"So, they"re basically like potions then." Rose said."Sorta, yeah. Except they"re not magical. They just do things to the chemistry in your body to cause different effects." Jack said.
"And you took one that made your body not be anxious?" She asked.
"Well, it didn"t keep me from feeling it, so much as it kept me from feeling it at the wrong times, or from it being unmanageable." He replied.
"Was that a problem people from your world used to have?"
"All the time." Jack replied.
"Why?"
"Because life is hard, and made people really stressed out all the time, I guess." Jack said
Rose frowned. "That sounds miserable. Why would anyone want to live like that?"
Jack shrugged.
"Who knows? I used to live that way because I didn"t have a choice. Or, at least, I didn"t feel like I had one. I was ugly and fat and lazy and a loser, so I just accepted that my life was gonna be miserable and I was going to be depressed and anxious all the time."
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Rose looked at him, confused.
"But you aren"t any of those things. You"re capable and you work really hard... and... you"re handsome too." She said.
"Well, I"m glad you think so." Jack said sheepishly. "Though I suspect that"s because I wished for you in my harem when I was being an idiot. Frumpkin probably made you like me and think those things so my wish would come true."
"No." Rose said, shaking her head. "He didn"t. I didn"t always think that way about you."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Rose said. "I thought you were the least impressive hero I"d ever seen. It was obvious you were skilled, but you had no confidence. You were an out of shape coward. But after living together for a bit, and training together, and then seeing how you"ve changed since we"ve met, I don"t think that way anymore. I feel the way I do because you"ve earned it through your actions, not because you wished for it."
"Oh..." Jack said, taken aback.
"And Maddy likes and trusts you. And she"s the least trusting person I"ve ever known, so that counts for something." She said. "And Ellie, well...."
She trailed off for a moment. There was a look on her face that Jack couldn"t read.
"Ellie is a good judge of character too. And she is obviously smitten with you." She said. "So don"t be hard on yourself. You"ve clearly made all of us like you."
Jack stared out into the fire for a moment, processing evething. Finally he spoke up.
"Thank you, Rose. That means a whole lot." He said, smiling.
"You"re welcome." She said with a smile.
He reached out and put his arm around her. She was very warm, almost hot, but not her typical scalding self.
"Well, there is one small benefit to you being anxious. I can actually hug you without losing a limb." He said, giving her a squeeze.
She leaned into him and squeezed back. He felt her sigh gently as she tucked her head underneath his chin.
"This is nice." She said after a moment.
"Yes, it is." He replied.
He felt his heart thumping in his chest, and wondering if she could tell that it was pounding at a million miles an hour. She squeezed him harder, and turned her face uptowards his, looking him directly in the eyes.
"Whatever happens tomorrow, I want us to remember tonight, even if it"s the last time we see each other. So let"s make the most of it, okay?" She said.
And with that, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his.