V

July 16th, 1995 - Albuquerque

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered, leaning on her heavily as she towed him into her house.

"You probably sprained your ankle, you idiot," she muttered as she dropped him down on her couch.

Jesse looked around her living room. He had only been to her house a few times before but he had never seen it so empty. "Where is everyone?"

"My mom's at some country club party and my dad's at work," Felicity explained as she fished a bag of frozen peas from her freezer. "Here, put these on your ankle."

Jesse complied and lifted up a leg, resting it on the coffee table. He caught Felicity glaring at him and spread his arms out. "What? You want me to put my drip water all over your couch?"

Felicity simply crossed her arms and shook her head. "Whatever."

She plopped down beside him, still sitting a considerable distance away, before picking up the remote and turning on the TV. She flipped through channels idly as if he wasn't even there.

"Hey, Fissy?" Jesse asked.

"Don't call me that," Felicity instantly snapped.

"Why're you helping me out?"

It was clear that Felicity was not too fond of him and nor was he too fond of her. Jesse thought she was too high strung. She always acted like she was better than him. Sure, she was pretty good at Mario Kart, but that was barely any reason to have any fondness for her. Jesse was secretly seeing how long it would take her to snap. He had done everything in his power to do so, whether it be coming up with a ridiculous nickname like "Pissy Fissy" or hound her down at lunch to bother her in front of all of her friends. However, it seemed like she was a long way from even coming close to snapping. Felicity would scold him but she never showed signs of exploding out of anger or anything. She always had the same expression every time he tried to egg her on. It was an expression that could only be described as saying, "Really? Do you really want to do this right now?"

Regardless of how much he tried to bug her, Felicity would always be there if he needed her. She had been there to give him band aids if he ever crashed his bike across the street or give him a hint as to where his friends were hiding if he was 'it' while playing Manhunt – and now she was here, sitting beside him, watching cartoons while he iced his sprained ankle.

Felicity looked over at him, a small smile on her face.

"Because I feel like it? Hehe… Or maybe one day I'll have a huge favour to ask of you, and you won't have any choice but to do it."