Between Us [Septiplier AU]

3.3

Hey! Sorry this one seems a bit...later than what the usual 1-5 Days May be (depending on the length of the chapter). School's been...difficult to say the least. I'm sorry.

///

"Hey, I think I'm gonna go to that diner across the street. Sound cool?"

Jack picked up one of his caps and placed it on his head, backwards to be precise. He picked up his jacket and wiggled it on as well. "Want anything?" Jack turned to his father, pulling out his wallet to count how much currency he was carrying. The man in question hummed, busying himself by trying to dial someone through the hotel phone. Jack chuckled, assuming he'd be there for a while. He answered with anything you can actually afford. Jack would've laughed, but his father frankly poked fun at his career a lot. But he supported him. If his son wanted to make a job out of playing games and being on the Internet, who was he to judge?

He bent down and started lacing his shoes whenever his own phone rung.

He removed it from his back pocket with a final see ya to his dad before he left the room. He glanced at the screen, giving it a small smile before swiping the answer button. He decided to keep his voice low, having stepped into the elevator with another person.

"Signe! What's up?"

He heard a feminine giggle on the other end, "Hi, Sean. Just checking in. I heard about Martha. She okay?" He hummed, "Oh, yeah. She's...decent. Me, my dad, and my brother decided to come out to make sure everything's fine. She's sick and all, but you wouldn't be able to tell." He pursed his lips and quickly left that elevator situation. Leaving the lobby soon after. "She's a lot older than my dad so she's really ill. Probably doesn't have that much longer left. Malcom already left this morning to see her. Dad is trying to figure out the phone's mechanics and I volunteered to get breakfast." Signe seemed to quietly laugh at an unspoken joke, her sound muffled from what he'd presume was a hand covering her mouth. "Sean, it's almost fifteen after eleven. You realize it's close to lunch already right?"

Jack scoffed. "Doesn't matter. It's all the same. American food is all the same amount of grease. So I'll take my American breakfast burger and eat my American lunch burger right after."

"You realize that made zero sense, right?"

"Does anything I say really ever make sense, Signe?"

Jack paused on the sidewalk to glance either way. "No," Signe sighed softly, "no it does not. But hey, at least you've time to be doin' some explorin'. I would've came with you but... my mom wanted to come over here so I couldn't." Jack quickly crossed the street, not surprised by the few people walking around themselves. Or the growing traffic. Place seemed to be busy 24/7. "It's fine. You can't be with me for everything though. My friends have lives too." He shrugged, not very much aware it wasn't at all visible. "Besides, I've a few friends here that'll keep me company."

Signe paused with no response at that. Jack concerned he'd accidentally hung up or that she did. "Signe? You there?"

The girl must've snapped out of her daze, a small uhm and oh being uttered in the phone. "I'm sorry. I got distracted. But, uh, friends? Who could you possibly be friends with there?" Jack pulled a confused expression. Her words sounding a bit wry. Not completely disappointed but somewhat concerned. Maybe it was just because she was afraid he wouldn't talk to her the whole month, in which case she'd be wrong. But he decided not to take too much offense in her words. Signe could be a bright young girl, but sometimes her tone could be mistaken for something it wasn't. Especially if you couldn't see her eager and glowing facial expressions.

"Well, remember Felix? Apparently he lives in the area now. I don't know why he'd want to move from the UK to USA. That's just ridiculous..." He blew a breath, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings. Looking for the name of the diner on any nearby building or sign. He knew he hadn't passed it. It was a short distance from some bookstore. And he'd just walked by it. "Then I guess Wade and Bob will learn to 'ccept me. They seem cool. 'Specially Bob. I've talked to him on the sidelines—we played games. Dude's cool. Wade is just a big, goofy moron. So I guess he's fine." The green haired man finished with a small laugh, shaking his head lightly at a sudden memory of said friend's absurdity.

Signe sighed, almost sounding like she had been relieved. She then laughed, "I remember Fe at least. The other two sound cool, though! Is it just them?" Jack grinned, chuckling at the thought of his sole purpose he wanted to even be here. "No. There's another one." She hummed, "Oh?" Jack clicked his tongue, nodding to himself. "Yup. He's not my friend though. So, it's a lot more company than I'll be bargaining for. I mean, him. He's a fucking dolt if he thinks I'll leave his side aside from going back to the room."

Signe became confused, not responding. Jack didn't think much of it. She probably agreed with his next thought; maybe talking about him wasn't a good topic. But, before he opened his mouth to bluntly apologize, she questioned it. "So you're a stranger to him?"

"Oh. No. No. He's my boyfriend. He just doesn't know it yet."

Jack giggled at his own joke, but Signe didn't find it genuinely funny. Her short and brittle laugh inwardly throwing him off. "Haha...ha...that must be... nice..?"

"It is. I won't get too into it but he's utter perfection. I don't think I've ever adored someone more. I'd call him my idol. I really gotta seem all cool and stuff whenever I go around him. All of his other friends are cool. Means I'll have to be too...It'll be a dream whenever I actually see him."

Signe had no response. She was completely mute. This worried Jack. Maybe this time he had hung up. But he knew that talking about him isn't always so pleasant for everyone else as well. It was probably annoying when he started gushing over Mark. "Hellloooo?" Again, she came out of it. Coughing dismissively. "Sounds nice. I forgot you swung that way." Jack giggled foolishly, shrugging. "Oops."

"Well, Uh, sorry for the change of the subject but..." Jack shook his head dismissively, not really minding. It was probably a good idea. He pushed open the door to the restaurant, "It's fine. I'll be all respectful and such and move on."

Signe quietly laughed and went to carry on. But Jack's attention was drawn from her by the sound of a harsh no coming from a booth in the back. It was one word. But one word was enough for Jack to realize who it came from.

"I said no. I'm not hungry. Relax. I ate yesterday morning."

A deep and serious voice. A hint of a playful tone mingling with the seriousness. A familiar sigh finishing the sentence. Jack tensed, quickly glancing that way. He didn't really hear Signe anymore. Just the conversation in that booth.

And he realized just how bad his anxiety truly was.