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Eric R. Bittle was having a difficult day. Midterms were coming up, and he was stressed to hell. He was currently holding up in the library studing for this calculus class he was apparently taking. In the corner off to the side Ransom was curled into a ball with Holster sitting next to him. Warding off would-be Tony Abbots that would disturb the delicate coral reef.
The source of Bitty’s difficult day was one tall gorgeous Canadian gentleman who was sitting opposite him. Why was this a problem you ask? Because this amazing hockey player was a straight boy. Who Bitty had the misfortune of falling in love with.
“Bittle are you on Twitter again?”
“No, absolutely not. I’m just really confused about something in this book,” he said to quickly cover up his staring.
“Here, let me help you,” Jack said eagerly as he switched from sitting across from Bitty. Bitty blushed ever so slightly, and he could feel the back of his neck start to do the same.
“Oh Jack, you don’t have to do that. I’ll just need to bake a little less and study a little bit more,” Bitty squeaked out while covering up his neck.
“No, we can’t have that… The frogs woul starve,” and then Jack Zimmerman was smiling and joking with him.
“Jack Laurent Zimmerman did you just make a joke?”
Jack didn’t say anything but just smiled a tiny pleased smile. It melted Bitty’s heart and he just closed his looks before putting them in his bag.
“Bits?”
“Well come on Jack, that celebratory pie isn’t going to bake itself.”
Jack also scrambled up, and Bitty tried to ignore the fond tight feeling, but he had a feeling it was going to be very tough to get over Jack Zimmerman. And Jack wasn’t making it any easier with his nice face and butt, and his personality. Even his enthusiasm for Bitty’s pies, was ridiculously endearing. He was talking excitedly about how much better Bitty weas getting at checking. Occasionally his excitement would get really big and he would say something in French. Each time he did so Bitty’s heart clenched just the tiniest bit tighter. When they got back to the Haus, Chowder was looking through the fridge for something to eat.
“Bitty, you’re back!”
“Yep, and about to make a celebratory pie.”
Shitty wandered through the kitchen at that moment, with boxers on this time.
“Who’s getting a celebratory pie?”
“Jack, for making a joke.”
Shitty raised an eyebrow deliberately at Jack. Jack in turn looked at Shitty.
“Jack my bro, can I have a chat with you, out in the hallway?”
Jack reluctantly left the room. Chowder looked confusedly at Bitty who shrugged and started making the celebratory pie that he knew that Jack would like. When Jack came back into the room, he looked faintly determined, but Bitty chalked it up to that being Jack’s resting face. Shitty came in after him, looking proud while he looked at Jack. That was just a little bit more unusual, but not really.
“Your pie is almost done,” he said as he opened the oven door just a little. When he turned around Chowder was looking back and forth between Bitty and Jack with the occasional glance at Shitty.
“Are you okay Chowder?”
“Yeah! Totally, I’ve just go to go do some programming thing, I’ll talk to you later,” he squealed out as he fled the room.
“What did you two do to poor Chowder?”
“Nothing. I swear Bits. But do you need any help making other pies?” Shitty asked.
“I wasn’t planning on it why?”
“No reason. You enjoy your celebratory pie now Jack,” Shitty said as he exited the room winking outrageously. Bitty looked at Jack whose ears were turning pink.
“Jack are you okay?”
“Yeah, Shitty is just being Shitty.”
Bitty nodded and slipped on the oven mitts before taking the pie out of the oven. The crust was just that right shade of golden. He let it cool down for a minute, so that he could casually glance at Jack’s face recognizing the smell.
“Bitty did you make me a maple pie?”
“Yes, do you want a piece?”
“Absolutely,” Jack said with a bright smile. Bitty turned to cut a piece so that he wouldn’t melt at the sight of something so pretty.
“Congratulations on your joke. Here is a pie baked lovingly by me.”
Jack’s ears started flushing pink again and Bitty tried to play it off by finishing it with, “As I would for the rest of the team.”
Bitty missed Jack’s face falling, and the first sullen bite. Ransom&Holster wandered in and waited at the table patiently. Bitty didn’t even sputter, just cut two more slices of the maple pie.
“What’s the occasion?” Rnasom asked taking a bite.
“Oh Jack made a joke so I made him a pie.”
Bitty again missed the significant look that Ransom and Holster shared. Then they both looked at Jack.
“Don’t even try. Shitty already had a talk with me.” Jack said. He was also trying not to get Bitty’s attention. Ransom looked at Holster, smiled then finished his pie.
“Did y’all want another piece?”
“No we’re good,” Ransom said.
“But Jack you should totes clean up with Bitty. It’s a team building exercise,” Holster exclaimed before quickly leaving the room.
“Something is up with the rest of this Haus. No one is eating a second slice of my pie.”
“Maybe they’re not feeling it today and don’t want to eat it when they won’t appreciate it.”
“Jack that’s really sweet, thank you,” Bitty said with his accent even more pronounced. As it liked to do when he was flustered. And in the face of 6 feet of Canadian Charm™, and boy was the stuff potent. Jack smiled and stood up straighter, and looked quite proud of himself.
“Come on and help we wash the dishes.”
Jack volunteered to scrub, mentally checking it off his task list as to how he could woo Bitty. Washing dishes was something that Bitty hated to do, so if Jack was doing it, he would feel appreciated. Then if Jack finished the checklist, Bitty would get the hint that Jack was sort of stupidly in love with him. While Jack washed the maple pie filling out of Bitty’s favorite mixing bowl, Bitty talked about how incredible it was that Beyoncé had managed to drop an album with very few people who knew about it.
“And to have it be so successful is even more amazing. Not compeltey surprising, because hello! Beyoncé,” here Bitty emphasized Beyoncé’s name.
“Beyoncé is the one that you like right?”
“Well she’s one of them, but she’s probably my favorite.”
“She is a pop singer right?”
“That’s limiting her as an artist, but yeah.”
“So I should listen to her?”
Bitty started vibrating and Jack stood back a little, waiting for Bitty to calm down.
“Jack Laurent Zimmerman, did I just bring you into the 21st century?”
“A little?” Jack hesitantly said. He put down the bowl, ready to leave in case that Bitty realized that Jack had just basically confessed his attraction to Bitty. Bitty didn’t pick up the hints that Jack was putting him down, because Bitty just hugged Jack around the middle. His hair just barely touched Jack’s chin, and Jack breathed him in for a quick second. Bitty smelled like baking supplies and it was amazing. Bitty stepped back, and started babbling,
“Sorry about that, but I’m just really excited. Well we thought that you only listened to music produced by the elderly. And that you were old-school, but now I can teach you about Beyoncé!”
With each word, more of Bitty’s accent was coming out. Jack felt more of his crush coming out, by the endearing accent coming out. What Jack really wanted to do was just bend down and kiss the hell out of Bitty. But that wouldn’t be really appropriate given that Bitty wouldn’t want to date someone who really wasn’t that tech savvy.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Shitty asked.
“Jack is going to let me teach him about Beyoncé!” Bitty exclaimed letting go of Jack to look at Shitty. Jack’s side felt a little bit colder without Bitty’s basically heater warmth. Shitty looked at Jack and Jack mouthed, “STEP 2” at him. Shitty nodded and smiled knowingly. Think Sponegebob in that episode where Squidward tried a Krabby Patty. That type of knowing look.
“That’s great Bits. Good for you for bringing old man Jack into the 21st century. You must have convinced him very thoroughly.”
Jack flipped him off behind Bitty’s back. Shitty merely shrugged and grabbed a beer from the fridge before going off to the living room.
“Bittle are you okay?”
“Oh yeah, peachy keen. Now we’re going to start your music education.” There was a squeak in his voice from where he sounded really embarrassed. Jack ignored it and followed Bitty up the stairs into Bitty’s room. Bitty didn’t look at him, so Jack assumed that it was safe for Jack to sit against Bitty’s bed.
Jack tilted his head back and let the back of his head touch Bitty’s bed. He needed to take a breather and not screw up something this important. Bitty had rejected dates before because they didn’t like Beyoncé. He was so busy concentrating on preparing to like Beyoncé that he didn’t notice that Bitty had turned around to ask if Jack knew any Beyoncé songs, but he had stopped when he saw Jack resting his head right below where Señor Bun was sitting.
Bitty was going to have to move Señor Bun out of the way before he got the chirp of a lifetime.
“Keep your eyes closed, I’m going to play Dive first because its been stuck in my head for the last couple of days,” Bitty said pressing play in his ITunes library.
Jack’s face smoothed out, and he tried to listen with out being aware of where Bitty was in position to him. Bitty meanwhile was making his way across the room to try and get Señor Bun away. And then as if the fates were against him, Eric R. Bittle, master figure skater/hockey player and master baker, tripped. Not only did he trip, but he managed to fall right into Jack. Whose legs were open. Jack’s eyes opened very fast. When he looked down, Eric was practically flush against him. It didn’t help that Bitty was less than an inch from his face, breathing hard and bright red.
“Jack? I am so sorry. I was just coming over here to get Señor Bun and then I fell into you.”
Jack wasn’t really paying attention to Bitty and was more focues on how close Bitty was to him. And with Bitty inches away, Bitty’s hands on either side of hips, Jack took the plunged and kissed Bitty. It was a soft kiss. Completely worthy of being the kiss that Jack used to confess his feelings.
Bitty’s babbling cut off, and he was stock still for a second that it took Jack to pull away from the kiss.
“Jack?”
“Yes, Eric?”
“Did we just kiss.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve had feelings for you since I saw you baking in the Haus. And I want to kiss you all the time, especially when you are enthusiastic about Beyoncé or baking. But especially now, when you are within reach?”
Jack became silent when he saw that Bitty wasn’t saying anything. He wanted to break the awkward silence but he didn’t know how.
“You have feelings… for me?”
“Yes.”
Bitty looked relieve, before he put his fingers into Jack’s hair and tugged Jack’s face to his, to give him the opportunity to get Jack the best kiss that Bitty was capable of giving. Relieved, Jack rolled them onto the floor so that they were on their back. Bitty broke off from the kiss to try and breath a little. Jack kissed the skin of Bitty’s jaw. The sigh that Bitty gave was amazing. So Jack did it again, liking the feeling of Bitty putting his fingers into Jack’s hair.
“Jack?”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to go on a date with me?”
Jack looked up at a flushed Eric R. Bittle, and then smiled. This was not Jack’s fake smile that he used for pictures or press. This was Jack’s shy secretly pleased smile. It was very gorgeous, and Bitty kissed him again.
“We should go eat some more of that pie,” Jack said. Bitty snorted, glad that he was in love with a giant dork.