AN: Well hello again. This took me ages to write because I wrote it in a really wierd order. It's sad with fluffy bits. I hope you all enjoy it. Please review if you liked it :3
The tentative and shy quirk of her lip as she picked up Jerome's copy of the hobbit made his heart ache.
"Are you okay?" she gushed, concern in her wide eyes, "You're not concussed. I'm so sorry for bashing into you."
"No, no I'm fine." Jerome replied, running a hand through his fringe awkwardly.
"Oh good. I love this book."
"Me too."
"What's your name?"
"Jerome Clarke," He answered, "And yours?"
"Mara Jaffray."
Jerome bites down on the corner of his lip, drawing blood from the small cut.
"Jerome.."
"Go away." he replies harshly, rolling onto his side.
"Don't you want to come to the party?" Alfie asks with concern, "It's Amber's birthday. She'd like you to be there."
"No."
"I'll see you later then mate." Alfie's answer was met with stony silence. Jerome pulls the duvet over his head and tries unsuccessfully to block out the memories
"So you're single." Jerome asked, placing two coffees on the table.
"Yeah, how about you?" Mara answered.
"Oh, me. I'm a lone wolf actually." Jerome said with a grin as he stretched his legs out under the table.
"Really?"
"Completely."
"Jerome, you're hilarious!" Mara laughed, wrapping her fingers around the steaming coffee mug. The off-white colour oddly contrasting with her tan skin.
"I'm just joking around. I've not really found my niche at this university yet. I mean, I had friends back in high school but here..." Jerome replied glumly, "Here, everything's different."
"Well.. I'm here. I'll look out for you." Mara answered with a genuine smile, stretching her arm across the table to touch Jerome's arm comfortingly.
"You're too kind to me, Mara Jaffray."
Jerome rolls off the bed, flinging his tear-stained pillow into the closed wooden door. He lets put a sob and sinks to his knees, pummelling the floor with his fists.
"Why?" he whispers to himself, furiously wiping away the tears gathering in his eyes. Jerome runs his hands through his messy hair, pulling on the roots and widening his eyes.
"Alfie?" he whispers, his voice cracking, "Alfie... Joy... Anybody?"
"Where are we going Jerome?" Mara asked with a huge grin.
"You'll see." Jerome replied mysteriously, taking her hand as they stumbled down the street in the dark. They clambered up the hill, sinking down flat on their backs onto the picnic blanket there.
"Tadaa!" He said, gesturing around them at the blanket and picnic basket.
"It's beautiful.." Mara said in awe as she stared up, wide-eyed, at the stars.
"Yeah.. It is.." Jerome replied as he admired the girl by his side. With in unusual amount of boldness he reached out and took Mara's hand, tightening his fingers around her slender ones.
"Jerome..." she trailed off, rolling over to face him.
"I know you want to just focus on your studies but I promise I won't distract you.."
"Jerome.. You're my best friend. I don't want it to be weird." She said with a hint of a smile.
"I'm sure it won't be weird." Jerome replied, moving slightly closer to her and bringing their clasped hands up to his lips. Mara stretched forward, pressing her lips against Jerome's gently, as soft as a butterfly landing on his lips. He grinned into the kiss. They pulled away slowly, Mara's brown eyes were wide and glistening with unshed tears of happiness.
"Jerome.."
"You are truly a creature of beauty, Mara Jaffray."
Jerome buries his face in his hands again, stifling back the tears that refuse to flow. He crawls over to his bedside table and picks up a photo frame, his trembling fingertips tracing the familiar faces. Him and Mara stand together, their hands clasped together as they laugh at something off camera. Jerome traces across Mara's face, the curve of her cheek, the angle of her chin and the width of her smile. He leans down and kisses the photograph, his warm lips leaving fog on the glass. He cradles the photo frame to his chest, fighting the barrage of tears.
Jerome knocked on Mara's door quickly, adjusting his tie and chewing on mint chewing gum. The door swing open to reveal Joy Mercer, dressed in only her underwear.
"Well, hi Jerome!" She greeted, opening the door.
"Hi Joy." he replied, more than used to Mara's flatmate's habit of wearing small amounts of clothing. 'If you've got it, flaunt it' she would always say.
"Mara's in the shower." Joy informed, "I'm hardly dressed but I figured you didn't want to wait out there..."
"Joy.." Came a pathetic mumble from her room.
"Fabian." She explained, "Him and Nina broke up. From what I can gather, she ended it. He came over here wanting comfort."
"And you're comforting him in your underwear?"
"It wasn't strictly... 'Friendly' comforting." Joy answered, raising her eyebrows significantly.
"Oh." Jerome said when I finally clicked, "Just don't let him use you, okay?"
"I won't. It's just one time. Sex hardly matters." she replied, trying to be offhand about it.
"Joy.."
"Look Jerome. I don't need a lecture from you so just.. Stop, alright?" she trailed off, her anger dying as quickly as it had appeared.
"Be careful alright?"
"Sure. You can wait here till Mara's done." she said, pointing at the couch, "Coming Fabes."
Jerome sat down carefully, running a hand through his hair as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.
"Hey." whispered Mara, sashaying into the room with a towel wrapped around herself.
"Hi." Jerome replied.
"You look nice." she said, standing in front of him, a small smile slipping onto her face.
"Thanks." Jerome answered with a grin, "You look a bit scruffy."
"Oh shut up." Mara said, whacking him jokily.
"I'm serious."
"Oh, are you?"
"Most definitely." Jerome replied, quirking one eyebrow.
"Well then." Mara said, sliding onto Jerome's lap and wrapping her legs around his waist.
"Jerome." she whispered, kissing his neck underneath his ear.
"Yes." Jerome replied, licking his lip slightly in nervousness.
"I'm naked under my towel." Mara answered flirtatiously.
"Oh.. You are saucy, Mara Jaffray."
Jerome stands up quickly, dropping the photo frame on the bed and stalking across to the window. He grips onto the ledge, glaring out into the rainy street as people hurry along. He spots a young couple, dashing across the road, their mouths wide open, releasing laughter that he can't hear. The rain pounds down, dripping down the opaque glass like tears. It seems like even the skies themselves are crying.
"Nobody cares though!" Jerome yells, slamming the palm of his hand onto the window sill, "Nobody cares at all."
"Jerome."
"Yes Mara?"
"I love you."
Jerome sat up suddenly and stared down at Mara. She was curled up under the duvet in one of his Avenger's t-shirts. It was far too big for her but she insisted that it was hers because it was comfortable and it 'smelt really nice and Jerome-y'.
"What?"
"I love you." she repeated, sounding slightly unsure this time. Jerome rolled her over so that her face was towards him, her chin titled upwards as he cradled her cheeks in his deft fingers.
"I love you too, Mara Jaffray."
Jerome pushes himself away from the window, turning his back on the sound of the cold, biting rain. He wanders over to the bathroom and switches on the light, the harsh brightness causing him to squint. He stares into the mirror, hardly recognising his reflection. His eyes are wide and bloodshot, deep bags hinting at his sleepless nights. His hair is messy and rumpled.
Jerome steps back, switching off the light and retreating into his dark bedroom.
"Jerome." Mara said between her giggles, staggering on her tall heels.
"Yes, Mara." Jerome answered, catching Mara's arm and pulling her gently out of the club.
"I think I'm drunk."
"I think so too."
"Can I come back to yours?"
"You should go back you your own flat, I think Joy'll be worried." Jerome replied, leading her down the road.
"Spoil sport." Mara said with an exaggerated pout.
The two of them wandered along the darkened road, car headlights sweeping across the shadows as they zoomed past. Mara grabbed Jerome's hand and twisted their fingers together, babbling randomly about nothing in particular. Jerome nodded along, smiling bemusedly at his drink girlfriend.
"Is that a fox?"
"I think so."
"Get out of the road." Mara slurred at the fox, staggering towards it, "Move fox."
"Mara."
"Foxy fox." she shouted, breaking free of Jerome's hand and drunkenly staggering into the road. Jerome dashed after her, his eyes wide with concern as she tripped and fell, landing in a truck's headlights.
"No!" Jerome screamed, tears gathered in his eyes as he sprinted across to Mara.
"Mara, Mara. Wake up." Jerome begged, pulling her limp body onto his lap.
"I didn't see her. Oh god, I didn't see her until the last second. I couldn't break. I couldn't stop. Oh god." the truck driver said desperately, running their hands through their hair.
"There's been an accident." A woman said into her mobile phone as she climbed out of her car, "An ambulance is needed."
Jerome pressed his forehead against Mara's and mentally begged her to move, to open her eyes, to do anything.
"Mara, please." he cried, pulling her even closer, feeling her warm blood soak into his jeans, "Oh god, Mara please. You can't die. You can't die." He rocked back and forth, grief clutching his heart as his breath hitched in his throat. With sickening revelation he pulled his finger away from her unresponsive pulse point and howled in pain.
"No. No. No! Wake up Mara." He screamed, shaking her dead body, "Wake up! Wake up." the tears blinded him, sobs racking his body as he pulled her face to look at it. Her dark eyes were lifeless and unblinking, her tanned skin stained with blood. "Wake up," Jerome whispered brokenly, "Wake up, Mara Jaffray."
"Jerome?" Joy asks, pushing open Jerome's bedroom door and sticking her head around it.
"Joy."
"Hey." she says softly, stepping forward quietly as if she's nervous around him. She forces a half-smile on her face but it contrasts with her red-rimmed eyes and the tear stains on her cheeks.
"I miss her so... So much." Jerome whispers, feeling the tears gather in his eyes as he rocks back and forth on his heels, "She was.. Mara, she's everything good in the world. She.. She was."
"I know."
"I don't know what to do.. Joy.. Help me." He begs, stepping towards, his hands outstretched desperately towards her, "I want to forget. To forget it all so that I don't hurt so much."
"No you don't." she replies, hugging Jerome, "I don't want to ever forget her."
He hugs her back tightly, burying his face in her shoulder as the tears flow free. It feels like they're the only two people left in the world, trapped in their suffering and pain while life just goes on. It keeps on going even without Mara Jaffray there to make it all okay.
"Come on." Joy says, breaking the hug and bending down to pull a suitcase out from under Jerome's bed.
"What are you doing?"
"You need clothes suitable for the beach."
"What?"
"Swimming trunks, light t-shirts. Shorts and stuff."
"Joy." He interrupts, catching her hand, "What are you doing?"
"My brother has an apartment in Spain. It's about a ten minute walk from the beach. He said he'd lend it to me for a couple of weeks." she replies, meeting his eyes.
"I can't go to Spain."
"Of course you can. You're 20, you're a legal adult and it's only for a couple of weeks. We can go. Together." she spoke the last word with finality.
"Joy..."
"No, Jerome. We can't just sit around here. Mara's dead." She says harshly, the words stinging Jerome, "She's dead, okay? This awful, horrid world took Mara away from us. We lost. We lost this.. This game of whatever it is. It hurts but we have to go on.. We have to. It's what she would have wanted."
"You're right." He replies, brushing Joy's tears off her cheeks.
"Mara.. Mara's de.. She's gone." Joy sobs, hugging Jerome again, "There's nothing we can do now."
"Joy.. It'll be okay. In a while.. I'm sure." He say uncertainly.
"Yeah." Joy replies, pulling away from him and wiping her tears.
"Thank you."
Jerome picks up his suitcase and flings some clothes into it as well as his wallet and a couple of pairs of trainers.
"He even bought me plane tickets." Joy says with a choked laugh.
"Are you packed?"
"Yeah.. My cases are downstairs. I'll go down. I'll see you by the front door." Joy answers, disappearing out of the room.
Jerome paces around, hugging his stomach and battling back the tears.
"I love you so much. I'll always love you." He whispers brokenly, "Mara Jaffray."