Take My Breath (KShaw)

Chapter 12

One of the only days that JJ actually wakes up in the morning when Harry does is game days. Every other day of the week, he grumbles about Harry's "stupid fucking alarm" and tends to sleep in. Saturday is no exception to this rule, because Harry hits his alarm, rolls over, and JJ's already out of bed, doing sit-ups. "That's kinda hot," Harry mumbles, mind too foggy with sleep to stop himself. He rubs at his eyes and stretches. "How are you even doing that right now?" "Have to-keep myself-awake," JJ grunts. Harry blinks at him, taking in the slightly manic look on his face, hidden under the sweat covered cheeks. "Did you sleep at all last night?" "No," JJ says through panting breaths. "Too busy- freaking out." "Over the game," Harry says, just to clarify.

He doesn't mean to sound judgemental about it, but it's kind of habitual, at this point. JJ makes fun of Harry for doing his work and going to the library, Harry makes fun of JJ for not doing his work and putting all of his focus into a stupid game.

"You wouldn't- understand, obviously." JJ glowers at him when he comes back up. Before Harry can return the look, he lowers himself back down to the floor. "Obviously," Harry sneers. "Whatever. I'm going to take a shower." "I won't be here when you get back," JJ says, still on the floor. "I don't remember asking for your schedule," Harry snips. He gathers his stuff for the shower and heads for the door. "You don't have to tell me every time you leave the room. But I'll see you at the game tonight." JJ freezes, hands falling to the ground to hold himself up. "You're coming to the game?" he asks, completely emotionless. Harry shrugs. "Don't have a choice. Ethan is pushy, and he told me I was coming with him." "Right." JJ nods, expression still unreadable. Harry slips out the door, but just before it closes shut behind him, he hears a thud and looks back to see JJ lying flat against the ground, arm thrown over his face as he lets out an exhausted, stress filled groan.

When Harry gets back to the room, he's in the exact same position, only he's fast asleep. Harry bites the inside of his lip, considering leaving him like that. He's not JJ's babysitter, okay? But he goes over to JJ anyway and kicks him lightly in the shins. "JJ," he says. "You need to at least get in bed." JJ's eyes open slowly, lids heavy. He reaches out a hand while yawning without covering his mouth. "Help me up?" Harry groans. Seriously?

He puts out his hand, and then he's being tugged to the ground. JJ breaks the fall with his body, Harry landing directly on top of him. He doesn't stay there for long, though, because JJ's turning them over easily, trapping Harry against the floor. He slides a hand through Harry's hair, grinning and suddenly wide awake. "You're still wet." "I just got out of the shower," Harry says, barely enough air in his lungs. "Now get off me. I have to get to the library. I have this group project to work on, and I can't be late." JJ rolls his eyes. "Nothing I can do to persuade you not to go?" he asks. "No" Harry says with conviction. "Now get off me." He shoves at JJ's shoulders until JJ's weight disappears. He takes a halting breath and gets up, just as JJ grabs his own bag of shower stuff before stomping out of the room, slamming the door behind himself.

What the fuck caused that? Whatever. It's not Harry's problem, whatever it is. He has to hurry to brush his hair and change before running out the door, and he doesn't have time to worry about JJ. Plus, he doesn't worry about JJ in general, whether he has time to or not. Right? Ugh.

******

No matter how much rushing he does, somehow he's still late to the group meeting. And somehow that is only the beginning. Since he's late, the others send him off to get coffee, which makes no sense to Harry because, like, shouldn't someone be filling him in on what he missed instead of making him miss even more? But he doesn't complain because they're right, he should have been there on time like the rest of them. At the coffee shop the barista screws up one of the orders and he has to go back, and the line is so long that by the time he gets the new drink the others are cold. And then Harry goes to bring the coffee into the library, but Nancy stops him with a regretful, apologetic, "Remember the rules, Harry." "No food or drinks," Harry deadpans. There's no way the group he was meeting with didn't know that, so what the fuck was the point of them sending him to get the drinks?