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sparguscityangel · 3 months ago

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Night Market

i wrote this a while ago but i thought it was cute if anyone wanted some fluff <3 oc x canon because hehe warning: mentions of vomiting but no actual vomiting happens. a character just retches enjoy!

Jak's skin prickled under his scarf, sweat beading around the back of his neck the longer he stood in front of the food stall. Instinct told him to take it off, cooing that the light breeze from the cool summer night would feel divine on his overheating skin. The clanking of armed law enforcers that circled through the rows and rows of vendors told him otherwise. He tried to not look over his shoulder at them too much, praying that his eyes didn't betray his cover as one marched a tad bit too close to him. Crap. He didn't get a glimpse, did he? The guard was tall — easy one or two feet taller than Jak, and the plated shoulders didn't seem like they were forgiving enough for him to see anything below eye-level.��

In his haste to move further away from the guard, he stumbled into the woman beside him. She jostled a little, a soft sound of surprise spilling out her lips as she adjusted to get her equilibrium back. Crap. He was lucky he didn't accidentally knock the poor thing over. He was stronger, packed with more muscle, he could've—

The doubts in his head turned into lazy droning as he felt an arm snake around his own, a body pressing to his side. As the vendor called their number, the girl squeezed his bicep and rose her other hand. "That's us!" she chimed, pulling him to stand before the plywood and painted linen that advertised some mystery cuisine. The smoke the stall generated from its grill made tears well up in his eyes, and he wondered if maybe he should've lowered his goggles too. The girl didn't seem to mind. In fact, she rattled off their order like it was second nature. Her tongue didn't roll the 'R's quite right and she definitely messed up the grammar a few times, but the rugged man behind the counter nodded and turned back to throw something onto the fire. Jak tried to peer over, stomach cramping as he caught sight of the other food currently charring on the beat up grill.

"Now we wait," she smiled, tugging him over to the side so that the person behind them could order. Her fingers on his arm pressed into his tunic, her grip weakening and then strengthening, uncertain if she should continue holding it or let it go. Jak was too preoccupied to make up his mind on the matter either.

"Did you order ...?"

"No meat!" she boasted, chested puffed up in pride as she pointed to the one armed cook. His other arm ended in a spatula. Just where in the world did these people come from? "I remembered,"

The tightness in his stomach subsided. Good. He can actually enjoy the meal and not have to pick out all the meat upon receiving it. His own dietary preferences aside, Jak still wasn't keen on the idea of outright throwing away meat — especially in a side like Haven were such things were considered a luxury.

He was glad for his scarf. It hid the blush the reddened his cheeks at the thought of Ru having memorized his quirk.

Their order was ready in about ten minutes. Jak had almost forgotten about it until Ru let go of him and bounced closer to the spatula handed man to retrieve the brown paper boats that contained the majority of their food. By the time he was handing her a third boat, Jak had surged forward to grab the rest of the apparent buffet that Ru had ordered for them both. As she sought out a spot to eat, Jak paid. Ru insisted that it was her treat before they even arrived to the Bazaar, but something in Jak told him that it was his responsibility to pay, so he did. The orbs weren't exactly obtained in the most wholesome of ways, but currency was currency and he had enough to pay for Ru and himself.

He found her sitting on a short wall a bit aways from the hustle and bustle of the Bazaar. He moved pasted the other friends eating their meals, and the closer he got to Ru, the more sparse they became. Around them, the sting lights that encompassed the entire sector illuminated them both in a warm glow.

Ru waited until he was sitting beside her before she leaned in close and asked, "Is this alright? I tried picking a spot where you wouldn't get too overwhelmed,"

Jak nodded. The peppering of the odd... friends ... was a fragile comfort, knowing that there were enough people around that the KG wouldn't even bother to inspect each and every face, but it wasn't too populated to the point where it made Jak's skin crawl and his tongue grow venomous with outbursts.

With the confirmation, Ru clapped her hands in excitement. "Good! Now, I didn't really know what you would or wouldn't like so I asked for the most popular orders," she gestured to the myriad of boats, "Are you ready to have your tastebuds burn off?"

The entire selection didn't look to be much, now that he looked at it. Everything had been made with the idea of only trying the dish before moving onto the next, content with the business model of only selling one or two quick snacks, but he distinctly remembered that Ru only wanted to come to this specific stall. She's been talking about it for nearly a week, and he couldn't bear to tell her 'no' again. After the last time she smiled sadly and said it was alright, he was marching into the Underground and demanding a night off to take Ru to the food market. It's the least they could do, he thought, It not for me, then for her.

What did throw him off was the fiery red that almost all the dishes possessed.

"Uh, Ru?" he called, picking up one of the skewers with a raised eyebrow. The food on it looked chewy, almost like cheese, but the unnatural red color made him a little suspicious. He squinted at the stall, trying to see if he could make out where the food originated from, but it was too far and the letters all blurred together anyways for him. Embarrassment sprouted in his gut when he remembered how many times he handed something to Ru or Daxter and asked them to read it to him.

Ru passed him the bag of soda, grunting around the mouthful she was trying to swallow before she finally got out, "Hang on! It tastes better with cheese!". Rummaging through her bag, Ru produced a pre-packaged stick of cheese that she immediately began to peel apart. She licked her finger as she laid it over the strange tubes on the skewer, only satisfied when she finally saw it begin to melt. "Okay, now try it,"

"What is it?"

"Tteokbokki! It's not from the stall, but it's one of my favorites and a great way to ease you into spicy food," she explained, hands moving about in that animated way that intrigued Jak. She reminded him of Daxter, constantly alive and in motion and the perfect sort of enthusiastic that made it easy for him to blend into the background. All the attention would be on them, though they never left him behind.

She's cute, he found himself thinking, then promptly shoved the entire skewer of tubes into his mouth. Ru squealed.

"Not all at once! You're supposed to eat it one at a time!" she sagged, playfully exasperated, then followed suit and devoured her own skewer. Two seconds later and she's slapping his arm to pass the bag of soda back to her. The spices hit Jak's tongue almost immediately also, but it fizzled out as soon as it arrived. He chewed through it, waiting for it to come back with a vengeance, but nothing happened. When it was eventually reduced to mush, Jak swallowed.

"Not bad," he shrugged, "The cheese helped,"

"Cheese always helps," Ru winked, then pushed the next boat closer to him, "Now is the moment of truth!" she dropped her voice down an octave, booming out the rest like one of the oracles that Jak frequented, "Jak ... insert last name here— Are you ready to experience true spice?"

"Sure,"

"Jak!"

"Fine," Jak rolled his eyes, clearing his throat and dropping his own voice down an octave, "I accept the challenge,"

Ru's cheeks grew pink, a strained smile on her lips as she brought her hands up to cover her face. After a few seconds, she made a rather embarrassing snort-giggle-squeal, shaking her head. "Stop, stop, stop!" she cried under muffled palms, "That was so hot, oh my God, don't do that!"

"You just told me to be more into it! I was following your lead!"

"Stop looking at me and eat your soy chorizo!"

Ru didn't give him time to dwell. Her braids whirled around her as she picked up another boat, setting down in front of him like she was presenting before royalty. A street rat with a rap sheet the length of a glub's tongue was hardly deserving of such treatment, but he couldn't help but want to be that for Ru. Even if it was a joke, he found himself longing to be someone actually worthy of presentation and prestige, of nice things he could share with her if only to hear her laugh about it. He realized that he could never be that for her, but it was nice to dream between bites of fire.

This time, Ru used Jak's spoon to mix the contents around. The red, thick gravy looked both creamy and textured with chunks of what looked like vegetables in it. When mixed in with the rice, it thickened into something that resembled porridge. Not only did the appearance slightly change, but stirring it around awoke a very dense aroma that made him want to sneeze. It tickled the insides of his nose, slapped his cheeks, and clogged his throat from the amount of seasoning that went into the dish. Jak coughed, and Ru grinned.

"No way you'll be able to survive this," Ru smirked, stabbing the spoon into the mixture and holding it out for Jak, "Eat up, sucker,"

"You are ... weirdly into this, you know," Jak muttered, taking the boat with both hands, "It's kinda creepy. What's in it for me?"

Ru hummed, rolling her eyes with a grin. She leaned toward him, head tilted forward as if she knew a secret that Jak didn't. Her feet kicked innocuously, but the look in her doe eyes were mischievous, a trickster Precursors disguised as a young woman if Jak didn't know any better. He didn't, though, did he? There was a lot about this strange new time that he didn't know about, both social and historical wise. He didn't mind at first. His mind was too preoccupied with revenge, the inner turmoil inside him becoming so all-consuming that Jak laid awake at night in fear of himself.

He knew some things. Basic things. The fundamentals that were discussed by bored guards posted outside his cell. He latched onto them when the eco treatments started to get more unbearable, shaking on the stone floor of his cell and forcing himself to follow the conversations going on around him, to latch onto any semblance of human connection that he could get.

It got him far enough outside of the Fortress, and when he reunited with Daxter and Keira, he felt a flood of relief. He was reminded that he wasn't alone, that the gaps in his knowledge weren't his alone to bear. He foolishly believed that when the world stopped for him, it stopped for his friends as well. But then, the truth was that it didn't. He was reminded in the way Daxter talked them out of situations without missing a beat, throwing in something so casual yet intimate that others look the other way. He watched as Keira chatted with other mechanics, seated quietly beside her and peeling off the label of the soju bottle as she and the others spoke about things that Jak couldn't even begin to fathom what they meant. Even Samos, as old as he was, seemed to have adapted to Haven much better than Jak had. While he was locked up, his friends grew into the city. They learned, they overcame, and they assimilated while it became painfully obvious that Jak was falling behind.

Until he met Ru.

Suddenly, he didn't feel embarrassed about not understanding her jokes or references. He didn't feel stupid asking her what something meant or to explain something in the middle of their conversation. Even when he got overwhelmed and struggled to form words, Ru would understand everything he wanted to express verbally. She never minded. She'd just smile that warm smile of hers, pet his arm, and explained. He learned a lot from her, even if she doesn't think so.

Though he had to admit that this particular lesson in cuisine was throwing him for a bit of a loop.

"Well, let's see," Ru hummed, tapping her chin, "If you can't handle the curry and I win, you have to teach me how to ride your hoverboard,"

"Not happening,"

"Oh, come on! I told you! It was an off day!"

Jak had a sudden bright and vivid memory of Ru asking him the same thing nearly a month ago, the lesson resulting in an ice pack on the knee and reassuring a teary eyed Ru that the board was fine. He made a face at the request.

"A glub could've avoided that rock,"

"It was a pretty big rock! How was I suppo— no, no, I'm not having this argument again," Ru hissed, shaking her head. When she locked eyes with him again, she continued, "But if you can handle the curry and you win, you get a treat,"

That got his attention.

"A treat? What kind of treat?" he asked, trying to keep his voice measured and not give away his hand too much. Ru was cute and all but she wasn't exactly the picture perfect sportsmanship model out there.

"A sweet one," she assured, coyly looking around them, "You'll see if you win,"

Jak chuckled, picking the spoon back up to mix the food. By now, it had turned into a russet shade of mush. The smell was strong, wafting all around them to the point where a few of the couples made faces at it. Jak kept an eye out. The last thing he needed was someone reporting them to the KG. The scarf around his hair could only do so much to conceal his identity, and Ru ... well, Ru still believed he was a good person. Through some miracle or luck of some form of sick divine intervention, Ru hadn't seen any of the wanted posters plastered around the city. He tried to take down the ones that were posted near her commute to the clinic, but they would reappear almost immediately, and yet Ru has yet to put two and two together. He couldn't tell if he was grateful or not.

He shoved the spoon into his mouth to stop the thoughts from spiraling further.

Ru waited. Jak waited. It felt like the entire bazaar was holding its breath as it waited for the spice to knock him down.

But the spice never came. Jak took a couple more bites, holding each one in his mouth for longer amounts of time but it never came. He held the boat out to Ru. "Not bad. Could use some hot sauce,"

Ru stared. Her mouth moved as if she was trying to speak, but she has always been an actions person and she snatched the boat from him, slipping the barest taste between her lips. Her reaction was delayed, but expected.

Her face grew hot as red eco, her tongue rolling out like a panting crocapup as she fanned herself. She slammed her fist into his bicep, pointing wildly for the bag of coke. Then, just as he was going to hand it to her, Ru sprinted for the nearest garbage bin and leaned over, the sounds of her dry heaving sending the other patrons scrambling away from the area. A few peered at the discarded paper boat on the floor, faces twisted in grimaces and hissing at the booth that it came from.

All the while, Jak sat motionless.

Ru was feeling sick. He should help her, right? He would need to channel green eco into her somehow, and he tried to mentally dust off the old medicinal lessons that Samos used to force him to sit through as he droned on and on about biles and humors and miasma.

Ru's body twitched, but nothing came out but a painful sounding burp. Jak sighed. This wasn't biles, humors, or miasma, but it was Ru and whatever it was, he was sure it was horrible to face alone while her nose was inches away from unfinished tanghulus and garlic naan.

He stood behind her, hands hovering over her shoulders cautiously. He could touch her. He should. He won't. He can't.

"Ru ...?" he called quietly, rounding around to get a look on her face. She gagged painfully, but nothing was coming out. He called her name again, but she didn't answer. Crap. What would a good not-maybe-sorta-boy friend (friend who was a boy) do?

He nervously shifted on his feet. "Is there ... anything I can do?" he asked dumbly, wincing when she slumped miserably over the trash. "I can get you some ice? O-or I can get some help, hang on—"

"H-hold my hair?" came Ru's tiny voice, face splotchy and sweating and oh-so-adorable. Jak snapped into action, relief over having clear cut orders settling his own nervousness. Gathering the chestnut and milky hair in both hands, Jak twisted and bundled it all up at the back of her head. Some strands were drenched around her temples, plastered to her freckled skin in loops and spirals, stuck to her face like flies to honey.

After what seemed like an eternity — though realistically probably a max of five minutes — Ru finally leaned away from the can, her canvas jacket sleeve pulled over her hand to wipe at her face. "Damn," she muttered, eyes closed as she swallowed thickly, "That was a close one,"

"Yeah ..." Jak agreed, accumulating her hair under one hand as the other cupped her jaw, bringing her closer, "Were you sick before or ...?"

Her forehead was a little warmer than it should've been against his cheek, but her lips were still covered in the curry tinted saliva and she was still sucking in the cold air in sharp intakes. He pulled away, Ru looking away as she shook her head.

"It was the curry," she replied curtly, then shrugged, "This should've been you, you know,"

"Why are you so obsessed with me and spicy food?" Jak huffed. Ru stomped her foot, face twisted up in a pout. She was fine now. He let her hair cascade down her back.

"You're too good to be true! You have to have at least one flaw!"

Jak nearly choked on air, snapping his head to stare at Ru as if she had grown a new head. It took him a second to gather his thoughts. "Excuse me?" was all he could come up with.

Ru threw her hands up. "You like animals! You bring my family gifts! You wait for permission to touch me, you come running when I need help, you let me vent!"

"Ru, that's all normal," Jak laughed, but Ru silenced him with a finger.

"No! It isn't! I love this city, Jak, I do, but even I can admit that the people here sorta suck. But you don't. You ..." Ru stopped herself with a long suffering sigh, thumbing his channeler ring. He wondered if she knew what it was, what it said about him. Channelers were rare. Sages that could learn to manipulate a certain eco type was not impossible, and there very well could be many more that they didn't know about. Oracles, though not able to control eco, were still a more thriving breed than Channelers. In their absence, Haven learned to adapt. They created ways to harness eco, to guide it wherever they wanted it to go and they invented technology that got them as close to channeling as possible, but no one could handle raw eco. Not like Jak. The iron in his blood made room for eco and he needed the ring to help conduct it and when Ru moved the strap, the ancient artifact bore the smiley sticker she had given him that day in the rain. Standing outside her apartment, drenched from the downpour and shaking from the close call with KG, Ru handed him the sticker like it was cash, like it was valuable, like he was worth of a reward for simply walking a stranger home. The Ru in the past and the Ru in the present both grinned at him, close enough to kiss despite Jak's commitment to keep her as pure as possible. Everything he touched turned to bile and humors and miasma and he was determined to keep Ru safe from it.

From him.

But Ru wasn't afraid like he was. Ru wasn't a coward and she tapped his nose with a finger and said, "You're special, Jak. I can tell,"

He heard it said in millions of different ways throughout his life, but this was the first time he actually believed it. For once, Jak felt ... special. Not because he was a Channeler or a hero or a rebellious pet or destined for greatness, but because the veterinarian technician he walked home once said so.

The moment made Jak feel weird so he stepped away, clearing his throat as Ru continued to groan and hold her stomach. She was still feeling bad and Jak didn't like seeing her upset.

He looked around the stalls surrounded them. The area they picked to sit in was nestled in the corner of the market, the vendors all disappointed in their placements and resting their chins in their palms as they sighed at the lack of clientele. Jak browsed through them all, but the one that stuck out to him the most was an older man facing a portable television, laughing to himself while eating a bowl of noodles that bore the name that didn't match his stalls.

As Ru sat back down on the half-wall, Jak moved toward the old man with his scarf tucked back around his face, hands stuffed into his pockets and before he even arrived, the man grumbled, "I don't have cash. Go rob someone else,"

Jak snarled, the eco inside him thumping to be let out, but he breathed instead. Figure out the issue. Resolve it. Don't turn to violence.

What would make the shopkeeper think he was trying to rob him? Was it the goatee? His boots? Or ... he touched his face. The scarf was a deep crimson and covering everything but his eyes. He had to admit — he did look suspicious.

"I'm not going to rob you," Jak said, lowing the scarf to show his face, "I just wanted—

"Banana milk. Two coins," the old man muttered, never looking up from the television. Jak waited for him to stand up and the milk to him, but he never moved.

"Do I ...?"

The old man waved at him in annoyance. "Aiya! I can't hear my show!" he gestured to the screen, a black and white movie involving a young warrior and a giant animal strolling through a village as the townspeople bowed. The hair on the warrior was outrageous, standing in defiance of gravity and good fashion choices. Jak reached over and snatched the milk from behind the counter. He tossed the coins onto the counter, clicking his tongue as he turned away from the grumpy man.

As he walked away, the man called out to him. "Hey! Crazy Hair Boy!"

Confused, Jak grimaced. "What do you want, old man? Don't you have your show to watch?" Jak snapped, gesturing to the TV. Again, the older man even spare him a glance. He stuffed a sizeable amount of noodles into his mouth, slurping them up. Was he going to have to wait until he was done chewing? He didn't have time for this. "What do you want?"

"You can be one or the other. You cannot be rude and stupid," the man finally said, mixing the broth with his chopsticks. It was the only time he wasn't glued to the screen, "Learn to read. Girls, they like boys that can read them poetry and sonnets,"

"How did you ...?"

"You're holding a bottle of chai concentrate. Your friend needs banana milk. 'S good for those who cannot handle spicy,"

Jak looked down at his hand. The letters meant nothing to him, and they never had to. In Sandover, people just told him what to get and how. Even if he never spoke, he didn't have to. Everyone just understood him. Besides, he didn't need books. That was more Keira and Daxter's thing, never his. He wasn't good at the academic side of things, just the physical side. He didn't need to know about history or philosophy, not when he could be learning how to push his body further and harder and faster.

If he couldn't read, he wouldn't be wasting his time reading books. It was a necessary sacrifice.

At the cost of upsetting Ru?

He returned the chai concentrate and picked up the smaller bottle with the smiling banana on it. "Thanks ..." he muttered, then looked around the stall, "What does you sign say?"

"Xinjian's. That's me,"

"What do you sell?"

"Noodles. Dumplings. Banana milk,"

The bowl in his hands didn't look like it spelt the same words as the sign. "Why did you buy noodles from someone else?"

"I never said I made good noodles," the man shrugged, popping a half of a boiled egg into his mouth.

Fair enough. Jak nodded, thanked the man again, and walked back to Ru with the milk. He tapped her shoulder with is from behind, softly offering it to her and waiting for her to take it before he sat back down next to her. "How are you feeling?"

Ru made a face around the banana milk. After a long sip, she swallowed hard and coughed. "Like my insides are on fire," she replied tightly, coughing some more into her elbow. She held up the milk. This is good, though,"

"I'm glad,"

The conversation died down softly, the warm glow of the lights and the sounds of the lively market taking over. Ru finished the milk in record time, tossing it onto the empty plates. The night bit with the first signs of autumn, reddening Ru's nose and numbing Jak's fingers. Still, it was too peaceful for either of them to break the spell of the market.

After a moment, though, the insistent nagging in his head got to be unbearable and he cursed before he broke the moment. "What was the sweet treat?" he asked, leaning back on his palms. Ru raised an eyebrow.

"Huh?"

"My treat. You said if I won, you'd give me a sweet treat," Jak tapped his chin, "I'm pretty sure I won,"

"Alright, alright, I concede," Ru laughed, "Close you eyes,"

"If this is a spicy dessert ..." but he obeyed, shutting his eyes, trusting Ru to alert him if something went haywire. Deprived of his sight, Jak was able to take note of all the aromas and sounds he hadn't before: the sweet scent of mango, the laughter of a group of friends, the smokiness of a grill. In the blissful darkness behind his eyelids, Jak realized that this was the Sandover he always wanted. The joyous comradery of community from children playing to elders eating noodles, surrounded by a diverse and exciting plethora of foods. If only the city walls were gone and he could smell the sweetness of the sea, he'd consider this—

Jak's thoughts were interrupted by something soft and velvety on his lips.

It was caste, gentle, and sweet. Jak decided he liked it, parting his mouth just a little to allow Ru more room to deepen the kiss. Her head tilted to the right and Jak followed her lead, melting into it as Ru's hand rested on his chest. Whether to keep herself from falling into him or to follow instinct, he didn't care. He just never wanted the moment to end.

It was Ru that pulled away, her hand now cupping his jaw to rub the bone with her thumb. Jak tried to chase after her but she dodged him, giggling as she sat back.

"Easy, pal. You get a treat, not the whole dessert cart," Ru chimed. Jak blinked at her, realization making the moment go from a dreamy haze to sharp focus.

"Not bad for my first kiss," he mused out loud, leaning back towards her but Ru evaded it again, this time her eyes shot open like dinner plates and she tightened her hand on his jaw.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa ... what did you say?"

"Uh ... not bad for my first kiss?" Jak repeated, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Is that a problem?"

"You ... you and Keira—!"

"We tried, once, but Daxter interrupted," Jak shrugged. Ru's hand was warm on his cheek and he rested some of the weight of his head on her palm.

"I ... was your first kiss," Ru stated and Jak nodded. She covered her face with her free hand, "Oh, Gods! You just had your kiss in the baazar next to a trash can! Why didn't you tell me?! I would've waited until we were somewhere nicer!"

Jak made a dismissive noise. "Eh, never really been the planning type. I guess you can say that I'm the spontaneous type," he hummed, "Now where were we ..."

Ru laughed, smacking his arm playfully. His flinch was noticed but not acknowledged — the deal they silently agreed upon when Jak started to spend more and more time with Ru. Trauma or not, he still laughed at it. His sides began to ache as Ru dropped her head in her hands.

"What's worse is that you still had some spice on your lips," Ru whined. Jak scooted closer to her.

"Maybe the tingling is from our spark,"

"Ew! Gross!" she shoved him, both of them collapsing into uncontrollable laughter, "That's so cheesy!

"You told me to close my eyes and then you kissed me! That's the biggest, cheesiest cliche ever!"

"No, that's called being cute! You're just being a creep now!" she touched her lips, wiping it with her tongue and then instantly fanning herself. "Crap! That stuff is no joke. How are you dealing with it?!"

Jak leaned back on his hands again, regarding Ru with a suave grin. "I like sweet and sour," he winked.

"Bleh," Ru pretended to gag, pushing Jak's face away from her, "Get out mah face ..."

Jak laughed loudly at the reference, the voice of the boisterous drunk man they saw messing with a KG coming back to him in full force. Ever since they heard it, they couldn't stop repeating it to each other. It became annoying to both Daxter and Keira whenever Jak would say it without Ru's presence to make the joke make sense. The last time he said it, Keira threatened to club him with a wrench.

"Nah, I changed my mind," Ru giggled, wrapping her arm around his neck and burying her hand in his curls. A finger teased one of the more defined ones, pulling it and letting it snap back into form before twisting it around her finger. He pressed his forehead against hers, breathing her in. She smelled like a field of flowers. "I think I like your face a lot,"

Jak hummed. "Should we head back to your place?"

Ru grinned, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Yeah ..."

The trek back to Ru's house wasn't too far. The Slums weren't too far from the East Bazaar, but it was dangerously close to the Fortress. When Ru wasn't looking, he tore down another wanted poster.

Her parents greeted him like they always did. They offered him food, he politely declined, and when Ru told them he was sleeping over again, her grandmother clapped.

"Oh, good! You can help me make fry bread in the morning!" she shouted from her chair, resuming her beaded project as Ru tugged him towards her room.

While Ru was furiously brushing her teeth in the bathroom, Jak dug around for his pillow in the closet. Ru's sister was sat on the bed, covered in an array of sparkly beaded jewelry and a tutu that has seen better days, speaking to him about the latest episode of Eco Rangers. She paused when Ru walked back in.

"Can I sleep in here tonight?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. Ru shook her head.

"No way. Last time you slept in here, you kept him all to yourself," Ru grumbled, throwing herself onto the bed.

Jak climbed in next to her, plopping onto Ru's stomach. She groaned loudly, moaning about her midsection. "You heard the boss,"

"Get off me, you log! You're all bones!"

Lorna whined. "Please?! I promise I won't bother you!"

"You're bothering us now," Ru rolled her eyes, then laid her hand on Jak's chest again, "Besides, we had plans to do big kid stuff,"

"Mom and dad said to keep the door open!" Lorna screeched, "Those are the rules!"

"Ew! Not that!" Ru blanched and Jak hid the way he blushed behind his hands. He wasn't even thinking of that. Maybe ever. Ru patted his chest, "But we were planning on doing a little more kissing and cuddling and cutesy name calling,"

"Now I'm nauseous," Jak groaned and Ru smacked his chest. He laughed.

"Hush, you. Anyway, there's no room in here for you. Go sleep in your own room,"

"... Rock, paper, scissors?"

"You're on,"

Lorna stayed. Ru and Jak stole kisses when they could, waiting until Lorna wasn't looking, the animated movie on TV keeping her attention long enough for Ru to peck his lips or for Jak to drop one on their interlocked knuckles. He doesn't remember the movie, or even what it was about, just that he woke up when Lorna got off the bed to turn it off. His face was tucked into Ru's stomach, his back to the TV and his girlfriend laying on her back as she ran her hand down his spine.

Crap. He fell asleep before he could check the windows and doors. The Morgues didn't have bars on the windows, anyone could just come in off the street and pry them open. He had to double check that the locks were all fine and the bells were in their place and—

"Shhh," Ru whispered, digging her fingers into his back. He didn't even realize he was pushing himself up until she spoke, "I checked. You're okay. Go back to sleep,"

He didn't need to be told twice. He dropped back down more carefully, curling up into Ru's stomach once more and sighing when her hand resumed her rubbing on his neck and shoulders.

Lorna made herself comfortable on the pillows next to Ru's head, awkwardly positioned to not accidentally kick Jak in her sleep again. Both sisters laid vertically, one crushed by him as Jak took up horizontal space, but he was too tired to care. Ru's gentle breathing lulled him back to sleep, and Jak fell into a dream of spicy cacti and tingling kisses.

#jak and daxter #angel's fic #jak and daxter oc #oc x canon #idk i liked it

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