Title: Kim and Her Hormones
Summary: 3 times Kim was hormonal and 1 time she wasn't
Author's Note: So basically I was reading in another fandom and discovered the 3+1 or 5+1 format and I came up with the idea for this story. And by hormonal, I mean that they are times when the degree of emotion Kim was feeling was slightly irrational, not the emotion themselves. I just mean hormonal like the hormones are making her feelings more intense. I think her feelings in all the situations are valid, just a little more intense than they otherwise would be. Also the last scenario is Kim not being hormonal because her intense emotions are justified. Happy reading.
One
Kim was having a bad day, plain and simple. By the time she got to the dojo, she had a big frown etched on her face.
When Jerry brought a casserole dish full of his abuela's infamous empanadas, it brought a small light into Kim's heavy and dark chest.
"My mom said she doesn't want leftovers so y'all better eat them all," Jerry had said, holding out the dish.
"Oh we will," Jack assured Jerry very seriously. "Between the four of us, I'm sure we could each force a couple down."
"Good," Jerry said, setting the pan down.
"I have to run to the bathroom first," Kim mumbled, hurrying to the bathroom with her eyes cast down. She realized she was hungry too and despite knowing Jerry had delicious empanadas just outside, she was still in a bad mood.
She had started her period and her flow seemed heavier than usual and even though she shouldn't have, she was pretty sure she bled through again. So she needed to take care of that situation immediately and hopefully before there was too much damage. The whole thing was annoying and irritating and when Kim was taking care of business, she only got more irritated.
Kim kept her jaw screwed shut the whole time she was in the bathroom and the whole time she was washing her pants. Luckily she had a pair of leggings she going to change into for practice anyways, but the fact that she had to wash her jeans from school just put her in a worse mood.
When she had laid out her jeans to dry, Kim remembered how hungry she had been. While she was changing her shirt, she heard Rudy's voice as he faintly told the boys to clean up and get on the mat.
The thought suddenly crossed Kim's mind that they had eaten all the empanadas and now they were full and content and ready to start class.
A pit in her stomach told her there were no more empanadas left for her and if she went out now, looking for one, she'd be an idiot. She was hurt that the guys had eaten all of them. It wasn't exactly surprising, they were hungry teenage boys and they always devoured everything in front of them. But that didn't change the fact that Kim was in a bad mood and she was looking forward to one. It was the one thing that might have helped her mood and the guys ruined it.
Kim took extra long putting her things away, feeling hurt and upset and not ready to face the greedy, selfish guys yet.
When she did finally make an appearance, it was with a stoic expression that the guys immediately recognized as the stay-away look.
They didn't comment on it, just avoided speaking directly to her or trying to engage her in conversation. She would send the occasional glare, but other than that expressed very little emotion.
When class was over, Jerry announced he was going to the skate park since the weather was so nice. Usually, it was a place the entire gang enjoyed going to. They all liked skating well enough and Milton was fascinated by the physics of it so even he found joy in watching and occasionally participating.
"Sounds fun," Jack shrugged, always down to go skating.
"It is a beautiful day," Milton added in agreement.
Kim didn't say anything, the tell-tale sign that she didn't want to go and she was still in a bad mood.
Jack frowned, wishing he knew why Kim was so upset. If they had done something to make her mad, they hadn't meant to. Sure, they purposefully annoyed her for their own enjoyment all the time. But not this time.
Kim could feel the guys' gazes on her but didn't crack. She didn't want to spend more time with them. She just wanted to go home and wallow alone.
The guys all disappeared to change and head to the park while Kim took her time dragging her feet and putting all the equipment away, even though Rudy had said they didn't need to worry about it since he was teaching a beginners' class later that night.
Jack took another glance at Kim before disappearing into Rudy's office. Kim thought nothing of it and ignored it when he re-emerged a minute later. Until he spoke hesitantly, calling her name. "Kim?"
Kim turned, only half paying attention.
"We saved you some empanadas since you weren't around when we were eating them. They were really good," Jack said carefully, offering up a paper plate with two empanadas on it.
Kim stared at them for a second, still trying to process Jack's words. She was confused, she thought the guys had eaten all of them. That was the logical explanation. That is what they would do, as hungry, greedy, growing teenage boys. But clearly, they hadn't eaten all of them. Not only did they not scarf them down, they even thought about her and saved her two.
Kim couldn't stop the tears that started to well up fast enough. She struggled to push them back, keep them from falling, but Jack had already seen the glistening of her eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, concerned.
Kim shook her head, not able to tell Jack. What could she say? I thought you were selfish pigs who devoured everything without me.
"Um, you don't have to eat them," Jack said, trying to console her awkwardly. "We just thought you'd like some…"
Kim nodded, "I do," she managed to choke out.
"Oh," Jack said. "Then here," he said, offering her the plate again.
Kim took it as she swiped her hand under her eyes, wiping away the moisture.
"Um, what's wrong, then?" Jack said, unsure if he was supposed to ask her or not. It seemed like there was something more going on, but he didn't know if this was one of those times when she got mad at him for prying or if it was one of those times she needed a listening ear.
"I'm sorry," Kim apologized, sniffling as she played with the edge of the plate between her thumb and pointer finger. "It's my fault," she started.
It seemed to Jack that this was a listening ear situation.
"I- I thought that you guys ate them all," she explained, exhaling loudly.
Jack frowned. "We didn't forget about you."
"I know," Kim nodded, sniffling again as she tried to push her tears of embarrassment back. "I know, that's why I'm sorry. I feel bad for judging you guys so harshly, I just didn't have a great day at school and I was hungry and I love Abuela Martinez's empanadas but I had to go to the bathroom… I didn't mean to cry," Kim said, blowing a strand of hair that fell in front of her face.
Jack pushed down the laugh that grew in his chest, feeling like Kim might not appreciate it at the moment.
"Stupid hormones," Kim muttered, not sure if she was going to cry again.
"I'm sorry," Jack said, feeling sympathy for his friend who had to deal with all kinds of things he, as a teenage boy, would rather not think about.
"It's not your fault," Kim sniffled, using the back of her hand to wipe her nose because, despite herself, she was still a little weepy.
Jack noticed and quickly grabbed a tissue from Rudy's office, offering it to Kim with a small smile. "I'll go heat these up for you," he said, grabbing the plate back and heading to the microwave.
When Jack returned, with the heated-up empanadas, Kim had pulled herself together.
"Can we not mention this to the guys?" Kim pleaded, taking a bite of the empanada and feeling a million times better. Why had she even been crying in the first place? It was just an empanada. She had plenty of food in her backpack if she was that hungry. That was a weird mood she'd just been in.
"Tell the guys what?" Milton asked, walking out of the locker room followed closely by Jerry.
Kim glanced at Jack, afraid he would share her embarrassing moody episode.
"Kim changed her mind about the skate park," Jack said, offering Kim a wink.
"Oh sweet, really?" Jerry asked, looking at Kim hopefully while she munched on her food.
Kim glanced at Jack, who offered her a subtle nod, before nodding back. "Yeah, I'm coming."
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Two
The gang was all gathered in the dojo, crammed into Rudy's office because they wanted to watch tv, but not carry everything out to the main room. Milton was in Rudy's chair while Jerry was on one end of the couch. Jack was on the other and Kim was sandwiched between them. Jack's arm was resting over the back of the couch, allowing Kim to lean closer to have more room and better access to his other hand.
Kim had cleaned and bandaged Jack's fist after a particularly gruesome encounter. She had taken her time and had been extra careful and gentle.
Her little cold fingertips brushed Jack's skin and sent shivers down his spine every now and then but he held relatively still, basking in the feeling of all his friends cuddled together watching a show with nowhere else to be. Despite the events of earlier, it was a perfect summer afternoon.
After Kim had cleaned and wrapped Jack's hand, she kept her hold on his hand, playing with his fingers and fiddling with the texture of the bandage she used. She didn't want to let him go.
They had settled on a children's cartoon, it was interesting and funny enough without requiring a lot of brain power.
They were on their fourth episode when Kim suddenly made a strangled noise as her face scrunched up in anguish and she turned her face into Jack's chest.
The noise had caught everyone's attention and her movement against Jack had made him even more concerned.
"Kim?" he said, looking her over quickly.
Kim didn't answer as her shoulders began to shake and Jack could hear her muffled cries. Jack glanced at the others, wondering if they were seeing the same thing. When he confirmed they were, Jack dropped his arm from the back of the couch as he sat up.
"Kim," he repeated. Kim only shook harder and Jack dropped his hand to her back. "Hey, it's okay," he comforted. "You're okay," he said softly.
Kim just continued to cry and Jack didn't know what else he could do besides repeat those sweet, soft words over and over again.
Jerry had turned the volume down on the tv, but other than that, he and Milton just watched on awkwardly, not sure how to help. They hadn't thought Kim was hurt in the fight, but clearly, she was if she was sobbing on Jack's chest.
"Kim, you're fine, it's okay," Jack said again, trying to gently pry Kim away by her shoulder so he could look at her. Kim quickly shook him off, pressing herself further into Jack. "Kim, you don't have to hide from us," Jack said, guessing that was why Kim refused to show her face. She didn't let her emotions get the better of her often. Probably to compensate for being the only girl in the group, but when she did let them show it always concerned the guys-and embarrassed her.
Kim took a deep, shaky breath as she pulled away from Jack's chest enough to turn her head up to look at him.
Jack's breath caught a little at the sight of her, red eyes and puffy tear-stained cheeks. He felt a pit in his stomach growing and he had to resist the urge to pick Kim up and shake her until she was back to her spunky, happy self.
"It's my fault," Kim finally whispered in a scratchy voice.
"Wh-what?" Jack finally asked, not knowing what to respond with for a second.
"It's my fault," Kim repeated with a crack in her voice, clutching the fabric of Jack's t-shirt and staring up at him with wide, watery eyes that crushed Jack to his soul.
"No," Jack said, shaking his head immediately. "Nothing's your fault." He couldn't even understand what she thought was her fault, but whatever it was, it had her feeling guilty enough to sob in front of him and all the others.
"Yes it is," Kim cried, turning to muffle another cry.
"Nothing that happened was your fault," Jerry echoed, reaching over and grabbing Kim's shoulder in a gentle squeeze.
Kim pulled back and wiped her face so she could talk more clearly. "Yes it is," she insisted.
They had been hanging out in the mall when the Black Dragons showed up and Frank took an extra interest in Kim. He had always bothered her, his way of expressing his crush on her, but today he was being insistent. He wouldn't leave her alone and it was crossing the line from annoying to stalker territory.
Kim had told Frank if he didn't back off she was going to hurt him, but Frank, dumb and a guy, didn't listen. Kim flipped him when he tried to touch her inappropriately, just as the rest of the Black Dragons walked around the corner. Jack was standing near Kim and after she had flipped Frank, he stood at her side ready to defend her. It was a perfect recipe for a brawl as the Black Dragons immediately rushed to Frank's aid and started throwing punches to avenge him–as if he were the victim.
It wasn't that the Black Dragons were better than Kim and Jack, or even that they were outnumbered. Milton and Jerry, who had been nearby quickly came to their friends' aid. But one of the Black Dragons had grabbed a potted plant, in the heat of the moment, and lifted it as if to throw it. Jack saw a fraction of a second before it could be thrown and all Jack could do to prevent it from colliding with Kim's turned back was to redirect his punch to the planting pot.
Of course, it had hurt terribly, punching basically straight concrete was not good for anybody, but it had worked and the Black Dragon lost his grip on the plant. He dropped it quickly and went back to using his fists. All it took was a swift punch from Jack to have him knocked to the ground. Soon after the Black Dragons scattered and the Wasabi Warriors were left to tend to their injuries. They were all extremely minor, with the exception of Jack's aching, bleeding hand.
Kim immediately scolded him for punching a rough concrete surface and then punching somebody with the same fist immediately after. Jack agreed it wasn't his best decision but he would rather punch it than let the Black Dragon hurt Kim.
Kim busied herself finding a first aid kit while the rest of the boys gathered in Rudy's office. They had turned on the show and Kim was quiet while she tended to Jack.
Until now when she was sobbing, her guilt crushing her. After the adrenaline of the fight, she couldn't stop replaying the events in her mind and how it all happened because of her. Jack wouldn't have hurt his hand if she hadn't flipped Frank. She shouldn't have reacted so radically.
"If I hadn't flipped Frank," Kim argued, closing her eyes as she willed the past to change itself.
"If you hadn't flipped Frank he would have touched you," Milton deadpanned. "He deserved that."
"But Jack didn't deserve this," Kim cried, cradling Jack's bandaged hand.
"We all get hurt," Jerry said, scooting closer and wrapping his arm around Kim's shoulders. "Comes with being a part of our friend group."
"It wasn't your fight," Kim said weakly. "Frank wasn't annoying you guys."
Jack shook his head. Kim wasn't getting it. "It's not your fault, Kim," Jack repeated. "It doesn't even hurt that bad," he added. He punched Jerry's shoulder with his hurt hand, swallowing a wince. "See?"
Kim smiled a little, she could see the maneuver actually had hurt Jack."That wasn't very convincing," she chuckled.
"What?" Jack gasped, holding his hand to his chest in offense.
"You guys are sure you don't blame me?" Kim asked quietly, looking between all the guys.
"Aren't I always honest with you?" Jerry deadpanned. "If I blamed you, you would know by now."
"If we were in a courtroom, your actions would be classified as self-defense," Milton said. "Frank started the fight."
"Thanks," Kim muttered.
"And even if he hadn't," Milton added, voice softening, "we'll always have your back."
Kim's eyes watered again as the other boys nodded in agreement. They would do more for her than she ever thought they would and they had just admitted it. Their love filled her heart and she let out a watery laugh, throwing herself at Milton in a hug.
Milton froze, awkward and a little uncomfortable with physical touch, but he patted Kim's back a few times, earning snickers from Jack and Jerry.
Kim hugged Jerry next, whispering a quiet thanks to him as he squeezed her a little extra.
She stopped before hugging Jack, glancing at his hand.
"Come here," Jack said, shaking his head and opening his arms. He didn't even stand up from the couch and Kim collapsed on top of him, snuggling into his chest.
Jack grunted from her sudden added weight. Kim would have slapped him for it, but instead, she wound her arms around him tight and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry for being a crybaby," she apologized, aware that her hormones right now weren't helping.
"If you being a crybaby means more hugs, then I definitely do not mind," Jerry pipped up from the side.
Kim flailed a leg, kicking Jerry, but she gave him a smile anyways. She loved her boys and she would do anything for them, just like they would do anything for her.
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Three
All day Kim had been weird. She was quiet at times, but loud and happy at others. Like something was wrong, but she was trying to act like it wasn't.
She had been especially weird around the boys. She would be normal and joking around with the guys but when things got quiet and she looked at any one of the guys for too long, she would start squirming and go quiet for a little.
Once Jack had noticed, he couldn't stop noticing.
When they were at the dojo, learning a routine with lots of twists and kicks. Kim was struggling-even Jerry could tell she was. She didn't even try to hide it that hard, but the guys didn't comment on it, too scared she would lash out at them.
She was breathing heavily, she would wince or gasp every now and then. She was marking every other step anyways, not even fully extending her limbs. It was a textbook example of something being wrong.
After they ran through the routine another time, everyone was breathing heavily while Rudy started to add to it.
"Rudy?" Kim interrupted with a slight whine in her tone.
Rudy glanced up at Kim. They shared a look before he nodded slightly. Kim let out a sigh of relief and without any more words exchanged, she turned around and headed for Rudy's office.
Rudy then continued on, as if nothing had happened. Jack did not move on so easily. He looked back and forth between the office door and Rudy, still trying to process what the crap that was. He made eye contact with the other guys, who were equally confused.
"Guys! Focus, come on," Rudy said, clapping in their faces.
"Is Kim okay?" Milton asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.
"She'll be okay," Rudy said carefully.
"What's wrong?" Jerry asked.
"Look, I can't tell you guys. If Kim or her mom wants you to know then they can tell you, but I can't so just leave it alone, okay?"
The guys frowned, wondering what it was that Rudy knew but couldn't share. They were a close group, they told each other everything. The fact that there was something going on with Kim that she told Rudy but not them hurt. Not because they felt left out, but because they cared about her and didn't want her to feel like she couldn't share her problems.
But, they listened to Rudy and didn't ask any more questions, going back to their routine.
When they had finished Rudy gave them a break and left to go pick something up for his cat at the pet store. Apparently, he was having stomach troubles and the food he needed was almost always out of stock and he had to hurry to the store before it was sold out again.
After cooling down and getting a drink, Jack remembered that, unless she snuck out the vents, Kim was still in Rudy's office. He walked over, knuckles ready to knock on the door when he heard a muffled sniffle.
He thought the worst and knocked, opening the door without waiting for a response. "Kim?"
He scanned the room, spotting her on the couch, curled up on her side in the fetal position. She was sniffling, playing with the rips in the old fabric of the couch cushions. When Jack walked in she turned her head, sparing him a short glance before turning back.
"Get out," she muttered harshly, forcing herself to ignore Jack's presence.
Jack, surprised at the harsh command, took a step closer.
"Are you okay?" he asked instead, lightly pushing the door closed.
"I'm fine," she said, rubbing her cheek against the scratchy fabric. "Just get out," she repeated, her sternness hindered by the hint of a whimper behind her words. "Leave me alone."
Jack wasn't sure what was wrong with Kim, but he didn't think leaving her alone while she was so distraught was a good option. He ignored her and kneeled down in front of her, looking into her eyes. Kim looked away immediately, refusing to meet them.
Jack saw her eyes start to water again as she squeezed them shut and a small tear leaked out while she pressed a palm into her gut.
Jack grabbed Kim's other hand, holding it lightly and letting her squeeze it. When the wave of pain seemed to pass and her hold lightened, Jack frowned.
"You're not okay, Kim," he whispered. "I just want to help."
Kim seemed to lose all the fight that was in her, the last episode draining her. She sucked in a breath before telling Jack what was wrong.
"You can't say anything," Kim said through her tears.
Jack nodded immediately, although he had no idea what was going to come out of Kim's mouth. For all he knew, she could be about to tell him she was dying of cancer or that her parents were getting divorced or she was moving to Alaska.
"My mom put me on birth control," Kim said, not stopping to look at Jack. She didn't want to know his reaction. "She said I was getting old enough and it would help with my hormone imbalance and not that I am having sex but she said she was young once which is totally embarrassing because I'm not but I just started and I've been having horrible cramps and it's the worst," Kim finished, letting out a sob.
Jack tried to quickly process everything Kim had just told him. She was on birth control, but clearly was feeling a little self-conscious about it and apparently, it came with some painful side effects.
"I-I started l-last Friday," Kim cried, trying to stop herself from hyperventilating. She didn't even know why she was sobbing. The cramps hurt, yes, but she wasn't crying from the pain of the cramps themselves, just the fact that they were there and hurting.
"It's been hurting since Friday?" Jack asked, concerned.
Kim nodded, feeling stupid. She was just being a baby for making such a big deal out of this.
"What… What kind of hurting?" Jack asked carefully, not sure how to be respectful in his questions.
"Cramps mostly," Kim sniffled. "Um… and my whole body just hurts. I'm tired. There's a lot of side-effects," she joked, letting out a sad laugh.
"I'm sorry," Jack apologized. "Do you need medicine?"
Kim shook her head. "I took some. Rudy told me he had some in his desk if I ever need it. That's… not why I'm crying," Kim admitted, not sure why she was telling Jack all of this.
When she had the doctor's appointment that put her on birth control, she vowed to never tell any of the guys–not even Rudy. She was embarrassed enough to have to deal with being a girl and puberty. But birth control usually meant sex and even though that's not why her mom put her on it, she didn't want that thought to ever cross the guys' minds. But then the side effects were worse than she had expected and her mom had spoken with Rudy to let him know Kim wasn't feeling well and that for the next week, she would need to take it easy.
Kim refused to be present when her mom called Rudy, but Rudy was surprisingly mature, assuring Kim and her mom that she would be able to take breaks whenever and that his office was always open for her to rest in.
But Kim never wanted to tell the guys, especially not Jack, who she had a crush on. She couldn't even admit she liked him, if he knew she was on birth control she would be mortified.
"Why are you crying then?" Jack asked softly, only asking because Kim had left her statement open.
Kim shrugged, getting shy and realizing Jack was probably so freaked out by her right now.
"Kim," Jack said, grabbing her hand again gently. He rubbed his thumb in circles on the back of her hand and she was surprised by the way it calmed her down so fast.
"It just hurts," she admitted, her face crumbling again as she fought off the tears. "Not terrible, but it hurts and I wish it didn't and I wish I wasn't tired and I wish I just felt normal again."
Jack gave Kim a sad smile, wishing she could feel normal again just as much. "I'm sorry," he apologized, not sure what else to say.
"It's okay," Kim cried, wiping the tears she couldn't seem to get to stop. Wasn't birth control supposed to help her with her hormones? "I don't know why I'm crying so much," she admitted. "Honestly."
"Sometimes we just need a good cry," Jack shrugged, shifting from his knees to sit on his butt so he could sit more comfortably. "Can I do anything to help?"
Kim shook her head. This was one of those times all she could do was wait for her emotions to sort themselves out.
"I can leave," he offered, "I won't bother you again."
Kim thought about it but shook her head. "No," she said. "Um, you can stay. If you want," she rushed out, not wanting to pressure Jack.
Jack smiled. "I'll stay."
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+One
Jack didn't dance. He wasn't a fan of going to dances either. He didn't really understand the appeal. It was just awkward and it smelled like BO and from every experience he had ever witnessed, caused a lot of stress to all parties involved. There was so much unnecessary planning and logistics and it was expensive to buy or even rent a dress or tux for the occasion. He just didn't understand it.
Even when everybody else was going, Jack didn't feel like it was somewhere he needed to go. Until he overheard that Kim was attending with Brett. They had been dating for a little while now, so it made sense that as boyfriend and girlfriend, they would go together. Jack had tried to hide how uncomfortable Kim's relationship made him and he thought he was doing pretty well for himself. But there was something about Brett taking Kim to the dance that Jack couldn't ignore and he found himself going with Milton to get fitted for a rental tux.
Milton had made a few comments, but Jack just ignored them and redirected the conversation to the asteroid that was scheduled to pass over the California night sky in a few nights. Milton wouldn't stop talking about it for the rest of the trip.
The school rented out a large venue, right next to the mall, to have the dance. Kim had been a part of the group to help set up the decorations and she spent the week leading up to the dance back and forth between the school, dojo, and venue. Jack wondered how much time she actually spent at home.
The night of the event, it was packed. Basically everybody in school was there and it just reminded Jack why he didn't usually come to these things.
Jack stayed by the refreshments and at his table most of the time, occupying himself with people-watching. At least, that's what he told Jerry when he went out to dance with some "hot chicks." Really he was Kim-watching, but he wasn't a creep and he couldn't just stare at her all night.
Jack was having a hard time not intervening when he saw Kim upset and clearly having a fight with Brett, but he didn't want to make things worse or admit that he had been watching her like a hawk. When Kim turned her head slightly, Jack looked away quickly so she wouldn't catch him and he took interest in the punch bowl across the room.
After taking a sip of the worst watered-down juice he had ever tasted, Jack decided he'd had enough. He would rather be doing almost anything else than stay at the dance. He found Jerry and Milton and let them know he was heading out.
Rather than go home, Jack stopped in the dojo. He loosened his tie and shrugged off his jacket, fitting in a quick workout to work off all the pent-up tension inside his chest. He was bent over looking for an earbud he dropped when the front door slammed open. Sobs filled the quiet room as Jack shot up and looked for the source.
Kim was there, sliding down the post near the door as she cried, hugging her legs to her chest.
"Kim?" Jack said, scaring Kim.
She flinched, quickly sucking in her sobs and trying to wipe her face like she hadn't been crying. She hiccuped, her whole body shaking from the force of it.
"Wh-what are you doing h-here?" Kim asked, sucking in a breath.
Jack ignored her question completely, trying to understand what had happened to cause Kim to be such a mess.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, his eyes roaming her body for any signs of pain.
"N-Nothing," she lied.
Jack looked at her with a sad smile, not falling for the lie, and Kim crumpled. One look at Jack's expression and she was burying her face between her knees again and sobbing.
Jack rushed over, afraid she was hurt even if he didn't see any injuries. When he first touched Kim's shoulder, she jumped, not expecting his touch.
Jack stopped, but when Kim kept sobbing, sucking in deep breaths that still weren't enough, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest.
He didn't know what was causing her to cry, but he hated seeing her tears no matter the reason. Usually, it was for something silly while she was on her period, Jack had just assumed she was hormonal tonight. Prom was stressful enough and Kim had a lot on her shoulders. He was sure she had simply reached her breaking point. Not to mention, Brett hadn't seemed like he had been helping, he was yelling at her earlier.
As soon as Jack thought about Brett, he couldn't stop thinking about him. Shouldn't he be here? Wasn't Kim his girlfriend?
Jack was pulled out of his thoughts when Kim started sucking in her breaths, trying to push away from Jack and quiet down. Jack was confused for a second, why was she pulling away when she obviously had not calmed down yet?
"Kim," Jack said softly. "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to get up, okay? It's okay," he cooed softly, trying to ease Kim back down.
"I-I'm g-getting y-you dir-ty th-though," Kim hiccuped, trying to clean off Jack's white shirt that now was getting stained with make-up, tears, and snot.
"I don't care," Jack said, pulling Kim down. "Just stay here for a while, okay? You don't have to hide yourself from me."
Kim let out a cry as she nodded, letting Jack hold her close and rub her back. Maybe she was selfish for letting Jack take care of her like this but it just felt so nice to have someone care about her like this.
It was another twenty minutes before anyone spoke again. Kim had stopped crying but didn't move. She lay still in Jack's arms, letting his heartbeat and physical touch calm her down. Every time she considered moving she would start to panic again and she couldn't make herself move.
But, after twenty minutes, Kim had regained a sense of what was going on and she was feeling more embarrassed about her actions.
"I didn't know you'd be in here," she admitted, wiping at her face again as her tears mixed with snot. "I can just l-leave. You can get back to... whatever," she said, her voice quivering. She had barely tried to move her limbs, immediately regretting it when she felt the panic set in again.
"No!" Jack said quickly, stopping her. "No, don't leave. I just came here to get away from the dance for a while. Not really my scene," he explained with a short chuckle as Kim nodded. She was surprised Jack had even shown up at all, she knew how much he hated dances. "Why are you here?"
"Same," Kim sniffled, glad for Jack not treating her like she was broken. "To get away for a while. The dojo is closer than my house and I didn't drive."
Jack was confused for a moment before he realized Brett must have picked Kim up. And if Kim was walking that meant she was leaving without Brett. Alarms immediately started blaring in Jack's ears. Something was definitely wrong.
"Kim," he said carefully, not sure what the best way to phrase his question was. "What is going on between the two of you?"
"What do you mean?" Kim asked, pretending like she didn't know what Jack was talking about.
"I saw you two, Kim," Jack said. "I know there's something. He was with you all night. Now you're here and he's not. I also saw you guys fighting. What happened tonight?"
Kim let her gaze drop. Jack was too observant for his own good.
"We broke up," Kim said, refusing to show any kind of reaction.
"I'm sorry," Jack apologized, waiting for Kim to elaborate.
"I broke up with him," Kim said, pinching the tulle of her dress. "On the outside, he seemed like such the perfect boyfriend. I mean, he's on the football team and he's athletic and cute."
"But?"
"We've been fighting. A lot," Kim whispered. She wished she could go back in time and just tell herself never to get with Brett in the first place. So many of her problems could be solved if she just hadn't tried to get over her stupid crush on Jack. She never even got over it (her position tonight was doing nothing to help, but she couldn't resist) and Brett had started getting pushier.
"How come?" Jack asked, trying to keep his voice even.
"I don't know. Stupid things like how I'm not spending enough time with him, how I'm spending too much time with him. He's also really… touchy. You know me, I'm not really into that. We kissed, but he always wanted more. He tells me that everyone else is sleeping with each other and we've barely gotten passed first base and if we loved each other, we would be doing more. I've told him how I feel about it. He thought that maybe he could help me 'overcome' it by touching me more. I- kinda snapped tonight. He wouldn't let go of me for even a second and I was suffocating. He had a hard time staying off me and I… just broke it off," Kim finished.
Jack took in what Kim had just said, feeling a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, he was relieved that Kim no longer had that parasite Brett always attached to her. But on the other hand, he was remorseful that it had come to an end because of a fight and even worse that it was because Kim was feeling uncomfortable.
"I'm really sorry, Kim," Jack apologized, not just for breaking up, but for everything she went through. "You've had a long day."
Kim nodded in agreement, letting her head fall against his chest. "Really long day," she whispered.
"You think cleaning up would help you feel better?" Jack asked. "You can wash your face and I can put in one of Rudy's old DVDs," he offered.
Kim nodded, liking the idea of relaxing on the couch, snuggling up with a warm blanket, and watching a movie. "Okay," she agreed.
Jack smiled, standing up and pulling Kim up as well. He sent her to the bathroom with a pair of sweats from her locker then looked through Rudy's stash of DVDs. When he found a few for Kim to choose from, he also raided Rudy's snack stash, finding some popcorn and putting it in the microwave.
When Kim opened the door to the office, she sat on the couch and accepted the blanket Jack offered and told him she didn't care which movie he picked.
Jack put the movie in and grabbed the bag of popcorn, opening it up and letting it cool down. He stuck his hand in after just a second to grab a piece but yelped when it was still scorching hot and the steam burned his hand.
Kim giggled, not the slightest bit surprised that Jack was so impatient for a single kernel of popcorn. He always did have a hard time waiting for anything he wanted.
Jack frowned up at Kim, pouting about his poor hand. "Not funny," he whined, eliciting another small giggle from Kim.
Jack felt a surge of pride in his chest, glad he was able to pull the happy Kim out even after such a bad night. He studied her face with a grin but it immediately dropped when he spotted discoloring on her face.
"Did he hit you, Kim?!" Jack gasped, lurching forward to sit on the couch and get a better look at the definite bruise forming on Kim's cheek.
Jack raised his hand to stroke Kim's cheek but she turned her head sharply and scooted back, losing all confidence and happiness. She didn't think Jack would be able to see the bruise so soon after it happened. Her whole face had been red when she washed it, she thought the mark would blend in.
"Kim," Jack said sternly. "I know a fresh bruise when I see one. Did he hit you?"
Kim wiped a stray tear and nodded. "When he tried to put his hand up my dress I kicked him and he... slapped me," Kim whispered, feeling embarrassed.
"Kim."
Kim shook her head, silent tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," Kim apologized quietly, pulling her knees up and hugging them closer.
"No," Jack breathed. "Why are you sorry?"
Kim shook her head, not exactly sure why but just feeling guilty about everything.
"What do you have to be sorry for?" Jack asked, trying to get Kim to see she did nothing wrong. Instead, Kim took it as an invitation to think about her mistakes and flaws.
"I- I should have just let him… I'm his girlfriend he should be allowed to-"
"No," Jack interrupted. "No, no, no, Kim." He hadn't meant for Kim to blame herself.
"Kim, that's not right," Jack said sternly. "Even if you were his wife he isn't 'allowed' to do anything you don't want him to. And he is never 'allowed' to hit you."
Kim looked up at Jack with her big, watery eyes looking through her long eyelashes. She held so much hurt in them, it broke Jack's heart. She had been betrayed and abused by the person that was supposed to love her and take care of her. She had a long and stressful week and instead of enjoying the fruits of her labor by having a fun night dancing, Brett pushed her around and hit her.
"Come here," Jack sighed, reaching out for Kim and wiping her cheeks. Kim leaned closer to Jack, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder. It was one of her favorite things to do. She wasn't big on cuddling, but Jack recognized the movement and smiled to himself.
"You know," Jack whispered in Kim's ear. "I'm going to have to talk to Brett, now."
Kim turned her head up quickly, trying to determine if Jack was serious. "Jack, no!" Kim gasped.
"Kim, he hurt you. Not just emotionally, but physically. I'm your best friend and I can't stand to watch anyone hurt you. What kind of friend would I be if I let people treat you like that?"
"Jack," Kim pleaded. "Please don't. I don't need you to fight my battles."
"You fought your battle yourself when you told Brett to back off and kicked him," Jack said with a hint of pride. "But he's not the kind of guy to let something go easily. I'm not fighting your battles, I am just helping."
"Jack," Kim sighed, already knowing she lost the fight. If she were feeling up to it, she would have been more stubborn and fought Jack. But she was exhausted and sad and just tired and that was exactly why Jack was going to talk with Brett.
"I'm just going to have a chat with him," Jack said as if that was any better. "If things get hostile, which they might, then I can't control what Brett does. But he's not going to get off without knowing what he did isn't okay."
Kim didn't say anything, she wasn't happy about Jack talking with Brett, but it did make her feel better to know that Brett was being dealt with and that Jack was sticking up for her.
"I was so stupid dating him, wasn't I?" Kim said a beat later, wondering how much trouble she had caused for herself and now Jack just because she started dating a jerk.
"I was never a fan of you dating him," Jack said, not really making Kim feel any better. "But I don't think I could be a fan of you dating anything," he admitted. "I care too much about you. There's not a single guy on the planet good enough for you and I'll probably spend my whole making sure they all know it."
Jack's words touched Kim deeply as she realized Jack cared for her just as much as she cared for him. He had always been there when she needed him and she had the feeling he would always be there. Boyfriends and flings came and went, but Jack was it for her. He was her best friend in every way and she would spend the rest of her life glad she had found him.
Tada! This was interesting to write cause I was writing to write less and be more concise but I wrote more and yeah. anyways. This weekend has been fantastic. All my roommates have been gone doing different things and it's above freezing now so I'm wearing shorts and a sweatshirt and i've been having the time of my life in my apartment jsut doing whatever the heck i want. and my march madness bracket is doing really good.