Blue skies above, green grass below, a slight breeze dancing through. Jo laid in the field with her arms tucked behind her head as she stared up at the puffy clouds slowly passing by. If she focused on the edges of each, she could track the slow progress they made as they inched towards the distance. She was popping snakeberries in her mouth every so often, using the back of her hand to wipe away any juice that spilled down her chin.
It was the kind of day that Jo always found herself relishing in. The weather was warm, but not to the point that she was sweating through her clothes or desperately moving the hair from her neck for relief. Instead, the sun didn't burn too deeply on her skin or the earth - the breeze providing the perfect mitigation.
Jo had needed a day like this. She needed the time to rest her mind.
Because even when she tried - very deeply - not to think about certain incidents - her mind always drifted back.
To Arlo.
It had been days since she had seen him.
A part of her had hoped that she would stumble upon him the night she had overheard Phylis and Sam. Even though she had decided against bursting in on him at the Round Table, she found herself half wishing that she would have arrived back to her home to find him waiting patiently out front.
With his head slightly hung, his unruly red hair falling into his eyes, his strong shoulders drooping as she caught him off guard.
But despite her hopeful thoughts, Jo returned home to an empty lawn and quiet street.
She figured it hadn't been fair for her to set up such expectations for him - but then came the days following. Jo continued to reside in Arlo's absence. She hadn't even bumped into him by chance while out for a walk in town - which she found quite odd.
She had considered taking matters into her own hands and tracking him down a few different times, but she always failed to pull the trigger. After all, she had agreed - to herself - that she would trust him to tell her when he wanted to.
If only the wait didn't have to be so long! Especially when she hadn't expected it to be.
Jo didn't mean to sound impatient. It was only… she couldn't help but think about how he had come to visit her the day he had decided to break things off with Phylis...nearly right after.
He had been so keen to find her and tell her something - which she was sure was something to do with the breakup - but now he was stalling? Why?
Jo had tried not to dwell on the - confusing - behavior of her friend over the past couple of days, but it had proved to be extremely difficult. It always crept into the back of her mind and attempted to stay there. However, Jo was too stubborn to let it invade her completely.
Instead, she tried to fill her time with other matters...while not turning her head to her front gate when she heard even the smallest of noises… or let her heart rate increase when she heard someone calling her name in town.
Certainly not.
Rather, she focused her mind elsewhere.
With the engineer now on his way to Portia - which was proving to be a pretty long trip - and the final installments of the bridge left up the construction workers hired by Albert - Jo had to be creative when choosing how to spend her time. The mornings were dedicated to completing smaller commissions posted in the Commerce Guild or special requests by friends. But Jo always finished those within hours. That left her afternoons and evenings wide open.
At first, Jo used the free time to focus on mindless tasks. She had tried to rearrange the inside of her house, however, she soon found that it wasn't worth her time or lack of skill in interior design. She then started to attempt to teach herself to knit after requesting some needles and yarn from Sophie. But that was a bust after she realized that she had confused her written plans and dimensions for a recent build with Sophie's knitting instructions. She ended up with a 12 by 10 foot collection of yarn with plenty of holes and knots...and very aching hands.
However ! Thankfully this afternoon, Emily had saved Jo from forcing herself to take on any new hobbies or polish the Lara statue for the 12th time in one day. The girl had shown up at Jo's door, barely uttering out a full sentence before Jo was taking her hand and insisting they hang out.
Which led to Jo's current place in the field, gazing up at the expanse of sky. Emily and her had spent the last two hours skipping stones in the river, obsessing over Emily's chicks, trying to make a kite out of an old pair of McDonald's pants, and challenging Oaks to a race - which Jo totally won no matter what anyone says. After an eventful afternoon, they then found themselves falling exhausted in the grass near Oaks' house.
Oaks had left them long ago as he had "chores" to attend to, but Emily and Jo didn't dare leave their resting place. They wanted to soak up the remaining sunlight while they had the chance.
Yeah, it had been a good day. A day without thinking about Arlo.
As much .
Emily yawned, sitting up from her spot as she stretched her hands above her head.
"Don't eat too many of those snakeberries or you'll get a terrible stomachache," the girl advised.
Jo stopped the hand that was currently on its way to feed another snakeberry to her mouth. She looked at her friend with wide eyes before lowering the berry once more.
"Of course. Everything delicious has to come with a price," Jo said, placing the berry to the ground.
Emily giggled. "Everything in moderation, remember ?"
Jo propped herself up on her elbows, gazing out at the fields and water as she shook her head. "I've always hated that expression. Curse this world and it's silly restrictions!"
"You don't even follow those 'restrictions,'" Emily teased.
"I know," Jo said looking over at her friend with a smile. "But it's the principle of it all."
Emily laughed once more before she began to dust off a few pieces of grass clinging to her palms.
"I should head back soon," she spoke. "I need to help Granny prepare dinner. You're welcome to join us."
Jo flashed the girl a weak smile this time before she gave a slight shake of her head. The thought of joining them for dinner… of lingering around for that long… it made her think of the last time they had invited her over. Granted, she had visited a few times since, but it had never included her sitting down for a meal with them. She didn't know if she was ready for that, especially after last time when she had embarrassed herself…
"That's okay. I have some leftover soup that I need to finish off anyway," Jo told her. "But thank you for the offer."
Emily nodded, but Jo could see the small line that fell onto her lips.
She had to know the truth, but she was respectful enough not to say anything. To that, Jo was thankful. She would make it up to Emily. When she was ready.
"What else do you have planned for your night? Finishing any builds?" Emily continued.
Jo sighed. "Unfortunately no. Until that hot-shot engineer gets here there's not much to do. Which stinks… I'm not much good without work. I'm as restless as ever, which is why I kidnapped you today."
"You didn't kidnap me. I came willingly," Emily said with a small roll of her eyes.
"Yeah, which I really think we should address. You shouldn't be so trusting of other people, Em. I could have led you into a deep basement and kept you as my prisoner or something."
Emily scoffed.
"Says the girl who basically followed Albert into the backroom of his house within the first five minutes of meeting him," the blonde tossed back.
"He said he had an impressive set of tools that he wanted to show me, and oh my God as I'm saying this out loud it sounds so much worse ."
Emily let out a loud laugh as Jo began to chuckle.
"You basically walked into the perfect trap of the town's ladies man," Emily said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"To be fair," Jo spoke between her own laughs. "He really did show me a shiny red toolbox with top of the line hammers and screwdrivers."
"Oh, I bet he did," Emily's words danced from her mouth as she wiggled her eyebrows.
"Ew," Jo said, pushing the girl's arm. "Don't be gross."
"But he's pretty cute, don't you think? Even though he's kind of arrogant. He has pretty great hair," Emily said.
Jo wrinkled her nose a little as she pictured the man in her mind, giving a small shrug. "I guess. I'm not really into darker hair."
"Oh, really? So what are you into then?" Emily asked, her eyes eager as she stared at the side of Jo's face.
Seconds. It took seconds for Jo's mind to fill with flashes of pictures that she hadn't even conjured up herself.
With flashes of a red that were so bright that it could have been a fire burning in that very field.
Her heart nearly flew into her throat, but it was too busy hammering the front of her chest.
"I… well…" Jo began. It wasn't like her to be so tongue-tied. And Emily seemed to notice as she quirked a brow at the flustered brunette.
Jo cleared her throat, starting over in a rush. "I don't really know. Maybe it's not really about his hair… or any hair color, really. I just don't see Albert that way."
A moment of silence laid over them as Jo could still feel her friend staring at the side of her face.
"Right…" Emily said, then allowing out a single laugh.
Jo turned to look at the girl. "What?"
"Oh, nothing," Emily replied, a small smirk still on her lips. "It's just… I'm trying to picture who I could see you with. Who I would set you up with."
Jo let out a quick breath through her nose, hoping that Emily didn't notice. She kept her expression smooth as her curiosities screamed within her mind. She only needed to keep her voice level as she said them aloud.
"And who exactly do you have in mind?" she finally managed.
However, she soon found that her friend was never able to put her out of her misery as a sudden noise disturbed their conversation.
Both girls seemed to notice as they furrowed a questioning brow at the other and then began to gaze around. But it was Jo who discovered the source first.
Panbats. A colony of them were zipping around in the air in some sort of frenzy. A mixture of their little squeaks and the fluttering of their anxious wings were the cause of the noise the girls had been hearing - and it was growing louder by the second.
"What's wrong with them?" Emily asked as both girls rose to their feet.
"I have no idea, but something must have set them off," Jo replied, noticing their obvious distress.
"Uh.. Jo. I think they're headed this way."
Emily was right. The colony was making their way across the field at an impressive speed and were aiming right for them. Jo had come to know panbats as being completely harmless, but she couldn't help but feel that these had a strange vengeance worn on their faces.
"Should we -" Jo began, but soon her friend was grabbing her wrist and giving her a small tug.
"Run!" Emily shouted.
Taking her friend's advice, Jo broke off in a run next to Emily as they both headed in the direction of Jo's home.
"Jeez, they look pretty pissed," Jo said, huffing as she ran. "Did we take their dinner spot or something?"
"They seem a little too worked up for it to be something that trivial," Emily offered.
The girls continued to run, their legs pressing faster as they inched closer to Jo's. The bats were slightly gaining, but there was enough of a gap between them that Jo didn't worry about the group catching them.
That was… until Emily fell.
"Oof," Emily coughed out as she fell to her stomach. Her foot had gotten caught on a collection of brush among the grass, sending her right to the ground.
"Em!" Jo called, instantly coming to a stop before running back to her friend. She knelt down to the ground, untangling Emily's foot from the vines and leaves with quick fingers. However, despite her speed, Jo knew she hadn't been fast enough to get Emily up in time for them to escape the bats again.
Her brown eyes snapped up to look at the panbats who were closing the last bit of distance between them, their squeaking only becoming louder. There wasn't any time.
"Put your head down!" Jo called out, quickly throwing her arms around Emily and pressing her friend's head to her chest to cover her. Jo then ducked her own head down in order to protect her face from the impact of the bats now reaching them.
There was no mistaking the moment the bats reigned over them either. The second it occurred, the sounds coming from the creatures' mouths and wings were piercing into Jo's ears. The flapping of their wings was so sharp and fast that Jo could feel them slap into the exposed skin on her arms and leave obvious stings. She was sure they would soon become varying scratches and cuts.
Jo wrapped her arms tighter around Em, thankful that her friend had chosen to wear her usual jeans and flannel so her skin was less likely to be hit. Still, Jo kept Emily close as she didn't want anything to happen to the girl's face.
The bats lingered for what felt like minutes, but Jo was sure the little "attack" only lasted for seconds. She only hoped that it wouldn't be much longer - she prayed the bats would become bored and move on. Until then, there wasn't much she could do as their wings posed too much of a current threat.
However, as they waited for the moment the panbats would exhaust themselves, Jo began to notice a new sound begin to reach her ears. Not the panbats' wings, but something else entirely. It sounded like…
Someone was hollering. A deep voice called throughout the field as it became closer and closer - causing it to also grow louder and more forceful.
And as it got closer, the bats slowly began to peel off. Jo could tell from the lack of wings that brushed her - knowing that they were now flying away in the surrounding air instead.
And then there were no bats at all.
"That's right! Leave these ladies alone! I'll deal with you later!" the voice called out once more, now only a few feet from where Jo and Emily stayed crouched.
Taking it as a sign that the coast was clear, Jo slowly began to lift her head - blinking her eyes a couple of times as if trying to come back to reality.
Following her friend's lead, Emily did the same as her eyes soon met Jo's.
"Em!" Jo quickly breathed. "Are you alright? They didn't tear you up, right? Does anything hurt?"
Her eyes fell down to her friend's arms, examining them before lifting her gaze to Emily's face. She appeared to be unscatched, though her hair was a bit ruffled from the chaos.
"No, I'm fine. But you! Jo, your arms!" Emily's eyes were directed right to the skin on Jo's arms, which were now covered with a collection of marks from the bats. Some were only surface wounds while others were deep enough to bleed - but not enough for Jo to be concerned about.
"I'm alright," Jo said with a dismissive shrug. "I'm just glad you're okay. I have no idea what got into them!"
"The weather," another voice then spoke.
Both girls snapped their heads to the side just in time to see Oaks shift down to a kneeling position at Jo's side.
"Oh, Oaks! You're the one who saved us," Emily said. "Thank you so much!"
"Yeah, thanks," Jo said with a small laugh. "We thought we would be stuck out here all night like that."
"Not on my watch," Oaks said, his expression serious as he reached into his side pouch. "I've been on my own special watch each night to monitor the panbats behavior so I can keep Portia safe."
Jo nearly laughed at his comment, but kept herself contained as she watched Oaks pull out a small jar from his bag. "You said it was the weather that set them off?"
Oaks nodded. "Yes. They have a hard time adjusting when the warm weather comes in and tend to act out all at once. But don't worry it only happens once and then they're back to normal."
"Oh, well… thank goodness for that," Jo said, chuckling a little. "That was quite the...experience."
"You can say that again," Emily said, smoothing her hair. "I've lived here my entire life and I've never seen something like that."
"Most people haven't," Oaks confirmed. "You two were just unlucky enough to get caught in the crossfire."
Jo nodded. " Pretty unlucky. But why is it that-"
Before she could continue, Oaks was suddenly grabbing her arm and smearing a thick mud over the entirety of it.
"What are you doing!?" Jo asked, attempting to pull her arm away. However, Oaks kept her wrist in a gentle bind, preventing her from moving.
"This is a mixture of mud and herbs. It will help ease the cuts on your arms," he informed her.
"Wha… Oaks! I need to wash the cuts. Not add dirt to them," Jo reasoned.
"The mud is good for them. Trust me," he told her, quickly grabbing her other arm and repeating the process. Unfortunately, Jo was not fast enough to stop him.
After he was done, Jo then sat there with her arms slightly out to her sides so the mud wouldn't rub onto her shirt. Her lips were pressed into a line as she shot Emily a look - however, the girl didn't manage to hide the amusement worn on her face.
"And the cut on your face," Oaks said, raising his hand prepped with more mud to wipe on her cheek.
"No, no. You're not putting mud on my face - thank you very much," Jo said, pulling her head away.
Oaks shrugged. "Suit yourself." He then put the mud back in the jar before placing the lid back on his little "healing remedy." Actually… not that Jo would dare admit it, but the coolness of the mud was pretty soothing to her cuts.
"Thanks again, Oaks," Emily finally spoke up. "We really do appreciate what you did."
"Yeah… lots…" Jo chimed in, still stuck in her awkward, outward arm pose.
"No problem at all. I'm happy to help!" Oaks said, now standing. He then offered a hand to Emily, assisting the girl to her feet.
"I think I'll bring Jo up to Dr. Xu's just in case. I'm… sure the mud will help, but it wouldn't hurt to have her checked out by a medical professional too."
Jo grumbled as Oaks and Emily bent down to help her up as well. As unhappy as she was to be covered in strange mud, she preferred that over having to go face Xu and his creepy stares.
"Do we have to?" Jo asked, finding her footing. "Can't I go lay in bed with this wonderful medicine lathered all over me instead? Besides, it's late. Xu has probably gone home by now."
"It's only four-thirty," Oaks said, pointing up at the sky as if he had used the sun to tell the time. Which he probably had… for all Jo knew…
"Okay, sure… but! It's hot out. He's probably busy with tons of patients who are dealing with heat stroke and need his care. Who am I to take him away from that?" Jo tried once more.
"I don't think I've heard of anyone in Portia getting heat stroke…" Emily spoke, sneaking a skeptical look at Oaks for support.
"Fine!" Jo huffed. "Fine, we'll go see him."
Emily giggled a little, giving Jo's shoulder a gentle push as she steered her in the direction of town.
"Alright, muddy. Let's go. We'll see you later, Oaks. Thanks again!" Emily called over her shoulder.
"Of course. Feel better, Jo," Oaks offered.
"Yeah, yeah," Jo said under her breath as the girls walked.
"Oh, come on. You know you should go see the doctor. We don't know if that mud is any good for those cuts. Oaks is great, but he's a little crazy," Emily said, a smile still worn across her face.
Jo sighed. "I know, I get it. But you know how I feel about Xu! He's… he's just…"
"Creepy?" Emily chimed in.
"Yeah, that."
"Trust me, I know. I mean, he's kinda weird in general, but he's especially weird with you," Emily said.
"Yup. That hasn't gone unnoticed," Jo huffed.
Emily didn't reply to Jo's words, but instead let out a hum as she stared forward. However, Jo looked at her friend and furrowed her brow at the girl's strange reaction.
"So you're not interested in Xu either, huh? There goes another eligible suitor off of the list. One that also has dark hair," Emily mentioned.
Jo rolled her eyes. "It has nothing to do with the "dark hair" thing, Em. Besides, was he really on whatever list you were collecting of men you'd be able to see me with?"
Emily hummed once more, but ultimately shook her head. "No, not at all. I just enjoy teasing you about it."
"You and Sam both. Remember that comment she said about Higgins and me sleeping together?" Jo shuttered at the thought. "Disgusting."
Emily laughed. "Don't worry. He didn't make the list either."
"Hmmm, I don't know how I feel about you making a list of 'potential men' for me. Who says I need it anyway?" Jo challenged lifting a brow at her friend.
She couldn't help but notice Emily's expression change once more as a cheeky smile came onto the girl's face. Her eyes were pointed towards the ground instead of on Jo or her path ahead.
"Don't worry," Emily finally spoke. "It isn't very long."
Jo could feel a tingle start at the top of her head and slowly drift down her body as her nagging curiosity returned. She poked her tongue quickly into her cheek before she turned her face smooth once more.
"Well, then who's on it?" she finally asked.
Emily then lifted her head, glancing to Jo as the corner of her mouth still pulled upward.
"You really wanna know?"
Jo nearly furrowed her brow, searching the girl's expression as she tried to find the meaning behind it. However, nothing jumped out at her - there was only more confusion on her part. So she figured it was better to just have Emily spell it out - as sad as that was.
"Hit me with it," Jo confirmed.
"Well...let's see...there's -"
"Jo?"
Both girls stopped in their tracks, turning to look behind them as they heard the voice. They had covered quite the distance without even realizing it as they were already standing at the top of the incline just outside of the infirmary.
As they turned, Jo's eyes finally caught sight of who had spoken her name. The relief that flushed through her partnered with the clenching in her chest nearly knocked her off balance. Luckily though, she was able to keep herself steady.
"Arlo."
"What happened?" the man asked, closing the distance between them until he was standing two feet from her. "Why in God's name are you covered in mud?"
"Oh, that," Jo said, finally pulling her eyes from his face to look at the drying mud on her arms. She had been so thrown over seeing him that she had nearly forgotten about the injuries… and the remedy she wore to relieve them.
"We kinda got attacked by some panbats," Jo told him, looking over to Emily for support. "And, well, let's just say they got in a few good punches."
"And the mud?" Arlo asked, he was then taking one of her arms in his hands so he could inspect further - his blue eyes studied Oak's work before he raised his gaze to Jo's.
His touch mixed with the concern shown in his eyes made Jo's chest grow even tighter while her heart picked up speed. She knew her cheeks were probably a slight pink, but hopefully that would be concealed by the small cut there.
Gosh. Why was she reacting this way to him? Was it because she hadn't seen him in a few days? Or was the summer heat starting to get to her?
Maybe she'd be the first person in Portia to officially suffer from heat stroke.
Words , Jo. He's waiting for an explanation.
"Oaks found us and then scared away the panbats," Jo told him. "He then decided to bless me with some herbal potion and spread it all over my arms."
"She's got a pretty good collection of scratches, Arlo," Emily chimed in. "The bats got her with their wings."
Arlo's eyes finally left Jo's face, but his hands remained on her - leaving her with little relief from the burn in her cheeks.
"And you?" Arlo asked Emily. "I see you're not covered in dirt. They didn't get you?"
Emily shook her head. "Not really. Jo had thrown herself over me to cover me when they attacked… which I still haven't thanked her for."
Jo smiled at her friend, giving her a small shrug. "It's no big deal."
"So, unfortunately, she got the worst of it," Emily continued. "I was bringing her up here so we could have Xu check on her scratches. We're both a little skeptical of the mud…"
All three then looked down at Jo's arm, giving a collective nod.
"That was a smart idea, Emily. Thank you," Arlo said, giving the girl another nod. "I'm sure Jo didn't come willingly."
Jo shot Arlo a look. "Only because we all know Xu is going to insist on doing a full body scan or something other weird 'check-up.'"
"You should still go see him," Emily insisted. "I'm sure Arlo agrees with me."
Jo took that moment to look at the man, who was still holding her arm, to attempt to see how he felt. However, she was disappointed when she saw him give a nod in Emily's favor.
"I do, indeed."
Ridiculous. He knew more than anyone how much she loathed Xu. He hadn't even seemed that fond of the man either and usually joined her in her teasing. Now he was going to turn against her?
Maybe Jo wasn't glad to see him. She'd much rather he just be gone! Away!
"Emily, I'm actually glad I ran into you. Your grandmother just gave me a call a few minutes ago saying you'd been out for awhile and she couldn't find you. She asked if I could help track you down. I was just headed out, but it looks like I didn't have to go far."
Emily let out a small gasp as she took in Arlo's word. "Oh, no. Granny! She must be worried sick!"
"You should go let her know you're okay. I can assist Jo to the clinic and get her home safe," Arlo spoke.
"But I-" Jo began, but Emily was already giving her hand a squeeze - cutting her off.
"Thank you so much, Arlo. I hate to leave, Jo, but I know you're in good hands," Emily stated.
Am I?
"I'll see you later. Jo, I'll stop by tomorrow to see how you're doing, okay? Bye!"
"Have a good evening, Emily," Arlo offered as the girl ran off in the direction of her home.
And then there were two.
And one of them was still holding onto her arm.
They had both been staring off in the direction that Emily had gone, residing in silence before their eyes finally met once more. The moment they did, Jo couldn't help but wear a sheepish grin.
"Happy to see me, Captain?" she nearly blurted.
Arlo rolled his eyes, but a small smile threatened on his lips. "I would be, if the circumstances were better."
"Liar. You're always happy to see me," Jo said. "Injuries and all."
"I think Oaks weird mud concoction is seeping into your bloodstream and making you delirious," Arlo said.
"I'm perfectly stable. Thank you very much," Jo fired back.
"Whatever you say, but we should still have these checked out," Arlo said, his thumb then brushing on the underside of her arm - gently rubbing the part of her skin not covered by mud.
The small touch nearly made her stomach do a cartwheel.
Jeez...did she long for human touch that badly?
Finding her voice, Jo couldn't help but wear a small frown as she spoke. "Please don't take me to Xu's. I'm really not up for seeing him tonight, or ever… but especially tonight."
She then paused, her eyes becoming softer as she stared up into his own. Her chest became warm, growing hotter with each breath she took.
Besides, if she could get him to just walk her home then maybe she could finally ask all the nagging questions that have been living in her head.
"Please, Arlo," she said, her voice gentle.
He slowly began to shake his head, leaving Jo to fill with disappointment. However, the words following his action instantly surprised her.
"I'm not taking you to Xu's," he finally told her. "I was bluffing before. But I do think we should get this mud off of you."
Jo smiled. Ah, another potential opening for her questioning.
"Now that I can agree to!" she told him.
He laughed at this, shaking his head once more.
"Ah, see. I knew you missed me!" she began again, innocently teasing him.
"Only because I thrive off of your misfortunes," Arlo said.
Jo faked a gasp, her eyes growing wide. "What a terrible thing to say as my friend and the head of the protection force!"
"Yeah, yeah. File a complaint while I get this mud off of you," Arlo said, his hands now leaving Jo's arm. She instantly noticed their absence, but didn't focus on it for long before his hand suddenly slid into hers and he was gently pulling her along to the Corps' headquarters.
"Unhand me, you fiend! I pray you let me go!" Jo called out, focusing her attention on her words rather than his touch. The voice in the back of her head gently begged for him not to 'unhand her' - but Jo was quick to silence it.
"Quiet, you, or you'll alarm the neighbors," Arlo said, opening up his door and prompting her to go through.
"Fine, but only because I don't want to be charged with resisting an officer," Jo said, holding her head high as she walked through the threshold.
"Wise decision," Arlo offered, following her in.
Once inside, Jo stood in the doorway, looking around at the Corps' interior that remained unchanging. The only difference Jo could see was the paperwork stacked up on Arlo's desk.
Hmmm. Maybe that explains why I haven't seen him?
"Have a seat, before you end up hurting yourself again," Arlo said, gesturing over to the couch as he headed to one of the wooden cabinets.
Jo stuck her tongue out at him briefly, but inevitably decided to do as she was told. However, that was only because her legs were a little sore from her race with Emily and Oaks. Having a seat didn't sound like the worst of ideas.
Making her way over, Jo plopped down onto the leather and made herself comfortable. Her eyes then went to Arlo who had retrieved a first aid kit and wet washcloth, and was moving to join her.
A smile involuntarily slipped onto her face.
"So did Sophie really call? Or was that just your ploy to get Emily to leave so you could save me from Xu's?" she asked.
"No, she really called," Arlo replied. "She asked if I knew where Emily was… and she also said something about Emily being out with that 'free-spirited trouble seeker' and that she was worried you dragged her granddaughter into some mineshaft."
He sat down in the seat directly across from Jo, giving her a small shrug as he set down the first aid kit.
"She did not say that!" Jo said with a laugh. "Sophie loves me."
Arlo hummed. "Perhaps she didn't use those exact words, but it was certainly implied. Besides, you were off getting into trouble."
"Not intentionally," Jo retorted, lifting her chin.
"Ah, well, at least there's that," Arlo said with a small smile.
Jo couldn't help but focus on the upturn of his lips for a moment as she also became aware of how close he was to her once more. She could smell his usual collection of leather, cedar wood, musk, and apple. It was a scent that Jo could only explain as 'Arlo.'
Arlo seemed to watch her, lifting a brow before he held out his hand to prompt her to give him her arm. Doing just that, she flashed an awkward grin as she slid her right arm forward and rested her wrist in his palm. She was oddly thankful that she felt less of his touch due to the gloves covering his palm.
He then leaned forward a bit more, bringing his other hand closer so that he could press the wet cloth to her arm and begin wiping away the dirt. Strangely, her chest began to burn at the contact - but she swallowed hard as an attempt to ease herself.
"Hmm. Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Jo asked, watching his hands.
"I do," Arlo confirmed. "I can safely say that I have washed dirt off of skin before. My own and other people's."
"And where are these 'others' now? Can they confirm your claims?" Jo spoke.
"Would that make you feel better?" Arlo said, finishing with the first small section of her arm and beginning to move up.
"Maybe a little," Jo said.
"Mmmm. You know what would make me feel better?" Arlo asked, his eyes rising from her arm to catch Jo's gaze as he stopped his work.
She was nearly knocked breathless by his stare...However! She made sure to recover as quickly and as best as she could.
"What's that?" she finally replied.
"If you'd stop putting yourself in harm's way," Arlo said.
Her lips parted at his words, staring at him as she searched his face. However, she soon pushed her lips to slide into a small smile. "I think we both know I can't do that."
Arlo shrugged, his eyes breaking away as he focused down at her arm again. "Yes, but I also thought we both agreed you'd try."
"I can't help the unexpected, Arlo," Jo challenged. "Besides, Emily needed me. She tripped and we both knew we wouldn't be able to get away in time - so I covered her. I couldn't let my friend get hurt."
"While I appreciate your heroic act, I'd like to point out that Emily had long sleeves on," Arlo said, now having cleaned the skin up to the crook in Jo's elbow. "She would have been fine. You, on the other hand, should have been protecting yourself."
Arlo then paused again to slightly hold up her arm, looking from the scratches on Jo's arm to meet her eyes. "You would have had a better chance of avoiding this."
"Well, at the time, all I cared about was protecting my friend," Jo reasoned.
Arlo finally sighed. It was clear that he didn't like her statement, but he still accepted it nonetheless.
"Alright, alright," he said, releasing her arm as she stood up. "I need another rag. There's quite a lot of mud."
"Yeah. Oaks went kinda overboard," Jo confirmed, glancing down at each arm.
"He certainly believes there's a method to his madness," Arlo said, sitting back down with his fresh rag. "Have to respect his passion. Just as I try to respect yours."
Jo smiled at this. "Well, thank you." A thought then entered her mind, causing her to look up towards Rem's door. She furrowed her brow before looking back to Arlo. "Where are the others?"
"Finishing their rounds, and then they're off to Sam's. They had planned to have dinner with… some friends," Arlo told her, pausing momentarily before he continued. However, Jo could sense the tone in his voice dipping lower with his finishing words. "I declined the invitation."
Jo's eyes raised from the washcloth up to Arlo's eyes - that were still fixed on his work.
"And why is that?" she asked.
Arlo kept quiet for a moment, his focus on finishing her right arm. He remained silent for so long that Jo wondered if he had heard her… or if he simply didn't plan to respond.
But he still did.
"I think I was only invited out of courtesy. There are… certain people who I don't think would necessarily be thrilled if I decided to come…"
Now Jo became quiet. She no longer needed to voice her curiosities as she had already drawn the conclusions in her head. Afterall, the only person in Portia who wouldn't want to see him was… Phyllis.
And Jo knew that.
It was only that… he didn't know that she knew it.
"Arlo," Jo blurted out, causing the man to snap his eyes up to hers. "I… I think it's important that you know that...I know about what happened with Phyllis."
The moment the words left her mouth, Jo could see Arlo's lips part, his gaze drop a little.
"And I'm sorry that I know that," Jo continued quickly. "Especially since you weren't the one who told me."
Silence fell over them. Jo couldn't help but loathe that very silence, but she knew it was necessary as her confession still laid there before him.
Would he be angry? Sad? Betrayed? Distant?
She hoped that he wouldn't be any of the above, but she also understood if he chose to be indifferent towards her - as much as that killed her.
Unable to take the silence, Jo gave further reign to her anxious tongue.
"And you are under no obligation to say anything or explain anything… but I figured it was only fair of me to tell you the truth rather than keep it a secret. Or pretend to be surprised once you told me...if you ever told me."
Another moment of silence passed through the air, leaving Jo to study his expression further. He still wasn't looking at her. Instead, his brows were pulled together as he looked down at the floor, his hand still to her wrist - though he no longer worked on cleaning her arm.
His eyes moved slightly as if he were reading something written on the wooden floorboards. It was a slow realization, but Jo couldn't help but notice that the perplexed look he wore mirrored the expression she had seen on his face that day he had come to visit her.
What was going through his head?
"Arlo…" Jo said softly. "Where did you go?"
Her tender voice seemed to have broken through his thoughts, causing his gaze to lift up to hers once more. She nearly held her breath as she waited for him to reply… if he would.
"I did plan to tell you," he finally spoke.
She felt her chest slowly fall as she released her breath.
"That day at my shop?" Jo asked.
Arlo swallowed before he nodded. "Yes."
"Why didn't you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
Arlo let out a laugh. "Well, I think we both know I didn't have a real opportunity to. I mean, I tried. But with the interruptions and distractions - I never managed to get around to it."
Jo smiled at the memory. "It was a weird afternoon, wasn't it?"
"I'd say so," Arlo said, now cleaning off the remaining fleks of mud on her right arm.
"But what about after that…?" Jo pushed on. "I haven't seen you in days. I know you didn't have to tell me, but I guess I was confused after how you acted that day. And then I was only more confused after what I heard from Sam and Phyllis later. I mean, they -"
Jo stopped then, closing her mouth as a means to shut herself up.
"So you heard it from Sam and... Phyllis ?" Arlo asked.
Jo nodded.
"Shoot, sorry. Ugh, I hate that I did. And trust me, I didn't go asking or anything. I was just passing by and stumbled into the whole thing. Phyllis tried to get my opinion about the breakup and everything. Saying I was your best friend and all."
Jo couldn't help but notice the smile that appeared on Arlo's lips, which he was quick to smooth away.
"And what did you say?" he asked.
"I said that you were my friend and that as your friend it wasn't my place to get involved," Jo stated. "She didn't like that very much."
"I'd imagine so," Arlo nodded, keeping his hands busy with cleaning Jo's left arm. He then sighed. "I'm sorry you found yourself in that situation. I assume she didn't have nice things to say about me."
Jo hummed for a second as she thought back once more. "She was definitely confused. She had thought everything was going fine and then she felt caught off guard when you showed up and broke the whole thing off."
Arlo nodded again.
"And I have to admit…" Jo started. "I was too..."
Arlo stopped his work, his shoulders noticeably tensing. His reaction instantly made her question if she had managed to cross a line, launching Jo into another rush of scattered words.
"B -but, look, I only heard her side, and I know there are two sides to every story. You are my friend and I trust whatever your side of the story is, and the decisions that you make."
She paused for a moment, looking at him.
"We can leave it at that," she continued. "If you'd like."
"No.." Arlo breathed, his immediate reaction taking her by surprise. He then leaned back in his chair slightly, letting out another sigh. "I owe you an explanation. Or rather, I'd like to give one."
Jo nodded, her own shoulders beginning to relax as she waited.
"Phyllis is… a wonderful woman," Arlo began. "She is intelligent and passionate and hardworking and beautiful."
Arlo pressed his lips into a line as he stopped briefly. However, he then pressed on.
"But… despite all of those things… I just didn't - and do not - have the feelings for her that I should."
Arlo's words weighed heavy on Jo's chest while also bringing a numbness to the sting of her cuts. It was a strange sensation - one that Jo was greatly uncertain of. It was almost a...relief.
But with that feeling came her disappointment in her ability to be so selfish.
And a questioning of why the relief had even overcome her? And if it really was selfish?
Perhaps it was only relief that her friend had been true to his emotions and feelings. Would that be selfish?
Oh, dear lord. What was this?
"It wasn't working and I needed to stop pretending like it was going to… and that I wanted it to," Arlo stated.
With those words, Jo was taken back to the moments where she had seen Arlo with Phyllis in town or in her yard. She had only noticed how happy he appeared - never guessing that something may be going on under the surface. Her sudden memories only added to her confusion.
"But…what changed? You two seemed like you were doing great. And the date. Phyllis said it went well. I mean, I figured she could be wrong, but... did something happen?" Jo asked.
Arlo took a moment before he shook his head, one of his hands raising to rub his chin. "I think I wanted to give it a chance and be positive because I felt I owed it to her…" He paused then, running his hand over his face and through his hair. "Oh, God. That sounds terrible, doesn't it?"
Jo shrugged. "Maybe? But what's important is that it's the truth."
Arlo took a second to shoot Jo a sad, but grateful, look before he continued. "I suppose, if you saw things were going well then it was more of a facade than anything. I believed it for a while, but it wasn't real. And the date… it was fine. But it became very clear that one of us was more distracted by our physical desires rather than the possibility of getting to know one another."
Ah. That's right.
Jo recalled Phyllis' words in the plaza about 'throwing herself' at Arlo… and then mentioning the idea of Arlo potentially being gay due him turning her down - which Jo still rolled her eyes at.
"That's a shame after everything you said at the Round Table. About how she seemed focused on the physical pieces of your relationship rather than the other connections," Jo offered.
"Exactly," Arlo finally stated.
Well, that explained a lot. And Jo felt for the man across from her. Not that she had much experience with relationships and emotions. She had only really been involved with one person back in her hometown - and that had been a huge catastrophe… Now that she thought about it, perhaps it hadn't been the best idea for her to be the one to give Arlo relationship advice…
"I'm sorry," Jo breathed. "I know that doesn't help. Maybe it makes things worse, but either way these things are never easy... I wish I had been more of a help."
Arlo laughed lightly. "You were plenty help."
She quirked a brow. "How? By distracting you with my constant injuries and 'misfortunes?'"
"Mmm. That...among other things. You've been a bigger help than you likely realize…" Arlo told her.
She still didn't feel like that was necessarily true.
Although...maybe she would have been more help if he had been able to tell her everything that day at her house. He had mentioned how they had been interrupted or distracted, but there had been another piece to the situation. How even in the moments when he was about to tell her… it had seemed like he...couldn't.
"Arlo" Jo started slowly. "… how come you didn't come find me later? Or even when you tried to tell me, you seemed like you couldn't get it out? Did I...do something? To make you feel like you couldn't talk to me about this?" Jo allowed all of her questions to come flooding out. "I know I'm a pest, but I also hope you know that I'm here to talk about these things if you need me."
After all, they had talked about things like this in the past. Maybe she really had been terrible at giving advice and he had already realized that.
Dismissing her thoughts, Jo watched as Arlo swallowed hard, the rag in his hand being slightly wrung in his fingers.
Oh, no. That was it, wasn't it? He found her hard to talk to? Oh, she wished she had known before. Then she could have -
"No, it's not that."
Oh.
"Then what is it?" Jo asked slowly.
"I… I uh…" Arlo began, becoming tongue tied just as he was the day at her shop.
"Have a hard time talking about this stuff?" Jo asked, trying to help him out.
"No, no," Arlo replied. "I mean, well yes. To an extent. But I've been doing fine with talking to you about this."
Well, that relieved her worried thoughts from only moments ago.
"Right," Jo nodded.
"It's only. Well, I… " he tried again, sighing in frustration at his scattered tongue. His eyes that had been searching the floor again, were soon raised to meet hers. She could see that his usual pools of blue had slightly shifted color, somehow appearing darker than before.
He held his gaze on hers. So firmly and direct that she almost felt like he was seeing right into her. His actions caused her lips to part, her cheeks becoming a deeper pink. But her face wasn't the only part of her growing warm - it was her whole body. It was as if he was pouring it all into her, and maybe she was doing the same to him...without even realizing it.
It was nearly impossible for her to talk through the sensation, but she knew she had to before she completely broke apart.
"Arlo…" Jo began. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. I promise we'll still be friends."
Jo offered a small smile, somehow forcing herself to move as she placed her hand on top of his. She hoped it would offer him comfort as she really did want to help him relieve his scattered mind.
However, she felt her mind cloud with further confusion as she watched his eyes suddenly shift again. They turned from their darker hue to one clearer and recognizable - his normal blue. His expression fell a little as his eyes were slightly widened and his lips parted.
She couldn't tell if this change was one that she should qualify as "good" or "bad." Actually, she realized it was a reaction she hadn't really seen from him… ever.
"Yeah… I know…" Arlo said, looking down. The moment his gaze left her, Jo nearly collapsed backward - feeling breathless as she was no longer under his intense stare. He, only the other hand, suddenly became aware of her arm once more. He touched her left wrist lightly as he wiped away the remaining dirt on her upper forearm.
Jo watched as Arlo remained in a moment of silence, his jaw slightly tensed as he seemed to be hand picking his next words. Only this time, she chose not to rush him.
She was too busy trying to internally decipher what had just occurred between them, though she wasn't having much luck.
"I just.. Uh… I just didn't want you to be disappointed. You helped me with Phyllis a lot and I figured you would be a little let down if you heard I ruined everything."
Oh….
Jo 's felt a guilt press down on her shoulders, but somehow the feeling only lasted for a few seconds. It soon drifted off of her before Jo was left with her spinning mind.
She understood what Arlo was saying, but why was there a part of her that didn't necessarily buy it. Not after what had just happened...
Yet, Jo figured she had pushed Arlo enough for one night. It didn't really qualify as trusting him to tell her what he needed to if she was trying to push every little piece of info out of him.
She needed to be mindful. Even if she was now left with more annoying thoughts that would surely follow her around the next few days.
"You didn't ruin everything," Jo told him. "You were just true to your feelings."
"Sure…sure…" Arlo said, his voice becoming quieter. His reaction only added to her disbelief.
He then finished with her arm, leaning back so he could throw the dirty rag towards the others laying off in a heap on the floor. After, he went into the first aid kit and retrieved some alcohol wipes, which he opened and placed to Jo's skin on her right arm and then left. The alcohol burned a little, but she knew it was only an indication that it was working.
After all, she was more focused on Arlo and the strange expression he now wore.
"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to catch his gaze once more.
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"You're acting… a little weird," Jo told him.
So much for being mindful.
But really, she wanted to know. She couldn't stand the thought of Arlo not being okay.
"I'm just trying to clean your wounds quickly before you get some soft of infection," Arlo said finally.
"I get that, but I feel like there's something else going on," she tried. "Really, did I do something?"
Her voice wavered. It was slight, but it was there - without her control. She hated that the sudden ache in her throat had caused it, but she hadn't been able to stop it.
However, it was enough to finally capture Arlo's attention, pulling his eyes from his finishing touches and causing them to meet Jo's gaze again. Only, this time, his stare was filled with concern.
"No, no," he said, his hand suddenly reaching forward to cup her cheek. "Not at all."
It took everything in Jo not to lean into the touch, to find deeper comfort in the action of her friend. Or to sink further into her chair as she remained under his gaze - which was much more bearable this time around.
"If anything… you're a saving grace in this all," he told her. "And I mean that."
Jo wanted to ask further questions. How and why. But instead, she let it go. This time it was easier as she remained aware of his touch and eyes. So she let a gentle smile touch her lips and responded with a simple, "Good."
Staying just like that, Jo found herself at the most ease she felt for the past couple of days. She didn't know if that necessarily came from the confirmation of his words and finally receiving - almost all of - his explanations, though. It felt different than that...
Over the past couple of days she had been without these moments. Without the banter, without him appearing at her shop and insisting he help, without them visiting each other and pestering one another until no end, without running into one another on the street and Jo attempting to embarrass him however she could.
Her life had felt so odd without it all. Like it was greatly lacking something. Like a part of it had been… empty.
And now… being here with him. It was like… seeing the sun for the first time in days.
Oh.. no .
The realization slapped Jo right in the face, leaving her eyes to grow a little wider as she stared at him. His hand remained to her cheek, his eyes were on hers as they continued to share their moment from before.
And then, ever so gently, Jo felt Arlo's thumb move, gently brushing against her cheekbone as the pit of her stomach definitely did a backflip now.
Jo stood up abruptly then, nearly knocking Arlo back in his chair. However, she had managed to spare him, but did leave him blinking as he gazed up at her in a bewildered state.
She let out a nervous chuckle before clearing her throat.
"Alright, I think my arms are as good as new!" She declared, holding them out as proof. Although, her scattered scratches didn't necessarily provide a convincing case.
Still, she didn't skip a beat.
"And now I think it's time to go get a warm cup of tea at the Round Table! What do you say Captain? Can I treat you after you tended to my wounds?" Jo said, forcing a large smile over her face.
Seeming as though he were still trying to figure out what just happened, Arlo blinked up at her a few more times. However, he then gathered himself as he let out a small huff and nodded.
"Sure... I can agree to that. Let me just...wash some of this mud off of my fingers and gloves. I'll just be a moment," he told her.
Arlo then stood, making his way towards his room before he headed into the bathroom. Jo waved as he went, but he didn't manage to see her as his back was turned.
The moment she heard the water turn on, Jo lifted her arms in order to push her hands into her hair - gripping the strands tight.
Oh, no no no. This can't be right.
Breathe, Jo. Breathe.
You're fine.
Oh, God. We're not fine.
Really!? Out of all the times you could have suddenly realized all this it had to be now ?
Well, you did have your suspicions before. Remember when you saw Phyllis and Arlo on the stairs? All that butterfly stuff you were feeling?
Okay! Thank you, unwanted reminder!
But that was nothing!
Okay… but it definitely was something.
Jo looked over at Arlo's door, her heart hammering into her chest.
The flush over your skin when he touches you.
How you smile when you think about him.
Your indifference to him going out with Phyllis.
That flash of red entering your vision on the field earlier...
Oh, no. This is bad. This is very bad.
I… Do I have feelings for Arlo?
Jo looked down at the floor, recalling the moment the pad of his thumb brushed over her cheek. It had all happened so suddenly. It had become so clear. It was like someone flipped a switch.
She definitely wanted to punch whoever that "someone" was. Oh, she wished the whole thing had never happened.
You can pretend it didn't!
After all, it's not like you said anything to him.
Nothing like 'Arlo, I think I like you.'
Nothing! You said nothing.
The water turned off then.
This is messy.
This is why we don't do these things!
Look at you!
Cuts on your arms. You probably have leaves in your hair from laying in the grass.
Okay, yeah. You're a mess, but also this whole situation is a mess.
Phyllis and Arlo just broke up and you're suddenly just 'realizing' you may feel things for him that are deeper than friendly emotions?
You can't do that just because he's single now!
You're confused. Yeah, you're just confused.
Jo let out a slow breath, releasing her hair as she heard the distant sound of a floorboard creaking.
Arlo then appeared at the door frame, his hair falling into his eyes, which he was quick to smooth away. Jo shifted her eyes over to him, catching the smile he flashed her.
But what if I'm not confused?
No. No, no no.
Not happening. Stop it.
We cannot have these...feelings, Jo!
"Ready?" Arlo asked.
He is your friend and he just went through this whole terrible situation with Phyllis.
And as his friend, you need to be there for him.
You need to support him and put him first.
Not let all these weird emotions mess things up.
She nodded.
Because if he knew - it would change everything...wouldn't it?
Yes!
It would ruin everything. Understand?
All he needs right now is a friend.
You're not going to mess that up.
You're going to do what he needs and that's it.
"Great. Let's go then," Arlo said, offering his own smile as they both walked to the door together.
Just shove it all down, alright.
That's basically what you were doing before. But now you're just doing it...knowingly…
Swallow it. Let it go.
Whatever you have to do.
Arlo opened the door for her, nodding as he signaled for her to walk out first.
If you care about him then you'll let it go.
It's better that way anyway.
Jo obliged, giving him a thankful nod as she stepped through - out into the nightly air.
Then you won't get hurt. Neither of you will.