You All Over Me [BxB]

Thirty-Nine

The night sky extends infinitely, but with the absence of stars in the obsidian canvas, Jacob's attempt to distract and calm himself down is futile. Beside him, Theodore casts a concerned glance, and upon noticing him fret, he places his hand on top of his.

"Hey, you good?" he inquires. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. If he isn't there, then we'll look elsewhere."

"It's not that, Theo," Jacob responds softly. "I'm just not sure exactly what to feel. I'm lost. Anxious, yes, but why? Because my mother is? Where exactly is this worry coming from? I don't know if I still... I still care about him. Do I? Or should I?"

He heaves another sigh, his lashes fluttering downwards in apparent fatigue. "I haven't spoken to him in so long that I..."

"You don't need to explain yourself, Jake," Theodore says kindly. "And you don't need to do this if you're not a hundred percent alright with it. Tita, Mom, and I can take care of it. I shouldn't have—"

"No, Theo. I know I should be here," Jacob interjects, gazing at his side profile. "I'd rather be here for my Mom. And for him. Because despite everything, I don't want anything to happen to... To Dad."

Theodore nods as he steps on the brake at the intersection. "Then do whatever you think is good for you. Whatever feels right."

"Thank you. For doing this with me. I'm sorry that you might need to call in sick."

"What do you mean? This is nothing. You're the one who's always doing a lot of things for me."

One side of Jacob's lips curls up into a smirk. "But who's counting?"

"Me," Theodore utters, grinning. "And I'm on your team. Always."

His tensed shoulders conspicuously relax, the erratic beating of his heart returning to a normal pace.

"Let's switch gears," Jacob suggests as he increases the volume of the speaker. Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas begins to play.

"And talk about what?"

"I don't know. Just anything. Like when did you start to like me back?"

Theodore is unable to hold his snort. "I honestly cannot pinpoint the exact moment. Maybe during internship when you were kinda ignoring me? Perhaps earlier?"

"Probably the internship. It's like what they say. That you'll only realize what you've got when it's gone."

Theodore rolls his eyes. "Sounds too dramatic even for me."

Jacob erupts into a fit of laughter, and he joins him, a state of peacefulness descending upon them.

"You know what? I don't care. I've got you now. Took a while, but it's worth it."

In the dimly-lit surroundings, Theodore's cheeks are painted red, and he ponders how he's ever going to get accustomed to Jacob throwing him cheesy lines whenever he gets the chance. "And here I am still confused why you'd pick me."

"Why not?"

"You could've gotten any person you want."

"That's exactly what happened, though," he chuckles once more. "You just don't realize you're a catch, too. You're too busy studying to notice."

Their conversation flows on, and by the time they reach the fishing grounds, the clock creeps closer to 2 AM. They had to stop by a motel nearby to book a room, just in case.

The area lays in hushed serenity, save for the whispers of water echoing from the sea.

"It's very late now. I doubt he'd still be here if he were actually here," Jacob muses. "Sorry. We should've waited until the next morning."