Pain

Another drabble.

            It hurt. She stared at her screen blankly, her thoughts gnawing on Bill's words. He was gone. Again. And it didn't look like he'd be back for a long time, if ever. She had managed to keep a stoic face when he told her, trying to avoid his sympathetic gaze and the feel of his reassuring hand on her arm. She had nodded, giving him the smallest of smiles before turning back to her computer, silently wishing he would leave her alone. Watching her for a moment, Bill had sighed, walking away and giving her the space that he knew she needed.

            She wasn't surprised that he had left. One way or the other, he was always gone after days like these. Too much had happened…too much had been taken from him. She understood why he couldn't stay.

            But still…she was hurt. He hadn't even said goodbye. Aside from their meeting after he had saved Morris, they had barely said anything to each other. And now he was gone again, without a single word to her.

            Chloe suddenly found it difficult to breathe as the realization came crashing down on her. He didn't actually care about her. She was his colleague, someone he could go to get things done when he needed to stay under the radar. But they weren't friends – she suddenly realized that they never had been. She was just something he used when he had nowhere else to turn.

            She closed her eyes against the burning tears that were threatening to spill out. She felt like such an idiot. Of course she and Jack weren't friends…she had been a fool to ever think otherwise. If he had cared at all, he would have said something before leaving. If he cared, he would at least think twice about leaving her over and over again.

            The pain was overwhelming and Chloe clenched her fists in an effort to keep from sobbing. Opening her eyes, she looked across the floor, to Morris sitting at his station. There was nothing else for her to hold onto…no one else who loved her. Giving him a small smile when he looked up at her, she stood on slightly shaky legs and walked over to him.

             

Normal

'Nother drabble. Fluffy to make up for the earlier angst...

            Jack and Chloe stood side-by-side in front of the kitchen counter as they made dinner. She made the salad as he focused on peeling and washing the potatoes before placing them in the large pot to his right. Glancing over, he watched her from the corner of his eye. She hummed a simple tune quietly and Jack smiled before returning his attention to the task at hand.

            "Thank you," he whispered. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he knew that the words needed to be said.

            She stopped humming and frowned up at him in confusion. "For what?"

            Jack smiled as he continued making dinner. "For this. For giving me…a chance to be normal. Making dinner and peeling potatoes and doing work around the house…it feels good. Thank you."

            Chloe opened her mouth to make a sarcastic reply, but then thought better of it. "You're welcome," she said, giving him a crooked smile.

            As she finished the salad, Jack continued to watch her, the potatoes momentarily forgotten. Hesitating slightly, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Afraid of her reaction, he started working on dinner again.

            Caught off-guard by his sudden affection, Chloe found herself unable to focus at all. Fidgeting, she kept stealing glances at him, hoping that he wouldn't notice.

            Jack silently fought with himself. She hadn't reacted badly, and he desperately wanted to know if she would let him take it a step further. On the other hand, he thought it might be best to quit while he was ahead. Glancing over at her, he caught her looking at him before she quickly averted his eyes. He kept his gaze locked on her until she was forced to look at him again.

            They stared at each other for a long moment before Jack leaned in and pressed his lips against hers firmly. He let the kiss linger, savoring the feel of her mouth on his.

            When he pulled back, he found Chloe staring at him, a strange expression on her face. She turned once again to the counter, trying to hide the huge grin on her face and failing.

            "Get back to your potatoes, Bauer," she said, bumping his hip lightly with hers to let him know that they would continue that conversation after dinner.