I'm running back to you

It hadn’t been much else than texting back and furth between her and Jack after she had left him at her apartment Thursday last week. The weekend had been spending with Jade trying to see if she at least could get some days a week where she could see her daughter now that she was making ends meet and had started an education to be able to provide for her daughter. But it was a long process, and it always put her in a dangerous bad mood which wasn’t something she would subject Jack too, when they had only gotten to know each other. But they had a deal about meeting up throughout the week when she had a very long day on Wednesday, that day couldn’t get there fast enough. Which she quickly texted him with a goofy grin on her lips as she walked down the street to her apartment. She looked up and saw some sketchy people standing there looking. Quickly she turned down the alleyway, feeling how her heart was beating a hundred miles per hour. Something about the whole thing screamed death, and every fibre in her body told her that they were here for her. With shaking hands, she grabbed her phone and ended up calling Jack instead. “Please pick up, pick up” she whispered before peeking out and turning down the street towards her car. If she could just get back to the car, and out of southside.

The last five days had been rough, it had been hard to find meaning in the chaos, but for the first time he had something he never had before, people who wanted to have his back. So, he had asked Nigel if it was possible he knew how to fix the roof, which was a task that was easier said than done, but it was a work in progress - so, yeah freezing it hadn't been the best way to solve it when he had tried to block some of the cold out so Eris hadn't frozen to death. Jack had gotten a talk with Victoria set up by Lucas a few times, it was chaotic at Southside and he feared what Anthony would do. Jack needed to figure out who he was dealing with before facing him again, because he had to at least try getting his people back, didn't he?

Finally he was done with grading his music assignments, worst part of the job was this part, but he had to. Therefor he hadn't checked his phone, to be fair it was very rare that Jack ever checked his phone. But as it suddenly called he looked towards it just about to take a sip of coffee, he placed the cup down and got up from the chair. Jack walked to the counter where it was placed seeing Scarlett's name on it, a smile crossed his lips and picked up. "Hey," he first spoke, but it was something about the sound behind her, and thunderbirds did have the best hearing out of all species, he could pick up on anything he wanted to, making him nervous. "Scarlett, what is going on?"

When he finally picked up she breathed out ”Thank god you answered” she whispered, looking over her shoulder, it seemed that the people was still trying to get in. One of them however looked over the others and caught her eye. “Fuck” she breathed and started picking up speed, trying not to listen that they were calling out getting her to stop. “I, someone was standing by my apartment door, and I think, I think they are here for me, and not the kind of bubbly guest that brought cake to talk about feelings” she quickly explained as she kept up pace “I just, I need to get to my car, I’ll –“ she turned around and saw how they started walking towards her. She put her phone down in her pocket and started running. She had done this a million times before; it wouldn’t be a problem. She just needed to get to the subway, and she would be able to lose them there. She turned the corner and saw that there was a group of people not walking that close away from her. Walking past a vendor selling clothes he probably had stolen himself she grabbed a hoodie without him noticing and started putting it on. As she joined the group of people she put it on hiding her hair in it. Just a few steps.

She took her phone out again “I think I lost them” she breathed into the speaker and walked down the subway stairs “I’m taking the train to Aston in” she looked up, but just as she saw that the train was due now someone shouted again behind her. Pushing through some people making a younger woman scream as she almost fell down the stairs. Scarlett started running once again “I think I can lose them, just hang tight” she tried to ease his nerves as she picked up speed. The door was closing but being small and light on her feet it closed just as she got on the other side. The man hammering his hands against the door. “I made it, oh shit, I made it” her raspy voice told him before she sat down on an open seat closing her eyes. “Holy shit, I’m okay, I’m okay” she wasn’t sure if she said it to him or herself, as her hand found her sweaty forehead.

Someone was standing by my apartment door. Everything stopped around him for a moment, making him hold his breath. But before he got to say anything, she spoke that she just had to get to her car. Jack could feel his mouth feeling dry, "Scarlett," he couldn't hear her voice, but he could her how she walked, how people walked towards her, it made him on edge and Jack was more than ready to ice skate all way through town if he had to. Running she was running, Jack tried to calm himself down, as long as he could hear her and no trouble - he was somewhat calm. Jack breathed out while running his hand through his hair, he walked out of his apartment and almost ran down the stairs. Finally, she spoke again, she thought she had lost them. Jack's stomach was flipping around, making him uncomfortable. Train to Aston. Jack got out of his building and started with very long steps walking towards the station. All he could do was wait for her there. Another woman screamed, he was pretty clear on it wasn't her, he could hear it in the voice. Just hang tight, Jack breathed out, tensing his jaw even more.

Jack could hear the door closing, the hammer on the door and ran a hand through his reddish brown hair. I made it -- I'm okay, Jack felt like he could finally breath out, and kept walking towards the train station. "I will pick you up at the station, I'm almost there," he informed licking his lips a little as he took a deeper breath in. His heart still beating extremely fast from the worry. He walked down the stairs to where the train would come in from Southside and just waited, still just trying to calm himself down as he had hung up.

It would take around twenty minutes before she was at the station that was closest to Aston city center. Closing her eyes she took in the whole experience, she thought that part of her life was over. Clearly you never left the life, no matter how hard you tried there would still be a part of you tied to being in a mafia, gang, or anything alike. She didn’t even think that it could be the fact that she had helped Jack last week. It had to be bratva, right?

Finally they announced over the speakers that next station would be the one that she needed to get off. Luckily as well, as soon as she stepped out a ticket inspector stepped inside the wagon. It didn’t take her long to see him standing there waiting for her, and it was like all the stones she hadn’t noticed she carried on her shoulders fell off. She quickly walked towards him, a walk that turned into a run. She jumped into his arms placing her nose into his hair. “I’m so happy to see you” she whispered, pulling him a little closer as a smile appeared on her lips as she glided down on her feet again. Her hands found each side of his face making him look at her. “I’m okay, nothing happened” she whispered “sorry that I worried you” she mumbled almost breathlessly as her eyes caught his. She had almost forgot just how he made her feel when she had him close.

The second he caught her scent, he was headed her way, opening his arms and when he could, he wrapped his arms around her. He held her close for a brief moment before letting her to again. Jack turned his eyes towards hers, finally he could breath again. Her hands found his face, making him smile and breath out as she said that she was okay and nothing had happened. Well, he knew nothing had happened, he had been listening so carefully in he knew what most people she had past on the way were talking about. "No, it's okay - I'm just glad you are okay," he confessed still with his arms around her, he moved one of the hands up to her head, brushing it over her hair and breathed out once again. He leaned a little forward placing a kiss on top of her hair. "Let's get you back to my place," he  then looked into her eyes, leaning down and placed a soft short kiss on her lips. "Okay?" He wanted to make sure she wanted to tag along, it was safer to talk about what had happened when they got home.

She was just about to reply about getting back to his place, as his lips found hers. She had to close her eyes and take in the moment. She felt how lovely chills ran down her spine and for a moment she forgot about everything that had happened leading her too here. At this point, she should be sending a thank you note or something. “Sounds really nice” she breathed letting her hand find his as they walked out of the station. As they were heading towards his apartment she pressed her brows together “So, have you eaten yet, and either way do you have more than beer in your fridge? Because if the answer is no to my last question, could we go shop for groceries? Because I haven’t gotten anything to eat yet” she pursed her lips letting her big blue eyes find his giving him a soft smile waiting for what he felt like doing. They weren’t in a hurry, were they?

Jack made a little nod with his head for her to follow him, not that it was hard following him as he grab a hold of her hand. Heading down the streets for a moment he had placed all of his worries on the top shelf and it seemed like they would be hard to find. Or so he hoped. The question made him look towards her, had he eaten yet? Jack was terrible at grocery shopping, and to be fair he hadn't really gotten his wallet with him or anything when he had left Southside. There was some money hidden in his apartment, and otherwise Lucas had provided him with some cash to get by with, till he got his card canceled and got a new one. "I don't have anything really, I ate dinner at a friend's house last night so I didn't think much of it," and keeping a filled fridge had never really been something he did. He had what he needed to get by, that mentality had never really been challenged. "I have at lease enough money on me to buy some lunch I reckon," Jack checked his pockets, there was at least enough to get a meal for them.

She hummed a little about the fact that he didn’t have anything and the fact that he should have enough to at least by them dinner or lunch as he spoke off. When had he last eaten something today? Well, she thought about her situation, and he had told her that he would help her if she ever found herself in the same situation he had been in when she found him. “Well, since I can’t get back to my apartment anytime soon” she mumbled, squeezing his hand a little “And I usually always buy food for a week, I can just get that fridge filled up, and we figure out the money stuff when you have gotten your things in order?” she asked with a soft smile, feeling how her heart pounded a little unsteady in her chest, mostly because she knew she was being forward and they hadn’t really gotten that far in their relationship. Just finding out day by day, and not plan a whole future. Especially since they both needed to steadily get back into what it was like to be in a relationship. Okay, she needed to do that. He needed to find out what a real relationship was all about.

A full fridge, how many times hadn't he heard that people around him complain and try to make him buy at least food enough to last him more than two days? To be frank, Jack time to time ate at academy - if he was grading assignments it was easier to just run to the teacher's kitchen and grab some delicious food. And with Alison having baked goods provided for them just to take, he was rarely hungry. Not to mention the times Lucas forced him over for dinner or grabbed his arm because they needed a meal, well, that had been on pause after Luke had gotten his new job title and everything, and of course wanted to spend the most of his free time with Cecilia - he didn't blame him. "We can do that, sure you don't want to stay over then. I'm not sure its safe for you to head back to your apartment at least till a certain amount of time, it would be foolish to risk anything," he replied back and looked at her. Jack took a slightly deeper breath in waiting for her reply, inviting her to stay for more than just a visit was taking a step closer towards something he wanted, something he never really had thought about longing for - maybe it was just after he had been spending some time with his brothers too - seeing Nigel and Irina, hearing the stressed Archie planning his sanity out of the wedding that was soon to come. He wanted love that didn't make you feel drained out and lost for breath because of the fighting to hold on had been taking up all the space. He wanted the love he felt every time he was being near Scarlett, able to feel the way she made him feel.

Scarlett bit down on her lip as he asked her if she was sure she just didn’t want to stay then. Slowly she started to nod “Sounds like a really nice idea” she whispered, giving his hand another squeeze “seems like I’m staying a little longer, which means I need food, so off to the store” she laughed and pulled him along, actually knowing where the nearest shop was, as she had been there sometimes.

She first let go of his hand, as she took a basket to put their shopping in. “Alright, anything you really like to eat for dinner?” she asked, as she started looking around the greens department, finding all of the stuff that was on sale. Being on a budget made you very good at finding the best deals there were. Also knowing to cook for the seasons helped. Moving around clearly very familiar with the shop, she didn’t think much about how it would look to Jack as she just started filling the basket to the brim with a lot of food. She took in a breath walking over to the meats “I’m guessing you need a lot of protein, right?” she asked looking down selection on the lock out for anything that would be a good buy.

Jack nodded well, to be fair if she was staying he didn't want her to starve or anything remotely like that. So, he nodded in agreement to it, as she pulled him along to the nearest shop. Then she let go of his hand, and for a second Jack felt like a kid lost in the store, till he at least pulled himself together, and started walking around with his eyes looking at everything. The music in stores had always bugged him, it always distracted him - maybe the real reason why he didn't like shopping. What would he like to eat, that was a good question, he never really did any thinking to what he ate. He wasn't picky. So, he didn't reply he just looked around seeing if there was anything that took his attention. Getting to the meat area his mouth started to water a little as hunger stroke. "Yeah," he replied turning his eyes back to her. The delicatessen having fresh meat was like kid going to the candy store for him, "sorry - I haven't eaten since last night," he confessed scratching the back of his head a little bit. "I usually take the lunch buffet at work in week days," he quickly added not wanting to sound like he was starving himself or anything. It was just easier.

Scarlett had to fold her lips together while looking at Jack that was eyeing the produce as if he hadn’t been eating for weeks. It almost looked like a young boy for the first time in a candy store, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him. As he turned towards her apologizing, telling her that he hadn’t been eating since last night she shook her head, a smile still blooming on her face. “Okay, okay, are you sure that you’re not eighteen and you just too lazy to actually make and buy your own food?” she teased him, and dived down and found some of the proteins that was on sale and placed it in her bag “Seems like we can make a whole steak tonight, and then you can always use it for lunch cold, or reheated” she muttered walking away towards the milk and cold cuts. Starting to fill the basket to the brim with food that would be able to feed them, hopefully for a whole week. Now she hadn’t really had the pleasure of feeding a cryobird before, but hopefully his transformation would also help with him being able to hunt and eat in his form. Otherwise, it would become very expensive relationship. She stopped as she was putting a bag of rise in the basket. Relationship? She bit down her lip looking down at her hands, feeling how a slight warmth started spreading in her cheeks, what a dangerous game he was playing with her heart already.

Jack did a small lift with his shoulders, "well I never had anyone to teach me how to cook, it makes it rather difficult later on," he explained before he moved his eyes a little bit around. Growing up in a left store, he had eaten what he could find, mostly canned food or what he could steal, nothing optimal. First afterwards realized she joked about it, making him breath a little bit out. Jack watched as she dived down to find the hidden treasures of sales meat. He nodded a bit to her words, she would need lunch after all. Jack simply just followed her and observed what she placed in the basket as they moved down the small halls. "It's very rare I eat dinner, my transformations usually around that time, if not late afternoon - I'm pretty good at hunting," he breathed out, not really knowing if it was a confession he should tell, but then she also knew he was obligated to turn around that hour. Jack had learned he could change his routine, but it took a whole lot of willpower. "But I will figure it out so it fits us both the best," he nodded a bit to himself, not really a sacrifice he made for anyone - but Scarlett wasn't just anyone now was she?

She nodded a little as he explained that he hadn’t had someone in his life to teach him how to cook. “Well, I’m sure that Archie would love to help you when his over this whole wedding thing, and I’m no master chef but I love cooking with someone, so I could learn you” she said with a fresh and cheerful smile as she kept working on getting them everything they needed. As he told her that he didn’t eat dinner, she also found the seasonings that they needed. As he started talking about figuring out what would fit them both, she turned around and took his hand. Even though there was a certain sternness in her eyes, the smile still played on her lips. “You really don’t have to chance a schedule for my shake, if it works for you, then that is what you do” she pushed herself up on the balls of her feet to place a soft kiss against his cheek. “Alright” she mumbled looking down the shopping cart “I think that is everything, unless there is anything you want?” she asked, looking back up.

Jack chuckled a little bit, "yeah, he might - well I'm a good observer," he pointed out with a warmer smile and lifted a finger in the air. It was true, one thing Jack was doing extremely well was learning from observing as well as experiencing. Jack knew he didn't have to chance his schedule because of her, but he wanted to if it meant they could eat together and have a few more hours. Now, he had never really prioritized eating dinner with people before, but he had also seen and knew to some it was important. "A few hours give or take, wouldn't do me much to move things around" he confessed shortly before the beaming smile was flushed on Jack's lips by Scarlett kissing his cheek. Then following her gaze towards the shopping cart, he couldn't really tell if there was anything missing - it was more filled up than he usually did, when he actually got out to the shops. "No, I think it covers it pretty well," he stated looking back towards Scarlett with a softer smile, before heading towards the check out, to get the groceries packed up and ready to head towards the apartment. Luckily, it hadn't been troubled by uninvited werewolves for long enough for Jack to find it safe. Safer than anywhere in Southside at this point.

She couldn’t help the smile beaming on her lips, making the dimples in her cheek show as he told her that it wouldn’t be a problem. Even though he didn’t have too, she couldn’t help but feel how much it meant to her, that he actually wanted too. Maybe just for the reason that it was an inconvenience to redo one’s schedule and he still chose to do it, was why it meant so much. Ones again she couldn’t really believe her luck that he had walked into not only his now found brother’s life, but also hers that day Katelyn had figured out that he was her uncle. “Great!” she exclaimed and walked with him to the check-out counter where she paid, luckily it hadn’t been that much more expensive than she already had budgeted for. Mainly because the protein had been so cheap.

As they came to his apartment, she couldn’t help but look around the place, not that there was much. Her eyes landed on his guitar and the side of her lip pulled upwards. “So, the music thing was correct?” she teased a little, as it had been Maya that had pointed out that he also taught music at Athena academy. She then walked with him into the kitchen and started onloading all of the groceries that they had bought. “Are you hungry?” she asked looking towards him, wondering if she should just start cooking now.

Jack moved his eyes to the guitar when she pointed the music thing out, it made him chuckle, as he moved towards the kitchen counter and starting to unpack with her. "I taught myself, when I lived in the warehouse, people had mostly just emptied it for foods - but there was a guitar, and I had seen some cartoons on the tv in the orphanage - so I started playing, made me feel less alone," he told with a little bit of a chuckle. It was odd, he never talked about stuff like this, not even with Victoria, but it was like meeting these people, Scarlett, his brothers, nieces - it had opened up a secret lock in his soul, his heart that just made him feel seen, feel heard, like what he spoke about could matter, that he didn't need to be silence. But of all the things he had taught himself, playing music was perhaps the one that mattered the most to him, the only thing that wasn't about surviving or getting through another day, and somehow it had been one of the things that had gotten him through everything.

Are you hungry? He moved his eyes back to her with a softer smile. "A little," he admitted, turning towards her placing his hip against the counter folding one of the bags they had been used to carry the groceries. He liked this. It was the first time he found himself looking at someone and actually being able to picture what he wanted, he had never known what he wanted or where he was heading. Maybe he had looked at the exile from the Serpents all wrong. Maybe it was his second chance, a chance to start over.

“Okay, that is just heartbreaking” Scarlett said with a sad smile as Jack told her how he had started playing the guitar. Not that she wasn’t familiar with the tale. She had been one of them, abandoned by her family that was too big to feed everyone. Now she didn’t really blame them, because either they gave them away, hoping they would be able to feed themselves. Or they would all starve because there wouldn’t be enough food to go around. And she had made it for herself. But she had also seen how horribly wrong it could go. So many kids that wouldn’t survive the winter out. “but thank you for sharing, I think it’s amazing that you took something and made your time more beautiful” she mumbled, placing a soft kiss on his cheek as he admitted that he was hungry “Then I’ll start cooking” she said with a small smile on her lips as she took the things she needed for the dish she had pictured wanting to do today. While putting the things she didn’t need away. All the while she asked where she could find stuff that she needed use. Knifes, and a pot.

After a while she looked towards him with. “You’re starring” she laughed as she was browning the meet. “Everything okay?” she then proceeded to ask.

It was perhaps heartbreaking, but for someone who had never experienced a childhood any different than just that, it was hard to see it as anything but the best time of his younger days - and what was more heartbreaking? That it was his best childhood memories or that he didn't have any other memories from that time that brought him joy? Jack pressed his brows a bit together as she thanked him for sharing the story with her, odd, he never really told much if anything about himself, the concept was new to him, and yet it was like after he had been sitting with his new found brothers - he had wanted to know more about them, but also the fact that someone asked stuff about him. Then I’ll start cooking, Jack nodded and took a few steps back, but mostly just observed her being in the apartment rather lovingly.

Jack zoned a little bit out by just simple looking at her, taking her in being here with him. Even if he knew it was to the reason of some people being in her apartment, he was very happy that he had been the one she had called for, and that she was here right now. Jack blinked a little by her speaking not really having heard what she said. "I'm sorry, I just zoned a bit out I guess," he scratched the back of his head, taking a smaller step back and took a deeper breath in. "But yeah, everything - is perfect." Jack cleared his throat a little bit, "I'm just happy to have you here."

She couldn’t really help the smile that blossomed on her lips, and she wasn’t going to try if she had to be honest. Why shouldn’t she let herself be happy in the situation she was in right now? Standing in front of a man that had been nothing but good to her. That despite the darkness in him, had so much good. That was interesting and drew her in like no other had ever been able too. She could in all honestly spend a whole day talking about why she found Jack so irresistible. And not only in a sexual sense.

Perfect.

Now that was a very powerful word, and she got the feeling that it wasn’t something he used very often. Which only made the warmth around her heard spread all the way to her fingertips. Making her body hum with joy. “I’m very happy to be here” she softly said, folding her lips, by grabbing her bottom lip with her teeth’s. She raised her hand and turned it so she could use her finger to gastrulate that he should come over to her. “Come here for a moment” she asked of him, taking his hand when he was close enough for her to do so. Pulling him into a kiss.

He had never been good at expressing how grateful he was for something, or to admit when something finally felt right to him. But one thing he had started doing over the last couple of weeks while spending time getting to know his brothers were how they interacted, how they expressed themselves, hoping that perhaps he could learn from them to become a better version of himself. Because Scarlett deserved better than someone who couldn't express himself, and he was devoted to make sure he was worthy every second. So, he smiled so brightly as she mentioned that she was very happy to be there as well. Then she reached for him, making him step a little bit closer towards her with a small frown on his face, but it quickly just turned into a warmer smile.

She took his hand and pulled him closer towards her once he was close enough, and he leaned down to meet her in the kiss. His left arm snaking its way around her waist to tug her closer towards him. If this was the future tasted like, he for sure wasn't complaining, and he wouldn't complain ever again. "What was that for?" He asked in a small soft whisper as their lips parted, but Jack far from pulled away, still feeling the how close his lips were to hers - which was also why he didn't let her reply before he once again let their lips meet.

As he met her in the kiss and let her arm snake around her waist. It was like every fibre in her body reacted. Funny, how you could at one point think that you had found the one, and when they had gone away. One way or another, that, that was it. That there would be no more left. The chance had passed, and you would end up living the rest of your life all alone. But here she was, and if this was how it should feel when you kissed someone. Then she had never kissed anyone right before.

Her arms had found their way around his neck, as they broke the kiss and he asked what it had been for. She shrugged, letting her blue eyes find his dark. “Because I can?” she whispered, feeling his cold breath cascade over her lightly parted lips. Now she knew if she gave in, she would forget all about the cooking. Which they couldn’t afford right now, even though he was very tempting. “I should get back to cooking” she whispered once again, even though she didn’t make much of an afford pulling away from him.

Jack chuckled a little low, his eyes sparkling like never before - perhaps this was what people meant by saying someone could make them feel alive? He felt alive. He felt warm inside, like the future could actually be seen from afar and he was ready for it. Jack was ready to accept that he had a future and it didn't need to be in Southside, it could be beyond that. So, here he was for the first time finally opening his eyes to the world as he looked at Scarlett. "Then by all means, never stop," he whispered softly. But she then mentioned she had to get back to the cooking. "Alright then," he pinned a little bit before he quickly kissed her again longingly just for a moment before he forced himself to pull back. "It was back to cooking you said, right?" He teased a little bit taking a slow step back as he let go of her. "I have a few assignments I need to grade as well, but I was almost finished before you called, so it shouldn't take long," he mentioned before walking over to his sofa and sat down, opening the computer - how he hated everything needed to be done through a computer these days.

A soft chuckle left her, as he decided to kiss her again instead of letting her go right there and then. Not that she minded. No. In fact. She could be kissing him like this over and over, and never be tired of it. “Mmhm, yes, cooking” she mumbled softly letting her hooded eyes travel down his body before she placed them on his face. A soft nod formed, as he then told her that he had some assignments that he needed to grade. “Well, then I better stop distracting you” she laughed, watching as he walked over to the sofa and sat down. She let herself stare at him, just for a little while as he sat there with the computers light illuminating his beautiful features. Shaking her head, she finally got herself together and turned around to look at the dinner she was making for them.

Around thirty minutes later she could finally, with confidence, say that dinner was ready. She made them both a bowl with rice and the some of the stew over it. His portion visibly larger than hers. But she wasn’t that expensive when it came to feeding her. Being used to not having much food, you grew accustomed to it. “I hope it’s alright” she said with a smile as she handed him the bowl and sat down. Beside him in the sofa.