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“Come on,” Quint practically begged Jack at this point because this was just borderline ridiculous.
Ever since he was left in the supermarket they went to three days ago, Jack has refused to leave Quint alone. Literally . It was a bit frustrating, but Quint figured that it may have something to do with Jack not wanting to be alone any more and projecting his family leaving him unto Quint, but this was just ridiculous.
“I need those parts for the next cannonballs we have as a night defense,” he explained once again, trying to appeal to Jack’s fun side. He mentioned cannon balls deliberately for that.
“Just let June and Dirk find it,” Jack wasn’t even looking at him.
Quint sighed, “We can’t have the both of them to always be the ones to look for supplies.”
“Fine, we can all go tomorrow.”
“Then who’s going to defend the tree house?”
It wasn’t so long ago when Jack constantly wanted to go out, especially with June, but now it seemed like Jack only wanted to laze around. It wasn’t something new since Quint has known Jack for some time now, but it felt as if Jack was afraid of losing Quint, too. Quint knew he shouldn’t be angry, which was why he tried to understand that Jack just wanted to keep Quint safe. They were more than just friends after all. They were family.
“Okay, okay,” Jack seemed to relent, finally looking at Quint’s eyes after ignoring it to opt for playing video games. “We’ll go out. Have June and Dirk stay here.”
Smiling and punching the air, Quint screamed, “Yes!” Running out, he went to get his needed stuff, not seeing the blush on his best friend’s face.
~~
Jack had run out of excuses at this point, and that smile was a bit too unfair if someone asked him. Of course, he could no longer take back his words.
“So there should be a small store right around the corner right there,” the voice perked up, probably thinking about getting more items. Jack wondered if there was a time before when Quint has ever used that tone when talking about Jack. “Here, here. Stop right here.”
Jack felt Quint’s hand on his shoulders, touching him lightly to probably signal him to stop, but the supposedly innocent touch made Jack jerk back.
“What the-,” Quint reacted at the same time, shocked at Jack’s own surprise. “Are you alright?” Quint retracted his hand and Jack saw the hesitation in his best friend’s eyes.
Frowning, Jack turned to face the door. “We better go fast,” he mentioned before rushing out of the pick-up.
~~
Quint was considered smart, but he never really read people right. At first, he thought that Jack was just projecting his family unto him. That was what he thought until this morning, but Jack jerking back to his touch was surprising. Jack, now avoiding him, is much more confusing.
“Are you angry at me?” he asked out of nowhere as they were on the way out of the hardware store, Jack was walking at a faster pace in front of him.
“N-No,” stutter. Jack was nervous. “What makes you think that?”
If Jack didn’t want to talk about it then he wouldn’t, but Quint was kind of disappointed. With a sigh he responded, walking to the passenger seat. “Nothing.”
As Quint saw Jack start the ignition, he saw how visibly slow Jack’s movements were. The first turn of the car keys didn’t work, but the engine revved or a moment. Another try and that’s the time the vehicle came to life, but even then, Jack didn’t even start driving, yet.
“You alright?” he couldn’t help but think that it was going to take a long time before everything went back to normal.
“Wanna go on a detour?”
~~
Jack really didn’t know where to go, but he wanted to take Quint somewhere where they can be alone. He hadn’t had alone time with his friend for some time now.
“Cereals!” Quint exclaimed with an audible smile, and Jack’s heart squeezed. “Thanks for bringing me back here, man.”
Jack forced a smile as guilt enveloped him. When he reasoned that he wanted Quint to at least see his home so he wouldn’t be homesick, it was just an excuse. He didn’t know that it would be an effective one. “Of course man,” he lied. He lied and he hated it. “Anytime.”
This was just a crush. A crush! Yet, for some reason, Jack knew that he had lesser chances with Quint, that he ever had with June. Which was saying a lot because now that he thought back on it, he had no chance with June at all! Jack cringed as he remembered how embarrassing he was before.
“The sun is setting,” Quint said, as he faced the sunset, his back was what Jack could see.
“Yeah,” was the only thing he could say. He racked his brain for anything else, but Quint, as always, was there to help him. As Quint always does in his life.
“We should go back.”
Wait, no. That was not how he wanted this to go. Whatever this was.
“Do we?” Jack turned around, not trusting himself to lie when facing Quint. He usually could, but ever since his realization, the truth just blurts out of his mouth. Finding the microwave, Jack looked at the refrigerator and checked for some leftover food. “We could sleepover. It might be dangerous at night.”
“True, but it’s not like we haven’t gone out at night before.”
Not the way I want , his brain said, and Jack was thankful for the filter in his mouth.
“Also, you know there’s nothing edible there any more. We haven’t been here for three months.”
“The electricity never failed, food might have been preserved.”
“That’s disgusting and you know it.”
“Hey, I’m a survivalist!” Jack made the mistake to turn around and look at Quint with a smile. Quint was smiling back at him and with the sunset behind his back, Quint’s dark skin shone in a way he never saw it before. It was the color of sweet chocolate and Jack was but a five-year-old sweet tooth deprived of his cravings.
“There’s the Jack, I know.”
Hearing those words made him snap back to reality.
“You’re right, maybe we should go back home.”
~~
“You’re a genius!” Jack heard Quint’s loud voice as he spoke with Dirk. Dirk .
Before he could even enter the tree house once again just to see what was happening, a hand was keeping him in place. “Don’t you dare,” June warned and Jack tried to get out of the tight hold to no avail.
“Let me go, June.”
“Or what?” Jack shut his mouth. “Look, Jack, let Quinn have some fun, will you?”
“What do you know about fun?” he didn’t mean to snap, but he could help it either. “Look, just let me go, will you?”
“You can’t go in there. It’s our turn for lookout.”
Fighting off the sneer out that was forcing itself out, Jack reluctantly sat down instead. It took a few moments of silence, before he exhaled his frustration out. “I’ll just be a moment alright?”
“What do you plan to do anyway?”
“Can’t Quinn and I be partnered up for lookout next time?”
A knowing smirk matched June’s brow raise. Jack always thought it was cute before. H didn’t know what he was thinking. “If I recall correctly, you were the one who arranged this,” June pointed at the both of them. “ Partnership .”
Yeah, and doesn’t he just regret that now. With frustration, Jack sighed.
“I’m okay with it though,” Jack looked up with hope. “Under one condition.”
Jack gulped, nervous but enthusiastic. “Wh-what?”
“Tell me how you came to like Quinn.”
Feeling the blood rush to his face, Jack stammered.
~~
June del Toro was bisexual, but she wasn’t out. She never kept it as a piece of hidden information, but it wasn’t something he offered either. The first time she found out that she liked a girl, she thought it was a natural thing until she saw how oppressed people were if they were out of the norm, and so she strived hard. Harder than she ever had just, so she could love to everyone that her sexuality isn’t a definition of who she was. That’s when the apocalypse came.
“Are you sure?” Jack Sullivan asked, and June wasn’t going to lie if this was the same conviction he had when he had a crush on her, maybe June would have given it shot, but that was something of the past.
Smiling, June gave Jack a pat on the shoulder as a sign of camaraderie. “Go give it a shot, Casanova.” Jack turned to stand up, but June held the guy’s hand. “Not now, idiot. After lookout.”
~~
“Can I ask a question?” It was probably valid to ask permission first because June and Dirk asking Quint to enter the treehouse with all smiles was skeptical enough, but with Jack nowhere to be seen, it wasn’t his fault if he was a tad bit wary.
“Just go up, Baker. “
He held his hands up as a sign of defeat at June del Toro’s famous tone of demand. “Alright, alright.”
Climbing up the treehouse made him feel anxious to see what got his friends to just led him up like he was a sort of sacrifice. If he didn’t trust them enough, he would have run away by now.
The smell of lavender tickled his ear and grew stronger as he climbed further. When he reached the top he saw his best friend sitting down with, was that a candlelit dinner?
“Ohhh!” Everything clicked for him. So that was why June didn’t want to go up. She must have seen the preparations and didn’t know how to say no anymore.
“Quint!” Jack looked at him and his outfit looked, well different. It wasn’t very jack-like if you ask Quint, but he guessed maybe it was what ladies went for. “Um-” jack was standing on one side of the table, holding a seat, as if to offer it to a date.
“Sorry man,” Quint rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. “June may have seen your preparations, so she asked me to come up.”
“What? No- I.”
“I think I can help you convince her though. Dirk and I can-”
“No!” the scream resounded and echoed around the wooden walls. Jack immediately slapped his mouth. “I- I mean.”
Quint was curious now. “What’s wrong. Is this all getting to you?”
“N-No, I just-”
“Jack-”
“I like you!” Quint frowned. “I like you, Quint.” He seemed relieved having said that.
Confused, but thankful, Quint answered. “I like you too?”
There seemed to be a sense of relief in Jack’s eyes before Quint saw the guy shake his head. “No I- I don’t think we’re on the same page.”
“Jack,” Quint didn’t understand what else there was to understand. “We’ve been friends for a long time now. Are you doubting me now?” Jack looked frustrated, and Quint wondered if he should actually leave now. He looked at the exit to the ground, peeking if he could see either Dirk or June. “Look I didn’t mean to crash your date, but I can bring June--”
Before he could finish his words, he felt a warm hand hold his own and place it on a clothed part of Jack’s body. Quint saw Jack hold his right hand still with both of Jack’s as Jack forced Quint’s hand open-palmed on Jack’s chest.
“I like you,” the statement was repeated and Quint could see Jack look at him with serious, slightly desperate eyes. That was when the realization hit him.
“Oh,” was all Quint could say, feeling himself at a loss for words.
“I like you not as a friend but--” not wanting to hear it for fear of shock, Quint reflexively covered Jack’s mouth with his free hand.
“Y-Yeah. I get it now,” he said instead. “So this is our dinner?” Quint felt Jack nod under his touch, and he let out a breath he didn’t know he held. “Okay,” he let the information process first. “Okay.” It hasn’t fully processed yet, but it was sinking in somewhat. “Let’s eat then?”