Part 1
By Joanna ([email protected])
Note: This is my second fanfic, but the first of this kind. I don�t own any of the characters that I write about and these situations didn�t really happen. This fic is supposed to take place during the first half of season 3. Most changes from the show are explained in the fic. There are lots more parts to come, some written some not. If you have any suggestions let me know, things can always be changed. It isn�t that obvious in this part but I have changed some of the characteristics of some characters to suit the fic. I have brought back some characters that I feel need a bigger part. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.
Jack pushed the weight of his bruised body against his locker and sighed with relief that football practise was finally over. Jack was beginning to like the game, but not what came with it. Most nights he couldn�t find a single position that wouldn�t hurt his tender body.
�You�ll get used to it� Mitch Leery�s voice startled Jack, he didn�t realise that there was anyone still around.
�Really?� Jack questioned tonelessly. Mitch didn�t answer. There was a long uncomfortable silence.
�You want a ride home?� Mitch asked breaking the silence.
�Are you sure, It�s a bit out of your way?�
�Yeah, I�m sure. My flat isn�t that far from your house anyway�
�Okay then, if your sure you don�t mind� Jack had been dreading walking home ever since the rain had started. Andie had the Saab; she had left him a note that morning saying that he would be going out straight after school and wouldn�t be back till late, which basically meant that he had to make his own way home. Jack quickly stuffed his things into his bag and followed Mitch to his car.
The rain had practically stopped, but Mitch still drove slowly.
�So, have you got any plans for tonight?� Mitch started up the small talk.
�Not really, Andie�s out so it�s just me and the TV� Jack sighed, suddenly feeling really embarrassed. �I�m really sorry, that must have sounded really insensitive� Jack continued remembering Mitch�s recent divorce.
�Don�t worry about it. The TV can be a great friend to have� Mitch joked. The car pulled up outside Jack�s house. Jack really didn�t feel like being alone and sensed the same feeling from Mitch.
�Do you want to come in, have a drink or something?� Jack asked
�Uh, Yeah, why not?"
Jack and Mitch sat in the living room. Jack was beginning to feel very uncomfortable; he couldn�t think of anything to say.
�So, how are you, Jack?� Mitch saved him
�I�m fine�
�Really?� Mitch looked at him the same way the school councillor had many times before �You have been through more this year than anyone I know, and your �fine�?�
�I can�t deny that his year has been a bit of a bitch, but it�s just something I have to deal with. I�m not going to let it beat me� Jack sighed hoping that he sounded some where near convincing.
�I have a lot of respect for you, Jack. You have done some thing that a lot of people can�t bring themselves to do until they are a lot older than you are� Jack smiled shyly, not really knowing what to say. �You�re a really special guy, Jack McPhee. Do you know that?� Jack began to feel uneasy. How was he supposed to answer that?
�I�m not looking for a medal. Everyone has had a hard year. Joey had her father turn up and leave again. Jen has had to deal with her parents. Pacey and Andie have been through a lot together and Dawson�well, there has been a lot of changes haven�t there? The important thing is that we are all dealing with them� Jack paused �So, that�s what my foot tastes like. I�m sorry� Mitch laughed in response.
�Don�t worry about it, Jack. At least you are honest� Mitch finished his drink.
�Well, I better get going� Jack stood up and walked Mitch to the door. They stood there a minute, not really sure what to say.
�You know, I meant every word I said tonight?� Mitch whispered moving in closer to Jack. Jack was now backed up against the door. Before he knew what was going on, Mitch snaked his hand around the back of Jack�s neck and pulled him in to a kiss. Mitch�s tongue plunged in to Jack�s warm mouth. Jack was too shocked to move, he stood there with Dawson�s dad�s tongue exploring his mouth. Jack tried to pull away, but Mitch was too strong. He was helpless to stop what was going on. Finally Mitch calmly pulled away.
�What the hell do you think you are doing?!� Jack screamed �You have so got the wrong end of the stick!�
�No Jack, I finally have it right� Mitch was so unbelievably calm.
�You have a family, you�ve been married longer than I�ve been alive!�
�Yes, I have a son, but I am no longer married, you know that�
�All I know is that you just kissed me for no apparent reason, I just don�t know why!�
�I have had the biggest crush on you for the longest time, maybe since you moved here. I knew you were gay straight away. And you helped me realise that I am too. I have been hiding my feelings for so long. I know you don�t want to hear it, but you were a large factor in my and Gale�s break up. Now there is nothing stopping us being together� Mitch smiled from ear to ear as he leant in for another kiss. This time Jack managed to dodge it.
�What about the fact that you are a teacher at my school, I�m Dawson�s friend and you are well over double my age?� Jack tried to stare past Mitch.
�They are just small obstacles� Mitch answered more calmly than ever. Jack was stunned.
�I think you should go� Jack opened the door.
�I�ll see you at practise tomorrow� Mitch said before leaving. Jack slammed the door shut before sliding down on to the floor.
�What the hell is going on?!�
Jack opened the front door to reveal Jen standing on the doorstep .
�What took you so long?� he asked
�Jackers, what are you talking about? You only rang me ten minutes ago. I was as quick as I possibly could be� Jen sighed walking through the door and removing her jacket. She knew something wasn�t quite right �Jack, what�s going on? What�s wrong?� she followed Jack into the living room and copied as he sat down.
�To be honest with you. I don�t have a clue what�s going on. Maybe I never woke up this morning, maybe I�m having a nightmare, Maybe�� Jen interrupted
�Jack, calm down and tell me what happened� Jack gulped in some air hoping he would remember how to breathe.
�I had football practice after school. Andie has the car so I accepted a lift home for Mitch Leery. I invited him in, because I felt bad for him, you know being alone. We had a drink and small talk. Then, before he left�he�he�
�Spit it out, Jack. Come on� Jen was on the edge of her seat.
�He�he�kissed me� Jack could no longer hold eye contact with his best friend.
�He what?� Jen was in shock �He kissed you? Why?�
�He said that he has had a crush on me since I moved here, he�s always known I was gay and that I was a large factor in his marital break up. He then said that now there is nothing stopping us being together� Jack paused �Not that there�s any pressure on me or anything� Jack�s voice was dripping with sarcasm. His heart was beating so fast that he thought me might pass out. Jen looked very concerned.
�What did you say, do?� Jen asked.
�I tried to push him off, he had me against the door. I then totally insulted him by saying he was over double my age and way too old� Jack sighed �Jen, what do I do?� Jen looked him straight in the eyes.
�Well Jackers, I know that I am experienced in love or what ever it is I�m experienced in but this�this is way out of my league. You will just have to talk to him�
�Jen, I can�t. I�I don�t know what will happen� Jen suddenly perked up. She looked him in the eyes.
�Oh My God! You actually liked it, didn�t you?� she looked him in the eyes �Oh My God!�
�Jen, calm down, don�t wet yourself!� Jen stared him down �Jen, I don�t know. I mean if he wasn�t nearly forty years old, if he wasn�t Dawson�s dad or my football coach� Jack trailed off �I don�t know�I really don�t know�
�Jack, just think about it�
�Jen, you are here so I don�t have to think about it. Your supposed to help me, not make me dig up hypothetical feelings!� Jack put his head in this hands �Help me, Jen. I need your help!� Jen was stumped, she had no idea what to advise. Jack was a very calm person, but when it came to boys, or in this case men he was a nervous wreck.
�Well Jack, my advise is to let him come to you� Jack gave her an unreadable look. �Maybe he has got home and realised he way over stepped the marker and that will be the end out it�
�Yeah, I guess your right� Jack smiled
�But on the other hand, the taste of your lips may have sent him head over heals in love with you. I wouldn�t be surprised. Jackers, you are drop dead gorgeous� Jen teased.
�Jen, don�t tell me you are falling for me too, Gay or not, I couldn�t handle you!� Jack swiped back. Jen put her hands up laughing.
�Okay, Okay. Look everything will be fine, just relax�
�How can I relax. You have to promise not to tell anyone!�
�Oh! I was really looking forward to seeing Dawson�s face when I told him and grams loves to have a bit of gossip to share at church on Sunday mornings. It�s the highlight of her week�
�God, I don�t know what to do�
�I wouldn�t bother turning to him, from what I�ve heard he doesn�t agree with this sort of thing!�
�I didn�t get any sleep last night. Jack, I�m so excited!� Jen looked like she had main lined her caffeine this morning.
�Excited? What are you on?!� Jack took a deep breath �I feel sick, I didn�t have any sleep either� Jack and Jen both spotted Dawson in the distance �What if he works it out?�
�God Jack, calm down. Just because you are acting weird doesn�t mean that he will jump to the conclusion that you had a lip lock with his dad!� Jen took Jacks hand �You have nothing to worry about. It wasn�t you who brought it on anyway, though you can be a bit of a flirt sometimes!�
�Jen!�
�I�m kidding. If Dawson thinks that you�ve kissed anyone it would be Joey, you know how paranoid he is. Or maybe Pacey, There is definitely something camp about Pace!� They both laughed.
�I don�t know which one he would be most upset about, Mitch, Joey or Pacey!� They carried on walking and laughing until they met with Dawson.
�Woah, you two look like hell. Have a good night?� Dawson asked
�Yeah, a few videos and a girlie chat, isn�t that right Jack?� Jack wasn�t listening
�What�s up with him?� Dawson asked, genuinely concerned
�Oh, truth or dare got the better of him!� Jen joked
�So what were you up to?� Jack asked Dawson when he finally came round, though he wasn�t really interested.
�Well, dad came round and took me out. He was in a really good mood. I think he is hiding something�
�Like what?� Jack asked in a shaky voice
�I think he may have himself a girlfriend� Dawson could hardly finish before Jen burst out laughing, Jack nearly died �What�s so funny?� Dawson asked
�Nothing, I just remembered something Jack told me� Jack glared at her.
�Jen!�
�Well, I would love to know, but I am late for Mr. Leery�s English lesson. See you later guys� Dawson turned and walked away.
�Jen! I knew I shouldn�t have told you, I should have just waited until Andie got home. You can be such a bitch some times!� Jack snapped
�Right back at you!� Jen laughed �Anyway, I know you don�t mean that. Andie would have stayed up all night arranging Mitch a �coming out� party, to which she probably would have invited the whole school with Dawson as the guest of honour!� Jack couldn�t help but laugh.
�You�re probably right�
�Look, Jack, do you want me to come to football practice with you tonight?�
�I thought you were never going to ask� Jack smiled.
Jen sat on a bench watching Jack and the rest of the team practice. Her eyes kept drifting towards Mitch whose eyes were permanently fixed on Jack. She couldn�t make up her mind whether that was sweet or perverted. A 40-year-old man was eyeing up one of his seventeen-year-old students after forcing himself on him the night before. Jen figured that Mitch must be serious about Jack to act like this.
�All right guys, that�s it. You�re free to go!� Mitch yelled to the team of players on the pitch. Jack went straight to Jen.
�So, what do you think?� Jack asked
�Well, your game was a bit off� Jen replied
�Jen, you know I didn�t mean my game�
�Well, he likes you all right. I don�t think he took his eyes off you once� Jen looked round �And Jackers�that includes now� Jack turned to meet Mitch�s gaze.
�Christ! I�m going for a shower� Jack rushed off leaving Jen on the pitch. Before she had the sense to leave Mitch approached her. He smiled shyly.
�You know, don�t you?� Mitch asked calmly.
�Know what?� Jen asked trying to laugh.
�You do� Mitch sighed
�I know you have totally freaked Jack out. I know he didn�t sleep a wink last night worrying and I know that you�re in love with him�
�Is there anything you don�t know?� Mitch laughed
�I don�t know how he feels, he won�t tell me. I don�t think he knows himself� Jen looked Mitch straight in the eyes �If you really care for him, you have to let him know, just don�t do it in a way that will scare him off. When it comes to relationships Jack is a bag of nerves� Jen sighed.
�I do care about him, a lot. But he made he made it very clear that he doesn�t feel the same� Mitch replied
�You scared him Mitch. He was expecting it. When it comes to Jack you have to ignore the words that are coming out of his mouth and listen to his eyes. Jack�s eyes are like a book; you just have to learn how to read them. They never lie� Jen paused �If you think about it, he has never had a guy tell him they love him, ever. Then all of a sudden his football coach, Dawson�s dad, a man who�no offence�could actually be his father kisses him, comes out to him and tells him he was a large part of why his marriage broke up all in the space of, I don�t know, three minutes� Mitch put his head in his hands.
�Looking back on it, it wasn�t the best way to go about things was it?� Mitch paused �Oh, God. He musty be really freaked out�
�Bingo! You better get in there and talk to him� Mitch turned to walk away
�Remember, baby steps� They both laughed
�Thanks� Mitch smiled
�Go get him� Mitch walked away �It�s always the gorgeous ones isn�t it? Always� Jen laughed to herself.
Mitch walked into the locker room almost sure that Jack would be the only one left in there. It was a locker room joke. �Jack took longer than a girl�. Mitch had always found this fascinating. All he did was shower and change, but it easily took him over an hour. Mitch was right, Jack was standing infront of his locker with his back to Mitch, and there was no one else around. Jack�s hair was dripping wet and he was dressed in only a white towel from his waste down to his knees. Mitch felt his heart skip a beat, he was viewing the image of perfection.
�Jack?� Jack spun round, startled by some ones unexpected presence.
�I didn�t know anyone was still here� Jack said sheepishly.
�We need to talk�
�No, I need to get dressed� Jack replied as he took his clothes round behind a block of lockers to dress in privacy. �What is it you want to talk about?� Jack asked as he reappeared wearing only his jeans.
�Jack, I�m sorry� Mitch paused to take breath �I�m sorry that I freaked you out and I�m sorry that you didn�t sleep last night worrying. But I�m not sorry and never will be sorry for kissing you� Mitch sighed. �Do you ever feel that if you don�t act on your feelings you�re going to explode? That�s how I felt. You must understand what it�s like to keep a secret�
�Is this all some kind of joke, because I think I�ve lost my sense of humour?� Jack asked dead seriously. Jack instantly saw the pain in Mitch�s eyes.
�It�s no joke Jack. I think I�m in love with you� Jack stared at Mitch before wordlessly sinking to the floor with his head in his hands. �Jack?�
�What do you expect me to say, oh great, when do you want to meet my homophobic parents?� Jack said sarcastically �It�s not that easy!�
�Jack, just listen to me, don�t say anything, just listen� Mitch looked at Jack waiting for a sign of agreement. �I know I have freaked you out and I know you are probably really scared, I am too. But I can�t hide my feeling anymore, I am willing to risk everything for you. I love you�
�How can you love me? You don�t even know me!� Jack asked
�I know enough. I know that you have had a very tough year and I am sorry to throw this at you when things are beginning to calm down. I know your kind, caring and loving. I know that you would do anything to protect your friends. They are all factors of why I have fallen head over heals in love with you� Mitch paused �I really hope you feel for me just a fraction of what I feel for you, If you do we can sort things out. But if you can tell me now, without any hesitation that you feel nothing for me, I will walk away and never bother you again� Mitch looked at Jack �Just remember, someday you will have to put your thoughts and feelings over your friends'. Why can�t that day be today?� Mitch and Jack sat in silence. Suddenly Jack stood up.
�I don�t feel anything for you� Jack said tonelessly. Mitch tried to catch Jack�s wondering gaze.
�Why won�t you look at me?� Mitch asked
�What?�
�You�re scared that your eyes will give you away�
�What are you talking about?�
�Some wise woman told me to ignore what comes out of your mouth and just listen to your eyes� Mitch stood up and instantly saw panic in Jack�s face. �I want you to say it again, just this time, look me in the eyes� Mitch moved so close to Jack that he could feel the heat from his still damp body. �Well, go on�
�I�I don�t�Why are you doing this to me?� Jack whimpered.
�Just say it and it will all be over�
�I�I�� Jack grabbed Mitch and pulled him in to a kiss. Mitch felt Jack near collapse in his arms. When they finally broke away, Jack�s face was streaming with tears. �You couldn�t just leave it, could you?� Mitch pulled him in to a hug, feeling his smooth skin against his arms.
�No, I love you�
�I�I think�I...like you too� Jack breathed in Mitch �I�m going to kill Jen. Why did she have to tell you about my eyes?� Mitch laughed
�I think that it is lucky that she did. I also think you should tell me what you are feeling. I mean, I�ve poured my heart out twice now� Jack looked around the locker room.
�Can we go somewhere else?�
�Sure�
Mitch unlocked the door to his flat and motioned for Jack to enter.
�Sit down� Mitch said. Jack did as he was told. He looked so nervous, almost as if he was going to faint. �God, Jen was right, you really do get nervous� Mitch couldn�t help but laugh at the sight infront of him. �Okay Jack, spill. I have to know how you feel� Jack was so pale �Jack, calm down. Take your time� A minute or so passed before Jack spoke.
�I�I didn�t want to admit I liked you because�because I have no idea how this is going to work. I don�t want to hurt anyone or get hurt myself, but all I see that is going to happen is that everyone will get hurt. I don�t want to be responsible for that. For the first time in ages everything is nice and calm and this is going to change all that, for everyone, I know it will. This isn�t just about us. What about Dawson, Gale, my dad, Andie? How do you think they will react?�
�Jack, I just want to get one thing straight. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. We could always try things out, slowly. There would be no need to tell anyone at first. We could just tell people when we have to�
�You�re forgetting who already knows� Jack laughed �And Andie, she�s going to notice, isn�t she?�
�As I said before, they are just obstacles. Just like my age� Jack went from white to red.
�I�m really, really sorry about what I said before, though�it will be a problem�
�Don�t worry about what you said, every word was true. It will be hard, I�m not going to pretend that they won�t be, but it will be fine, I promise!� Mitch learned in for another kiss, which Jack greedily excepted.
To be continued...