Something for You
This is Part 18 in a series. The other seventeen should be read first for maximum enjoyment and understanding.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17
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What a mess. The Compound wants to kill me, or at least has no problem killing me if Jake or I cause problems. They kill children, if I heard Zoe right. Why would they care at all about a grown woman who's a stranger? I lie on my bed and glare at smooth white ceiling. It actually seems to be staying white, unlike the white everything else in this place. I stick my tongue at it in frustration, realizing how little sense that makes.
“What are you doing?”
The noise startles me, and I roll off my bed and onto the floor. My butt sticks up in the air. Wonderful, I look like a goon in front of Jake, who still wasn't talking to me after Zoe's little outburst.
Without getting up, I ask “What are you doing? In my room? Talking to me?”
Jake replies, “I'm not allowed to talk to you now?”
I grumble, still on the floor, “Well, of course you are but why? Zoe called you out and you still wouldn't talk, and now you're talking? I don't get it.”
He tells me, “You should probably get off the floor. That doesn't look so comfortable.”
No, it's not comfortable. I scramble into a standing position and finally get a look at Jake. He is not in good shape. His green skin is definitely paler than normal, giving off the odd impression like he's motion sick, and his hair is in tangles. It's still ridiculously shiny, though. Must be those mutant genes. Weirdly, he's got a hand behind his back. What's he hiding? I do not feeling like dealing with more cryptic shit right now.
Jake mumbles, “I, uh, got something for you.”
I stare at him skeptically, asking for an explanation without saying anything. This better be good. Jake sweeps his hand out from behind his back. In it are three yellow roses. Flowers. He has flowers. I continue to stare at him because I can't believe it.
I state, “Flowers.”
“Yeah,” he says sheepishly, “Zoe picked them because I asked her to. She slipped them to me, and, uh, here I am.”
Still staring at the flowers, I take them from Jake slowly. “Thank you,” I manage.
He says quietly, “You're welcome. Hope you like them.”
I do like them, but I'm also confused. Why flowers? Why now? Then I remember flowers need water. “I should go get a glass or something to put them in.”
I walk towards the kitchen. As I pass by Jake, I have a desire to hug him, but, as things are, I don't know if that's okay. I do say, “Thank you.”
He replies, “You're welcome.” I think he might even be smiling.
Once I'm in the kitchen, I find a glass and fill it with water. I cut the stems off the roses and put them in the glass. I'm about to take it back to my room when I have a better idea. Instead of putting the roses on my nightstand, I place them in the middle of the kitchen table. They do make a nice centerpiece. Only after I'm done with that do I notice Jake is standing in the kitchen, watching me. He's definitely smiling now.
I explain, “I think I'll leave the roses in the kitchen so we can both enjoy them.”
Jake smiles even wider at that, and I feel the urge hug him again. I'm still mad as anything about his distance, but I can't help wanting to be close. And the flowers were quite sweet. Instead of hugging him, though, I stand there awkwardly. Jake does the same, and for a long time, we simply stare at each other.
Finally, I say, “I like them a lot, thank you again.”
He smiles. “I'm glad you do. Zoe was more than happy to help, but she wasted no time in telling me I was stupid for waiting as long as I did. I hope this makes it up to you, even just a little.”
I smile back. “It helps, certainly. Though you were stupid for waiting as long as you did. Zoe was right about that.”
Jake sighs. “I was stupid. I was...dealing with things. Badly. Still am dealing with them, actually. I was trying to protect you. Somehow. Don't ask me how pushing you away was supposed to keep the Compound from hurting you.”
Before I know what I'm doing, I close the distance between us and throw my arms around Jake. He hugs me back, and I just lose it. Tears stream down my face. I'm incapable of words. We hold ourselves in a silent embrace, and I don't ever want to let go.
He whispers, “I'm sorry.”
I choke on my next words. “I-it's alright. J-just d-don't push me away like that again, okay?”
“I won't,” Jake promises.
I hope he can keep his promise because I don't ever want to lose him. I hug him tighter and let myself cry because I simply can't hold back the tears.
Jake whispers in my ear, “Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?”
I answer, “Because I've missed you. So much.”
He says, “I'm sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing, not really.” Jake breaks the embrace and pulls away from me. He looks like he might cry himself. At the very least, he's obviously in a lot of pain. Jake slumps into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and rests his head in his hands. I join him at the table. Unsure of what to say, I examine the roses. They are lovely.
Jake doesn't know what to say either. He lifts his head and stares into the distance, seemingly unable to look at me. I know a small bunch of flowers can't fix everything, so I wish I knew what to say to make things how they used to be.
He whispers, “I...I was trying.”
I wonder, “Trying what?”
“To do the right thing,” he admits. “I'm poison to you; do you understand that? Danger sticks to me, and these people, they will do anything. I thought...if you weren't connected to me. I thought...I don't even know what I was thinking now.”
His confusion is plain to see. I desperately wish I could make him feel better, even if he is the one who caused me a whole lot of pain. I get up from my chair and kneel by his so we're at eye level.
“Look at me,” I command.
Jake does so. His eyes are shining; we match because mine still sting with tears.
I say, “It's okay. Things will be okay.”
I don't know if that's even close to true, but I say so anyway. Jake needs to hear it right now, and so do I. Taking a deep breath, I continue, “You're not poison. You could never be poison, not to me, not ever. I don't care what the Compound is doing to you; it doesn't make you poison.”
Jake's voice is barely audible. “You really think so?”
I nod. “I really think so. You're too wonderful to be poison.”
He smiles, just a little. “Thank you.”
My chest aches for him. I lean forward to embrace him again. Jake leans towards me. Our lips meet in a kiss. I put my arms around him and let the kiss deepen. Warmth floods my body, and I think maybe there's some hope here after all.
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written for 500themes prompt #373 - "Fountains of Roses"
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17
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What a mess. The Compound wants to kill me, or at least has no problem killing me if Jake or I cause problems. They kill children, if I heard Zoe right. Why would they care at all about a grown woman who's a stranger? I lie on my bed and glare at smooth white ceiling. It actually seems to be staying white, unlike the white everything else in this place. I stick my tongue at it in frustration, realizing how little sense that makes.
“What are you doing?”
The noise startles me, and I roll off my bed and onto the floor. My butt sticks up in the air. Wonderful, I look like a goon in front of Jake, who still wasn't talking to me after Zoe's little outburst.
Without getting up, I ask “What are you doing? In my room? Talking to me?”
Jake replies, “I'm not allowed to talk to you now?”
I grumble, still on the floor, “Well, of course you are but why? Zoe called you out and you still wouldn't talk, and now you're talking? I don't get it.”
He tells me, “You should probably get off the floor. That doesn't look so comfortable.”
No, it's not comfortable. I scramble into a standing position and finally get a look at Jake. He is not in good shape. His green skin is definitely paler than normal, giving off the odd impression like he's motion sick, and his hair is in tangles. It's still ridiculously shiny, though. Must be those mutant genes. Weirdly, he's got a hand behind his back. What's he hiding? I do not feeling like dealing with more cryptic shit right now.
Jake mumbles, “I, uh, got something for you.”
I stare at him skeptically, asking for an explanation without saying anything. This better be good. Jake sweeps his hand out from behind his back. In it are three yellow roses. Flowers. He has flowers. I continue to stare at him because I can't believe it.
I state, “Flowers.”
“Yeah,” he says sheepishly, “Zoe picked them because I asked her to. She slipped them to me, and, uh, here I am.”
Still staring at the flowers, I take them from Jake slowly. “Thank you,” I manage.
He says quietly, “You're welcome. Hope you like them.”
I do like them, but I'm also confused. Why flowers? Why now? Then I remember flowers need water. “I should go get a glass or something to put them in.”
I walk towards the kitchen. As I pass by Jake, I have a desire to hug him, but, as things are, I don't know if that's okay. I do say, “Thank you.”
He replies, “You're welcome.” I think he might even be smiling.
Once I'm in the kitchen, I find a glass and fill it with water. I cut the stems off the roses and put them in the glass. I'm about to take it back to my room when I have a better idea. Instead of putting the roses on my nightstand, I place them in the middle of the kitchen table. They do make a nice centerpiece. Only after I'm done with that do I notice Jake is standing in the kitchen, watching me. He's definitely smiling now.
I explain, “I think I'll leave the roses in the kitchen so we can both enjoy them.”
Jake smiles even wider at that, and I feel the urge hug him again. I'm still mad as anything about his distance, but I can't help wanting to be close. And the flowers were quite sweet. Instead of hugging him, though, I stand there awkwardly. Jake does the same, and for a long time, we simply stare at each other.
Finally, I say, “I like them a lot, thank you again.”
He smiles. “I'm glad you do. Zoe was more than happy to help, but she wasted no time in telling me I was stupid for waiting as long as I did. I hope this makes it up to you, even just a little.”
I smile back. “It helps, certainly. Though you were stupid for waiting as long as you did. Zoe was right about that.”
Jake sighs. “I was stupid. I was...dealing with things. Badly. Still am dealing with them, actually. I was trying to protect you. Somehow. Don't ask me how pushing you away was supposed to keep the Compound from hurting you.”
Before I know what I'm doing, I close the distance between us and throw my arms around Jake. He hugs me back, and I just lose it. Tears stream down my face. I'm incapable of words. We hold ourselves in a silent embrace, and I don't ever want to let go.
He whispers, “I'm sorry.”
I choke on my next words. “I-it's alright. J-just d-don't push me away like that again, okay?”
“I won't,” Jake promises.
I hope he can keep his promise because I don't ever want to lose him. I hug him tighter and let myself cry because I simply can't hold back the tears.
Jake whispers in my ear, “Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?”
I answer, “Because I've missed you. So much.”
He says, “I'm sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing, not really.” Jake breaks the embrace and pulls away from me. He looks like he might cry himself. At the very least, he's obviously in a lot of pain. Jake slumps into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and rests his head in his hands. I join him at the table. Unsure of what to say, I examine the roses. They are lovely.
Jake doesn't know what to say either. He lifts his head and stares into the distance, seemingly unable to look at me. I know a small bunch of flowers can't fix everything, so I wish I knew what to say to make things how they used to be.
He whispers, “I...I was trying.”
I wonder, “Trying what?”
“To do the right thing,” he admits. “I'm poison to you; do you understand that? Danger sticks to me, and these people, they will do anything. I thought...if you weren't connected to me. I thought...I don't even know what I was thinking now.”
His confusion is plain to see. I desperately wish I could make him feel better, even if he is the one who caused me a whole lot of pain. I get up from my chair and kneel by his so we're at eye level.
“Look at me,” I command.
Jake does so. His eyes are shining; we match because mine still sting with tears.
I say, “It's okay. Things will be okay.”
I don't know if that's even close to true, but I say so anyway. Jake needs to hear it right now, and so do I. Taking a deep breath, I continue, “You're not poison. You could never be poison, not to me, not ever. I don't care what the Compound is doing to you; it doesn't make you poison.”
Jake's voice is barely audible. “You really think so?”
I nod. “I really think so. You're too wonderful to be poison.”
He smiles, just a little. “Thank you.”
My chest aches for him. I lean forward to embrace him again. Jake leans towards me. Our lips meet in a kiss. I put my arms around him and let the kiss deepen. Warmth floods my body, and I think maybe there's some hope here after all.
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written for 500themes prompt #373 - "Fountains of Roses"