fandomhighdorms | Friday early morning: Outside the dorms (mostly)

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Friday early morning: Outside the dorms (mostly)

It was morning. Dawn was just breaking. Jack was awake.

His last class ever - not that he was thinking about that, nope, not at all - wasn't until later, so where he should be was curled up in his bed. But he'd slept badly and woken early, so where he was was standing on the lawn outside the dorms, staring warily at the sky. It looked like a storm might be rolling in.

Jack stretched, shook himself all over, and started to run. Long, slow strides as he warmed up, making his way down the mostly empty streets until he hit the beach where he sped up, running easily, veering down to dodge the waves. Reaching the end, he pushed himself up and over the rocks, nimble footed as he made the top and stopped to stare out over the ocean. It looked dark and cold, reflecting the grey clouds.

You can only do that for so long before you start to feel stupid, though, so - feeling stiff and sore, because it had been a long time since he'd run - Jack jogged slowly back to where he'd started. Panting, he threw himself down on the ground under a tree, flopped onto his back, and watched the sky, wondering if the storm would arrive.

[ooc: open if you like but will be SP, 'cause I go sleeps very soon.]

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River had woken early too and decided to go for a walk, so as to not wake either Buffy of Berthold. She had picked up a few oranges and some biscuits in the common room kitchen on her way. Standing outside, the weather didn't look entirely promising, but she noticed Jack lying on the ground under a tree, and walked over to him, smiling.

Jack caught movement out of the corner of his eyes and smiled when he saw it was River. "Good morning," he said, sitting up and leaning back on his elbows. "Did you sense my sudden desire for breakfast?" Or his sudden desire for company of the River persuasion.

River sank down on the ground next to him. "Sensed my desired for breakfast. But sharing it with you is better." She threw and orange at him, grinning. "Catch!"

Jack snagged it out of the air and laughed. "Sharing is even better." The mild funk he'd been in since he'd woken up was rapidly fading away in the face of River's company. He sat up so he could lean over and kiss her. "Thank you."

Kissing him back, River sensed clearly what had been on his mind, but didn't acknowledge it in any way. She let go and offered him some biscuits. "Woke early. Didn't want to wake Buffy too," she said.

He set the orange on the grass and took a biscuit, breaking off a piece. "Seems to be the morning for it. You're smarter than me, though - not that that was ever in doubt - you went for breakfast, I went for a run." He winced as he stretched out sore muscles. "Not my brightest move," he added as he popped the biscuit bit in his mouth.

River stretched one leg out too. "Should get more exercise. Don't like running, though." She'd missed the cheerleading this week. Returning to a crosslegged position she began to peel one of the oranges.

Jack smiled slowly and stretched his foot out to rest against hers. "What are you doing after breakfast?" he asked, breaking off another piece of biscuit and thinking about how nice a hot shower would be after his run. Especially if he had company. "It's a kind of exercise."

River grinned, thinking how she should have anticipated that kind of suggestion when bringing up lack of exercise. Not that she minded, quite the opposite. She put and orange segment in her mouth. "Nothing planned until classes. But I assumed you had tired yourself out," she teased him.

"For you? I'm never too tired." He'd finished the biscuit and he grinned at her as he picked up the orange. "Plus, it'll help both of relax for the Doctor's final. So, practical as well as fun," he added as he started peeling the orange.

"That's an irresistable combination," River said, her mouth full of orange. She covered her mouth with her hand to keep the fruit in when she burst out laughing. "Have Villains and Villainy final today as well, and then cheerleading assembly this afternoon. Need to be very relaxed." She poked Jack's leg with her foot.

"Then I'd better make sure I've got my strength up," he laughed and flicked a curl of orange peel at her.

River attempted to duck, but the orange peel got stuck in her hair. "Too demanding?" she asked, still laughing, happy just to be here, sharing breakfast with Jack.

"Never," he replied and leaned over to kiss her again, one hand sliding under her hair to hold her close. Anything River wanted, she could have.

River returned the kiss, softly at first, then with more intensity. When letting go of his lips she stayed close, resting her forehead against his and sighing happily. She traced her fingers along his cheeks, her fingers stickly from peeling oranges. Jack's willingness to give her anything she asked for made her feel warm inside. She offered nothing but her happiness in return, but had a feeling that was enough.

"Glad you came out here this morning," he said when he finally pulled away, which wasn't exactly easy to do, not caring that there was now sticky orange on his face. "You were just the person I needed to see."

"Oh?" River smiled, stretching out on the grass, resting her head in her hand. Hearing him say that was different from just picking it up from his mind. She plucked the orange peel out of her hair. "Good at cheering each other up," she said. "Imporant."

"Yup, we are and, yeah, it is." He finished peeling the orange and separated it neatly into segments, licking the juice off his fingers. "River? Are you staying around after graduation?" He had a vague notion of asking her to watch out for Cedric if she was.

"I'll spend some time on Serenity during the summer," River said. "Don't know exactly when yet." She met Jack's eyes. "Will watch out for him, if he lets me." That last part wasn't something particular to Cedric, just an observation River had made that watching out often required the permission of the subject.

"Thank you." He knew she couldn't if Cedric wouldn't let her, but he was going to try an convince Cedric that it would be a good idea. "It'll make me feel better if I know he's got people he can count on, if he needs them."

There was no way River would say no to that. "Watch out for him in what way?" she asked.

"I don't really know," Jack admitted with a laugh. "If the island gets invaded by something, make sure he's safe? Especially if it's something magic can't fight?"

River chuckled. "Might ask him to look out for me if there's a magical threat," she said. "Might make him more likely to accept assistance." Not that she knew Cedric very well, but that was how people usually worked.

She reached out and squeezed Jack's hand. "Will look out for him. Promise."

He lifted her hand and kissed it, holding it as he met her eyes. "Thank you, River." No way he could put his gratitude, and his trust, into words. Luckily, he didn't have to. "Don't know about you, but I think I'm done with breakfast."

Some things were just clearer when not put into words.River smiled gave a quick nod. "Done with breakfast too." A grin appeared on her face. "Time for that shower?"

Jack leapt to his feet, scooped up the breakfast residue and lobbed it in the trash, then offered her his hand. "Definitely."

Laughing, River let Jack pull her to her feet. She rose on to the tip of her toes and placed her hands on his cheeks, kissing him softly before suddenly letting go in favour of grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the door.

Laughing, Jack didn't try and resist and they ended up taking the stairs two at a time, Jack groaning at the pull on sore muscles.

Luckily, a hot shower was a good cure for that, and having one with company was a cure for everything else.

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Friday early morning: Outside the dorms (mostly)

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