Disclaimer-I don't own "Will & Grace." They are property of NBC, David Kohan, and Max Mutchnick. The only parts that I do own are the plot, the character Bruce Bickham, and "The Golden Suites."
A/N-Again, thanks to all who reviewed. To those who did not, you have yet another chance to review. And please join my YahooGroup! The website is on my profile.
Chapter Ten-In Too Deep
'Cause I'm in too deep
And I'm tryin' to keep
Up above in my head
Instead of goin' under.
-Sum-41 "In Too Deep"
"Jack, do you want to try it?" Bruce asked again. "Do you?"
Jack stood up, looking at Bruce in anxiety and confusion. "I can't," he said, finally. "I am curious, but . . ." He cut off the rest of his sentence, shaking his head. "I mean, no, I'm not curious. At all! I don't need proof to let myself know that I love Will. I know that I love him. I always have. Ever since I first saw him . . . and sure, to you, sir, it's just a 'let's-see' kiss, but to me, it's just one little step away from me jumping into that tiny, little bed of yours and . . . and doing you. This is all just one big phase, nothing more."
Jack paused, realizing that he was drowning on and on. "No," he said, with an exasperated sigh. "No, I don't want to 'try it.'"
Bruce sighed as well, but gestured for Jack to sit back down beside him. "Jack, sit down, please," he said, his voice drenched in, what sounded like, pity.
Jack folded his arms over his chest. "I don't think that I should, Bruce. You've just tried to convince me that making out with you would be a good thing to do to help my relationship with Will remain intact. I don't think that I want anything else to do with you."
He turned around, placing his hand on the doorknob and squeezing it . . . but he did not open the door.
He heard Bruce shifting around under his covers. "Jack," Bruce began, gently. "Jackie--"
"Don't call me that!" Jack interrupted. "Only my Will can call me that."
He heard Bruce sigh in annoyance. "Jack, first of all, I only said 'kiss,' not 'make out.'"
Jack still did not turn around; he simply stared at the off-white color of the door. "I don't care what you said, Bruce. I love--"
"--Will, yeah, I know. But, Jack, how do you know that you aren't supposed to be in love with someone else? How do you know that you and, say, I aren't destined to be together? I'm sure that you thought that you were in love like this before."
Jack opened his mouth to reply, when he was hit with a realization: he had thought, at one time, that he had been in love. Stuart. Although he had never really said it out loud, he had loved Stuart. But Stuart had broken up with him because he could sense Jack's unbeknownst love for Will. That was saying something, wasn't it? "Will and I are made for each other. I know it," Jack said, finally.
"But you said that you imagine me when you have sex with Will--"
"--Well, that was because I had just met you . . . and you're really hot," Jack snapped, still facing towards the door.
"Jack, come on. Please look at me," Bruce pleaded, all of the pity that had before soaked the tone of his voice now gone.
Jack looked up at the ceiling, unsure whether to turn around and allow Bruce to continue, or to simply leave the room and try and forget all about Bruce; live his life with Will, always wondering and imagining if there was some chance that maybe, just maybe, Bruce was right. Jack let his hand fall from the doorknob and he slowly turned around.
Bruce smiled. "Thank you, Jack. I can understand why you'd be made at me, but I want you to know that this is hurting me just as much as it is you."
Jack's mouth fell open at Bruce's last sentence. "Are . . . are you kidding me?" he asked, shocked. "Are you joking? We've known each other, like, five days!"
Bruce shook his head. "This isn't hurting me just because of you, Jack, despite what you may think. I've been through this all before. I thought that I was in love and with my soul mate when he just ups and leaves me. It took me forever to get over that . . . and I know that we've just met, but I would hate for that to happen to you."
Jack tried to keep the embarrassed smile from appearing on his face. "Wait a minute, I thought that you said that you weren't hurting just because of me."
Bruce thought about Jack's last comment for a moment. "I lied," he said, finally. "I care about you, Jack. I really do. And my offer still stands."
Jack bit the inside of his cheek, looking at Bruce's lips; they looked so soft, so inviting, so perfect . . . and yet so horrible and disastrous at the same time. One peck, one touch of his own lips against Bruce's and he would never be able to forgive himself. It was another example of how much he truly loved Will; in the past, he would've hopped into Bruce's bed days ago, without a second thought, even if he had been seeing someone at the time.
Jack looked up from Bruce's perfect lips to Bruce's beautiful eyes and shook his head slowly. "No," he said, softly. "I can't. Will is . . . everything I've ever wanted. And I'd never hurt him, even if it was just a 'test.'" Jack turned around and took a hold of the doorknob again. "I'm going to go. And don't be surprised if you have another nurse tomorrow. A female nurse, if I'm lucky." He turned the knob and opened the door.
"Jack, you're making a mistake! Trust me; I really care about you!" Bruce called after him.
Jack glanced over his shoulder at Bruce. "If you 'really' care about me after only a few days of knowing each other, it's no wonder that you were hurt so badly when your boyfriend left you." With those parting words, Jack left Room 33 and shut the door firmly behind him.
"So, how are things going with you now that Leo's home?" Will asked Grace as they were served their lunch. It was their first time seeing each other in over five days; Grace had been spending time with Leo, and Will had been spending time with Jack.
"Great. How are things going with you and Jack?" Grace asked before greedily digging into her steak. "Oh God, this is good!" she gushed while she chewed her first bite. "Anyway, you and Jack: how's it going?"
"Well, good . . . I think." Off of Grace's concerned look, he added, "We see each other every chance we get, we've moved in together, permanently--"
"--wait, wait, what?" Grace asked, giving Will a perplexed look. "Why are you just telling me this now?"
"Didn't I tell you?" Will asked, giving Grace a guilty smile. "I'm sorry. It's just . . . I've been so happy. But--"
"But? Ooh, buts are never good," Grace commented, with a small grimace.
"It's probably nothing. It's just that, lately, Jack has been acting . . . preoccupied in, umm, in--"
"--in ze sack?" Grace finished, smiling and taking a sip of her water.
"Yeah. Is that normal?" Will asked, regretting the question as soon as it came out.
"For some people. But not all." Grace smiled and tossed her hair smugly. Will rolled his eyes and Grace cleared her throat and continued. "Or you could, you know, simply be imagining it Or, or maybe you're the one who's preoccupied during sex, because you're too busy wondering if it's 'good for him, too.'" Grace paused, taking another swig of water. "Or maybe it's . . ." She paused again, thinking. "Wait . . . who's usually on top?"
"Grace!" Will covered his face with his hand, trying to hide his now-flushed face. "You don't . . . you don't ask that! Ever! And why, why would you ask it?!" Will hesitated, bringing his hand down from his face. "Why? Does it matter?" he asked in a low voice.
"Well, I'm not much of an expert on gay sex, but if you're spending too much time--" She lowered her own voice, "--on top, then maybe he feels that he has nothing, umm . . . to do, if you will."
Will shook his head. "I don't think that's it; we usually spend equal time on top . . ." His voice trailed off and, suddenly, getting even more uncomfortable, he nervously adjusted his tie.
"Hmm . . . well then, maybe you need to spice things up somehow. Make it more exciting."
"Hey, it's been pretty hot," Will remarked, defensively. "We did it in the shower," he finished, nodding smugly.
"Oh wow, now you're the king of gay sex land," Grace said, sarcastically. "No, Will, you've got to do more. Like the bathtub. Oh, the bathtub is always fun. Or a hot tub! Oh, Will do the hot tub idea, please?" Grace pleaded, clasping her hands together.
"Wow, you're really into my sex life with Jack, aren't you?" Will said, shaking his head, but laughed quietly.
"No, seriously, he'd love it! Take him to a really nice hotel . . . with a hot tub, of course, and spend the next few days there. Aww, that'd be so sweet!" she cooed. "Wait," she added, the smile slipping off of her face. "Why doesn't Leo do something like that for me?"
"Grace, focus." Will rubbed at his temple absentmindedly. "Oh God, I've been going out with Jack for not even two weeks and I already have to spice things up? It shouldn't happen this fast," he whined.
"Aww," Grace cooed again, gently patting Will's hand. "You must really love him."
"I do," Will admitted, grinning. "I really do. I'd do anything for him."
"So . . . are you going to do my hotel slash hot tub idea, then?" Grace asked, smiling hopefully.
"Well . . ." Will paused, thinking about it. It would be really fun, he thought. I could have the room reserved for the next three days, and then tonight, when he gets home, I can tell him that he and I are going to go to the movies. Then when we go downstairs, one of Karen's billions of cars will be on the street waiting for us. I'm sure that she'll lend me one. Hopefully. Then I can drive the two of us to the hotel without giving away the surprise by telling the address to some cab driver. Then, when we arrive at the hotel, I can tell him: "Surprise! You and I are going to spend the next few days here! And there's a hot tub!" He'll love it!
"Earth to Will," Grace said, waving her spoon in front of Will's face. "Hello?"
"Oh . . . what?" Will said, snapping out of his daze. "Sorry, I was just thinking about how great of a time Jack and I are going to have at that hotel . . . with a hot tub!"
"Oh my God!" Grace squealed, excitedly. "You're going to use my idea?!"
Will nodded, slightly amused by Grace's reaction. "Yes, I am."
Grace squealed again, and then continued to eat her lunch. After a bite, she paused and look cautiously up at Will. "Will," she began, through a mouthful of steak. "Did I just give you sex advice?"
"Umm, yes," Will replied, unsure of where Grace was headed with her question.
"Oh my God, I'm Karen." She set down her fork and shook her head in exasperation. "I think I need a new assistant."
"Grace, you've always needed a new assistant." Grace nodded, then picked up her fork and continued eating her steak.
"Hello? Is this "The Golden Suites" hotel? . . . my name is Will Truman and I would like to reserve a room for the next three days . . . yes, starting tonight . . . what would I like? Umm, a hot tub? Is that possible? . . . okay, great . . . I'll be there at about eight o'clock tonight . . . thank you. Goodbye."
Will hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, smiling. "This is going to be perfect," he sighed, happily. "Jack is going to love me even more than he does now. Wow, I would never have done anything so adventurous with Michael. It feels . . . freeing." Will looked around the room. "And I'm talking to myself. That's not good."
Will picked up his phone again and dialed "Grace Adler Designs." He was surprised to hear Karen's voice answer. "Grace Adler Designs."
"Wow, Karen . . . I didn't think you'd answer the phone so fast," Will said.
"What do you want, Wilma? Grace is out--"
"--Karen, I need a favor," Will interrupted, wanting to get the favor over as soon as possible.
"Oh, really? What is it?" Will could tell that she was smiling through the phone.
"I need to borrow a car for tonight. A nice one."
"A car? What the hell for?"
"I'm going to take Jack to "The Golden Suites" for a few days. You know, to spice things up. Wait, why am I telling you this? I don't like you and you'll probably tell Jack."
"Don't worry, honey, I won't tell Jack. And since this is for my poodle, I'll loan you one. Which one do you want?"
"Umm, whichever looks the nicest but isn't one that'll be keyed if I leave it in a parking garage or on the street."
"Okay, done. Now I've gotta go; I have work to do."
"Like . . ?"
"None of your business, Wilma. Bye, and have good sex."
Will shook his head and hung up the phone. Wow, the things someone has to do for love. But, on the bright side, Jack will know how much I love him. And maybe he won't act so . . . strange.
Will looked up at the sound of a knock on his door. "Come in," he called, slightly confused. He glanced quickly at his watch. Who'd be coming in at one thirty in the afternoon?
"Hey Sweetie!" Jack said, entering Will's office and closing the door with his elbow.
"Jackie!" Will said, surprised. "Wow, I didn't expect you . . . especially at this hour."
"Oh, I left because I needed to do something," he explained, thinking about everything Bruce had said. He walked over to Will's desk, leaned down, and pressed his lips firmly against Will's. Will leaned into the kiss, and he could literally feel the sparks flying between them.
Jack broke the kiss, licking his lips. "Wow," Will gasped. "What was that for?"
"I just wanted you to know that I love you," Jack replied, smiling and leaning in for another kiss. What the hell does Bruce know? he asked himself, as he broke the kiss. I love Will so much, and I don't need any "proof" to tell me that.
"Okay, well, I'll see you later," Jack said, turning around and walking towards Will's door.
"Wait, what time are you getting home?" Will asked, standing up and walking over to Jack.
"Oh, five o'clock, I think? Why?"
"I was just thinking that we could go to a movie or something at, like, eight o'clock-ish. Does that sound okay with you?" Will asked, tracing a finger down Jack's cheek.
Jack nodded. "Yeah, that's fine with me." He placed a feathery kiss on Will's fingertip. "I'll be looking forward to it."
"Okay, see you later." Will leaned up and kissed Jack on the forehead.
"Bye." Jack pecked Will's lips lightly, then turned and walked out of his office.
Will smiled, sitting down at his desk. Yeah, this is going to be perfect, he thought, happily.
TBC
A/N-Okay, as always, please review! And please join my Will and Jack YahooGroup. The website address is on my profile. Thanks!