Lost in the Middle

Almost Burning

Later that evening Jack is sat in his bedroom messing with the model car he had painted earlier that day while Nikki takes a long and thoughtful shower attempting to clear her mind of all her Father's nasty words. She stood under the showerhead crying for a while letting the hot water hit her sink, she thought that maybe she was in fact fat and could do with losing a few pounds just like her father had told her. But Conor had made a comment at the dinner table about her needing to eat a bit more and that she looked like she was wasting away, this naturally leads to Conor giving her another helping of stew and another bread roll, followed by a chocolate pudding.

She gets out of the shower and changes in the bathroom before coming through to Jack's bedroom with her used clothes folded up and now sporting her pyjamas. Jack looks up from his model making and smiles at her, "Better?" He asks watching her walk over to the sofa bed and sitting down on it, she places her folded used clothing in her overnight bag and smiles at Jack.

"Thank you for this," She grins.
"What are friends for?" He smiles his eyes soft and welcoming.
She tried to stop herself from flushing red but her cheeks gain the bright pink glow, "You're the best Jack Hodgson," Nikki smirks watching him finally place his paintbrush down and look across at Nikki.

Packing away his things he stands up from the desk and grabs his pyjamas, heading out the room and returning a few minutes later ready for bed, "I hope you don't snore," He smirks.
"I hope you don't sleepwalk," Nikki giggles.
"Do you talk in your sleep?" He asks watching her climb into the covers, he walks over and sits down on the edge of the sofa bed, "Want me to tuck you in and read you a bedtime story?" He laughs.

Nikki rolls her eyes at him, he was such a big fool but she couldn't help but love how he was with her. "Hey, don't roll your eyes at me," He smirks leaning forwards and tickling her.
Although Nikki's reaction is more than what he had expected as she gasps and attempts to squirm away from his touch. "No Jack! stop it tickles," She giggles.

Jack looms over her pinning her down and continuing to tickle her frantically, "Stop, I'm going to pee!" She gasps.
"Oh no," He smirks as they both stop suddenly and stare at each other, Nikki looks up at Jack looming over the top of him. Despite bigging herself up around Jack in their science lessons she had never gone as far as what she had told him she had done before and now she is nervous.

She couldn't help but notice how Jack's breathing had altered he was looking between her eyes and lips searching for an answer, it was just like one of his dreams having Nikki pinned down underneath him. "Jack?" Nikki mumbles.
"Yeah?" He responds snapping back out of his daydream, he moves away realizing how close they were now.
She sits up looking at Jack who is still knelt in front of her, "You want to kiss me don't you?" Nikki asks her cheeks still pink from Jack making her blush earlier.
"I... I don't know," He speaks moving away he knew that he did really want to kiss her but he wasn't sure if it was the right time to do so.

She smiles tucking her hair behind her ear the moment had gone now and Jack stands up from the sofa bed and walks over to his own bed on the opposite side of the room and looks at the alarm clock it was half ten and getting late so he turns the main bedroom light off leaving just the bedside lamp on and climbs into bed. "Goodnight Nikki," Jack smiles.
"Goodnight," She responds getting comfortable under the clean sheets on the sofa bed.
"Night," Jack responds again.
"Night Jack," She giggles realizing it's a game.
"Nighty night, sweet dreams," He chuckles.
"God's sake Jack, go to sleep before I smother you with a pillow," Nikki responds.

"Nice to see you've been paying attention in Mr. Thorne's forensics taster session," Jack chuckles.
"Yeah, I'm going to become a forensic pathologist... I'll know how to murder you and get away with it!" Nikki smirks looking up at the ceiling as they chat away for a good fifteen minutes before Nikki is the first to fall asleep leaving Jack to attempt to sleep which doesn't take him long at all.