It was around lunchtime at Kadic Academy, and, surprisingly, all of the seats were filled for once.
"I don't know how you did it, Princess," said a shrill male voice, "but you finally got Einstein to come out of his cave!"
The pinkette shrugged.
"And I'm incapable of getting lunch when I feel like it?" Jeremie asked, almost offended.
Odd shrugged.
Aelita smiled to herself. She had, in fact, coaxed Jeremie out of his "cave," and convinced him to take a walk with her afterwards. She was quite proud of herself.
As if to break up the soon-to-be quarrel, the bell rang.
Jeremie got up, shoved his hands in his pockets, and prepared to head back to his room, but, before he could make any progress, Aelita grabbed him by the arm.
"Jeremie, where are you going?" she asked, sadly realizing he was planning to leave her.
"I was just…" Jeremie began. His sentence trailed off when he noticed Aelita's face droop with disappointment. "Ah, where were you planning on taking us?" he asked, defeated.
Aelita smiled once more. "Around the courtyard, perhaps?" she offered hopefully.
"Sure…" Jeremie murmured as Aelita began to drag him toward a door.
It had been a few moments and neither of them had said a word.
"Jeremie?" Aelita asked hesitantly.
"Yes?"
"If you really don't want to be here with me…" Aelita began sadly. Jeremie frowned, hating himself for hurting dear Aelita's feelings.
"Aelita, don't…" he frowned, distressed. Aelita gazed up at him almost glumly. Jeremie put one hand on her back to comfort her, but it seemed to do very little. Aelita veered off to sit on the low brick wall they'd just begun to pass, and Jeremie paused to sit next to her,
"What's the matter?" he asked, now concerned.
Aelita sat quietly for a moment before responding.
"Can I… tell you something?" Aelita asked. "And promise you won't run away or treat me weird?"
"I could never… what are you…?" Jeremie's mind was whirling, and with the things Aelita was suggesting, he was starting to become a bit wary if not frightened for his friend's sake.
"I don't feel the same way around you as I do the rest of our friends," Aelita confessed. "I don't know what it is, but there's something different about what's it's like when we're close, or when you just take the time to talk to me… I don't understand." Aelita was looking out at the sky, not daring to look into Jeremie's eyes. Jeremie himself was blushing madly, because he knew exactly what Aelita was describing, and he knew he felt the same way.
In his previously pusillanimous state of mind, he'd managed to convince himself that his feelings were foolish and that Aelita would never give him a second thought romantically, and that he should give up before he even tried. Now, Jeremie decided, perhaps it was time to put all of his worries aside and, well, just go with what felt right.
Jeremie slid Aelita's hand into his, and Aelita looked over, surprised.
"So, what you're saying is… you like me as more than a friend?" he asked, for confirmation.
Aelita nodded, blushing. "Well… yes."
"Aelita, I've felt the same for a long time…" Jeremie admitted, blushing madly.
"You have?" Aelita asked, stunned.
Jeremie simply nodded.
"You know…" he began nervously, "usually when people like each other, well, like we do, they…" Jeremie willed himself to keep talking with all of his might, his cheeks permanently stained red. "Well, um, what I'm saying is, they become what's referred to as a 'couple…' That is, they're boyfriend and girlfriend and, um, that means that they like each other romantically and…"
"You're asking me to be your 'girlfriend?'" Aelita questioned nervously.
Jeremie simply nodded sheepishly.
A smile permeated across Aelita's face.
"Of course," she answered.
Jeremie grinned stupidly, pulling Aelita a bit closer to him…
