E L E V E N

"an offbeat pair"

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Jake's POV

HE WAS CHASING GOOD MEMORIES. He needed plenty, to replace the bad ones. Curiously, in all that memory he wanted to forget, Sophia appeared. The worst he kept was the one in which she had tried to get his attention in the least appropriate way: making him jealous. Of course, Jake, in addition to disliking the feeling, knew that it was an excuse, that Sophia was actually flirting with others because it turned out that she "accidentally" did not love Jake back. 

Having to be retrieving her made him tired, but he was blind. He ignored Rosa when she told him that Sophia was using it, or Charles when he said that the relationship was not healthy. Jake would yell at his friends, who were only trying to help.

And, Sophia? Meanwhile, she could be kissing Oliver Freeman in her apartment behind Jake. He wouldn't know, he was so focused on making her happy be forgot about his own happinness. At those moments he was not in love with Sarah yet, but he was mad at himself because it took him a really hurtful break up to realize that she was better than Sophia. 

Jake could still remember the words that they had exchanged, he was speaking the truth, but she was telling lies. The main problem.

"They say that you are only using me," Jake had said, lowering his head. It was the first time he had listened to them. 

Sophia pouted and stroked Jake's curls. "Why would they say that?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "But I do think so... the other day... I didn't like the way you looked at that guy. What are you trying to do, Sophia?"

"He's my friend," said Sophia, faking outrage, but when they had conversation it didn't seem like she was pretending to Jake, only there in the memory that remained from it. "I don't think our relationship could work this way."

Jake jumped on his seat, skeptical. "What?? Why?!"

"Because it looks like you don't trust me. You always think that I'm flirting to other men, can't I just talk to them?"

"Yes, but—"

"I didn't think you were this way, Jake, I didn't think you could be jealous when I've told you how much I love you. And I don't feel like we can work that way."

"I was not jealous, I—"

Sophia crossed her arms. "Do you think I could cheat on you? Are you actually that way, posesive? You won't let me have any friends?"

"No, I didn't mean that," Jake snapped, and Sophia frowned. "Sorry," Jake mumbled. Later, way later, he realized that she was the one that had to apologize, and had manipulated him. "Sorry, I don't want to yell at you, but... I can't lose you right now. I know I can trust you."

But could he?

Sarah's POV

She groaned, bowing her head. Sarah had forgotten that she was missing work that day, which made her feel everything but strong, like she wanted. She would've liked the morning to be a normal one, the night before to have gone well, and her friendship with Jake to go back to usual. He did not seem uncomfortable now, though, it was only her, apparently. 

Jake drove her to his apartment, where she had been a couple of times before, but she had never gone inside. It had the total escence of Jake, a little disastrous but full of NYPD stuff and, of course, Die Hard and other action movies posters. She smiled at that, she didn't know what to expect but she knew she would like to be there. With him.

He helped Sarah sitting on the couch, it was comfortable and it made her head stop spinning. But the feeling didn't last long, since as soon as she sat down, she felt like she was about to vomit again. Jake noticed and pointed at the kitchen sink.

"Hurry," he said, and helped her now to run there. He held her hair and she threw up, disgusted of herself. It was not on her plan for Jake to see her in that state. Ever. Then again, he seemed happy to be able to help. "Easy," he whispered, stroking her back as she wipped her mouth.

"Ugh, I hate this," she exclaimed, and Jake giggled. She opened the faucet to clean her mouth as Jake went back into the living room.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. Sarah said no, but Jake gave her a glass of water with ice anyways. She noticed something weird in the ice cubes, and frowned.

"Jake, why are these ice cubs orange?"

"I was out of water so I used orange soda," Jake responded with a tone that suggested that it was obvious. "Wanna watch a movie? Or you could only sleep, or do whatever you want. I was thinking we could..."

Sarah laughed. "Let's watch a movie, if you want to."

Jake entered the kitchen. "Okay. I suggest Die Hard, Die Hard two, Die hard three... you know what? Any Die Hard would be fine."

"I don't know, I'm kind of in the mood of a scary one," she said, only to tease Jake. She had gone with him to the movies once to watch a terror one, and he wasn't able to go back to his apartment alone for a month after it, so Sarah had to take him from work every night untitl he got over it. Good times. 

"Oh, uh... a scary one?" Jake gulped, and Sarah smirked, amused to see how he suddenly passed from being happy to look nervous. "Fine, you're the sick one, we can watch what you want." 

Sarah giggled and went with Jake to the couch in front of the TV, where he leaned back and patted the seat for her to sit with him. She relented, while Jake reluctantly put on the movie. They both relaxed, she could see Jake's chest breathing calmly, enjoying being next to her, transmitting heat from each other. Sarah didn't feel so sick now. But she did feel that she was not going to be able to watch the movie. Not when being there with him deconcentrated her.

Normally, in the movies, it was the girl the one that screeched and hid her face on the boy's chest when she got scared watching a movie. But this was real life and these two were no ordinary couple. Jake shrieked and squeezed the hand of an amused Sarah, who laughed at how childish he was.

"C'mon, Peralta, it's just a movie," she elbowed Jake, who hugged his legs. The movie they were watching was IT, the original one. Sarah had never seen it, and found it weirdly funny instead of scary, but Jake did not seem to be enjoying it as much as she was. 

He buried his face behind her neck, it was so cute. But Sarah felt off suddenly again, as she paused the movie so Jake would stop whimpering like a kid. She was chuckling though, it was funny to see how the 'badass' cop from the Nine-Nine cried because of a clown. 

"Are you actually scared?" she chortled. Jake squealed a 'no', and she shook her head. "Just don't cry, I wouldn't be able to control that."

Jake lifted his head timidly and noticed she had paused the movie, and breathed, smiling. "Oh, thanks. Mhm, I was definitely not crying."

"Sure you weren't," said Sarah, and stayed in silent some seconds, widening her eyes. Jake looked at her, and she gasped, making him frown.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you hear that?" Sarah tapped on the couch behind her back, and Jake opened his mouth slightly.

"Sarah, what is that?"

"I don't know..." she made a hissing voice, trying to tease Jake. "Sounds like a clown to me."

Jake hardened his expression, and sketched a sarcastic smile. "Ha, ha, very funny Sarah."

"It's not funny, Jacob," she faked a frightened face. "Are you making that noise?"

"No, it's not me," Jake squealed, hugging his legs tighter and getting closer to Sarah, and she finally let out a laughter to which Jake scowled.

"You're the cutest when you're scared!" she said, and he gulped.

"I was not scared. I was actually trying to protect you. Now, I'm the cutest, you were saying?"

Sarah nodded, smirking. Until that moment she realized how close they were to each other, she could sense Jake's breath, and his body temperature rising. Or maybe it was hers. Maybe both. She looked into Jake's brown eyes, which were glowing. And the two of them.

Getting closer until they lips would touch...

Jake's POV

Was it about to happen? They were about to kiss! He closed his eyes a bit. He was afraid that if they were to start dating, their friendship would ruin. He had been through that plenty of times. But there he was, making the same mistake again. It was Sarah who opened her eyes, though. She frowned and so did Jake, as she separated quickly. Oh... ... ... please no. 

"What is it?" said Jake, gulping. 

Sarah shrugged slightly. "I don't know... that just... it didn't feel right. You get me, don't you?"

Jake lifted an eyebrow. Had she been thinking the same as he, about how their friendship could turn into a mess only because of that? "I don't think I get you," Jake lowered his head, confused. She was playing with him, was she not? All of that flirting, saying he was cute. It had been just like with Sophia. Behaving like she wanted to be with him, but just right in the moment they would deny it.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sarah asked, for Jake had gotten pale. 

"I'm not," he didn't want to sound rude, nor did he want it to look like he was manipulating her, but he couldn't lie that time. He was not okay. At all. "What are you doing, Sarah? Why would yo do that to me?"

"Do what?"

"All of this," Jake pointed at them both, trembling. "Why would you play with me that way? When I asked you if I was a burden you said no. How can I know now that you weren't lying. How can I know now that I can trust you?"

Sarah scoffed. "C'mon, don't say that, of course you can trust me. Sorry for what just happened, I wasn't thinking—"

"Of course," Jake snapped, his arms crossed. "What kind of girl would like to be with me in her right mind?"

"I didn't say that, Jacob."

"That's what I heard," his hurt tone started to stain with anger, and his foot was tapping anxiously against the floor. From that moment on,  everything would be garbage. Work would suck, perhaps because Sarah would be there and of course things were going to be awkward. No, Jake, you are only hurting yourself. Oh, but it was true, and he knew it. He knew that their friendship was already screwed. 

"Jake, you are getting angry really fast," said Sarah, sitting up. "You should calm down. I didn't want this to end like this."

"So it's an end, is what you're saying."

"What d'you mean?"

"That our friendship is over," Jake snapped. Sarah's mouth opened a little, like she was insulted. Unbelievable, Jake thought. "You know this won't work. We don't have enough communication, apparently, to have a good friendship. So I think that we should be only co-workers now."

"Jake, listen to yourself. You don't want that."

He shrugged. "Maybe I do. You hurt me, why would I want to be friends with you?"

Sarah's eyes teared up. It made Jake feel terribly guilty, but maybe she deserved it. She'd made him fall for her only to do that. It sucked. And it would stay in his head for a long time, knowing himself. 

"Are you counting all the good moments we've spent together?" Sarah cried. "Remember, Jake. Remember our first car chase, and then when we got drinks at Shaw's. We were together."

"Who said I enjoyed that?" Jake narrowed his eyes. Looking back, that night had been awful to him. "I had just broken up with Sophia because she cheated on me, Sarah. But of course you don't understand it, you don't even care about understanding it. You think your life is difficult don't you?"

"Jake, what are you saying now?" Sarah stood up from the couch, breathing fastly. 

"I'm telling the truth. You are selfish, Sarah Moore, you can only think about yourself," Jake started getting closer to her, yelling. "Oh, you broke up with Lewis because he was a nerd! Poor girl, now she doesn't have any relatioship to hate! Only to impress your parents? Really! Then we go together to drink at Shaw's and you get jealous the next day! What are you even getting jealous about!? Because you 'like me'?! Save that crap!"

Sarah stood tall, trying to push Jake, but he was so mad that he barely felt it. "Shut up, Peralta!" Sahra yelled. "You have no idea what you're talking about! If someone is selfish, it's you!"

"Get out my apartment," Jake said through grinded teeth.

"Gladly."

Sarah slammed the door behind her once she was out. Jake sat on the couch, outraged, but soon he realized what he had done. Oh, dear god. 

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