Realistic or Modern Roomies [Caffiene Freak & d a n g e r]

[Caffeine Freak]

The familiar click of the door raised Jack's head, although he instinctively decided to avoid Imogen until she had disappeared into her room. Hastily, he slipped into the vacant bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Strangely enough, Jack found himself debating whether he should leave the door unlocked - perhaps so him and Imogen could call it even. The thought didn't last long under the wave of embarrassment that followed. No, that'd be insane. Jack pulled his mind out of the gutter and moved his body into the shower.

Jack couldn't help it, he popped his head out of the shower to check that he'd actually remembered to lock the door. He still couldn't quite make it out. Climbing out of the shower, Jack twisted the lock, all the while checking the bolt through the slight gap between the door and its frame. The bolt only shifted partway, and when Jack experimentally pulled at the handle, he realised that the lock was broken.

"Oh..."

Realizing that whatever illusion of privacy the lock had brought him was fruitless, Jack quickly dried himself off and pulled on his clothes. Surely Imogen didn't sabotage the lock as a prank... or surely he didn't do the same and then forgot about it. Whatever the reason, Jack decided to keep the fact to himself.

 

[d a n g e r]

Just as Imogen had finished drying her dark brown hair, the girl began to work on her face. She only really focused on her eyes, but even then, made it light and playful. Shopping with Jack was going to be, guaranteed the best shopping trip of her life. She could finally interfere into his black-themed wardrobe. She could add a few blues, reds, browns and greens, spice up his boring selection. Ok, maybe that he was a bit harsh. Gen liked Jack for who he was anyway, clothes were just a minor thing that she thought he needed to be a bit more open-minded on.

Finishing up, the girl grabbed her handbag, slapped some converse on and made her way out into the hallway. "I'm ready!" She shouted, before making her way towards the couch and sitting down there, her phone in her hands whilst she texted some people.

In this moment, the girl wondered if Jack would consider brightening up his wardrobe - if not, she would persuade him to take her offer. It could be exciting anyway. At least she would find out whether he was hotter wearing black or colours. Ok, thinking like that only made the girl feel guilty that she was pretty much changing her 'friend' for her benefit. But it was also for his benefit, right?

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"Then -uh, let's go! ...et cetera." Jack hurried down the hall, leaving the limp bathroom door behind. A car was a little beyond Jack's budget, and experience for that matter - considering he still didn't own a driver's license. Never the less, the city bus came to their rescue - in ten minutes time, due to it's schedule. Jack, eye liner and Anarchy t-shirt in tow, leant against the bus stop sign. "When you start driving, Gen, your gonna become my chauffeur." He mumbled, not particularly enjoying waiting around for the bus's strict and sparse schedule, not to mention the annoyance that came with sharing transport with... like... other people. Who could... talk to him. Jack shivered at the thought.

The bus arrived, and Jack paid for the two of them. Mainly because he didn't have smaller change, but of course he passed it off as being gentlemanly. With the bus taking off, Jack picked a pair of seats - with Gen beside him, it would surely ward off any other passengers who, dare he think it, attempt social interaction. "So... uh, you wanna do anything besides clothes shopping?" Jack realised that his plan to drag Imogen along was rather thin, it was a miracle the girl decided to come along for such a simple trip. Still... she could be plotting to force Jack to purchase colorful clothes. Surely she wouldn't be so cruel.

 

[d a n g e r]

Imogen hummed to herself on the bus, the tips of her fingernails drumming against her thigh in a rhythm. She loved the bus, seeing the public and if she was lucky, someone would go as far to talk to her. Normally, it would just be about what they had been up to that day, and she was the more than happy to hear about that anyway. Once Jack asked her a question, Gen only looked to with a light smile on her face. "Sure, I mean, it's your choice. Where do you wanna go?" The girl shrugged watching as the bus grew of its passengers.

(Apologies for not making this reply longer.)

 

[Caffeine Freak]

(Dw )

"Not really anywhere el- ...Oh, come to think of it, Todd sent me this weird cryptic message earlier. I guess we might see him there too." Jack cast his glance at the window - pretending to observe the scenery, all the while secretly spying snippets of Imogen's flickering reflection. "Wonder what shenanigan he has up his sleeve this time." He mused.

Within a few minutes, the bus had arrived at the city center: an old, giant brick building with more modern extensions meshed onto it. Stepping off the bus, Jack dragged his gaze across it. Any place containing masses of people wasn't his element, but he found hope in the fact that Gen would be with him.

Inside, rows of shops spammed the mall's floors, mainly clothing stores. Every style available: Formal, casual, formal-casual, devil-may-care, hipster, punk, lingerie. Making sure his look was averted from the latter, Jack nudged Imogen. "So whaddya think? Where to first?"

 

[d a n g e r]

"God knows." Imogen muttered, knowing that she'd probably have to brace herself for the unexpected. As soon as the bus approached the city centre, the girl was already familiarised with her surroundings. Mostly because she would almost every weekend spend her free time in this gallery of clothing choices. Plus, it was her dream to go with a guy, because at least she would now have an excuse to go to the men's section and check their clothes out. So when Jack asked her, she said, "C'mon, we're going to Hollister for casual."

In that instant, Gen pushed his arm up slightly and wiggles her own arm through the spacious gap. Not waiting for his objection or permission, the girl began to walk towards the centre, Jack on her arm.

"Ok, so I'm begging you now, Jack. Please, please let me choose your clothes just for today." Gen pleaded, with her puppy dog eyed expression to which she had stole from Christina. If he said yes, that would definitely make her whole day. Plus, it would show how much trust he had in her, after all it took guts for a guy like Jack to let their wardrobe fall upon the choice of a girl like Gen.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Jack tried not to squirm as Imogen intersected her arm with his, not that he had much chance, as she whisked him toward Hollister. As they neared its entrance, Imogen spoke the words Jack had feared.

"Gen, there's no way-" His speech hitched as his eyes caught sight of Imogen's expression, and his resolve was utterly defeated. "...Fine." He huffed. The shop itself was a lost cause to Jack, not a single item on sale was black. He shivered. "Just... pick and be done with it."

Imogen managed to dress herself well enough, so surely it couldn't be that bad. Still, Jack couldn't help but keep flicking his eyes toward the exit.

 

[d a n g e r]

With that wild gleam in her eye, Imogen dragged Jack further into the nethers of Hollister. The frequent, "ooh, that looks good" or "this would look great on you" her limited speech for that half an hour of Gen choosing clothing. She rushed back and forth from one rail to another on the sale, her hand being used a hanger stand.

Ok, so the girl knew that this was possibly the worst form of torture he could bear. Bright colours, not his thing, she knew that. Yet, that didn't stop her from wanting to know how Jack would look in some vibrance. Of course, was aware to not choose any 'out-there' outfits, but that only inspiring to what she was aiming for.

A great wave of belief washed over her as she had finally finished her selection for Jack. There was only one outfit, and that was rather impressive for Gen, after all, her clothing choice would broaden to three options. Walking over to Jack, she had a slightly devious yet innocent grin faintly playing away at her lips. "Please try them on for me." She pleaded once again, pushing her luck by way too much.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Jack grasped the clothes as eagerly as he would grasp a stick of lit dynamite. "The things I do for you." He mumbled as he stalked toward the changing rooms. Once inside, he hung up the clothes and cautiously undressed. The changing room door was just a lousy curtain and Jack wasn't particularly in the mood for indecent exposure.

Surprisingly enough, the clothes fit rather well, and Jack's reflection narrowed its eyes back at him as he wondered just how Imogen knew his size. Sighing, he stepped out of the changing room, trying not to stare at the mirror any longer. Didn't take much searching to happen across Imogen. "W-What do you think?" He muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets and staring off at the floor.

 

[d a n g e r]

Imogen sat upon an island of seats within the middle, outside of the men's changing rooms, her eyes drawn busily to her phone screen. She scrolled through her social media, anxiously waiting for Jack to exit through the curtains, although he was taking a bit longer than she had predicted he would. Oh well, any guy who wore a never ending cycle of black, would be startled to see colour for once. Even so, she had to resist the urge of looking through the curtain to which revealed far more than it should have.

In that instant, Gen's eyes caught onto a guy whom had just pushed the curtain to one side. And this guy was Jack. In colour and... looking hot in it in fact. Now he couldn't deny it, colour makes all the difference. Blinking a few times, surprised by the unexpected outcome, she stood up and walked over to Jack. She closed the remaining distance between them by placing her hands around his neck, fixing the collar to fold over properly. "I think you look good... I mean, this looks good on you." She said, her voice low before her eyes drifted up to his blue pair. "I know this isn't you, but what do you think?" Asked the brunette, curious if he actually liked the outfit himself.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"I..." Jack drew his eyes to Imogen's. "...Feel violated." He folded his arms, plucking a length of lint from his shoulder. "Still, I guess it's not that bad. I suppose I'll wear it." With a tut, he gathered his old clothes and sauntered over to the checkout. When he went to pay, however, Jack realised he was short on cash. Just as the realisation hit him, however, the young woman at the checkout spoke up.
"By the way, we're doing a charity event this week, collecting in old clothes. If you'd like to donate, one of your purchases will be half off."

With a little resentment, Jack realised that offer would lower the price enough for him to afford it. Trying to not to think about it too much, lest he eventually just let Imogen pay for it, Jack placed his black clothes on the counter. "Goodbye, faithful garments." He muttered wistfully. The woman gave him a brief concerned look before taking the clothes and money that followed. After they exchanged thanks, Jack stumbled back over to Imogen.

 

[d a n g e r]

Stepping back from Jack, his almost disgruntled tone causing her to frown slightly whilst she watched him pay for the clothes. However, the strange exchange of his own personal clothing only led to Gen's disbelief. Why would he give away his clothes? He couldn't possibly not have enough money and resort to giving his clothes in? Gen would've payed in a heartbeat, after all, she was the one who chose the clothes and dragged Jack into the shop in the first place.

Once he came back, Gen shook her head, lips pressed together into a distinctive line. Her hand reached around to the nape of Jack's neck to tug the price tag from his shirt. "It's funny how men think that they're protecting their dignity, when honestly, they're not." Unimpressed, the girl began to make her way out of the shop. "You know, you could've just let me pay, right? I wouldn't have judged you. Plus, you would still have your clothes." She raised a brow at him.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"That's what you think, but believe me, everything went according to plan." Whatever Jack's master plan was remained a mystery even to himself, but he didn't have much time to ponder an excuse before the duo rounded a corner and met with Todd. "Oh. Hi To-"

Todd darn near leapt out of his skin. "Gah! Who are you?" He jumped back, warding off Jack with the cross necklace around his neck.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm wearing new clothes. Hilarious. Now-"
"Imogen, who is this man? Does Jack know you're seeing him behind his back?!" He put a hand to his chest, shocked. It was such a dramatic gesture that even Jack was mildly impressed.

"You're unbearable." Jack tutted, flicking the loose price tag at his face, which was effortlessly dodged. Todd made a show of sudden realisation as he straightened back up.
"Oh hey there Jack, almost didn't recognize you. Y'know, 'cause you're not wearing clothes that suck the colour out of their surroundings." Jack opened his mouth to retort, but Todd was there first. "Anyway, I gotta favor to ask you guys."
Jack expressed his dismay. "And what would that be?"
Todd, however, just strolled off. "Dunno, forgot. I'll tell you later." And with that, he disappeared around the corner.

Jack tugged on the hems of his shirt. "Oh. That wasn't a waste of time or anything then." He muttered, before turning back to Imogen. "Clothes and meet Todd. Huh, that was surprisingly fast. Where to next?"

 

[d a n g e r]

According to plan? What was Jack talking about? Did he have a plan? A plan for what? Pondered the curious girl, however the sudden appearance of Todd soon pause her train of thought. Watching as the two boys spoke together, Gen couldn't help but smile at Todd's act of drama regarding Jack's clothing. By the end of their conversation, however, she was tempted to mention Christina to him and ask if they were texting one another. And as much as she would have asked her secretive bestfriend, she knew perfectly well that Christina wouldn't share.

After Todd had left, Imogen rolled her eyes before gesturing for Jack to follow her throughout the centre. "Victoria Secrets we go!" She exclaimed, a part of her knowing perfectly well that Jack wouldn't take one step inside that shop, plus it would almost definitely damage his masculinity in somewhat shape or form. As soon as the two were outside of the shop, Gen turned to Jack with another pleading expression written over her face. "If you stick with me and don't make eye contact with the workers - you should be alright." She advised.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Jack gave Imogen a look as if she had just asked him to step through a minefield, which - in Jack's mind - would have actually been preferable. "Should? ...Gen...?" The displayed assortment of lacey underwear each seemed to deal damage to Jack's masculinity meter, and he wasn't sure how long he could hold out. Even when he tried to relax by not looking at anything incriminating, he realised that there was nowhere to look but at something incriminating.
One of the staff seemed to detect Jack's discomfort, and bubbly asked, "Anything for you sir?"
Jack felt the critical hit to his masculinity meter. "N-No thanks." He muttered, following closer to Imogen Why was this shop a thing? You don't see 'Beckham's Secret' with male underwear and images of models in nothing but said underwear. Then Jack remembered Calvin Klein existed and realised his point was invalid.

 

[d a n g e r]

Imogen sailed through the store, looking around and examining all the lace and satin items. She loved the shop, after all and it would be ridiculous to not acknowledge the lingerie. Just about anyone within a 5-mile-radius could sense Jack's discomfort, so once one of the ladies approached him, Gen wasn't surprised. If anything she had to hold in the urge to burst out into a state of laughter as he attempted to save himself. A few seconds later, the girl randomly picked out a two-piece, dark purple lacy set of lingerie, a devious smile placed upon her lips. Turning to Jack, Gen held it up to her body before innocently saying, "What do you think about this? Pretty cute, huh?" She asked for his opinion, this only the beginning of her teasing, "Maybe I should try this on..." She trailed off, that joking glint appearing in her eye.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Jack coughed on his own tongue. "Yeah, real cute." He muttered, knowing full well that Imogen was relishing in his torment, before retorting, "Maybe you should try it on-" Though it didn't occur to Jack what he was saying until he was halfway through saying it. "-I mean- do whatever want. Not like I'm here to browse." He folded his arms, trying to eye anything but the set of lingerie. "Just... make it quick." Two of the workers appeared to whisper something to one another before giggling, and Jack tried his utmost to ignore it. If Hollister was purgatory then this place had to be one provocative hell.

 

[d a n g e r]

Mouth gaping open in astonishment, Gen blinked a couple of times at Jack. Surely he was joking? Or was he? She could never tell with him, and perhaps he was bluffing, but nonetheless, she was willing to take him up on his suggestion. "I'm guessing you don't want to be in here alone so..." She trailed off, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the changing rooms. Beforehand, she searched for any possible prying eyes looking at either of them before disappearing into the nethers of the woman's changing room. The rooms were considerably large so Gen let go of the boy once they were inside together. "Be quiet, and please try to refrain yourself from staring." She smirked before beginning to undress. As they had already witnessed one another's half-naked body the night before, Imogen was more than comfortable to strip in front of him.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Jack wasn't quite sure what he'd just gotten himself into as Imogen whirled him into one of the changing rooms. Was this even legal? His rather valid question remained unanswered, however, as Imogen began losing clothes. Even though he quickly averted his eyes, there wasn't much else to look at in such a cramped cubicle, and the wall-sized mirror wasn't helping. Sure, Imogen sure enjoyed tormenting him, but even by her standards, this event took the cake.

Of course, Jack realised he could've just closed his eyes - but that would just look awkward, he told himself. He began to wonder if that statement would hold any water in a Court of Law. Eventually he just decided that thinking in general was a bad idea at the moment.

 

[d a n g e r]

Not taking much notice to Jack at first since she was having difficulty on swapping her bra and the lacy one over, especially as she didn't want or didn't need to flash him more than he needed to see. Sure, she acted like a confident girl on the outside, but in that moment, her heart was pounding louder than she could even hear the outside world. Peering into the mirror before her to see Jack looking away and basically refusing to look at all, Gen huffed, a strand of hair fallen over her eyes. Maybe it would've been better just to leave Jack out of the situation. Oh well.

Meh, she still had a bit of juice inside of her anyway, so once she fitted into the pants, the girl sighed whilst she looked at herself in the mirror. Her usual cherry expression, in disappearance as getting changed drained her. Facing towards Jack, Gen pursed her lips whilst her arms shrugged. "You asked for this. What do you think?" She asked, arms crossing over her chest as she looked down to the boy sitting on the small wooden stool.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Jack tried not to roam his eyes too much. "You look..." What could he possibly say? What could anyone say in his situation? "...uh..." Sexy? Ravishing? That's along the lingerie vocabulary list, right? Jack still got the faint idea that it probably wouldn't be the best thing to come out of his mouth. His pause dragged on. Desperate to say something, Jack just uttered the first thing that rode into his head. "Pretty damn good." He breathed at last, not quite believing that he actually said it. "I... uh, like it. Not sure it would fit me though." Good, good - play it off with a joke. I'm just too smooth sometimes.

Helping Imogen choose lingerie. Jack wasn't sure if he'd just been lethally friendzoned, or if Imogen was starting to get a little too friendly. Jack put his money on the first one.

 

[d a n g e r]

Exhaling a breath, the girl relaxed as Jack finally shared his thoughts. Her shoulders were tensed up, however levelled out after. In somewhat of a way she had been expecting for him to say something like "you look ok, now can we leave?" not "pretty damn good". That was definitely unexpected from a guy like him. Oh well, in a way she was impressed.

At his side comment after, Gen chuckled tucking the strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks, I think?" She smiled, turning around and hurriedly swapping the items over with her belongings and original clothing. "I'll get it. Oh, and wait here. I'll check if the coast is clear." The girl whispered, before making her way out from the curtain. She looked left to right, left to right again before making an awkward 'bird' signal for him to join her out in the open.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Jack assumed whatever Imogen just did was his cue to leave. He hurried back into the main room, and realised with a little surprise that he didn't quite mind standing in the middle of Victoria Secret anymore. He wondered if that was Imogen's plan all along, and the desensitizing was just so she could drag him around stores more easily. As Imogen paid up, however, Jack spotted a familiar figure lurking at the door.

"Todd? How'd you know I was in here?"
Todd got a startled look. "-What?"
"How'd you- Oh, you were just staring at the lingerie."
A shocked expression covered Todd's face. "Such accusation! Even though you seem to be doing it yourself."
Jack opened his mouth to tell Todd that he was buying lingerie with Imogen, but somehow the words didn't quite come out. "Yeah, sure. You got me. And what was with the cryptic act earlier?"
Todd looked both ways. "I'm gonna ask Christina on a date, but I want you guys to be there. Y'know, as a double date thing."
Jack arched an eyebrow, but Todd took off at the sight of Imogen approaching. "Think about it for me!" He called over his shoulder.

 

[d a n g e r]

Gen stood at the checkout, paying for the lingerie as well as swiftly making the exchange with her money and the bag. Sighing, the girl turned around to notice the absence of Jack whom stood by the entrance. And from what she could vaguely make out, Todd was there also talking to him. Of course, the girl's curiosity got the better of her, so discreetly, she made her way over to the two boys to only witness Todd leaving a second before. Forcing a smile to her lips, the brunette walked over to Jack. "Hey, paid now. What was that all about?" She asked, her brows raised in suspicion.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"Todd says he's gonna ask Christina out on a date, and he wants us to be there." Jack shook his head. "Must be really convinced that he's gonna mess it up if he wants both of us to help." He leaned against a pillar, quite proud of himself for conquering his fear of underwear stores. "I... guess that's it then." Colorful clothes and lingerie. Not quite how Jack expected his shopping trip to go, but he felt content none the less. "Should we head back?" A sneaking suspicion crawled into Jack's mind, one that he would suddenly remember that he forgot to buy something the second they left, but he managed to just ignore it.