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Jack's chosen a sandwich place to take Jane to lunch. One of the local ones, and not the cheapest he could find, either. Apparently he wants to treat his sibling, or something. He's there early, looking all businessy, tapping away on his phone while he waits for Jane.
Jane shows up with a smile still on her face, looking just a little less ready to punch the world than usual. "Hey, you. I got your interview on DVR if you want to watch it the replay. If that's not gonna drive you crazy with thinking about what you shoulda-woulda-coulda said."
"I'm still thinking about what I shoulda-woulda-coulda said." He makes a face at her. "Plus I dunno if I'd be able to stand the sound of my own voice. I...think it went okay, though? I don't think I forgot any of the important shit."
"Bruh. It went pretty damned well. I was impressed by how well you kept your cool. You didn't look like you were gonna vomit like you did during that play in fourth grade."
"Look. There were extenuating circumstances there." He's mock indignant, and shakes his head. "And probably undiagnosed anxiety, but who's counting?"
"Right, but let's be real, have you gone and seen a shrink to get that diagnosis since then? Okay, maybe when you snuck off to rehab, nevermind, I retract the question. That's not even the point of today. Sandwiches, praising you for being fucking awesome, and maybe, just maybe, some gossip."
The way Jack shifts, when Jane mentions a shrink, and the way he winces and his breath hitches when they mention rehab make it clear that it might not be the whole story. Even if he's been letting them believe it.
"I'll take all the praise I can get, I just hope it fucking does something. Getting down to the wire, staring at a strike...but. I wanna hear this gossip."
She purses her lips slightly, but doesn't pry yet. "Sandwich first. I've been at fucking work all morning, didn't have time for breakfast..."
"Fiiine." He sighs. "...I may have had coffee for breakfast, so you're not alone." He orders a ham and swiss panini at the counter and finds a corner table to sit in. A little more private, for gossip, but he can easily see the door. And most of the rest of the place.
Of course, this puts her back to the room, and that's not entirely comfy, but she lets him have that view after the slightest hesitation. "I met your Lux, by the way. Cute. Definitely your type."
"My Lux?" He raises his eyebrows, but his cheeks have flushed.
"The Lux who is a partner of yours." She smirks. "Wasn't the best timing to do a meeting, I'd just kinda chewed a guy up for being a guy. But."
"They're pretty good at making any timing good timing. And they're just - we're fucking. They're not my partner. Glad they have...your approval?" Do they? He's honestly asking. Twin approval is important.
Even if, you know. They're not partners. Just fucking.
"Ah, just fucking. My mistake." She lets out a laugh.
"What?" More mock indignance. "That's all it is, 's not like we go on dates and shit. Did...they say otherwise?"
"No. Issue's on my end, I have trouble picturing what 'just fucking' looks like. Too ace to function, I'm afraid."
"Mmm. We...we're friends who like to rip each other's clothes off, I guess. I don't know." He makes a face. "Not in a relationship, I don't have time for those, I don't want one."
"Ah. I might maybe sorta-kinda be in one, maybe?" She wibbles a hand uncertainly mid-air. "A girl had me over to watch kung fu movies with her last night, and I kinda fell asleep in her arms, and then we slept together."
Beat.
"Slept-slept, not sex."
"Yeah I figured - but that sounds like a nice fucking date. And you think it miiight be a relationship...?" He trails off, inviting her to continue.
"I mean, maybe. Actually, she mentioned meeting you, her name is Mei?"
There's a half second before the pieces click into place, and he nods slowly. "Mei - yeah. She's...telepathic?"
"I mean, that's not the only reason I like her, but she is strongly psychically gifted." Jane shrugs.
"That's about all I know about her. She seems pretty decent though. What d'you like about her?" Jack settles back to listen to his sibling gush, if that's what she's planning on doing.
Jane blushes warmly. "I like how determined she is to see things through that are important to her. I like her sense of duty. I like how warm she is, when I rest my head on her shoulder, or when she's resting on mine. She's got a great sense of humor, and good taste in movies, and there's a lot of things she's into that I'm not, so I feel like I'm always learning from her."
"Man, Janey, you've got a crush." He grins, teasing. "I'm assuming she knows about the whole ace thing? And the gender...whatever?"
"Yeah. She, uh, might be grey ace herself. Like, sex is a thing she's okay with, but not something she's really out seeking. So, that's a plus. And...like. The gender thing, I've talked to her about and she gets that I'm a work in progress. Really fucking supportive."
"'Really fucking supportive's about as good as it gets, for a potential partner. Aw Janey I hope that shit works out. 'Cause it sounds like you two are a good fit."
"Shit, Jack. I don't know what working out is going to look like long term, given all the givens. But I know that I like being around her." She is still blushing.
"Hey, that's all that matters right now. All the other shit'll work out as you get to it. Or it won't, but," he shrugs, "right now, you got a good thing. And I'm maybe even a little jealous." He reaches out to boop her nose, mostly joking.
She snaps her teeth at his booping finger, deliberately not even kinda getting close.
"Thanks, Jack. Your advice means a lot, even if you don't relationship these days, I guess."
"I mean I hope your older brother's advice means something." That shit-eating grin of his is back. "Even if I can't pull that 'don't fuck with my sibling or I'll fuck with you' card the way you can."
"I did tell Lux I'd break their face if they broke your heart. You expect no less of me." She winks.
"Yeah, they said. I'd be a little worried if you didn't say it. They also said you're cooler than me, but...I dunno if I believe them."
She laughs brightly. "Do the kids even still use 'cool' these days?"
"No fucking clue, honestly. Were you and Lux able to talk about gender shit?"
"Uh, only a little. A couple of their friends came in, and like, even if they vouched for these people, I wasn't going to be able to talk myself out in front of them the same." She wrinkles her nose. "No big deal, though."
"Mmph. They know a lotta people," Jack nods. "If you can ever catch 'em on their own, I hope you get some good shit out of it. Wish I could help more, but...it's really not the same."
a beat.
"I mean. Some of it is. But. You know."
"I mean, I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not sure my 'loud shrugging' experience of nonbinary identity is the same as Lux's experience, at the end of the day, and like...that's okay, actually."
"That's...that's fair, yeah. It's a pretty fucking big umbrella, and you're two...very different people." He chuckles.
"Thank fuck for that. If you were screwing someone who 's exactly the same as me, that'd be fucking weird, Jack." She grins, making a joke of it.
"Oh Jesus I didn't even...eugh," he shudders. "Multiple steps weirder and worse than fucking a clone."
"Okay, but would you fuck your clone?" She laughs at the idea.
"Mmmm...." He's taking entirely too long to think about this seriously. "I gotta few questions, first. But I also gotta head out - and I'm not just saying that to avoid answering."
"More union business, then? Kick their asses, Jack, or I'll come do it for you."
"No one I'd want more on the front lines with me, Janey. You'll strike with us? If it comes to that?"
"Without fucking hesitation. But also, like, I was serious about offering to call some toughs, before the big guy got grumpy about the idea of the possibility of there maybe being someone ready for violence."
"I...I might take you up on that. 'Cause I'm not an idiot, I know we gotta plan for violence. I don't wanna have to do that, but...it's a real fucking possibility."
"Just lemme know with enough advance warning to call a couple guys." She nods. "Now, go do business, make me proud."
"Will do." He wraps this half sandwich up for later, and waves on his way out the door.
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