Author's Note: i SORRY ;A;

Uni got super hectic AGAIN! And it's going to be even more hectic in a few weeks. Also, this chapter was super hard to write ;_; you'll find out why at the end, haha.

From this point, I will be skipping days and/or weeks between chapters. The day-to-day chapters worked well up until this point, but to move the story forward a bit better, I'll have to skip sections or it will get repetitive. It might actually make it easier to write as well, haha!

Again I'm so sorry about the wait, and I hope it was worth it! Please enjoy!


Two Weeks Later

"Jack, does it hurt?"

"Don't be dumb, Sophie, of course it doesn't hurt!"

"Jamie, mate, no need to be rude! Say sorry."

"Sorry, Sophie."

"It's okay, Jamie. But what if the saw cuts Jack?"

"The saw won't cut, Sophie, the doctors know how deep to go without hitting the skin. Don't worry, cutting off casts don't hurt at all!"

"Okay, Emma."

Sophie wrapped her arms around Tooth's legs, clinging to the older girl. The other kids – Jamie, Emma, Baby Tooth – all crowded around Jack's legs, eyes wide in anticipation for the moment that the cast would come off. Manny chuckled at the kids and their curiosity as he gently worked the tool down Jack's leg.
Jack hadn't seen a tool like it before, and had been initially reluctant to have it used on him – it looked like a tiny circular saw, and no less dangerous than a full-sized one. However, Manny seemed to know what he was doing, and despite flinching at first, Jack didn't feel any pain and so was able to conclude that Manny wasn't going to injure him with the saw.
He didn't know how Manny knew how far to cut into the cast without touching Jack's skin. By now, Manny had already made one cut line down the cast, and was working on a second cut so they could take the cast off easily.

Behind the kids, the adults stood around with similar curiosity, though it was better-hidden. Eddy, Jack's parents, and even Nick had showed up for the event.

On the other side of the room, Sandy was having the same treatment – his newly-promoted father sat by him anxiously with Astrid, Merida and Hiccup as Sandy had his cast cut off by a new brunette volunteer nurse that Jack didn't know, an ordeal that Sandy happily sat through with none of Jack's hesitance and flinching. He appeared all too happy to be tended to by the pretty volunteer.

"Is your leg gonna look awful when the cast comes off?" Jamie asked.

"It's gonna look nasty, probably," Emma informed him gleefully. "It hasn't been that long since the accident, so it'll still probably look swollen and bruised and stuff. And even if it looks okay, it's gonna smell awful. Jack can't wash under the cast, remember. And he's been doing rehab and stuff so of course it's gonna get all sweaty and gross."

She beamed up at Tooth. "Isn't that right, Tooth?"

Tooth smiled down at the little girl, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Yes, Emma, that's right," she said. "But Doctor Luna will clean it up right away and put a boot on it, won't he?"

"He sure will! Hey, Doctor Luna, can I help?"

Manny chuckled, glancing up over his glasses. "Thanks for the offer, Em, but I think Tooth will be enough help. She can handle cast removal pretty well."

"Are you sure I can't help Tooth? Please Tooth, can I help?"

Tooth giggled, smoothing the little girl's hair. "If you really want to, sweetie, you can help me wash his leg. But it'll be pretty gross!"

"I can handle it!" Emma piped up. "Besides Jack could get pretty stinky after training. I had to wash his tracksuit once, ugh. I had to actually peg my nose it was so gross."

Tooth went red in the effort to suppress her giggles. Jack frowned, feeling his cheeks burning slightly. "Hey! Save the embarrassing stories for later, kiddo. No need to tell everyone everything."

Emma stuck her tongue out at her older brother. "Whatever."

"What? 'Whatever'? I'm shocked! Where did this attitude come from? You're not a teenager yet, young lady, I don't expect any 'whatever's for at least another three years."

Emma giggled. "Hey, I'm volunteering to help wash your stinky leg! You should thank me."

Tooth winked at Jack. "I'm sure she'll do a great job."

Emma simply glowed under Tooth's praise. After meeting Tooth and learning that she was a volunteer nurse, Emma had latched onto Tooth with the same fervour as Sophie, looking up to the older girl with utter adoration. She worshipped the ground Tooth walked on, and had made every effort to impress her with her medical knowledge. Not that she needed to, because Tooth fell in love with Emma almost as hard as she'd done with Sophie. The three were now virtually inseparable – Sophie clinging to Tooth's legs, Emma clinging to Tooth's hand. They made a funny trio.

"So I guess she wants cute little brunette girls as much as cute little blonde girls now, does she?" Sandy had commented after the two met. "Guess your natural hair colour isn't an issue any more, Jack!"

Jack had blushed furiously and pretended not to know what Sandy was talking about.

"And that's the cast cut!" Manny announced as the saw reached the bottom of Jack's cast. "Now to see if we can get it off."

He used another tool to pry the cut edges of the cast apart, lifting half of the cast off. As Jack's leg finally emerged, he realised that Emma had been right – his leg utterly reeked after four weeks without washing. Of all the things he'd considered about having a broken limb, the stink when the cast came off was not one of them. He glanced at Tooth, and couldn't help but be embarrassed by the smell.

However, she didn't seem bothered. The kids giggled and let out cries of disgust at the smell, and even Eddy grinned and wrinkled his nose, but Tooth simply smiled and helped lever the cast away.

"Ready to help me out, Em?" she asked, and Emma obediently nodded. Tooth dragged over an already-filled bucket of soapy water, and handed her a sponge.

"Alright, now, don't let the sponge be too wet – squeeze it out good – we don't want water dripping everywhere. And be super gentle! His leg's still not done healing."

The two girls dunked sponges into the bucket and started wiping down Jack's leg, cleaning off the powdery plaster remnants and sweat.

Jack watched as they worked, simultaneously fascinated by Tooth's quick work and the first sight of his leg after four weeks of having it hidden by the cast. He almost didn't recognise it – his ankle and toes were swollen from the pressure of the cast, and the skin was pale and clammy from a month without air or sunlight. Great ugly bruising and swelling circled his lower leg where he supposed the break was. Gosh, he'd done a great job of messing himself up.

The clumsy, ugly sight of his leg was a contrast to Tooth's nimble hands. They worked diligently yet gently, and Jack felt almost no pain from her touch, though plenty of electrical tingles jolted from her fingertips up into his chest. A month of knowing the girl and his heart still leapt into his throat every time she touched him. His sister was almost as gentle, but the twinges of pain from the light pressure of her hands were significantly greater than Tooth's.

Tooth gently took hold of his foot to wipe it down, and the touch tickled. His toes twitched automatically, sending pain riveting up his leg. He winced.

Tooth let go. "Sorry, did I hurt you?" Her eyes looked concerned.

Jack shook his head. "Nah, just.. tickled. I wiggled my toes, dumb idea."

Tooth chuckled. "Yeah, that might have hurt a little. I'll try to be more gentle!"

"Does it hurt?" Jamie asked.

"Not too much," Jack said. "You know when you get a bruise and you touch it, and it kinda twinges? It's kind of like that."

He glanced over at Sandy, who was having the same treatment from the cute new nurse. He winked at Jack.

"There you go, all clean!" Tooth grinned at Jack, carefully drying off his leg with a towel. He grinned back.

"It's nice to have the cast off, that's for sure," he said. "So what happens now?"

"We put this old thing on," Manny said, holding up a boot-shaped brace. "It's not as heavy as the cast, but will keep your leg still and protected while its healing."

He pulled it apart, and he and Tooth gently manoeuvred it onto Jack's leg. Jack stared at the new boot. It was definitely a nice change from the heavy cast.

"Well, Jack, I do believe this part's over," Manny said with a grin. "Your skull fracture is just about healed, your ribs are done, and now your leg's out of the cast. I do believe this means you're ready to go home!"

Jack's heart thudded. Home. His bag sat packed and ready by his bed, the wall empty without Jamie's drawing, yet he still couldn't quite believe it. Sleeping in my own bed, that's gonna be nice.

"All done now, eh, Jack? Off home for you!" Sandy crowed from the other side of the room. The new volunteer was in the process of wrapping a brace around his arm, and he grinned widely. "Gosh, you're almost done with me, too – and I haven't even got your name yet! A pretty girl like you must have an equally pretty name," he said, making the volunteer giggle and shyly tuck a stray chocolate strand behind her ear.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you," she replied. "My name's Rapunzel."

"See, I knew it'd be pretty!" Sandy exclaimed. "There, now you can't disappear out of my life after this, leaving me to pine after the caring stranger who nursed me back to health!" He smirked coyly as Rapunzel blushed furiously.
He was much chirpier than usual; most likely because he would also be off home as well after having the brace put on, and so had traded his yellow nightgown for a canary-coloured t-shirt, beige pants and black leather jacket. He looked excited to be going home with his dad, who had come by especially to see him have his cast taken off and take him home.

"What are we gonna do when yeh get home?" Merida asked. "It's not like we can stop by and visit all the time anymore."

"Yeah, we're gonna have to swap numbers and stuff before you leave," Astrid said.

Jack had already swapped numbers with Tooth – she'd arrived early, helping the two boys pack, and had insisted Jack give her his number so they could stay in contact. It had struck him that she wasn't going to simply just be around anymore, and neither was Sandy. And as much as Jack was excited to get home, he felt strangely anxious that just seeing his friends would take effort now – it wasn't like he could just roll over in bed and see Sandy, there was no more Tooth just knocking on their door and bursting in. They'd have to make plans, co-ordinate gatherings. It wasn't effortless anymore, and Jack was worried that he'd see them less. See Tooth less.

Seeing Tooth less was a terrifying concept. Jack had grown so used to her being around, and her visits had become a daily delight over the past few weeks. The three had grown quite close, and now Jack just couldn't imagine life without them. Especially Tooth. Every time she left, he began to miss her as soon as her multicoloured hair disappeared from sight.

"We can text," she'd said. "And I can add you on Facebook. We'll still talk!"

But it wouldn't be the same, Jack had thought, and silently despaired.

"You know what we should do?" Hiccup asked, breaking Jack from his reverie. "We should meet up this afternoon at the diner and hang out. Celebrate Sandy and Jack getting out of hospital. What do you guys think?"

"Diner? Which one?" Tooth asked.

"My dad owns a diner called the Viking Shield," Hiccup explained, absently scratching Toothless's head. "We call it a diner, but Dad tried really hard to make it look like a pub – you know, the traditional old English type deal. It's a diner because he can't serve alcohol and it's primarily a restaurant, but it's got a good atmosphere and it's a great hangout, plus it's cheaper for us since he's my dad. Do you guys wanna come over to hang out?"

"That sounds great!" Tooth exclaimed. "You'll have to give me the address."

"We'll have to invite Rapunzel too!" Sandy called. "You want to come too, Punzie?"

"Sure!" Rapunzel chirped. "I'll bring my boyfriend, you'd get along great with him!" She covered her mouth to hide her smirk at Sandy's deflated expression, and Merida laughed.

He held up a fist in mock anger. "A challenger, eh? I shall have to fight for your hand, then!" he declared.

Rapunzel giggled. "Oh, please no!" she exclaimed. "I'd rather you two were just friends."

"I can be civil towards my rivals!" Sandy said with a grin. "Trust me, I'm very much looking forward to meeting this guy."

Jack chuckled at the exchange, and turned to his parents. "What do you think, Mom, Dad?" Jack asked. "Can I go?"

Jack's dad smiled. "I think that should be fine with us," he said. "Just stay home a couple of hours to settle in before you go, okay?"

"And don't be out too late!" his mother said. "We'd like to see something of you on your first night home, after all! I'll drop you off there once we get the address, and I'll give you cash for a taxi home, sound good?"

"Sounds awesome," Jack said.

Emma pouted. "You don't wanna hang out with me?" she asked, frowning.
Jack chuckled, leaning over to give her a hug.

"Of course I want to, kiddo," he said. "And I will! I'll just be gone for a few hours, that's all. I'll get back home and we'll watch a movie, sound good?"

"Okay," Emma said. "I guess." She perked up. "Can we watch a Barbie movie?"

Jack cringed on the inside. I'll rejoice on the day my little sister says she's too old for Barbie, he internally grumbled.
"Okay," he relented. "We can watch a Barbie movie. As long as it's not the Musketeers one, sure."

Emma squealed and wrapped her arms around him. "Awesome! Tonight's gonna be great!"

Jack smiled at her small weight crushing into his chest. The rest of the day would be awesome indeed.


"Three cheers for Jack and Sandy getting out of hospital and rejoining the mortal world!" Merida declared once the group's drinks had arrived, brandishing her glass of frozen Coke into the air.

Sandy chuckled as Jack's mouth fell open. "Mortal world!" he spluttered. "C'mon now, it wasn't long ago before you were stuck in limbo too, Groundskeeper Willie!"
However Tooth couldn't miss the smile tugging at the boy's mouth, and she was sure it was obvious to the rest of the table too. Merida laughed and stuck her tongue out at him.

She'd walked to the diner herself, but finding it hadn't been hard; the huge sign with the cartoon Viking out the side of the building was unmistakeable, and she couldn't have missed the rag-tag group of teenagers waiting outside if she'd wanted to.
There were a couple of unfamiliar faces; she hadn't quite gotten used to Rapunzel, and the tall, older boy she'd brought with him was definitely new. Sandy in particular had looked dismayed by the boyfriend's formidable height, perfectly flicked-back brown hair and cocky grin. However, Flynn had turned out to be as nice as his beaming girlfriend, and Rapunzel had been right – Flynn and Sandy hit it off immediately.

Eventually, Jack's mom's car had pulled up, making Tooth's heart leap; she couldn't stop the grin breaking across her face when he'd hopped out, smiling and awkwardly patting down his unruly hair. His brown roots were beginning to show; she found she liked it. She wondered if he'd keep dyeing his hair white, or let the bleached parts grow out completely.

When he'd made his way to the group, grinning at Tooth in a way that made her stomach imitate his triple-jumps, the group had piled inside and claimed a booth; the whole gang just fit, if a bit snugly, and a large blonde boy had shuffled over to quickly greet Hiccup and take their orders.

"I guess you must know all the people who work here?" Jack had asked.

Hiccup nodded. "Astrid and I work here too, so yeah, we know most of the people here. That there was Fishlegs. I don't actually know his real name, the other guys started calling him that when he arrived, poor guy. There's a tradition of bad nicknames among the staff, and Fishlegs definitely got the worst one. He's a nice dude, though."

"Yeah, he's not great with carrying or delivering, but he's great at remembering orders," Astrid added. "That guy must have a photographic memory, I swear – you give him any number of orders and he'll easily remember them all. Won't get a single one wrong. He's great during rush hours, you just ask him which order goes where and he'll tell you. He also has the inventory memorised."

"Yeah, not like Snotlout," Hiccup said, shaking his head. "He's pretty strong, so he's good with carrying orders and moving stock, but he's hopeless at remembering anything."

After their food had arrived – served by the aforementioned Snotlout, who easily carried all of their food balanced on his brawny arms – the group had dug in. And somehow over the food, conversation had come easily.
Rapunzel turned out to be bright and bubbly, taking a keen interest in everyone on the table. Tooth had initially been unnerved by the piercing gaze of her green eyes as she stared at her, but it didn't take long to relax and forget the curious way she looked at everyone.
She explained how she'd just started volunteering as a way to gain experience in the medical field; she'd decided to become a chemist and develop medicines and treatments for a career. She found that she particularly enjoyed taking care of patients, and lamented that her chosen path as a chemist wouldn't involve nursing.

"Punzie's got a real knack with chemistry, though," Flynn had said. "Straight A's in all our science classes. Not gonna lie, she was the only reason I passed science!"

"Oh shush, you," Rapunzel giggled, nudging him gently. "He's just being nice. He's actually super smart! Just doesn't apply himself well in academics, isn't that right?"

"I'm just not interested in math and english and all that nerdy stuff," Flynn said, shrugging. "You know that."

"I know. You're great in P.E and workshop, though!" Rapunzel pulled out her leather shoulder bag to show off the keyring attached to it. It was a tiny wooden chameleon with inset green beads for eyes and delicate relief-work scales all over the small body. It could have appeared alive if not for the smooth polished texture and swirling coffee colours of the wood.
"He made this for me for my birthday!" Rapunzel gushed. "Isn't it beautiful? Flynn's got a real talent for creative things, don't let him tell you he's too manly for that stuff!"

"I only made it because I knew you'd like it," Flynn grumbled, but the tiny smile tugging at his face gave away his true pleasure. It was clear he was secretly proud of the little carving.

Tooth was impressed by the carving, but it wasn't long before her attention was distracted by Jack's hands as he reached across the table to examine the tiny chameleon. She silently despaired at the worn beauty of Jack's hands and the unlikely grace he displayed in studying the carving.
His hands were rough and knobbled; the pale skin was dry and obviously neglected. He didn't take much care of them. But there was a certain aesthetic to the slim fingers and prominent knuckles and tendons, and she could have lost herself in the spidery network of blue veins tracing his skin. Their rugged appearance also belied their grace; he held the carving as delicately as a pianist.

It wasn't until Jack let go of the keyring and they disappeared from view that she broke from her trance and silently chided herself.
You've got to stop being so weird, she lectured mentally. Being obsessive isn't cute, it's creepy. You've got to stop that!
She turned her focus on Sandy, who raised an eyebrow at the carving and looked it over dismissively. She couldn't help but smirk at his affected disinterest; she could see the envy in his eyes.

She partly felt bad for Sandy; she'd despaired for him as soon as Rapunzel and Flynn had arrived. Flynn was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, with gorgeous teeth, emerging stubble and a strong jaw on top of his excellent physique. Little Sandy, who was scrawny and barely made it to Rapunzel's shoulders, didn't stand a chance against resplendent Flynn. Worse, Tooth couldn't even dislike Flynn for Sandy's sake – Flynn had turned out to be a great guy who immediately got on well with Sandy, as well as a real sweetheart who clearly adored Rapunzel. He put on a show of appearing tough and cocky, but the soft glances he stole of Rapunzel when he thought nobody was looking revealed his true character. Flynn was just wonderful. If only he'd been an unlikeable asshole!

She was sure Sandy would survive, though. Despite his stature, Sandy was a charming character and won female affections easily, so Tooth was confident that he'd find another pretty girl to impress in no time.

And despite Flynn's impressive appearance and nature, he didn't send shivers up Tooth's spine even slightly like the way Jack did.
Jack may have been smaller and paler, but he definitely had better teeth. And it was his smile, not Flynn's, that made Tooth's insides attempt to imitate his figure-skating twists.

Long after they'd finished eating and were still talking, the dimming light outside made it clear that it was time to go. Respective parents were called, and as they waited outside, the group grew considerably smaller until just Jack and Tooth were left waiting.

"Is your mom coming to pick you up?" Jack asked.

Tooth shook her head. "Nah, I don't live far from here, I'll just walk," she said.

Jack frowned, a shadow cast over his eyes in the dying light. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You shouldn't walk home by yourself after dark."

Tooth smirked and gently hit his shoulder. "Hey, I can take care of myself!" she exclaimed. "I took self-defence. If I met you walking down a dark alley, you'd be the one in trouble, not me!"

Jack chuckled. "Okay," he said. "But I don't like the idea of you walking home alone anyway. Do you want to catch a taxi with me, and the taxi can drop you off on the way?"

"I'm pretty sure my house isn't anywhere near your side of town!" Tooth exclaimed. "It'd be a bit out of your way."

"I don't mind. I just want you home safe."

Tooth didn't know why Jack was so insistent that she didn't walk home. She wasn't weak. She could take care of herself, and it annoyed her slightly that Jack would underestimate her ability to walk home alone.
"Oh, come on," she said, sheepishly aware that what she was about to say would sound petty. "If it was Sandy, you'd have no problem!"

"No, I'd have a problem with that too," Jack said lightly. "I just.. don't feel like it's safe."

"Jack, I've walked home a million times, it's perfectly safe around here! This part of town isn't exactly rife with burglars."

"That's... not what I'm worried about," Jack said. He wasn't smiling, and Tooth couldn't see his eyes under the shadow cast over them. She waited for him to explain, but he didn't.

She huffed out an emphatic sigh. "Alright, I'll take a taxi with you," she said. "If it really makes you feel better."

Jack's smile returned. "That would," he said. "Thanks, Tooth."

"No problem." She wanted to stay annoyed, but Jack's smile compelled her own lips to twitch up.

She stamped her feet. "When is the taxi supposed to come, anyway?" she asked.

"Not for another few minutes, I don't think," Jack said. "Why? Are you cold?"

She shook her head, but just the mention of cold made her shiver; she was suddenly very aware of her numb hands and feet, and the evening wind was definitely chilly.

Jack chuckled. "You are cold," he exclaimed. "You should have said so! Come here."

He stepped close behind her and wrapped his arms around to her front; Tooth shivered again as they closed around her. Jack massaged her closed fists. "Wow, you're really cold," he declared, resting his chin on her shoulder.
Jack never initiated hugs; it pleasantly surprised Tooth and warmed her all over that he felt comfortable enough with her to hug her himself. She grinned in pleasure.

"I'm actually starting to look forward to that taxi," Tooth confessed, and Jack chuckled. The sound rumbled through him into Tooth, and more jolts bounced up her spine; though no longer from cold.

"You're a dork," he said, and the deep sound of his voice so close to her ear made her toes tingle with warmth.

She hoped the taxi would be late.

No such luck, unfortunately. Tooth's heart sank when the headlights of the taxi became clear, the vehicle pulling up alongside the kerb.

"Awesome," Jack said, pulling away to hop into the front passenger seat. "Come on, Tooth!"
She slid into the back, feeling awkward, barely mumbling out her address for the taxi driver. Should she pay Jack back? She didn't know how much it would cost to get to her house. She fiddled with her purse anxiously.

The ride was quiet; Tooth noticed how Jack immediately fell silent upon entering the taxi. She glanced at the burly driver, and realised that the stranger behind the wheel might have had something to do with it. Jack seemed to have slipped into the usual discomfort he fell in around strangers.

Soon, the car pulled up beside her house. "This your stop, little lady?" the driver asked.

"Yep, this is me!" Tooth said, hopping out of the car. "Thank you! Jack, can I pay you back later?"

"Nah, you don't have to pay me back," Jack said. "It's no problem. Hey, sir, do you mind waiting for a moment? I just want to say goodbye."

"The meter will keep running," the driver warned. Jack shrugged. "No problem," he said, hopping out.

He walked with her up to her door. "Man, I've never been to your house," he said, head tilted back to observe the front of Tooth's home. "It looks really nice."

Tooth smiled, heart beginning to pound again. "Thanks," she said. "Though I haven't been to your house either."

"I guess we'll have to change that."

Jack's smile slipped a little bit, and he looked at Tooth.

"It's.. it's gonna be weird not having you come in all the time," he said quietly. "I'm gonna miss seeing you."

Tooth felt her cheeks grow warm, and snorted. "You say that as if you'll never see me again!" she exclaimed. "Don't be silly. I'll still come and visit. We'll just have to co-ordinate a bit differently. Besides, it's a good thing – it means we won't be just sitting around the hospital, right? We could go places, do stuff... you know."

"Yeah, I guess. But I liked just sitting and talking to you."

"Oh, Jack, I didn't mean.. I like talking to you too. Of course I do! I just thought..."

"It's okay, I get you," Jack chuckled, stepping closer. Tooth's entire face felt like it was on fire, and instead of being cold, she now felt very warm.

"Hey, are you still cold?" Jack asked. Gosh, his eyes were a nice colour. So blue. He swallowed, and Tooth stared mesmerised at his throat.

"A little bit," she said, but she wasn't cold at all. He pulled her into a hug again.

"When do you want to meet up again?" he asked.

"I have school tomorrow," she mumbled into his jacket. "But.. text me your address and I'll visit tomorrow afternoon. If that's okay with your parents."

"Of course it's okay. And Emma would love that."

"Oh, good. So.. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow."

She pulled away a little to look up at him. He smiled and placed his hands on her cheeks. "Gosh, your face is nice and warm."

"Cold hands, huh?" she said, ignoring the fluttering in her chest. She pulled his hands down to her neck, just under her jawbone. "There you go, who even needs gloves!"
She watched his lips part slightly in a small gasp; his cheeks were tinged pink. His large hands wrapped all the way around, thumbs brushing her jawline while his pinkies rested against her collarbones. She felt a slight tremble in the cool fingers against her throat. Her heart was absolutely hammering in her chest. Why had she done that?

"Tooth, I –" Jack gasped again. "I want to tell you something."

"What?" She found she was gripping his wrists. Unwilling to let go. Oh god, what if he was creeped out?

His hands shifted, cupping her face. Very, very gently, he pulled her forward.

"I really like you," he gulped. "Um, a lot. I've liked you for a long time, and I – I mean, I like you a lot. As in, like, I think you're really pretty and – and I.. I kind of want to kiss you now."

Tooth felt her heart stop. Her mouth opened in an involuntary gasp. Gosh, and she'd been so afraid she was being too full-on. Her mind reeled. Jack likes me?
Almost without thinking, she spoke. She couldn't think of much to say.
"I want to kiss you too," she said.

Warm lips crashed down onto hers.

She pulled back in surprise; she hadn't quite expected it, not really. Warm air blew against her lips as Jack inhaled and drew back, mouth already forming an apology.
She wound her fingers into his hair and pulled him back, bumping their mouths together. She felt their teeth graze, and an inexplicable fire jumped aflame in the pit of her belly.
His lips closed over hers as they finally found balance, but the balance only lasted a few seconds as she had to pull away to gasp again, already feeling out of breath.
The sensation of his soft lips, the lingering taste of Coke, hands on her neck, all of it – it was a sensory overload and she felt dizzied and overwhelmed. There was a slight 'pop' as they separated, Jack's mouth not ready to let go.
He leaned in to nuzzle her cheek, fingers brushing lightly at her jaw, and she pulled him back for another kiss.

Back in the taxi, the driver glanced at the two teenagers and rolled his eyes. "Damn kids," he muttered.


More rambling: CAN YOU SEE WHY I MIGHT HAVE HAD DIFFICULTIES HERE ;A;

ASDFGHJKL I'M MORBIDLY INEXPERIENCED WITH ANYTHING ROMANTIC SO THIS WAS REALLY HARD. I had to do a lot of research, haha. Luckily there's a butt-ton of teen romance stories all over the internet. The only problem is, it's tricky to sift between the more realistic ones and the just plain ridiculous. I mean. "Her lips were soft as clouds and tasted like honey". Um. Yeah. No thanks.
It's hard to write romance realistically without all the over-the-top descriptions and metaphors, and not have it come out as boring and lacking emotion. It's even harder when you don't know what 'realistic' is from experience. I hope I found a happy medium.

Aaaand yeah! I guess the theme of the chapter would be Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran, haha. Hope everyone enjoyed it, and as always, critique and commentary very gladly welcomed! :3