Eye-tag

[Olivia Skye]

Olivia’s green eyes were pensive as she searched the room with them, scanning the room metre by metre and studying each person.
There was Brendan, an Academic who played drums and listened to rock music; but he was three inches shorter than Olivia. He wouldn’t do.
Lewis, a Spy with shaggy pale brown hair and a good sense of humour, but unfortunately enjoyed playing with model trains. Nope.
Neil, another Carer. Enough said.
After hearing the song The Scientist, Olivia had quickly realised that her tears were more to do with wounded pride than anything else, and the anger had set in again quickly. She was still hurt and really mad at Jack for… for what had happened, in the forest. Mad as hell – but she’d also realised early on that she wanted him back. Preferably after getting some form of revenge.
So, to (hopefully) simultaneously get a little bit of revenge and make Jack jealous, Olivia was looking for “someone else”. Just a short fling, something that wasn’t supposed to last, something with no strings – something short and fun; although Olivia wasn’t in this for fun.
And the search was on.
Jeremy, Academic, taken – no go area. Marc, Warrior, gay – unfortunately. Ian, Spy, pervy – eugh! Cole, Warrior, chronic flirt, on the rugby team…
Perfect.
Olivia already knew Cole - she had treated him for a sports injury not so long ago. And even better, as captain of the rugby team, there was no way that Jack wouldn’t hear about this, and it would definitely get under his skin, especially as the size of Cole's biceps came close to his.
Brilliant.
Her eyes now scanned the room for Jack, finding him in a place where the rest of the room could be clearly viewed.
It was as if she'd engineered this herself.
Olivia smiled to herself, crossing her legs and reclining back lazily in the couch, keeping her emerald eyes trained on Cole, waiting to catch his eye when his attention wavered from his conversation.
It didn't take long for that to happen, and all it took after that was a few glances and slow smiles, the twirling of her bright hair around her finger.
Five minutes later, he was over, and she on his lap.

[Jack Trove]

Hey, Jacky,

Hah. Makes you sound like some little rodenty dog thing, don't it? Here, Jacky. Here, Jacky boy! Aw, how sweet. Anyway, I was thinking, I've sorted out all Dad's business now with the Cardsdale reparations loan (good, God, that villages' residents are about as scummy as its streets) for all those battles, and crap, and sent out a couple more loans for some 'damaged' property. One of your lot blew something up. Typical. Stupid kid. Give him a wallop for me, eh? That stuff costs paperwork.
Not that the job doesn't have it's perks, if ya catch my drift. Honestly, little bro, you're gonna love it when you get here. Sign a couple of papers, suck up and it'll pay your bills, and leave you extra. What does that extra buy? Perks- and plenty of it. I wanna start you in soon, too. That's why I'm writing this. I want you to meet me in Cardsdale tomorrow at the pub; half three? Four? Turn up, and expect to find me, anyway. Got a bit of a holiday left now. Bring your pretty girl, I'll bring someone, and we'll have a bit of a party. I wanna meet this ginger chick. And I wanna know how you two have been getting on! Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, right?
Oh, and Jack, you seemed a bit shirty with me the other day. Less of the lip. Are you mad? If so, give over. It's stupid- this is me, Mal. You've always been a bit thick anyway. Bet it's the rugby. Make sure you give it up, soon. The longer you hang on, the harder it is to let go. And believe me, rugby isn't worth what I've got planned for you!

Malcolm.

... awh, crap.
Jack groaned loudly, crumbling the letter up into a ball, and as he crushed it beneath his fingers, he heated them up, and the paper turned to cinders in his hands. Brushing away the ashes, Jack leaned back in his chair, glancing up at the Common Room for the first time since he'd been given the letter by a overly-helpful first-year who wanted on the rugby team.
"You know, Jack," the first-year said solemnly, pleased to see Jack had dispensed with his letter now, and was free to pay him attention. "If I was on the team, I'd always follow your orders."
Jack smiled at him, a little amused. "Uh huh. Orders, eh? Well, you'd better. My team's like a army- you've gotta' have as much faith in me as you've got in Madeleine Baudelaire."
"I've got faith!" the boy said stoutly. "I'd be really loyal- like, loyal to you and Madeleine, 'cause she's my Head. You two would be, like, the height of my loyalty!"
"Good," Jack smirked, "I demand nothing less of my star players."
The boy stopped, and for a moment, Jack watched him, a little bemused to see the boy silent, and even... thoughtful?
"You alright, kid?" Jack said, as kindly as he could, after a couple of seconds had passed.
"Yeah..." the kid said slowly. "It's just... it seems to me... maybe... maybe I could take up the position of Fullback. I'd be a great Fullback, honest I would."
Jack laughed. "Er, look, Colin-"
"Craig," the boy corrected quickly.
"Yeah, Craig, listen," Jack said, leaning forward. "You're a great kid, and I think you'll make a fine rugby player one day... but just now, you're a bit... young."
"Short, you mean," Craig said, immediately crestfallen. "I'm small, sure, but I'm tough."
"Can't you join up with the juniors?"
"No, Jack, I wanna be on the real team!" Craig said forcefully, looking up at him. "Come on! I'd be a brilliant Fullback."
Jack shook his head. "Nah... look, even if you were that bit older, you couldn't be Fullback. That's Cole. And Cole's a ruddy good player."
"Aye..." the kid said slowly. "But... you just said your star players had to be loyal."
Jack's eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah... they do. Cole's one of the most loyal."
"Then why is your girlfriend sitting on his lap?"
Jack sat straight up. "What?"
Suddenly, Craig shrank back, looking a little scared. "Er... your... your girlfriend, Olivia. Or did you break up?"
"What are you talking about, Craig?" Jack said, his voice shaking slightly, his hands curling into fists.
"O- over there," Craig said nervously, nodding his head fervently to the right.
Jack's eyes followed Craig's gaze... and met a wicked, evil pair of emerald orbs.

[Olivia Skye]

Olivia's lips slid into a satisfied smirk as Jack's enraged eyes met hers, knowing, as she spotted his furled fists, that she had hit the mark.
And so, she was going to push just that little bit past it.
"What are you smiling at?"
Oops.
She turned back to Cole, her hair shifting its weight to behind her shoulder. His eyes followed it as it moved, and Olivia allowed herself a gentle smile.
“Nothing,” she smiled.
His grey eyes flicked back to hers, and Olivia felt unsettled as her mind compared them to Jack's and titled them inferior. “Right,” he smirked.
Recovering quickly, she leant forwards over him, knowing that Jack was watching her every move. "So, Cole," she said, huskily. "You're a Warrior, yes? What is it that you guys actually do?"
Cole smiled, a hand trailing down her back to rest on her waist. "Classified information," he winked. "Afraid I can't tell you that."
She raised an eyebrow wordlessly.
"You could be a lure. You know, sent to ensare men and enchant them into telling you all their secrets..."
She had to supress her wince. It was too close to the "witch" comments by Jack. At that, her eyes drifted over to him - just for a second.
But Cole picked up on this, and his hand froze as it slid down her hip. "Hey, Jack won't mind this, will he?"
Hopefully...
Her eyes snapped back to him immediately. "Jack who?" she asked smoothly, a slow, seductive smile spreading across her face, before she leaned closer to him, and brought her lips to his.

[Jack Trove]

"Jack? Jack, can you hear me?"
Yes, Craig, I can hear you.
"Jack? Hello?"
Shut up, I can bloody hear you, okay?!
"Jack, you look white."
"Do I?" Jack growled, ripping his eyes away from the sight of Olivia's pink tongue tipping down Cole's throat. "Well. Funny, that."
"I should sock him one, I should!" Craig cried stoutly, pounding his fist on Jack's armchair. "Never mind, Jack- she's no good-"
"I don't want to hear it, Craig."
"- a right slag- a skank- not worth any of your time-"
"Craig."
The kid had the sense to shut up, and a good thing too, because everyone else wasn't. Olivia and Cole were making a spectacle of themselves, and as Cole's hands curled around her legs, people began to turn, and stare; jaws dropping one by one in disgust- others watched with a sort of perverted interest- and then, of course, the eyes flickered to Jack.
Jack who sat still, grave and pale; his fists still curled, and his mind... his mind was a numb, roaring blank. He wasn't looking... he wasn't listening to the whispers that rippled around him... he wasn't really aware of anything...
... except that Olivia was with Cole. That Olivia had moved on.
She'd forgotten him already.
And the horrible reality that he hadn't forgotten her.
"Jack?" Craig whispered, glancing around in concern. "J- Jack? Jack, people are looking at us."
"You want that place on the team?"
Craig's eyes bulged. "What?"
"Well?" Jack said, annoyed. "You want to be on my team or not?"
"Y- yes!" Craig cried, a little gobsmacked. "I mean- wow, that's- yes, more than anything- "
"Good," Jack said coolly. "It's your's. Now, go on, go over there and tell Cole he's off the team."
Craig jumped up, and ran. And Jack, a small, wicked grin twisting his features, turned to watch the fireworks explode...

[Olivia Skye]

Cole was a good kisser.
Maybe it was a rugby player thing, but Olivia was definitely noticing that both Jack and Cole were better than average when it came to kissing - but even in her anger, Olivia knew that Jack was far better, especially in the absence of fireworks that she was feeling now.
There was no way that Olivia would feel the heavy flames and huge explosions in her that she usually felt with Jack; and definitely not to the same extent as in the forest...
And that turned out well, right, Olivia?
This sentence that was spoken inside her head served for nothing but to spur her on, kissing Cole harder and moving against him, letting his tongue lick over hers...
There was a timid cough beside her ear.
They both ignored it, until the source of the cough started to talk.
"Um... Cole?"
Cole pulled away from her, groaning. "Little busy right now..."
The interrupter was small, and distinctly nervous-looking.
First-year.
"Yeah, I know, but..."
Olivia slid off Cole and onto the couch beside him, giving the first-year a chance to make himself heard.
"What is it?" Cole said, attempting to sound gracious about it.
"Um... well... you're kind of... off the team..."
"What?"
"The rugby team. I'm Fullback now," he said, puffing his chest out proudly.
What the hell?
Cole sounded like he didn't know whether to be angry or amused. "You? Fullback? Right. And since when did you get to decide who's on or off the team? You're not on the team - and besides, Jack's captain. Jack says who's on the team."
Now, the kid looked terrified, and Olivia suddenly became suspicious, glancing towards Jack and noting with rage the evil grin on his face.
Jack, what did you do?
"Jack told me to come over and tell you." The boy was now a whiter shade of pale, and Olivia couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for him.
"I'm sorry, what?!"
Cole was outraged, and with good reason. What right did Jack have to do that? None at all, was Olivia's answer. If Jack was mad about this - well, it was Jack's bloody fault in the first place.
And now, this first-year was getting a volley of foul words aimed at him, and Cole was standing up, clearly about to go over and sort this out.
Olivia jumped up, placing her hand on Cole's arm. "I'll sort it out, calm down a second."
She stormed across the room, getting angrier with each step. He had no right - if Jack was doing this to get to her, there were far better ways that didn't involve taking it out on Cole. Banning Cole from the rugby team was just unnecessary - and to replace him with a five foot first-year? What the hell was that about?!
She stopped in front of Jack, glaring at him. "Outside. Now."

[Jack Trove]

Jack looked coldly up at her; satisfied to see she'd gotten so mad. He guessed he should have been more concerned about Cole. He guessed he shouldn't have taken it out on him. He guessed Craig was going to get a little bit crushed later, when Jack told him he couldn't really be on the team.
But... he didn't give a crap about any of that stuff.
All he cared about was the fact that Olivia was there, standing right in front of him, and that there was fire in her eyes.
"Outside. Now."
"Now?" Jack stretched back in his seat, relaxed. "Now? Sorry, Olivia, I'm really tired. Can't this wait?"

[Olivia Skye]

The cold look was back in Jack's eyes, and Olivia hated it. She really, really hated it. Although it meant that she'd made her mark, she just didn't like him looking like that.
Don't look at me like that.
"Get up, Jack," she said coolly. "Now, and you can explain to me what the hell that was all about."
Olivia guessed that she shouldn't be so mad, especially since the aim had been to annoy Jack. She just didn't think that it was fair for him to be so rash and ban Cole from the team, when Cole didn't really play much of a part in this.
Well, seeing as Jack and Cole were on relatively good terms, Cole probably shouldn't have been so eager, especially if...
If what, Olivia? Do you really think that Jack reacted the same way as you did?
"Dammit, Jack," she growled, as he stayed there, motionless.

[Jack Trove]

Heaving a sigh; Jack slowly got to his feet; stretching and yawning in her face for effect. He could still feel those eyes watching him, and felt he ought to give them an appropriate performance. They made it easier for him. Jack had a reputation to uphold. Jack had a role to play. And by acting the part; everything else that made this thing spin went out of the picture.
"Well?" Jack said forcefully, taking a step towards her and glaring down at her. "Lead the way."

[Olivia Skye]

Seething, Olivia stalked out the door of the common room into the corridor outside, eyes blazing, temper being stoked even further.
If he could even show a little sign of emotion, this would be better. It was the fact that he was reacting, but when it came to giving her any reaction, he just sat there - cool, calm, collected. She wanted fireworks, she wanted him to get angry, just to show-
But in the end, wasn't that all she'd ever wanted from him?
Once Jack was outside, and the door closed behind him, Olivia turned to him, tossing her hair over her shoulder angrily.
"What the hell was that about?" she demanded.

[Jack Trove]

Jack folded his arms; arching an eyebrow.
What was that about? What the hell kind of stupid question was that- and what more did she expect? The witch knew how he felt about her; knew how far in she'd brought him before he'd managed to get out.
See her and Cole... her getting off with Cole in front of him...
It was just- it- it was- argh, of course he was going to react!
But no. He wouldn't give her that satisfaction.
He'd forgotten her. He had.
He had, he had, he had, hehadhehadhehad...
"I might ask you the same question."

[Olivia Skye]

She should have guessed that that one was coming.
Olivia gritted her teeth and shook her head, before responding, "Jack, you left me. You..."
Left me in the forest, used up, worthless, alone? Like a kicked dog, a sleeper who isn't worth it anymore?
Because that was what it felt like.
She shook the thought out. "You have no right to react like this - especially not to take Cole off the team! Why are you doing that, Jack?"

[Jack Trove]

Jack rolled his eyes. "Because he's a prick, and I don't want him on the team anymore."

[Olivia Skye]

Fighting the temptation to roll her eyes heavenwards in frustration, Olivia just lifted her eyes to meet his, letting his steely blue gaze burn into hers.
"And since when has he been a prick? Have you wanted to cut him from the team for a while, or did you make up your mind just there?"

[Jack Trove]

"What's it to you, Olivia?" Jack snapped. "Defending your toyboy- is that it? Because, last time I checked, you didn't care a goddam thing about rugby."
So. He'd snapped.
But he guessed Olivia just had a way of getting to him. Setting him off. Making him mad- in more ways than one.

[Olivia Skye]

"Toyboy? I'm sorry?"
This had backfired. Olivia had wanted him to be jealous, yes - but only to the extent where he would realise what he was missing. Not as pissed off as this...
All Olivia could do was laugh bitterly. "You don't get to do that. Just because you didn't want me - why shouldn't I be able to try and find someone who does? I'm not doing anything wrong."