Virginia shook her head at herself in pretend disgust. She chuckled slightly and glanced over to Jet. To her surprise, he was smiling, the first time she had ever seen him do so. It was humble and weak, as if afraid that it would be exiled from its wearer, but it was there. She almost had trouble recognizing him and had to stare at him for a couple of seconds before realizing that this smile was a tiny crack in the stone wall he kept so closed around himself.
She felt she was peering into his soul, untarnished and unscarred. She was looking at the real Jet. She flushed red at being allowed to see such a personal thing.
She flowed forward to kiss him, to taste the sweetness of content and happiness he was so kind to reveal to her, for even the slightest of moments. She felt his warm breath on her face as her lips touched his, and she felt warmth flush her body. She had been able to touch in the most tender of ways.
Jet jerked away quickly. "What the hell?!" he snapped, running his hand embarrassedly through his hair.
Virginia looked up at him, now a complete contrast to the person he just was. He was wearing the mask with a scowl. It had been carved with the years of tormenting loneliness he suffered. The crack in the wall was gone. He was now impenetrable.
"Sorry..." lied Virginia quickly touching her lips with her quivering fingers. The warmth had faded, though not completely.
He glared at her. "Whatever," he spat. "Don't come near me again." His voice wasn't dripping in disgust like she knew he wanted it to. He... actually sounded slightly afraid. There must be a way to let the real Jet free, to shatter his mask.
"Why?" challenged Virginia.
"Don't..." he growled simply. "Just don't."
"That's not a good enough answer!" she yelled.
"Because I hate you!" he spat looking away from her, looking at the ground, the stars, anywhere but at Virginia. His last words echoed around them, taunting them.
"No you don't," sobbed Virginia, reaching for his hand with her own. He yanked it away from her shaking grasp and she fell to her knees.
"Stay away from me," he said.
"Why?" she gasped, tears breaching the rims of her blue eyes.
"I hate you," he said again. "I hate you because you care for me, because you love me, because you watch me when I sleep, because you watch me when you think I'm not looking. You comfort me when I'm sick, because you worry about me, because you're scared for me, because you embrace me when everyone else is afraid to come near..."
Virginia sobbed and dug her nails into the dirt. Jet's expression remained unchanged.
"I hate you because I care for you, because I love you, because I watch you when you sleep, because I watch you constantly and try to shield you from all the disdain in the world."
Tears fell in a steady rhythm from Virginia's red eyes.
"I despise you. You give me hope, but I can never be with you Virginia Maxwell. Never. I cannot forgive you for that."
"Why? Why can't we be together?"
Jet shook his head. "Tell me Virginia, did you play with dolls when you were younger?"
She nodded solemnly.
"Where are those dolls now? In the attic? In a box? Gathering dust with the passing years as you grow older and start to forget? I am as unchanging and constant as those dolls Virginia. I wasn't blessed with the ability to age and grow, but cursed with youth instead. I am not human. Hell, I'm not even a demon. I'm a machine, merely twisted metal and math calculations."
"I don't care!" Virginia yelled, covering her ears with her hands, shaking her head wildly, refusing to believe him as her braid lashed and danced behind her.
"Oh you do care Virginia, or you wouldn't be so afraid to listen," Jet sneered.
She sobbed and gritted her teeth, hugging her hands closer to her ears.
"I'm a shadow Virginia. Don't you understand? I'm the long dead reflection of Enduro's fool of a son, a dead image of the Council of Seven's hopes and dreams. I'm not even supposed to look like this. I was a mistake. Enduro's son died because of me. The council was punished because of their sin, and I was that punishment. I was completed before the Yggdrasil incident, and your father died trying to save me. Can you live with that? Can you live with the embodiment of your father's death?"
"Stop it!" Virginia screamed. "Just shut up!"
Jet smirked and kneeled before Virginia. She glared at him through eyes of contempt and tears. "Do you hate me now?" Jet asked quietly.
"No..." she whispered. She looked directly into his eyes full of pain. Gaining confidence she said, "Your creation was fate, not an accident. You're a blessing. It was your memories that saved Filgaia. I don't know how daddy died, but it was you who brought him back the second time, wasn't it? You have that power don't you? Stop living in the past Jet, you have too bright a future."
Jet shook his head. "Virginia, just stay away from me. My wings are chained to the past and I can never move forward. We can't be together, no matter how you might try to persuade me."
"But you aren't! You're not chained to anything! I know you're human because you have emotions! You can hate. Isn't that proof enough? You can move forward! Please... We can do it together."
Jet was already standing and walking away as she uttered her last sentence. "I'll chase you Jet! No matter where you go, I'll be there first. I'll be waiting for you!"
Jet scoffed and didn't even look back. "What a fool."
