A/N: I have to say that the only reason why I wrote this was because I was pissed that not a lot of people were writing Harvar x Jacqueline stories… Then again, I do things most of the time with 'being pissed' as my motivation…
And yes, weird pairing, I know, but I like the idea of someone cool like Harvar paired up with a fiery person like Jacqueline. I seem to like those kinds of pairings… oh well, opposites attract - or so science says anyways.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
The first time they actually have a conversation, Jackie isn't impressed.
Just how they end up sandwiched together underneath Ox and Kim, she isn't sure. It may have something to do with the fact that the Kim was busy yelling at Ox, who was fawning over her, with their partners trying to break them up, resulting in them all tumbling down several flights of stairs. Jackie swore that those accursed steps had appeared out of nowhere… but in any case, she isn't going to try pacifying the endless dramas between Ox and Kim with him around any time soon.
Who was him, you might ask? Why, who else other than Harvar D. Éclair, the very boy immobilized underneath her?
But, back to the situation.
"I told you before, don't do that again! It's embarrassing!"
"But how could I, my fair lady? A king should always welcome his queen back grandly!"
"Who the hell's your queen?!"
"Gaack!"
Kim and Ox causing drama Jackie can put up with, but not Kim and Ox causing drama on top of her, especially when Harvar is stuck under the two with her.
"Stop elbowing me!" Jackie hisses at him, barely able to breath under the combined weight of Ox and Kim's foot (currently stomping on a shiny bald head).
"That won't be possible anytime soon unless you stop squashing my shoulder."
"Ugh, aren't you men supposed to be stupid, blundering, muscle-brained oxen?" Jackie grumbles, struggling to wriggle her left leg from the body pile, only to dig her knee into Harvar's back.
"Was that supposed to be a pun?" He asks instead of answering, referring to the moron still spewing disgustingly sweet love proclamations at her partner.
"No, but he's just as heavy!"
"You're not the one stuck at the bottom."
Giving up on trying to beat the boy in an argument, Jackie renews her efforts to escape. Anything to get away from the stubborn git under her, she reasons.
After a few fruitless attempts, she finally abandons her efforts to free her left leg (which was still being pressed painfully against Harvar's back). Jackie rolls her sore shoulders in vain, as her poor right arm is pinned underneath Ox's back. She grunts when she feels the elbow against her stomach jab her again. Harvar's arm is restrained against his own back, against Jackie's stomach – hence, the elbow jabbing her.
Jackie conjures up some colorful words to mutter under her breath when Ox flails his arms around, further crushing Jackie's weight onto Harvar's shoulder. "Gods, how do you put up with this love-sick idiot?"
"It's my duty."
"Your duty? Is that really all Ox is to you? Not a friend? All this time, staying with him was just part of your duty?" Jackie looks at him incredulously, brows lowered disapprovingly. She would have ranted on for a little longer if she hadn't realized just how close her face was to Harvar's.
"…"
"…"
Any normal girl would be blushing, but Jackie likes to think of herself as a fighter. So instead, she raises her stomach's body temperature - not hot enough to actually burn Harvar's skin, but enough to make it uncomfortably warm. Still, his face expression remains completely neutral, and not a single complaint escapes his lips.
Jackie rolls her eyes, through with this robotic boy. "Oh, you know what, screw this. Just help me get these two deadweights off."
"I can, but I don't think that you'll like my method."
"Really now," Jackie challenges, raising an eyebrow. "Try me."
He does exactly that, and true to his words, Jackie doesn't like it. Not one bit.
"Oh - fuuuuuccckkk!" She yelps, jumping a foot into the air. Her long black hair stands straight up – an unfortunate side-effect of the electric shock. Kim and Ox share similar reactions, only without the swearing. As usual, Ox immediately begins fussing over Kim – offering to check if she was hurt – which triggers an onslaught of non-stop shouting aimed at him – "What are you, a pervert?! There's no way that I'm letting you see under my shirt - again!" – before the usual beat down commences. At least they are now fighting on the ground instead of Jackie and Harvar.
And speaking of him…
Jackie rounds on the culprit, feeling her aggravation rising at the quick glimpse of amusement in his visor-hidden eyes. "The hell was that for?"
He shrugs in response, fixing his rumpled clothes. "I told you that you wouldn't like it."
"Who would like being zapped by electricity?!"
"My point exactly. You didn't like it."
Jackie groans and slaps herself on the forehead. "You know what – you're hopeless. Come on Kim, enough with the flirting."
Kim struggles against Jackie's grip, still tugging on one of Ox's 'pillars', and yells defiantly, "Let me go, Jackie! This goddamn fool needs some sense beaten into him -"
"Yes, yes, I'm sure, but that can wait. I'm tired, dirty, and hungry – and you know that I burn everything I try to cook."
After a moment of sulky silence, Kim huffs and finally lets go of Ox. "I'll beat you to the ground when I see you tomorrow."
"I'll take everything you give me!"
Like she said earlier, lovesick. Jackie also can't help but notice that Kim had said 'when' instead of 'if', but she doesn't mention it.
"Jacqueline."
"What?" Jackie doesn't stop walking and she throws the question over her shoulder.
"About your question earlier…"
Jackie doesn't even realize that Harvar had caught up to them until he is right behind her.
"Being a weapon and comrade to him will always come first… but he is also my friend. And depending on how the future plays out… you might be a friend too." And with a quick zap to her arm – right where she had sort-of burned Harvar – he's gone.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"What was that?" Ox shoots Harvar a strange look, confused about what his partner had said.
Said boy merely shrugs, turning to go somewhere (maybe to disappear on one of his random walks, Ox guesses). "Nothing."
Ox hesitates for a moment before falling in step with Harvar. There's no prying anything out of his Weapon when he doesn't want to answer, the Meister knows. Ox, however, misses a rare smile playing on his friend's lips.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
"What was that?" Kim gives Jackie a suspicious look, but she had only heard what Harvar had said and didn't notice the zap he gave Jackie.
Jackie finally lets go of Kim's arm and stomps past her. "Nothing!"
Kim heaves a sigh and walks alongside Jackie. She knows to let Jackie cool down before questioning her. Kim, however, misses the blush spreading across her friend's cheeks.
Fine, so maybe Jackie is just a little bit impressed – and quite possible charmed.