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katie-matlin-blog · 13 years ago

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And Your Bird Can Sing

In which Jake is sick, so Katie does her best to take care of him...and a few words are accidentally said. Chatzy co-written with thejakemartin. Takes place last Sunday.

Jake had spent the past few hours laying on the couch, waiting dramatically for what he liked to think would be his death. Out of the blue he came down with a bad cold, he sounded congested, running a fever every now and then, with pressure that formed in the front of his head. With his family out of town, and Netflix at the palm of his hand, Jake fell in and out of sleep letting time fly by until he received a message from Katie. As the conversation went by quickly, him responding faster more than usual with him not being distracted by anything, Katie concluded that she’d be stopping by with soup to take care of him. Though he didn’t like the idea, that didn’t stop her persistence and before he knew it, he was waiting on the knock at the door that’d signal her arrival. He’d give her five minutes, not wanting her to get sick, and that was it. By the knock on the door, and hearing her impatient, shaking voice, Jake rolled off the couch, blinking a few times. Opening the door, to the freezing cold wind, Jake hurried her in and shut the door behind her, shaking just as she was. “You’re insane,” he informed her, walking over to the kitchen. He wanted to greet her as usual, with a hug or kiss, but if he was going to keep her from catching anything he wouldn’t- and that wasn’t making him too happy either. “But, uh, thanks for bringing me some soup. I’ve been going through the cans here pretty quickly.”

Katie looked up at him as he opened the door, the smile she usually expected to have upon seeing him turning into a tiny pout. His hair was messy, nose and cheeks flushed, with a sheen of sweat across his forehead. He looked quite adorable in his miserable state, but it was still sad to see him upset. She stepped inside, following him to the kitchen as he walked away. "You're sick." She responded simply, with a shrug. It was second nature for Katie to want to talk care of people, and Jake was even a special case. Her want to take care of him was greater than her want to do that for anyone else. "I want to make sure you get better." Setting the bag down on the counter, she wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her head against his back. "Wow, you feel super warm. Are you running a fever or something?" She asked with a hint of concern. "I'll heat this up for you right now. You can go sit on the couch and wait, sicko. I'll be there in a minute. And here-" Grabbing a glass from the cabinet overhead, she filled it with orange juice and handed it to him. "Take this with you. You probably need vitamin C desperately."

Jake ran a hand through his hair and let out a little whine, eyebrows furrowed and lips pouted. Though he didn’t like to admit it, Jake completely fell apart whenever he was sick. He was like a helpless child and he couldn’t fake that for anyone, not even her. As her arms wrapped around him from behind and her head against his back, Jake’s fingers brushed against her forearm, making sure not to touch her hands. “I think so. I don’t know where a thermometer is but I’ve been sweating and either I’m freezing or I literally think I’m going to pass out and die,” he said with a small laugh. “You shouldn’t be doing all of this, I can make my own soup,” he assured her, turning around, but she was already on the move towards the fridge to pour him a glass of juice. Looking at her amused, Jake bit his lip and took the glass from her and took a sip. “You know,” he said, “when I was younger my mom convinced me that if I drank my orange juice when I was sick, I’d feel better,” he said, taking another sip, “I still believe that theory,” he admitted with a small smile, and doing as she said, walking into the other room. It was new, and almost a surprise, that he could mention his mother every now and then with ease to her. He was comfortable around her, safe. It was nice; with her, there was nothing to put up a wall about. Sitting down on the couch, he pulled a blanket over him and put his feet up. “Three minutes,” he called out, even though he knew, no matter what he said, she’d be over for much longer.

Katie felt her eyebrows knit together slightly as he mentioned how he was feeling. "That's not good. You're definitely running a fever. I'll locate a thermometer for you later, eh? Right now, you need to be resting." She was milling about, already concerned for his well-being and how easily he put on the act of being fine. Smiling when he mentioned his mother, a topic he didn't speak much about, she gave him an encouraging nod. "Well, your mom was definitely right on that one. Orange juice cures all. I bet you need fluids desperately. Let me know if you want some water or anything else." Letting him walk into the living room, she laughed when he warned her that she'd be leaving in three minutes. With soup in the microwave and Jake in the state he was in, she'd definitely stay for a bit. The sun was setting, but her mom thought she was at Marisol's, so it would be okay if she was home late. "The soup will be quicker than that." She teased, and with that comment, the microwave beeped. Grabbing a spoon for him, she held a few napkins in her hand and the bowl in the other. She placed it down on the coffee table in front of him, wrinkling her nose at his feet right next to it. "Gross." She commented, but soon saw the way he was wrapped in the blanket, and a grin popped up on her face. "But you're cute." Sitting down next to him, she leaned back and pointed to the soup. "Eat up."

Jake leaned his head back on the couch, fluttering his eyes and falling asleep quicker than he would’ve liked. That’s how it went majority of the day. He was there, then he wasn’t, and then he was again. It was frustrating, and he most definitely didn’t like to lounge around all day. Saturdays were always spent working, and to be completely stuck on his couch while the world continued without him wasn’t any fun in his book. Katie appeared again, making a little face at the way he was spread out, but soon smiled, pushing the soup towards him and encouraging him to eat it. He knew he needed food. For whatever reason, Jake had the tendency of letting himself go whenever he was feeling a little ill. Grabbing the bowl with his hands, he felt a slight shiver cross his body at how warm it was compared to how cold he felt. Taking a small bit of it on his spoon, Jake blew on it to cool it off before eating it. “What’d you do today?” he asked, leaning his head back again, his head hurting too much to even think of holding it up for long. Turning, to look at her, Jake closed his eyes for a little and opened them back up to find her looking at him. “Anything interesting? I’ve just been here doing this.”

Katie wasn't aware she'd stirred him from sleeping until his eyes opened and he looked up at her, a tad confused. She didn't want to disturb him, figuring that his body needed to recuperate. The need to take care of your body and let it get its rest was something she had learned the hard way, and she wasn't going to play around when it came to that anymore. He picked up the bowl and shivered, looking more upset and tired than she'd like. Curling up closer to him, she tried to lend some warmth, despite how hot he felt to the touch. "I uh...didn't do a lot. Finished up some homework, and then I went out for a long run. Queen's Park is really pretty this time of year, actually. Snow on the ground and all that." She looked up at him, trying to gauge if he was even still awake or not, but he soon finished up his sentence. "You've been trying to get better, which is all you should be doing. Why aren't you eating your soup?" She hooked his finger under his chin, trying to tug his head forward, and dipped the spoon into the soup. "Here. Open wide." She said, holding it in front of his lips, happy to feed him if that meant he would eat.

Jake groaned a bit when he felt her boy lean against his. The warmth of her body was much appreciated, sure, but he also couldn’t help but feel paranoid at the thought of her coming down with something later. She stayed by and he let her, catching bits of what she was saying. “You still run with the snow on the ground?” he asked her. “What if there’s ice around? You can’t do that with your knee,” he said, “What if you slip?” Before he could react to anything, Katie’s finger pushed on his chin, lifting his head, and he furrowed his eyebrows. The soup was hovering by his lips and he opened his mouth, swallowing it and frowning. “I can feed myself,” he told her, leaning his head on her shoulder. “It just feels like too much to eat at the moment,” he explained. “Talk to me more about something, anything,” he requested, kissing her shoulder and then turning his face away again to avoid breathing on her. “You always have something to say and if you aren’t going to say goodbye, because it’s past five minutes, in case you were wondering, then I expect something to hear,” he said with a light chuckle.

Katie was completely bemused at the idea of him being concerned about her and her knee, what with him being in the state he was in, and also the sole fact that he'd even think of something like that at all. It was flattering that he paid enough attention to her to think of that, but still baffling. "I can't just not go running." She said with a little laugh, shaking her head. "I won't slip, that's all. If I don't run one day, I feel gross about it until I can find some time to go out the next. And plus, if I don't go once, I might not go again, and then again, and yeah. I'm careful about it." She assured him. She laughed when he insisted that he could feed himself, and shook her head at him. "Obviously you can't. I know it feels like a lot but you have to get something into your stomach. It'll help, I promise." She held out the spoon again, with more soup on it, as he fidgeted and leaned his head on her. "No, I'm not saying goodbye when you so desperately need me." With a tiny grin, she racked her brain for something to talk about. "Well, when I was out today, I almost went on a whim and visited Toronto Islands. Have you ever been out there? We should go sometime when you're not sick. I think you'd really like it. There's a lot of nature and it's really pretty." She took more soup and offered it to him, her other hand resting over his and trying to comfort him however she could. "Is the soup any good, or can you not taste anything? I know how much being sick sucks. Let me know what you need."

Jake paid attention to Katie more than she probably thought. Even with him falling in and out of sleep with the state that he was in, he still made the effort to listen to everything she said. He found her interesting, the way she could say anything at all and seem to capture him. She was funny, and not the kind of funny that would interrupt the sentence, but a funny that held you and kept you around for more. Her stories became a part of his day, and if he didn’t have it, the day simply wasn’t any good to him. “Toronto Islands, eh?” he asked, with a tiny yawn. “No, I’ve never been,” he said quietly, closing his eyes again. “I think I’d like it. We can go. Any time you want, I’ll be sure to be there too,” he promised. Before he knew it, he felt the tip of the spoon press to his lips, pull away, and press again. Whether he wanted to or not, Jake opened his mouth again and ate the soup. “The soup is good. Thankfully, I’m still able to taste things. Hey, Katie?” he asked, closing his eyes and shutting them tightly, letting out another yawn. “Thank you. I’m really glad you’re here, even if I’m not,” he told her, teasingly. “I’m afraid you can’t give me what I ultimately want, and that is to feel better. By the way, my dad sort of wants to meet you soon,” he said quietly, thinking back on last weekend and the fort the two had made. “I brought it up to him that, you know, you’d like to meet him too and he was saying tomorrow but, as you can see, I’m not really feeling the greatest, but, uh, you know, would you be willing to do it some other time soon?”

Katie kept her body near his, feeling the way he shivered, and seeing his eyebrows furrow as he strained to listen to her. He looked uncomfortable and she didn't want that to continue. Her thumb moved along the top of his hand, and she continued to feed him the soup as he'd take it, which was slowly. "Yeah, there's a lot of beautiful stuff out there. Greenhouses, conservatories, parks...there's this one that we went to when I was little. I'm trying to remember. Rouge Park, I think?" She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "No, that's totally up by Pickering. But we could go there too! There's some initiative to make it a National Park, I think. You'd really like it." With more than half of the bowl finished, she set it down on the table and moved back to let him rest his head against her shoulder. She let out a laugh at his teasing. "You're welcome, even if I'm not quite sure I should be taking that as a thanks. But yeah, anytime. I'll try to make you feel better as best I can." He began to speak of her meeting his dad, and she couldn't help feeling both honoured and beyond nervous. The man meant a lot to Jake, that was certain, and she could only hope she'd live up to expectations. "Well, we'll see how you're feeling tomorrow. I'm free so I could potentially come by, but I assume you won't be up to it. I can come by whenever. Just let me know so I can try to put on my Sunday best, or however that saying goes. You should be able to meet my family soon too. I mean, you've met Maya, but my mom would definitely like to have you over for dinner or whatever. When you're not like this, obviously."

Jake sniffled quietly as her thumb traced along the top of his hand. He felt so vulnerable and helpless as he was laying there. The room felt a bit stuffy now, and quickly he went from freezing cold to burning hot. Fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, Jake undid a few of them, almost feeling strangled. He closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing, and hoping the sudden feeling of disorientation would subside. “Mhmm,” he mumbled, as he tried to hang on to her words. He was finding it difficult, there wasn’t a doubt about that, but he really was interested about the place. Jake was always up for anything that gave him a small taste of home, and if he wasn’t feeling so awful, he’d be already arranging plans for a next time and what they could do. When he heard the bowl settle on the coffee table, Jake sighed, feeling completely exhausted by trying to eat his meal. “Baby, why are you here?” asked, face hidden in her shoulder. “What if you get sick? It’ll be all my fault,” he said quietly, trailing his fingers along her arm. “Mmm, dinner with your parents,” he said quietly with a laugh. “Can I be completely honest when I say that I’m horrified for this moment? I’ve never really ever had a formal ‘meet the parents thing’…ever,” he admitted. “Back home I never did that, so, I mean, hell, maybe I should hope I die from what I’m feeling at the moment,” he said with a little laugh. Before he knew it, his eyes fluttered shut again and he fell into a short sleep, interrupted by his shaking body, now feeling cold again. “This keeps happening,” he whined.

Katie watched him struggle with the buttons on his shirt, not enjoying how miserable he appeared. She pulled her hand back, letting him have his space however he needed it. It was easy to tell that he was having a hard time listening to what she was saying, and she didn't want to make it any more difficult for him. The speed of her speech slowed down considerably, and she made sure to take the time to listen to what he had to say, even though his voice was muffled with his face buried in the fabric of her sweater. "I'm here to take care of you. I won't get sick. And if I do...well, you'll just have to come return the favour then, won't you? But it won't be a problem because I won't." She leaned over to kiss the top of his head gently, letting him express his concerns at meeting her parents. "It's not a big deal. If I got through Audra Torres, you can get through Margaret Matlin." Letting out a little laugh, she smiled down at him. "You really haven't ever done this, though? I'll coach you through it. You'll be great, I promise." She could feel his breathing slow down and grow more even, signifying that he'd drifted into another sleep. Before she could wrap her arms around him, even, he'd awoken in shivers. Letting out a sympathetic noise, she pulled him close so that his head rested against her chest. Her fingers threaded through his hear, toying with it. "Tell me what I can do." She said softly, trying to undo the knots in a manner as easily as she could manage. "I don't like seeing you like this."

Jake was too caught up with the sudden reaction, that he hardly gave another thought to their plans with meeting the other’s families. It seemed like such a serious thing to do, but Jake genuinely cared about her, and he knew it was definitely the type of thing that she’d do. Jake’s past was a little different. He was very respectful, hung around the house with the girl and may have said a few things, but was never nervous or worried about the parents’ opinion of him- and mostly that was because he didn’t care about the girl enough. In this situation, Jake knew this would be a big factor. He wanted to impress them. And how he would? He still didn’t know. As he patted back his hair, Jake whined a little when he felt her take him in her arms and, in a way, cradle him a little. Her arms wrapped around him and she played with his hair, her voice soft and soothing to his ears. She was playing with his hair, something that always made him sleepy, and he was drifting again, in and out of discomfort. “What you can do?” he asked, repeating what she said, as if to ask if he heard her correctly. He was a little out of it but the effort was there. “You really shouldn’t,” he began, resting his hand on her thigh, innocently tapping his fingers against her jeans. “Please stay,” he mumbled. “If you’re worried about clothes and all, I have plenty. You can wear mine, I don’t mind I just- mmmm,” he said, yawning, “I just need you. Please stay. We can go lie down and sleep or you can tell me more things.”

Katie could feel him shiver against her, his skin burning hot despite how cold he may have felt. His head was against her chest, and she could feel the heat he gave off transferring over, but there wasn't much she could do about it except to hold him tight. It meant a lot that he was even letting her do this. With the two of them, they could sure do a lot of kissing and playful flirting, but she was taking care of him in an unwell state and something about that was different. He wasn't the big protective boyfriend anymore- he needed her and was vulnerable. Her thoughts were interrupted with him speaking, voice continuously getting softer. "Hmm?" His hand traveled to her thigh and soon he proposed the idea of her staying over, one met with raised eyebrows and a surprised gaze down at him. Staying usually meant other things, things she wasn't prepared for, but he didn't look much up to anything like that either. Jake's intentions seemed to be pure, though, and she wouldn't mind holding him close through the night. "Oh, uh, like sleeping over? If you need me, yeah. I think I could do that." Her hands continued to play with his hair, nodding. "Yeah, I'll have to borrow a shirt. Do you think you can make it upstairs? I'll tell you more things up there if you'd like, but I think you need to lie down." She made sure to pick up her bag as she stood up, reaching her hand out for him. "Let's go, little one," she said with an easy chuckle, before guiding him to the next floor and toward his room. "Let me know what's okay to wear."

Jake felt his eyelids grow heavier and once again they were closed, only making it possible for him to feel her body and hear the beat of her heart. Her touch was soothing, playing with his hair and lulling him into a more comfortable state. “Yea, sleeping over,” he mumbled, lightly picking at a stray thread attached to her jeans. “You don’t have to if you’d be uncomfortable; I just thought I’d try. You seem to make my headache disappear a little,” he said quietly. Before he knew it, due to his entire day seeming to go by like a blur, he struggled to stand up, but managed, and lazily walked over to the stairs. With his one hand on the wall for support, Jake held onto her hand with his other, and moved along to his room. It was a little messy but not too cluttered. It said that he lived there, but definitely didn’t spend all his time there. Mostly it was his bed that was messy, same with his desk, it being scattered with drawings of structure ideas. Walking over to his closet, Jake opened his closet door to where his button downs and sweatshirts were. “Mmm, something from there,” he mumbled. “If you want a t-shirt, they’re in the top drawer over here,” he explained, pointing out to the dresser. Being too tired to care, and assuming she was occupied with looking for a shirt to change into, Jake changed into a lighter pair of sweatpants, one of the very few that he had, and yawned, running a hand through his hair before settling down on his bed. “I can’t even remember what it was like to breathe without all this stuffiness. I'm just so exhausted and not and I just want to be young enough for it to be suitable to act this way," he quietly whined, turning over on his back.

Katie was surprised that he picked up on her unease despite his current state of consciousness, but that was Jake and who he was. He noticed everything, even if he didn't speak up about it, and it was something she often appreciated about him. "No, no. I'll stay. I'm not uncomfortable," She reassured him as they walked up the stairs. It wasn't her first time in his house or his room- they had the tendency to spend more time over there than at her's, but it would definitely be her first time sleeping there. He showed her where everything was and she nodded slightly. "Thanks. I'm sure I'll find something." She murmured, and soon buried herself in the closet, trying to hide enough behind the door that she could have a semblance of privacy when she changed. He seemed to be preoccupied, lying on his back, and she took the chance to grab the biggest shirt she could find. "You're gonna get better soon. You just have to keep warm and get lots of fluids. I'm here to make sure you get better, little one." She continued to talk to him as she buttoned up the shirt, flattening it over her legs in the mirror to see that it skimmed the middle of her thighs. "You're welcome to keep acting like a baby with me around, though. I don't mind." Putting her shirt and earrings carefully in her bag, she stepped out from behind the closet door and over to his bed. Her hair was still back, hands bunched inside the long sleeves, and head cocked to the side as she looked down at him. "Is there anything else you need? Pillows, water, tissues, maybe some stuffed animal from when you were a little kid? Let me know."

Jake adjusted the pillow on his bed and shook his head, letting out yet another yawn. He wasn’t quite sure just how longer he’d be able to hold up, and at the rate he was going, he’d be out within seconds. “No, I don’t need anything,” he said, rolling over on his side to look at her. “You look so good in my shirt and I can’t even appreciate it,” he mumbled, and then furrowed his eyebrows, completely unsure if he’d actually said those words or just thought it to himself. By this time, Jake was sick enough and tired enough to confuse what was and what wasn’t reality. “Did I just say something?” he asked, but waved it off, pulling the covers over him. “I literally don’t even know where I got this from,” he said. Jake moved over to make sure there was enough room for her on the bed and also enough room that he wasn’t breathing on her. Whenever he didn’t give into how awful he felt, he was much more cautious with her, and also go off into some ramble about the five minutes he never forcibly ruled. “You’re probably enjoying this,” he said looking at her. “Well, I’ll have you know I don’t find this funny. I just- m,” he mumbled curling the blanket in his hand and hiding some of his face. “Talk to me more. Politics, some garden ideas,” he requested, “You’re just too good. I don’t know how-m,” he mumbled, falling back to sleep, only to wake again. “I think,” he began, “You’re just-,” he added, “I love-“ and once again, Jake was out. He slept a little longer this time, waking up to find that his arm was around her waist. Looking confused, he retracted his arm, “What did I miss?”

Katie was generally not the bashful type. Even when a compliment meant a lot to her, she'd brush it off as if it were nothing. Jake had a strange ability to make her blush, though, and with the simple words that she looked good in his shirt, she felt heat rising to her cheeks. "Thank you." She said, voice low, and felt herself laughing at his general confusion. "Yes, you've been speaking." She said with a smile, and quickly grabbed a pillow from the closet that she'd assume he hadn't coughed on. "You're going to get better, you know. This isn't going to last forever." She laid down in the bed, quickly shooting her mother a text that said she'd be sleeping at Marisol's, and cast her eyes toward him as he mumbled away. Unable to keep the giggles away, she nodded when he remarked that she was probably enjoying it. "A little bit. You're cute. And I don't have much to say. I mean, the garden's going along really well, isn't it? People love it. The flowers are blooming, there's tomatoes and fruit and all that kind of stuff. I'm so proud of it, really-" She was cut off by the words 'I love,' though. Her mouth fell open and although he seemed to be asleep, he was pulling her close by the waist. "You love...?" She asked aloud, in confusion and a bit of shock. "You love what?" She racked her brain for the answer, not daring to even let herself think the obvious. Within seconds he awoke again, and she stared at him, unsure what to say to his question for a few seconds. "Oh, uh, you were in the middle of a sentence and you just fell right asleep. Probably telling me how wonderful I am. Maybe it's time for bed?" He'd pulled his arm away from her but she cuddled closer, hand clutching his shirt. "I mean, you seem pretty tired."

Jake blinked his eyes, trying to focus on her soft features. She looked at him with kind eyes, a sort of look that always puzzled him, but was grateful for it. She saw something good in him, and though, he wasn’t quite sure what it was and didn’t feel as though he deserved it, he wanted to be good enough for her- be the way she looked at him. He loved her. He was laying there, falling in and out of sleep, and still the only thing he could register were her eyes and this new, unexplored feeling. He sighed as she moved closer to him, tangling her fingers in the fabric of his shirt. With all the efforts in the world, and every intention to make sure he wasn’t ever giving her a chance at being sick, he seemed to be doing an awful job at it. Reaching out for her, Jake brushed his thumb against her cheek, eyes studying her. “I probably was telling you how wonderful you are- because it’s true,” he confessed. Tilting his chin up Jake gave a lingering kiss to her forehead, settling back comfortably as he was before. With a small laugh, Jake nodded, “I’m tired, mm, you’re right. Thanks for being here,” he said sleepily, “And Katie? You terrify me.”

Katie couldn't help the racing thoughts that didn't seem to go away no matter what she did. He'd said two words and she was going crazy. 'I love' could have meant anything, especially in his sick, half-asleep state. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if he meant her. They'd been going out for quite a few months now, and she definitely felt closer to him than she ever could have imagined. She was surely imagining it, though. He was probably deliriously talking about something else. Snuggled up against him, she felt her blush intensify when he said himself that she was wonderful. "Hush." She murmured, and smiled when he thanked her for being with him. "Anytime. I don't mind this, you know. Seeing you acting like a little puppydog is pretty great. And you're warm too, so that's a plus." Emphasizing her statement by moving closer to him, she made a face as he remarked that she terrified him. "Uh, what's that supposed to mean?" She asked, wrinkling her nose and squinting up at him.

Jake closed his eyes, feeling at rest. Her warm body was curled closely to his, and he’d be lying if he said he’d minded feeling her breath on his neck. His thumb brushed against her cheek every now and then, letting her know he was awake still. Whenever Jake was tired or sick, he had a tendency of saying everything that came to mind. Unfortunately for him, Katie was the object of his affection and happened to be there with him. Jake fluttered open his eyes and gave an embarrassed smile as he noted her expression. “That isn’t a bad thing, trust me,” he assured her with a small laugh. “You just,” he said quietly, leaning his forehead against hers, “the feelings you give me, I’m not used to it. You’re terrifying,” he admitted. “I don’t know.” Jake moved his arm in front of his face to yawn. “You don’t even realize everything you are.” Retracting his hand from her face, Jake moved it to her hand that seemed to have curled in his shirt. “I-I don’t know. I just… I’m not used to all of this, you know? My relationship record isn’t the greatest and I don’t even know what you see in me. I’m overwhelmed by you,” closing his eyes, Jake yawned again, “in the best way possible.”

Katie kept quiet as Jake spoke, in awe of the words he used to describe her. She wasn't used to this kind of treatment, or being spoken of so highly. Despite how nice it felt to hear all of this, it was a bit jarring. Jake wasn't one for a lot of talk, especially the romantic type, but she was appreciating it all. The way he talked of her- she wasn't quite sure what she'd done to deserve him, if she was to be perfectly honest. "First day you came to Degrassi in grade eleven, I don't know if you remember. You walked into my pre-calc class and sat down without saying a word or introducing yourself or anything. And then you turned to me, and you asked if the uniforms were always this itchy, with this big goofy smile on your face.. Mr. Armstrong got mad at you for talking and put you on the spot because you were new, and you spit out some textbook-worthy definition of vectors without blinking an eye. You wonder what I see in you?" She laughed, leaning in to kiss the tip of his nose. "There was no reason for me to interview you for the Degrassi Daily that first week, other than me just wanting to talk to you. And I still do. It's a wonder you finally reciprocate the way I feel. Who cares about your relationship record and all of that? The fact that I came over in the middle of the night to bring you soup and snuggle you should let you know that there's a lot to be seen in you, sleepyhead." His hand was over hers, and she grabbed a couple of his fingers. "Plus, your record isn't even that bad. You dated your stepsister and then kissed her friends. Big woop."

Jake raised his eyebrow as she fondly spoke of the past. The more she touched on it, the more he remembered it. He was late to class that morning, along with every other class on his roster, and barely survived, in his opinion. He could recall his entrance and the painful walk to the empty seat beside her. She was beautiful; he noticed that, just like he noticed everyone clearing paths for her when she walked in the hall. She was never as intimidating as others made it seem. He saw a different side of her, just a glimpse, and after that he was hooked. “Vectors. Easy stuff,” he mentioned briefly, hiding his face again to yawn. When she mentioned that there was no reason for his interview in the beginning of the last year, Jake turned his head. “Wait. Are you serious?” he asked, looking down at her. “You were abusing your authority, Katie Matlin,” he addressed, “But that’s okay, because I was definitely enjoying your company then, and now. But uh, I like to think it (Clare) never counted,” he admitted with a laugh. His eyelids were heavier now and his head buried in the small of her neck. “Just remember I think the world of you. Thanks for being here, babe. Mmmm I have so much to tell you but I think I’m on a deadline with my sleeping habits. Next time, eh?” he asked giving a quick kiss to her forehead. "You just make me happy. Stop that,” he teased with a laugh.

Katie felt a smile building on her face as he brushed off the idea of vectors. It was something that intrigued her, for sure. He was so smart, and he either didn't know it or kept it as quiet as possible, but either way, she was amazed. "Of course." She said with a laugh, turning her head to stare up at the ceiling. He teased her a bit when it came to her confession about interviewing him, and she could feel the heat rising in her face again, until he mentioned Clare. She wouldn't admit it in a million years, but hearing him say he thought it never counted was a bit of a relief. "Mm, good to know." Her speech was soft and she let him talk, distinctly aware that he was falling into sleep. "I think the world of you too, and you're welcome. Any time, really." He kissed her and she let out a tiny, satisfied sigh, burying her face in his chest. "I don't think I'm going to stop any time soon. Sorry to disappoint." Once again, her hand curled into his flannel, her bare legs brushing against his under the covers. "I think it's time for you to sleep, babe. Yeah? I'll sleep too." Her mind was still on the 'I love' he'd given her earlier and she knew she wouldn't be sleeping much, if at all. Still, she shut her eyes, hoping he'd follow her example and get the rest he desperately needed.

#jatie #thejakemartin #katie-matlin #Degrassi #Jake Martin #Katie Matlin

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