Chloe was not in her comfort zone. She was in a halter-style dress that Morris had bought for her earlier that day that she hated, and she was sitting at a table inside a restaurant that she knew they couldn't afford. Her steak was burnt, the conversation was as dead as one could be, and Morris looked two seconds away from chucking his sparkling water for the most expensive wine on the menu that he could find. So much for the lovely evening he'd planned, the purpose of which was to help them reconnect after a rough patch. Now he wondered if he'd inadvertantly plunged them into a new one.
"Did I not tell the waitress 'very well done'?" Morris asked, picking disgustedly at the slab of meat on his plate. "Does this look bloody well done to you? I can't tell if it's dead or alive."
"Fine," Chloe sighed, "trade with me."
"You know," Morris continued, transferring the steak to her plate a bit ungracefully by fork, "For as much as I'm paying for this place, I've gotten better service at the Olive Garden."
"Then maybe we should have gone there instead of spending next month's rent here," she replied with a slight roll of her eyes.
"Well, I'm sorry, dear, you'll just have to forgive me for trying to show you a good time at a nice restaurant. I won't do it again."
"Morris, I'm really not in the mood for your attitude right now," she scowled, noticing she wasn't quite in the mood for eating, either.
"Alright, then - I'll keep my mouth shut and let the overwhelmingly awkward tension in the air speak for..." his voice trailed off, his eyes on the door.
"What?" she asked, following his stare. She immediately looked away, for walking through the doorway was Jack, hand in hand with Audrey. She suppressed an inexplicable urge to hide, instead hoping they just wouldn't notice her.
"Your shadow has arrived," Morris sighed, leaning back in his chair frustratedly.
"Shut up," she replied, hearing their footsteps growing closer.
"Chloe?" Audrey's voice called, forcing Chloe to raise her head. "What a coincidence!"
"Hi," Chloe smiled as convincingly as she could, her eyes wasting no time turning to the man standing next to Audrey. He was in his prime in a dark suit, accompanied by his aura of strength, weakness, confusion, and passion, all rolled into one - she knew it well, and it never failed to take her breath away.
Pleasantries were being exchanged, but neither Jack or Chloe seemed to hear it. Their heads were elsewhere, their eyes were cast downward, and neither cared much for where they were.
"We'd better find our table," Audrey finally said, "but it was nice seeing you two."
"Sure, have fun," Morris nodded, contemplating but deciding against adding, "unlike us."
"Okay, you too," Audrey smiled, tugging on Jack's hand as they began to walk away. Morris watched Jack & Chloe's eyes rise to meet briefly once more, prompting him to wish he'd chosen McDonald's instead.
------------------------------------------------------------
Audrey knew she should have picked a table in the furthest corner she could find. Or have abandoned the place altogether. It was her fault; this was her favorite restaurant, and she'd lobbied hard for Jack to come along. He spent most of his days working and his nights as uneventfully as possible. He'd more than earned his right to boredom, but she wasn't used to him like this. In fact, sometimes she didn't recognize him at all. She tried until she was blue in the face, but their years apart had changed nearly everything in their lives so dramatically that neither could quite recapture what had drawn them to one another in the first place. Love wasn't the problem, just as it never had been. But the idea that had sparked their deepest connection was long dead. It was too painful to acknowledge, so they both silently chose to ignore it and instead coasted along together, inside their comfortable little bubble.
"I talked to Richard earlier," she said, trying to jump start their struggling conversation. "He's been accepted to Oxford."
"Oxford?" Jack repeated, knowing her brother had to be in his early thirties by now.
"Yeah, can you believe it? I just hope he sticks to it," she replied, eyes to her plate. When she looked up, she saw Jack watching Chloe & Morris from across the room. He quickly looked away when he noticed Audrey watching him.
"How's your food?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"It's fine," he replied, trying to smile for her.
She nodded, adding, "This place has the best crab cakes in LA."
He tried to think of something to reply with, but he was drawing blanks. He'd been drawing blanks quite often, having to struggle to keep a conversation with her going. He knew it didn't use to be like this. He & Audrey use to flow seamlessly, effortlessly - at least that's what he seemed to remember.
The silence was unbearably loud, and Audrey began to regret the very idea of this date. Every time she looked at him, his eyes were on his food, his watch, the walls, or most maddeningly of all, Chloe - but never her. She one thing for sure - they were skipping dessert. She wasn't going to stay one minute longer than she had to.
------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why don't we forget dessert and leave now?" Morris asked Chloe, who he thought would jump at the chance.
"I actually want dessert," she replied, picking up the menu from the table's middle.
"Of course you do," Morris sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, looking up from the menu.
"What do you think it's supposed to mean?" he countered. "One minute you're miserable and dying to leave, then Jack walks in, and boom, look at that - you're perfectly happy to stay."
"Morris, don't start," she muttered, casting her eyes back down to the menu.
"You know, Chloe, sometimes I wish you could watch yourself through someone else's eyes. Because for the last 10 minutes, here's what's happened: you look at Jack. I say something to get your attention, and you finally look away. He looks at you. Audrey says something to him, and he finally looks away. Then the cycle repeats itself."
"You see whatever you want to see," she replied, wondering if Jack really was looking at her as Morris said he was. "So stop being so insecure. It's not cute."
"Damn it, Chloe," he unexpectedly said, his tone high enough to startle her, "don't lie to me. Please, it's insulting."
She could feel herself start to grow angry very quickly, so she took a breath, counted to ten, and tried to respond as calmly as she could. "Drop it, Morris, before you start something you don't want to start."
"Trust me, I've tried to do that. I've tried harder than anyone else would. But every time you see him, which is a lot since he's been back at CTU, you get all starry-eyed and quiet, and suddenly I don't exist."
From across the room, Jack watched their spat unfold with unabashed concern.
"Jack," Audrey said quietly, "would you please stop watching her."
"What?" he asked, his eyes darting back across he table to her.
"You've paid her more attention tonight than you've paid me all day," she replied.
"Audrey," he replied obliviously, "that's not true."
"No, Jack, it is true. I just don't think you realize it."
He looked down, knowing it was true. "I'm just tired."
"Tired?" she repeated. "That's the best you can do?"
"Audrey, please," he pleaded, afraid to have this conversation with her. He feared he didn't have the energy to fight her over something he wasn't sure was even worth fighting for.
She shook her head, something inside of her giving way. "I don't know if I can do this much longer."
Their eyes locked painfully, his mouth falling open just a bit. "What are you talking about?"
"Look at us, Jack. We can't talk. We can't go out. You can hardly touch me when we're alone. We're not happy. We haven't been for awhile," she shakily admitted, tears stinging her eyes.
"Don't do this," he said quietly, reaching across the table for her hand. She quickly pulled it away.
"I've tried everything. I don't know what else to do," she continued. "I thought everything could go back to the way it was, but you've changed. We've both changed. I can't pretend we haven't any longer, Jack - I won't."
"Are you ending this?" he asked through a whisper.
Before she could answer, the sound of a man pounding on a table was heard from across the room, capturing both of their attention.
"Morris, stop it, please," Chloe pleaded as Morris nearly blew his top.
"No. I'm not going to stop. I'm tired, Chloe. I'm tired of being the man you settle for. I'm done."
With that, Morris stood up from the table and prepared to walk away.
"Where are you going?" she asked as he threw her a credit card for the bill and their car keys.
"I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out. You take the car. I'd rather walk," he replied before walking away.
Not realizing nearly all eyes were on her, Chloe called after him a few times, to no avail. She then rested her head in her hands, now sitting alone and having no idea what to do.
"I'll be right back," Jack told Audrey before heading over to his friend. Audrey laughed morosely at the idea of Jack not even sticking around long enough for her to break up with him. She came second even then.
Chloe was startled to feel a warm hand on her shoulder. "Chloe, are you okay?"
She looked up and immediately eased in to his presence. "I don't know. I think Morris just left me."
He paused, unsure of quite how he should react to such news. "Are you sure?"
"No. I don't know," she sighed just as Audrey approached him from behind.
"Jack," she called, prompting him to turn around. "I'm going to head home."
"Fine, just wait until I'm done here," he replied.
Audrey glanced down at Chloe, then back to him."No. She can drop you off later, when you're 'done'. I'll have the couch ready for you. But I'd prefer to be alone tonight, if you don't mind," she said before walking away.
Silently, he slid into the seat Morris had occupied. "She's really doing it," he muttered, staring into nothing.
"Doing what?" Chloe asked.
His eyes wandered back to hers. "I think she's breaking up with me," he replied.
Chloe looked down, knowing she couldn't keep the words from spilling out. "I'm sorry, I guess. But it's not like she was ever right for you, anyway."
"What?" he asked, finding her usual bluntness a bit surprising.
"Nothing," she shrugged. "Forget I said anything."
But he didn't forget as the time wore on, and neither seemed to say or do anything. It had been a long time since they'd been in the same room outside of CTU, and now that they were, in this odd situation, it couldn't have felt weirder.
"I should go home," she finally said, taking the napkin off of her lap and laying it on the table. "I think I should probably try to cry and be sad."
"Are you?" he asked.
"You're not exactly ripping at the seams either," she countered.
"I don't know what I feel," he answered, surprised by his own words.
Before she could reply, she was interrupted by the ring of her cell phone. "Hello?"
"It's me," Morris replied. "I'm going to stay with my brother tonight, so...don't wait up for me."
"Your brother?" she repeated. "He lives on the other side of town."
"Just... do us all a favor and don't worry about me," he muttered before hanging up.
She closed her eyes and hung up, a twinge of guilt striking her gut. She'd never intended to cause the hurt she heard in his voice. She truly did love him, and she'd loved him for a long time. But a part of her never expected their relationship to turn out any differently, if she were honest with herself.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, trying to read her blank face.
"No," she replied. "But I'm used to it by now, so I'll get over it."
He nodded, nervously scratching at his right temple before asking quietly, "Would you mind giving me a ride to a hotel? There's one not far from here, so it won't be too far out of your way."
"...Sure, I guess. She won't even give you the couch?" she asked, brows lowered.
He looked away, muttering, "Chloe..."
"Right, I'm sorry. I tend to do that when I'm stressed," she sighed, signaling the waiter for the check.
"Only when you're stressed?" he asked, receiving a glaring response.
So they weren't reacting to their predicaments the way most would - they were not most people, and both would figure out their own ways to deal with it.
----------------------------------------------------------
Neither knew what to say when Chloe's car pulled into the parking lot of rhe approximately 2 and a half star hotel Jack would be spending the night at. After she parked, Jack shifted uncomfortably before giving her an obligatory thank you and reaching for the door.
"Jack," she said suddenly, prompting his head to swivel back towards her.
"Yeah?"
"This isn't like you. You fight for what you want and the people you love. But you're just letting her walk away from you."
"It's complicated," he replied. "I think you more than anyone can understand that."
She nodded. "You just deserve a break, that's all."
"So do you," he replied with a bit of a smile. He then opened the door and was soon on his way inside the building.
She watched him from her car, thinking to herself how the last thing she wanted to do was go back to her empty apartment, where she knew she'd lie awake in bed replaying the same thoughts over & over in her head. Desperation had snuck up on her, and it left her feeling stuck in a world where nothing ever turned out to her advantage. No matter how hard she tried, she seemed to always come up short. Maybe it was because this was a recurring scene - sitting alone watching the man she'd craved for years walk away to his own world, where she never could seem to quite get through the door of.
It took some time for her to realize that she was still staring at the door, though he was long gone. With a sigh, she turned on her ignition.
Once again, her phone interrupted her. She picked it up without thinking. "Hello."
"Chloe," a familiar gruff voice responded. "I'm in room 143. Get up here."
Suddenly she froze, wondering if she was hallucinating. "Jack?"
"Now, Chloe," he added before hanging up.
Eyes wide, she set her phone down on her lap. How did he even know she was still there? Was she wrong to immediately assume what he wanted to see her for? What was it about his tone that had been so different? Most importantly, why was she still sitting in her car?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Her hand trembling slightly, she knocked on his door. Immediately he opened, as if he'd been standing there waiting. Their eyes locked, and he stepped aside. She walked inside, trying to draw a breath as he closed the door behind her.
She looked around the bland yet fitting room, her back still turned to him, as he watched her take in what he knew was an awkward situation.
"Chloe," he said softly as she finally turned.
"This is really weird, Jack - why am I here?" she asked as he moved in closer.
Close enough to look into her eyes but far away enough for her to feel somewhat comfortable, he replied, "Do you not want to be here?"
She stayed silent, searching his eyes for something to make sense of.
Finally he decided to stop holding back. "I hated the way he treated you. I hated watching him with you. I hated that he wasn't good enough for you. Audrey knew it, and she tried to ignore it. That's why she did what she did tonight. Part of it, anyway."
By now her confusion had reached its peak. "What?"
"I'm sick of this, Chloe. Life is too short."
She closed her eyes as his hand brushed against her cheek, her mind going blank as a couple of words tumbled out of her mouth. "That's why Morris left, too."
She reopened her eyes to see his face mere inches from hers, a sight that threatened the will of her knees. "Then I guess he's more perceptive than I thought," he replied in his lowest voice.
He took a moment to take everything about her in, wondering why he hadn't done this earlier. He'd only begun to realize how much he cared for her when he began to watch the way she & Morris struggled with each other daily at CTU. It took a few times for his mind to imagine how differently he'd treat her before the truth slowly dawned on him.
With both of his hands holding her dark hair out of her face, he leaned forward and sunk into a kiss that seemed to bring to life parts of him he thought had died a long time ago.
Shockwaves traveling through her body, Chloe's formerly limp arms rose to enclose around his neck. His kiss was deep, deeper than she'd expected, but just as sweet as she'd dreamed so many times before. The real thing, she quickly learned, could not be rivaled by any dream.
When he reluctantly pulled away for air, she opened her eyes and, against her better judgement, her mouth. "You're not ready for this, Jack - you can't be."
"I've been ready for this a lot longer than you know," he replied before pulling her into another kiss.
"Yeah but," she tried to say in between his kisses, to no avail.
"Chloe," he finally said, cupping her face in his hands. "Just stop thinking."
The hungry look in his eyes could have convinced her to do anything. "Okay," she muttered, throwing her last bit of doubt to the wind. He finally brought her into his world with his kiss, and as she lost herself in it, the tears threatening to sting her eyes told her she was home.
Before she realized, her feet were swept off of the floor as he picked her up and hoisted her onto his waist, her legs instinctively wrapping around him. He took her across the room to a dresser, where he sat her down so their faces were level. She watched in a bit of lingering disbelief as he lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. He quickly brought his lips back to hers, her hands holding his face close to hers as he untied the halter portion of her dress from around her neck. A wonderful chill ran down her spine as he pulled the top of the dress as far down as he could, exposing her black strapless bra to his eyes. One hand balanced on the dresser's edge while the other played with the hair at the nape of Jack's neck as he lowered his head to kiss the soft skin of her breasts. His fingers fumbled with the clasp behind her for a few moments before she grinned and said, "You're such a guy." He lifted his head and smiled as she took care of the damn thing for him, flinging it to the floor with a mirroring smile.
Soon he had picked her up from the dresser, the bed their new destination. He lied her down gently, his lips never breaking from hers. He reached underneath her and pulled off the remainder of her dress as her fingers began to softly trace the trail of scars that haunted his back, marking the first time they had been touched with gentle fingers. The resulting sensation forced him to take a sharp breath, accelerating his arousal.
When Chloe's hands reached for the buckle of his belt he quickly beat her to the punch, yanking it undone faster than she'd ever seen before. His black pants were lost with equal hastiness, sending her system into a nervous overload as the moment drew ever closer.
They shared one more knowing look as if to assure the other before her legs tangled up & around his waist, waiting for him to enter. He kept his gaze to hers as he slowly pushed inside of her, their tension building rather than being relieved. A few more thrusts and he caught his rhythm, forcing her to close her eyes as a moan escaped her lips. He didn't take his eyes off of her, the expressions crossing her face turning him on like nothing else.
Without thinking, her hands found their way back to his back, where her fingernails nearly added to his crop of scars. But he barely noticed, by now fighting for his breath against the skin of her neck. The closer he got, the closer he pushed her, though both tried and failed to prolong it as long as they could.
Finally, he could hold himself back no longer, emitting the sexiest sound she had ever heard as he climaxed inside of her, sending her off of the edge right along with him. The weight of his body collapsed happily onto hers, his cheek resting on her shoulder as they recaptured their breaths.
Eventually he rolled aside, taking her into his arms as they laid silently searching the other's eyes. He tucked her now-unruly hair behind her ear, just before she slapped the side of his face.
It wasn't hard, but it wasn't soft, either. "What was that for?"
"That was for making me wait so long," she replied as a smile crossed his face.
She settled into him, her mind slowly regaining its functions. "So what now?"
He paused, pulling the covers over them. "Now we sleep."
And for once, for Chloe, that was enough.