Here's a chapter I hope you all like. Hope the "scene" was written okay and that you can disregard any spelling mistakes, I was in a bit of a hurry. Enjoy!

Chapter Five: At Long Last

"Go to the couch and sit your ass down. We're talking." I snapped at Jack the moment we stepped foot through the door.

"Fuck you Bobby."

Jack made to go up the stairs but I grabbed him by the back of his jacket and muscled him over to the couch.

"I don't fucking think so Jack. Sit the hell down!"

Nope, I could tell right now he wasn't gonna go for it.

"Leave me alone!"

He started thrashing about, trying to throw me off of him.

"I'm still your big brother Jackie! I can still whoop your ass!"

I struggled with him for a few more minutes before his body relaxed and I knew he had given up.

Slowly I let my grip on him loosen, ready just in case he decided he still had a little bit of fight left in him. Thank god he didn't. Little Jack sure grew up when I was gone, I think I might even have a bruise or two come morning.

Easing myself completely off him I tried to will all the blood in my body to leave my lower half ; Jackie had almost had me a few times because of it.

Focus Bobby! I reminded myself.

"Stay there. I'm gonna go get some ice for your eye. If I come back and you're gone I'm gonna hunt ya back down. You don't want that, trust me."

I stood and walked warily from the room, keeping Jack within my line of sight until I got to the kitchen where I ran to the freezer and threw some ice into a dish towel before racing back into the living room.

"Good boy." I teased, chucking the ice at him.

"Now," I started and saw him tense, "speak."

Jack stroked his finger along the edge of the couch.

"I don't know what you want me to say."

"Well, you can start with how you got that black eye, even though I'd say it's pretty obvious."

Jack shot me a glare, although it wasn't very menacing; a black eye can do that to a guy.

"Well if it's obvious what the hells the point in asking? Besides, it's your fault anyway."

Wait a minute, say that again?

"What? How the hell do ya think that?"

Jack ran a hand through his hair angrily, the other was still clutching the ice.

"God Bobby! If you hadn't made him so mad then I wouldn't be sittin' here with a fuckin' towel full of ice for my black eye!"

"Speakin' of which, put it on there. Ain't gonna do no good if you just hold it."

Jack let out a sound halfway between a sob and a laugh.

"God Bobby, where were you two months ago. What makes you think you can just waltz back into everyone's lives and deal out shit advice. Where were you when I needed you!"

I started to develop a tight feeling in my chest and decided to move next to him on the couch.

As I sat there he began to shake so without thinking, as usual, I pulled him into my arms.

"It just hurts Bobby….It's hurt for so long." I heard Jack whisper into my chest.

I didn't know what to say. I was never any good at wording things right, I'd probably just end up making him more upset.

Luckily the silence didn't last long as Jack decided to speak again, his voice thick with unshed tears.

"I didn't know what to do."

I waited for him to finish, stroking his hair softly.

"He said he was all I had, and I believed him! I still believe him. I know it's wrong but I…I've just grown so used to it now."

"Used to what Jackie." I prompted, even though something inside me was screaming that I didn't want to know.

He raised his head from my chest and gazed up at me, the light from the street shone through the window and highlighted the dark bruise on his face.

"Used to him hitting me when I do something bad."

My breath caught in my throat.

"I never knew I was so bad, so stupid until I met him. He helped me Bobby! Can't you see that? I mean, sure sometimes I get a black eye or two, or a couple of bruises, but it's only because I can't seem to do things right. That's why my real parents didn't want me, that's why the only person who'd take me in was Ma, that's why you left…."

"No Jack," I interrupted, angry at myself, " My leaving had nothing to do with you. Hell kid, you're the reason I came back, aside from Ma's funeral."

Jack was shocked ; seems I've been causing that reaction a lot lately.

"You're serious?"

"Hell ya, you know I've never lied to ya!"

Jack's left eyebrow arched upwards and he smirked.

"Oh really. What about the time my favorite shirt went missing and I asked you if you'd seen it and you said no, even told me that you'd help me look for it. Then, I found out that you were using it to wipe the ice off your skates after Hockey."

Groaning I ruffled my hand through his hair.

"Ya, whatever." I said, trying to steer the conversation away from that particular subject.

I think I still had that shirt somewhere too; maybe in with my old hockey stuff, I'd have to check later.

"Anyway, when it's serious shit you know I'd never lie."

A soft smile appeared on Jack's lips.

"Ya, I know."

We stared at each other then, eyes raking over the new and remembering the old.

Slowly, and I'm still not sure what started it or who, our faces drew closer together and it was quite possible that at that moment my heart simply stopped beating.

I didn't know what was going on, I didn't really care right then. All I knew was that Jack's lips were only inches from mine, and I wasn't about to let that distance keep me from something I had been dreaming about for years.

I jerked my head forward and our lips met for the first time.

It was soft and sweet and everything I thought it'd be, but after a minute of that simple contact I needed more….and apparently Jack did too because he shifted himself over and into my lap, allowing my arms to wrap around him.

I let my tongue slip out and swipe along the seam of his mouth, putting gentle pressure on his lips until he opened them and let me slip past and explore his mouth.

Our tongues stroked and wrestled against each other in a mock battle and I wondered if I was supposed to feel this dizzy, before deciding I just didn't care.

Now, I had kissed many a girl in my time, but this….this was different. This was Jack.

When we parted I felt him nuzzle the side of my face and I leaned my head to the side so I could plant a soft kiss on his neck.

Passion still ran beneath the surface of our skin and I moved his head away from me so I could look into his eyes.

They were shut, long lashes casting shadows upon his cheeks, and I smiled as they slowly started to open.

Jack now stared back at me….but something was wrong. When his eyes had fully opened he had frozen on my lap and now sat staring at me with wide eyes.

"Jackie?" I whispered tenderly, "You okay?"

The sound of my voice caused a flurry of activity as he jumped off of me and started backing away.

"Jack?" I said again, growing worried.

He kept retreating and I suddenly realized he had started chanting underneath his breath.

"No no no no no no no."

I stretched my arm out towards him and he spun around, running from the room.

I heard his door slam shut and the scraping sound which signified a heavy object had just been moved in front of it.

"What the hell was that?" I mumbled, confused as hell, worried, and more then a little aroused.

I sat back down on the couch and replayed the kiss in my head.

"This certaintly isn't helping your situation here." I told myself, referring to the bulge in my pants.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the now wet towel containing half melted ice and I grabbed it quickly, dropping it on my lap before I could change my mind.

Jack was gonna be the death of me.