Arms Room *Handwavey*, Monday night.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack came back for Emma, of course.

Emma was shiny.

And seemed bizarrely unconcerned by that fact.

Jack didn't give her time to explain or talk him out of it; he was back in Fandom on the first portal. He didn't want to think about what it had cost -- whatever it was, it was worth it.

He texted Emma and settled in front of the minibar to wait.

Comments

[bitten_notshy]

"Nothing!" Jack said, coloring a bit. He hadn't meant to blurt that; he just hated knowing he'd never, ever have powers.

"Just -- I'm angry at myself. I've barely been gone a month and things keep happening to you and I can't do anything until after the fact. It bothers me."

[icecoldfrost]

Emma's eyes widened in surprise. "You're jealous!" she exclaimed, getting just a trickle of the emotion she would normally be feeling.

"Jealous and ridiculous. I wasn't made for a quiet life, Jack, no more than you are. Even if I wasn't a mutant, things would always happen."

[bitten_notshy]

"I've managed to go a very long time without almost getting myself killed. It's not the same at all," Jack protested. "And I am not jealous."

[icecoldfrost]

"Bullshit. You flirt with death every single night," Emma pointed out, her tone slightly sharper. "If you ask the wrong question during an investigation sometime, am I ever even going to find out?"

Because Emma was totally talking about Jack's knack for adventure and intrigue, and not his taste in vampires.

[bitten_notshy]

Jack knew exactly what Emma was talking about, which was why he stiffened. He knew, and Emma knew he knew, why he couldn't say Sebastien would never... the way he would have a year ago.

"I would hope so," he said coolly. "Sebastien has a list of people to contact. You're on it. Besides, that's ordinary danger. You have a way of finding extraordinary kinds."

[icecoldfrost]

"Jack, you could not do anything in an ordinary fashion if your life depended on it." Ordinary people were boring. Emma never would have fallen in with him, if he hadn't been extraordinary in his own way.

[bitten_notshy]

Flattery, as it so often did, worked its magic on Jack. "All right," he said slowly. "And thank you. But -- call me? If you ever stop being calm about all of this."

[icecoldfrost]

"You'll be one of the first I call," she promised. Not the first, because if she started freaking out badly, she might need Karla or Sookie to help keep her telepathy under control, but Jack was definately near the top of the list.

"But see? I am completely fine." She poked at her own arm to demonstrate. "I haven't been cold or sleepy or even hungry since I changed."

[bitten_notshy]

"What about angry?" Jack asked skeptically. "Sad? Afraid? Lustful, even?"

He still thought something was more wrong than Emma was letting on.

[icecoldfrost]

Emma gave him a Look. "Lustful? No, I can't say that I have. Mostly the whole running from things that wanted to kill me prevented any of that sort of thing."

"Angry, yes. Annoyed and cranky when people stare."

[bitten_notshy]

"Having any normal human drives," Jack clarified, rolling his eyes. She'd dragged him into bed in the wake of danger a time or two, he was certain of it. "Cranky over being looked at might suffice."

He didn't quite believe so, but arguing with her was making about as much headway as arguing with the rock she resembled would.

[icecoldfrost]

Right. She had dragged him to bed. Emma would most likely argue that it was equal-opportunity pouncing, when it came to the two of them.

"I'm most likely simply over-stressed, and this will clear itself up in a day or two."

[bitten_notshy]

Equal-opportunity, yes. The point was: There had been pouncing. And she hadn't even tried to kiss him when he came in.

(Not that he'd given her a kiss either, but he wasn't the giant diamond. He was following her lead this time.)

"I hope so," Jack said -- then, flippantly, added, "And if it doesn't, perhaps you can find yourself a lovely career as a paperweight, or doing that street performance living sculpture thing."

[icecoldfrost]

"I am not going to become a mime!" Oh look, Jack had just earned himself a look of complete horror. There was some emotion in that hard, sparkly case somewhere.

[bitten_notshy]

"Really?" Oh, Jack was going to take advantage of this opportunity to laugh. "All right. You could ... rent yourself out as a very high-class window alternative."

He was helping! Really!

[icecoldfrost]

Emma picked up one of the pillows off the bed and threw it at him. "You are a horrible, loathsome boy, and I have no idea why I like you."

[bitten_notshy]

Jack was happy to have gotten a reaction. He dodged the power.

"Because no houses fall on you when I'm around, Miss Frost," he teased. "I'm your good luck charm, aren't I?"

[icecoldfrost]

"More like a bad penny," she retorted. "Always showing up and causing trouble."

[bitten_notshy]

"Which is why," Jack said, flirting outrageously, "you're so desperately in love with me, darling."

He wasn't sure why he was poking at Emma. It was better than the nothing he got when he tried to be serious.

[icecoldfrost]

"First you're fussy, now you're being deliberately absurd," Emma scolded, teasing him back. "Perhaps I ought to check you for signs of a head-injury, with how changeable you are."

[bitten_notshy]

"Perhaps your brilliant beauty has dazzled me to the point where I don't know what I'm saying," Jack said. "Besides, I thought you weren't enjoying the fussing. You 'can wait', remember?"