Never Too Late, a code lyoko fanfic

A/N: I figured I owed you guys some Jerlita. :3
So, this song kinda reminds me of them. As well as the fact that it's been near the top of my playlist for a while, too, so to speak. Lol
Anywho, enjoy! ^^

Sissi's shrill laughter filled the hall, at Aelita's expense, once more. She cursed herself, wishing she hadn't trusted her; Aelita should've known better. She wrapped her arms around herself as she shuffled off to hide in her room, embarrassed and feeling alone. She shook her head as she scurried down the hall. She reached her dorm and slipped inside, resisting the urge to slam the door, instead willing herself to simply disappear, because that seemed the simplest option. She sat on her bed and stared down at her hands which were folded in her lap, feeling stupid. She should've known better. There was no excuse…

This definitely wasn't the world virtual Aelita had pictured outside of Lyoko. Outside of her virtual prison, things were supposed to be safe, happy, and, well… different. On earth things were basically the same, but instead of a Schypozoa there was Sissi. Things here were almost scarier in a way; more real, to the literal extent. There was the severity of pain, there was war, there was sickliness, there was the threat of time; growing old. Definitely not what virtual Aelita had expected.

This world will never be
What I expected
And if I don't belong
Who would have guessed it
I will not leave alone
Everything that I own
To make you feel like it's not too late
It's never too late

Aelita's world did have something, though, that Lyoko didn't; Jeremie. Jeremie was the one to call no matter what. No matter how upset she was, no matter how messed up, Jeremie was always the one to make her feel better. No matter what. It was a trait Jeremie alone possessed. She'd texted him once she'd gotten up the courage, and instead of texting back, as she'd expected, there was a knock on her door. She simply stared at it for a moment before she'd decided to open it. And on the other side? Her knight in shining armor- or, should she say glasses, - Jeremie Belpois.

She allowed him inside, shut the door behind him, then returned to her previous spot on her bed. She leaned back against the wall, then began to explain today's sequence of events. She spared Jeremie no gory detail. Jeremie seemed troubled by her pain, and tried to console her. She expressed her regret, her anguish, and her remorse. She was upset, thus said some things that perhaps she shouldn't; such as the fact that sometimes she wished that she'd stayed in Lyoko. Jeremie reminded her that if she had, she probably wouldn't have made as much progress as she had, nor would she as big of a threat to XANA, but Aelita didn't seem to care. Jeremie decided then to stay silent, noticing he wasn't being much of a help. So, instead they sat.

Even if I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it all around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late

Jeremie's presence alone had, in fact, made Aelita feel a bit better, even if he remained silent. She turned her head towards him, and found he was simply gazing at her. He watched her with slight concern, wondering if her spirits had lifted any. She gave him a weak smile, but he wasn't quite convinced. "Jeremie…" She murmured, realizing how out of line she'd gotten when she was speaking earlier, "I'm sorry." She apologized, genuinely. He gave her a puzzled look. "For what, Princess?" he asked. Aelita half-laughed once because of the familiarity of her Odd-given nickname coming out of Jeremie's lips, obviously an attempt to lift her spirits. "I shouldn't have said that…" She said guiltily as she broke eye contact, staring downward. Jeremie still wasn't following, but he thought it wise not to make her repeat herself and make her feel worse. She returned her gaze to his. "Thank you for bringing me here," she saw a look of realization cross his face, as he now understood, "I was really out of line. Earth is much more…" she struggled to find the accurate word, "auspicious." she finished. "I probably wouldn't even be alive right now, if I'd stayed in Lyoko… I truly am grateful, even if I don't act it." She averted her stare once more, but Jeremie didn't. He simply watched Aelita carefully, as he contemplated her words. He knew she was grateful. She hadn't had to apologize. Then again… it was just a part of her sweet nature to feel guilty so instantaneously and do so. Jeremie smiled a small, careful smile, then put one of his hands on top of hers. "I know…" He murmured, not quite sure what else to say.

No one will ever see
This side reflected
And if there's something wrong
Who would have guessed it
And I have left alone
Everything that I own
To make you feel like
It's not too late
It's never too late
Even if I say
It'll be alright
Still I hear you say
You want to end your life
Now and again we try
To just stay alive
Maybe we'll turn it all around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late

Aelita looked back up at Jeremie once more. Her heart was pounding, but she wasn't sure why. The only known cause? Jeremie's hand on top of hers. Aelita felt heat rising to her cheeks, and Jeremie's were reddening as well. She felt a smile grow on her face. It kept growing and growing until it was a flat-out grin, and as her smile grew Jeremie's did, too. His smile was a sweet smile, a caring smile, one that was happy that she was happy. She wasn't sure what happened next, it was more of an impulse than a decision; painfully slow but blindingly fast simultaneously. Their faces grew closer and closer, and with each millimeter their hearts pounded faster and their cheeks reddened more than ever. Eventually their lips touched. Aelita had half expected Jeremie to spring back, embarrassed, but he hadn't. Their lips moved slowly against each other's, and soon enough they parted. For what seemed like an eternity, they simply sat and stared at each other, not knowing what happens next. They sat in silence; one that wasn't awkward, but blissful. Aelita's mouth curved up in a smile once more. "You always seem to know the right thing to say," she smirked and blushed simultaneously. Jeremie's face flushed crimson. This seemed to Aelita that it was soon to be a reoccurring habit.

The world we knew
Won't come back
The time we've lost
Can't get back
The life we had
Won't be ours again

This world will never be
What I expected
And if I don't belong

As it turned out, Aelita was right. After a few confessions and much blushing, Aelita and Jeremie had decided that they should become a couple. Jeremie was her bliss. From now on, well… Things were just like before, but now there was more romance in Aelita's life. Not that she was complaining or anything… Jeremie had proven to be a good (but painfully shy) boyfriend; Aelita wasn't surprised. He called her his angel, his love, his pink haired beauty. Not something you'd quite expect from Jeremie Belpois, but, as Aelita found, he's full of pleasant surprises…

Maybe we'll turn it all around
'Cause it's not too late
It's never too late (It's never too late)
It's not too late
It's never too late…

A/N: So I kind of hate the last part at the moment, but we can ignore that for now. Pretty soon I'll be going back and criticizing everything like I was just doing with all of my other old work not too long ago. Ah, well. As far as I'm concerned, the more my old writing style (*coughcoughlackofskillcough*) annoys me, the more I've improved since then. And, let me tell you, my first Jerlita fic REALLY bugs me. All hail the mighty power that is improvement. Reviews are nice, but I'm not going to beg like I used to. Toodaloo. :3