A/N: I've been inspired to write some more companionship for Jerome and Amber! Please be aware that I am writing them as people interacting, not necessarily as the exact characters they are on the show. In these pieces there are no "secrets of the house." They're all just teenagers dealing with life. It is slightly AU in this sense. I am choosing to focus on their human qualities and interaction, instead of driving a mystery &/or romantic plot.
Thank you for reading on.
"Nice gloves," Jerome teased sarcastically, bumping Amber's arm with an elbow as he brought the last of the dishes from the table.
"I have to protect my delicate skin! All I have is my beauty!" To any passerby it would have sounded as though Amber were whining again. To Jerome's recently trained ears, however, there were notes of exasperation and anger. He couldn't help but think that Amber really didn't want to be having an outburst in the middle of chores.
Jerome's expressive eyebrows shot up to his hairline as he scanned the dining room and kitchen for signs of the others. It was imperative that no one ever heard the two converse on friendly terms. "Is everything alright, Ambs?" he inquired in hushed tones, having confirmed their isolation in that part of the house.
Amber looked up from the dishes she was diligently scrubbing and glared into Jerome's face. "Don't you dare," she hissed, her eyes widening in warning. So Jerome dropped it, and set about towel drying the dishes in the wrack. Yet, once Jerome had finished drying, his chore for the day done, he found a note slipped into the pocket of his uniform. It was unnerving how easily Amber managed to move things while remaining in plain sight.
Approximately three weeks ago, Amber had slipped a scrap of paper into Jerome's French workbook: a note scrawled in two brief lines and a signature. This was mildly odd because, until that moment, Jerome could not think of another time Amber had actually interacted with him in any sort of direct way. He had teased her, as he did everyone, and she had complained, as everyone did. Although more loudly on her part.
In the weeks that followed the first note, Jerome had witnessed things he never would have imagined. There were outpourings of emotion and confessions of insecurity on both their parts, and an understanding had risen between them. In actuality, they were using one another, and they both knew it. The arrangement had remained all the same.
This new note was written on a scrap of newspaper, undoubtedly pilfered from the kitchen recycling bin. In Amber's trademark pink ink were dashed out the words: "Laundry at eleven, A."
At ten past eleven, Amber stood shivering slightly in the laundry room. It was after lights out, but it was rarely an issue to sneak away from one's room after Victor retired to bed at 10:35 precisely each evening. And were Trudy to find Amber out of bed it was likely she would smile affectionately, recommend beauty rest, and leave before she could witness anything that would require her to report a student to Victor.
It was only getting later, though, and Amber's patience was wearing thin. Where was Jerome when she wanted him? Probably fallen asleep, she sighed to herself. Might as well turn in. But as she was extricating herself from semi-concealment between the wall and the washing machine the doorknob turned.
"Ambs?" came an exaggerated whisper from the doorway. A small thread of light shown through from the hall beyond the kitchen.
"Thank goodness. I was just going to go back to bed." Amber came forward and met Jerome in the dark. She slumped her head against his chest and wrapped her arms loosely about his waist. He stood impassive a moment before allowing himself to return the blonde's embrace. His fingers knit themselves into her long, silky hair.
"What is it, Ambs? Why do you need me?" His voice seemed softer in the dark, and Amber reflexively relaxed further, placing the majority of her weight on him. She didn't know why she trusted him, but somehow she did.
"I have delicate skin," she began evasively. This was her way. Start with something trivial, nonsensical even, and work her way into the heart of the issue. "It takes so much effort to take care of it."
Jerome disengaged himself from their embrace and placed his hands on Amber's shoulders, holding her at arms length. "If you kept me up to complain about your ridiculous beauty regimen, I swear..."
"All I am is a pretty face, Jerome." Amber looked directly into his eyes, searching for a sign of understanding. It was difficult to look at him most of the time. Seeing him head-on forced her to recognize that she was unburdening herself at his expense, using him. "All anyone sees is that I'm pretty, and no one cares that I'm making good marks in all my classes, or that I'm trying so hard to do good things, or that it's hard to be this way. No one cares! Mick didn't! Alfie doesn't! Goody-two-shoes Nina doesn't! No one cares!" Her gaze dropped.
"That's just how life is. It's unfair."
"But I'm working so hard..." Amber's voice broke as she forced herself not to cry. She could feel Jerome's discomfort growing and she would not cry. She allowed the edge of anger to creep into her, evening out the anguish in her voice.
"Alfie and I are breaking up."
Jerome's hands dropped away entirely. "What?"
"We're breaking up. I'm ending it."
He took a step back. "Hasn't he been telling you it wasn't working for days?"
"Yes, but I wasn't ready to give up control. He's right though. It's no good. It was never really any good." She heard Jerome back into a hamper. The anger was rising in her throat. "And I'm not telling you this because I'm scheming to make you my next boy-toy, so relax."
A sheepish "oh" moved back toward her in the dark and she rolled her eyes for no one to see. "Sorry," he offered.
Amber sat down, leaning against the clothes dryer. She could almost hear Jerome's thoughts working to process their interaction. Why had she expected anything else from him? They were each master manipulators, so it only made sense that Jerome would assume she was working him into a plan.
She reached out to find his hand in the darkened room. "Although it's not an entirely horrid idea, pretending to date you." Finding it, she squeezed his index and long fingers. "No, I guess it is. There's no way we could pull it off. No one would believe us."
Jerome lowered himself to sit beside her. "Especially because I would deny it at every opening."
"Jerome? Do you think I'm pretty?"
"I..." He was caught off guard. He knew he had to tread carefully here, sure she was testing him. "I think you are probably quite attractive, however, I would never date you. But!, but, let me finish here before you throw a fit- " her grip had tightened around his hand, crushing his fingers, "I would never date anyone from Anubis House ever again. So, don't take it personally!"
"What do you mean 'again'?" She was still shivering slightly, despite the heat of her annoyance, and looped her arm through Jerome's to pull his body heat closer.
"If you don't remember, I am not going to remind you." Amber could practically hear the look on his face in the dark. She let her head lean against his shoulder.
"Do you mean that thing with Patricia? I didn't realize you were dating." He was stiff and uncomfortable to lean against, but he was quite warm. He kept squirming.
"That's because she denied it to everyone as soon as Joy had given her tuppence worth. Trish couldn't do anything without running it by Joy first. What a cow."
"Don't be mean, Jerome... Although, she was rather a bitch." She tried to snuggle in closer, but he was still resisting.
"Amber, are you trying to cuddle me?" He finally demanded, and in attempt to pull focus away from his brief, failed romance.
"No," was her stubborn reply.
"Really? Because it really feels like you are."
"I'm just cold, that's all."
"Well, then maybe you should go back upstairs. Because I draw the line at cuddling."
"You're probably right." Jerome stood and pulled Amber off the floor after him. She peaked her head into the kitchen, listening for the sound of others awake in the night. Before parting ways in the hall, she whispered, "Were you in love with her? Patricia?"
Jerome's face went blank, as if he were attempting to remember a long forgotten something. "I thought I did, but I was wrong." Amber smiled a weak smile, feeling as though she knew exactly what he'd meant by that. "Ambs, please break up with Alfie tomorrow. I won't be able to stand knowing when he doesn't. And it obviously has to come from you."
He was loyal even if he was keeping secrets from his so-called "best friend." She was heartened by that, somehow. "Okay," she nodded vigorously in the dark.
"Promise?"
"I solemnly swear," she raised her hand to her heart in oath. Another weak smile parted them, and Amber ascended the stairs to the girls' hallway.
A/N: Thank you for your time. If you feel so inclined, please review or send a pm. I appreciate any and all feedback. Sincerely, the PuffleHuff