ghosts. [[closed to Jack]]

[island_juliet]

Juliet normally has no problem with confronting someone threatening her. But that was before she had Jonah. Before she was afraid of what would happen to him if something happened to her. So she does what she thinks is right, messaging John and Jack, then telling John not to worry about it when Jack responds right away. She doesn't hear the yelling anymore in the living room. And they sounded young, but she's grateful that Jonah is asleep in any case.

She has no idea how Jack is going to get in, but she figures he'll work out the lock as she sits down on the floor on the side of the bed where she and Jonah can't be seen from the door.

Comments

[has_2ls]

"Always," Jack promised, tucking a strand of her hair back behind her ear. "No matter what...this is or what we're doing about dating or not dating, if you need me, I'll be there. That's just the kind of guy that I am."

[island_juliet]

"I really like the idea of dating you," she says, thumb moving across his jaw. "And you know that Jonah comes first, that means more than anything to me."

[has_2ls]

"Oh yeah, I'd never try to date you without including him," Jack said, laughing softly. "He's gonna be there even if I'm not, you know?"

He smiled, though, and kissed her again. "But I wanna be there."

[island_juliet]

"I am really, really glad about that," she murmurs softly against his mouth, very glad to kiss him again, her palm resting against his cheek.

[has_2ls]

"Well, yeah. You get to benefit from dating my glorious person."

He was more the lucky one, Juliet was a great woman, but when things got too serious, Jack had to be the one to lighten things up with a joke or three.

[island_juliet]

Juliet laughs again softly. That's something she's missed - just laughing - and she's glad for it.

"Glorious? Tell me more about that. I need to know what I'm facing here."

[has_2ls]

"Oh well, you know. I'm just a cranky old man," Jack said, eyeing her with a knowing grin. "Not sure a pretty lady like you wants to sign up for that but what I can tell you is that I take care of what's mine. So, if you want to be mine...I'd take good care of you."

[island_juliet]

"I think I can say, without a doubt, that I want to sign up for that," she says, getting comfortable against his side.

"So now you get to pick what we do. I picked watching a movie."

[has_2ls]

"I pick relaxing on the couch," Jack said, laughing. "Cuddling may be had but we can't call it that. Sound good to you?"

Maybe it was sappy of him but Jack really, really couldn't find it in himself to care.

[island_juliet]

Juliet laughs softly, getting comfortable against Jack's side, sighing contently. "Sounds great to me. We can call it 'mutual holding' which sounds like a stock option."

She's happy though, smiling, and she feels like that happiness has been a long time coming.

[has_2ls]

"I've never been much for numbers," Jack admitted easily, "But I could go with mutual holding. Sounds better than playing doctor, anyway, and if you think I'm not going to use that line on you, well. You've got another thing coming, lady."

[island_juliet]

She laughs, louder this time as her head falls against his shoulder. "You'll have to surprise me with that one. I don't want to know it's coming."

She definitely cuddles up against him, an arm draping across his stomach.

Mutual holding, though.

[has_2ls]

"Trust me, it'll be right out of the blue," Jack promised. It was nice, getting to just be easy with a woman after years of tiptoeing around Carter. And Carter was with that guy now, the cop, and...

This was just easy. Jack hardly knew how to act about that.

[island_juliet]

Juliet kisses Jack again, sighing against his mouth. "You know," she says when she breaks the kiss.

"You're very good at the kissing."

[has_2ls]

"It's kind of a thing," Jack agreed. "I like it. You know, there's a lot you can do with kissing. It doesn't always have to be a stepping stone to the next thing or anything like that."

[island_juliet]

"Glad we cleared that misconception about kissing right up," Juliet says with a little smile. "I'm an indulger. I like to indulge in the kissing."