A/N: I think I might have screwed up some information in the last chapter
of this. If I did, please tell me.
**********
It was several seconds before any of them moved. The first thing Will
noticed was Bran's face: shocked, hurt, and, most surprising, a little
jealous.
Fortunately, the others were too horrified to notice. Fortunately, thought Will. Why fortunately? Simon was the first to speak. "How long has this been going on, then?" he said coolly, directing the question at Will. Jane started to answer, but Simon said venomously, "I asked him, not you, Jane." He looked back at Will. "Well?" Will swallowed. "Only just now, honestly. It was just....." He shrugged unhappily, looking over at Jane with an air of desperation. He really didn't want to be on Simon's bad side; they'd been friends for too long. Simon looked at Jane, as if for confirmation. "It's true, really it is, and, oh, don't be mad at us, we....we hardly.....we didn't even know..." "Didn't know what you were doing? How many times d'you think I've heard that excuse? Come off it, Jane, you and Will both knew perfectly well what you were doing. You are thirteen." Jane flushed. "Just because you're older than me doesn't make me a little girl, you know. You're right, I am thirteen, I can make my own choices. You had a girlfriend when you were thirteen. What's so different about me?" Simon looked down. What Jane said was true, but......she was so young. "All right, you're not a little girl, but I'm still your older brother, and I think you're making a mistake." "Oh, you think? Why should I care what you think? Ten minutes ago you were friends with Will, but now that I like him you suddenly disapprove? You think you're helping me, but you're nothing but an overprotective bastard who doesn't know how to keep his nose out of other people's business. Leave us alone!" Simon was stunned. Jane was usually shy and quiet. She'd never spoken to him like that before. Barney cleared his throat loudly. "Can we go inside now? It's getting jolly cold out here." Will nodded numbly, and Simon grunted, and Bran just turned around and walked back inside, shoulders hunched in a defeated sort of way. They trailed back inside, Jane clutching Will's hand as if for dear life, Simon looking at them suspiciously, and Will looking at Bran yet more suspiciously. Then Will chided himself. Bran was his best friend; even if Will had guessed right, Bran would never try to take Jane from him; you could see that from the defeated look in his eyes.
Then, just as they reached the warmth and light of the indoors, Will and Jane both remembered at almost the same time why they had been outside in the first place.
Fortunately, the others were too horrified to notice. Fortunately, thought Will. Why fortunately? Simon was the first to speak. "How long has this been going on, then?" he said coolly, directing the question at Will. Jane started to answer, but Simon said venomously, "I asked him, not you, Jane." He looked back at Will. "Well?" Will swallowed. "Only just now, honestly. It was just....." He shrugged unhappily, looking over at Jane with an air of desperation. He really didn't want to be on Simon's bad side; they'd been friends for too long. Simon looked at Jane, as if for confirmation. "It's true, really it is, and, oh, don't be mad at us, we....we hardly.....we didn't even know..." "Didn't know what you were doing? How many times d'you think I've heard that excuse? Come off it, Jane, you and Will both knew perfectly well what you were doing. You are thirteen." Jane flushed. "Just because you're older than me doesn't make me a little girl, you know. You're right, I am thirteen, I can make my own choices. You had a girlfriend when you were thirteen. What's so different about me?" Simon looked down. What Jane said was true, but......she was so young. "All right, you're not a little girl, but I'm still your older brother, and I think you're making a mistake." "Oh, you think? Why should I care what you think? Ten minutes ago you were friends with Will, but now that I like him you suddenly disapprove? You think you're helping me, but you're nothing but an overprotective bastard who doesn't know how to keep his nose out of other people's business. Leave us alone!" Simon was stunned. Jane was usually shy and quiet. She'd never spoken to him like that before. Barney cleared his throat loudly. "Can we go inside now? It's getting jolly cold out here." Will nodded numbly, and Simon grunted, and Bran just turned around and walked back inside, shoulders hunched in a defeated sort of way. They trailed back inside, Jane clutching Will's hand as if for dear life, Simon looking at them suspiciously, and Will looking at Bran yet more suspiciously. Then Will chided himself. Bran was his best friend; even if Will had guessed right, Bran would never try to take Jane from him; you could see that from the defeated look in his eyes.
Then, just as they reached the warmth and light of the indoors, Will and Jane both remembered at almost the same time why they had been outside in the first place.