A/N Ok so i've finally updated...after one year! I seriously didn't mean to take this long and i apologise for making you guys wait. Now, this chapter is dedicated to all the lovely people who reviewed (you know who you are) and I hope you like the chapter!
Moving swiftly through the crowd he makes his way towards her, mind racing.
Breathe he tells himself focus on what you have to say not on how…absolutely stunning she looks
She turns to him, the smile on her face melting him; those eyes making him burn… and temporarily forget what he is about to say.
"Jack?"
Those eyes are focused intently on him, a now slightly concerned look in them as he realises he been standing in front of her simply staring. He turns red and she smirks as she makes room for him on the couch.
Gradually they fall into an easy conversation, talking and laughing as if the past weeks never happened. The only topics they've avoided are Corey and what happened last week.
He hasn't completely forgotten about his 'mission', its just that she's so happy and he doesn't want to ruin it by bringing up their history. Because…what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she's not ready? What if-
He shifts uneasily as the doubts flood his mind
Her happiness is all he wants for her; he hates it when she's in any form of pain, namely after the first Corey incident. Seeing her in the bar so shattered, so broken; a very different side of her exposed and vulnerable- it tore at his heart that there wasn't anything he could do to make her pain go away.
Instead he just took her in his arms comforting her, whispering in her ear that it was going to be ok. As she had lifted her head, he had subconsciously wiped away her tears, the touch shocking them both. He had felt so caught up in the emotion of holding her that tight, relishing the feeling of being that close to someone after weeks of rejecting any physical contact. He wasn't thinking straight and in that moment, he knew he had gone too far. She had tore away from him, eyes wide and shaking her head. He had reached out to her but she ran and as he watched her he felt as if he had lost her all over again.
Her happiness is all he wants for her and he doesn't want to take it away
"Jack?"
So wrapped up in his thoughts his minds crashes down to reality to find her looking at him expectantly to find that she's asked him a question…and that he hasn't been listening to word she's said.
"Sorry, what?" he asks, flushing slightly
"Jack!" she groans, a completely exasperated look on her face "haven't you been listening to a word I've been saying?"
He smiles apologetically and she rolls her eyes, swatting him playfully on the arm. She knows that his mind was on other things-namely her.
Rising from the couch she motions for him to follow her. His eyes are focused on her back, slowly traveling downwards, along the curve of her hip as she throws him a flirty glance before sauntering away.
Secret glances and shy smiles across the food table don't escape the eyes of Mattie and Lucas who not so subtly suggest they get back together.
Jack laughs this off and Martha's cheeks turn red, but Mattie persists undaunted. One line of her talk remains in both their heads
'…you should get your acts together…"
As he chances a glance at her she gives him a funny look in return and they know that they can't avoid the conversation forever.
It is later on, when the crowd has thinned that he gets his chance.
Casually, he leans against the door frame of Hayley's room and she is there, sitting on the bed cursing and digging through her purse. She stops as she realises his presence and smiles, waving him over
"Hey" he says softly
He sits down the bed gazing at her, taking in her flushed cheeks, her smile, the look in her eyes.
"Martha…I…I was thinking-"he breaks off and they both smile at his incoherency to form a sentence
She grins at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes
"You were thinking? That's new!"
"I'm trying to be serious here!" he says, managing a chuckle before they both turn quiet again
As he starts again, he feels a sudden boost of confidence. Just say it; you've done this a million times. But this isn't just any other woman; this is Martha and she's different from any of the other women in his past. There's something about her that makes her stand out from anybody else and makes him feel emotions he's never experienced.
"I was thinking…" he starts again "that maybe it is time we go our acts together…"
As their faces draw closer together, he gently tips her chin up gazing in her eyes to be sure. Her shy smile to him is all he needs to know that she wants this as much as he does, and then their lips meet.
The kiss is sweet, tender; both wanting it to never end, for that feeling inside them to never fade.
Eventually he pulls away, her breathing hard, cheeks flushed. They'll need to talk more later, about issues that brought down their relationship in the first place and so on. But not now, he thinks as her face draws closer. Right now, it is better without words
