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Your friendship with Jett begins more like a rivalry. The two of you are in constant competition on missions, fighting to be the best. It’s lighthearted for the most part, but you would be lying if you didn’t think it got a little heated sometimes.
“Nice job out there, you almost caught up to me,” Jett says with a smirk as all of you meet back up after the mission.
“In no way is that fair. You only got ahead because you didn’t listen to Brimstone.” You would have won today, but Brimstone ordered people to fall back and let the fight come to them. You weren’t supposed to go out and pick fights. Jett, however, rushed in anyways and, of course, it worked out perfectly for her.
“Not my fault you agreed to fight like a coward.” There’s no real venom behind her words, she says it with a smile, and you know that she would rather you play safe anyways; but you still can’t shake the frustration with her.
“Whatever,” you relent. You’ll just win next time.
You do win next time and it isn’t because you don’t listen to orders. You’re just able to cover more ground quicker.
Jett is waiting with the group, talking to Phoenix when you all return and you’re eager to wipe that smug grin off her face.
“You can’t win them all, y/n, it’s okay, maybe you’ll come close next time,” she says as you approach. Before you can even speak, Yoru is already talking behind you.
“They did win. They were ahead by fifteen.”
Phoenix laughs as Jett sputters in disbelief. You aren’t surprised that the others have caught on to your competitions, but you are surprised by the fact that they seem to be keeping track.
“It’s okay, Jett, maybe you’ll come close next time,” you echo back her earlier words to her. She scoffs. You get a sense of satisfaction from watching her storm off, Phoenix running after her as he laughs.
Your competitions do not stop even when at the training range. The two of you fight against the maxbot, taking turns attempting to beat it faster than each other. So far, the two of you are tied.
Each time you watch Jett take out the bot with such elegance and ease, you feel your stomach turn in jealousy. It’s like she doesn’t even have to try. The way she jumps into the air and floats there like it's nothing, throwing each knife with sharp precision. How pretty she looked while fighting so effortlessly. Everything she did was so hot. It wasn’t fair. Maybe it wasn’t jealousy… maybe it was envy? You weren’t sure, but you were certain that whatever it was, you didn’t like the way it left your stomach in knots.
You ignored the warmth in your face when she left the training room, the maxbot behind her disarmed once again. You find yourself staring at her lips that are turned up into a smirk for just a moment too long.
“Do they always do this?” Yoru asks, watching the two of you take turns beating up the bot.
“All the time. Honestly, I don’t know how either of them don’t realize it yet. Almost everyone can tell.” Phoenix answers. He’s watched the two of you do this many times before, the tension growing more and more each time. Even when the two of you were out on missions, it was so glaringly obvious that the two of you were head over heels for each other.
“Maybe they need a little push.”
Phoenix stared at Yoru with a grin. He didn’t think he would be the type to meddle in things like this, but he was so down. Thus began the plan to get the two of you to realize that your rivalry was actually just the two of you not knowing how to process your own feelings.
“What do you say? You up to the challenge?” Yoru has just finished proposing the idea of a competition. Him and Phoenix taking on the maxbot, vs. you and Jett; seeing who could do it faster.
You share a look with Jett who looks interested.
“Bring it,” she says, always eager to win.
Phoenix and Yoru are up first. They easily take it out in only five minutes. You and Jett are definitely able to beat that, You and Jett’s personal records sit around the two-minute mark. Phoenix and Yoru watch the two of you as you fight, but once they know for sure that the two of you are beating it, they lock the door. Killjoy had told them how to do it, also dying to get the two of you to see how lovesick you were.
Sure enough, the two of you beat it in record time. One minute and thirty-nine seconds. The two of you high-five each other, but the moment you turn to gloat at the other two, you realize that they’re nowhere to be found.
“Couldn’t face defeat, huh?” Jett says, walking towards the door. She stops there, confused when the door doesn’t budge when she attempts to open it. “Are you kidding?” She gives a few more shoves before giving up and turning back to you. “Those idiots locked us in.”
“What? Why?”
“Probably some dumb prank.” She goes to grab her phone, only to remember that she had left it on the table outside, conveniently right where you had left yours too. “Shit. Well, we’re stuck here till they come back to let us out, or until someone else comes by.” She sits down against the wall, and you follow suit beside her.
Something about being alone with her like this makes you nervous for some reason. You try to ignore it.
“You’re pretty impressive, you know that?” Jett admits, and it catches you off-guard to hear her sound so genuine. She isn’t looking at you, eyes trained pointedly on the floor.
“Thanks, you know you’re really cool too. I don’t say it a lot, but I really appreciate you. I feel like you’re always pushing me to be better.” You feel vulnerable, and when you look up you see the faintest hint of pink on Jett’s cheeks.
“You too. I don’t think I could do half of what I do if I- …” She stops abruptly, expression slightly shocked, but you’re unsure why.
“What?” You attempt to press her.
“No, it’s nothing. I don’t know what I was saying.”
“I don’t believe you. What was it?” You keep pressing. You aren’t sure what it is you’re hoping to hear. There’s a bit more silence before Jett’s eyes meet yours.
“I don’t think I could do half of what I do if I wasn’t always trying to impress you. I know you probably just see it as some normal competition, but I really want you to think I’m cool.” She’s definitely blushing now, and it matches yours.
“You don’t have to do all that to make me think you're ‘cool’,” you laugh a little. “I do the same thing. I thought that if I could win enough then you would think that I was worth your time.” Jett laughs, and you’re worried for a moment before she speaks.
“Worth my time? Y/n, you don’t have to prove that. I like being around you. I really like being around you. Every time you would win and you would shine with that big smile you do, I wanted nothing more than to kiss you. I was just too scared to say anything because I didn’t want to ruin what we had.”
“Trust me, you aren’t ruining anything,” you reassure with a smile. “But you’re telling me I could have been getting kisses as my prize this whole time if I wasn’t such a coward?” The two of you laugh. You realize how close the two of you have moved to each other as you spoke. Her hand rests against your cheek.
“I mean, I could give you a few now to make up for the ones you missed,” You’re blushing, and so is she, but the two of you are grinning at each other.
“I think I would like that a lot,” you say.
The kisses are soft, but they hold so much emotion and words that have gone unspoken for the past two months or so. When you part, the two of you are giggling. It’s hard to believe that you two went this long pining after each other without even realizing it.
You both hear the click of the door unlocking, followed by immediate footsteps as whoever unlocked it begins to run away, presumably expecting to be followed by a pissed-off Jett. She rolls her eyes, and stands up, reaching out a hand to help pull you up with her.
“We can get them back later,” she says, to which you agree with a smile.
With a new prize to motivate you now, you take the competitions a lot more seriously. Not that it matters too much, because the prize is much the same if either of you wins.