The things we lose Part I

Kyle went into Tanya's shop with the intention of getting a sword. When he saw Jake, however, his intentions immediately changed to doing his best not to punch the half-elf in the face.

Ever since Kyle laid eyes on Ceci and fell in love, things had been bad, but bad was rapidly becoming worse and worse between the men.

As Kyle moved past Jake to find Tanya and buy a sword, Jake glared, but Kyle ignored him. Until he realized Tanya wasn't there, so he turned about to Jake.

"I need a certain type of sword. Something with a large reach. Have anything?" Kyle said.

Jake looked up. "Take a look for yourself."

Tanya kept all of the merchandise displayed on the walls (and, yes, it was dangerous, especially during earthquakes, but Tanya must have been hit on the head one too many times because she just didn't care). As Kyle browsed, he couldn't help but say, as casually as he could, "So, had any sons steal my daughter away lately?"

"Nope. Had any daughters seduce my son on this beautiful day?"

"Nope. Only Aria."

"About Aria. Keep her away from my son."

"It isn't Aria who's after your son. Last time I checked, your son was after my poor little, innocent daughter."

"Nonsense," Jake said.

"How do you know?"

"Because Orland wouldn't touch her with a ten-foot pole."

"Yeah, but doesn't stop him because he certainly comes within less than ten feet of her all the time. AND TOUCHES HER."

"Keep your descendents off of mine, thanks."

"No problem. So long as your descendents stay off mine, m'kay, thanks."

"You're going to taint my gene pool," Jake said. "And that would disappoint me…greatly."

"Yes, because your gene pool is so pure and wonderful already. What are you afraid of anyway? Aria's perfect!"

"She's human."

Kyle sighed. "Still a bigot."

"And you're still human."

What took place was the greatest stare-down in history.

"You can leave whenever you want, Jake." Kyle said. "The door's right there."

"I work here."

"Oh. Well, have a nice day…withoutyoursonmydaughter." He said the last part rapidly and walked out the store fuming.

Later that day, Aria came into the store, the knees of her pants torn, her shirt a ratty mess, her hair flying this way and that. She wiped grime of her face and smiled as if nothing was amiss.

In response to Jake's look, she said. "I've been in the dungeons. Speaking of which, my dad says he forgot to get that sword he needs so I'm here to pick it up."

"He was already here earlier."

"Well, I guess he didn't have time to pick it up or something. Anyway, here I am." She waited expectantly.

"Tell your father he can come here and get it himself if he wants it so badly. And that he should have gotten it earlier today rather than sending you along as errand-girl."

"Oh," she said. "I can't tell him that. He said he wanted me to—"

"He can get it himself."

Aria frowned. "Mr. Jake?"

"Hm?"

"Do you not like me?"

Jake hesitated before answering. "I don't like you with my son. At all."

"What?! You too?" She was taken aback. "Everyone says that. But I like him, all right? I really do. Wouldn't it just be easier if you could approve?"

"Wouldn't it just be easier not to date my son?"

"But we'd still care about each other. Even if we weren't official. He makes me happy and, I make him happy and it's—it's just great." She was blushing and tripping over her words.

Jake snorted. "Let's see how long that happiness lasts for your little romance. You'll both only be disappointed in the end. That's how these sorts of things always turn out."

"Um, I hope not." Not liking the new direction of the conversation, Aria turned to leave.

"Wait. Tell me how your mother is. Is she healthy?"

"She's the exact same way she was when you asked yesterday."

"How is your father treating her?" His eye twitched.

"Well, you know, sometimes they fight but—"

"Then I'll kill him. Tell him the next time he says anything to so much as annoy her, I'll be there. If he lays a hand on her, it's OVER." Jake was holding his blacksmithing hammer as if he was about to throw it.

"No! No! That's not what I meant!"

"I can't believe he'd treat her like that, after all these years. She's too good for him, too perfect. If I didn't have work I'd go over there and beat some sense into that no-good Kyle and let him know what a fantastic thing he has to just let it go like that."

Aria blinked. "Mr. Jake! That's not what I meant! I mean they argue sometimes but every couple does. It's not like they hate each other. They love each other so much! A day doesn't go by that they tell each other how much they love each other and all that gushy stuff."

He held up a hand. "Don't go on. Just stop."

Immediately she held her breath, ready to leave again, but once more he asked her to stay.

"I want you to give this to your mother. Don't tell her it's from me." Jake gently put an emerald ring in Aria's hand. It shone beautifully.

"Who am I supposed to say it's from?"

"Don't say it's from anyone. Just give it to her."

"But why?"

"Because I just want her to have it, that's all. I want her to have something beautiful to wear. Is that too much?"

"No-no. It's just you ask me to do this sort of thing for you all the time." It was true, as almost every week Jake was handing Aria something beautiful and no-doubt expensive to give to Cecilia. For the past few years, Aria had been becoming gradually aware of Jake's peculiar kindness to her mother, how he tried to make her happy and content but from afar, seemingly so as to not intrude upon her marriage. It was almost as if he—he loved her.

Then all the pieces fell in place.

"You—do—do you like mom?" Her eyes were wide and she sputtered the words, a bit unsure.

"Do you like your mother? Does anyone not like your mom?"

"No, I mean, you know, love."

Jake closed his eyes. "…go away, little human. You'll never understand."

"You do!?" Aria stepped back. "Oh no! You do!? Is that why you hate dad? Is that why—"

"Get out this shop. Now." Jake head was seemingly bowed over his work, but Aria could tell he was trying to hide his eyes that betrayed so much sadness and hurt.

Aria raced from the shop, her revelation making her uncomfortable and sad. How come it seemed that whenever something wonderful occurred—like her father's and mother's marriage—somebody had to pay? Somebody had to lose out? All these things people wanted but could never have, so many things lost…

She had the urge to throw the ring in the damn fountain and never look at Jake again. It was her mother! Her mother. And he loved her. But her mother was with her father, so his ever having her, his ever being happy, was out of the question.

Orland never knew his own mother and he never talked about it much to Aria. It was only from other people that Aria had discovered that after her parent's had married, Jake had barely stuck around for more than a week before going out on his own to who-knows-where. And when he returned a year-and-a-half later he brought with him a surprise: Orland.

According to gossip, Egan had not been happy at all. Yue agreed to move in and be paid to watch out for the baby and act as a nanny, as she liked children and money, and Jake knew absolutely nothing about caring for little ones. And of course the first two questions on everyone's mind were who the mother was and if Jake had been married to her. Jake wouldn't answer either question, only saying that the child was in fact his. It became increasingly obvious to everyone that Orland was probably a bastard, born to parents who had never been married and never would be. And everyone treated him as such to some extent or another. Why Jake would do something stupid like that, however, was something nobody knew.

But now that Aria knew what she knew she could figure out the answer herself. She could picture poor Jake watching as what he loved move away from him. It must have made him lonely and frustrated, and so he finally left the sad, sad town and the happily-married Ceci behind. And then he tried to fill in the hole Cecilia had made, to find something to replace her, to be her, to make him happy. Likely it was spur-of-the-moment, unthought, unplanned, done from great sadness and anger, done because he was looking for something to fill the hole in his heart and Orland was the result of it all. Because he could never have Cecilia. Ever.

Aria sat on the edge of the fountain, idly watching her feet kick, lost in thoughts and revelations.

Usually she didn't much like Jake, as he was always so rude and harsh to everyone. Yet now she felt compelled to go back to the shop.

As she stepped through the door timidly, she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say, but the words tumbled out soon enough.

"M-Mr. Jake," She began.

His attention snapped to her.

Without thinking she reached in her pocket where the ring was and set it on the work table.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled and tried to scamper off.

"Stay," was all Jake said. She watched as he picked the little ring up in his callused hand, eyeing it numbly.

"Is Cecilia happy?" he said. Aria was about to answer, but he stopped her. "I shouldn't even ask that question. Of course she's happy. She's never been happier. Not when she lived at the inn, not around me…you make her happy, you know that, Aria? You and your—your father." He finished, making a face. "Because of your father…she could never be happier."

For a long moment he seemed caught up in an old memory.

"You loved her," Aria said, trying to break the silence. "What happened?"

"She didn't love me," he said, his voice strangely mellow and sorrowful. "Because she loved Kyle and that was that. At first I thought I could take Ceci back, maybe run away with her somewhere, marriage be damned. And then you came along." He looked suddenly at Aria. "And I knew that nothing I could give her could make her happier than you. Maybe if you were my daughter…maybe then I could take some sort of satisfaction in knowing I gave her the thing in her life she loves the most. But you're not and I could never. But Kyle did. The greatest thing Kyle ever did for her was giving her you. You, Aria, and I could never do anything for her that would equal it." There was a deep bitterness in his voice. "Yes, I can throw these stupid baubles at her." He gripped the ring. "I can imagine her renouncing her marriage and running away with me and having my children and loving me. But I could never compete with all your father did for her. Ever, dammit."

Aria felt a bit strange hearing all this from him. She knew her mother loved her, of course, but she had never really reflected on how much, nor really thought about it at all. It was something she had always taken for granted.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Aria said, not knowing what else to say.

"What's to be sorry for? I'm the one pining away for something I can't have. Tell me, Aria, and tell me the truth, do you really like Orland."

She turned a bit pink but found her voice and answered, "Yes. I do. Very much."

"Then I hope you two are happy. I won't hold you two back anymore."

With that he turned away from her, from the bench where he had been working and fell into a chair, rubbing his temples.

The conversation was over. Aria left the shop feeling uneasy and adrift. She found herself wandering to the inn. Egan watched as she passed him and went up the stairs.

"Need anything?" He said.

She turned, looking pale-faced. "N-no sir." Then she continued on her way, straight to Orland's room.

At first she knocked faintly but then louder.

"Hold on!" said an annoyed voice and the door opened a moment later.

"Aria? What do you need?" He said.

Saying nothing at all she stepped forward and fell into his arms.

He wasn't quite sure what to do with her at first as she cried quietly. But then he did what he had wanted to do for a long time and wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on the top her head. It didn't feel weird at all, but wonderful and secure. And eventually her gentle crying gave to silence, so that all one could hear was soft breathing.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said.

And they stayed that way for a great long while.

XXX

Other than the beginning this chapter took on a peculiarly serious tone, especially in light of the supremely un-serious tone of the last chapter. Huh. I guess I just sympathize with a Jake. Future one-shots will likely not be this serious so no worries. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Remember to do your duty and review!

Also a more humorous part occurred in the end and involved Kyle walking in on Aria and Orland's sweet little moment. Unfortunately it made this insanely long oneshot even longer. So I've taken that part and am writing it as the next oneshot, which will be coming soon. Hence the part I in this chapter's title.