Complications at the Library

Skipping downstairs, feeling much more energized and alive than she was a couple of days ago, Sage halts by the coat closet to grab her jacket. She still has a minor cough, which refuses to go away, but it's nothing she can't handle. Morgan joins her a second later and she steps to the side, giving her cousin access to get whatever she needs. "Do you need a ride?" Morgan inquires as she slips into a light gray peacoat.

Sage flicks her wrist out and checks the time. "I'm all right," she replies. Ten minutes is all she has to spare until the bus is scheduled to arrive at the kiosk at the end of the block but it is more than enough for her to fix something up.

"Suit yourself. See you later." The front door closes and Sage places her backpack onto a chair. Next, she walks over to the electric kettle pot and turns it on. After making herself a cup of tea in the thermal canister Paula had bought for her, Sage adds in a splash of milk and a teaspoon of honey before capping it and scurrying out of the house, her backpack dangling over one shoulder.

The brisk air whips at her exposed skin, immediately tinting her cheeks a bright and bold red. Thankfully, she doesn't have to wait long to board the bus or she'd be a frozen block of ice. Settled comfortably in a seat located in the back right by the window, Sage pulls out a novel she just started the other day and flips open to the page she left off at. Lost within the words printed out on the crème colored paper, Sage pays no attention to her surroundings as she allows her mind to wander off into a whole new world. Sometimes, all you need to escape is a good book.

When the university comes into view, she tugs on the wire and exits through the backdoor, her eyes never once abandoning the book. Impatient students whizz by Sage, quietly cursing under their breaths as they try to get out of the frigid weather. It's obvious they think she's slowing them down but it's not like she's doing it on purpose. Somebody bumps into the girl's shoulder from behind, knocking the book from her grasp. The action leads her to return to reality. For a moment, she does nothing but stare at the book sitting open on the ground, the pages flapping back and forth with the assistance of the wind. She regains her senses a second later, but before she is able to retrieve the item, someone beats her to it.

"I'm so sorry," a girl with charcoal black hair wheezes as she reaches down to grab the book. Standing tall, arm extended out towards Sage, she sends the girl an apologetic smile. "Are you okay?" she questions. Sage doesn't bother to look at her face as she nods and takes the book back and, without another word, they go their separate ways.

After attending her lectures, Sage goes to the library and makes herself comfortable at a table on the third floor. Since her freshman year, she's been occupying the same seat during midterms and finals. Nobody ever comes up here since silence is mandatory and although most might find the atmosphere stifling, Sage enjoys the quietness. She is able to hear her thoughts quite clearly, which allows her to get her work done without getting distracted every other second. While her eyes drink in the words and her brain simultaneously processes all of the information, she receives a visitor, much to her dismay.

"I knew I'd find you in here," a voice sings, causing Sage to halt all movements and exhale through her nostrils. Great, here comes a distraction.

"Don't you have class?" She sighs.

"I do, but we had an exam that I totally just bombed," the girl declares, sliding into the chair across from her friend.

As expected. What is Sage going to do with her? "If you're not going to do anything productive, go away, Tabatha. I'm studying."

"Stop calling me that," huffs the girl. "It's Tabby."

"Your birth certificate states otherwise," Sage quips.

Tabby rolls her eyes and props her elbows onto the table. Her chin is now resting in both palms as her fingers tap against her cheekbones as she pretends to gag. "But Tabatha is so eh. You know, sometimes you can be such a smartass, Sage," she mutters. "I dropped by to tell you that there's a frat party tonight. We should go."

The minute amount of interest Sage had in conversing with her friend disperses at the mention of the frat party and she looks back down, returning to her notes. "I'll pass."

"Oh come on," Tabby whines. "Have some fun, will you? It's college."

If Sage got a penny every time she's been told that she would be ten dollars richer. "I will have fun," she replies offhandedly, "reviewing my notes, that is."

Impossible would not even begin to describe her. "There will be lots of cute guys," Tabby informs, trying to make an enticing case. Too bad Sage doesn't really care about any guys, let alone the cute ones. She'd rather direct her attention towards school and other important matters. Tabby, however, doesn't seem to understand that. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you need to get laid. You're super tense. You need to let loose."

"The only thing I'm laying with is my bed," Sage says. Most people might assume that she's joking but she isn't. "If you're done, can you leave?"

With slightly hunched shoulders, Tabby stands tall, her bottom lip sticking out and forming a pout. She's not dense. She is aware of how important school is to her friend and she has no desire to be a nuisance, at least not at the moment. She doesn't want Sage to resent her if she ends up getting a B. "Fine, but I'll text to you the address if you change your mind." She just doesn't know when to quit. Why would Sage change her mind? Nothing about attending a rowdy frat party sounds tempting to her and, honestly, it doesn't sound fun at all. Besides, one wild child in the family is more than enough. She'll just leave the troublemaking and shenanigans to Morgan.

Once Tabby is gone, Sage forgets about her until her phone vibrates on the table and lights up. She actually sent her the address. Instead of replying, though, Sage switches the device to the do not disturb mode and resumes studying. Today is going to be a long day, especially if Tabby decides to come back in order to try to persuade her again. Perhaps it would be a wise choice if she moved to a different seat, one where she would not be easily discovered and disturbed. After she packs everything up, she finds a desk hiding in the back corner. It's a little dim and small for her liking, but she is sure she can manage to get her work done without an issue.

As the sun starts to sink into the horizon, Sage's eyes begin to feel heavy. No matter how hard she tries to resist, she can't conquer the silent yawn escaping her lips and quickly covers her mouth. She then checks the time, her eyes glossy, and realizes she has been studying for almost five hours straight! A short break never hurt anybody. "I'll just take a fifteen minute nap," she mutters, setting the timer on her watch before she succumbs to the drowsiness quickly overtaking her entire body.

* * *

Once he leaves the base, Jack decides not to go home right away. If he does, his mother will surely hound him about scheduling more dates for the upcoming winter break and he's not in the mood to deal with the headache. You'd think by now she would have given up and raised the white flag but the woman is relentless. What's new? Jack has to get some studying done, especially with finals being just around the corner but at least he can use his exams as an excuse to not meet any women during the next few weeks. Finally he has room to breathe, somewhat, properly.

For the last couple of days, he's been spending his nights in the library and tonight will be no different. Instead of staying on the first floor where it's crowded and noisy, however, Jack heads to the third floor. He doesn't find the prying eyes, which seem to follow his every move whenever he's down there, pleasant. Some people might thrive on attention. Hell, they could even crave for it, but Jack doesn't. Because when you've been standing in front of the spotlight your entire life, it can become a bit of a burden.

Upstairs, Jack makes himself home at one of the empty desks in the back. While he is unpacking his bag, he hears somebody coughing. He glances around and notices a girl hunched over a desk, her head buried in her arms and her hair cascading over the rest of her face and shoulders. Something about her is eerily familiar but he can't seem to put his finger on it. Then, Jack's eyes wander to the umbrella stashed in the side pocket of her backpack and his mouth falls ajar. It couldn't be. What are the chances he'd run into her unintentionally a second time? A part of him says it's nothing. That he isn't the only person in the world who owns a navy blue umbrella and he should just carry on and mind his own business. Yet there's this... unexplainable feeling that keeps nagging at him, telling him to go over and check up on her.

So he does. Against his better judgment, Jack scoots his chair back and rises to his feet. With slow steps, he approaches the girl. Her body shakes as she undergoes another round of hackling and he reluctantly stretches a hand out towards her. His fingers barely graze her shoulder before she sits up straight without warning. Her abrupt shift startles Jack and he jumps back, his heart thumping loudly. He doesn't understand why he suddenly feels like a child who has just been caught doing something wrong and continues to stand there, as though he's a statue composed of marble. If it isn't obvious, Jack doesn't have a single clue on what he should do. What if she misinterprets his actions? What she misinterprets him?

The only thing which greets his ears, though, is silence. This leads Jack to gradually lift his head and his eyebrows to pucker. It looks like she hasn't taken notice of his presence and he's not sure if he should be offended or relieved. He sees her swaying side to side and he moves in closer to catch a better of glimpse of her face. Instead of wondering why their paths have crossed yet again, the corners of Jack's lips curl upwards at the sight of Sage still sleeping soundly. She sure is something else.

Next, he scans the desk and spots her notes organized neatly, color-coordinated and everything. Thinking about it, his mother did shower the girl with an ample amount of praise for being a diligent student. Jack must admit that he's impressed but, at the same time, he expects nothing less considering she has a Marine for a father. She must have been here for hours if she's dozing off. Sage doesn't seem like the type of person who will just sleep anywhere or maybe she is. Who knows? He sure doesn't. For another minute, Jack examines her and then exhales through his nostrils. What is he doing? He shouldn't waste time. He's got a pile of books waiting for him.

As he is about to swivel around and move along, Sage's body starts to topple over out of the chair. Jack gasps and, acting on his reflexes, steps in to catch her before she can fall, her head now resting against his abdomen. That was a close call. His arm is coiled securely around her shoulders. Unfortunately for him, his touch causes her to wake up. When Jack registers what's happening, he releases her and inserts a good five feet in between them. Awkwardly, he clears his throat and rubs the nape of his neck, his gaze now settled on the floor.

Sage yawns, blinking the tears away as she turns to her left. She immediately shuts her mouth, stunned to discover the stranger hovering nearby, a frown finding its way onto her face as she stares him up and down. Once her vision clears up, eyes zeroing in on his face, she recognizes him and tilts her head at a slight angle. His face is not one you can easily forget. But the real question is where did he come from? "It's you," Sage whispers in disbelief. "Do you go here?"

Jack can feel his heart thrashing more wildly at the sound of her voice and locks eyes with her, trying his best to ignore his burning cheeks. Why is he getting flustered? Could it be because she actually remembered him? "I do," he says, his voice calm and timid unlike the rowdy organ creating a ruckus inside his chest cavity.

Sage quirks a brow, still unwilling to trust him. It's better to be safe than sorry. "You aren't stalking me, are you?" she questions bluntly as she stands up. Can you blame her for jumping to conclusions? I mean, what are the chances of the two of them accidentally meeting at the library out of all places, unless he's been, of course, following her. It's a stretch, something you'd only catch in one of those thriller movies, but nowadays anything seems possible. Take that belligerent police officer from last week for example.

"Of course not," Jack denies, shaking his head feverishly. Why is she constantly questioning his character? Does he look that sketchy? Jack should be upset that she'd accuse him for no good reason, especially after he had saved her from paying a trip to the local precinct yet... he isn't. She's just being cautious and he's kind of happy that she's not one of those girls who would blindly trust guys because they're good looking. Just because they have a pretty face, doesn't mean they have a pretty heart. "I don't have time to spare. Haven't you heard? Finals are coming up. I came over here because I heard you coughing and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't think it would be, well, you." It's not a total lie.

Should Sage be disappointed? Absolutely not! In fact, she should be rejoicing! What sane person would enjoy being stalked? Not anyone she knew, that's for certain. Then, why does she feel so discontent after having heard his explanation? "Oh, I see," she replies, her entire posture easing up. "Sorry. Was I making too much noise?"

"No, not really," he states. "Did you catch a cold?"

She nods. "Yeah but it's gotten a lot better."

"If you had accepted my offer, you could have avoided such a treacherous fate," he jokes.

His teasing forces Sage's mouth to curve into a smile and she rolls her eyes in a playful manner. "I think this treacherous fate of mine was inevitable. Even if I did take you up on your offer, I would've been sitting in the car donned in drenched clothes, which would have undoubtedly resulted in the same outcome," she retorts brilliantly.

"But at least I would have known whether or not you arrived back safely," Jack mumbles under his breath. For a girl he has every reason to hate, Sage really knows how to make people worry about her, whether she's doing it on purpose or not. 

"What was that?" Sage blinks.

"Nothing," he fibs. "By the way, I'm Jack." He holds a hand out to her and waits for her to return the gesture. The girl peers down at it, not bothering to reciprocate the action, and his palm starts to get clammy. What if she recalls the blind date because of his name? What if she's putting all of the pieces together? What if she realizes that he's the guy she had stood up?

Jack, she repeats in her mind as she gazes at his hand. The name fits him well, she'll give him that. "Sage," she sighs at last, allowing their palms to unite. This may only be the second time she's met the guy and, even though she should be weary of him and the ulterior motives he could be harboring, her gut instinct is telling her that Jack is not a bad person.

"Like the herb?" Yeah, with that joke, he's as harmless as they come.

"Like the herb." She nods again, resisting the urge to snicker.

"I'm sorry." Jack flushes, letting go of her hand. What was he thinking? Herbs? Seriously? That's the best he could do? "I shouldn't have said that. It was lame."

"It's okay. I've heard worse," Sage assures.

He looks at her, surprise etched into features. "You have?"

"No," she laughs.

"Oh." His expression falters as he chortles. "Thanks for trying to spare my feelings. Is that my umbrella?"

"It is. It's supposed to rain later so I thought I'd put it to good use. Do you want it back?"

"No, it's all right. You probably need it more than I do. Don't want that cold returning, do you?"

"A handsome face and a kind heart?" Sage hums in approval. "Are you real or just a figment of my imagination?"

It's definitely not the first time Jack has been called handsome but the way those words flowed out seamlessly makes his heart skip a beat. "I'm very real. You can pinch me if you'd like." When he realizes how ridiculous his remark is, a thick layer of blush blankets his skin and the girl catches sight of the tint in his cheeks and ears.

"Are you hot?" she inquires, staring at him with those beautiful hazel orbs. "Your face is turning red."

"Oh yeah," Jack stammers helplessly as he tugs at the collar of his shirt. "It's a little warm in here."

"Do you want me to ask them to turn the heat down when I leave?" Sage offers.

"No, it's okay. I'll be fine," he says hastily, frantically waving his hands in the air. "Are you studying for finals?"

"I was earlier," she confirms. "I decided to take a nap before I go home so I could have dinner and continue studying." Sage pauses and looks at the time. "I should go," she declares, packing her belongings into her bag. "My bus is going to be here soon."

"Hey, Sage?" Jack calls out.

She glances over her shoulder. "Yes?"

He has to ask her. He won't be able to study if he doesn't. "Do you believe in coincidences?"

She whirls around on her heels and purses her lips out. "There are no such things as coincidences. Just ask Gibbs."

"You watch NCIS?" he questions, impressed.

"It's one of my many pastimes," responds Sage nonchalantly. "What about you? Do you believe in them?" she returns.

"I used to," he admits, biting back a tiny smile. "Anyways, goodnight, Sage."

"Goodnight, Jack." And a good night it had been indeed.

- - -

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay but I hope you guys liked this update. Please vote and leave comments if you'd like! Summer is cominggggg <3 Official ship name is Jace! Was Jack not a total cutie in this chapter?