Nice: Hey guys! So, last time I left you with a- oh wait, no I didn't.

Yami: Didn't what?

Nice: I didn't leave them with anything spicy last time. It got kinda spicy with the little lime but then it was a note after that. I mean, if you go read the lemon that was on my other profile, I guess you were left with spice.

Yami: Hey. *Tugging on Nice's shirt*

Nice: Well, should I count those as canon?

Yami: Heeey.

Nice: Yeah, I should-

Yami: HEY!

Nice: Ah! Yami! What is it!?

Yami: When are you gonna give me a remodel!?

Nice: A remodel?

Yami: Yeah! Remember your little reminder to update my design?

Nice: Oh right! Well, I'll put that at the end of this chapter or the start of the next. Enjoy!

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Y/n's POV

After the other night with Benny, I noticed that Jackie was hanging around near me a lot more. She never directly interacted with me, but she seemed to be watching me. I decided today I'd figure out why she seems so... Weird towards me. I feel like I'm doing something wrong...

Y/n: I'm worried about her...

Jane: Worried about who?

I looked to my left to see Jane leaning against the counter with a glass of water.

Y/n: Hey Jane. I'm uh... I'm just a bit worried that Jackie has something against me.

Jane: Jackie doesn't hold grudges for anything.

Y/n: It's not so much a grudge, it's more like... Like I'm constantly doing something to be unapproachable from her view.

Jane sighed and walked up to me, wrapping her arms around my shoulders in a comforting way.

Jane: She doesn't have anything against you, Y/n. Jackie just has a hard time adjusting to new things. She didn't get comfortable with Clockwork until almost 2 months after she joined. And now look at them.

Y/n: I've been here for three and beyond our first introduction, she's not said a word to me.

Jane: Maybe you can ask her.

Y/n: Right, because cornering a demon girl and telling her to talk to me is such a good idea. I mean, what if I freak her out? I'll just make things worse...

Jane laughed for a second before composing herself again.

Jane: Jackie doesn't get freaked out. She's in her room. Try bringing her coffee. She likes it black.

Jane then left me in the kitchen. I bent over the counter and sighed. I then got to work on making some coffee. I took the grounds and started boiling some water. I put some grounds in a coffee press and waited for the water to boil. I was getting impatient with the electric boiler so I took it off and opened the lid, blowing some fire in. The water came to a quick boil and I poured it into the coffee press.

Fast forward a few minutes and the coffee had set. I pressed the grinds and water, separating them and then poured a hot mug of coffee into the blue and black mug that was certainly Jackies. I poured myself some as well into a simple white mug.

Taking some sugar and cream out, I fixed up my coffee just how I like it before going up to Jackie's room. I had a small tray to hold them on with one hand while I knocked on the door. After a few seconds, the door opened and I saw Jackie in the doorway.

Y/n: Coffee?

She already looked tense. Not a good start. She eventually nodded and I smiled, going into the room. I put down the tray on a small desk in the corner. I put her black coffee with a coaster on the desk. I took mine and took a sip, enjoying the faint buzz I felt in my throat. I looked over at Jackie and picked up her coffee. I held it out to her, but she was still pretty much motionless.

Y/n: Are uh... Are you gonna take your coffee?

Jackie: Y-Yeah.

Jackie took her coffee and sat down on her bed. I sat on the couch chair, drinking my own coffee.

Y/n: I'll have to ask Slenda if we have vanilla syrup anywhere.

I looked up from my coffee to see Jackie walking towards the door. I shot out my wires, wrapping them around her arm.

Y/n: Jackie. We need to talk.

Jackie turned to look at me slightly, slightly tugging on the wires.

Y/n: You've hardly said a word to me for the last 3 months. What's going on?

Jackie still didn't say anything, so I sighed and got up. I slowly reeled in my wires as I walked over to her. Eventually, the wires went away and I was holding her arm with my hand. I put my other hand on her shoulder as I looked at her.

Y/n: Jackie. Talk to me.

Still nothing. I sighed as I let go, pushing her aside as I left the room. I decided to relax in the gym, first going to my room and changing into my gym outfit.

(Replace the logo with your symbol. If you need a reminder, it's the pendant from one of the earlier chapters.)

After getting my hand wraps on, I stepped into the gym. I went over to the punching bag, getting to work. I practiced my basic form, letting out combos and moves that led into each other with ease. After a few punches, I reflected on what happened with Jackie. I was annoyed that she still wouldn't talk to me. Thinking about how she seemed to not really care about what I was asking was frustrating, and I started to punch harder. I kept thinking on it, imagining that Jackie probably just didn't like me. In my anger, I threw my hardest punch, breaking the link on the bag holding it to the chain. The bag went a few feet as it hit the ground.

Y/n: Fuck...

I felt a twinge in my chest as I recognized my current feeling. I felt just like I did that day three months ago. Self-loathing. Guess it never really went away. It was just covered up with a false sense of happiness.

Y/n: No, the happiness was real, but not enough to fix me.

I went over to the bag, lifting it up and dragging it back to the spot as I hooked it back on to the chain with a new link.

Jackie's POV

What did I just do!? He tried to talk to me and I totally ignored him! Ah, I'm such an idiot! Now he probably thinks I hate him or something! I need to talk to him, but... I'm not sure if I can. I mean, what if I mess up or something? I was brought out of my thoughts when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped a bit but turned to see Jane.

Jackie: Oh, hi Jane.

Jane: Jackie, what did you do?

Jackie: W-What?

Jane: I saw Y/n leave your room earlier. And I saw him in the gym. He doesn't look happy.

Jackie: Oh no... I screwed up... He tried to talk to me and I panicked and ignored him...

Jane sighed and facepalmed, grabbing my arm. She started to drag me away.

Jackie: J-Jane? Where are we going?

Jane: You are going to apologize to Y/n.

Jackie: N-No! I'll just make it worse!

Jane: Y/n said the exact same thing before he went to talk to you. How do you think he knew to keep your coffee black?

I looked at Jane in surprise before she opened a door and practically threw me inside. I made sure to keep my balance, almost falling over before looking up and seeing Y/n punching the punching bag, facing away from me. He didn't notice I entered so I looked around a bit, nervously. I noticed that there was a punching bag against the wall with a broken chain attached to it. I looked back at Y/n and flinched when his arm set fire and he yelled as he punched straight through the bag in front of him.

Now very afraid to say anything, I just knocked on the door behind me. It was enough to get his attention and he looked over, seeing me there. I noticed his eye had flames coming off it. He let out a deep breath, some smoke coming out as he reached up and removed the broken bag. He threw it aside as he set up another one before turning to me. He crossed his arms and looked at me expectantly.

Y/n: Got something to say?

I looked down in slight shame before answering.

Jackie: I'm sorry...

His eye widened a bit. He looked surprised I spoke to him. God, I'm so dumb...

Jackie: I didn't mean to brush you off like that... You were trying to help me open up and I just ignored you... I-I didn't mean to...

I looked up at him, noticing he was a bit closer. His gaze had softened considerably and he looked less angry. He sighed and walked up to me. He put both his hands on my arms. Not like he was holding me in place, but in a more comforting way. He rubbed my arms as I looked up at him. He almost cracked a smile before he spoke.

Y/n: So, you're sorry?

Jackie: Yes...

Y/n: I'm not too sure I believe you.

I felt my stomach knot when he said that. I don't know why I expected him to forgive me after I made him so upset.

Y/n: You wanna convince me?

I looked up again, seeing he had a weird look in his face. I furiously nodded, wanting so badly for him to forgive me.

Y/n: Alright then. Take off your mask.

I nearly reeled back at this.

Jackie: T-Take off... My mask?

Y/n: Unless you... Weren't actually sorry.

Jackie: I was! But... M-My face... I don't...

Y/n: You want my forgiveness? Then take off the mask.

I looked off to the side before shakily reaching up, grabbing my mask as I slowly pulled it off. After a second, I took it off, finally showing my face to Y/n.

I looked down, but Y/n put his hand in my face, turning it to face him.

Y/n: I forgive you.

I looked at him, my mouth gaping slightly before I hugged him. He seemed taken off guard but he hugged back, making me feel better.

Y/n: Also, I already believed you before. I just wanted you to show your face.

I broke the hug, looking at his face to see he had a smug grin and narrowed eyes.

I glared at him, but he just chuckled and walked off. He patted my head as he left, but I was too busy trying to be cutely upset that he tricked me.

Y/n's POV

It's nice to know that Jackie's sorry about that. I guess with home nice everyone here is all the time, being ignored and brushed off made my self-loathing thoughts resurface. I hope they don't come up again, and with how the others are around me, I don't think I have much to worry about. Until then, I should go talk to Tails. After all, she said she wanted to talk earlier when she barged in on Clocky and I in bed the other day.

Y/n: Great. Because having a conversation with the angry humanoid fox will be totally manageable and will definitely not make me want to stab myself.

???: What was that!?

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Nice: Hey guys! So, that's all for tonight. Or today... I guess this morning... Or this evening... When the hell are you reading this anyways? Most of the reads in my chapters don't even come until days after the initial release!

Yami: So... My redesign?

Nice: Not now. That's next time. I still haven't gotten down drawing hair and feminine shoulders. I want to make a completely original design for you, so it could take a while.

Yami: Aww~! *hugs Nice*

Nice: Yeah, yeah, don't get too happy. Just cause I'm redesigning you doesn't mean you can cuddle me so I give you a bigger chest.

Yami: C'mon! Just give me a nice rack! It's not hard, you've drawn that before!

Nice: That was an Erza drawing and it was freehand copying! Drawing that with little to no source is gonna be tough! Plus, this way I can focus on giving you legs this time. I'll make you curvy there if you're so intent on being hot.

Yami: Alright... But only because Thighs are critical!

Nice: I'll be taking a break from this story to focus in my other three for a bit, so expect it to be a while before I update again. Signing off!

- Iain