Katherine's phone dings from across the room. She expects it is Jack, sending a picture of another sketch for their book; just as he's been doing on the dot every thirty minutes over the last couple of hours. The phone chimes again before she's able to make it across the room to read even the first message.
FROM: Unknown Number
Hi Katherine. This is Davey. I stole your number from Jack's phone; hope you don't mind.
FROM: Unknown Number
So Jack is freaking out trying to pick out an outfit because he doesn't know what color you wearing and he says he has to match. He gets weird about colors and clashing and all that sort of stuff. I guess it's his 'artist eye' or whatever.
Katherine giggles as she reads the texts and adds Davey to her contact list. As she does so, another text comes in.
FROM: Davey
Long story short he thinks asking you what you are wearing tonight would be creepy, but I'm also tired of watching him destroy his closet trying to find something both 'color neutral' and festive. So what color are you wearing?
TO: Davey
Green. Like dark green.
TO: Davey
Does he know you are texting me?
FROM: Davey
Thank you; he's got a good tie that'll match. I think he threw it at me a while ago.
FROM: Davey
And no.
FROM: Davey
Now he does. He just jumped over the couch in search of the tie he threw at me earlier.
FROM: Davey
How much longer until you guys meet up?
Katherine glances at the clock on her bedside table. Jack's supposed to be picking her up in just under an hour. She really needs to finish getting ready.
TO: Davey
He's supposed to pick me up in just under an hour. He'll be out of your hair soon.
TO: Davey
:)
FROM: Davey
I'll let you finish getting ready then.
FROM: Davey
I'll hide his sketchbook so he doesn't try and bring it with him.
Katherine smiles as she sets down her phone again to return to her bathroom. She's fairly certain that there won't be any issues with Jack trying to bring along his sketchbook as he was the one who insisted that this be a 'real date' without any brothers, friends, or book stuff.
It's just when she's zipping up her dress that her phone dings again. She makes way to where she threw her phone on the bed earlier and sits on the edge, enjoying her last few moments without heels for the evening.
FROM: Jack
I'm in the lobby.
FROM: Jack
The desk person is staring at me funny. Am I supposed to check in or something?
TO: Jack
He's just there for mail and package deliveries. Just get on the elevator. Eleventh floor, room 113.
As the phone sends off her text, Katherine heads off to her closet in search of her black boot heels. Honestly, it's much too cold and snowy to be wearing any sort of heels, but she figures that the boots are a decent compromise. No exposed skin, but still dressy enough to not negatively stand out at Darcy's family party. She finally finds them tucked behind some comfy boots (which most certainly are not the correct style to go with this dress) in the back of her closet.
She's just zipped them on when she hears knocking at the front door.
"Be right there!" She yells as she digs in her heels to make sure they are all the way in the boots before scuffling towards the front door.
Katherine opens the door to find Jack sheepishly fidgeting with a winter coat draped over his arm. She can't help but blush when she notices just how nice he looks. His black suit is nicely tailored and he's paired it with a dark grey vest and green tie that matches her dress so well it might as well have been cut from the same cloth.
"Wow." Jack's comment cuts her out of her thoughts. "You look…amazing. I thought I was overdressed but now I don't feel dressed up enough."
She blushes at the compliment and forces out, "Thank you." She then grabs him by his arm to pull him inside and finishes with, "You look incredible yourself – certainly not underdressed." She smiles when she sees Jack's gawking face and accompanied blush.
"I'll just be one moment. I need to grab a jacket," Katherine insists as she breaks away to search through her coat rack.
"Yeah, it's freezing out there," Jack offhandedly comments.
Katherine turns to face him as she tugs on her coat. "I thought you didn't get cold?"
Jack's smile falters for a moment as he shrugs, simply replying, "It ain't cold outside. It's freezing. Big difference."
She shrugs off Jack's remark and braces herself for how cold outside it must be if Jack is complaining. "Well then why aren't you wearing your coat?" She teases as she meets him back at the door, which he graciously opens for her to walk through.
Katherine turns to lock her door while Jack replies, "Well it's snowing outside so my coat was all wet and I didn't want it to drip all over the floor." After a moment of silence, he concludes, "The more I think about it the more ridiculous it sounds, I know." He even chuckles at his own admission.
Throwing her key ring back in her purse, Katherine turns to face Jack and says, "Not ridiculous, but we should get going so we don't have to be rushed at dinner. Or be late for the party – not that Darcy will really care on way or another."
Dinner goes well with light conversation and a shared tiramisu at the end, which Jack had insisted on getting even after she told him more dessert than he could ever possible imagine would be served at the party. Katherine can truly say she was enjoying herself. It looked like Jack was having a good time too, or at least she hoped he was. The evening is not even over yet and she's already thinking about how much she'd like to do this again.
The snow is significantly heavier as they exit the restaurant, so much so that Katherine orders a cab against Jack's wishes. He's right, of course, that Darcy's address is only a few blocks away, but there are still cabs on the road and it is certainly much safer to be inside one than on the sidewalk. In the end, Jack hadn't put up too much of a fight. She thinks it is because even he is finding the weather to be a bit too much to bear.
During the ride there, Katherine can feel the nervous energy rolling off of Jack, and she tries her best to calm him.
"There's nothing to be nervous about you know," she prompts.
Jack looks up at her from where he'd been fiddling his fingers, which for once are free of paint specks. "I'm not nervous."
Katherine cocks her eyebrow at him and crosses her arms. That was a bad lie and Jack knows it.
He sighs and slumps his shoulders a little. "Okay, okay, yeah I'm a bit nervous. You go to one of these things at least once a year and I've never been to something near as fancy sounding as this. On top of that, won't your dad be there? He already has it out for me and you said you were bringing me along so your evening would be better and I don't want to make it your worse one yet and-" he cuts himself off to suck in a deep breathe, obviously overwhelmed.
Katherine reaches across the back seat to grab one of his hands, which is shaking ever so slightly. She's not sure if it's from the nerves or the cold. "Jack. You will be fine. There's nothing to be nervous about. Yeah, this party sounds fancy and everything but it's mainly going to be a load of Darcy's parents' friends getting drunk and complaining about how their horse didn't win the Kentucky Derby or whatever." She pauses for a moment before continuing, "and no, my father is no longer welcome at Darcy's family events. He's managed to burn that bridge recently."
The cab pulls up to the curb in front of Darcy's house and Katherine releases Jack's hand to pass forward a stack of cash to the driver and mumble, "keep the change". She then goes to open her door only to find Jack has somehow already rushed out the other side without her noticing to open it for her.
He holds out his hand for her to take and smiles. Katherine graciously accept it and lets him pull her to his side as she steps out of the car.
"I didn't get to finish," she starts as they make slow progress towards the front door, which is partially obscured by the thick snowfall. She can hear the string quartet faintly playing inside as they approach. "You really don't have to worry about anything. You being here is already making this year's party better than any of the other ones I've ever had to attend." She blushes and internally reprimands herself for how cheesy that really sounds. "Normally I end up sulking in a corner by myself because Darcy is being kept busy with hosting and everyone else is just interested in getting as drunk as they can on the most expensive liquor they can find."
They've made it to the door by now and are just standing awkwardly outside. Jack points this out with a smile and, "So, uh, should I knock?"
They're not given the chance as the door slides open to a reveal Darcy, backed by the sound of the string quartet playing some sort of waltz and the delicious smells of the catered food. He nonchalantly leans against the doorframe and glances at the grandfather clock to the side of the entryway. "Just on time. Finally, some non-inebriated people to take my attention." He gestures for them to come in.
They step in and Katherine is more than grateful for the warmth that washes over them. She shrugs off her coat as Jack does the same beside here and Darcy takes them to hang in the coat closet. "That bad already?" She asks with a wince.
Darcy looks back over his shoulder at her, eyes wide and confirms, "Oh yeah. It's all worse now that I've been made more than aware of the signs of alcohol poisoning by my professors. I keep thinking I'm seeing the symptoms, then I have to remind myself that this year is no different than any other."
Katherine hums in response, not quite sure what to say. Jack takes over for her; however, leaning forward and extending his hand to Darcy. "Good to see you again man."
Darcy smiles and takes Jack's hand, which must still be cold from the snow because he continues with, "Woah, it's still getting colder out there? Must be some crazy storm coming in."
Katherine nods, "Yeah, it's gotten worse every time we've stepped outside this evening."
Darcy frowns, "I'll do my best to not keep you too long then – don't want you guys trying to get home if it gets too much worse outside." They fall in to awkward silence for a moment before the sound of glass breaking comes from the room off to the right. Darcy winces and excuses himself with a quick, "Sorry, got to check on that. Find me before you leave though?"
"Of course," Katherine confirms as Darcy is already exiting the room.
Jack shifts beside her uncomfortably. "So- what now?"
She shrugs. "Really all I have to do is make sure to greet Darcy's parents and stay long enough for it not be to be considered rudely leaving early when I do leave."
They stand there in silence for a moment when a noticeable buzzing starts come from Jack's coat pocket. He glances over to her with an apologetic look before she insists, "Answer it Jack. At least see who it is and if it is important."
Jack's face loses its tension at her insistence before he slide his phone out of the pocket. He gives a quizzical look at the caller ID before tapping the screen to answer the call with a hesitant, "Hello?"
Katherine watches as a flurry of emotions slide across Jack's face.
"Racer? Wait, wait, wait – slow down," Jack begins.
Upon realizing it is Jack's brother on the phone, she makes to leave and give him some privacy. Jack seems to notice her attempted retreat; however, as he places a hand on her upper arm and gives her a pleading look.
"What do you mean Jacobi won't let you leave?" He inquires.
Jack smirks before settling in to a frown. "Can't Spot come and get ya?" A pause as he listens to Race's response. "No no no, don't call Dave. He's spending the night studying for his last final on Monday."
Katherine gives Jack an apologetic look as she interjects softly with, "What's wrong? Can I help?" She can feel the anxiousness rolling off of Jack.
He gives her a contemplating look before telling Race, "One second Racer, I's got to talk to Kath." He then pulls the phone away from his ear to tell say, "Jacobi's closing up early because the storm is getting so bad, but he doesn't want Racer walking home alone in this weather and of course Snyder won't go and get him."
She frowns at the mention of Jack's old foster father and briefly wonders why the man ever became a foster parent in the first place. He doesn't seem particularly interested in parenting. Placing a hand on Jack's forearm, she says, "Tell him we'll go and get him. You'll spend the rest of the night worrying about him if you don't and I think that's a valid enough excuse to skip out on this party."
Jack earnestly smiles at her before bringing the phone back up to his ear and saying, "Race, ya still there? Yeah, I'll be over as quick as I can. I think you're probably about twenty minutes from where I am. Just hold tight, okay?" He keeps the phone to his ear for another second before hanging it up and giving Katherine another apologetic look. "I'm so sorry our dates keep getting interrupted."
"Don't worry about it. Family is more important," she insists before hesitantly adding, "But why didn't you tell him I'd be coming too?"
Jack looks to the floor and answers, "I know ya hates this party and everything, but at least it's warm and dry here. I figured I'd go deal with Racer then come back and pick you up?" Only after he's trailed off does he meet her eyes again.
Katherine deflates a little at the prospect of being left at this party alone before forcing herself to shake away the feeling. Jack was just looking out for her and she still hadn't shaken off the chill she'd gotten during their brief walk from the taxi to Darcy's porch. She reluctantly goes and grabs Jack's coat from the closet (there's no need to bother Darcy) and hands it to him with, "Fine, but will you at least keep your phone out so I can text you in my boredom?"
Jack chuckles as he shrugs on his coat, "Sure thing. I'll be back in just under an hour I think so long as Racer's ready to go when I get there." With that he lets himself out.
Katherine pulls out her phone to send off a quick text.
TO: Jack
Don't take too long. :)
FROM: Jack
I've barely made it to the sidewalk!
FROM: Jack
But sure, I'll be quick.
Katherine tucks her phone away and goes to find Darcy's parents, a sure distraction and the one pair of people she actually had to interact with before leaving. They are well on the way to being drunk by the time she finds them, so the conversation doesn't last long. Before Katherine knows it, she's lounging in a cushioned chair by a fire in one of the back sitting rooms.
FROM: Jack
Just got Racer.
FROM: Jack
He says hi
TO: Jack
Hi Race
FROM: Jack
this is race I stole jacks phone whys he dressed up all fancy
Katherine can't help but giggle at Race's question and the sharp distinction between his and Jack's texting styles.
TO: Jack
He is my date for my friend's Christmas gala this evening
FROM: Jack
good job ise never seen cowboy in a suit before
FROM: Jack
Sorry, got my phone back. Almost to Snyder's then I'll be on my way back.
TO: Jack
Cowboy?
FROM: Jack
Old nickname. Don't use it anymore.
She's dying to know the story behind that nickname, but before she can text back another couple of party guests enter the small sitting room and insist on making drunken small talk with her. By the time she leaves, a full twenty minutes has passed. She checks her phone to not find any new texts from Jack.
TO: Jack
Drop off Race okay?
Katherine gathers her purse and the small cocktail napkin of roasted nuts she'd grabbed from the buffet to make way for the front entryway. Jack can't be too far away now.
TO: Jack
Almost back?
When yet another twenty minutes pass after sending that text without a response from Jack, Katherine is worried. Glancing through the front windows, she can see the weather has not lightened up at all and has possibly gotten even worse. And Jack had been super responsive before dropping Race off.
A knock finally breaks her out of her anxious thoughts and Katherine rushes to the door to find Jack on the other side. He sheepishly smiles at her and holds up his evidently broken cell phone, "I figure you've been texting me, but I dropped my phone and it very broke. I'm sorry."
Katherine smiles and shakes her head. She'd been worrying over nothing. "You had me worried. You want to come in or just get going?"
"Well I figure you've spent more than your hour here, so you want to go?"
She smiles and grabs her coat from the coat closet, shrugging it on quickly and meeting him at the door. "Absolutely."
It's only after the door has slammed shut behind him and Katherine takes Jack's freezing cold hand that she realizes his coat is missing. "Jack! Where's your coat?"
Jack scowls. "Snyder still hasn't bought Racer a winter coat so I gave him mine." He then shrugs it off as if it isn't a big deal and he wasn't shivering.
He has started tugging them forward down towards the sidewalk, but Katherine digs her feet in and insists, "Well let me go ask Darcy if you can borrow one of his. It's much too cold outside and I'm sure he won't mind."
Jack shakes his head and tugs on her hand gently. "I'll be fine. It's just a couple of blocks."
The tone of Jack's voice indicates that he is no way interested in debating this, so Katherine reluctantly gives in. The more time they argue about it, the longer time they'll be outside in the cold. She shuffles up to stand next to Jack and squeezes his hand a little tighter. "Okay, let's go," she gives in quietly.
By the time they've reached her apartment building, not fifteen minutes later, Jack's no longer shivering and Katherine's the one tugging him along. They pause at the door and he doesn't even seem to notice they've stopped. Katherine hesitates for a moment before just tugging him along inside and in to the elevator. He can just spend the night on her couch. There's no way she can take sending him home in this weather. She wouldn't even know if he made it on account of his broken phone.
The elevator dings to signal the arrival at her floor and Katherine tugs a still oblivious Jack along behind her. She fumbles through her purse with frozen fingers to find her keys and jams them in to the lock as fast as possible to gain entry to her apartment. Grabbing Jack's hand again, she shivers at how cold his fingers feel in hers and tugs him inside and straight to her bathroom.
For the first time since hallway through the walk home, she attempts conversation, "Jack?" Jack looks at her and his eyes slowly focus. She can almost hear the gears slowly turning in his head. "Shower and warm up. Throw your wet clothes on the floor, I'm sure I've got something around here that'll fit you, okay?"
Jack, much to her relief, doesn't protest and just nods. She excuses herself and exits back in to her bedroom to change in to her own comfy clothes and find something dry for Jack to wear. She's sure that she's got a pair of Darcy's old sweats laying around somewhere and plenty generically large free t-shirts from various college events in a drawer in her closet. Not the warmest, but a blanket on top of that will help.
By the time she's changed and found clothes for Jack, she's relieved to hear the water running in her bathroom. She also hears her phone ringing in the kitchen and slides in there to find it just before it goes to voicemail.
"Katherine?" Darcy's voice comes from the other end of the line.
"Hey Darce. Sorry we left without saying goodbye."
"Don't worry about it. You did miss Mr. Stevens and Mr. Peterson get in to a full brawl in the middle of the parlor though." Darcy chuckles even as he relays the event.
Katherine rolls her eyes and sarcastically replies, "Oh yeah, so sad I missed it."
"Anyways, when I realized you guys were gone I just wanted to check in and make sure you made it back okay."
"Yeah, we're both back at my place-"
"OOoooooh – BOTH of you? As in Jack is spending the night?"
"Really Darce? Really? By the time we got back to my place Jack was so cold he wasn't even shivering anymore and I don't know, he just seemed a little, off? And he broke his phone so I didn't want him out there like that alone."
Darcy hums on the other end of the line. "He should be happy he's got you looking out for him. It's possible he was getting a little hypothermic so just keep an eye out, okay?"
"Of course, thanks Darce. Is it okay if I call you if anything else seems off?"
"You better," Darcy laughs.
Suddenly the lights in Katherine's apartment go out and it's only illuminated by the moon-lit snow falling outside her uncovered windows.
"Hey Darce? You still there?" She hesitantly asks, unsure if the blackout would effect her cell service.
"Yeah, what's wrong?" Darcy confirms, his concern evident.
"My power just went out. I've got to go light some candles and make sure Jack's okay, all right?"
"Yeah call if you need anything. Worst case scenario power is still on here and we'll find a way to get both of you back here."
"Thanks Darce. Goodnight!"
"Night!"
Katherine hangs up her phone and checks the battery percentage – 82%. She's lucky she charged it earlier that day. She throws it on the couch and is about to go light some candles when she hears a crash from her bedroom. "Jack? Everything okay?" She calls as she carefully rushes back there. Knowing herself, she's probably left shoes and other prime tripping hazards scattered around her apartment and she doesn't want to trip.
She blushes when she gets back there only to find a dripping wet Jack standing in the middle of her bedroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Jack, you okay?" She hesitantly asks again when she notices him trembling slightly and his accelerated breathing.
Jack whips his head around to see her and visibly relaxes a little before closing the space between them and wrapping her in a hug. Katherine hesitantly hugs him back.
"Jack? Please talk to me," she quietly implores as he seems to calm down.
She can feel and hear him take a deep breath before replying in a strained voice, "Sorry. I – I just – the lights went off and the room was dark and I panicked."
Katherine tightens her embrace a little. "It's okay Jack, you're okay."
They stay like that for a couple moments longer until Katherine slowly steps out of the embrace. She makes her way to the pile of clothes she'd found for Jack earlier. "I found these for you. Hopefully they fit well enough," she says softly as she turns back around to find Jack still unabashedly standing there. She can feel the heat rising in her cheeks when she catches a better look of Jack shirtless. The moment is broken; however, when she catches sight of a bruise across Jack's ribs.
She hesitantly reaches out and brushes her fingers across it, clinging to some hope that it wasn't real. "What happened?"
Jack shrugs. "Slipped on some ice and slid in to a bench. Didn't think it would bruise."
Even with how casually and assured Jack says that, she can't quite force herself to believe it. She doesn't want to press though and just ends up just handing him the pile of clothes. "I'll be in the living room," she whispers as she exits the room.
Her phone is ringing again when she gets there and she jumps over the back of the couch to grab it; answering it while she relaxes in to the cushions.
"Hello?"
"Katherine? Hi, this is Davey by the way. Is Jack with you?"
Katherine is about to respond, but Davey just keeps talking.
"He said he'd be home by now and the last time I heard from him was a text saying he was going to go walk Race back to Snyder's place? And I haven't heard from him since. I can't call Race or I would have and no one else has heard from him-"
"Davey!" Katherine interjects the rambling boy. She can hear him take a deep breath on the other end of the line. "He's here with me. He's fine – or at least he's telling me he is. The weather got really bad outside and I insisted he stay here until it passed." Sure, that wasn't exactly what happened, but Davey already seemed to be freaking out. She doesn't need to worry him more.
"Thank goodness. I was really worried. He's always been good at checking in and when he stopped responding I just freaked out."
Jack takes the moment to enter the living room. He gives her a quizzical look as he also slumps on the couch, curling up next to her and pulling the blanket from the couch back over the pair of them.
"Dave, he's right here now; you want to talk to him?"
"Please. If he won't give you too much fuss over it."
Katherine doesn't even give Jack the choice, just setting the phone in his hand. He tiredly glares at her.
"Hey Dave. I'm fine. Sorry I didn't respond; my phone's broken."
She watches as Jack busies himself with fiddling with the blanket's fringe border as he listens to Davey.
Jack lowers his voice and softens his tone a bit. "No Dave, really, nothing happened."
Katherine looks away in a feeble attempt to give Jack some privacy, but still overhears his half of the conversation.
"Why do you have to keep pushing it?"
"If I just tell you any answer to your stupid system will you let it go?"
Katherine can hear Dave's yelling from the other end of the line, but not clear enough to make out any words. Jack seems to give up, lose all tension, at whatever Davey says though.
"I know Dave. I'm sorry. You know-"
"One, hopefully no, and sort of. Happy?"
"Yeah I'll be fine Dave. I'll be back tomorrow - call you from Kath's phone first so you know I'm coming."
"Night."
Jack looks at the phone tiredly as he hangs it up and hands it back to Katherine. She just places it on the coffee table and pulls more of the blanket over her shoulders.
"Thank Kath, for bringing me in here and putting up with Davey worrying after me," Jack quietly says. "If you don't want me to stay-"
Katherine frowns. "You're staying Jack. The weather is way too insane for you to be outside and there's a power outage so no streetlights to helps cars see you while they try to drive through this stuff."
Jack wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls them closer. His other arm follows not long after, wrapping her in his warm embrace. She leans in to it and hesitantly asks, "I know you're tired of people asking, but really Jack, are you okay?"
He puts his chin on her shoulder. "Yeah. Just mad about Snyder, which is nothing new, and worried about Race and Crutchie. Also nothing new."
In an attempt to distract him and change the subject, she asks, "So has Davey always been like this?"
Jack chuckles and Katherine counts that as a win. "Yeah. Ever since he forced his way in to my life in high school he's been following me around and mothering me."
"Forced his way in to your life? I thought you guys were like best friends?" She asks, a bit surprised.
"We are now, but back in high school I didn't want any friends – didn't have time for them. But when Davey moved to our school he picked me out as his friend and never gave up until I reluctantly gave in."
"Well I like him. I'm glad you let him in," Katherine smiles.
Jack pulls out of the hug for moment to smirk at her, "Oh – passing judgement on my friends now?"
Katherine smiles and playfully pushed him, "No! I just think it's good you've got him around."
He smiles even wider as he pulls her back in to the hug. "Yeah – I've got so much to thank him for. Wait – how did he get your number?"
"He got it from your phone this morning to text me about my dress color so your tie could match," she teases.
"What!? I though he was just texting you on my phone! Guess I don't have to worry about changing the password to keep him out now though with my phone as broken as it is." A moment of silence. "I'll just have to remember not to tell him the new one."
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Thank you for reading! Please comment/review - they make my day
