Grocery Shopping (JaK)

Bow was walking down the street, going over the list of groceries that Adam had given her. Her brown hair didn't hide who she was. She still had her violet eyes, signature style, and signifying walk.

JaK was playing a harmonica and ukulele outside The market attempting to entertain children while their parents shopped.

Bow saw JaK and bit her lip. She was actually glad to have different hair today. She hung her head and tried to slide past him.

JaK saw a girl with a slender waist, curvaceous hips, long hair, and baby soft skin walk by and decided she'd be perfect. "Now I'll need help from the audience." JaK said as he briskly walked over to Bow and grabbed her by the arm without really glancing at her and pulled her towards the kids. "Here sing us a tune would Ya, my voice is going out." JaK began to play and waited for the girl to sing. He loves putting people on the spot.

Bow went wide eyed and squeaked as she was pulled towards him. She blushed brightly and tried not to make any eye contact with him, but it was for the kids so how could she possibly refuse? As he began to play, she immediately knew what song to sing. Her voice was pure sugar and he would recognize it instantly... Even as she continued to look away from him.

JaK heard the voice and suddenly realized it was Bow with a hair color change. But he played anyway until the song was done and then shooed away the kids. "Alright Ya lil brats go tell your friends about me, JaK Sage from Grayline." He waved and smiled.

Bow finished the song and, without a second of hesitation, she tried to escape through the doors of the store with all the little kids.
She still wasn't ready to face him. And now that she had a new boyfriend, what was she even supposed to say??
All she could think was 'Don't come here. Don't notice me. Go away.'

JaK chased after her. "Hey wait!" He said and spoke sorrowfully. "Thank you, and I'm sorry I didn't know or I wouldn't have grabbed..."

Bow paused and stayed facing away from him, not wanting him to see the tears already running down her face, but he would most certainly hear it in her voice. "O-of course... I-it was for the kids and... y-you haven't seen me since this so it's to be expected that you didn't know..." When she said this, she twirled her hair.

"It looks nice." He said putting his hands in his pockets and looking away.

Bow blushed and wrapped her arms around her waist gently. "Th-thanks... bye." She started to walk away... and ran straight into a wall. She had closed her eyes.

An exclamation point formed a top JaKs head as she ran into a wall and he dashed over and caught her before she fell while waving his hand in front of her face.

Bow blinked and blushed wildly as she realized whose arms she was in, but... she didn't move. All she could do was look away. "...W-why did you catch me?" All that was on her mind was waking up in that hospital with him not there. That was huge for the girl. A much bigger deal than he would probably ever know. ...unless he was smart... >. >

"Usually damsels say thank you when you save them...or compliment my strong arms." JaK set her up right and checked her for any serious injuries.

Bow continued to look away from him as he checked her. When he looked at her face, she closed her eyes. But there he would find two things. One bump on her forehead that seemed to be almost bleeding. And a black eye. That black eye though was trying to be masked by makeup, so that couldn't have had anything to do with the wall... "Sorry... thank you."

JaK smiled and rubbed her forehead. "Still as physically unstable as ever I see." He suddenly noticed the black eye. "Hmm, get that shiner fighting crime or something with your teammates?"

Bow couldn't help but blush when he touched her. Just the simple action made her heart skip a beat. Then she remembered the black eye and went wide eyed, looking away again. He made good guesses, and she really should go with one of them, but she couldn't lie to him. A sigh escaped her lips as she just shook her head. "...M-more...personal than that..."

"What do you mean?" JaK said confused.

Bow just shook her head, standing up and wobbling a bit. She hit her head a little harder than she thought.

JaK threw off his jacket and snapped his fingers turning it into a pillow and used it to catch her head, and laid her down gently. "Here relax a bit."

Bow bit her lip and sighed, not fighting him as he laid her down. "...I guess I'll never be able to stop being saved by you, huh?"

JaK was quiet for a moment and then clapped his hands together. "It was never a job I regretted having." He placed them on the ground and a mound of softened gravel formed under her in a more relaxing shape for the body.

Bow sighed and couldn't help but smile as he made a bed for her in the parking lot of the store. She then had a flash of a certain boy in her eyes and bit her lip, looking away from him. "...I need to tell you something..." She closed her eyes. "I have a boyfriend. Just...thought you should know."

"Kale?" JaK questioned rubbing his chin. "I didn't know you guys were that serious." JaK said feeling bad about the fight now.

Bow shook her head and giggled. "No... Kale is like a protective brother to me... I'm dating this human named Adam. I met him at the Soup Kitchen..."

"Human?" JaK chuckled. "You've definitely been around him too much that's for sure." JaK put his hands on his hips. "That's cool though, glad for you." JaK ripped off a piece of his shirt and bandaged her forehead. "How'd you get the eye though then."

Bow blinked in confusion before giggling, realizing that she must have picked up the habit of separating them like that from Kale. She watched as he bandaged her up and then slowly touched her eye, wincing lightly. Her gaze dropped to the floor and her voice lowered to a whisper. "H-humans have... a-a strange way of showing their affection sometimes..."

He suddenly tightened the bandage. "He did that to you?" JaK said angry.

She squeaked in pain and looked up at him confused. She honestly thought it was okay. She didn't have much reference for it. "Y-yeah... Why?”

"Dammit Bow." JaK said wishing he could do something about it. "You gotta tell your team. He shouldn't be doing that to you - slug him back, you're a freakin hero after all."

Bow blinked, not understanding why it was such a big deal. "There's no need... he was just trying to get something through to me that I didn't want to do... s-so he showed me how important it was to him with this... because he cares about me..." The girl wasn't very bright when it came to this. Always trying to see the silver lining isn't always a good thing.

JaK grabbed her by the throat and squeezed it. "Does this feel like love to you?!" He said as he tightened his grip. "Would you ever show love this way?" JaK finally let go then stood up.

Bow gasped and gripped at his hands, going wide eyed as she felt it getting harder to breathe. When he let go she dropped to her knees and hugged herself. "N-no... i-it didn't..." She teared up and touched her eye. Bow looked up at him with pain in her eyes, but also...love. Not for some human, but for him. "W-What do I do?..."

"Kick his -- you know what, it's none of my business..." Jak said turning to leave. He couldn't get involved anymore, he made a vow.

Bow hung her head, rubbing her neck. "R-right... thanks for leaving... again..." She bit her lip and stood up, still a little shaky, but she had shopping to do. He had said it himself. No one could strangle a person they love.

Jak turned back and walked towards her and pointed a finger in her face. "You know what?!" He yelled. "It's not as easy to turn away as you think, and it's not like it's all my choice."

Bow went wide eyed in shock and stumbled back a little when he started to yell. She blinked and got quieter, rather than scream back. "W-What do you mean it's not all your choice? Of course it is. It was your choice to leave and go overseas. It was your choice to leave at the hospital. And it's your choice to leave now..." She was hugging herself, trying not to cry.

Jaks lips trembled as he felt ashamed. "You're right, it was my choice to leave. You're right I failed to keep you in my life when you needed me most in the hospital. And I can't now...I'm sorry." Jak backed away and turned to run.

Bow listened to him. Seeing the look in those haunting amber eyes and hearing the shame in his voice. As he started to back away, she reached out slowly. Then he turned and she gasped, flying to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, weeping into his back. "...p-please don't leave me again..." She didn't know what she was doing. She had a boyfriend, but... she had never stopped loving JaK. And she couldn't deny it.

"Sorry Bow," he pulled away her hands sorrowfully. "I made a promise..." JaK didn't utter another word.

Bow was crying hard, not holding it back anymore. "W-What promise?? What kind of promise would keep you away from me??"

Jak kept walking. "Look," he hesitated before moving out of view. "..Ask Kale..."

Bow fell to her knees, realizing it must have been something they talked about while she was out. Tears flooded her cheeks as she put her face in her hands and mumbled. "I love you, JaK Sage." But then flashes of Adam... and Haru... came to her mind and she pulled herself together. She would ask Kale later. Right now. Shopping.