let it happen | jack

[addilyn elara slater]

a notion growing inside

now all the others seem shallow

March 9, 2028
JOHN ELLIOT CLARK

Addy wondered how so much could change in less than two years, or even in the last year for that matter. A year ago, she’d felt the worst she’d ever felt, although progress had been made on that front. It wasn’t settled, however. Cheese may have been back in her life, but it wasn’t the same. How could it be? No matter how hard one tried, could you ever really forget that pain when you looked at the other person? But on the positive, Addy could look forward to that time when she would grab her broom and her gear, meet up with the small league Cheese had introduced Addy to, and play Quidditch again.

And much to Cheese’s dismay, she wasn’t as out of practice as one might have thought. Ever since she was young, playing Quidditch had felt natural. She put in the practice, of course, but up on that broom high above the crowds of Hogwarts students, she’d really felt alive. Addy had needed that long time after graduation to realize how much she missed it. Addy dug her feet in less and less as the days went by. A tiny seed grew in her mind, but thus far, she had chopped it up to just a daydream. When she was young, Addy used to daydream about what her life might be like. She watched her older sister succeed, pushing through school and figuring that could be one path. The strife between her parents and her brother planted a tiny seed of doubt that Addy had long forgotten. These days it nagged at her, growing louder every day.

At least they’d made it to his room this time. Addy had noticed Jack’s demeanor change, like the creativity he let flow freely around her was gone. Things had been frosty, but it didn’t stop that pull to one another. But for a while, things felt…routine, even procedural. The sex was still good, but they were both holding back. And this only added to her general frustration with her life. Quidditch wasn’t enough to quell that. So, after one terrible week at work, followed by Brígh signing her up for speed dating, not to mention getting back into Quidditch shape, among other things, Addy sought out Jack with a lot of energy she needed to release.

Maybe it was enough to force to knock down a wall or two, but instead of going home, they’d at least moved from the couch in his flat and really talked for the first time in months. Addy could admit she missed talking to Jack. They’d formed a strange sort of friendship that happened to carry this physical part. And since then things began to feel familiar between them. Addy stood in front of the bed in one of his smaller shirts, which considering his height, was still much too large on her. ”I told you, I was knocked off my broom.” Addy responded as she tied her hair with a band. Jack had asked about some bruise Addy had on her upper leg near her hip where she’d taken a hard fall. All her aggressive energy lately was mainly focused on the obscene number of fouls occurring during weekend practices. Luna had also invited her to meet the Harpies and later even fly with them at practice. Suffice it to say that Addy’s activities outside of work left her with no trouble falling asleep at night. And lately, Addy and Jack maintained their impeccable timing, not running into Mal at some point since he shared with flat with Jack. Her hair didn’t look less disheveled, but at least it was out of her face, and she climbed back on the bed.

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[JOHN ELLIOT CLARK]

Jack was unfamiliar with the sensation of needing somebody. He'd been independent as long as he could remember, hardly even relying on his brother except for a laugh. He'd been brought up in a rough world, where nothing was handed to him and he had to figure shit out on his own. When things got hard, Jack didn't have time to sulk - he had to act and bounce back.

The strangest thing about needing Addy was that it came onto him unexpectedly. One night, they'd parted frostily, and their friendship - if you could even call it that - had cooled. They hadn't spoken for some time, except to wish one another a happy Christmas and a few well wishes in between. Jack hadn't realised he'd actually missed Addy until about five weeks ago, when she'd reached out and they ache he'd felt had lessened slightly. It was an alarming realisation, and one that Jack was all too happy to keep to himself. They'd fallen into their old habits, with little room for conversation in between.

Perhaps it was this pent up energy that finally burst the dam holding them back from one another. They hadn't spoken properly in months, and this time, Jack felt like he could properly connect with Addy. She'd kissed him and it was like a hurricane, and he couldn't get enough of her. At least they'd made it to his bedroom - Jack wasn't sure if Mal would come home at any moment. He'd spent long moments worshipping every bit of her, sating himself on her body. And finally, they were ready to talk.

"Merlin, Addy, where'd you get that bruise from?" asked Jack, pulling up the hem of his too long t shirt so he could examine the bruise on her leg. "Knocked off your broom? By what, a graphorn?" he muttered, more to himself than her. She tied her hair back away from her face, and Jack rose from his prone position on the bed to capture her chin in his hand. His gaze met hers briefly before he kissed her, his mouth surprisingly tender despite their previous activities. "You're going to break in half and you won't be able to do anything more than your desk job," Jack teased, tucking a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Addy moved back to the bed and Jack was all too willing to oblige. "You've been playing more then," he observed with a triumphant look.

addilyn elara slater

[addilyn elara slater]

a notion growing inside

now all the others seem shallow

March 9, 2028
JOHN ELLIOT CLARK

Addy didn’t think the bruise was that bad. But the longer she stared at it, maybe it was a little alarming. The oddly shaped splotch wasn’t so red and blue anymore, and tinges of green began to appear. It wasn’t as tender, either. Not that Addy would have let this keep her from continuing to play or live her life. Clearly, it hadn’t stopped her here either. She caught his last comment, and Addy stopped herself from responding. Who had fouled her was part of the issue. But letting her mind linger too long on her ex-boyfriend’s choice of new friends was not what she wanted to think about.

Before Addy could crawl back onto the bed, Jack moved until his face leveled with hers. Every time Addy felt like she knew what to expect from Jack, he surprised her. He kissed her, but without the whirlwind energy of before. ”Merlin forbid.” She responded to the thought. Now that she had returned to an old hobby, sitting behind a desk felt less satisfying. Every day she walked through that atrium, into the lift, and to her floor, and every day she felt the walls close in on her inch by inch. There was much on her mind on that note, but it felt jumbled.

Addy laid down on her stomach but quickly rolled onto her back. There was that look in his eye again, the one from before. She merely nodded in response. ”There’s a neighborhood league I was told about.” Addy still hadn’t really spoken about Cheese to Jack. That felt like a can of worms at this point. Instead, she focused on the last few months. Sitting behind a desk was dull, but racing around on a broom didn’t leave her brain feeling like it was melting, and feeling somewhat in shape again felt good. ”I hadn’t realized how much I missed playing.” Addy admitted. Now if only she could stop herself from wondering what might have been different if she’d found this sooner.

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[JOHN ELLIOT CLARK]

Jack made a small sound of agreement. Being stuck at a desk job seemed like such a waste of time and talent. He was glad that he'd quit his studies - not like he had lasted very long or really excelled at all in the first place. "Second best mates. The musician and the athlete," he said with a nod as they settled back down onto his bed. Jack propped himself on his elbow, a smug smirk playing at his lips and he knew there was a triumphant glint in his eye. Had he not told Addy that she would never really be satisfied with a desk job? She had so much more to offer.

"A neighbourhood league? That's sweet," said Jack with a slight frown. "So just sort of friendly matches then?" he asked after a moment. He still hadn't been able to cop a ticket to the Maggies, despite following them since practically his birth. Maybe Addy would be his key in. "There's a league below the premiership. You could always try out," said Jack with a shrug. As much as he loved both Quidditch and football, he had never been very interested in playing. He didn't know how the process worked - only that the top talent was scouted from a young age. Jack considered asking Addy if she'd been scouted whilst in school, but abruptly decided that would probably be a sore subject. Either she was and she turned it down (idiot) or she wasn't and this was all a pipe dream (unlikely).

Jack breathed deeply, before settling onto his back and folding his hands over his abdomen. "I'm glad you've found it again. I mean, it was pretty shocking to hear that the Slytherin captain hadn't gone on to the big leagues. Aren't you supposed to be the most determined?" asked Jack, glancing over at Addy, who's hair had fanned out around her face like a beautiful golden halo.

addilyn elara slater

[addilyn elara slater]

a notion growing inside

now all the others seem shallow

March 9, 2028
JOHN ELLIOT CLARK

Addy shook her head. She might have considered herself an athlete before, but not even she could claim that level these days. Was she willing to get back there? Of course. It felt invigorating to have an exciting goal again. Day by day, the contrast between these different facets of her life slowly became more evident. These things that were so obvious to others just weren’t for Addy. Her whole life had conditioned her so that no other path existed, at least nothing until now. But that wasn’t what she fixated on. No, Addy realized how much she hadn’t felt like herself in years.

Jack had left his training as he said he would, and even without their lack of communication lately, she noted he seemed happier. Or at least something wasn’t weighing on him anymore. The fact that she noted this just showed how close they’d gotten. ”Pretty much. Almost all of us played on house teams at some point.” She was pretty sure they all did, but not all. Sometimes there were no spots to try out for, or even the reserve spots filled up. It didn’t mean the talent wasn’t there. And in Addy’s experience, removing someone from the team, even as Captain, was almost impossible.

At the mention of trying out, Addy tensed for a moment. Managing to relax, she thought of that last conversation with Luna. Before Addy let her mind wander too far, she heard Jack sigh and begin to speak. Despite staring at the ceiling, she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Did he just…oh, he did. It was good that they were friends, and he was good in bed, or she would’ve been tempted to push him off the bed. Well, the temptation was still there, and she very well couldn’t let a question like that slide. She turned her head to look at him, her expression questioning him and his challenge.

But, she’s always been quick. Jack wasn’t far, so Addy rolled to her side until she could straddle him. ”I am.” She declared. There had never been a question of her determination. In hindsight, she’d realize it was a matter of direction. ”As a matter of fact, I’ve flown with the Harpies.” Only at their practice, but there weren’t words for how that had felt. Addy found herself thinking about it often while at work. They were the big leagues, way above that league Jack mentioned earlier. The truth was scouts had approached her. Those memories she’d buried behind the fire and other things. But that hadn’t been the plan. ”Trelawney was on my house team.” And next in line as far as Addy was concerned. Slytherins knew to recognize talent above friendship in the connections they established, after all. They were unlikely friends now, of course.

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[JOHN ELLIOT CLARK]

Jack made a noise of assent. He'd always preferred the less brutal game of football - yeah the players were pansies more often than not, but there was something about the atmosphere of eighty thousand people screaming approval in blue. It was almost like a cult but more... legal. Not that Jack was particularly persuaded by the law, it was nice to be a part of something that wouldn't get him into trouble. Or at least, not much. But Jack had understood the same principles with Quidditch - it was the passion and understanding between the players and the spectators. The school teams had lower stakes, but more to prove. And Jack was surprised that the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team hadn't gone on to a professional career, when other members of her team had.

"Nice," Jack finally replied vaguely. He suggested a lower league to dip her toe in. He knew that most teams selected from a pool of top candidates, but you had to play in a league in order to even be considered. Jack thought Addy was a shoe in, especially since she'd previously preformed at the top level equivalent. He teased the dragon then, hinting that Addy was supposed to be determined and ambitious, and yet she'd let the opportunity slip away from her like sand through her fingers. He let out a breath of surprise as Addy straddled him, not expecting her to move so quickly. "Slater, you wicked witch," he started, but his palms rested on the tops of her thighs, creeping ever so slowly up towards her hips. "Is that so?" Jack asked, though this was less surprising news.

With a mischievous look, Jack continued. "So you've got an in with the Harpies beater because you captained her. How the tables turn," said Jack slowly. "Are you really going to sit around and take handouts from former teammates? I thought you better than that, Slater. Why don't you reach out and take what you deserve?"

addilyn elara slater

[addilyn elara slater]

a notion growing inside

now all the others seem shallow

March 9, 2028
JOHN ELLIOT CLARK

At least Addy had caught him off guard. It happened from time to time. Though she’d never admit how often Jack caught her off guard, that was akin to admitting some kind of defeat for the girl who tried to plan everything. Not that such an approach had been successful since she left school. But Addy still felt she was floundering some days as the ground beneath her still didn’t feel right anywhere she went. And it was everything to not focus on how his hands felt as they slowly crept up her exposed thighs. Since their little “break” it felt like they both had quite a bit of pent-up energy between them.

Somewhere deep down, Addy just knew that Jack was pushing her buttons on purpose. She knew, yet her brain took this challenge to heart. Handouts. Addy could see the disapproving nod from her mother at such a word. Slaters didn’t need to be given anything. She narrowed her eyes at the boy beneath her. Cheese would have never said anything so daring or bold, and he hardly did. Even those times, he had puffed his chest out and stood up for himself. ”Its not a handout.” Addy insisted. No, she’d been invited to fly with them and then offered a reserve spot. But it was reserve which left her a bit uneasy, if only because had Addy taken up the scouts on their offers years ago, she’d be in the air every match rather than the bench.

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[JOHN ELLIOT CLARK]

Jack’s fingertips skittered up Addy’s thighs as he spoke, though his eyes were glued to her face. He watched her for her reaction, for the way she would surely explode at his accusations. He managed to keep the little smirk from his face as he watched her, but it was incredibly difficult. Jack maintained a straight face as he watched Addy working herself into a fit. Her response was predictable, bitten out between a tight lipped glare. Jack let himself grin.

”Sure it isn’t,” he chided, patting her thigh patronisingly. ”Anyways, it’s not like I’ve seen you fly in like… half a dozen years or so? So who am I to judge?” Jack added with a lazy smile. ”Here I am, pouring my heart out to you in song, and you’re just leaving me to trust you that you’re not getting hand-outs.” Jack tilted his head back, closing his eyes. ”Don’t think that’s very fair,” he finished, cracking an eye to appraise Addy, hoping he’d rile her into action.

addilyn elara slater

[addilyn elara slater]

a notion growing inside

now all the others seem shallow

March 9, 2028
JOHN ELLIOT CLARK

The Slaters were a persistent bunch and very prone to tunnel vision. Addy supposed Jack had figured this out quickly in a way that Addy would never acknowledge. No, that would require Addy to admit such a fault, and the Earth’s poles would reverse before that ever happened willingly. A chill traveled up her body as his fingers trailed her thighs, distracting her momentarily. Her glare didn’t shift, only narrowing with his words.

”Fair?” Addy questioned. Since when were they trading? Besides, Jack hadn’t so much as brought out his guitar in Merlin knew how long. While Addy was incredibly annoyed, she didn’t quite feel the need to storm off just yet. Handouts. What a ridiculous notion that Addy Slater needed a handout or anyone’s pity to succeed. She would manage just fine independently through her hard work, abilities, and merit. Millie had watched Addy play with her own two eyes and passed along the feedback, and that wasn’t some kind of freebie. Addy’s hands slid down Jack’s abdomen and chest as she slowly leaned forward. ”You know what I think, Clark?” Addy’s face inched closer to Jack’s, her hands resting on the bed beside his head. She shifted her hips a bit. ”I think you should shut up now.”

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[JOHN ELLIOT CLARK]

Jack had lived a life of toeing the line. Always touching the edge, sometimes crossing it, but never enough to land himself in serious trouble. He knew what buttons to press to elicit a reaction from someone, and had quickly learned how to manipulate people into feeling and doing what he wanted to. But this interaction with Addy... it was different. It was cut from the same cloth, but it wasn't selfish in nature. Not selfish of Jack, anyways. Jack knew that Addy was destined for greatness as much as he was. It was what had drawn him to her in the first place, all those months ago in the pounding bass of a Greek night club.

Seeing the ire growing on Addy's face, Jack kept quiet, allowing this to play out. She was thinking, the cogs turning, the fire blazing behind her eyes. That's it, just a little further... thought Jack, a cocky smirk splaying out across his face. Jack arched a brow as Addy challenged him, shifting her hips and drawing closer to him. The effect was instantaneous. Jack was momentarily blindsided by Addy's actions, and with his focus lost, his desires took over. As directed, Jack remained silent, but that didn't mean he would let Addy do the same. One hand crept into her blonde hair, holding her steady as he captured her lips in a fierce kiss, the other hand trailing up her thigh, determined to do what he could to have her make those little noises he loved so much.

addilyn elara slater
idk do u wanna end?