Title: Shaking It Up
Fandom: Saved by the Bell
Author: Apache Firecat
Characters: Zack+/Jessie (depending on your chosen POV), Slater/Jessie, Zack/Kelly
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: Zack tries to cheer up his oldest and dearest friend.
Word Count: 946
Written For: Fan-FlashWorks 352: Shake
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.






It's just a simple milkshake, nothing she should feel guilty about, Jessie thinks in defiance. It's not like they didn't share milkshakes, burgers, fries, and a whole bunch more long before Slater ever moved to Bayside or Kelly actually began to see what a great guy Zack could be. She snorts suddenly at that thought and almost spits ice cream out of her nose. She blushes and buries her mouth in the nearest napkin she can grab quickly.

Zack smiles at her, but there's genuine concern shining in his bright, blue eyes. She'd forgotten just how blue they are, and how pretty. Slater hates her whenever she says anything about a guy is pretty, but her dearest childhood friend's eyes truly are pretty. Especially when they're wide, bright, and full of a lot of emotions, not all of whom does either of them dare to name.

"Are you okay?" he asks. There's a teasing smile on his red lips, and Jessie feels herself flushing as she considers how many times Kelly has kissed him and why his lips are such a bright color. Unlike some guys, she knows Zack doesn't sneak makeup; that redness is purely from Kelly's lips. And Kelly is her friend just as Slater is hers.

"I'm fine," she says, blushing and dabbing at her mouth with the napkin. "I'm sorry. I just -- " She rolls her eyes, at a loss for words. "I was just thinking what they would think if they came in here right now."

"Slater's at practice, Jess, and so's Kelly. Now, granted, I should be watching her cheerlead -- "

She playfully pushes his shoulder. "Of course you should!" She herself often goes and watches Slater, but after their argument today . . . She just doesn't feel like it right now. She loves the man, but he also infuriates her. And he hurts her far more often than she cares to admit even to herself, whereas Zack has never really hurt her. Of course she also hasn't allowed him to have that kind of power over her. Slater is the only man who's ever truly been able to hurt her, but then he's also the only man to whom she's ever truly given her heart.

He must be watching something betraying in her eyes, because he reaches out and gently caresses her hand where it's on the glass that she'd ordered and then decided she didn't need to drink in its entirety, mostly because she knows the ice cream will go straight to her hips. If she keeps eating like this, keeps gaining weight like this, she is going to lose Slater. It's just a matter of time, she thinks, before he turns his attention elsewhere anyway. Almost any girl in Bayside is prettier than her, and he could have any of them. He could have all of them, something Zack here, she knows, would jump for.

"Are you okay?" he repeats suddenly, more pressingly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," she says. But she moves her hand away from his and her eyes drop from his.

"Jess," Zack speaks gently, his voice dropping down quietly enough so that he's sure he won't be overheard by anyone else in the crowded, bustling cafe, "you know he'd be crazy to lose you."

"He could have any girl he wants." Her voice chokes. Her eyes wet now, and she realizes, with a sinking feeling, that she's not very far from crying.

"He wants you. You're beautiful. You're strong. You're loyal."

She snorts. "Dogs are strong and loyal too."

He reaches across the table, cups her chin in his gentle hand, and lifts her head. "But you are also beautiful and intelligent and an amazing woman," he speaks firmly, gazing into her eyes. "Any guy would be lucky to have you."

She smiles and dabs her tears against the back of her hand. "Any girl would be lucky to have you too, you know."

"Matter of opinion." He straightens, recoiling back into his seat, and runs a hand through his thick and shining, blonde locks. "Kelly may not always agree, but I know she's lucky."

Jessie laughs, feeling lighter and more carefree than she has in hours. To Zack, it's a beautiful sound, but he'll never tell her, just as he'll never tell her that he knows Slater is a damn lucky guy. He's damn lucky, because Jessie is beautiful, loyal, sweet, kind, and intelligent, far too intelligent to ever settle for a slacker than him. She deserves a bright future, and she will have one. Whether or not it's going to be with AC remains to be seen, but if his friend hurts his oldest friend, he won't rest until he does find a way to beat him. She does deserve better, but he can't say that as he cares for them. It's a lesson only she can learn for herself; clearly, she's not ready.

"I think you need another one of those," he says, inclining his head toward the almost empty glass of milkshake. He signals Max, knowing he'll come with not just two more shakes but also a magic trick and a joke or two and will finish lightening his old friend's mood. Slater is a jackass, but until Jessie's heart is done with him, Zack will let him be. He hopes it won't take much more to shake things up between them and make Slater realize what a wonderful woman he has in Jessie before he does lose her. He knows they'll both lose her one day for her future is far too bright for her to stay in Bayside forever, but he hopes to keep his friend for as long as he can.


The End