"Jess…?"

"Rory, hear me out, alright." He threw his jacket on the chair and faced away from her, running his hands through his hair.

"I, uh, I hear you Jess." Rory gave an uncertain laugh.

"No, that, no. Look Rory, I…" His agitation was beginning to affect her.

"What is it?"

"I, look, God this is hard. Rory, I couldn't take it if this didn't happen. I…" He kept running his hands through his hair and pacing beside the coffee table. Rory suddenly shook herself.

"What, Jess? Come on, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?!" he exclaimed pointedly. "You just, just, threw away the only thing I've ever wanted. Like it was nothing to you. Like I'm nothing."

"Jess, you know that's not true," she pleaded, desperate for him to calm down. "Dean, he…"

"Oh no, not Dean. This isn't about Dean. It never was about Dean. This is about you and me and how you think that this is all some little thing that you can forget about if you try. Well guess what? I know that even if I try, even if you walk out that door and I never see you again…" He paused and threw her a sideways glance. "You can't even see what you do to me."

"What I do to you? Jess--" He hesitated, watching her. He finally stopped pacing and looked at her properly.

"Rory, I fucking love you. Love. That's what you do to me. And I've stood around for so long waiting for you to see me here and today, today I thought you had seen me. I thought that finally my dreams had come true, finally you would be the Lyra to my Will." He threw his hands up in the air with the customary air of sarcasm.

"Jess, don't do this."

"Don't do this? Don't do this? Rory, I'm finally being honest. For once in my life, I'm actually telling the truth about something."

"Well, OK, but…"

"But what?"

"But I'm a little shocked here, that's all." He took a deep breath and sat down in the chair next to the table.

"Yeah." He sighed slowly and put his face in his hands, rocking slightly. Suddenly the will to fight had left him and he felt drained. When she spoke, he turned his head away from her, not wanting to see her face as she reacted.

"Jess, I had no idea. Really. I thought…well, I guess I didn't really think. About that. I mean obviously I'd thought about you and…God I'm so selfish. And I am so, so sorry about this. All of this. I, I…"

"You don't have to say it, you know. Don't make it worse than it already is. I'll be fine."

"Thank you," she mumbled.

"Geez."

"No, really, thank you." She stood up and went to kneel beside him. She placed a hand on his arm. "Thank you for telling me and thank you for meaning it." He turned his head to watch her and spent a lingering moment on her face. She smiled weakly at him.

"I take it this outbreak won't change your decision?" She rolled her eyes.

"My decision. Wow. I have no idea. I'm still confused and I have to think about it but I…" She sought better phrasing. "I don't know what else to say." Hey found themselves looking at each other.

"I can't stay here, y'know." His eyes bore into hers.

"I know." Still he gazed at her. Seconds passed before he spoke again.

"Can I--?" he asked faintly and she nodded a slow reply. He leant in and kissed her softly as they both closed their eyes. She pressed closer into him and he put his hands to her chin. After a few seconds she pulled away gently and stood up.

"Jess, I don't know what's going to happen. This is all too much for me."

"You?"

"I'm sorry."

"Not the only one." The door gave a muffled click as it shut behind her.

--

Man, I'm unsure of my characterisation of Jess here. I know he's not one to express his undying love normally but I thought that this would bring out something similar to emotions. And now I have no idea if I did it satisfactorily. The ending's probably wrong in terms of how docile he becomes…can someone help me?

Usual disclaimers apply, but to those I add that I do not own Live or any of their music. J Any comments are, as always, much appreciated.