Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko. I just own the story idea.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Chapter 4: Written Confession
Jeremie walked back into his room, slipping easily into his chair and resting his fingers on the keyboard as his computer whirred to life. It was a familiar routine for the young genius, one that would continue for most of the evening until dinner and almost through the night.
None of the others knew Jeremie still stayed up late at night, working on new ways to combat XANA. He had no intention of letting them know. If he did, he knew what would happen; Odd would make some kind of joke about how he couldn't stay away from the computer, Yumi would lecture him like a big sister, Ulrich would murmur quiet agreement with whatever Yumi said, and Aelita…
Aelita would say nothing, just gaze at him with worry darkening her normally cheerful emerald eyes. It was that look of combined pain and worry that struck Jeremie in a way no lecturing words or hard blow could.
He leaned back in his chair for a moment, silent as his thoughts switched over to the pink-haired girl. He loved her, and yet sometimes he couldn't understand what she saw in him.
Jeremie shook his head. It was no use thinking thoughts like that, he never got anywhere anyway. He pulled off his glasses briefly to massage his eyes before returning to his work.
The steady tapping of his fingers against the keys soothed him, and like always Jeremie fell into the familiar lull of typing, pausing occasionally to wipe his glasses or roll his shoulders to soothe tension, but his typing never decreased in speed.
A familiar lull, a familiar routine. Jeremie would spend the rest of his daylight hours and most of the night typing away on his computer, unless Odd, Ulrich, or Aelita came by to drag him off and get him to bed.
On his bed, his backpack hung haphazardly to the side; the strap slipped from beneath it and it finally tumbled to the ground with a loud thud, spilling its contents across the floor. He swiveled around on his chair, huffing slightly. But he couldn't just leave the mess unattended; Jim would get him for that.
Rising from his chair, Jeremie walked across the room and knelt, scooping up his books and notebooks into his arms and dumping them all back into his backpack. He knelt down again to retrieve the loose bits of paper that lay on the floor or drifted in the air.
And paused when he saw another paper lying on the ground, neatly folded.
Jeremie frowned, walking over and picking the paper up. He knew almost immediately that this hadn't been in his backpack; it showed no signs of wear and tear like the other things did, and it was unruffled and neat. Had someone put it in his backpack? He had left it in his room after ninth period, so it was possible…
After a long moment of hesitation, Jeremie cautiously unfolded the paper.
…. A letter…. From Aelita?
Confused, feeling nervous, Jeremie began to read.
Jeremie,
So, um… yeah. Hi. It's Aelita. But you probably already know that, don't you? Yeah…
… You can probably tell I've never done this before.
A soft laugh escaped Jeremie as he read this; Aelita had never had a problem admitting her shortcomings. He continued reading.
As you know, I was down at the hermitage again after school; just to see if I could save anything, bring anything back. My mother left something for me, which I found… and it made me think. About you, really. About us. About… love.
I think I knew right from the start that we wouldn't… just be friends, even though I often said you were my best friend and you said the same when I was on Lyoko. I always felt… different around you. In a good way… like friendship times ten. Even better then that. I don't know how to explain it.
And for awhile, a long while, I didn't think I'd admit it to you. I guess… I guess I was scared. But the gift my mother left to me—to both of us, really—changed my thoughts on that…
I love you, Jeremie. I always have… and it used to scare me, just a little. But I'm not scared anymore. I know I love you, and I'm not scared anymore.
I left something here for you… it belonged to my father, I believe. He and my mother wore their wedding rings around their necks… and they left the rings to me so I could wear one and give the other to the boy I loved.
I'm giving it to you.
Love,
Aelita
A feeling of exhilaration and unbridled joy surged through Jeremie as he read the words, written in the neat cursive that he loved. Again and again he read the letter, a small smile forming. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a glint, and he looked to the floor, gasping softly.
A single wedding ring, attached to a chain, lay on the floor, the weak sunlight glimmering on the dark gold surface; it had fallen out when he had opened the letter, but he hadn't noticed it. He knelt, scooping it up and cradling it in both hands. The smile blossomed into a full blown grin. "Aelita…"
I love you, too.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Yeah, confessions of love are not my strong point... at all. I tried my best.
Read and review, please!