What you wish for chapter FOUR!
Things Best Forgotten
Estre closed the door, shutting herself and Janus into Janus' room. She smiled. "Now that we're alone, there's some things I'd like to talk about," She said softly. Janus glared.
"This relationship is far past over, Estrelania," He said sternly. "I may only be a Guardian, but I have rights. I don't want you harrassing me any longer."
"Harrassing you?" Estre looked hurt. "Is that what you think I'm doing?" She stepped a little closer, noticing as she did that she was at least an inch taller than Janus was-- he hadn't grown at all since they last met. "I love you, Janus, I always have. I just want a second chance..."
"I cannot and will not," Janus replied firmly. "I haven't the time nor the patience to look after you any longer. And besides--"
Estre frowned. "I know what it is," She interrupted softly. "It's that girl. 'Jessica'. She's got red hair just like your mother's--"
She had hit Janus' soft spot. "Shut up."
"--Just like poor Maria's," Estre continued hatefully, "Who was blinded in the war and abandoned by her husband. All you want is a little motherly love, right Janus? I never knew you could be that way. How old is she? Will you ditch her too, just like your--"
Janus snarled and slapped Estre, who gave a cry of pain and staggered into the wall. He grabbed her by the collar and yanked her down to his level. "If you ever talk about my Mother like that again, I'll rip your throat out," He growled, almost too low to hear. "You should know better than to tempt a murderer." He let her go, and she straightened, rubbing her neck painfully.
"I'm sorry Janus," Estre whispered, trying a different tactic, "But I'm jealous of her. How could she win you over when I never could?"
"She doesn't lie to me," Janus grumbled, slumping on his bed.
Estre sat next to him. "I won't lie to you anymore, I promise. Don't be so quick to turn me away, Janus-- sure, we had some hard times... But don't you remember what else we had? Heat, desire, passion... She could never satisfy you like I could." She ran her fingers through Janus' hair. Her jerked away. "I know you're not allowed to touch her past a certain point," Estre breathed, "I know how you are, what you really want. You're like an animal in a cage, just waiting to be let out."
Janus stared at his hands, silent.
"Think, Janus. You know I'm right." Estre touched Janus' cheek, and this time he didn't move. "Maybe we aren't right for each other, but don't you think we could work something out..?"
Hadji winced as Jesse stood on his shoulders. "Really, Jesse, I think this is a gross invasion of privacy. If they have shut the door, they most likely do not want you looking in on them."
Jesse glared down at him. "And what could they be doing that they don't want me to see, eh? Just think of me as the well-meaning nosy girlfriend."
Hadji shook his head, sighing, and lifted Jesse farther up so she could look over Janus' balcony into his window. Jesse scrambled up, trying to see without being seen. "Just-- a little-- more..." She finally got a foothold on the balcony, and looked in through the french doors to Janus' room. And gasped.
Janus was kissing her, that woman Estre. It wasn't a peck on the cheek, nothing friendly about it, and he wasn't being kissed against his will again, either. He was full on kissing her on the lips, running his fingers through her long hair, slowly sliding his hand up her shirt--
Jesse faltered and lost her balance, then fell. She crashed to the ground with a yelp and a crack from her arm. She lay there a for a few moments, dazed, before the pain hit and she curled up. Hadji ran over to her. "Jesse! Are you badly hurt?!"
"I-- I think I broke my arm," Jesse said shakily, trying not to cry.
Jonny ran out the them. "What happened?!"
There was a sound like a door slamming open and a femenine cry, then a thump on the ground next to them, and suddenly Janus was kneeling there next to her. "Jesse, come on, it's going to be all right..."
All through the trip to the hospital and the whole time there with the doctor, Janus didn't ask any questions of Jesse, not how she broke her arm, not why she was outside his window. He only stroked her hair and told her it was going to be all right and whispered reassurances, as if she had just fallen out of a tree. Or as if he knew. Estre had followed the ambulance in her car, speeding along behind it like a little blue bullet. She mostly stayed in the background while at the hospital, but once when Jesse looked over at her she thought she saw the awful woman smiling smugly.
Hours later, back in the big house, Janus sat by Jesse's bedside and watched over her silently. Estre was supposedly waiting for him in his room. Jesse stared at Janus as he stared out the window at the moon for at least a quarter of an hour, when finally she found she couldn't take it anymore. Softly, she asked, "So aren't you wondering how I broke my arm?"
"It isn't any of my business, unless you'd like to tell me," Janus replied calmly, with a touch of bitterness in his voice.
Jesse shrank down under her blankets. "You know, don't you."
"Yes. I know."
"Aren't you mad at me?"
"We've both done some things we shouldn't have," Janus said, sighing. "And I think we should put it behind us."
Jesse snorted. "Are you going to put Estre behind you? What's she going to do back there?"
Janus tore his gaze from the moon for a moment to give Jesse a look that froze her to the core. He looked back out at the stars before continuing. "Estrelania, unfortunatlely, is a mistake that I keep on making. It's hard to--" He paused. "The things she says make too much sense. I have sent her away, but she will no doubt be back."
"And this is going to happen again?"
"Perhaps. Hopefully not." Janus shook his head and leaned down to kiss Jesse on the cheek. He smelled of caramel. "It's late, and you've had a long day... You should get some rest. I'll be in my room."
"Alone?"
With a hint of sorrow that Jesse didn't quite catch, Janus replied, "Yes. Alone."
END of chapter four
Didja like it?? I need reviews, I am starved for reviews...
Ja ne!
--Samalander
Things Best Forgotten
Estre closed the door, shutting herself and Janus into Janus' room. She smiled. "Now that we're alone, there's some things I'd like to talk about," She said softly. Janus glared.
"This relationship is far past over, Estrelania," He said sternly. "I may only be a Guardian, but I have rights. I don't want you harrassing me any longer."
"Harrassing you?" Estre looked hurt. "Is that what you think I'm doing?" She stepped a little closer, noticing as she did that she was at least an inch taller than Janus was-- he hadn't grown at all since they last met. "I love you, Janus, I always have. I just want a second chance..."
"I cannot and will not," Janus replied firmly. "I haven't the time nor the patience to look after you any longer. And besides--"
Estre frowned. "I know what it is," She interrupted softly. "It's that girl. 'Jessica'. She's got red hair just like your mother's--"
She had hit Janus' soft spot. "Shut up."
"--Just like poor Maria's," Estre continued hatefully, "Who was blinded in the war and abandoned by her husband. All you want is a little motherly love, right Janus? I never knew you could be that way. How old is she? Will you ditch her too, just like your--"
Janus snarled and slapped Estre, who gave a cry of pain and staggered into the wall. He grabbed her by the collar and yanked her down to his level. "If you ever talk about my Mother like that again, I'll rip your throat out," He growled, almost too low to hear. "You should know better than to tempt a murderer." He let her go, and she straightened, rubbing her neck painfully.
"I'm sorry Janus," Estre whispered, trying a different tactic, "But I'm jealous of her. How could she win you over when I never could?"
"She doesn't lie to me," Janus grumbled, slumping on his bed.
Estre sat next to him. "I won't lie to you anymore, I promise. Don't be so quick to turn me away, Janus-- sure, we had some hard times... But don't you remember what else we had? Heat, desire, passion... She could never satisfy you like I could." She ran her fingers through Janus' hair. Her jerked away. "I know you're not allowed to touch her past a certain point," Estre breathed, "I know how you are, what you really want. You're like an animal in a cage, just waiting to be let out."
Janus stared at his hands, silent.
"Think, Janus. You know I'm right." Estre touched Janus' cheek, and this time he didn't move. "Maybe we aren't right for each other, but don't you think we could work something out..?"
Hadji winced as Jesse stood on his shoulders. "Really, Jesse, I think this is a gross invasion of privacy. If they have shut the door, they most likely do not want you looking in on them."
Jesse glared down at him. "And what could they be doing that they don't want me to see, eh? Just think of me as the well-meaning nosy girlfriend."
Hadji shook his head, sighing, and lifted Jesse farther up so she could look over Janus' balcony into his window. Jesse scrambled up, trying to see without being seen. "Just-- a little-- more..." She finally got a foothold on the balcony, and looked in through the french doors to Janus' room. And gasped.
Janus was kissing her, that woman Estre. It wasn't a peck on the cheek, nothing friendly about it, and he wasn't being kissed against his will again, either. He was full on kissing her on the lips, running his fingers through her long hair, slowly sliding his hand up her shirt--
Jesse faltered and lost her balance, then fell. She crashed to the ground with a yelp and a crack from her arm. She lay there a for a few moments, dazed, before the pain hit and she curled up. Hadji ran over to her. "Jesse! Are you badly hurt?!"
"I-- I think I broke my arm," Jesse said shakily, trying not to cry.
Jonny ran out the them. "What happened?!"
There was a sound like a door slamming open and a femenine cry, then a thump on the ground next to them, and suddenly Janus was kneeling there next to her. "Jesse, come on, it's going to be all right..."
All through the trip to the hospital and the whole time there with the doctor, Janus didn't ask any questions of Jesse, not how she broke her arm, not why she was outside his window. He only stroked her hair and told her it was going to be all right and whispered reassurances, as if she had just fallen out of a tree. Or as if he knew. Estre had followed the ambulance in her car, speeding along behind it like a little blue bullet. She mostly stayed in the background while at the hospital, but once when Jesse looked over at her she thought she saw the awful woman smiling smugly.
Hours later, back in the big house, Janus sat by Jesse's bedside and watched over her silently. Estre was supposedly waiting for him in his room. Jesse stared at Janus as he stared out the window at the moon for at least a quarter of an hour, when finally she found she couldn't take it anymore. Softly, she asked, "So aren't you wondering how I broke my arm?"
"It isn't any of my business, unless you'd like to tell me," Janus replied calmly, with a touch of bitterness in his voice.
Jesse shrank down under her blankets. "You know, don't you."
"Yes. I know."
"Aren't you mad at me?"
"We've both done some things we shouldn't have," Janus said, sighing. "And I think we should put it behind us."
Jesse snorted. "Are you going to put Estre behind you? What's she going to do back there?"
Janus tore his gaze from the moon for a moment to give Jesse a look that froze her to the core. He looked back out at the stars before continuing. "Estrelania, unfortunatlely, is a mistake that I keep on making. It's hard to--" He paused. "The things she says make too much sense. I have sent her away, but she will no doubt be back."
"And this is going to happen again?"
"Perhaps. Hopefully not." Janus shook his head and leaned down to kiss Jesse on the cheek. He smelled of caramel. "It's late, and you've had a long day... You should get some rest. I'll be in my room."
"Alone?"
With a hint of sorrow that Jesse didn't quite catch, Janus replied, "Yes. Alone."
END of chapter four
Didja like it?? I need reviews, I am starved for reviews...
Ja ne!
--Samalander
