Well, here I am… Things kinda went bad here in the last weeks, relinquishing fluff to the dark corners of my mind, but guess what brought me back today? My boyfriend proposed to me! *SQUEAL* I'm getting MARRIED! Nothing like a candlelit birthday dinner with a boyfriend on his knees, handing me a little blue velvet box, to bring back fluff in your head. In fact, I'm not sure I could write anything else…
Je me sens mal d'être heureuse, alors que tu vis des temps de souffrances… Ceci est pour toi, Matthieu, même si tu ne liras probablement jamais cette histoire… N'oublies pas, tu n'es jamais seul avec ta peine, et je reste à tes côtés, quoi qu'il arrive.
Enjoy.
Chapitre treize
She looked deep into the green eyes, framed with her coppery hair and pale, almost white locks. Her eyes were full of anger and frustration, but also on the verge of tears. She put both her hands flat on the mirror, closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and counted to ten. It wasn't like it was the end of the world, no? She'd waited a month to see him, surely she could wait another day? She opened her eyes and moaned. No. Now that she'd made the decision to go back to him, she couldn't wait anymore. Letting loose her frustration, she pulled back her hands from the mirror, and let her fist bang on the hand paper distributor. The force of the blow opened the fragile plastic lid, and the paper roll dropped from it, rolling on the floor. A woman came out of a cabin and watched her warily before hurrying out of the women's room. Jade looked at the mirror again, rubbing her hurting hand, and her shoulders shook in a half-sob, half-laugh.
How could she miss her plane?
This plane was taking her to New Orleans, to him, to a new life… and she missed it?
She took her handbag and left the women's washroom. She headed for the glass doors, but stopped in her tracks. What would she tell Raven? The situation was ridiculous, at least seen through another person's eyes, but she felt like it was the end of the world right now, and she couldn't stand Raven's reaction to her return, whatever it may be. She cast a last look at the door, but turned and headed for the lines of plastic chairs near the big windows.
Jade let herself fall back to sit on one of the red chairs, put her burgondy handbag on the chair next to her, and let her head drop in her hands. She sighed deeply, trying to calm herself down. The situation was ridiculous, and by no means desperate. She would just have to wait another day to see him, and that was all. She half sobbed. He wasn't even aware of her coming, it's not like he would worry or anything… No. The only problem was that she was angry with herself. Very angry. With herself, and the darn desperately slow taxi driver.
~~
He hung up the phone from which he could still hear Henri's laugh and turned to the big windows. Why had he come here? Surely she was already gone, leaving on the plane that was taking altitude in the dark sky. It was dark outside, and he could see the skyscrappers enlighted with thousands of lights. His eyes drifted upwards again, back to the flashing red lights taking Jade away to New Orleans, where Henri and Émile would be waiting for her and ready to send her back to New York on the next plane. Him? He would stay just here, sitting on these plastic chairs, until she came back. He wasn't going to move a toe from this airport.
Remy slowly walked to the lines of red chairs, now almost empty at this time of day. He sat on one of them, next to a burgondy handbag, without a look for the person sitting on the next chair.
At least not until she sighed, and leaned back in her chair. He looked at her, and his jaw dropped.
'It's her!' he first thought. Then 'Why is she here instead of on the plane?' She seemed completely oblivious of him and her surroundings, and stared at her two hands, holding her old leather purse in her lap. Her auburn hair was tied back in a loose ponytail in her neck, the coppery waves reaching the small of her back, and two pale curls framed her sad face, too short to stay secured behind her ears. Her emerald eyes were almost closed, dark lashes resting on her high cheeks, and it was not until then that he realized she had cried. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears, and her still wet lashes blinked hard as a fresh tear dripped down her cheek, dying on her upper lip. She licked it, bitting her lip, and closed her eyes in an attempt not to cry.
Why wasn't she on the plane? Had she changed her mind, and decided not to go to him? His heart squeezed painfully in his chest at the thought. He vainly repressed a sigh, and reached out to her.
~~
Jade wanted to be alone. She wanted to wait until everyone would leave, and then cry alone on her seat until she didn't feel stupid anymore, or until the next plane for New Orleans would leave. But the moment she thought she was alone, that man had to sit right next to her. She didn't look at him, and closed her eyes. Maybe he would leave if she ignored him. But he didn't.
She sighed deeply and leaned back, her eyes still closed. She didn't notice when the man shifted on his seat, nor when he sighed deeply. But she noticed the brushing of his hand on her temple, pushing a lock away from her face. Startled, she grabbed his wrist and yanked the hand down, and looked up at the face of this stranger. She gasped.
He looked as surprised as her to see her, and his eyes were intent on hers, like red hot embers. His soft, long, straight auburn hair had been tied up at the back of his head, but shorter locks escaped and fell in his face, and the ponytail brushed the hem of his brown trenchcoat. He looked tired and a light beard covered his cheeks, and she realized that he must have been up early to take the plane for New York. Her heart fluttered at the thought. He had come for her?
He made her a small smile, and tugged at his wrist, still in her grasp, and she blushed when she saw she was still holding it, her knuckles gone white with the pressure she was putting in her fingers. She let him go and he rubbed his wrist as his grin grew larger.
"Didn't know y'had such a strong grip, chère."
"Ah train" she said, and slapped herself mentaly. What kind of reply was that? Her face gone red, she got on her feet, and he looked up at her, his eyes questionning her. "Remy… what are… why are yah here?" His grin faded slightly and his eyes left her face. He looked around at the almost empty room, licking his lips, and looked down at his hands. She felt miserable, this really wasn't going like she wanted it to go. Why was she asking this question?
"I thought de answer would be easy, chère." He looked at her again, getting on his feet as well. She knew she was tall, but he was a little more than six feet tall, and towered a good head over hers. She resisted the urge of looking away to hide her blush, and tilted her head back, looking in his eyes. He was a good two feet away from her, but she could feel his presence, and the smell of cologne mixed with tobacco smoke came to her nose, raising goosebumps on her arms, and waking up a familiar warmth in her stomach. And he hadn't touched her yet… "I came here fo'you." Very simple words, but enough to make her insides melt. She smiled, the corners of her lips trembling.
"Why… why did yah come now?" She kept her hands clasped on her purse, to keep them from shaking. He moved forward, his warm presence enveloping her in a pleasant cocoon.
"Y'didn't leave a name, Mademoiselle Fraser… It took us two weeks to give'y an identity, and find'y in dis jungle y'call a city." He reached out a hand and gently traced the line of her jaw with a soft finger. She closed her eyes, shivering, but he pulled his hand back and the warm feeling shooed away with his touch. "I would have come sooner, chère, if y'd left me a chance to find'y." His tone had dropped to a serious one, and she was very aware of his presence in front of her. Her lungs hurt, and she noticed she wasn't breathing anymore. She took a deep breath.
"Ah'm sorry Ah left… Ah… Ah was afraid, Ah guess. Ah wasn't ready for all of this."
"And you aren't yet." It sounded more like an affirmation than a question, and she looked up into his eyes to find a look of resignation in the burning embers. She frowned.
"What?"
He narrowed his eyes. "De plane left, Jade. Why are'y still here?" She slowly opened her mouth, realizing he thought she had changed her mind about going to New Orleans. She smiled, a chuckle escaping from her lips, and walked the last step separating her from him, putting both her hands on his chest. His hands flew upwards, gently settling on her arms, his thumbs drawing light circles on the tender skin of the inside of her wrists.
"Ah missed mah plane, sugah. Ah would have flew to yah without a second thought if that darn taxi driver hadn't been so slow." He smiled and bent his head, bringing his eyes inches from hers.
"I'm glad he was. Or I would've gone to New Orleans, and y'would've come back here, while I had to come back here too, givin' y time to go back to New Orleans…" She chuckled and let her hands run on the rough fabric of his trenchcoat, slowly taking the lapel of the coat between her thumbs and index. She tugged at it, forcing him to bent his head down a little more, and spoke in a whisper, close enough to know he could feel her breath on his lips. She was feeling dizzy, but she knew she was in full control of herself. A new herself, perhaps, but still in control. His hands on her arms twitched, but he didn't pull away.
"Now that would have been cliché, wouldn't it sugah?" His grin largened, if such a thing was possible, and he bent his head even more, his rough cheek brushing on hers. She shivered and closed her eyes, inhaling the smell of men's perfume coming from his neck.
"I love clichés, chère. But I wanna know what'y want." She opened her eyes, and turned her head to look at him.
"Ah want you" she answered, surprising herself with the frankness in her voice. He let go of her wrists and his arms went down, circling her waist and bringing her close to him.
"Dat's not a full answer. Y'want me to stay here, or y'want to go back with me?" She smiled. Him? Survive in New York? He wouldn't live to see the first snowflakes.
"Ah don't care. Ah only want you, and Ah don't want yah to die in the cold." He laughed softly and tilted his head, bringing his lips on hers. (A/N: about time! Pfft, men!) He kissed her softly at first, his hands on the small on her back, pulling her body against his. She soon circled his neck with her arms and stood on tip-toe, pushing the kiss deeper until their body's basic need for air pulled them appart. He let his head tilt down until his forehead was against hers, and spoke.
"I'm still a thief, y'know."
"And Ah'm a very pig-headed woman, when Ah want." He smiled and kissed her, quick and soft.
"Ye're gonna have to stand Henri." Her eyebrows went up at that, and he shrugged, a smile on his lips. "Yeah, he's alive, and ready to rock."
"That means…" He nodded, a look of great satisfaction in his eyes.
"I'm no leader anymore." She couldn't resist giving him a smile.
"Well, yah're all gonna have to stand me." He squeezed her a little more, and gave her a devilish grin.
"I leave de toilet seat up. Ye're gonna have to pull it down ev'rytime." She laughed.
"What is this? A plan to make me change mah mind? Well Ah've got news for yah, sugah, Ah leave the toilet seat down, so yah're gonna have to pull it back up everytime." It was his time to laugh, and she warmed up at the sound of his low-tone, franc laughter.
"You win, chère." He kissed her again. "But ye're not gonna convince me I'm de looser in dis relationship."
They were interrupted by a light cough, and they turned their head to see Raven standing next to them, her hair wet and her jacket soaked up and dripping, leaving small puddles of water on the floor. She raised her hand, showing the dangling keys in her hand, and narrowed her eyes at Remy.
"Care to go back in the car, since you found her? I'm getting tired of waiting in the rain." She was trying to look serious, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her. Remy smiled, and Raven rolled her eyes, turning to Jade.
"I'll drop you at the appartment, but I'm spending the night at Bobby's place." Jade nodded, and Raven winked devilishly. "I'll go get the car." She turned to leave and Jade moved to follow her, but Remy caught her arm.
"Wait."
His hands went to her face, cupping it gently, and he bent down, putting his lips on her offered ones. She moaned and stood on tip-toe, her arms going around his waist, and she slid her hands under the trenchcoat and t-shirt to feel his skin under her fingers. His hands slid to the back of her head, pushing her lips hard against his, as his tongue searched for hers. She answered his silent question and arched her back, her breasts crushing against his chest, and his hands went in her back, pressing her against him. They both started when they heard a second cough, and turned their head with a smile.
An old lady glared at them, rolled her eyes, and walked away, murmuring to herself on how young persons had no good sense today. Jade smiled and looked at him. "Ah wonder if Ah'll think like that too, when Ah'm her age." Remy looked at her a long time before answering.
"I don't know, chérie. But I'll still be dere in fifty years to talk about it with you." Her smile faded, and she searched his face for any humour. There wasn't.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The end…?
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