Chapter 6: My Annoying Romeo (Part 2)

"—and so Oogie told me to roll the dice and said that if it didn't land on snake-eyes, I wouldn't have to ask the witch-twins out, y'know? I mean, they really aren't my type." Jack paused, considering. "You are. I love everything about you."

"Hmm. Yeah, great," Sally murmured, her attention still on the photograph book in her hands. Igor had given it to her as a present a while back, but it was still nice to go through past memories again. Currently, she was focused on her first birthday picture. She smiled slightly at the sight of her, young and crying, on a large metal chair, holding onto her father's small hand. He, for one, was laughing as he stood protectively behind her, supporting her to her feet. Igor, right in the middle, was clearly trying to eat the cake, chubby-faced and all.

"You looked so adorable! Why didn't we meet before now?" Jack, who had been patiently watching Sally for the past hour, glanced over her shoulder. He ran his hands through her hair, sighing.

"I have no idea, but I wished it had lasted longer." She swatted the skeletal fingers away. "Sicko."

"We've never hung out like this before! It feels so enthralling, don't you think so?" He moved closer to her, enjoying the softness of her mattress. Although she had already warned him not to even go near her bed, he had pushed his luck anyway. Hey, it was worth it! She didn't even complain.

"Not really," muttered said rag-doll, her voice purposely loud enough for him to hear. She opened her mouth to add about her distaste for Jack's presence when they heard a loud metallic slam from the bottom of the tower.

Sally panicked. Finkelstein would murder her if she saw a male in her bedroom, let alone the one he despised the most! He would lock her up for all of her afterlife if he caught them in her small bed!

They weren't doing anything, but would he seriously listen to that?

"Jack! Get up!"

"Huh?"

"Really, c'mon—" Without waiting for him to move, Sally grabbed the Prince's arm and dragged him over to her wooden closet. She tugged it open and pushed him inside. "Stay right here and don't make a sound!"

Slamming it shut, she barely managed to hop into her bed and open the book before Igor bustled through the door.

"Hey, Sal, we gotcha some of those candies you really like," he announced happily, smiling at his little sister. "Dinner's ready, too."

"Oh, uh, that's wonderful! I—erm—I'm not that hungry right now so..." Sally trailed off, idly thinking that she would never leave a curious Jack all by himself in her bedroom. What if he did something stupid? He had never failed to do that before. She glanced at the closet and frowned. Wait, what if he was hungry? As annoying as he was, she really couldn't starve him; he remained (in some twisted way) a guest to her home.

That wouldn't be at all fair!

"Actually, I changed my mind. I'm starving."

Throwing her picture book aside, she stood up and hurriedly left the room, Igor right at her heels.

She made sure the door slammed behind them before heading downstairs.

"Here you go, dig in!"

Jack squinted as light suddenly flooded his cramped hiding place. He blinked a few times before grinning at the young woman motioning to a tray of what appeared to be soup and molded bread. "May I come out now?"

For some odd reason, his voice was much more hushed than usual, and it completely threw Sally off-guard. "Uh—yes?"

"Cool." He slowly stepped out and stretched. "Ah, that feels great!" Again, he wasn't as loud.

"Are you okay, Jack? Why are you so quiet?"

"Huh?"

"You look like you didn't move at all in there. Didn't you even take a quick peek while I was out?" Sally had an odd expression on her face.

"Hmm? Well, no, I didn't," Jack sighed, straightening up. "Do you really think I would do something to purposely get you in trouble?" he cocked his head slightly, but with his signature smile.

Blinking once, Sally looked away, blushing furiously. She could feel her rapid heart beat, along with the weird sensation that had subconsciously begun to spread ever since she had first met the skeleton behind her. Cautiously, she placed a shaking hand on her chest.

What had happened? Up until now, that feeling was happily ignored; so much, in fact, that Sally had considered it to have vanished completely.

But no, if she was burning hot and trying to ease her pounding heart just because Jack had done something thoughtful and mature for her...and not to mention that smile...

Did she actually have hidden feelings for him? Despite all the reasons she shouldn't?

No...She wouldn't decide that yet. If she admitted to loving Jack Skellington, there would have to be a valid reason why.

Well, she could at least be grateful he didn't so much as move from inside her wardrobe to keep her from further inconveniences. Yeah, that was okay. "Thanks, Jack. I guess you're not as much of a selfish idiot as I thought."

Jack figured that the comment was as good as he could hope for, so he laughed and pulled his friend into a spine-crushing hug. "Gee, that was the sweetest thank-you I've ever received!"

Unable to control herself, Sally hugged him back, placing her arms timidly around his very thin frame.

"You're sleeping over?" Sally whispered, poking at the peaceful teenager lying next to her on the bed. His eyes were closed, hands behind the back of his skull. He seemed perfectly content on just staying there for eternity.

"Yes," he finally sighed back, turning his head slightly to face her. "It's so late already...wouldn't it be much easier if I just spent the night?"

"Be that as it may, your father would probably get worried and look for you sooner or later. Then we'd both be in extra trouble."

"Actually, Sal, I told the old man I would be gone the whole night. He knows I meant until tomorrow morning; I've done this so many times with Oogie!"

"You've cuddled up with Oogie Boogie on his bed and refused to leave?"

"Heh. No. Aww, ya know what I mean, love." He placed an arm delicately around Sally's waist and pulled her closer, throwing her dark-green silk blanket around their intertwined bodies. "Mmm...doesn't this feel nice?"

"Hmph. Just don't get any ideas, got it?" Although the rag-doll had not worn her usual night gown to bed and instead donned on a loose, hand-me-down pair of blue pajamas from her older brother, she still felt particularly self-conscious being so close to Jack. He had shamelessly thrown his shirt off and climbed into the bed wearing only his baggy pants merely a few moments ago. Even for just being a set of moving bones, she had to admit his torso looked pretty well built.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. No funny ideas." He chuckled to himself. It was silent after that, save the small sounds of fatigue Sally was making. The Pumpkin Prince could feel his girlfriend-to-be (he hoped) settle in his arms, clearly on the verge of falling into deep sleep.

"Would you like to go out with me yet?" he murmured quietly, not expecting her to respond or even hear his offer. However, he was amazed to find that her barely-conscious mind managed to get her to respond with an honesty she would normally have never displayed when she was fully aware:

"I will when you promise to pay attention only to me. No other girls..."

For the first time in his afterlife, Jack agreed to commitment without complaint. In fact, all he could do was grin. "I promise, Sally. I'll be yours only."

There was only one Juliet for Romeo after all.

A/N: Woo! Two updates! Muhahahah, Sally loves Jack? Heck yeah!