An Admiring Talk (CW)

While Kenny and Kailyn had made their way to the couch to cozy up for a movie, Sydney and JJ had an all-out race to the bathroom. JJ, ever determined, beat Sydney by a landslide, diving into the bathroom and locking the door behind him just as Sydney reached it. The college girl gave the door a few smacks and muttered a few less-than-congratulatory words at the victorious jock and then headed back to her room to wait it out. Yet, whether it was intentional or not, JJ took his sweet time.

By the time the shower had finally stopped, and JJ was unlocking the bathroom door, forty minutes had already come and gone. He was squeaky clean, relaxed, and ready to settle down for the night. However, what the towel-covered teen hadn't expected to find on the other side of the door when he opened it was Sydney. "Well, well, well, it's about time. You do know other --" Sydney's words caught in her throat as she pushed open the door, finally getting a full sight of the teen who immediately tightened a grip on his towel, lest it fall away and fully expose him to his best friend's older sister. "O-Oh...I guess you didn't grab a change of clothes, huh?"

"N-Nah, I didn't," JJ awkwardly cleared his throat as Sydney remained deadlocked in front of him, "This some sort of **** or something?"

"Huh?" Sydney blinked and shook her eyes, prying her eyes away from JJ's chiseled chest, looking him back in the eye.

"****?" JJ reiterated, giving a motioning glance down to his towel, "Like the story you so delicately told everyone earlier."

Sydney's lips curled into a sly smile, "Maybe it is...It was three years coming, but I can't think of a fairer way to make up for you peeping at me in a towel than you being in one for me."

JJ turned his head, letting out a breathy laugh, "Let me clarify for you one more time; I wasn't "peeping" on you; I was coming over to see Kenny. You just happened to walk out of the bathroom when I showed up."

Sydney planted her hands on her hips, "You sure did gawk, though, didn't you?"

The college girls teasing grin couldn't have been bigger, "Fifteen-year-old kid. Could you blame me for looking?" He smoothly retorted, but in the very next moment, his brain caught up to his mouth.

JJ's eyes slightly widened, and his brow raised, shocked in himself, "Aren't you the flatterer,"

"No..." JJ sighed, all but physically cringing, "No, I'm just an idiot with a big mouth. Ignore me, Syd."

"JJ, come on, relax," Sydney's voice was relaxed and fully lighthearted, "We're both adults. We're both mature. We can be honest with each other. You find me attractive, the same way I can tell you that I find you attractive." JJ immediately let out a chuckle, "What's so funny?"

"You find me attractive? Come on, Syd; we've known each other forever. I'm your kid brother's best friend."

"So what? I'm allowed to have eyes; you've grown into a very attractive young man, JJ. Look at you, nice, tall, muscular, a smooth, warm voice..." Sydney softly hummed, "A girl would have to be blind not to find some base-level attraction to that."

"That so? And is this the part where I return all those compliments?"

"Only if you want to." Sydney gave him a playful wink.

"You know what? You're not in my head, Syd." JJ confidently returned, "You're right; I do find you attractive, and there isn't anything wrong with that. You're probably one of the coolest girls I've met; I like that you don't play games but are still fun as hell, and you are downright beautiful."

"Why, thank you, James." The two stood looking at one another for a long moment until, finally, a mutual hearty laugh left them both at the same moment, "This is the real reason I like you; you're so easy to be around."

"You too, but I think I've probably hit my limit of talking to you in a towel," JJ stepped out of the bathroom, "So if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna get into some fresh clothes. It's all yours," Sydney scooted to the side, but that didn't prevent JJ's body from brushing past her. Sydney's eyebrow raised; it had been going on three years since she broke up with her last boyfriend, and as brief as it was, having JJ's toned body against hers, not to mention the impressive tool he seemed to have hidden underneath the towel, let her know that without a doubt it had been too long.

"Hey...JJ?" The jock looked back, finding Sydney leaning against the side of the doorway, looking at him with a different kind of glimmer in her eye, "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, Syd; what do you need?"

"Seeing as we didn't intend to stay here for the weekend, Kailyn and I didn't bring any clothes. I'm sure Kai has some spare clothes here, but we're nowhere near the same size. If you don't mind, could I borrow one of your shirts to sleep in tonight?"

"Oh, for sure." JJ quickly agreed, "Let me get you the jersey I was gonna wear tomorrow; it's big enough on you it might as well look like a gown," The jock chuckled, but unlike all the other times he cracked a jock, Sydney didn't join him in laughter.

Instead, the older brunette let out a buttery smooth giggling hum, "I'd really appreciate it, thank you."

Sydney's voice set JJ's hair on edge, and the teen let out a small cough, turning his body away as he wasn't sure what sort of natural reaction he was about to have. "N-No problem, Syd, anytime. I'll be right back."

JJ moved diagonally, heading through the bedroom door, where he immediately let out a relatively sharp exhale. He shook off the questionable feelings that were swelling inside him, cleared his head as he pulled on a fresh pair of clothes, and then grabbed his jersey. Yet, when the teen returned to the hallway, Sydney was nowhere to be seen; instead, the bathroom door was merely cracked open, and he could hear the sound of running water. The jock looked at the opened door and then back down to the jersey in his hand, "Uh...Syd?" He cautiously called out as he stepped towards the door.

Step after step JJ called out to the girl but heard nothing in response; he was about to assume that Sydney may have even gone to grab something from her bedroom when he finally heard something more from the bathroom. A low rhythmic hum that was undoubtedly from Sydney hit his ear, and JJ couldn't be sure if it was singing or...perhaps something else. "Syd, uh...sorry, you want me to leave the jersey here or..." There was no answer from the girl, and JJ wet his lips, gripping the shirt tightly. The better part of him knew that he should just hang it on the door handle and walk away, but another part of him knew that he had a golden opportunity to step in, claim he was merely leaving the shirt, and in the meantime...get a better look at the Clark girl. Besides, he couldn't help but wonder, if she left the door open, did she expect him to come in with it in the first place?