Revelations

            Milo stopped nervously outside Jack’s office. He fiddled with the disk in his hands, wondering for the millionth time if he really wanted to go through with this. He took a deep breath and knocked – he just had to know.

            “Come in.”

            Milo walked into the office and made sure that the door shut securely behind him. Jack was sitting at his desk, hunched over some paperwork. He looked up when Milo didn’t say anything.  

            “What do you need, Milo?” he asked.

            “There’s, uh…something I think you should see,” Milo answered hesitantly.

            “What is it?”

            “Well…um…first I have to ask you a question.”

            “Okay.”

            “You’re not gonna like it.”

            “Why not?”

            “Because…um…well…it’s personal and really none of my business.”

            Jack narrowed his eyes. “What’s this about Milo?”

            Milo looked around the room, trying to avoid Jack’s somewhat intimidating glare. He was suddenly rethinking his decision to try and satisfy his curiosity.

            “You have to answer the question or I can’t show it to you.”

            “Milo…” Jack warned.

            “No, Jack. Promise to answer the question and I’ll let you see it.”

            Jack sighed. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was intrigued. Either he answered whatever question the kid had, or he lived with not knowing. He sighed again.

            “Fine. I promise.”

            “You also have to promise not to hit me or pull out your gun.”

            "Milo…"

            "Promise me."

            "Fine. I promise."

            Milo took a deep breath. Despite Jack's promise, he was still afraid that he might jump over the desk and kill him.

            "Have you ever kissed Chloe?" he asked quickly.

            "Excuse me?" Jack growled.

            "Have you ever kissed Chloe?" Milo asked a little slower.

            "I don't see how-"

            "That's any of my business? I know. But you promised."

            Jack sighed. He was contemplating tackling Milo and just taking the disk from him. But it was the middle of the day, and there were too many witnesses.

            "No," he answered.

            Milo's eyebrows raised as his suspicions were confirmed. "You're sure?"

            Jack stood up and leaned forward on his desk, his voice menacing. "I think I would remember, Milo."

            Milo swallowed hard and then held out the disk he'd been holding. "Then you'll want to see this. I was going through the archives when I found it. It's from a few years ago."

            Jack took the disk from him, looking at it in confusion. He couldn't imagine what was on it that had Milo acting so weird. Looking up, he saw the younger man stop in the doorway on his way out.

            "And please don't kill me for having seen it," he said before shutting the door behind him.

 

***

 

            Jack felt his face grow steadily hotter as he watched the video – first in anger, then in embarrassment, and finally in lust as he watched himself and Chloe making out on the floor of his office. He nearly choked at his forwardness when Chloe told him that he didn't want to have sex with her. And as he watched her tuck him in and kiss him gently, Jack smiled at the idea that came to mind.

 

***

 

            Chloe glared at Milo when she caught him staring at her again. He had been acting weird all day and she was getting sick of him looking at her. She was about to get up and confront him when Jack leaned over her chair, his face right next to hers.

            "I need to talk to you," he said quietly in her ear.

            "Okay."

            "Not here."

            Chloe looked up at him, a frown on her face.

            "It's not about work," he explained.

            Chloe's frown grew deeper as she got up and followed Jack down to one of the interrogation rooms. He held the door open for her and when she walked in, she saw a laptop set up on the table. Jack followed her in and shut the door firmly behind him.

            "Jack, what's going on?" she asked.

            "Did you know there's a surveillance camera in my office?"

            "Yeah. So?"

            "Do you know how long it's been there?"

            "A couple of years ago, I guess. What does this have to do with anything?"

            Jack walked over to the laptop and pressed a couple of keys, pulling Chloe over so that she could see what was on the screen.

            "It was more than a couple of years ago," he said.

            Chloe watched in horror as the computer showed herself and Jack yelling at each other and then proceeding to make out with each other, finally ending up on the floor and rolling around. She had managed to put that behind her. It helped that she really hadn't liked him when it happened, and he didn't seem to remember a thing.

            Jack kept his eyes on Chloe's face. He needed to know how she felt about what had happened. She watched her cheeks flush in embarrassment, and then in…something else. Jack turned the computer off.

            "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

            "Look, Jack. You were drunk and kinda depressed. I know you wouldn't have kissed me otherwise. Let's just forget this, okay?"

            "You didn't answer my question."

            "I didn't want to see that look on your face."

            Jack's brow furrowed. "What look?"

            Chloe sighed. "That guilty look. When you think that you've hurt someone. I didn't want you to have to feel bad about it. It's not a big deal. Besides," she paused. "You're a good kisser, so it wasn't that bad."

            Jack sighed. "I really don't remember, Chloe."

            "I know," she answered, looking down at the ground.

            "But I want to."

            Chloe's head shot up. "Don't."

            "Don't what?"

            "Don't play with me like that, Jack. I know you would never touch me sober."

            Jack took her face in his hands, making her look at him. "Why would you say that?"

            "Because it's the truth. I'm just the weird girl that you go to when you need help breaking the law. We all know that."

            "No, Chloe. You're my best friend. The only one I trust." He took a deep breath. "The woman I love."

            Chloe's lip quivered as she tried to reign in her emotions.

            "Liar," she whispered.

            "It's the truth," he whispered back as he brought his lips to hers.

            Chloe wanted to fight the kiss, fight the possibility that he was telling the truth. But all the fight went out of her the moment his lips touched hers and she sank into him. It was gentle this time, and slow. When they broke apart, Jack leaned his forehead against hers and smiled.    

            "You know, Chloe. I was right."

            Chloe crinkled her nose in confusion. "Right about what?"

            "I do want to have sex with you."

            "Jack, you were drunk."

            "That night it might have been the alcohol talking. But the past couple of years…I was completely sober for those."

            "Are you saying you've wanted to have sex with me for two years?"

            "Maybe even a little longer than that," he replied.

            Chloe frowned. "Then what took you so long?"

            "I'm stupid."

            "Don't I know it," she grumbled.

            "How can I make it up to you?" he asked, a grin spreading across his face.

            "Well you could start by kissing me again."

            "My pleasure," he mumbled as he kissed her again, more deeply this time.

            They reluctantly broke apart as Jack's cell phone rang.

            "Damnit," he whispered before answering it. "Bauer."

            "Jack, it's Milo."

            "What do you want?"

            "Just thought you should know that there are cameras in that room, too."

            "Don't you have work to do?"

            "I am working. I'm monitoring the cameras."

            "Remind me to shoot you later, Milo."

            "Fat chance of that."

            Jack hung up and looked at Chloe, who was watching him with a confused look on her face. Then he took the disk out of the laptop, pocketing it, and grabbed her hand.

            "Come on."

            "Jack, where are we going?"

            "Home."

            "But it's the middle of the day."

            "We're both sick. Coming down with the flu."

            "Jack-"

            He pushed her up against the door gently, but firmly, pressing his whole body against hers and whispering in her ear. "I want you, Chloe. Right now. But there are cameras everywhere and I don't want Milo seeing any more than he already has. So we're going home and I am making love to you for the rest of the day. Do you understand?"

            Chloe's breath caught in her throat at his words and proximity. The feel of his body against hers was making her remember what it felt like to have him on top of her, touching her, kissing her. Afraid that her voice would shake, she just nodded and he smiled.

            As Jack pulled her out into the hallway, she stopped again.

            "Wait a minute. What do you mean you don't want Milo to see any more than he already has? What did Milo see?"

            Jack laughed. "He was the one who found the video."

            "And he watched it?" Chloe practically screeched.

            Jack nodded and Chloe wheeled around, headed for the main floor. Jack caught her by the waist before she could get there. Standing behind her, he brought his head down to her neck and placed a lingering kiss just behind her left ear.

            "Would you rather throttle Milo or come have sex with me?" he asked, his voice low with desire.

            Chloe closed her eyes at the feel of his lips on her skin. "Good point," she whispered. "Let's go home."