"Probably a good thing I had something to do, if Dad's drinking like that it means something happened. And I rather not be there to risk him getting mad at me."
William didn't borrow the car often mostly because his father didn't particularly enjoy handing over the keys to his son, despite being licensed and have received plenty of training from Jack and from a driving school. He was still a new driver and such was prone to performing questionable driving habits such as being on his phone or speeding.
The cat knew he wasn't on call for a mission or going to school so he dress up in his dark green jacket and jeans as he didn't feel the need to make an impression appearance wise, he had other plans to do just that.
William didn't need to drive too far as Tina lived in the same general area, but the cat wanted to show off a little by taking the car with him.
It was fairly late in the afternoon so the sun was still out if not beginning to set, so Tina was already sitting on the porch waiting for him to arrive.
"William!" she shouted out waving to him as he parked on the street.
She rushed to the car as he rolled down the window, "What's up Tina, I see you were waiting for me. Looking great, as usual." he said with a wink.
"I mean yeah, I'm bored to tears right now. My friends are all busy and my parents aren't here." she told him pouting.
William grinned, "I know, you told me earlier." he said with his tail moving excitedly despite being pinned between his back and the seat.
"Yeah, and that's why I asked you to come here, for company."
"I'm here, just like you asked."
"Well come in then, dude!" she told him patting the roof before walking back the front door.
The brown cat did so willingly and followed her inside her house.
It wasn't as well-appointed or large as his own house, but it still comfy all the same.
William hugged the orange cat from behind and wrapped his tail around her, "How long until your parents come back?"
She chuckled as he rubbed his cheek against her's, "I think they said they were going to be gone until pretty late at night."
"Late? What for?" he asked curiously.
"Anniversary date, I think they mentioned something like a dinner and a show or something like that." she explained.
He could smell the perfume she had on, mild enough to not be a bother, he suspected it was vanilla.
"Isn't your older sister still here?" he asked looking around.
Tina rolled her eyes, "At her's boyfriend's again."
"Great, we got the rest of the day to ourselves..." he muttered to her before planting a kiss on the side of her mouth.
"Where do you wanna go?" he purred.
"My room should be okay." she chose.
"Fine by me."
It didn't take long for William to get into the mood as they entered inside her room.
"Nice place. I see you haven't stopped drawing have you?" he asked looking at the various paper drawings strewn on windowsill and desk.
Tina looked through them as well, "I guess...just things I do."
William leaned against the wall, "Should put those in a folder, they're nice drawings, hate to see them get lost." he told her.
"Really? Thanks! I probably should, I'm not exactly an organized kind of girl."
The brown cat smiled at her, "If it's something you want to do, then go for it, I could see you being a successful artist."
"You think so?" she asked surprised.
He walked to her, "Totally, it would be great to see you make more." he said as he brushed her cheek.
"You think other people would like them?" she asked looked at his eyes somewhat excitedly.
He nodded, "Of course, and it'll be great to see you show them off maybe in a art gallery or even at the academy. I could even help you if you want." he suggested to her with a warm smile.
"That's so nice of you to say! To have you as a friend is just an awesome thing you know?"
"Who said we're just friends Tina? We can we be something more you know?" he said tugging her in.
Tina shook a little as he nipped her neck, "William..."
He chuckled a little, "I've thought about it, and I guess I'll say it now, I think I'm starting to like you more."
The cat before wasn't exactly a romantic, at times he may find himself admiring a girl more than usual, but he didn't think of himself actually having an actual girlfriend. At most he would have a brief swing with someone for a few days at most once in a while, but Tina was the first one he felt he could truly connect with, which is why he chose to get to know her so well.
"William..." she began.
He shook his head, "No, I know what you're going to say, but I'm serious. It's been a few months since we started this little thing we had, and I feel you're a special person to me. It sounds weird even to myself to say it, but I think maybe we could in a relationship?"
Tina blushed a little, "You really sure about this?"
He shrugged, "Why not? I figured I should maybe uh...settle down isn't the right word, maybe like, I don't know...get a little more serious?"
The orange cat happily smiled, "I think we could do that, let's do it."
William lowered his paws down to her hips, "We've been doing it for a while anyways, the whole friends with benefits thing is getting kind of old, don't you think?"
"Probably, I was wondering if we we're honestly going to stay this way." she admitted.
"Then it's settled, from now on, let's make this evening a special one..."
The two's lips met each other in passionate fit for a minute.
"Let's not waste time." he said before he swiftly removed his jacket and shirt underneath.
"Wow, you've been working out haven't you?" she commented on his toned physique.
He smirked, "I'm becoming an agent of the ZBI Tina, being in shape is pretty much a requirement."
"Mm, that's right, you're becoming an agent soon huh? That sounds like a pretty sweet gig for you." she said.
William could feel her paws on his chest, "Yup, next year I'll be officially joining the agency. But for now, I'm focusing on something else." he told her looking down.
She giggled, "You sly cat. Alright then..."
He grinned lustfully as Tina removed her shirt and tugged down at her pants, he himself could feel his own tightening at the sight of the female cat revealing herself.
They began to kiss each other as the two gradually migrated to the bed, "It's been a while Tina, too long..." he told her as he laid down on the bed.
She crawled on top of him and reached down to his pants, "Why don't we reintroduce ourselves then? I'm sure we have some catching up to do." she told him.
He uttered a little growl as she pulled down his zipper, "You bet your sweet ass we do. Now let me help with this." he said before reaching up around her chest to unhook her bra.
Jack sat down at the table feeling quite tipsy after ingesting two shots of whisky, "What utter shite my life is...I'm stuck between two attractive ladies in my life and I can't even get myself together to pick one. Absolute rubbish I am..." he muttered to himself as poured himself another shot of the drink.
"Jack? Are you okay?" Skye called out to him from outside the kitchen.
"I'm doing fine Skye you don't need to worry about me." he replied back slurring his speech a little.
The arctic vixen saw him with the bottle and frowned, "Damn it Jack, you're drinking again?" she scolded the buck.
"Just a little. I'm a little thirsty, that's all." he said as downed another shot.
She grabbed a chair and sat down next to him, "Don't you have a drinking problem? I don't think you should be doing any alcohol, it's only 5 in the afternoon right now." she told him.
Jack burped, "Excuse my harsh words, but I don't need anyone telling me to temper my drinking. I'm a full grown rabbit, and if you have a problem with it, you can kindly fuck off." he said emphasizing the last two words.
"Jack! Don't talk like that to anyone, especially me!" she reprimanded him.
He laughed, "And what you are going to do?"
The vixen smiled, "This." she quickly went around him and grabbed his arm.
"What are you- fucking hell!" he yelled out as the vixen twisted his arm behind his back.
"Now. You gonna say you're sorry?" she politely asked him.
Jack gritted his teeth, "Damn it Skye, let go of me fucking arm!"
She shook her head, "Listen here, apologize or I'll dislocate it right now and you'll be really sorry." she warned him.
The buck grunted and pounded his fist against the table, "Fine! I'm sorry for telling you to fuck off, alright? Now let go!" he cried out in pain.
Skye gladly let go, "There, now that wasn't so bad was it?"
Jack slowly rubbed his arm, "I wonder if you would say the same thing the roles were switched. Fucking hell that hurt. I forgot you were a strong fox."
Despite their history with each other, Skye had little tolerance for other's disregarding her or being hostile, even if it was Jack.
"I'm not some just some floozy girl you stick your dick inside and then kick her to the curb." she reminded him quite sternly.
Jack looked at the table, "I can see that."
"So, why are you hitting the bottle anyways?" she asked now a little concerned about the buck's current state.
He remembered exactly why he decided to nurse the whisky, but felt that it would be best to withhold the reason, "I just needed a drink alright? Is it really too much to ask in my own home?"
"Come on Jack, I know you're not a stress drinker. And it seems you quit smoking a lot time ago judging how you look."
Jack pressed the glass against his forehead, "I'm just thinking about some things alright?"
"Seems like someone's stressed. Do you need someone to help relieve it?" she asked suggestively.
Jack frowned a little, "I think I'm good Skye, please let me be..."
Skye pouted, "Aw, but Jack it's been years..." she whispered to his ear.
The buck tensed up and gripped the shot glass more firmly, "Skye, please..." he said closing his eyes.
"Playing hard to get huh Jack?" she said before nipping his ear.
His body felt tantalized by her bite, but his mind spoke otherwise.
"Damn it Skye! How many times I have to say it?" he angrily yelled at her.
The vixen was utterly confused by his outburst, normally the buck would be by now aroused by her teasing, but instead he was irritated and it wasn't because of the drinking.
She sat back down on her chair, "Okay, what the hell? What happened that made you acting all mad?"
He grabbed the bottle of whisky, "Nothing you need to know Skye." he told her before he went to the living room.
There he sat down on the couch and began directly from the bottle itself, caring no longer for the burning in his throat, he only wanted to drown out his troubles.
Skye looked at the distraught rabbit strewn on the couch, "You look like an addict right now you now?"
Jack groaned, "I don't want to hear it Skye, let me waste away in peace."
The vixen reached over to him and snatched the bottle away from him which quickly frustrated the buck, "What is the big idea-"
He was instantly silenced by her baring her teeth angrily at him, "Listen Jack, what the hell's going on? You're not like yourself at all! I feel you're not telling me something."
Jack chuckled, "My poor Skye is worried about ol' Jackie's health huh?" he laid down on the couch.
"Of course I'm worried! Next thing I know you could be on the streets pissing yourself! I know you get unpredictable when you drink Jack."
The buck held his paws up, "And what? You gonna lock me inside the closet until I sober up? Is that what you want to do?"
"Don't act stupid, I'm not saying anything like that!" Skye retorted still frowning.
He scoffed, "I'm taking a nap, wake me up when William's home will you?" he said before closing his eyes.
When they were previously together, Jack wasn't a drinker, he only drank at special events and occasionally at a restaurant, but beyond that, he refrained from consuming any as he felt it wasn't necessary to do so. If he needed to relieve stress, he kept a pack of cigarettes nearby.
Skye decided against retaliating him for the time being and merely fumed as she felt something was off about him.
"You weren't like this before you left for the hospital. I wonder..." she looked at the already dozing drunken rabbit on the couch.
She knelt down to his face, "Are you hurting right now? I saw it in your face."
A quick sniff confirmed that he was in contact with both Judy and Nick as their scents were all over him, so she knew he talked to both of them.
"Maybe it's the guilt that's doing it. Jack must've been blaming himself for getting Nick in the hospital, that's probably why he's acting this way right now."
If Jack was hurting, then Skye would feel a little pain also, it hurt her to see the buck in any difficulty. She could still remember his face when they parted ways, it was the moment she knew Jack wasn't ever going to be the same in some ways.
Skye rolled her eyes, "Wake up!" she said promptly smacking his face.
He grumbled irritably, and tossed around to face away from her.
"Stop acting like a kit and get your tail up! I'm not telling you again!" she said.
"No..." he mumbled.
The vixen tugged at his pants, "Come on, at least sleep on the bed so the others don't see you like this."
"Couldn't give less of a shit Skye."
She smirked, "I'm not leaving until you go upstairs."
Jack sighed, "Carry me sweetheart?"
Skye picked him up, "Oof! You've definitely gained some weight there Jack."
"It's muscles..."
She chuckled, "Whatever you say, mate." she told him copying his accent.
Despite him being fairly heavy for a rabbit his size, Skye still had no issue carrying him up the stairs to his bedroom.
She carelessly tossed him down on the bed causing him to groan, "Skye...that hurt."
"Good, that's what you get for being a drunk, lazy ball of fluff." she scoffed him before laying down next to him on the bed.
"Mm...what time is it?" he asked out with his eyes still shut.
"Definitely not the time to be drinking buddy." she told him.
The whisky at this point made him almost completely intoxicated, but not enough for him to completely lose his senses.
"I'm...sorry." he uttered out covering his eyes.
"Oh? Now you're apologizing?" she said raising an eyebrow.
"I was being an arse, now I'm just a shit pile of a bunny right now." he slurred out.
Skye snuggled up next to him, "An adorable shit pile." she added.
"Skye...please refrain from that word." he reminded her.
"My bad. Anyways, lie down here, I'm going to leave you alone okay? Since you want that so bad." she said to him.
Jack grasped her arm, "No, please stay..."
He wrapped his arm around her waist, "Honest, I missed you Skye. Don't leave again."
The arctic vixen could see that right now Jack was in an emotionally vulnerable state and gladly returned to him, "Alright, I'll stay for you."
"You're a sweetheart Skye, you mind if I sneak a kiss?" he suggested now with his eyes open again.
Skye giggled, "Aw Jack, of course you can, it's pretty exhausting to stay mad like this honestly."
The buck went for a quick peck on the lips before flopping back down to the bed.
He sighed, "Ah...thanks, love."
Jack buried himself into her embrace and promptly went back into sleep, leaving Skye to happily hold him in and laid her head on his.
"Night, Jackie..."