failegaidin

Title: Not a Mistake
Rated: PG-13
Prompt: Return
Requested by:

willow_fae_20
Written for:

100_situations
A/N: Big thanks to

rorylieand

sparky_girl82, since I was ready to just scrap the whole thing at the end.
Next prompt will be "Kitchen" for

stefernie2

Jack stretched as his body slowly came awake. He felt relaxed and refreshed, and he turned over to reach for the person next to him.

But the other side of the bed was empty. Jack opened his eyes and looked around the room, stopping when his gaze fell on Chloe. She was zipping up her jeans, her bra already back on, and she seemed to be scouring the floor for something. Frowning, she eventually stooped down and picked up a piece of clothing.

"Dammit!"

"Something wrong?" Jack asked, a grin on his face.

At the sound of his voice, Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. But her scowl was back immediately and she rounded on him.

"You ripped my shirt!"

His smile broadened. "I was eager."

"But now I have nothing to wear!"

"Why do you need a shirt?"

She sighed. "Because, Jack. I cannot drive all the way to my apartment half-naked."

His smile faded. "You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to," he said quietly.

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks…but I should really get going."

He nodded, moving his gaze to sweep the floor. Leaning off the bed, he picked up the dress shirt he had been wearing the night before and tossed it to her gently.

"Here. You can wear that."

She avoided his eyes as she put it on and did up the buttons.

"Thanks," she mumbled. "I'll…see you later."

When she had shut the door, Jack turned over and stared out the window numbly.

***

Of all the household chores, Chloe hated folding laundry the most. She just found it boring and time consuming. As she continued to fold her underwear and t-shirts, she let her mind drift. Chase had called earlier, inviting her to have dinner with him and Kim later that night. But she had declined, telling him that she already had plans with Nadia. It was a lie, but…she just didn't feel like seeing people. Her mood had been especially low the past couple of days, and she knew that she didn't have the energy to pretend for anyone.

As she folded the shirt in her hands, Chloe realized that it didn't smell like all the other clothes. Looking down, she stared at Jack's shirt, having forgotten that she had thrown it into the load. Tears immediately sprang to her eyes as she lifted it to her nose, breathing him in. His scent still lingered underneath the detergent, and she found herself remembering what it felt like to be held by him, to lie next to him in his bed.

Jerking it away from her nose suddenly, she scolded herself for being so foolish. Staring at the rest of the laundry in frustration, she decided that she would finish it later. Right now, she needed to return Jack's shirt to him and get it out of her apartment.

***

His feet were bare. She wasn't sure why that was the first thing that she noticed, but it struck her as odd, and kind of cute. Her eyes traveled up his body, taking in his ripped jeans and t-shirt, before finally settling on his face and frowning at the amused smile he wore.

"You checking me out, O'Brian?"

"No."

His smile faltered and his eyes moved to the shirt in her hands. "Is that why you're here?"

She looked at the shirt as though she had forgotten that she was holding it. "Umm. Yeah. I wanted to return it. It's been washed and everything."

He took the shirt from her outstretched hand, staring at it for a moment. Chloe thought that he was debating something, and she saw the deep breath that he took before he lifted his gaze to hers again.

"Why don't you come in?" he asked quietly. "I just ordered a pizza. We could…watch TV. Hang out."

Her mouth betrayed her before she even had a chance to think.

"Okay."

***

They sat next to each other on his couch, quietly eating their pizza and drinking a couple of beers. The TV was on, but neither was really focused on the movie. Chloe tried to come up with an acceptable reason to leave, whereas Jack wracked his brain for excuses to keep her there. Finally the movie was over, and they realized that they had barely spoken a word to each other. Chloe moved to get up, but Jack's voice stopped her.

"Chloe…about the other night…"
"Don't worry about," she interrupted. "It was a mistake. We can just forget about it."

Her words hit him squarely in the chest, and he drew in a shaky breath. He looked around the room wildly, half of his brain telling him to just shut up and let her go. But the other half needed to be sure.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly. "Are you sure that we made a mistake?"

His question caught her off-guard, and Chloe found herself floundering for an answer. "I…well…I mean…don't you?"

He turned to face her, moving his body closer until he was right next to her. One hand reached out, trembling, to let his fingers graze her cheek. His eyes bored into hers as he moved his face even closer. "Only if I lose you because of it."

Before she had a chance to respond, his lips were lightly dancing over hers, teasing her. Sighing, she moved forward the tiniest bit, until their lips came together completely. She held the hand that rested against her cheek, moaning as his tongue slid into her mouth, tangling with her own.

Eventually they had to pull back, air being a necessity. Chloe stared at Jack in surprise – this wasn't at all how she expected this to go. Seeing the nervous look on his face, she smiled at him gently.

"Definitely not a mistake," she breathed, leaning in to kiss him again.