𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐋², jack champion

006, 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧

006, 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧
irl + social media
(read the A/N at the end
pls my lovelies)

THIRD PERSON +
july 16, 2024

Jack sat on the airplane, his head leaned against the cool window as the vast expanse of clouds drifted by below. It had been a grueling past few weeks, emotionally, mentally, and even physically—but now he was on his way to New Zealand to film the upcoming Avatar movies.

As much as he had been looking forward to this project—a continuation of something he had been a part of for years—it felt like nothing more than an escape.

He had dragged himself onto the plane, his heart heavy and worn on his sleeve and his thoughts consumed by Juniper. Leaving her behind felt like cutting out a part of his soul, and it took everything in him not to bolt back to New York, show up at her door, and beg for her forgiveness.
He knew it wouldn't work, though. Not now. He'd shattered her heart, and it was too soon for apologies.

His airpod's were buried deep in his ears, but instead of music calming his nerves, it only made the ache worse.

He had been listening to her songs the entire flight, songs she had written over the years about their relationship, their love. Songs that used to make him smile now made him choke back tears. Her voice was hauntingly familiar, carrying memories of better days when they were happy—before he had broken everything.

Jack tapped the screen of his phone, the track changing to "Please Please Please."

That song.

The one she had written with him in mind, and one of the personal tracks on her album. He remembered the day she played it for him the first time. She had been nervous, fidgeting with her fingers as she sat him down and let the lyrics spill out in the studio. He had loved it, loved the raw lyrics hidden behind the country-pop melody. Now it played like a haunting echo, reminding him of the very thing he had promised not to do.

She had warned him. She had begged him not to leave her, not to hurt her. The music video they filmed together felt like a cruel joke now. He had been so confident, so certain that they would last, and yet here he was, sitting thousands of feet above the earth, running away from the mess he had made. He wasn't brave.

He was a coward. A coward who claimed he was a lion.

With a sigh, Jack closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, trying to focus on anything but the pain. But even with his eyes closed, she was everywhere. He could still see her face, hear her laugh, feel her warmth when she used to curl up next to him on the couch after a long day.

Everywhere he looked, Juniper's presence haunted him. At the airport, she was on magazine covers, smiling brightly, her life seemingly untouched by the devastation he had caused. On the airplane, he noticed someone walk by wearing one of her merch hoodies, the bold letters of her album 'Short n' Sweet' printed on the back. Even on the small screens at the airport, an ad featuring her voice played on repeat. There was no escaping her.

How had it come to this?

He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this low. His heart felt like it had been crushed under the weight of his decision. He had broken her, and in the process, he had broken himself. He had convinced himself that leaving was the right thing to do, that he was protecting her by letting her go, but now he realized how wrong he had been. Juniper didn't want his protection—she had wanted him. And now she was gone.