JT couldn't explain why he found himself caring about what Bright had in mind to
do for Valentine's Day. It really wasn't any of his business how the guy planned it celebrate. Part of him wanted to blame his interest in the matter on Tally surprising him that morning with coffee and kringle in bed but he started thinking about it a few days ago when he was making arrangements for him and Tally to have dinner at her favorite restaurant.
Bright was utterly clueless about dating. He learned that when Bright crashed his and Tally's date night with that girl, Eve. Expecting his skinny ass to come up with something on his own for Valentine's? Well, JT decided that was just a recipe for disaster. The guy needed a little help.
No, not just a little, he corrected as he lumbered over to where Bright was working at his desk. The guy needs all the help he can get.
He dropped the list of ideas he drafted while waiting at Starbucks for his order in front of Bright with a gruff, "here."
Bright glanced at the napkin and then up at him, a quizzical frown pulling at his brow. "What's this?"
"A list of things people do for Valentine's."
Bright's face got that look it did when he didn't quite comprehend something they told him. JT heaved a sigh and perched on the edge of his desk because this explanation was gonna be long and complicated. As everything with Bright tended to turn into. "Look, man, this is a day where you gotta make an effort. To show your girl you care. That she's important enough to you to make a fuss over."
"Sorcha knows I care about her, though."
"Yeah, but this is a day where you go over the top in showing it."
"Why?"
He should have brought his coffee with him, he decided as he stared at Bright. Caffeine made dealing with him a lot easier.
"You two have never celebrated Valentine's?"
Something inside JT told him Bright wouldn't know if they had or not. Guy didn't even realize they were dating until we all pointed it out to his clueless ass.
"Why would we celebrate Valentine's? We weren't..." Bright ducked his head.
Not before JT saw him grimace. "Right.
I'm still getting used to thinking of her as more than my best friend. She's always just been Sorcha to me."
JT fought the urge to rub his hand over his face. It's not Bright's fault, he told himself. The guy got screwed up royally after it became public knowledge that Martin Whitly was a serial killer. JT could imagine going to school was no picnic for Bright. Him being the son of a serial killer put a bullseye on his back. Got his ass kicked plenty.
JT was sure of that.
That kinda information also made him a social outcast. Being invited to things like school dances and parties, going out to movies, and dating probably didn't happen until he ended up at Harvard and found someone who didn't mind all his quirks.
"That don't mean you shouldn't do something nice for her today."
"I do things nice for her all the time, though." Bright cocked his her to the side. "Why's today any different?"
"I'm taking it you two never do anything for Valentine's?"
Flowers, candy, and cards he could understand. Not doing anything at all? That made no sense. Not when it came to Bright. He went out of his way to give people gifts on days that didn't require them.
"Nothing like you have written down here on this napkin, no."
"You don't go out to dinner? A movie? Dancing?" Not that he could imagine Bright hitting the club scene. "A walk in Central Park?"
"We used to go to the all-night movie marathon when we were at Harvard."
"What about after you graduated?"
And you got stupid with each other. He didn't add that part. True or not, some things didn't need to be said. Out loud, anyway.
"If I wasn't on assignment, Sorcha would fly in and make dinner."
JT expected that. Bright's eating issues were pretty well-known at this point. Just yesterday Tally hounded him for a list of things his skinny ass could eat. As if he had one readily available.
"Anything else?"
"We would talk, watch movies or play chess." Bright heaved a small sigh and folded his hands together in front of him. "Sorcha's not a big believer in Valentine's Day. She feels people should show their love and admiration all the time and not just once a year."
"Yeah, well, she ain't wrong there. However, she deserves a little fuss made over her." He bent a look on him that Dani and Gil would know he meant business. "Especially after all she been through what with yougetting your ass kidnapped and almost killed, blowing yourself out a window onto Gil's car, joining a cult and allowing them to give your ass electro-shock therapy, and your dad getting stabbed."
Sorcha Corbin deserved an award for everything Bright had put her through in the last month and a half. Helping Bright figure out something special to do for her seemed like little in return.
"I keep telling her she should find someone who isn't broken." Bright's shoulders slumped. "I can't be fixed."
"Yeah, well, she don't agree." And would tell Bright that if she was there to hear him say it. JT appreciated her straightforward manner and way of dealing with Bright. Especially when he gets all manic and won't stay still. "Alright, listen, I'm gonna write down what you should do. It's simple enough even your ass can't screw it up."
"This is me, remember?"
"That's why I'm writing it down."
"Gotcha."
A/N: Hello there, and welcome! Not sure where this idea sprang from but here it is. This is set around my story, Tremors, for those curious but is tagged loosely to episode 1x14.
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