Title: Shagging on a Sunday Afternoon
Author: puccafan
Characters/Pairing: Chris/Jal. Maxxie, Anwar and Sid also featured.
Spoilers: S2, "Chris." Set halfway through the episode, before Angie, the breakup, and Jal's discovery.
Summary: Exactly what it says on the tin. Except, no graphic stuff. Basically - Chris and Jal spend Sunday afternoon together.
A/N: Sort of a sequel of "Doing Puck All on a Saturday Morning", but can be read separately. But this is the third fluffy Chris / Jal fic promised. I hope someone likes it. Warning; really quite long.
Jal always had to go home at some point over the weekend - no matter how much she didn't want to. Sunday mornings presented the perfect opportunity. Cassie was always in a terrible state after the night before and Chris had given himself the responsibility of looking after her. Or at least cleaning up her mess and telling the wanker upstairs to keep it down. Jal had always felt she should help too and had offered as much; but Chris didn't want to overcrowd Cassie, and in all honesty was placed much better to help her considering his mutual experience with what she was going through - something Chris openly admitted to and which Jal didn't like to think about too much.
Usually Jal spent Saturday evening out with Chris and the night back at his flat. Or his "pad" as he liked to call it. But it did all depend on how much work she had from college, or how possessive her father had decided to become that week. And on this particular weekend she had been assigned a 2000 words minimum essay for Psychology due in on Monday, and so frankly couldn't afford to get wrecked Saturday night and let her father see her arriving home resembling the un-dead the following morning. So this Saturday night Jal had - reluctantly - wished Chris goodbye and Cassie bon voyage at 8'o clock and returned home for the first time in 2 days.
Actually, technically that wasn't true. First she had paid Michelle a little visit. For despite everything Jal had always managed to stay best friends with Michelle. Michelle was beautiful, self centred and didn't give nearly as much as she took. But Jal knew all that, and was more than capable of not letting Michelle walk all over her. And Jal had been through far too much whining and rigmarole with Michelle to bother herself with pondering the dynamic of their relationship; she enjoyed chatting and getting pissed with the girl and that was that. Was Michelle still the first person Jal would turn to in emergency? The most dialled number on her phone? Definitely not. He had taken over that role. Which was at the same time worrying and a comfort. Chris - for all the emotional baggage and intense possibility he embodied - was simply a much better friend than Michelle had ever been.
Still, it had hurt like fuck when Michelle neglected to tell her about Sid and their little tryst; though Jal could understand 'chelle wanting to keep that quiet. Jal didn't mean that as a slight against Sid, he was her friend. But so was Cassie - though the girl was hauling herself over rocky ground at the moment - and everything about Sid and Michelle together was just plain wrong. Despite herself Jal had even beginning to feel a little bit sympathetic for Tony lately. A fact which really highlighted once again to Jal how much things had changed since his accident. The group was no longer the group - their ringleader was absentee in more way than one and everyone was coupling and splitting off. Jal ought to feel sad about that she supposed, but more and more every day it felt like growing up.
Jal spent a grand total of 5 minutes at Michelle's. Her "best friend" hadn't been in the mood for much head banging or chin wagging; instead preferring to shove her head under her pillow and groan as her computer flashed every time Sid sent her an instant message, with pathetic little smiley faces.
Sometimes Jal just wanted to take Sid and Cassie - and Tony and Michelle too for that matter - and bang their heads together till they started making sense again and got over their fucked up little dramas.
Instead she simply patted 'chelle's pillow in a gesture of comfort and made her way home - slipping in quietly through the front door - and surprising her Dad when she arrived at the dinner table that night.
After she went out for drinks with Maxxie - who had vowed to avoid Anwar till Sketch had stopped attaching herself to every invitation - and Chris had texted her from the club he was at with Cassie. Maxxie walked her home round 11, and together - more content than drunk - they had strolled and skipped down the middle of Bristol's empty streets, singing the Sound of Music, Rhianna and Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of their voices; to which at one point several tramps huddled round a shop doorway had given them a vigorous round of applause and standing ovation. Maxxie had bowed and given them the last of the vodka he'd snuck out - to which the tramps had applauded even louder.
The following morning Jal happily woke without a hangover and proceeded - in a feat of some willpower - to knock out her Psychology essay in two hours flat. And by 1 she found herself stepping onto the Green - following her weekly clarinet lesson at college. Scanning the grass Jal quickly spotted Maxxie's vividly blonde hair in the distance, and as she made her away across to him Sid and Anwar's heads bowed in conversation became visibly recognisable among the groups of teenagers scattered about the place.
Dumping her clarinet case on the grass Jal dropped down on her knees. Maxxie smiled at her as she spread out on her front next to hi.
" Alright Jal. How are the vocals this morning?" he asked, casually offering her his half eaten orange and a roll-up.
" Oh you know, alright but I think I should stick to the clarinet playing. " replied Jal dryly, taking the fruit off of him, peeling off a segment and popping it in her mouth.
Maxxie tilted his head at Jal and grinned.
" I dunno, I think you make a nice Freddie Mercury." he commented, taking a drag.
Jal shoved Maxxie playfully in the shoulder with her own.
" That's what a girl likes to hear. " Looking up Jal addressed the two other members of the circle. "Alright you two?"
Opposite her the two guys were also lain on their front, avidly looking at something on Sid's phone. And from the way Anwar's eyes were bugging from his head Jal had an awful, sneaking suspicion that it involved Michelle.
Loudly she cleared her throat.
" Wh - oh, hi Jal." Sid's voice shot up a notch, and swallowing, he hastily snapped his phone shut and shoved it in his back pocket.
" What the fuck Sid? I wanted to see the rest. " Anwar whined.
Nervously Sid elbowed Anwar and nodded in Jal's direction - lain opposite them with a raised eyebrow.
" Oh, hey Jal." greeted Anwar cheerily, no sign of guilt crossing his features.
Jal shook her head.
" Honestly Anwar, if you were any hornier you'd start humping chair legs. "
" What?"
" Well I'm assuming Sid wasn't showing you videos of his sister was he?"
Anwar laughed hesitantly.
" Uh - yeah."
Sid stared at Jal with a slightly confused frown.
" I don't have a sister. "
Jal rolled her eyes.
" Oh for fuck's sake."
Beside her Maxxie chortled and Sid continued to look confused.
" Don't worry about it Sid." Maxxie offered helpfully, before putting out his roll-up on the grass and addressing Jal.
" Hey Freddie - you free tonight?"
" Uh - I don't know. Why?"
Maxxie smiled and leaned in enticingly.
" My mate's band have got a gig down the Croft tonight. I'm trying to recruit people but these lazy fuckers - "
Maxxie thumbed towards the inattentive boys opposite.
" - say they're busy. But what about you? What you up to?"
" Um - "
The reason Jal hesitated was because she already knew exactly what it was she was going to be up to. Going to visit Chris and spend the afternoon ( and evening ) with him. Probably not fully clothed the entire time either. The thought of doing so had been the first thing to bring a smile to her face that morning.
Maxxie pulled a sad expression and pouted at Jal slightly.
" Come on, say yes. What else are you doing?"
Inside Jal winced and kicked herself mentally. Once again not telling the group about her and Chris had come back to bite her on the ass.
She wasn't sure why they hadn't told anyone. Cassie knew of course - but she barely spoke to anyone except her and Chris anymore. Michelle had found them out too, but of course she was too wrapped up in her own life to tell the group about anyone else's.
Jal supposed some part of her didn't want to ruin what she had with Chris - together they were so happy that she didn't want to drag their fledgling relationship under the collective eye of the group and into their circle of fucking melodrama. Chris and her had always been close anyway - and even now that he was her sanctuary from everything, and everyone else, things weren't much different. Just with added sex.
And announcing to the group that she was "pucking" - as Chris put it - one of their favourite members wasn't a prospect Jal wanted to tackle head on. Especially seeing as how they all thought she was some kind of prude. Anwar's reaction alone was enough to put Jal off the idea for life.
Still, not making their relationship common knowledge had an annoying tendency to lead to moments like this.
Jal smiled apologetically.
" Sorry Max, I think I'm busy."
Maxxie's face fell quite tragically.
" Even too busy for a night of exhilaration and intoxication?"
Jal laughed but still shook her head.
" Not even just the exhilaration?"
Consolingly Jal patted Maxxie on the arm and leant her head on his shoulder.
" I'm busy this afternoon."
Maxxie tutted and shook his head slightly - addressing the top of Jal's own reprimandingly.
"That's only the afternoon."
Jal bit her lip, and smiled shyly to herself.
" My um - thing - might , uh … take a while."
Naked and happy, Chris and Jal flopped backwards onto his bed.
Smiling contentedly and hiding a small yawn - her antics with Maxxie were catching up with her, but she didn't want Chris to take it the wrong way - Jal nudged Chris's arm with her head, and automatically it opened up and let her curl into his side.
The bed sheets were tangled around them, but only up to their waists, so Chris smiled with satisfaction as Jal's chest pressed against his lower abdomen.
" You know," he announced. " I reckon sunday afternoons are the best time for shagging.
" Hm." grumbled Jal against Chris." They're the only time we get for shagging."
Propping her head up slightly Jal rested her chin on Chris's shoulder.
" What time does she get back from her gran's again?"
" Six." replied Chris." Her gran's got instructions from her parents to make sure she hasn't joined a cult or a brothel, or started smoking crack or something. "
Jal noted the light worry in Chris's voice at the mention of Cass, and meeting his eyes she shared a small, sad smile with him.
Jal really loved the way Chris looked out for and after Cass - he was like the big brother to his flatmate, that Jal's siblings had never been to their own sister.
And no-one asked him to do it. No-one asked him to worry - because when it came to Cass it seemed that no-one did anymore.
Touched - though she wouldn't tell him that - Jal planted a kiss on Chris's mouth, and responding quickly he tugged on her bottom lip lovingly as he returned it, tilting his head slightly.
Breaking away after a minute or so Jal resettled her head against Chris's chest. He squeezed her closer to him and she sighed happily.
Mimicking her Chris breathed out heavily through his nose like a horse - and Jal laughed and poked his leg with her toe under the duvet, to which Chris poked back with his fingers in her stomach.
But Jal was still sleepy so the fighting didn't devolve into a mini poking match. Blinking once or twice she leaned backwards slightly and her eyes strayed to the ceiling, illuminated by the slanted rays of sunshine from Chris's tiny window.
What had once been a blank, white surface was now a veritable feast of doodling - mostly stick figures in mostly primary colours but Jal loved to look at it. Especially as Chris usually added something new every week.
Jal scanned the ceiling lazily, looking for any new additions. Her eyes passed over the centre piece - her, Chris and a little house in sketch form - as well as the regular characters; Cass flying on a magic carpet with her eyes shut, Sid with a head and pair of glasses bigger than his torso, Maxxie and Anwar doing jazz hands in the corner. Even Tony beating a bus to death.
Most of the doodles were of her, or her and Chris - holding hands or kissing modestly, little pencil heads drawn together and stick arms splayed out to each side.
Though there was that one doodle, with a stick figure Jal on her knees in front of a stick figure Chris who had his thumb up. Chris had drawn that one in front of her though - and technically it might have been her - joking - suggestion in the first place. Who was she to know he would take her seriously?
Well. That was a lie. That was fully what she would expect him to do if she thought about it.
Finally Jal located the new figures. She let out a laugh - tickling Chris's skin and making him squirm - when she saw the first one; Chris's wanky colleague Jon with a great, big, bloody axe sticking out of his head.
Jal frowned when she noted the other new figure though - tall, male, white - who she didn't recognise. But also noting the little boy whose stick hand he was holding onto, Jal had a pretty good idea who the mystery stick figure was.
Glancing up at Chris, Jal found him smiling down at her fondly.
Quietly Jal returned the smile, and Chris pressed a kiss to her forehead, before leaning back and retracing the same ceiling spot with his eyes.
Jal leant back too, to observe the figure. When Chris spoke she felt his chest move beneath her cheek slightly.
" You know how, when you're a kid, Sunday afternoons seem to last forever? Yeah, well I loved 'em. I never wanted them to end, 'cos it was school on Monday but also because Peter, he - he used to play with me. Kid games and stuff - like forts made out of pillows and shit. "
Jal continued staring at the Peter the stick figure, and though she couldn't see him she heard the smile enter Chris's voice.
" Mum and Dad used to roll their eyes 'cos they thought Peter was too old for that sort of thing - but I loved it. And Peter never stopped playing with me. He was always the leader - but I didn't mind. I liked it. I liked being told what to do. It was nice. "
Jal could feel a smile spread across her own face.
" Sounds it."
Against her cheek Jal felt Chris swallow. And heard the smile disappear from his voice.
" I miss him Jal."
" I know." she replied honestly.
Chris laughed hoarsely.
" Doesn't' that sound fucking stupid? Isn't it obvious, or I - aren't I supposed to have fucking moved on or something?
Jal didn't look up at Chris - she knew part of the reason behind his free talking was the fact that no-one was looking at him. Instead she spread her palm across his chest and spoke as truthfully as she could.
" It's not stupid Chris. And even if you have moved on, it doesn't mean you can't miss him. Or talk about him. Or even - "
Jal nodded upwards, towards the ceiling.
" - draw him."
Chris stared up at his brother, and this time Jal glanced up in time to see him smile.
" Yeah that's a rubbish picture. I was never any good at drawing. And Peter didn't look like that - he wasn't that tall. Or big. "
Chris tilted his head to the side, and observed in amusement.
" I made him look like fucking Hulk Hogan or something. "
Jal laughed, but in the middle - and she couldn't help it - a large yawn escaped her.
Chris sharply glanced down at her, and narrowed his eyes.
" You tired?"
" No!"
Quickly Jal shoved her head into Chris's chest and away from his questioning eyes.
But Chris only propped himself on his elbows and sat up - making Jal groan as her pillow moved beneath her.
" You are tired."
" No I'm not." lied Jal, as she wriggled impatiently into Chris's side, waiting for him to lie back down.
He complied but continued to eye her suspiciously - and sure enough as soon as he stilled her eyes fluttered shut and Chris prodded her with a loud "aha!"
" Hey!"
" Don't you fall asleep on me."
" I won't." replied Jal in sweet, sleepy innocence.
" I'll keep you awake." Chris warned playfully.
" Mmhmmmm." murmured Jal in response.
" I'll poke you!"
And true to his word Chris did so, but Jal opened her mouth slightly, and with a light nip bit down on Chris's chest.
" Ow!" squealed Chris. " Watch it - don't be kinky."
" What you gonna do?" teased Jal from her restful position, curled into his side like a cat.
" Tickle you."
" Not ticklish."
Chris pursed his lips in suspicion.
" You could be bluffing."
" 'm not. You know 'm not. "
" Wait, I got it - I'll tell you things so scary you won't be able to fall asleep."
Jal grinned against Chris's chest.
" Try it."
" Alright then." Chris puffed up his chest in anticipation of the challenge and hummed to himself thoughtfully.
" Alright - um, the world's supply of clarinets have been destroyed. "
" Tame. "
" Your Dad's never gonna let you leave home. You have to live with him forever. "
Jal snorted lightly in response.
" Unlikely. Try again mister. "
" Leona Lewis's doing a cover of Beethoven's Fifth."
Unconsciously Jal shuddered.
" Aha, see that's more like it." crowed Chris. " Alright … oh, I know."
Jal raised her eyebrow at the sudden assurance that had entered Chris's voice, and glanced up at Chris.
" Oh really?"
Chris stopped smiling and stared into Jal's eyes sincerely.
" Anwar's fallen in love with you."
" Oh f - I'm awake, I'm awake!"
Chris laughed loudly and pulled Jal down and wrapped an arm around her waist possessively.
" Don't worry, not gonna let the fucker near you." Chris promised, murmuring into her hair.
They stayed in the same, warm position for several minutes and Jal - ridiculously content - was very close to sleep once more, when Chris's phone started to ring loudly.
Sitting up - and accidentally letting Jal slip off of him - Chris leant over the side of his bed and answered his phone groggily.
" Yeah?"
Down the other end of the line Maxxie greeted Chris brightly.
" Hey man - you up to much tonight?"
" Uh -" Chris lay back down next to Jal and rubbed a finger in his eye as he considered.
He glanced down at Jal and grinned. " I'll probably be up yeah."
Jal rolled her eyes and slapped Chris across the chest softly.
" What?" Maxxie replied in confusion, down the phone.
Chris shook his head.
" Don't worry 'bout it Max. "
" Alright - well, are you busy or what? 'cos Tom's band are playing the Croft tonight? Wanna come? I've got pills."
Chris wrapped his arm round Jal once more and held his phone to his ear and he lay back against his pillow, eyes shutting.
" Nah, I'm alright man."
" For fuck's sake Chris - not you too? Come on then, what are you doing that's so important then?"
" My girlfriend."
Chris got a harder slap on the chest - due to her proximity Jal could hear the other half of the conversation - and at the other end of the line Maxxie laughed.
" Alright, fair enough. Say hi to Freddie for me."
Maxxie hung up and Chris flipped his phone shut with a slightly bemused expression. He looked down at Jal, who was looking up at him in turn.
" Who's Freddie?"
A small crease appeared in Jal's brow.
" That's me - wait, fuck! That means Maxxie knows!"
Jal sat up sharply with her realisation.
" Knows what?"
" About us!"
Chris shook his head, and attempted to pull her back down.
" Course he fucking knows."
But Jal refused to be moved and fixed Chris with a
" What do you mean, "he knows"?"
Chris shrugged as if it was obvious.
" I told him."
Jal's mouth fell open slightly.
" Oh. He hasn't said anything."
Chris pulled Jal back onto the bed and onto his chest as he spoke.
" Why would he? Anyway, Max said he was waiting for us to get it together."
" He did?"
" Yeah. And I told him it was your fault for resisting my charms for so long."
Jal snorted lightly against Chris's chest. Offended he nudged her in her side.
" Oi. I have charms. " he protested defensively.
" Unless they count drunken stripping and drooling over 'chelle's step sister Mrs Big Tits I wouldn't say you were throwing them in my direction."
Placated Chris settled back a little more, and smiled to himself.
" Ah, you like me anyway."
Jal yawned into Chris's side and pulled a face.
" Sometimes."
Chris's eyes fluttered shut.
" I'm a good boyfriend."
His hand stroked up and down her arm softly.
" Not bad."
" I make you laugh."
Jal nuzzled slightly against Chris's chest.
" A bit."
" I'm funny." affirmed Chris, eyes popping open.
" Tell me a joke then." Jal challenged, her eyes shutting peacefully.
" Why did the mushroom go to the party?"
" Because he was a fun-guy. Too easy."
" Well that's not fair, you've heard it before."
" My nacho cheese is way better."
" Nah no way. More comedy potential in mushrooms. "
Jal giggled, and Chris listened to the sound with gratification. Whilst Jal laughed - she rarely ever giggled. When she did it was quite a childlike sound - happy, carefree. Nothing pleased him more than to hear it.
As she stopped Jal remained silent for a few moments, before she spoke aloud - deciding to voice the conclusion she had come to only just recently. It was a question and a statement all mixed in one.
" Chris."
" Yup." came the content reply.
" You know you're my best friend."
There was a moment's silence in which Jal listened to Chris breath out, his chest slowly rising and falling.
" With benefits." he finally responded.
Jal broke out in a smile, but bit down on her lip.
" Seriously though Chris. You are."
" Really?"
Jal's smile broadened into a grin.
" Yup." came the content reply.
" Right." And Chris's own voice lightened as he grinned too." Fucking ace."
" Shouldn't that be "pucking" ace?" teased Jal.
" Nah - pucking is what we do." Chris replied.
They lay together in silence for a few moments, before Chris's voice piqued up once more - just as Jal was expecting.
" Jal?"
She couldn't help letting out a small yawn as she responded.
" Yeah?"
" Out of interest - "
For another moment Chris fell into ponderous silence and Jal's eyes opened as she waited.
" You and Michelle never did what we do right?"
Jal laughed in surprise. She might have slapped him again for his slightly horny tone of voice if - incredibly - he hadn't sounded slightly jealous too.
Jal rubbed her hand across Chris's chest and murmured into it.
" No Chris. 'chelle and I never pucked."
" Good." replied Chris, wrapping his arms around her. " That's just for us."