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Ship: Jack/Angela
Spoilers: None. Set during the summer between season 1 and season 2
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Part 2 - Baith Breath
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Angela looked up from the sketch she was working on to see who was knocking at her office door. She smiled as Jack stuck his head into the room.
"Morning. How was the big date last night?" He waggled his eyebrows as he approached and placed the second cup of coffee he was holding onto the table in front of her. He settled into one of the chairs opposite.
"Aww. You brought me coffee and think you can trade that for juicy date gossip? How cute!" Angela picked up the warm drink and took a sip, making a show of savouring it.
Jack smiled easily.
"No. The coffee's because I told Lyle you thought he was cute and that I'd put in a good word for him. He promised me the parking spot beside Dr. Brennan's for two months. I figured my big ole baby blues could get the gossip on their own." He batted his eyelashes comically.
"Lyle? As in the security guard?"
Jack nodded, his eyes twinkling.
"Jack! He already insists on patting me down at least once a week!"
Jack shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee.
"I'll share the parking spot with you, we can rotate or something. Drink your coffee."
Angela slumped down into the couch with a groan, but did as she was told.
"So what'd you guys do on your date?"
"We went for sushi."
Jack sat up in the chair.
"You went for sushi?" He asked slowly.
"Yes." She deliberately drew out the syllable.
"You hate sushi."
"I know." Angela tried to hide the smile tugging at her lips. She glanced at him from beneath her lashes. He was looking confused, but it soon turned to a look of smug satisfaction.
"I would've loved to see the look on his face when you told him."
"I didn't tell him." She pulled her legs under herself, getting more comfortable. Jack's face fell.
"You ate raw fish for this guy?"
"No, no man is worth that. Even I have limits.. I went vegetarian."
"So I guess there's no second date in his future."
She smiled mischievously.
"I don't know.. he was pretty cute."
"He ate raw fish Angela, you hate that." Jack reminded, the frustration in his tone belying his emotions.
"Yeah, kissing him goodnight was pretty tough. But you should know Hodgins, the way to a girl's heart is not through her stomach." She took another sip of her coffee, hiding a smile behind the rim of the cup.
"No, apparently not. Didn't know bait breath was the new Chanel for men." Jack answered, his voice gaining a playful edge as he relaxed into the banter. Angela laughed.
"Oh hush."
"And raw fish. I mean, it's not easy to chew, gets stuck in the teeth sometimes." Angela made a face.
"That's gross. Do you have to be so descriptive?"
"The devil's in the details, baby. I'm just saying, when you kissed him you might have.. I mean, if you-" Jack waved his finger around his mouth vaguely and then finally settled on sticking his tongue out. Angela raised an eyebrow.
"Ok. Now you are just fishing for details."
"Fishing? Me? No, I don't think so.. but you should give your date a call, he might be out trying to catch his next dinner."
Angela nearly spit out her coffee. Her eyes widened and her whole face lit up in surprise.
"You are awful!!" She exclaimed, with a poorly suppressed giggle.
"I'm never going to be able to look at him now, not without imagining him in a pair of waders!" Despite covering her mouth with her hand it was evident through her eyes that she was smiling.
Jack laughed and mimed casting a fishing rod. Angela shook her head in mock disapproval and pointed at the door.
"You, out!"
"What, am I disrupting your work?" Jack teased, gesturing to the landscape drawing she'd abandoned earlier in the conversation, but he stood up nonetheless. Angela narrowed her eyes at him and flipped the sketchpad closed.
"I will be working.. As soon as I call the fisherman and cancel our next date."
Jack paused in the doorway.
"Really? I thought he was cute.." He intoned the last word with a girly falsetto.
Angela sighed.
"Not cute enough apparently. Only a certain kind of man can pull off hip waders." She paused a moment and then rolled her eyes and gently pushed Jack out of the doorway, her hand lingering a moment on his shoulder.
"There used to be a day when a few glasses of wine and an air of mystery were enough for me, now a guy needs to look good in hip waders. I think you owe me a sixty-forty split on that parking spot for this."
Jack grinned.
"You can have it. It's the least I can do for putting you off your date."
Angela shook her head in protest.
"Eighty-twenty. He wasn't that much fun anyway. We didn't have anything in common, but what can you do?" She shrugged, and let out an exasperated puff of air.
Jack gazed at her, tilting his head to the side. After a pause he reached out and gently knocked his knuckles against her chin.
"Chin up kid. There's plenty more animals in the zoo."
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Really.. Animals in the zoo, eh?"
Jack nodded earnestly.
"Oh yeah, just crawling all over the place. Monkey's out of their cage getting into all kinds of trouble with the lions.." He paused. "I figured we'd had enough fish talk for one day."
She leaned her shoulder against the doorjamb and smiled at him, her eyes dancing with humour.
"Have a good day Jack."
He nodded and returned the smile.
"You too Ange." Jack gave a small wave over his shoulder as he wandered across the lab.
"I already am." She replied, softly, leaning her head against the doorframe and watching him walk away.