Hello there! It's been a while, thanks for being so patient and supportive, and thank you so much for your well wishes! :) I wrote most of this chapter on my phone, so please excuse any errors.
I stare at the television screen blankly, the voice of Jeremy Wade barely registering in my ears as the cable plays my favorite show, River Monsters. Instead of gaping at the four-feet long catfish wiggling in Mr. Wade's arms in awe, like I normally would, all I can think of is that look on Jaegerjaques' face when he walked away from Ishida this afternoon.
I had watched them through the blinds, with Shinji giggling madly in my ear. I'd expected him to unleash his temper on Uryuu, and was gleefully looking forward to seeing how it'd play out between the two of them, so when Jaegerjaques just stood there looking shocked and - dare I say - hurt, I was completely floored.
My instinct had been to jump up and run after him, but I caught myself two seconds later, surprised that I'd thought of stopping him, that I'd actually felt apologetic for that brief moment. Thank goodness I hadn't acted on the stupid impulse, otherwise I'd never live it down. To make it even more embarassing, Uryuu had given me a knowing smirk, as though he was somehow privvy to my temporary lapse of sanity.
Anyway, so, that's how Jaegerjaques got stuck in my head. No matter how many times I tell myself that he deserves it, I still can't get his expression out of my mind. He had looked so genuinely shocked that I have no choice but to believe that he was taken completely by surprise. But how can that be? Surely there is a limit to how thick someone can be? Has it really not crossed his mind that not everybody's dying to let him get into their pants?
I almost feel sorry for him. Almost, because I have no doubt he will bounce back to his arrogant self tomorrow.
Two weeks go by, and I'm convinced that the sun has risen from the West. Pigs are flying. NASA found aliens on Mars.
Okay, it's not nearly that dramatic, but something bizarre has happened: I think Jaegerjaques has finally given up. I don't feel his creepy stalker-like stares anymore. He doesn't try to walk by me pretending as if it's just a coincidence like he used to. Heck, I hardly even see him nowadays.
I'm baffled by the sudden change in his behavior, to be honest. Maybe Uryuu's biting words really did get through to him, or perhaps Ayasegawa had somehow managed to knock some sense into his thick skull.
I'm ecstatic, of course, but also intrigued. If you give me lots of cookies and cream soda, maybe I'll admit that I'm a little, well, disappointed, for a lack of a better word. Come on, give me a break - my ego has gotten used to this wonderful treatment, so it feels kind of strange now that it's not getting fed anymore, alright? It's not like I'm dying for attention, let alone Jaegerjaques', of all people. I mean, human beings are vain creatures, whether you like it or not. People like being praised. I'm just like everybody else.
One good thing about this, at least, is that this means the last month of my internship will be completely stress-free. I don't have to worry about getting jumped when I'm alone, or feel like my every move is being scrutinized.
Ah, long-awaited peace.
To my surprise, when Jaegerjaques is not busy being a prick, he's actually pretty dedicated to his job. He seems to be wrapped up in his own little world, muttering to himself whenever he's seen outside of his trailer, but most of the time he's inside, preparing for his scenes apparently, according to Shinji.
He's a good actor, nobody can deny that. He's like a different person entirely when he throws himself into the role. Now that I'm doing actual set production work, I'm out on the sets a lot more, assisting Urahara, Kenpachi, and the rest of the full time crew. Sometimes, I can't help but slow down when I walk past the set when the camera's rolling. It's pretty damn riveting to see Jaegerjaques in his domain. I guess I've never really paid attention to that side of him, not when I had to deal with his other, less pleasant persona.
Now that I do, I have to admit - rather reluctantly, I'll have you know - that he really is a professional. I won't go as far as to say that I'm impressed, but if I try really hard, I think I can summon at least a tiny sliver of respect for him.
I guess that's why I didn't protest when I'm handed the task of delivering food to Jaegerjaques' trailer. It's usually Hanatarou's job, but the little guy's out sick today. Shinji and Uryuu both give me a weird look when I pick up the box without a word. I just shrug, ignoring their raised eyebrows, and head for the familiar trailer. This will be my first time talking to him since throwing that punch in his face. Maybe I'll find out that he really hasn't changed at all. After all, this seems a little too good to be true.
"Go away," comes a muffled reply when I knock on the door.
"Lunch time," I announce, rolling my eyes.
There's a moment of silence, which I take to mean that the man has decided to ignore me, before the door opens with a creak. A tousled head of blue hair greets me as Jaegerjaques blinks, looking surprised.
"Hey," he says gruffly.
I blink back at him, suddenly at a loss for words. Of all the scenarios I've imagined, awkward hasn't crossed my mind; but here we are, staring dumbly at each other. He looks every bit as delectable as I remember, all hard planes and toned muscles. His eyes, wide open in astonishment, are crystal clear and startlingly blue, like a beautiful, bottomless ocean.
In the end, I decide to break the weird air around us by thrusting the Chinese take-out box in his face. "Here," I offer.
He hesitates, lips twitching like he wants to say something. I brace myself for the onslaught of sleazy comments, something along the lines of "do you want to come in and feed me", but nothing comes.
"Thanks," he says finally. He plucks the box out of my hand almost carefully, and then we look at each other again, both looking kind of lost and confused. On my part, I'm confused because he's not being the lecherous bastard that he is, and I guess he's confused because I'm not snapping at him like I usually do.
"Uhh, I guess I'll, uhh, head back," I rub the back of my neck. Seriously, the awkwardness of the situation is becoming ridiculous. I almost wish that he'd say something insulting, just to make things seem normal. But no, he merely nods in a freakishly civilized manner and disappears back into his trailer.
I stare at the closed door for a few seconds, struggling to process what has just happened. It's strange to see him like this - so serious, so...boring. It almost seems like something is missing. Where is the fire? The glint of challenge in his eyes? Where's the lewd grin that's always plastered on his face?
Where's the Jaegerjaques that I hate so much?
He seems surprised. Can't say I blame him, though, I'm pretty surprised at myself too. How long have I waited for this moment - that he'd come talk to me himself, not as a grudging retort to my harrassment? I've imagined my own reaction more than once. I'd treat him coldly for shutting me out, for fucking rejecting me. If he wants to talk to me again, he'd have to work hard to get my attention, and when he tries, I'd laugh in his face and tell him that he can kiss my ass.
That was the plan, anyway. My resolve just kind of crumbled the moment I heard his voice. I haven't seen him up close for more than a month, to suddenly see him again promptly turned my brain into a blob of useless jello. His reaction didn't make it any easier. I was expecting his signature scowl, the one that makes me want to provoke him even more, but what I got was a confused-looking Kurosaki instead. I wanted to say something along the lines of "you look stupid", but I just couldn't. My throat had seized up and I could only blink dumbly at him. All I saw were his moist, kissable lips and the golden specks in his honey brown eyes. I didn't even realize that my heart is racing until after I shut the door.
I'm so fucked up.
Shaking my head, I laugh at myself and place the take-out box on my desk, next to the script that I was reading before I was interrupted. I'm going over a particular scene that's slated for next week, where Nel and I are supposed to scale some metal scaffolding at a construction site to reach the roof. To my chagrin, Nel has decided that she wants to do it herself this time and that means I need to look out for her. I don't want to know how she managed to talk Urahara into letting her get her way.
Opening the box and stabbing my chopsticks into the noodles, I wonder fleetingly if Kurosaki will be on the set when we shoot that scene before rubbing my face to distract myself. Enough. I have better things to do than obsessing over him. I've been doing that far too much in the past two weeks that it's bordering on unhealthy. Ayasegawa says it's because of my pride, that I can't accept defeat. He thinks I've gotten so used to getting everything I want that my head can't wrap around the concept of rejection. I had agreed with him at first, but now I'm beginning to wish that it's that simple.
It sounds absurd, and I don't want to admit it, but I think I might actually like the kid.
"I vaguely recall your saying that you never want to talk to him again."
I narrow my eyes at Uryuu, who simply stares back with a slight quirk of his lips. That guy really pisses me off sometimes, what with his snarky comments and scarily accurate observations. He's not over-the-top nosy like Shinji, but now that I know him better, I think I prefer Shinji's open-book character.
"Well, I kind of have to, we work together, remember?" I retort irritably.
We're at a nearby cafe, nursing cups of bubble tea after leaving the set. Shinji and Uryuu are seated across from me; Shinji nearly blinding me with that face-splitting grin of his. I have to fight not to squirm under Uryuu's cool, almost-clinical gaze. They won't stop interrogating me about my exchange with Jaegerjaques over lunch, even after I tell them that nothing interesting happened.
"He said hi, I said hi, I give him his food, end of story," I repeat with a scowl.
Shinji shakes his head gravely. "You guys not at each other's throats is just not normal," he says after taking a long, obscenely loud suck on his straw. "And hell, I could feel the tension between you two all the way from the lunch table."
"Sexual tension," Uryuu elaborates with a straight face.
I choke on my drink. "What the fuck are you talking about?" I sputter amidst a coughing fit, horrified.
"I saw how disappointed you were when he just left you standing there," Shinji continues, wagging his finger at me. "You were so itching for something to happen!"
"Yeah, I really wanted to be groped by a pervert!" I reply sarcastically. "Please. I don't know why you guys think something's going on, because there isn't!"
Uryuu rolls his eyes. "God, you're so stubborn," he scoffs. "So is Jaegerjaques. Dumb, too, and about as mature as a three-year-old."
Shinji giggles before clamping his hands over his mouth when I glare at him.
"You've both been acting weird since the other day," Uryuu adds with a sigh. "And here I thought I did you a favor by chasing him away."
By this point, the urge to climb over the table to strangle the two of them is almost overwhelming. I bare my teeth and grind out, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure, live in denial," Uryuu huffs and exchanges a look with Shinji, who simply grins and shrugs. "Come on, Hirako." Uryuu pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stands up.
In denial? Me? I cross my arms over my chest indignantly and do my best not to cringe as I meet the look of disdain in his eyes. Chuckling softly, Shinji climbs to his feet and slides out of the booth. I want to reach across and wipe that smirk off his face, I really do. I watch them leave, my eyebrow twitching from my effort to suppress my temper. I can't believe they just accused me of harboring feelings for Jaegerjaques. That's just plain ridiculous, not to mention insulting.
So what if I feel just a tad disappointed that he's a little cold to me? So what if I had stared at him a few seconds too long? So what if I kind of miss his boisterous laughter and arrogant swagger?
It's not like it means I like him or anything.
Before I know it, another week has gone by. Three more weeks, then my internship will be over. All three of us have handed in our applications for a full time job at Urahara's production studio, now we'll just have to wait to see if our performance this summer have impressed him enough to hire us again when we get out of college. To be honest, I feel a little nervous about it. I hope that stupid incident with Kenpachi and Jaegerjaques didn't screw things up for me.
"Ichigo, get these forms over to the background folks, will you? I think a few of them didn't sign the waiver," one of Kenpachi's full time assistant approaches me and hands me a clipboard.
I look over the documents briefly and fish out a pen from my back pocket, then I stroll towards the group of extras who're waiting to be dressed as construction workers. As I wait for a few of them to sign the papers, a sudden collective gasp breaks out amongst the crowd.
"Oh my god, it's him!"
"Where?"
"Move your fat ass, you're blocking my view!"
Confused, I turn around to see what the commotion is about, only to see Jaegerjaques stepping down the steps of his trailer with Ayasegawa trailing close behind. For a moment, I can't help but join the rest of the eager onlookers, my jaw falling slack involuntarily at the sight of the man. Jaegerjaques's white shirt is unbuttoned just enough to offer a peek of his broad, muscled chest, his hair styled in its usual controlled chaos, rugged and hanging over his forehead. He walks slowly, hands stuffed in the pocket of his pants, head bowed low as he absently kicks a pebble out of his way.
Damn, he really is a good-looking son of a bitch.
As though he can read my mind, Jaegerjaques turns and looks in my direction. He frowns slightly, probably annoyed by the obnoxious way his fans are gawking at him, before his eyes zoom in on mine. Heat surges to my face as our eyes lock, and I'm so surprised by my own reaction that I nearly drop the clipboard. I freeze on the spot, unable to look away or move or do anything aside from staring at him like an idiot, the whole time wondering what the hell is wrong with me. I've seen the man so many times, but I've never been rendered speechless like this before, not even when he's parading his bare ass in front of me.
It's got to be Uryuu and Shinji's fault. The phrase "sexual tension" swirls in my mind like a ghostly whisper thanks to their ludicrous accusation, making my mouth dry and my stomach twist uncomfortably as I watch Jaegerjaques come closer and closer, his eyes dark and unreadable.
"The fuck you going, Jaegerjaques?"
Just like that, the spell shatters. I let out a long breath of relief as Jaegerjaques finally breaks eye contact to glare at Madarame, the stunt coordinator, then he walks away, leaving me shaken and utterly confused.
"He's so cool," someone comments dreamily, reminding me that I have a job to do.
After collecting all the signed documents and extracting myself from the crowd of starstruck background actors, I make my way to the small, makeshift office to hand them in. To my surprise, the office is abuzz with excited chatter when I step inside; even the normally quiet assistants are on their feet, rubbing their palms in anticipation.
"Where's the party?" I ask the girl who'd given me the task earlier as I place the completed paperwork on her desk.
"Haven't you heard?" she gasps with a giggle. "Nelliel is performing her own stunt today! For the first time!"
One hour later, I'm standing in front of the location of the shoot, an outdoor area that has been set up to mimic a construction site. The shoot has yet to begin; Urahara is talking animatedly with both Jaegerjaques and Nel while the bald stunt coordinator looks on, nodding earnestly with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Yum, look at him," a familiar voice pipes up as someone squeezes in next to me.
I glare at Shinji as he licks his lips dramatically and wiggles his eyebrows in Jaegerjaques' direction.
"Shut it," I hiss fiercely before the blonde can say anything else to embarrass me. As it is, I can already feel a blush creeping up my neck and spreading across my cheeks.
Shinji widens his eyes in mock innocence. "What?" he protests, his voice much too loud for my liking. "It's just an observation, you don't have to be so sensitive-"
Luckily for me, a loud "shhhhh" from one of the crew members shuts him up, and he turns to the set in a huff, lips pursed into a childish pout. I shake my head, torn between laughing and being mad at Shinji, and turn my focus to the scene as well.
Jaegerjaques has his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his corded forearms as he strides over to a corner. Nelliel positions herself a few feet away from the wall, in front of the metal scaffolding propped up against it.
A roar of "action!" from Kenpachi later, the camera rolls.
Silence falls over all of us as Nelliel takes off in a sprint towards the wall. Jaegerjaques yells "go, hurry!" and runs behind her, looking for all the world as if there really is a mob chasing them. For a moment, I tense up involuntarily, almost convinced that gunshots are going to go off any moment now.
What happens next, though, is much worse.
A loud, ominous groan cuts through the sound of their hurried footsteps. Nelliel looks up and freezes, and, as we watch in shock and horror, the tallest metal pole on the structure tips over. Then comes another groan, followed by yet another, and the wooden plank and the rest of the supporting beams begin to fall apart.
"Oh my god watch out!" somebody lets out a shrill scream.
My body reacts before I know what I'm doing. Acting on instinct alone, I duck under the tape that separates us from the set and run for Nelliel, shoving people aside as they stand rooted on the spot.
But someone is faster than me. I see a flash of white and blue before it registers in my mind who that is. I only have a split second to see him throw himself at Nelliel, knocking her off her feet and shielding her with his larger, broader frame.
Then, the world explodes around them.
To be continued...