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Title: His Mystery
Author: Kipli
Email: Series: Scrubs
Pairing: Cox/JD
Rating: R for Language
Word Count: 1,472
Summary: What could be bothering JD?
Notes: Established relationship. Not necessarily tied to anything else I've written. This is for LJ user applejuicelove, who had a few bad days tied together. And she gave me lots o' love when I felt sick earlier in the week. So this is for her. Longer than I thought it would be... Enjoy babe!
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His Mystery
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"I swear, Turk, I've tried everything." I grumble into the phone. "Nothing works. He just sits there, staring off into space. And not in a good way. Just... blank. Not even a hint of a grin at me, even when I sit next to him, crack a joke, nothing."Turk, obviously munching away at something, crunches on a mouthful--cereal maybe?--before asking around it, "What exactly have you tried for far?"
I let out an actual sigh before listing off, "Icecream, popcorn, skittles, poptarts, chocolates--pretty much my entire pantry of sweets. Gilmore Girls, Sanford and Son--"
"He didn't respond to the Best Show Ever?!""Not a laugh. Not a smirk. Nothing."
"Dude! This is serious..."
"Hence with the calling of you, big guy," I finally can't help growling. Honestly, sometimes I more than wonder what JD sees in this scalpel jockey.
I peer around the corner at JD sitting blankly in front of the TV. I'd resorted to turning on Judge Dredd in a last ditch effort to get him to respond. Nothing...I shake my head and finally manage to ask, "Do you have any idea what's bothering him?"
"None... He was fine at work. He was actually kinda more bouncy than usual."
Is that even possible? "Bouncy? Why?"
Turk hums on the other end as he clearly uses all his limited braincells to remember. "Something... Something he was gonna pick up after work."
"Can you be just a little bit more vague there, Gandhi?"
The use of his nickname satisfactorily gets me a grumpy grunt from Turk. "I don't remember. Something from a store.""Oh yes that narrows it down quite nicely."
"Do you want my help or not?" he snaps at me.
"How exactly have you helped me so far in this conversation?"
And here comes the whiny, bald headed rant. "God, no matter how much JD calms you down, you're still be a royal pain in the ass to the rest of us.""When the mood suits me. And don't go thinking he gets any preferential treatment either."
I frown over at JD as he neither claps nor jumps at his favorite first action sequence.
Lord, is it sad I know which one it is...
I restrain the urge to cringe as I plead just slightly into the phone, "Maybe... maybe you and Carla should come over. He's not responding to Judge Dredd either..."
"The Judge? Shit!" He takes a deep breath on the other end. "Well, yeah, sure, I can take the once-in-a-lifetime offer from you to come over, but Carla's covering for a nightshift tonight." He pauses on the other end, before going on timidly, "You tried... ya know... to snap him out of it... by um..."
"Kissing him senseless and groping him and--"I can't hold back a snort of laughter at Turk's immediate disgusted interruption, "Yes yes, that! That didn't work?"
"It took him out of it. Some. But mostly he was just playing along... and I gave up fondling the silent rag doll beside me.""Damn." Turk manages to sound both upset and disturbed at the same time by my admissions. "And he won't tell you what's wrong?"
"Well, no, I..." And then I pause.
Oh jesus, Perry... one would think you'd remember these things from relationships before you were claimed by the she-devil...
"...I'll call you back." I instantly cut off the phone and set it down as I round the corner for JD.He blinks as I sit down beside him on the couch, turning his head towards me. I take a breath before I ask clearly, "JD, what's wrong?"
The look in his eyes finally shifts away from blank to distress. Well, any progress is good I suppose... but damn do I hate it when those big eyes of his fill up with held back tears. His voice is quiet, distant even though he's right beside me, "You're going to hate me..."
"Hate you? JD, what in the hell is so wrong--"
He cuts me off as more panic flashes in his eyes. "I didn't want to get it till today. It was going on sale today. It was perfect. It was something you wouldn't growl at me about. It was something you'd actually like. It was perfect." I blink at him. Something for me? He's upset because he couldn't get something for me? But why... "Only, by the time I got there, they were all gone! And now... now..."
He curls his legs up against his chest as he attempts to pull away from me. He turns head head to bury it against his knees. "Fucking idiot, it was so fucking perfect, and I had to go fuck it up, again, like always, because that's what I do. Fuck fuck fuck!"I struggle between wanting to yell at him and wanting to force him into my arms. I settle for both as I slide an arm around him and snap, "JD, shit, I mean, good god, Priscilla, whatever it was, it doesn't matter, I don't care--"
He cuts me off with a quiet, mournful tone again, not much more than a whisper. "But I've never had a six month anniversary before..." He takes a shaky breath before he clings tighter to his legs. "I've never not fucked it up before... and now... I know you don't care... but I... I wanted to... I always fuck everything up."
I blink at him. Has it really been that long? Well, if anyone kept track of these things, JD would be the one to do it. A momentary flash of guilt over not knowing washes over me but then I shrug it off. He knows me. He said it himself. The present really wasn't for me, anyway. It's a milestone more for him than for me or us.
"JD... JD look at me," I say, firm yet calm.He clings to himself a moment longer before turning his head and resting his cheek against his thigh as he looks up at me, eyes and cheeks wet. I can't help sliding my fingers reassuringly through his hair. I just... I can't help it. A sad JD has always pulled at my heart.
"You fucked nothing up, okay? Stop saying that. Stop thinking that.""But I--"
"We don't need presents to celebrate this, Nina." He finally smiles just a bit at me and I can't help cracking a joke. "Not that I got you anything either. Other than myself, of course. And let me tell you, I don't come cheap."
He lets loose a small giggle, teasing back. "What do you mean? You're a really cheap date. We never go out."
"You did so not just call me cheap, Newbie." I lean in to kiss his cheek. "And I'd rather have my way with you any night of the week than deal with jealous waiters and bad food."
As I turn my head and catch his lips in a deep kiss that actually gets a full, heartfelt response from him, I relax as he finally lets go of his legs and slides over onto my lap. Mmm, a lap full of JD... really the best present one could ask for anyway...He's actually, truly smiling at me when we finally part for air, eyes sparkling again with a playfulness that is all his own. "Did I really hear you talking to Turk?"
I grunt as I rub a hand up and down his thigh. "Maybe. I was getting desperate after the candy bracelets and Gilmore Girls didn't work to cheer you up."
"Well, at least it proved you might know a thing or two about me by now..." He beams at me, snuggling into my arms, and dips his head to press kisses to my neck. "Thank you."
"Any time, Princess." I tilt my head back in encouragement to his kisses. I slide a hand up underneath his shirt to rub at his back. Curiosity, though, gets the best of me and I can't help tentatively asking, "And what was this fantastic gift for me, anyway?"
I suck in a breath as he bites firmly at my neck--isn't that usually my move when I want him to shut up?--before lapping at the mark he's left. Finally, he mumbles, "Not telling. It'll make a good Christmas present too."I snort and tighten my hold around him. Well... least he's back to thinking we've got a few more months left in us. "You mean it was a naked Newbie tied to my bed writhing on fresh, satin bedsheets? Because that's what I want for Christmas..."
He chuckles against my neck and lifts his head to whisper into my ear, "No... that's what you get on Christmas Eve..."Damn.
Well, now there's a date I'll be sure to remember...
END