Jesse stood there, holding his breath.
Slowly. C'mon, slowly....
His knuckle didn't touch the wood when he yanked it back and exhaled. He raised his hand and sucked in some air again.
Inches. Centimeters.
Nope.
Jesse was about to try again when he took notice that the door was ajar, again. Slowly, he pushed the door open and was almost speared in the face by a needle. He'd managed to swing the door shut to protect himself. This time, he pushed the door open, but was kneeling down. A needle speared the wall behind him.
"Get out! Get out, you freak of nature!" Adrian yelled.
Jesse slowly peeked in and realized Adrian wasn't yelling at Jim or himself. It was Atticus.
The brunette wasn't budging. He stood his ground and hadn't been hit once. "You know I'm right."
"Right! As right as you are about Zane!"
"Ouch! Don't bring Zane into this! You know that I'm right about you."
"No, you're wrong!"
Jesse noticed Jim, lying on the floor, blood coming from his nose. He was trying to stop the bleeding and it looked as though Shirley took more priority over his broken or bloody nose. With no warning, Jesse threw the door open and dove for Jim as Adrian aimed a kick.
Jesse felt the horrid pain, but clung to Jim. "Don't hit him!" he yelled.
Adrian's face was twisted in anger and he grabbed a syringe off the table. "You're here. The one I've been after all this time!" He grabbed Jesse's arm. "You're going to regret walking into this room."
Jim, heroically, stomped Adrian in the face. He pushed Jesse back so the blue-haired boy stumbled into the brunette's arms. "Stay back!" He grabbed Adrian's ankle when the red-head went for Jesse again.
Jesse had an idea. It wasn't from what Zane had said, but what Zane had done. "Do you really think I'd like a sadistic, experimental man like you?"
Adrian stopped dead.
It worked. The words hurt.... a bit. Adrian shook it off and charged again. This time, it was Atticus to the rescue.... sort of.
He took his shoe off and put his sock and foot on Adrian's face. "See? I told you I was right. You stink."
Adrian backed off and Jesse felt Atticus' grip tighten around his shoulders. "You're such a--!"
"Punk? Witch with a b? Unsightly homo? Cross-dressing homo? I've heard every name under the sun. Try me."
"You're such a freak of nature! Get out of my room!"
"Ah, see, that's a problem. I can't leave without Jim. I kind of promised that I'd save him the agony of... you."
Jim's eye focused on Jesse as the blood from his nose slowly stopped. "Jesse...."
Jesse forced Atticus' hand off him and slid beside Jim. He quickly used his sleeve and started to wipe the blood from Jim's face. Adrian had an opening on Jesse's part. While Jesse was focused on Jim, he saw Shirley's reaction.
Quickly, he whipped around and flicked the blood on his fingers at Adrian.
Adrian cursed and swore in every language, calling Jesse every name under the sun. Jesse was stunned and Jim and Atticus were suppressing laughter.
Jesse finally shook it off and helped Jim up. "Let's get out of here, Jim. I think we'll need to change your shirt."
Jesse got Jim into Jim's room, where he set Jim on the bed. Jesse went to the luggage propped open by the door. Jim was so neat.
Jim made a noise as he tried taking off his shirt. His body seemed sore. Jesse quickly picked up a nice shirt and went to Jim. He took off the vest and waited to see if Jim wanted help with the shirt. Then he noticed it. Jim's right shoulder seemed to twitch with agitation when he'd move it.
"Jim, let me do it." Jesse's face was turning pink as he said that. He quickly slapped away Jim's hand and started undoing the buttons. "Honestly, I wish you'd be more careful. Getting your nose broken ain't bein' careful, Jim."
Jim couldn't help but smile. Jesse was so.... nice.
As Jesse put the bloody shirt in the wash hamper, Jim quickly felt his nose. It wasn't broken, like he'd first thought. The blood had been from the initial punch where the cartilage, covered in skin and veins had hit the bone protruding out to make his nose.
Jesse was crawling up behind Jim. "Jim, why are you all bandaged?" Jesse asked, his warm fingers brushing against the white bandages all over Jim's back. "Did something happen? Are you sure you're okay?"
He smiled and dropped his head, taking off his hat. "Yeah, I'm fine. They're healing."
Jesse's warm hand left Jim's back. "It's a pity, Jim."
"What is, mate?"
Jesse climbed back off the bed and threw the curtains open. The sunlight streamed in and wrapped around Jesse. That same glow from the moonlight was gold now. The halo around Jesse's face was beautiful. His aquamarine eyes looked like pastel colors. The fine hairs that flew up from the gust of wind tangled on his lip. He moved it away and Jim couldn't help but notice Jesse's lips were cracked slightly. Jesse smiled brightly and the warm didn't just fill with sunlight.
"See? Now it's nice and warm."
Jim wasn't sure if that was Jesse saying "I'm here for you" or "it's better warm than cold." Either way, Jim smiled before Jesse disappeared behind him again.
"Now, lift your arms up behind you so I can help you get dressed again."
Jim didn't move. He was trying to build up the courage to turn around.
"Jim? Is everything okay?"
Jim wheeled around and put his hands on Jesse's shoulders. He knocked the younger boy into the soft contours of the comforter. He leaned forward, his breath coming up short. Jesse's eyes were wide, but his face was flushed. Jesse slowly closed his eyes and--
"JIM!"
He jumped out of his skin and felt like he'd died. He dropped his head as he got up on all fours. His shoulder stung, but he looked over at the door. It wasn't that. He reached over to the night stand and grabbed his Student ComLink. "Yeah?" he asked, scratching his head as he sat beside Jesse.
Jesse was choking. He'd been so ready for it.
And then somebody called him.
"Jim, it's me."
"Yeah, I can see that, mate."
"Mind if I say you look mad, eh?"
"What can I do for the great Kaiser?"
Jesse fell over, off the bed and picked up Jim's shirt. No point waiting for nothing. He climbed back up, behind Jim and slipped his hand into Jim's strong one. Slowly, he put Jim's right hand into the sleeve and pretty soon, Jim was wearing the shirt, unbuttoned.
Jesse sat at the foot of the bed with his back to Jim.
He imagined huge steam puffs floating off his head. He imagined his face was so red, so hot that he could crack an egg and cook it on his forehead. He imagined himself just as big as a ball of lint on Jim's bed.
Jesse was about to leave when--
"Jesse?"
Jim turned the ComLink to him.
"Z-Zane." Jesse quickly jumped off the bed and stood near Jim. "What's up?"
Zane just mouthed it, rather than say it out loud. "Did you get him?"
Jesse's slumped shoulders and meek expression told Zane everything.
Again, mouthing. "Don't let him escape you." Out loud, Zane said; "Well, no harm, no fault."
Jim was confused. He heard the ComLink buzz off. He quickly closed it and put it on the nightstand. The sun warmed his hands and legs as Jesse stood there, unmoved by Zane's comment nor Jim's avoidance.
"Do you want me to button up your shirt?"
Jim gasped and looked down. That was a strange question, but it made sense. "I'd appreciate some help."
"What happened to your shoulder?"
"I banged it up. That's all." Jim smiled. His heart was set on Jesse. Jesse Anderson made Jim's heart choke his words and he couldn't get out much.
Jim had fallen for Jesse, and he'd fallen hard. Thankfully, Jesse had caught Jim and the two of them were falling together.