Summary: Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown
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xConcr3t3 Jungl3 5urf3r
presents
Let Me Be Your Affliction
A Pretty Little Liars FanFiction
by
Thatcher McCallan
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Review: Wanted to give a special thanks to Layla Wolffe for helping me produce this excellent piece of literature.
Chapter Ten: SO CONTAGIOUS
In life, there are certain combinations of words that can make or break you, words that seem harmless separate. They're lethal combinations or your saving grace. Words like I, love, and you or go, to, and hell. Jason DiLaurentis knows the power of words, the pull they have when used in such combinations. When the words I, love, and you slipped from her lips he was on the top of the world, no he was flying, soaring through the sky… then the word don't slipped into the combination unexpectedly. I don't love you. Once it was said he pulled and Icarus, his wings melting and leaving him plummeting down into the sea of despair and drowning.
He knows the power of words… that's why he meticulously picks the ones he's about to say next because the way he reacts to the words she's said will define the rest of his days.
[xXx]
One day earlier.
A had been a constant threat looming over the liars since she'd returned to Rosewood from Iceland. She was always there, watching and waiting, looking for ways to destroy the lives of her and her friends. And what's worse, she always seems to succeed and they let her. But staring down at the picture in her hand, the one in the frame with his arms wrapped around her waist and a smile on her face as bright as the sun, she realizes just how tight that hold has been and how messed up it truly was. Her love for Jason DiLaurentis was the strongest conjuration of magic she'd ever known and that witch worked her own magic to snuff it out.
But can the strongest flames ever burn out?
The stick in her hand with the two pink lines seemed to say otherwise.
[xXx]
Oh no, this couldn't be more unexpected
And I can tell that I've been moving in so slow
Don't let it throw you off too far
Cause I'll be running right behind you
[xXx]
8 hours earlier
Amber liquid swirls in the culvert of the glass, bubbling with warm aroma as it's poured. Bringing the glass to his lips he takes a sip, the liquid sliding smoothly down his throat and placing that all too familiar burn in his chest. Gorgeous green greedily shines as he pours another glass and starts to bring it to his lips but stops halfway, clarity striking.
A constant routine had emerged over the past month, his heartache leading him to the bottle in the never ending cycle of haze. Not even noon and he'd already began the vicious cycle that'll never end until… his mind flashes back to before he was clean, what had to happen to make him see. Tragedy. His baby sister had to die for him to see life is worth living.
Even if each breath stings with the intensity of a thousand knives, it's important you take each breath because not everyone gets that chance. The hand that had been wrapped tightly around the glass brings it back down to the kitchen counter and sets it down with a final thud. He didn't want to be like this, numb… and though it damn near kills him to know she doesn't want him, he's not dead. So he has every right to feel and to deny it would be wrong.
Picking up his cell phone, Jason dials the number he's committed to memory and let it ring… once, twice, and when he thought he got an answering machine, the phone's answered. The voice was so sweet and angelic that he almost forgets to speak. That is, until he snaps back into reality.
Jason: "Aria, hey. Uh, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out."
Aria: "Jason, I—"
There's a smidge of doubt in her tone like she was going to deny his request but couldn't find the way to let him down easy. So he found himself stopping her, pulling a bit of magic from his bag and forcing it into play.
Jason: "I get that you don't want to be together and it sucks… but I'd rather have you in my life as a friend than not have you in it at all. So whataya' say huh?"
Aria: "I say fine." (adding an octave higher) "But only as friends."
Jason: "Good because today, for one day only, there happens to be a top ten horror movies of all time marathon going on at my house in about, I don't know ay an hour."
Aria: (snickering) Well I wouldn't wanna miss that.
Jason: "Alright, see you then."
[xXx]
Oh you're everything I'm wanting
Come to think of it, I'm aching
On account of my transgression…
Will you welcome this confession?
[xXx]
Moments Earlier
They'd managed to make it through half the marathon keeping conversations strictly revolving around the movies, sitting on different sections of the L-shaped couch. After watching number five (Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp) she gets up to put in the next one in to avoid off topic conversation he stopped her asking the question plaguing his mind managing to sound like a sad little boy.
Jason: "Aria, what happened to us?"
It was a weighted question. He knew it. She knew it but he couldn't help but ask because it made no sense to him. Pulling himself up from the couch, Jason bridged the gap… the feeling of déjà vu ever present in his gut. He knew he shouldn't be doing this… the last thing he wanted was to drive her away completely but he couldn't stop himself.
Jason: "Why can't we be together?"
With lips centimeters apart, he fought the urge to move in that last little gap and kiss away any doubt but resists long enough to get her explanation. All he ever did was love her and that was far from a crime; she felt the same… and a fire like that doesn't get extinguished over night at least on its own. Teeth rake across his lip as he hovers losing a battle with his patients.
Aria: "Because we can't."
Jason: "I'm calling your bluff, Aria Montgomery. And on the count of three I'm going to kiss you unless you can honestly tell me you don't love me. 1-2-"
Before the word three escapes his lips in the slow count, she has her hands on his face pulling him into a heated frenzy of kisses. Lips. Tongues. Hands. Everything out of control in the best possible way. Hot kisses. Fast kisses. Slow kisses. A wild tangent of speeds and heats charge the atmosphere until suddenly their moment of heat is frozen by Aria pressing her hands on his blue and red plaid button down adorned chest and forcing him back.
Aria: "You idiot… whether or not I love you was never in question."
Jason: "Then what is?"
An oval shaped tear traipsed its way down her check and he wanted so badly to wipe it away but resists drawing near again and frightening her off. Slowly she shakes her head no and he crosses his arms over his chest tightly to stop them from reaching out and pulling her in.
Jason: "I love you and I'm pretty sure you love me too. Shouldn't that be enough?"
Aria: (blurting) "I'm trying to protect you."
She regretted saying it before she even said it. But she had. She'd gotten the ball rolling and once it started downhill, it had no intention of stopping. She told him about A, how the past year had been torture, and how she wanted to keep him safe… then she made sure to mention that there was no hiding from whoever it was, no safe place to hide. Then she dropped the biggest bombshell the twenty something year old ever heard.
Aria: "But, ultimately, all I want now is to keep you safe… you and our baby."
Baby. Our Baby.
In life, there are certain combinations of words that can make or break you, words that seem harmless separate. They're lethal combinations or your saving grace. Words like I, love, and you or go, to, and hell. Jason DiLaurentis knows the power of words, the pull they have when used in such combinations. When the words I, love, and you slipped from her lips he was on the top of the world, no he was flying, soaring through the sky… then the word don't slipped into the combination unexpectedly. I don't love you. Once it was said he pulled and Icarus, his wings melting and leaving him plummeting down into the sea of despair and drowning.
He knows the power of words… that's why he meticulously picks the ones he's about to say next because the way he reacts to the words she's said will define the rest of his days. His face lights up like the sky on the Fourth of July as he pulls her into a comforting embrace.
Jason: "Ya' know I thought you were all I ever wanted but I stand corrected. Now I want you and our baby… safe and sound living happily ever after."
Aria: "We're never going to be safe, Jason. A's got her prints all over Rosewood."
Jason: "Then we'll leave Rosewood and start over."
Aria: "But our friends, our families… Rosewoods home."
Jason: "No. As us along as the three of re together, I'm home… Run away with me."
There's no hesitation in her answer. Yes. He knew it would be. It was always meant to be but hearing her say it made him the luckiest man alive. His lips pressed gently against her forehead then met her lips before he gently moved his hand down. A massive hand ran over her abdomen and he looked like a kid opening presents on Christmas as he found himself saying words in wonderous awe that'll change both of their lives.
Jason: "We're going to have a baby."
Love- a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. Jason DiLaurentis never understood why anyone wanted this illness, why anyone would want to be one of the afflicted, but then he met her, got the virus, and wouldn't have it any other way.
[xXx]
Could this be out of line?
To say you're the only one breaking me down like this
You're the only one I would take a shot on
Keep me hanging on so contagiously.
[xXx]
So what'd you all think?
Big THANK YOU to all reviewers who took the time to leave a note. Also, thank you to the people who have favorited this story and me as an author. It's so cool to come on here and feel like you're a rockstar! I am thoroughly humbled by all the people who have reviewed along this fun and exciting journey. We laughed… we cried… do we really want this to end?
Or did I drum up enough fans to do a sequel?