Hey, guys! Reblogging , retweeting, and sharing the comic is the best way to help Check, Please! grow. Thanks so much to all the people who are doing this already. Seriously–awesome write ups, primers and screaming in your friend’s face* † about this person named Eric Bittle keep the comic going. Thank you!
*please don’t scream in your friends’ faces
† meh do what you want i’m not the boss of you
★ Notes on Year 2, Comic 4 – Hazeapalooza★
Tag: jack
Check, Please! #20 – Playoffs – Part 3
★Reblogs help spread the comic!!!★
6/?
it was a close thing
note: this honestly all started because i was stuck in a TERRIBLE meeting and i
started thinking about bitty being sad about jack and i wrote this meta post and then i had to write 5k words to accompany it.i’m fine.–
Bitty had
never meant for it to go this far. It had been a crush and he’d had plenty
before. He’d had plenty of experience getting over them, too. The thing was…he’d
never figured on Jack liking him back.
He had no experience whatsoever with this strange brand of casual flirtation,
invisible to everyone except for himself.Bitty
blamed Kent Parson, perhaps a little pettily. The thing was – it hadn’t been a
problem before Kent Parson crashed Epikegster, because Bitty had been cocooned
in the safety of the knowledge that his crush was straight as an arrow and
therefore, would never be interested. The fact that Jack had definitely been
making out with Kent Parson in his room before angrily kicking him out not because of the kissing but because Kent
was being an asshole was a problem for Bitty.It was a
problem because it sparked a traitorous little flame of hope in Bitty every
time he looked at Jack. It was a problem because it caused Bitty to rewind
every moment they’d ever shared and sort through them for signs. It was a
problem because it meant Bitty’s crush didn’t have to be unrequited. Bitty was going to burn alive with the
knowledge.
An alternative to Bitty being completely oblivious to Jack’s feelings
Bitty is a gay man in a collegiate sport who grew up in the Deep South. He is Aware™ of himself at all times, even if he doesn’t talk about it on his vlog. He probably knows that although he is accepted now, if he crosses an invisible line of physical/emotional affection with some of the guys that acceptance can disappear in an instant. We can speculate on the sexuality of the other guys, but none of them are open in the way Bitty is, so he has to operate on different rules than the other guys.
We know, canonically, that he is mostly exempt from rough-housing. This isn’t because he’s smaller, it’s because he’s gay. Rough-housing is toeing that line and Bitty would probably be careful to exclude himself whenever possible. The other guys probably exclude him with the excuse that he’s small, but there’s a layer underneath that they would never acknowledge. This is the sort of thing that even really supportive straight friends do, often unconsciously. It’s part of the “unwritten rules”.
So, back to Jack. We’re shown the two of them getting increasingly touchy in the background of several panels Year 2. We’re shown through Bitty’s twitter that Jack seeks him out, incessantly chirps him (which by Bitty’s own admission, is a variation on flirting), and starts to include Bitty in the rough-housing. Bitty overheard the conversation with Parse and heard Parse interrupt Jack with what was probably a kiss. Bitty can connect those dots – he’s not dumb. The thing is – he’s also never going to bring it up, because Bitty understands living in the closet and how scary it is. He also understands that Jack’s future is on the line. Jack already has so much stacked against him – the overdose, the crazy expectations, his own crippling anxiety – and Bitty surmises that Jack can’t also live with his sexuality out in the open too. So, he lets Jack get closer, orbiting him, but never, ever pushes him or even hints that he knows. It’s a secret and Bitty isn’t going to violate that.
Instead, he just cherishes the moments he gets. He catalogs them carefully, even though it probably really hurts. The guy he has an outsize crush on keeps seeking him out and sitting too close to him and giving him piggyback rides and lending him his jacket. Bitty knows that this is outside the bounds of his other friendships. He knows that Jack is crossing the line and he lets him, instead of closing himself off and not allowing it like he might have with the other boys. He just shakes his head and says this boy.
What I’m getting at here is that Bitty might have known, or at least strongly suspected, that Jack had non-friend feelings for him. However, he also probably thought that Jack didn’t think they were important or big enough feelings to actually act on. That’s why we find Bitty literally sobbing in Jack’s room after graduation because Bitty thinks that it’s the absolute end of the road for them and even the casual flirtation will be gone as soon as he boards that plane to Georgia in a few hours. Jack is moving on to Providence and the NHL and Jack isn’t going to take the risk on his future. Bitty wasn’t expecting Jack to kiss him, but not because Bitty was oblivious to Jack’s feelings. He doesn’t expect the kiss because he has convinced himself that Jack does feel something for him, but not strongly enough to actually pursue it.
ETA: now in 5k-word fic format, for your angsty needs
Another digital commission for the Year Two Kickstarter! Bitty and Jack enjoying a rainy day at Jack’s place. They are very happy (sleepy?) boys. Thanks for the awesome request, VG!!
= Samwell Hockey Group Text Halloween 2015 =
Shitty: dear god. swawesome #WishIWereThere
Jack: Haha. Nice.Johnson: There’s an infinite number of things going on here.
concept: Jack Zimmermann walked in on Shitty holding the “yo marry me jack zimmermann” sign once and kind of winked and said “i think you’re gonna have to buy me dinner first, eh?” and shitty fell over laughing and when jack caught bitty holding it he had ever intention of doing the same thing but then his mind went blank and all he could picture was marrying bitty, but somehow, still didn’t realize how gone he was on him
#no I bet you their whole y2 friendship was jack getting these too-friendly impulses and then going blank and being like #‘haha…weird’ (tags via @nicepasses)
‘probably gonna have to deal with that later’
and then when Bad Bob said the thing he said, Jack got a searing white insta-montage of all those stray thoughts he had discreetly filed away, and it was like he downloaded two years of romantic and sexual frustration into his brain in three seconds flat.
It’s amazing that he and Bitty survived their first kiss and didn’t spontaneously combust right there with all those flammable boxes of Sharks memorabilia.
@wrathofthestag @devereauxsdisease @disraeligearsgoestumblin @desperatelyseekingcannibals @tcbook
The Falcs do a PR push for Valentine’s Day, looking for the perfect Valentine for their leading scorer and new Alternate Captain. Instagram and Twitter go NUTS, Yo Marry Me Jack Zimmermann posters appear at every game. So many people have proposed to Jack via social media and at the rink, that our boy’s face is basically bright red for the whole month of February.
Georgia sees the hullabaloo and develops a PR Plan. Every day, the Falcs post a picture of one of the players holding the sign. Tater has the sign in one hand and a ring pop in the other. Thirdy has a veil on. Marty is proposing to one of the Jack toys. Even Parse gets in on the action, because, let’s face it, he needs attention, and posts a picture of himself and Jack in Qs with the caption I asked him first.
The final pic of a small blond man holding the sign, he’s wearing a Falcs bow tie and holding what appears to be a real ring. The next day there’s a pic of Jack positively beaming, arm slung around the blond and ring on his finger, holding a sign that says Yo, I Said Yes.
And that’s how Jack comes out.
@wrathofthestag @disraeligearsgoestumblin @victorineb – there, I kinda wrote a mini fic…does that count?
gemsofthegalaxy
reblogged your post “Clues that Ransom and Holster have collected on Bitty’s secret boyfriend”#OKMGFK #okay but i have a few aus in mind where Bitty actually dates Johnson for a short time first year?? #omgcp #im fucking DEAD tho
“You… you really want to?”
“Oh yeah. I don’t think you and me are some forever thing, but you’re gonna appreciate having some experience under your belt later in your story arc.”
Things Jack Zimmermann has had to tolerate under his very own roof:
- Bad enough: Coming back to the Haus with Shitty and Johnson and it’s filled with the aroma of baked goods, and that new freshman, who doesn’t even live there, is taking cookies out of the oven and turns around to say, “Hey there! I’ve got cherry pie that’s just cool enough to eat, you all want some?”
- Worse: Johnson winking and saying, “You know, what I really like are those buns you’ve got there,” and Eric Bittle B L U S H I N G
- Newly-discovered circle of hell: Bitty and Johnson grinding while they dance in the living room
- Just kill him. Just kill him now: Hearing sex noises from across the hall, a distinctive tenor voice groaning, “Oh, god,” and then Bitty laughing, giggles turning into a loud and helpless peal of laughter that’s only cut off by a yelp that turns into a moan. (Jack gives up and flees for the dubious safety of Shitty’s room, where Shits supplies him with earplugs and lifts the blanket for Jack to crawl under.)
#I…… #I LIKE THIS…….. #MORE PLEASE
#specifically more johnson and bitty banging and jack hearing it all night long
and it’s driving him nuts
#and the morning after with bitty in johnson’s big floppy t shirts making them
all breakfast
#jack nearly bends his spoon with his thumb when johnson comes downstairs
shirtless and leans in to kiss bitty
#like johnson is REALLY GETTING IN THERE and handsy with bitty’s ass
#bitty sitting on johnson’s shoulders at spring c
#jack internally screaming like THOSE THIGHS SHOULD BE ON ME I’D LOVE TO DIE
WITH BITTY’S LEGS AROUND MY HEAD
#and then he’s like wait what did i just think
#bitty with gigantic hickeys and bites on his shoulders and inner thighs and
when they change jack gets tunnel vision
#okay im trash i basically just want jack in the hallway to hear johnson’s
muffled voice saying
#‘eric lift your hips up…come on baby you look so good right now’
#and bitty whining and jack is getting IMAGERY AND A BONER #oh boy the
tags got out of hand (by @nomorelonelydays)Okay, but like Johnson actually falls for Bitty though, even though he knows it’s not how the story is supposed to end. How could he not? Bitty is kind, warm, and laughs at Johnson’s jokes even though he doesn’t always get the context for them.
For once, Johnson wishes he doesn’t know the outcome of this. He wishes he could be selfish for once, and be the hero of this story. It’s hard, but he knows his time is running out. Once he graduates, he’ll be gone, and not even gone somewhere, but he’ll just stop existing until he’s needed again for the narrative.
It’s a terrifying thought.
So, he holds Bitty at night, knowing that in less than a year, this will be Bitty’s room. He even knows the exact spot Bitty’s Beyonce poster will hang.
He also knows Jack is just across the hall with his face shoved into his pillow and his teeth clenched tight because Jack is already in love with Bitty. Jack just doesn’t know it yet.
So, when the time comes, Johnson lets go.
Because he has to.
Because it’s not meant to be.
Because Bitty will be happy with Jack, and the frowns and lines on Jack’s face will soften when Bitty is around.
They are the great love story that everyone has come to see.
And Johnson? Well, Johnson will be around too, and maybe, one day, he’ll have a story of his own.
Okay but now we also need to talk about how Bitty feels about
Johnson. Because if they’re sleeping together for months, or even over a
year, it is unlikely that he’ll stay emotionally unattachedIt’s…confusing
though, because there are times when Bitty looks into Johnson’s eyes
and sees something fiery, passionate, in there, but other days Johnson
seems to completely pull himself away from Bitty, like he doesn’t want
to be emotionally attached to Bitty, like he doesn’t want to fall for
him, have an actual relationship, whateverBitty asks him
about that, once, and Johnson replies: “I am just not looking for
anything serious right now” and the message seems clear so Bitty is very
confused as to why he sees pain in Johnson’s eyes despite itwhen
Johnson graduates, Bitty asks him, carefully, “Will I see you again?”
and Johnson says “I’m afraid your storyline doesn’t need it” and that
baffles Bitty so he says “you don’t think i get to decide on that?” and
johnson shrugs and gestures at jack who is looking at them with the most
constipated look and says, “be good for him” and leaveshe doesn’t respond to bitty’s texts
he doesn’t call
and it takes Bitty months to even start to process how jack acts around him and deal with that because he is actually heartbroken, too
@gadelingsofthegalaxy help me
okay but like. Johnson came back for senior graduation when jack and shitty graduated. he knew that bitty had moved on at that point and was planning on CONFESSSING THAT VERY AFTERNOON. help me im an emotional mess
HE WANTED TO BE SURE HIS SACRIFICE WAS WORTH IT
Thank you all for making me cry about John Johnson and his beautiful, self sacrificing soul.
My poor, mostly gay little heart!
What if when Johnson comes back for a visit/to reassure and torture himself a little, he meets Tango, who, like him, Knows Things. He asks a lot of questions, sure, but he’s <i>leading the conversation</i>.
So Tango asks him something like, “Have you ever been to that little karaoke bar off Lake Street? How do you feel about the song “Wonderwall”? Do you sing much? Are you free tonight at 7.45, exactly?“ And Johnson just has a feeling that he’s finally getting a starring role in the storyline.
So he shows up a little early, and scopes out the crowd, and signs up to sing “Wonderwall”, and then at 7.43, the deejay says “Folks, we had two of you sign up for that Oasis track, how about a duet? Come on up guys!” So he makes his way to the booth and finds a slightly shorter man, with grey eyes, and a strong looking back, and a honey blonde undercut. He doesn’t look like Bitty, exactly, but his smile and his bearing exude the same warm and kind vibe, and when he offers his hand and says “Hey, I’m Aaron,” his voice is lightly accented in a pleasantly familiar way that makes Johnson shiver.
As they sing, voices melding harmoniously and sharing shy, hopeful smiles, Johnson notices the table of SMH boys, and Tango and Bitty especially, looking at him. Bitty is wistful and fond, Tango looks pleased, and Johnson feels both like a soft embrace.
‘This is it,’ he thinks. ‘This is where my story really starts.’
~~~~
@des-zimbits @nomorelonelydays @legojacques @halesbunnyteeth @go-topshelf-on-chowder @halfnakedshitty
HIS STORY BEGINS WHEN CANON ENDS AND IT’S BEAUTIFUL TO CONTEMPLATE
(Also I read this and had to get up and walk away and breath because it’s unfair to have this many feelings about a metaphysical goalie)
just moving along like everyone else 