More and more of Faith's things gather in his apartment and every night it's a guessing game of where they will end up. Sometimes they sleep separately, sometimes they fall asleep together watching movies his bed, or hers. Still, most of the time is spent studying, making each other coffee and tea using each other knowledge to ask questions.
Laundry was done to whoever managed to remember about it first, and cooking was often the same fashion though Faith seemed to bring more colour and salad to his fridge.
Everything was done with unspoken words, a touch a hand and a look that lead them tumbling into the bedroom.
They drive back to the Island for Christmas together.
"How were exams for you?" Faith asks as if she hadn't seen him slaving over these books and studying every moment he could. Then again she did the same.
"Good I think, just glad it's over with for the semester," Jem says his eye-catching the ring that hadn't left her finger since October that was playing with as she always does these days. "I suppose we need to hide that?
"I suppose I should be put in a safe spot, no need to give my family a heart attack?" Faith says laughing. "I've gotten used to wearing it, and my god it works extremely well, I don't think I ever had such a peaceful round of library studies before. Though the church has caught on to it I think? Reverend Daniel keeps trying to bring it up and I keep laughing it off and telling him, that he's reading too much into everything and my family is perfectly all right with everything."
"You mean, like practically living with me?" Jem says teasingly.
"I have my own room, Rosemary talked it over with Dad and got him to be all right with it. Something about being too busy for anything else but studying?" Faith says with a small impish grin.
"You did take your pill this morning?" Jem asks looking over at her, suddenly realizing that he hadn't seen her take it. Something about the idea of two weeks apart had made last night something else for them both.
"You know what, I thought I forgot something," Faith says after a moment and Jem swerves on the road in panic. "Seriously Jem! Of course, I did," She exclaims reaching for the wheel.
"Don't make jokes like that, not when we clearly don't use anything else," Jem gives her a look.
"But you're so cute when you panic," Faith laughs.
"You wouldn't be so cute if you're peeing on a stick," Jem gives her a look. "Or I'll pick up some rubbers on our way home?"
Faith raises an eyebrow and gives a look of I'll believe it when I see it. It really felt like unless it was with someone else, neither of them would go back at this point.
He drops Faith off at her parents, before driving to Ingleside
"I'm here!" He calls out.
"Kitchen," someone calls out and he drops his things and kicks off his shoes before heading towards the back of the house.
His parents are there with Walter and he almost didn't recognize her for a good moment. Rilla had come home for Christmas! While still looking impossibly thin, she looked healthier and her hair had some shine and bounce to it once more. She had a smile on her face for the first time in so long. It looked like some of her spunk, her light has come back.
"You look good," he comments quietly.
"I'm better, getting there slowly," she tells him, though what surprises him most is that she reaches for a hug. He doesn't remember the last time she hugged his sister, and he hugs her tightly. She still smells like his little sister, a smell he knows and cherishes after so many years of being her big brother. "I help with the horses and learned to ride a bit." She says sitting down once more.
"That's good," he says sitting next to her.
"Group therapy helps a lot as well. It was nice to know that I wasn't the only one. I'm still on medication and still watched of course," She says quietly, Walter takes another chair and carefully takes her hand and squeezes it.
"Well, give it time. You gave us all a scare last spring," Jem says reaching out cautiously and taking her other hand and she lets him, though she does flinch ever so slightly. "I'm sorry I showed you that place though, trying to be the cool older brother I just—,"
"What? Why are you sorry I went to the party…I would have found the place!" Rilla's voice squeaks. "Please don't blame yourself for my choices, if my therapist tells me that I can't blame myself, then you shouldn't be able to blame yourself either."
"See that is the Rilla I knew all my life," Jem says grinning.
"Well, I'm trying my best, though what's up with you and Faith living together? Even Nan and Jerry don't do that?" She asks him.
"Honestly, we're just trying to keep a nosy classmate from bothering her," Jem says cautiously. "I needed a roommate and it all worked out."
"Sure, and I am sure all the cuddling and kissing is just an added bonus?" Rilla actively teases him. "Nan says campus thinks you're engaged?"
"It's not like it happens all the time," Jem says before shutting his mouth and everyone seems to look at him.
"I knew it!" Rilla jumps up. "You are dating."
"We're not dating," Jem clarifies. "Seriously I mean it, it's all for show, nothing is real."
Walter is watching him, so close together growing up they were more like twins than their actual twin sisters. His parents look at him for a long moment, as if they debating if he needs a talk about safe sex or something or another again.
"I'm serious, look we're adults we know what we're doing," Jem tells them as his phone goes off.
"Seriously how did we get roped into this?" Jem asked. "Joseph was not a ginger."
"It's the nativity Jem, it's not the end of the world," Faith says rolling her eyes, fixing her veil.
"Mary wasn't even blonde," Jem adds on
"Well, take that up with the Vatican and the medieval times," Faith says rolling her eyes while tying his sash for him.
"Why isn't Una Mary? I mean she's the actual virgin because you definitely aren't" Jem whispers.
"Oh thanks, but considering you're the ginger, you can be Mary Magdalene on us then," Faith rolls her eyes.
"And really we all believe that Joseph didn't care? Just went along with everything when the kid wasn't even his?"
"First off why do you think Una is a virgin? Second, you're not gonna talk yourself out of this," Faith tells him as she tugs on his middle-eastern style headdress.
"Because it's Una I don't think I have ever heard or seen her dating anyone, nor have you even mentioned it beyond her hanging out with Walter?"
"yeah Hanging out," Faith air quotes him and when he looks at her blanket. "Seriously do you not listen at all? She and Walter are dating, and trust me, she is not some Virgin Mary. That thing last week that you liked. Yeah, that came from her."
"Okay, I really didn't need to know about that or them, also it's getting a bit creepy between our families. Seriously Glen needs a new family…. "Jem says…before it dawns on him. "You mean that?… Faith that's my brother! Oh my god, I really can't get that out of my head."
"Oh come on, you liked it," Faith whispers grinning. "Now, remember don't panic and drop baby Jesus," Faith tells him.
"I don't like being the centre of attention Faith…you know I don't like this stuff. I don't even want to ever have a wedding because I don't want people to watch me be a fool and mess up his vows one day. Jem groans.
"Oh come on, you will never be the centre of attention in this. Joe is just a nice tolerant guy who clearly knows that this kid can't be his, and face it, the groom is never the centre of attention that is for the bride." Faith pats his face. "So nothing to worry about, now come on and remember you love baby Jesus like he's your own."
"Isn't this whole thing cultural appropriation," Jem asks looking at himself. Fixing his headdress she put it on his head.
"It's the nativity Jem, I think people get it's more of a celebration and really not that deep," Faith gives him a look.
She looks around for a moment, before kissing him quickly realizing no one else was around. "Don't be so nervous, if you can slice and dice people, you can do a simple nativity scene."