~Jem's POV~

I flopped down on my bed in my tiny apartment, looking around. It felt even tinier now that I had seen the new apartment—my new apartment. The beautiful one. I couldn't believe it.

I picked up my privatized phone, which had already made it on my bed, and called the only number I knew.

"How'd you know I missed your voice?" Jude answered casually after a couple of rings.

I smiled. "Hey Jude. What are you up to?"

There was complete silence for a moment and then an exhale. He was smoking. "We just got to Chicago. We're playing a gig tonight. Right now we stopped for a bite. Sam and Declan are still inside, but I stepped out for a smoke." I had known Sam and Declan to smoke before, though Declan did rarely. Jude was just outside by himself now because he smoked at least double what they did. "What's up?"

"I got a new apartment," I answered, beginning to play with the loose fabric on my bed.

"Oh yeah? Get my room ready, I'll come visit you after this."

"Um, nothing is ready. I only just got it, like a half hour ago, so I don't know when it will be ready. It's kind of big and you know how I feel about, you know, shopping."

There was another exhale before he laughed, coughing a bit with the overlap. "Yeah, I know how you feel about shopping. You've had the same wardrobe for years. God forbid you had to actually talk to someone."

"See? You get me," I replied happily. And it was true, now that he mentioned it. All my clothes were provided by my father to "keep appearances" before I left. Well, at least he was good for something.

"Yeah, I know you all too well. Look, don't worry about it. I'll take care of all that when I come. I know it must have taken a lot out of you to have to talk to a realtor and all that."

I hesitated, deciding I didn't want to say anything about Seto. I didn't want to give Jude anything to comment on. But due to my discomfort with lying to my brother, all I said was, "Thanks Jude. I'll start packing up, see you soon."

"Bye, sis."

I hung up promptly, hoping that he hadn't picked up on the discomfort. He knew me very well, but he didn't always pay too much attention.

I set the phone down on my bed, hiding the screen, only to be faced with his logo. I ran my thumb over the etched letters—KC.

I had tried not to trouble myself with it, but I couldn't stop thinking about his comment at the end and what all of this meant. I wanted to think that it meant that there was still something more there, that he was trying to keep me around, that what he wanted was more of me. It was a foreign debate, I had never had a longing like this before.

At the same time, I felt like what I was reading was biased because of my desire for him. This is what would hold me back every time I thought he was just being stubborn, that I should go ahead and bring myself to him. But say I did what I wanted, and I was wrong. That would be the end of it, he wouldn't deal with me anymore. I would be alone in this city. Normally that would be fine, but I knew that now that I had experienced his company, I would feel his absence when it was gone.

I sighed. For now, I would have to continue to wait and see what happened.

~Seto's POV~

"How's Saturday afternoon?" Jem's question was abrupt and vague, disturbing the peace that we shared each day at lunch.

My eyes shot to her and I stopped typing. "What?" I asked, a bit annoyed.

"Will Saturday afternoon work for me to come read to you?" Jem had stopped too, her eyes on me. I did my best not to blatantly scan her, but I did look her over. I noticed now her relaxed state, only making her look softer. It was something I had to be close to notice. But then I remembered how she looked from afar, like when I first went into our English class. That was when I realized I didn't notice it because I was close, rather, she was relaxed only near me.

I did not much care for being read to like a child, but she would be near. And she loved to read. Then I envisioned glancing up from my work to see her across from me, soft and relaxed as she was now. She would be so caught up in her story that she wouldn't notice me. I could study her all I wanted. I did not need to interact with her, and I was used to having to listen to people and work before. And just as I found her looks pleasant, her voice was as well. Steady, pretty, and smooth. And she was right, it was work I needed to do. So Saturday afternoon...

"That works. I will be in my company office then."

So... I may or may not be working on another one of these, this time to pick up from where Until He Had It All left off. It would be another more adventure-y one. Interest?

Next Chapter: Move

He proceeded slowly. Cautiously. Nervously.