Jack and The Cuckoo Clock Heart Preferences

You're Not Dating: Jack

Ever since Jack's last encounter with his bullies, Y/N always walked Jack home. Jack appreciated it, but he would insist that he'd be alright and he could hold his own. That being said, Jack liked Y/N's company and was glad to have made a friend Madeline approved of.

Jack and Y/N had finished their classes for the day and were already heading out. As they walked out, Y/N immediately felt the stares of her fellow classmates on them. She heard as girls giggled and whispered among themselves. The boys snickered and began surrounding them. Jack started walking faster once he saw them getting closer.

"Jack and Y/N, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G", a random girl started chanting. Pretty soon everyone, excluding Jack and Y/N, was chanting the stupid little tune. It was annoying but it quickly became somewhat frightening when some of the older kids began following the pair.

"Come on, Jack, let's go." Y/N took him by the hand and ran out of there. As the two kids ran out of the schoolyard, the rest of the students began throwing little pebbles and weeds at them.

Despite having some distance from the school building, neither Jack or Y/N wanted to take a chance with any classmate, so they just kept running. They ran past the shops and pushed through a couple of crowds till they reached Jack's house at the top of the hill.

Jack and Y/N were both out of breath and red in the face, but still weary of their classmates that stood outside the gate of Jack's home. Jack opened the door and ran in with Y/N. "That was an ordeal I'd rather not go through again." He sat down on a nearby chair and tried to catch his breath.

Y/N, on the other hand, was fuming. The young girl paced the floor furiously, fists clenched tight. "I can't believe it! I really can't! The gall that those bootlickers have never ceases to blow me away." Her cheeks were a bright red and her eyes were watery. "We still have to go back tomorrow and every day after that." She was so embarrassed but she was also extremely frustrated.

After hearing the bit of commotion downstairs, Madeleine went to see what was going on. She walked into the kitchen and saw Y/N red faced and on the brink of tears, and Jack just a little bit huffy and upset. "Well, what's the matter with you two? What's going on?"

Jack glanced at Y/N, hoping she could explain what happened but he just saw her burst into tears.

"It was terrible", Y/N bawled. "The kids-". Simply put, Y/N tried to stop blubbering about but failed to do so. "It was so embarrassing and th-they threw stuff a-at us and kept singing this stu-stupid song." The young girl threw herself at Madeline and hugged her, sobbing in her arms.

"There, there...it's not the end of the world, now is it?" Madeline stroked Y/N's head and dabbed the girl's tears with a handkerchief she stashed in her sleeve. "Children can be cruel. You and Jack, of all people, should know that better than anyone. Still, you can't blame your peers for having those thoughts."

Jack hopped off the chair and walked to Madeline. "How do you mean, Madeline?"

Madeline stifled a chuckle. "Well, no offense to either of you, but considering the amount you two spend together, it wouldn't be odd to think that you two are sweet for each other." The greying witch held Jack's hand. "But I wouldn't allow it- at least not with Jack's condition."

Jack and Y/N shared embarrassed glances, both growing flustered just for even thinking that they'd...court.

"It's a pity, too" Madeline chimed. "You two seem like a lovely little couple. Really, I wouldn't mind Y/N as a daughter-in-law, either." Madeline was entirely serious about Jack's condition and the rules regarding his heart, but that didn't stop them from making the occasional harmless joke. It was always fun to tease the both of them.

Madeline succeeded seeing as both Y/N and Jack's faces were as red as tomatoes. Neither of them could bear to look at the other.