, reaches into his pocket and removes his phone. “I was wondering if I could have your number. I could then send you the pictures I took tonight.”
“Oh.. Uh sure!” Bitty says, his voice sounding falsely bright to his ears. He reaches out for Jack’s phone, and types in his information before handing it back. Their fingertips touch and it feels almost electric.
“Okay, I’ll make sure to message you soon, Eric. It was great seeing you tonight. I really like your costume,” and Jack turns and leaves.
Bitty watches him go, certain that he had seen a blush on Jack’s face. Certain his own face had turned red at the compliment. Bitty bangs his head lightly against his headboard, groaning quietly. He is an idiot, he was certain of that. Then, he hears his phone vibrating on the nightstand and he looks over it. There’s a new text alert from an unknown number. His reaches for it and grins.
Unknown Number:
Hey, this is Jack. Just wanted to give you my number. Goodnight and Happy Halloween.
Bitty saves Jack’s number and shoots off his own reply. He still feels like an idiot, like maybe he missed some kind of opportunity, but having Jack’s number in his phone makes him feel a lot better.
