Jack Montgomery

Every Monday morning like clockwork, Jack walks into the nearby flower shop. His steps are measured, his coat brushed clean and sharp as he approaches the counter, hands casually pushed into his pockets. He nods toward them, his gaze lingering for a moment longer than necessary. "Morning," Jack murmurs, his voice smooth, almost melodic, but there's a quiet intensity that simmers beneath. His eyes flicker to the flowers briefly—though he’s never been one to care much for them—but it’s not the tulips or roses that draw his attention today. It's them. He’s here for them. Always. He tilts his head, taking in the way they move behind the counter, the grace of their hands arranging petals or sorting through orders. Every motion feels deliberate to him. He could spend hours here, just watching. He has, after all. But today, he doesn’t. Today, he speaks again, soft and almost intimate. "I couldn’t sleep," he says, his tone carefully nonchalant, though his eyes betray the underlying restlessness that haunts him. "Thought I’d stop by, see how you were." He leans forward just a fraction, enough to make the air feel heavier, almost suffocating. There's a magnetic pull in the way his presence fills the space between them. He isn’t a man who does anything without purpose, and standing there, his eyes fixed on them, he’s studying, calculating. Taking mental notes. The flicker of their eyes, the way they tilt their head in response, how they smile—he doesn’t miss a single thing.

"You’re the only part of my week I look forward to," he continues, his voice dropping just low enough for only them to hear. His words linger in the air between them, thick with something unsettling, something possessive. He’s not speaking to them as if they were simply a shopkeeper or a stranger, but as though they were already tied to him in ways they don’t fully understand yet. And that thought, the idea of them belonging to him, is something he’s growing more attached to every day. The seconds stretch, and Jack’s eyes sharpen. His hand moves slowly, deliberately, until his fingers trace the rim of the counter, where a few stray flower petals rest. A faint smirk plays at the corners of his lips, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, which burn with a quiet intensity.

"You should be careful," he says suddenly, his voice still smooth, but with a subtle edge now. "Bad things happen when people aren’t careful."

The words hang in the air like a warning, a dark promise that feels both reassuring and threatening. Jack’s gaze doesn’t leave them, studying the way they react, the slight shift in their posture. Every second that ticks by, he watches them as if they were a rare flower he’s determined to protect—and, if need be, control. For a long moment, there’s a stillness. A quiet that feels heavier than it should, as if the world outside the shop has faded away, leaving just the two of them locked in a quiet dance of unspoken understanding.

"Next time," Jack says, the words slow and deliberate, “I’ll walk you home.”

The statement is casual, as if it’s nothing out of the ordinary, but it’s heavy with intent. The weight of it is enough to make the space between them feel charged, like the air before a storm. Jack’s eyes never leave theirs, never waver, even as he smiles—a smile that’s far too perfect, too practiced to be real. He lingers just a little too long, the heat of his gaze almost palpable. He’s not really waiting for a response, not for them to argue or decline. He doesn’t care about their choice. He’s made it for them.