Jack flinched at the voice behind him, his body reacting before his brain caught up. His hand went straight to his chest as he turned, eyes widening for a split second.
"God, don't sneak up on me like that," he said, exhaling as his shoulders slowly relaxed. "What're you, a ninja or something?"
Haley stood a few steps away with her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised, as if she had expected his reaction. She looked directly at him, her sharp and curious eyes showing that she had heard something.
"What's gonna be interesting?" she asked again, slower this time, giving him a chance to answer properly.
Jack blinked, then ran a hand through his hair, buying himself a second. "Uh… the music video," he said, nodding lightly. "I've never worked on a music video set before, so… new experience. That's what gonna be interesting."
Haley didn't respond. She just tilted her head, studying him.
"Uh-huh," she said, stretching the word just enough to make it clear she was not convinced.
Jack caught the look immediately. He turned toward the exit where Willa had disappeared moments ago, then back to Haley.
There was a beat.
Then it clicked.
A grin spread across his face and he let out a short laugh. "Hahaha. Wow. You're jealous... again."
Haley's expression froze for half a second, like her brain was deciding whether to deny it or double down. Then her eyes narrowed again, but this time there was a faint spark behind them.
"I'm not jealous," she shot back, uncrossing her arms and stepping closer. "...just aware of the situation."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Aware," he repeated, nodding like he was taking notes. "That explains the tone."
Haley pointed a finger at him. "I'm not interrogating you. I'm just asking completely normal girlfriend questions after my boyfriend just finished kissing a very pretty actress in a hallway I was not allowed to see."
Jack pressed his lips together, trying not to smile. It almost worked.
"Very pretty?" he asked lightly.
Haley's eyes flicked away for a second, then snapped back. "Don't focus on the wrong part of that sentence."
That did it.
Jack chuckled a little as he stepped closer until he was right in front of her. "You are jealous," he said, quieter now but more certain. "And it's kinda cute..."
Haley rolled her eyes, though there was no real heat behind it. "I said I am not jealous," she replied. "I am evaluating."
"Evaluating what?" Jack asked, folding his arms loosely.
She hesitated for a moment, then lifted her chin. "The competition."
Jack blinked, then let out a small breath of amusement. "Competition," he repeated. 'Ah! I see what's going on.'
Haley nodded once, fully committed. "Yes. And before you say anything, I am winning."
Jack smiled, something softer settling into his expression. "You don't have any competition, Haley."
She held his gaze for a second, checking him the way she always did.
"…okay," she said quietly, satisfied.
A small, easy pause settled between them.
Then Haley's eyes flicked toward the door again, curiosity creeping back in despite herself. "So… how many takes did it take?" she asked, trying to sound casual and missing by just a little.
Jack caught that instantly.
"One," he said.
Haley blinked. "One?"
"Yeah. Directors were happy right away."
She stared at him, processing.
"…okay, that is actually worse," she muttered.
Jack laughed, shaking his head. "How is that worse?"
"Because," she said, pointing at him like this was obvious, "that means you didn't even need a second try. You just… nailed it on the first go. That's..."
Jack interrupted before she could finish, "...professional."
She narrowed her eyes, stepping closer again. "Or you two were a little too comfortable."
He tilted his head, pretending to think about it. "I mean… I am good at my job and she is good at her job too."
Haley pressed her lips together, trying not to react to that, but the corner of her mouth betrayed her anyway. "Yeah, I noticed," she muttered, half under her breath. 'You were so hot during the dance scene that I wanted to push you down on the floor and just... Argg!! Not now, Haley.'
Jack caught it. Of course he did. His expression softened a little. "Hey," he said. "You said you trusted me."
She looked up at him, her expression shifting. The teasing edge didn't disappear, but something steadier came through underneath it. "I do trust you," she replied. "That's not the problem."
"Then what is?"
Haley hesitated, her fingers lightly brushing against his shirt like she needed something to ground herself before answering. "The problem is… I know you," she said honestly. "And I know how you kiss."
Jack blinked once, caught slightly off guard.
She held his gaze, completely serious now. "So yeah, when you tell me it was one take, my brain goes… cool, so you just went in there and gave someone else the full experience."
There was a moment of silence.
Jack stared at her for a second, then let out a quiet breath, somewhere between amused and confused. His head tilted slightly as he tried to follow her logic. "So you expected me to take multiple takes," he said slowly, watching her face, "and kiss her over and over again just so she doesn't get the full experience?"
Haley's eyes widened instantly. 'Ehhh?! Hell no!'
"HELL NO!" she blurted out, way louder than she meant to.
A couple of crew members nearby glanced over for a second before going back to what they were doing. Haley didn't even notice. Her brain had already started racing ahead of her.
"I mean, that's not what I meant, I just..." she started, words tripping over each other as her hands moved restlessly in the air, "like, obviously I want you kissing me more and I don't want you kissing her more, that's worse, but also one take is..."
Jack knew once Haley started thinking, she would start panicking, and then she would spiral and get mad. So, to prevent that, he grabbed her waist without hesitation and pulled her closer in one smooth motion. The words she was about to say never made it out.
He kissed her.
It was firm at first, enough to stop her thoughts in their tracks, then it softened almost instantly. Familiar, steady, grounding... just him reminding her that she's the special one without saying anything.
Haley froze for half a second.
Then she melted.
She held onto his shirt as she kissed him back quickly, releasing all her pent-up energy. The tension and worries faded away. Right now, she was giving him her all in the kiss because she didn't want him to remember what it was like kissing Willa.
After a moment, Jack pulled back just enough to look at her, his hands still resting at her waist, his forehead almost touching hers.
"Relax," he said quietly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "The full experience is only Haley Dunphy exclusive."
Haley blinked, still a little breathless, her fingers loosening slightly against his shirt. For once, she didn't have a comeback ready. She just looked at him, searching his face the way she always did when she needed to be sure.
"…okay," she murmured, softer now.
Her grip tightened again for a second as she leaned forward and kissed him back, this time on her own terms, slower and a little more stubborn, like she was reclaiming something she never actually lost.
When she pulled back, her expression had shifted again. The tension was gone, replaced by something lighter, a little smug, a little playful.
"Still," she said, narrowing her eyes just a little, "I'm keeping an eye on her."
Jack huffed out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as his hands dropped from her waist.
"Of course you are."
Haley nodded once, completely serious. "For professional reasons."
"Right," he replied, already smiling again.
She glanced toward the hallway one more time, then back at him, her tone softening just a bit.
"…but yeah," she added, almost casually, "you're still mine."
Jack didn't even hesitate.
"Always."
..
//Haley's Confession//
Haley sat on the couch with her arms folded, her posture a little defensive at first. After a moment, she let out a quiet breath and relaxed back into the cushions.
"Okay… so maybe I was a little jealous," she admitted, giving a small shrug that felt unusually honest for her.
She tilted her head slightly, thinking it through as she spoke.
"But also? I think I'm… done with that."
There was a brief pause, like she was making the decision right then instead of having already made it.
"I trust him. I actually do. And he keeps proving it in, like… really annoying, perfect ways."
A soft smile crept onto her face, the kind she did not bother hiding.
"So yeah… I'm ready to let the whole insecurity thing go."
She nodded once, satisfied.
Then her expression shifted just a little, something more playful and slightly smug slipping in.
"Mostly."
Haley leaned forward a bit, her voice lowering with a hint of confidence.
"Because let's be clear about something." She pointed lightly, like she was laying down a rule. "If he has to do another kissing scene in the future?"
She nodded slowly.
"I'm not gonna freak out. I'm not gonna spiral. I'm gonna be cool."
There was a tiny pause.
"…and then after the shoot?"
Her smile turned a little dangerous, but still playful.
"I'm kissing him so good he forgets the other girl even exists."
She leaned back again, completely satisfied with that plan.
"Like… completely erased. Gone... Deleted."
A casual shrug followed, like it was obvious.
"What? It's called strategy."
Then she softened, a proud little grin settling in.
"And also… he's a really good kisser."
A beat passed before she added, tilting her head slightly,
"So am I."
//Haley's Confession End//
--
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