That night, Jack slept on the couch. He didn't mind. Jamie wanted to spend some time with Laura since he hadn't seen her in so long and Sophie joined him in the living room. Before Jamie went upstairs, he ordered them to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Sophie, no, two is not reasonable. They had to get up early.
He was fidgeting though. Probably for the stupidest reason ever, but he was anxious. He was going to part from an object he'd been attached to for three hundred and seventeen years for a week. While he had no troubles leaving it in the house while he went out with Susan, Jamie, or Sophie and most of the time it was just leaning against the wall in Jamie's room, he sometimes liked to keep it in arm's reach.
It was a habit. Like smoking, only it didn't cause you cancer. It was just an object he needed to relax his nerves or feel in control. When he learned he couldn't take it with him, he understood but panicked internally. He had snatched it out of Jamie's room before the couple went upstairs and it was propped up on the living room wall.
He was talking with Sophie, who seemed to understand when he was nervous. And really, after the transformation, it happened a lot. This whole thing felt unnatural and weighted and Jack could not get used to it. It had only been a month, Jamie and Sophie assured him. He would get used to it. What he was feeling was normal. Humans feel that all the time. Humans get like that.
They sat up talking and messing around, trying to stay quiet as to not wake those slumbering upstairs. They had lost track of time and found themselves pressed close, Jack's arms wrapped around Sophie's waist and her back pressed against his chest, as they slowly fell into sleep. There was an inkling of light outside when the two of them finally made it, going against Jamie's warning.
They were awakened by a very bewildered Laura. Both groggy and both not quite noticing her confused expression. They realized they had maybe three or four hours of sleep, but Sophie said it would be good for the ride.
Jack had riden in a car. Not for long, thirty minutes at the most. But it made him dizzy and jittery. As Jack Frost, he hadn't ridden inside a car very often. Just to see what it was like on the inside, what it was like to ride in it, once he tried to drive one. He preferred to surf on top.
But the ride would be up to two hours long. Sophie hated long car rides and Jack would have no idea how he would be able to sit through it. Jack had a feeling Sophie kept them up for the sole purpose of letting them be able to sleep for the ride.
Breakfast, coffee, milk, and tea were had. They piled into the van. Susan and Jamie up front, Laura in the middle row, Jack and Sophie in the way back. They made a nest of blankets and pillows and Jack was way too tired to even suggest building a fort. They started the trip and Jack and Sophie leaned against each other, falling asleep fairly quickly.
Jack was jolted awake at every sudden stop and every speed bump. Nope. He didn't like cars. Not one bit, he decided. Halfway through the trip, Jack slipped off of the bench seat and made himself comfortable between the two seats in the middle row. Laying on the floor made a WORLD of a difference. He was able to stare up at the ceiling and make faces at Laura and Jamie who had moved back beside her.
Sophie had the whole back seat to herself.
When they finally got to the beach house, Jack flopped himself onto the asphalt and hugged the ground. He did not like the car. No, he did not. They got held up by traffic and he was trapped for a whole extra hour. Sophie pulled him up and Jack felt heavier than ever as he helped drag luggage and groceries into the beach house. They got there before the Johnsons. They were caught up in the same traffic jam that stopped the Bennetts.
So they made sure the the house was ready for the other family that arrived just an hour later then them. Jack instantly felt much better once the kids arrived. His head had been pounding and he wasn't fond of the pain his muscles were in. But they made him light up and he carried Kyle on his back and swing Gil by his arms and chased Nina, forgetting the discomfort the car ride have inflicted.
Once they settled, unpacked and changed, Jack, Sophie, and the three kids ran out the back door towards the water, whooping with excitement.
The adults were setting up a spot when Jamie and Laura joined them in the waters.
The cool salt water felt so nice against his hot skin and though the swim trunks weighed him down and the heavy waves nearly suffocated him, he relished the feel of the water against body. Jack and Sophie swam in deep enough that Sophie needed to stand on her toes and before the waves formed so the water was mostly smooth.
Something wet hit the back of Jack's head. Mike, Jamie, and Laura were wading up to them, Mike smirking. What was he just hit with? He picked up a Nerf football. Oh. Jack, with all his perfect aim, threw it right at Jamie's face.
"Good throw, kid!" Mike whistled.
"That was nothing!" Jack laughed. "You should see me throw a snowball."
In the deeper water, Sophie toed for seashells and screamed every time seaweed brushed against her leg. She hatedfish. She thought the slime might be scales and would cling to the closest person to her. Jamie, Jack and Mike rough housed, trying to drown each other. They tossed the football while Laura helped Sophie.
Back at the shore, they built sandcastles with the kids. Sophie was getting frustrated because she couldn't sculpt it like she could sculpt clay. Laura had to remind her that as an artist it was okay to not be great in every field. Jack and Jamie were both quiet amused at her clear resentment at the medium she was trying to master.
The children buried her in the sand to give her time to "cool off." When she rose, she pretended to be a giant and chased the children. They cried for Jamie to save them with which Jamie flipped his sister into the sand expertly.
She groaned. "Jaaaaaamieeeeee," Sophie rubbed her backside. "Did you have to do that?"
"I had to save them from you."
"Not using Tae Kwon Do."
"Yes using Tae Kwon Do. You could have easily blocked that if you took it with me."
"It's true," Jack raised an eyebrow at Jamie. "That could have been easily prevented."
"Not you, too, Jack." Sophie stood up. She turned to the adults, "MIKE WHY'D YOU TEACH MY BROTHER HOW TO BEAT HIS SISTER UP?!"
"YOUR MOTHER PAID ME TO!" Mike shouted back.
Jamie noticed Jack's confused expression and explained that Mike was his Tae Kwon Do Master. It was actually how Mike met Amy. One day, Susan and Amy went shopping while Jamie was at practice and Sophie was at a friend's house. When they went to pick up Jamie, Mike and Amy just clicked.
"Good to see your form hasn't weakened, Jamie." Mike got up to join them.
"There's a club at my school. If I want to keep up with this guy, I got to stay in my top form." Jamie jabbed a thumb at Jack.
Mike raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You take T.K.D.?"
Jack folded his arms behind his head. "I'm only a master in ten different Martial Art forms. Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kung Fu, Jujitsu, Judo, Nhat Nam, bare-knuckle boxing, Bojuka, Jeet Kun Do, and Kenpo." Jack ticked each off easily, rousing a barking laugh from Mike. Clearly the man didn't believe him. "Want to spar?" Jack bounced between his feet, smirking.
Mike folded his arms. "Are you sure you want to offer that challenge?"
"Yeah, don't go easy on me." Jack nodded, insisting.
Jamie looked to his master. "Sir, I have to say my money's on Jack."
Mike shook his head, laughing. "You kids are funny."
Jack hopped into a stance and bounced back and forth, jabbing at the man. "Scared? Huh? Huh? I'll kick your butt."
"Sure you would, Toothpick."
"Hey!"
Mike put a hand on Jack's spiky head and ruffled his hair. "Good to know there's someone who appreciates the art of the fist and foot. Come by the dojang sometime. We'll see what you got."
Jack realized he was actually having fun with this adult. When did it start? In the water? At the mention that he was Jamie's Tae Kwon Do master? Jack wasn't sure, but he found himself getting comfortable with him. He hoped he would quickly become as comfortable around Amy. But if she was anything like Susan, he didn't suppose there would be any problems.
He supposed be became comfortable with Susan after she knew the truth. She always asked him about his previous life, full of interest and curiosity. She had made him comfortable and the way she treated him so kindly was horribly familiar. He wished he could really understand what it meant, but he only assumed it was the way all mothers treat children and assumed Susan may have been similar to his mother in some way or other.
They had lunch on the beach and spent most of the day on the beach. Around four, they cleaned up and went out for dinner. At dinner, the children got coloring sheets and crayons. Jack and Jamie asked for extra papers and they got a stack, only after annoying the server. Everyone was coloring except for Sophie. She was playing with the crossword on the sheets, but Jack could see she was resisting.
"You aren't coloring?" he asked her in a low voice.
She shook her head. "Nope."
"Why not?" Jack waved a crayon in front of her eyes. "You know you want toooooo."
"Ugh." Sophie dropped her head onto the table. "Can't. Do. It."
"Why not?" Jack laid his head next to her on the table. It seemed this was normal Sophie behavior. The only one that thought it was funny was Gil and his mother was instructing him to stop laughing and finish this tic tac toe game they started.
"'Cause," she mumbled. "You can't soothe your habit, so I'm not gonna soothe mine." Jack's eyes widened in shock. Her cheeks were red and she peered at him through her lashes. Sophie wasn't going to draw or color? "I'm not gonna art all week. Not even doodle."
"You don't have to do that, Sophie," Jack said.
"I want to. You've been on edge since we left. After we tried building sandcastles, I really noticed it. You were making grabby hands." She reached over and flexed her fingers in front of his face. "So, I decided you shouldn't go at it alone."
Jack smiled. She really didn't have to, but for him, she was going to give it up. He felt touched. He really, really wanted to kiss her, but at the same time did NOT want to raise questions. Peering around the table, he made sure the others were preoccupied.
Amy and Susan were tending to Gil and Kyle. Laura was playing one of the coloring games with Nina. Jamie and Mike were in a debate about something or other.
Jack pressed his finger to his lips before touching hers. Under his digit, Sophie beamed.
Then bit down on it hard.
"OUCH!"
They both shot up, Sophie laughing and Jack dipping his hot finger into his ice water. It seemed Gil had caught her biting Jack and the boy leaned across the table to bite her. She yelped and chomped back playfully.
That night, there was a lot of fighting for rooms and who was sharing with who because everyone shared a room. Susan had claimed the living room, saying she was perfectly fine with the couch and would rather not share with her bratty children. Amy and Mike had the master bedroom.
In the end, it really came down to the other three rooms. After much insistance, there would be no girls rooms and boys rooms. The Johnson children would sleep in the room with the bunk-bed and single bed. When it came down to who would share what room between Jamie, Laura, and Sophie. Laura and Jack did NOT care whom they shared with. They sat with the rather awkward siblings, eying each other and shrugging.
Jack was fine sharing with either Jamie or Sophie. Laura was fine sharing with either Jamie or Sophie. And they both knew Jamie really wanted to share a room with Laura. But at the same time, was really uncertain about Jack sharing with Sophie.
So, the two stayed out of it. When asked for input they both reply with a strong chorus of "No." and Jamie and Sophie went back to their discussion.
In the end, Jamie grabbed his and Laura's bags and went into their room. Laura sighed heavily and rolled her eyes at Jack before following her boyfriend.
In the room Jack and Sophie shared, Sophie dropped her bags in disbelief and threw her arms open.
"What was he even freaking out about?!" She cried out, exasperated. "There's two beds!"
A/N: Oh, awkward situations~
