Her smile grew a bit more and she kissed his thumb. “If you wanted a smile, all you had to do was ask.” She held his hand against her cheek and closed her eyes with a soft smile. “Even in my saddest moment, I’ll always have a smile for you.”
“But if I have to ask for it, does it really count as a genuine smile?” He rested his head against hers. “Are you still sad?”
She opened her eyes so she could see him. “It’d still be real because just being with you makes me smile. The sad can only overshadow it for a little while… Just a little shook up, but much much better.” She kissed him gently before losing her fingers in his hair, the tips of them lightly massaging his scalp. “Are you okay? The slumping is never a good sign…”
“I’m alright. I was just a little weaker than normal because… because I had been so worried about you.” He closed his eyes as her fingers ran through his hair. “But I’m fine now.”
“Okay.” She was quiet for a moment, watching him as her fingers continued to rub his head. He looked so peaceful now, not at all like he had looked when she’d walked through the door calling his name. It made her grin, happily. “Jer… I’m so sorry I worried you. I never meant to do that…”
“I know you didn’t.” He took her hand and kissed it. “We don’t have to worry about it now.”
Her smile grew a bit more and she kissed his thumb. “If you wanted a smile, all you had to do was ask.” She held his hand against her cheek and closed her eyes with a soft smile. “Even in my saddest moment, I’ll always have a smile for you.”
“But if I have to ask for it, does it really count as a genuine smile?” He rested his head against hers. “Are you still sad?”
She opened her eyes so she could see him. “It’d still be real because just being with you makes me smile. The sad can only overshadow it for a little while… Just a little shook up, but much much better.” She kissed him gently before losing her fingers in his hair, the tips of them lightly massaging his scalp. “Are you okay? The slumping is never a good sign…”
“I’m alright. I was just a little weaker than normal because… because I had been so worried about you.” He closed his eyes as her fingers ran through his hair. “But I’m fine now.”
Her smile grew a bit more and she kissed his thumb. “If you wanted a smile, all you had to do was ask.” She held his hand against her cheek and closed her eyes with a soft smile. “Even in my saddest moment, I’ll always have a smile for you.”
“But if I have to ask for it, does it really count as a genuine smile?” He rested his head against hers. “Are you still sad?”
He remained silent, wiping the tears from her cheeks. He pulled her in close, almost as if he was trying to protect her from an invisible attacker. “I love you, Belle… it’s all alright now.”
She sniffled some and nodded. “I love you too.” Her hands released his shirt so her arms could wrap around him. “I don’t know how I got so stupid. I used to know better. I used to know you can’t trust people to be good people…” Her grip on him tightened. “I’m so sorry I was an idiot. Can you forgive me?” Her voice warbled a bit now because she wasn’t sure she could forgive herself.
“Of course I can forgive you. You’re still here in my arms, that’s all that counts.” He kept her close, not wanting her to continue feeling bad.
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Y-you’re right. I’m with you right now and that’s what matters…” Her still sad eyes examined him closely. “I love you and th-thank you for being my rock…” She hid her face in his neck now. “Make me a promise?”
“What promise? You know I’d do anything you ask of me.” He moved her so he could see her. “What is it?”
She held his face in her hands as her thumbs rubbed his cheeks. “Don’t go looking for him… If… If by some miracle he manages to find me, you can make him move on to some other vendetta. For now, I just want to be done with him. I want to be done with that part of my life. I’m not that girl any more.”
“I… can promise that for you.” He hesitantly held up his pinky. “But if you get hurt again… I will break this promise.”
She nodded and wrapped her pinky around his. “And I promise I won’t meet with anyone else from past without you, my protector, my shining knight.” The endearments made the corners of her mouth turn up in a small smile.
He ran a thumb over her smile. “There you go, Belle. There’s a smile.” He smiled softly at her.
He remained silent, wiping the tears from her cheeks. He pulled her in close, almost as if he was trying to protect her from an invisible attacker. “I love you, Belle… it’s all alright now.”
She sniffled some and nodded. “I love you too.” Her hands released his shirt so her arms could wrap around him. “I don’t know how I got so stupid. I used to know better. I used to know you can’t trust people to be good people…” Her grip on him tightened. “I’m so sorry I was an idiot. Can you forgive me?” Her voice warbled a bit now because she wasn’t sure she could forgive herself.
“Of course I can forgive you. You’re still here in my arms, that’s all that counts.” He kept her close, not wanting her to continue feeling bad.
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Y-you’re right. I’m with you right now and that’s what matters…” Her still sad eyes examined him closely. “I love you and th-thank you for being my rock…” She hid her face in his neck now. “Make me a promise?”
“What promise? You know I’d do anything you ask of me.” He moved her so he could see her. “What is it?”
She held his face in her hands as her thumbs rubbed his cheeks. “Don’t go looking for him… If… If by some miracle he manages to find me, you can make him move on to some other vendetta. For now, I just want to be done with him. I want to be done with that part of my life. I’m not that girl any more.”
“I… can promise that for you.” He hesitantly held up his pinky. “But if you get hurt again… I will break this promise.”
He remained silent, wiping the tears from her cheeks. He pulled her in close, almost as if he was trying to protect her from an invisible attacker. “I love you, Belle… it’s all alright now.”
She sniffled some and nodded. “I love you too.” Her hands released his shirt so her arms could wrap around him. “I don’t know how I got so stupid. I used to know better. I used to know you can’t trust people to be good people…” Her grip on him tightened. “I’m so sorry I was an idiot. Can you forgive me?” Her voice warbled a bit now because she wasn’t sure she could forgive herself.
“Of course I can forgive you. You’re still here in my arms, that’s all that counts.” He kept her close, not wanting her to continue feeling bad.
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Y-you’re right. I’m with you right now and that’s what matters…” Her still sad eyes examined him closely. “I love you and th-thank you for being my rock…” She hid her face in his neck now. “Make me a promise?”
“What promise? You know I’d do anything you ask of me.” He moved her so he could see her. “What is it?”
He pulled her closer, sensing her need to cry. “I’m just glad you’re alive…” He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her forehead. “I’ll take care of anyone who tries to hurt you again…”
All she could do was nod and curl into his chest, sobbing softly. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly. She just couldn’t be strong anymore, and needed him to steady her. After a bit her sobbing subsided, but she kept her face hidden in shirt. “M-max wanted…” She tried to press further into him. “I don’t want to die anymore… I… I did before, but…” She trailed off as a new set of tears began running down her cheeks.
He remained silent, wiping the tears from her cheeks. He pulled her in close, almost as if he was trying to protect her from an invisible attacker. “I love you, Belle… it’s all alright now.”
She sniffled some and nodded. “I love you too.” Her hands released his shirt so her arms could wrap around him. “I don’t know how I got so stupid. I used to know better. I used to know you can’t trust people to be good people…” Her grip on him tightened. “I’m so sorry I was an idiot. Can you forgive me?” Her voice warbled a bit now because she wasn’t sure she could forgive herself.
“Of course I can forgive you. You’re still here in my arms, that’s all that counts.” He kept her close, not wanting her to continue feeling bad.
“And?” He paced a few seconds before sitting down next to her. “How did you get out? Are those guys taken care of or will they try to find you?” He took her hand. “How are you feeling?”
She let out a soft sigh as he took her hand and squeezed his. “Luck… My hard head and your mother’s ring.” She wiggled her finger with the ring. “I’m… I’m okay… I guess.” She fought the urge to crawl in his lap and cry. “They got away because all I wanted was to get away… I didn’t want to leave you…” She couldn’t say die yet.
He pulled her closer, sensing her need to cry. “I’m just glad you’re alive…” He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her forehead. “I’ll take care of anyone who tries to hurt you again…”
All she could do was nod and curl into his chest, sobbing softly. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly. She just couldn’t be strong anymore, and needed him to steady her. After a bit her sobbing subsided, but she kept her face hidden in shirt. “M-max wanted…” She tried to press further into him. “I don’t want to die anymore… I… I did before, but…” She trailed off as a new set of tears began running down her cheeks.
He remained silent, wiping the tears from her cheeks. He pulled her in close, almost as if he was trying to protect her from an invisible attacker. “I love you, Belle… it’s all alright now.”
Jeremy was there in a flash, even quicker than normal. In his hand was a crumpled up piece of paper. “Where have you been?” There was an uncommon worry on his face making his usual chipper self seem worn out. “What happened?” It took him a minute to remember he had powers. He put his hand on her arm and a warm glow spread through her, healing everything and causing him to slump more than usual.
The look on his face made her heart hit the floor. She had meant for the note to keep him from worrying. It was clear that wasn’t the case. Her mouth opened to protest, but he had already fixed her before she could tell him not press his limits. “Jer.” She wrapped him in a hug to support him. “Baby you didn’t have to do that…” Her hand traced the edges of his face and she kissed him softly. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to make you worry… It… It was supposed to be a simple meeting.”
“Why couldn’t I have come with you?” He pulled away a little so he could support himself. “It obviously didn’t end up as simple… what happened?”
Tessa frowned a little, feeling like he was pulling away from her. She didn’t want him mad at her, but she couldn’t blame him. “I was afraid Kal would get all jumpy. He doesn’t trust new people.” A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she moved over to the couch. “The thing is I shouldn’t have trusted him in the first place…” She rubbed her neck with a slight shiver as the memory of thick hands around her throat flashed in her mind. “There’s a guy, Max, I was running a job with him and I shot him in the knee to keep him and his brother from killing a woman… Kal sold me out to him.” She frowned deeply, looking down at the floor. “I walked into a small ambush.”
“And?” He paced a few seconds before sitting down next to her. “How did you get out? Are those guys taken care of or will they try to find you?” He took her hand. “How are you feeling?”
She let out a soft sigh as he took her hand and squeezed his. “Luck… My hard head and your mother’s ring.” She wiggled her finger with the ring. “I’m… I’m okay… I guess.” She fought the urge to crawl in his lap and cry. “They got away because all I wanted was to get away… I didn’t want to leave you…” She could say die yet.
He pulled her closer, sensing her need to cry. “I’m just glad you’re alive…” He pulled her onto his lap and kissed her forehead. “I’ll take care of anyone who tries to hurt you again…”
