Title: Puck and Phit
Author: puccafan
Characters / Pairing: Chris / Jal
Spoilers: Some for the S2, Ep5 trailers but merely speculation beyond that.
Summary: Chris POV. The immediate aftermath of that scene.
Disclaimer: Not mine, never mine.
A/N: This is my first Skins fic so I'm a little nervous about posting, but there really needs to be more Chris / Jal fic around. This is based off their looks in the promos for episode five, I'm not trying to imply that Jal doesn't like Chris ... simply that she would be too shocked and too insecure to do anything other than run away, which Chris interprets as rejection. Because sadly he is far too used to it.
As Chris let go of her wrist only one thought registered in his mind.
Shit.
Chris blinked. He had just kissed Jal.
…
Fuck.
The kiss had been lovely for all of the split second it had lasted. But Jal had jerked away in surprise and he had jumped back hastily and now she was looking at him like normal Jal again. With her patented what-the-fuck-do-you-think-you're-doing? face on, aimed straight in his direction. He hadn't been able to help himself though; she had been looking all lovely, and warm, and because she was slightly pissed he could see down her top a bit ( she really did have great tits ) and she was just making him smile and feel content and being Jal. Only there was nothing lovely or warm about the situation now - no undercurrent of it all being a joke. The open night now seemed very, very quiet, and his own breathing much louder. Chris wanted to run away, or at least get Jal to stop staring at him like that. She looked almost angry. Or horrified.
Shit.
But she was confused too, he could tell that from the small crease in the middle of her brow. Chris didn't blame her, he wasn't exactly on the ball either. His stomach was clenching in a weird and uncomfortable way, his lips were warm from where they had touched hers and his feet seemed glued to the spot. His head was spinning too, and not just because of the spliff he'd had earlier.
As Jal continued to stare at him and not speak Chris swallowed the dry lump in his throat, wondering at how long this silence was going to go on for, and whether he should say something or at least look away. Mentally he kicked himself for being so momentarily and monumentally stupid. For exposing himself. He had gotten so carried away with her getting carried away that the fact that Jal was one of his best mates and a definite no-go area had somehow escaped him. She had shown him how gorgeous she was and all evening he hadn't been able to stop seeing it, or stop that funny warm feeling he felt every time she looked at him, though that could have also been the beer expressing itself.
But the warm feeling had evaporated, and now she was looking at him with that expression of hers that was a meeting between confused and plain pissed off; the same expression she'd worn when Kenneth had tried to come on to her at Michelle's house party. Chris had told him where to go that night, earning a slap on the arm - and some lesbo prattle about female independence - then one of Jal's rare genuine smiles.
It was the memory of that smile that made Chris nervous about what Jal was going to do next. They were still looking at each other, and really, this bloody silence was getting a bit ridiculous now wasn't it? But fuck it, he wasn't going to be the one to speak first.
Blinking Jal broke their absurd staring match, but she still didn't speak. Instead she ducked her head down and pursed her lips and it was hard to tell in the dark but Chris could have sworn he could see her blushing. She still wasn't pleased though, that much was bloody obvious. Turning on her heel Jal started to walk away from Chris, as fast and calmly as she could, straight towards the bus stop at the end of the Green.
" Take me home Chris. " she said, calling back in clipped tones.
Within the space of 5 minutes Chris had gone from feeling perfectly content with the world to feeling the way he had when discovering Angie had left. Except worse because this was Jal. Desperately trying not to appear utterly rejected Chris followed her across the grass towards the bus stop, angrily cursing under his breath. Shit.