PICTURE PERFECT // Jack Manifold X Reader

20

You couldn't stop thinking about it.

Long after you had hung up the phone on the twins and gotten yourself something to eat, the clip still played on repeat in your mind. The way Jack had said it bounced around your head - he had made it sound so simple. Thinking about it now, it sort of was simple - it was just your over-anxious brain making things into more of an issue than they had to be.

After your phone call with the twins, you had been content to just let everything move past you. You had had no plans on letting Jack know anything, and the fact that you had been right about the little spark didn't change that. As much as you had liked him (for the limited interactions you'd had), Jack was in the past now.

Now though, as you tried to fall asleep to the gentle sounds of your parents watching a movie downstairs, you were beginning to get that late night confidence. Knowing that Jack had thought you were hot - enough that you could have been a model - was doing a number on your train of thought.

It would be so simple to DM him.

You rolled over on your bed, burrowing your cheek into your pillow as you looked out to the slivers of light slipping through the closed blinds on the window. Cognitively, you knew it was a bad idea - DMing someone that you used to work with late at night was actually a terrible idea. But the nervous flutter had faded into curiosity - part of you wanted to know how he would respond.

You sighed, squeezing your eyes shut. It was all the twins fault, really. If they hadn't been on the prowl for more Jack Manifold material to bully you with, it would have never happened. It was a mistake to have ever voiced any of your doubts or suspicions to them - you knew they didn't mean anything bad from it, but their teasing was the whole reason you were in this miss. It was a chain reaction to why you couldn't fall asleep tonight.

You flopped over once more, trying to forcefully get comfortable in your pile of blankets and pillows. As expected, it didn't work.

Grumbling, you reached under your pillow to fish out your phone. You knew that Dawn and Ty would still be up, so you felt no remorse in texting the groupchat even though it was late.

i hate you both so much

Sure enough, the response came from Ty quickly.

??

Holding your phone over your head, you began to type.

its u guys fault that im laying in bed thinking about DMing jack manifold

And then, as an afterthought;

fuck you guys

It was a couple moments before you got another response (still from Ty, of course).

lmaooo

u should totally do it

You groaned pressing your face into the pillow. Of course you got that in response. Of course.

no i shouldnt

this is the part when you tell me its a bad idea

The next response came quicker - either it was just Ty, or Dawn was reading over his shoulder now.

if its going to keep bugging you just do it and be done

Of all times to encourage you to follow your heart... this had to be in the top 5 for worst decisions.

u guys are terrible friends

Ty only sent a little frowning face back.

You sighed. What would really be the worst thing that could happen if you DMed Jack? You already knew that he liked you (enough that he would tell his stream about it, at least), and you had spoken to him before. It wouldn't be too out of pocket to just drop in and tell him you had seen a clip of his stream where he was talking about you-

Why were you even thinking about this? There was no way that you were going to actually do this - you shouldn't even be thinking about it like you were.

Your phone vibrated in your hand as another text from the groupchat came through.

just go for it

You tapped back your response quickly.

no way

Ty's reply came only seconds later.

do u not want to? or r u just nervous abt it?

You went to text back, but paused, Ty's words sinking in. You did want to do this (at least part of you did) or else you wouldn't be thinking about it at all. But even with the reassurance that there was at least some mutual attraction in the mix, it was still mildly terrifying. This was someone that you barely knew, and your only interaction had been through work.

It was scary.

But you needed to see where it went.

You texted the twins one last time before you closed the groupchat.

you guys suck and i hate you

You closed your eyes for a moment, just taking a breath before you possibly made a really bad decision.

It would be fine. You knew that he liked you - or at least he said he did. The worst possible thing that could happen was that you just stopped speaking to Jack - which was fine. You wouldn't like it, but that had been the original plan. Normally, sending him the finished photos would have been the end of it.

Opening your eyes again, you opened Instagram, and found your way to the messages between you and Jack.

An almost blank screen looked back at you - this was the beginning of your message history with Jack, at least on this platform.

It would be fine.

You began to type, trying to keep things nonchalant and casual and not let on to how much you were thinking about every word that you wrote into the message, over analyzing the meaning of your words time and time again before you finally deemed it acceptable. Your thumb hovered over the send button, last minute hesitation causing you to wait.

It would be fine... wouldn't it?

Sinking your teeth into your bottom lip, you hit send, and watched as the message delivered.