Summary: David can't let go so Griffin has to do it for him.

Warnings: Language.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Jumper, characters or anything else associated.

A/N: Response to the 100 Fic Ultimate Challenge at jumperslash. The prompts I used - #55 complicated and #42 don't let me go. This fic can be viewed as a sequel to Nothing Else Matters which is a sequel to Aftermath.

Pretensious Stupidity

David opened his eyes and rolled on the other side of the bed. He didn't wake because he was no longer sleepy – hell, he felt he could sleep a week, but his side was just burning. Well, not literary burning, but it most certainly felt like he had cooked long enough in the morning, desert sun that shone in from some mystic hole in the wall.

It took a few more moments for him to realize that the bed was empty. Not empty per se - there still were sheets and a blanket and pillows and him, but there wasn't Griffin so for all purposes for David the bed was empty. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. It wasn't a nice feeling.

He wasn't sure how he felt and he wasn't sure he wanted to pinpoint the exact feeling because to be fair – he was a fairly selfish person and hurting oneself wasn't high on his list of daily pleasures. David wasn't sure what he had expected but he knew that he would have appreciated it if Griffin had stuck around after what had happened. Nice manners and all, you know.

Grudgingly he stood up and started to look for his clothes. He would have gladly slept a few more hours but now that he knew that Griffin wasn't there he felt unwelcome – rather like an intruder or the occasional burglar – expected to take what needed and leave as soon as possible. He found his pants but his shirt was lost forever. David looked at the torn shreds of what was once a nice t-shirt with disdain and decided to leave it where it was. Griffin could keep that as a remainder or something.

He rounded the corner and walked into the main hall of the lair, if the space could be called so. It was empty, of course. There was nothing keeping him. David could jump. And by all means – he should jump. But strangely enough he didn't want to. He did feel uneasy and unwelcome but he couldn't bring himself to leave. He wanted to see Griffin. He wanted to talk. So he would wait.

Absent-mindedly he walked over a pile of CD's on the floor and started to organize them in neat stacks. The whole thing was confusing to him. He had betrayed Griffin. He loved Millie, or so he thought. He had ran himself ragged looking for Griffin. Finally he had slept with Griffin. One thing he knew for sure – the reason of his confusion was Griffin.

He was unsure of what was supposed to happen now. He finished ordering the CD's and moved to pick up some of the things that were littered on the floor. Arranging things made him calmer and also gave back some sense of control because otherwise – the whole situation was taken out of his hands. Here he was – playing housewife to Griffin because he could not simply leave again and because Griffin meant something to him and he just wanted to talk about it, damn it.

PSPSPSPSPS

It wasn't as much of a sound or disturbance in the air as a feeling that notified him that he was no longer alone. David didn't pause in his movement – he picked up the drawings from the floor and stood placing them on a surface beside. He didn't turn to face the other jumper who could only be Griffin.

There was a moment of silence before Griffin spoke in a rather gruff tone, "Do you want an apron?"

David turned to face him. "I want to talk," he said ignoring Griffin's rather scathing remark.

Griffin's expression didn't change. It was still unreadable to David. Most of the time David had known Griffin – the guy had one kind of an expression on his face. It seemed to be a mix of mild curiosity and amusement overlaid by a heavy dose of false indifference. No one could be that apathetic, David was sure of that, but he still couldn't see through the mask. So he watched as an unconcerned Griffin plopped down into a leather armchair which by the way David had previously cleaned of debris.

"What do you want to talk about?" Griffin asked turning his gaze to David.

The question wasn't completely unexpected although David couldn't pretend that it didn't hurt and anger him. "Don't pretend to be stupid." I know you are not.

Griffin huffed. "I think you're the one who's acting stupid here," he said and started to shift through his game discs which also David had arrayed. "Why don't you get dressed?" he asked leering at the disk as if he had never seen it before.

David wasn't a particularly patient person. Being a jumper let him indulge his flaw to extremity. He was getting angry. "You ripped my shirt," he replied indignantly.

"Oh," Griffin had nothing much to say to that.

"Do I mean nothing to you?" David wasn't sure of where that had come but out it was. It was a strangely vulnerable question and least of all he wanted to be vulnerable in front of Griffin but he couldn't help it. The more time passed the less he felt like the intruder and more like someone used.

Griffin put the disc back into the stack and turned to face David. He was silent for a moment, as if contemplating what to say and David started to regret his question. "I don't understand what you want," Griffin finally said. "What do you expect?" he continued his voice lowering for a notch in anger as he rose from the armchair and took a step forward. "A proposal? A long term commitment?"

Griffin was quite a few feet away from him but David still had to fight the urge to take a step back. He hadn't expected for Griffin to get aggressive. After the moment of surprise passed Griffin's anger fueled his own. "I expected you not to be such an ass," David said taking a step forward. "I expected some affection!" his voice louder by a few decibels than previously.

Griffin grimaced. "Like the same affection you gave all those one-night girls?" he asked his expression harsh. "Like the same affection you gave me before leaving me to God's mercy in a fucking Chechnya?" his tone didn't really match the harsh and unforgiving expression on his face. Griffin's voice shook.

David was disgusted by his reaction to Griffin's words – he trembled. He could leave any moment. He could end this conversation that had turned into a hurting argument. He had known Griffin for so little time and got involved so fast and Griffin could be just so hurtful. David felt like a tree doomed to stand in one place till he is hollow from inside out and the wind is free to scatter what's left of him. He opened his mouth for a few times to say something but nothing came to mind.

"Do you want me to leave?" David finally asked. It wasn't a question to which he wanted to hear an answer but he couldn't think of anything else to say and the silence weighted too much on him. He couldn't bring himself to leave but he wanted this to end. He needed Griffin to do it for him.

Griffin turned and plopped back on the armchair. He started to shift through the stack of discs once again. "I've told you before to piss off," he said slowly his attention solely on the discs.

David swallowed. He didn't glance around the lair for the last time. Keeping his gaze on Griffin for as long as possible he jumped.

"You never listened before," Griffin muttered and threw the discs against the opposite wall.