Karyon

A/n: So, Jer is cute. And you know it. Don't make that face, he's cute. This is for KittyClaw for playing 'Dictionary Challenge' with me and staying up late even though she said she wouldn't. (But she did, so there) I wrote it in like an hour. Bam.

"It's official," Aelita sighed dramatically, dropping her satchel next to Jeremie's bed. "Ulrich's poetry is immensely better than it was freshman year." Jeremie rocked back in his computer chair, advanced physics book open in his hands.

"Oh? He's writing you poetry now?" he asked teasingly. Aelita scowled, falling back on his bed.

"Of course not! Yumi secretly emailed me the last poem he sent her." She kicked off her yellow pumps next to her bag. "It was the most romantic thing I've ever read." Jeremie's grin slipped a little.

"And now you're swooning like a school girl."

"I am a school girl," she pointed out, clasping her hands over her heart.

"It's a figure of speech, actually, 'Lita." He turned his eyes back to his text book.

"But not a very romantic one," she pointed out simply. She kicked her feet a little. "It's like something out of a romance novel." Jeremie shrugged, turning the page.

"I thought you said it wasn't very romantic?"

"….Ulrich and Yumi. Are you paying attention?" She sat up, pulling her legs underneath her.

"Oh, right."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Jeremie."

"Nothing, Aelita. Just reading." He waved the book a little for emphasis. She pouted, her hair falling into her eyes.

"Well," she said uneasily. "I think it's romantic. And really sweet." Jeremie grunted some sort of half approval, intensely focused on his text book. "I'm sorry, have I upset you?"

"No, no, of course not." He shut the book and set it down on his desk, turning his computer chair all the way around to face her. "It's not that at all."

"Then….?" She brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Then what is it?" The blonde turned red, gaping a little.

"Well, it's just… You seem to think so much more highly of Ulrich's romanticism than, uh, well…." Aelita tilted her head, folding her hands in front of her.

"Think more highly… oh. Jer! I don't think more highly of Ulrich than you. You know that's not the case." Jeremie blushed even more.

"Oh."

"He's just better with words than you are. That's all."

"Hey!" he protested. "I'm just as good with words."

"Oh, Jer…"

"I'll prove it," he said indignantly. Aelita quirked and eyebrow as the boy stood up, running a nervous hand through his hair. "I can-- I'm just as well spoken. I can be romantic, too."

"Alright," she said softly, a smile playing on her lips.

"You're my karyon," he whispered, cheeks once again flush. Aelita blinked.

"I'm sorry, I'm your…your… the center of a nucleus?" The blonde gave her a stiff nod.

"Yes." He looked down at the floor. "The center of the very building blocks of every. The start of everything. Essentially? The entire world." He took a shaky breath and looked up again. "The center of my entire world. You're my karyon." The girls hands fell limply to her sides, eye welling up with tears.

"Jeremie," she whispered. She opened her mouth to speak again but couldn't find the words. Instead, she launched herself off the bed, falling into the boy's arms. "Oh, Jer that is the sweetest thing I have ever heard. The single most sweetest, adorable, lovely thing--" Jeremie smiled brightly as the girl tucked herself up under his chin.

"Sweeter than Ulrich's poetry?" The girl laughed, batting at her tears.

"You know Ulrich's poetry is terrible, Jer."