acrorabbit (jax x reader) tadc

Chapter 3 - The Key

The walk back was quieter than it should've been.

Not because the others weren't talking—Zooble and Ragatha were still mid-debrief, their voices echoing down the corridor ahead—but because Jax and I lingered a few paces behind, neither of us bothering to catch up. 

My legs ached. My head spun. The colors of the circus seemed sharper after spending so long in a pitch black closet. 

I hugged my torso as I walked, trying not to let the silence settle too heavy. "So...do we get badges for not dying, or does Caine just hand out trauma like candy?"

Jax snorted. "I think you get a free t-shirt if you make it past week one. Something like 'I survived the existential horror and all I got was this lousy sense of impending doom.'"

I huffed a laugh. He glanced at me sideways, his usual grin a little gentler than normal. "Hey," he said after a beat, "you holding up okay?"

I didn't answer right away. I wasn't even sure.

The hallway curved gently as we approached my room. I hadn't gotten to see it yet, and to be honest, I was excited to catch a break.

Jax stopped in front of the door. It looked the same as the other's, except this one had my new face on it. 

Weird. This character is now...me, I guess.

Jax bent down in front of the doorknob pulled a yellow key out from his overall pocket

I blinked. "Wait. You have my key?"

"Let's just say I came prepared." He didn't elaborate. I don't know if I wanted  him to.

He unlocked the door and stepped aside, letting me enter first.

My room was monochrome. Not just the furniture, but everything—the walls, the sheets, the desk lamp, the rug. Greyscale in every direction, as if color had never lived here to begin with. Like the room had been designed not to overwhelm me, or maybe not to reflect anything at all.

It matched me.

I stepped inside slowly, eyes flicking from object to object. "It's...kind of dull."

Jax leaned in the doorway, one arm resting on the frame. "Maybe it's what you need."

I sat on the edge of the bed, testing the mattress. Surprisingly soft. My fingers twisted in the sheets absently. "You can come in, if you want."

He raised a brow. "You sure?"

I nodded. "Just for a little while."

Jax stepped inside, letting the door click shut behind him. The room somehow felt even quieter now, like the circus itself was holding its breath.

He looked around, like he had no clue what to do next. I was about to invite him to sit next to me when he spotted the desk chair. He grabbed it and sat down, manspreading on the chair. 

Gonna be honest, I thought, that's pretty hot. 

Uh...what? I shook off the uninvited idea. He's a rabbit for God's sake.

I pulled my knees up onto the bed, sitting cross-legged as I watched him. "Do you ever get used to it?"

"To what?"

"The weird. The...not real. The fact that this room looks like someone pulled it out of a black-and-white movie."

Jax stretched a leg out, resting an arm on the back of the chair. "Nope. You just learn to pretend like you do."

I smiled faintly. The tension between us wasn't heavy. It was almost...safe. Familiar, even.

"Thanks for walking me back," I said.

Jax shrugged, but it didn't feel dismissive. "Anytime."

A quiet moment passed.

I leaned back on my palms. "It's strange, though. I'm just supposed to keep going on like th-this for the rest of my life, pretending this is normal?"

"Yeah. It is strange." He looked over at me, something unreadable passing through his eyes.

I glanced down at the sheets again, voice softer now. "I'm scared I won't remember anything. About my life. I don't know if I want to forget..." I trailed off.

He didn't say anything for a while. Then: "You don't have to talk about it. But if you ever want to...I'll listen."

That caught me off guard. Jax, offering sincerity without a bit of sarcasm? I met his gaze. He wasn't smiling. Not really.

"I might take you up on that," I said.

"Good."

I reached for the blanket and pulled it around my shoulders. It was the only thing in the room with a slight texture, a fuzzy softness that felt strangely comforting.

"You can stay, if you want," I murmured. "Just for a little longer."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Alright."

Jax stood, then walked over to the edge of the bed. He didn't sit, not right away. Just looked down at me for a second.

"You okay? With...this?" he asked. Quiet. Genuine.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Yeah, I am."

He sat down beside me—not too close, not too far—and leaned back on his hands the same way I had.

We didn't say anything else for a while. The room was quiet, but it wasn't lonely. Not anymore.

Author's Note:

guysss i kow i said this would be the episode 5 one but i wanted a sweet moment before that one 💔 also this was so short but so tense i LOVEDDD writing this one