Across the Times
By: Nightingale
Rating: PG13
Gin sat with Jack at a table in a back corner of Irving Hall enjoying the peace and quiet.
"Jack" she half whispered turning to look into his face
"Yeah" he asked turning to look into her eyes
"You met me here at seven and I could see it in your eyes. And even half way through the show it's still on both our minds. So why put it off one minute more let's do what we wanted to do when I first walked through the door."
"What are you saying" he asked softly
"Kiss me now. Cause you know you will. Kiss me now. Why wait until the end of the night when it's awkward and shy and there's so much at stake that we're too scared to try. Why go one like this? Get it over with. I'll make it easy on you I want you to."
"The way we're both distracted it makes it hard to talk." agreed Jack
"This ice is easily broken if we trust in what we've got." Assured Gin
Jack looked almost concerned. "Sarah wouldn't"
"I'm not Sarah." Gin interrupted
Jack looked into her eyes as he began to lean in. His hand slid across her shoulder and rested on her neck where he gently pushed her head into the position he wanted. Gin closed her eyes as she felt his lips claimed her own.
She responded almost immediately then he responded to her. When they broke the kiss they both noticed how Gin had slid closer to him and had her arms around his neck. Jack had untied the ribbon holding her hair making it fall onto her shoulders and his arms had slid down to hold her waist half pulling at her to move closer. Even though the kiss was broken they couldn't move more than an inch from each other in the embrace they shared. Gin's heart was pounding as was Jack's but neither said a word as they went in again. They lost all track of the show going on around them and the people as well. Everything was gone save this one boy and girl locked around each other.
After the date was over they went back to the lodging house. They split paths at the two bunkrooms saying brief goodnights. Gin sat on her bunk for a second. Sleep was not even attempting enter her thoughts. She got up again and went to sit on the stairs noticing movement as she made her way out into the hall.
"Jack" she asked
"No.it's Skittery. I was wondering is Tree back yet"
"Tree" she asked partly remembering seeing her at Irving Hall
"She went on a date with one of the Brooklyn guys…and…."
"She's not back yet." Gin stated
Skittery nodded sadly and went back into the bunkroom and Gin went to sit on the stairs.
Tree was in tears at how terrible the date with the Brooklyn guy had gone. She felt so stupid and used and she didn't know what to do. She thought that this one was the right one, but she was sorely wrong and she spent hours walking around Manhattan trying to sort things out not even the threat of Harlem would stop her.
It was the early hours of morning when Tree returned to the lodging house. Gin was up and sitting on the stairs when the tearful Tree showed up.
"What are you doing up" Tree asked
"Couldn't sleep."
"Oh" Tree said softly trying to hide her face so Gin wouldn't see the tearstained cheeks and red eyes
"Things didn't go well huh" voiced Gin
"How'd you know"
"Long story, but I ain't even gonna ask cause I can read you like a book. Girl if I ever saw one that's an 'I can't believe I did that' look. You look like something that the cat drug in so I won't kick you while you're down. Just let me tell you friend to friend that's a block I've been around."
Tree sat down next to Gin on the stairs.
"Right now you hate yourself cause you knew better but there's no use crying over spilt perfume."
Tree grinned a little but nothing more.
"There's a big difference between lonely and lonely way too long. I know when he made his move you weren't feeling all that strong. I bit my tongue cause I saw it coming when you danced that close to him at Irving Hall. I should have warned you but did you think that moment would last forever"
"Yes" she muttered
"I did too once" smiled Gin
Tree smiled"At least I'm not the only one"
"Don't beat yourself up. You fell in a moment of weakness. Well you just gotta pull yourself back up and dry your morning after tears cause what's done is done."
"I guess you're right."
"I did it once too you know. I thought that that night would last me forever. I thought that guy hung the moon. Afterwards I hated myself cause I knew better but a friend told me 'there's no use crying over spilt perfume', and do you know what she was right."
Tree got up to go clean up. She began up the rest of the stairs but stopped and turned back to Gin.
"Hey Gin."
Gin turned and looked up at her.
"Thanks a lot" she smiled as she continued the rest of the way up.
"Oh and Tree"
"Yeah"
"I think you should poke your head into the boys bunkroom and tell Skittery that you're alright."
Gin turned to see Trees questioning look.
"He was rather worried about you." Gin smiled
Tree smiled back and went with a little more spring to her step to the bathroom to clean herself up before following Gin's instructions. Tree inched the door open and saw a sudden movement in the corner of her eye on an upper bunk. A body was sitting straight up and looking at her.
"Skittery" she whispered
He jumped down from his bunk and all but ran to her pushing her out into the hall and closing the door.
"Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Cause if he"
She placed her finger lightly over his lips and looked into his eyes.
"I really regret what happened at Medda's tonight. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
Skittery gently wrapped his hand around hers. He slid the hand from his mouth.
"Do what again" he asked
Tree didn't answer but instead reached up with her body and kissed him lightly.
"I'll never worry you about another guy again." She declared
The two were off in their own world while Gin stood just down the hallway listening. She felt a little guilty about eaves dropping but it felt so go to fix a relationship like this. She smiled to herself and wrapped her arms around herself.
"So much for not messing with history" she muttered to herself as she walked back down the stairs to give the couple a little more privacy.