will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He pauses. Jack looks down at his guitar, and nods. “…yes. I. I’d like to hear myself. Just to… to see what you like about it so much.” he lifts his gaze, shyly, smiling.

She feels so proud of him, it sends her mouth twitching into a huge smile as she holds the phone close to him and presses record. “Okay, just sing and don’t even pay attention to the phone. Just ignore it and let yourself sing your heart out as if I weren’t here.”

She wonders if this will help his confidence, to hear how wonderful his voice is. She loves his voice so much so he could learn to love it too; to begin to learn to love himself for who he is inside and out.

He blinks at the phone and begins to sing the first thing that comes to mind. ‘Daniel’, by Elton John. A song many thought just to be about a brother missing another but it was in fact a story about the Vietnam War. Not man knew that, though, thanks to a few lines being removed from the song by the censors. So sad.

Jack only sings a few lines but pulls back, having done his best to ignore the phone.

“Um is that good?”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He blushes brilliantly.

“I’ve… never really listened to myself before…” Jack admits. “Too shy to… even listen to my own voice. Kind of pathetic huh?” he asks with a weak smile.

She shook her head slowly. “Never pathetic. You’re never pathetic.” She takes her cell phone out of her pocket and opens up the application that records sounds. “Want to hear yourself? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

He pauses. Jack looks down at his guitar, and nods. “…yes. I. I’d like to hear myself. Just to… to see what you like about it so much.” he lifts his gaze, shyly, smiling.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He had watched her dance, watched as that body that he’s seen in absolutely nothing in the past, move and arch in ways that almost make him drop a chord here or there. But he keeps his concentration, keeps his voice in time, singing for her a song that would be theirs for as long as they both live.

Song done, he holds his guitar in his lap, embarrassed by her question.

“Singer?” he asks. “B-but I’m not that good…”

She smiles, walking closer to his side of the bed, getting on her knees and supporting her head in her palms. “You haven’t heard yourself of course but…your voice is as sexy as your face and body….it…sends shivers down my spine all the time…especially that sexy accent of yours..”

He blushes brilliantly.

“I’ve… never really listened to myself before…” Jack admits. “Too shy to… even listen to my own voice. Kind of pathetic huh?” he asks with a weak smile.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

He sits there with his hands on the guitar for a moment, thinking. Jack looks down at the instrument before his hands begin to fix themselves into place. Green eyes lift to look into Katelynn’s own as he smiles softly. “I got one.” he whispers.

And so he sings. He plays the simple tune on the guitar, and sings for her. Sings the first song that came to his mind the day she accepted his question to be his girlfriend. How grateful he had been, how thankful, how undeniably happy at that moment.

She begins to move to the music, letting Jack’s voice and guitar flow around her, moving her body for her. It’s a dance filled with feeling, arms moving about softly, hips swinging, legs scoffing across the floor. She is like the instrument he plays, the melody pulling her strings.

Her back arches, arms coming down her body slowly as she picks herself up slowly, humming with the melody. She can hear the love in the song and it causes her heart to speed up.

She does a finishing dance move when he finishes the move, standing there with her head bent, arms crossed over her chest. She opens her eyes slowly and looks at him. “Have you…ever thought about becoming a singer?”

He had watched her dance, watched as that body that he’s seen in absolutely nothing in the past, move and arch in ways that almost make him drop a chord here or there. But he keeps his concentration, keeps his voice in time, singing for her a song that would be theirs for as long as they both live.

Song done, he holds his guitar in his lap, embarrassed by her question.

“Singer?” he asks. “B-but I’m not that good…”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Jack smiles shakily, before he pulls himself to her and kisses her lips softly, delicately, but so full of love and understanding it burns their lips. He sighs into it, his eyes half open, before he draws back. His breath is quiet, hushed, honest.

“I believe you. And know I will always come back to you, as well.”

There was a love sick expression on her face as she watched him, her fingers moving to touch her lips lightly. “No one could ever kiss me like that either…”

She sighed happily, looking around for his guitar. “Would you…sing for me…like that time please?” she asked softly, wishing to hear his beautiful voice singing a melody.

“O… of course I can, yes… anything, sure…!” he said quietly, letting her go, so she could fetch his guitar which was set besides the closet. Once she brought it to him he unclasped the case and pulled the black, aged instrument out and holds it in his arms.

“What do you want to hear?” he asks.

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

His hands press to her back and she feels him shudder; trying hard not to cry because grown men don’t freaking cry like this. Jack shuts his eyes tightly, and shakes his head faintly.

“We’re both g-good people.” he says quietly. “You’re just. You’re just what I’ve been waiting for but I get so scared t-that you’ll find someone better. You deserve the b-best and I’m afraid mine isn’t good enough but I have to stop thinking like that.” Jack pulls back, and looks down at her. “B-because. I am right. F-for you. Aren’t I?”

Her hands free, she moves them gently up his arms, gently up his neck and to caress the skin at the back of his head. “The very best,” she tells him, looking at him squarely in the eyes. “No one could be better. No one…I think I’d…become lost within my own mind if you stopped existing…And all I’d do is dream of you forever..”

A part of her pained in admitting such a weakness but she knew it was true. She knew it so deep within her heart. “No matter who may try to take me away…I’ll always come back to you. Believe that.”

Jack smiles shakily, before he pulls himself to her and kisses her lips softly, delicately, but so full of love and understanding it burns their lips. He sighs into it, his eyes half open, before he draws back. His breath is quiet, hushed, honest.

“I believe you. And know I will always come back to you, as well.”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

Most wonderful man on the planet? A part of him wanted to laugh at such a question but another wanted to almost cry over it all. Why was he so weak? Why was he so pathetic? She loved him. She told him that every day yet every day he feared she would find out how tiresome it was putting up with him, him and his fears, his insecurities, his jealousy.

He smiles, shakily, before pulling her against him and wraps his arms around her tightly. Not too tight. Tight enough.

“I love you so much. I just wa-want to be so strong for you. To-to be worthy of you.”

She would have wrapped her own arms around him but they were wedged between the two of them. Instead she laid her head upon his shoulder, closing her eyes. “I always told myself the same thing. I just want to be worthy of you. But didn’t I already tell you that I consider you to be so strong and brave? Every day you are. Even when you’re down you manage to get through things and move forward. You’re a much better person than I am.”

How she spoke with such conviction. She wouldn’t ever tire of him, never tire of encouraging him or telling him truths about himself.

His hands press to her back and she feels him shudder; trying hard not to cry because grown men don’t freaking cry like this. Jack shuts his eyes tightly, and shakes his head faintly.

“We’re both g-good people.” he says quietly. “You’re just. You’re just what I’ve been waiting for but I get so scared t-that you’ll find someone better. You deserve the b-best and I’m afraid mine isn’t good enough but I have to stop thinking like that.” Jack pulls back, and looks down at her. “B-because. I am right. F-for you. Aren’t I?”

will-never-be-a-swan:

wrapped-in-shadows:

“I don’ think it’s possible for you to think that way. Ever. You always take… take people’s feelings into consideration.” he said gently. “You always do.” Jack smiles at her, face purple, ear tips matching his cheeks, a sure sign of his shame in himself.

But he leans into her, wraps his arm around her gently. “…y… you won’t leave, will you?”

The question comes out of, seemingly, no where but he can’t help it. Seeing Sally storm off, after hearing her say such horrible things to him about his choices, about Katelynn, it ripped his heart out. It was pain all over again and Sally had mean to be a friend. She had hurt him, far more than he thought she would, and thinking of Katelynn out there in the city, healthy, spending time with all the men she’s listed t him he can’t help but fear she’ll find one who suits her. One who’s braver. Who can go out with her without needing to mentally prepare himself like he did.

She leans back to look him in the eyes, a neutral expression on her face though her eyes are filled with such love that it’s amazing it didn’t spill and fill the room. All she provides is a simple answer, though it’s in the form of a question.

“How can I leave the most wonderful man on this planet?”

Most wonderful man on the planet? A part of him wanted to laugh at such a question but another wanted to almost cry over it all. Why was he so weak? Why was he so pathetic? She loved him. She told him that every day yet every day he feared she would find out how tiresome it was putting up with him, him and his fears, his insecurities, his jealousy.

He smiles, shakily, before pulling her against him and wraps his arms around her tightly. Not too tight. Tight enough.

“I love you so much. I just wa-want to be so strong for you. To-to be worthy of you.”