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"What do you need the gift to say?" Poppy asked, looking around the department store. Jerome sighed
"That I like her more than a friend," he reminded again. Then he noticed Poppy's smile, and added ruefully: "But you knew that."
"I just love to hear you say it," she grinned "I knew you loved her." She spun, ponytail swishing triumphantly. Before becoming serious "Well, she's clever, how about a book?"
Jerome rolled his eyes at his younger sister, walking along the store, browsing, rather uninterested at the items on display "How does a book tell her that I want to be more than friends?"
"What if it's a very obvious book…like a book called 'I love you'?"
Jerome scoffed "I don't want to be overly obvious. Besides, Mara's pretty…oblivious when it comes to my feelings," he didn't want too, but he smiled. Just at the thought of her, how she made him feel, Poppy elbowed him hard
"Fine. How about…a night out to dinner?"
"Won't that seem as though I like her? And she'd probably invite a lot of people," Jerome ran his hands through his hair, heading over to the shop assistant. The tall brunette smiled as soon as she laid eyes on him
"Hello handsome, how can I help you?"
"Yeah." Jerome was oblivious to her flirting "I'm looking for a birthday present for my friend,"
"Hmmm, how sweet of you," she smiled, flicking her hair over her shoulder "I'd love to help. What's he into? Racing, cars-"
"It's a girl." Jerome corrected "I want something to tell her my feelings," the shop assistant huffed but took him over to the jewellery display. Jerome frowned.
Line Break
"Jerome?" Mara whispered. It was 10:00 and after a whole day of presents and parties, she was exhausted. "Hey," her smile was natural and wide "I haven't seen you all day,"
"Yeah, sorry," he rubbed his neck sheepishly "I was searching for a present," he felt his heart double in pace as the pretty pink stained her cheeks
"You didn't have too, Jerome," she whispered, closing the door behind her so that Amber wouldn't wake up. Jerome suddenly felt awkward. She was wearing a purple top and shorts with a silver silk robe, a gift from Nina, and he was in his tatty but cosy red shirt and checked pyjama trousers.
"I-I wanted too," he handed her the box, trying to steady his hand. Mara opened it to see the shining silver chain, she smiled up at him.
"It's lovely, Jerome," she almost laughed at his nervous stance, but he seemed to relax,
"Here," he offered "Let me, fasten it for you," she held out her wrist, watching with sparkling eyes as he fastened it loosely around her delicate wrist. His fingers lingered , and she looked up at him, confused, but he cleared his throat "And I've got um, some charms… you know, to make it more personal,"
Mara leaned into him, arms wrapping around his torso, face in his chest and she hugged him tightly "You really didn't have too, Jerome,"
He smiled, resting his chin on her head and hugging her back, confused when she pulled back. And then he remembered what he'd said. Digging into his pocket he removed three silver charms, he picked up the first one, a 'J' stamped on it in gold. "You know, J for Jerome,"
Mara beamed "My best friend in the whole world,"
"When did that happen right?" he grinned, fastening the charm. Although he knew, he had realised he loved her, and he had never left her side. Vowing to be with her always, even though she didn't always realise he was there. And the next charm, one with a blue heart "You know, love," he smiled at her "You love everyone,"
Mara stuck her tongue out at him.
Jerome pulled out the last charm, one with an 'M' "And Mara, for you,"
Mara smiled, looking down at the three charms, and she hugged him again "Thank you, Jerome," she kissed him lightly on the cheek.
And then turned and tip toed back into her bedroom.
Jerome stood there, disappointed.
It hadn't worked.
The weeks of planning and worrying, and none of it had paid off. She hadn't realised. A part of him wanted to be slightly comforting, and claim that it wasn't his fault. It had been her, she was so…oblivious! But the majority of him knew, he could never blame any fault on her. She was, in his eyes, perfect. So he turned, and headed back down the stairs.
Mara had just closed her bedrooms doors, filled with joy and happiness, she looked down to admire her gift. "Jerome," she traced the first one "Love," the second one "Mara," she smiled, shaking her head, when the words almost clicked. She frowned, looking down at them "Jerome love Mara?" she whispered, before shaking her head at the thought with a laugh.
Jerome didn't like her like that. And it must have been chance he bought those charms, and chance he put them on in that order, and chance that he told her what they each stood for. "Jerome loves Mara," Mara whispered, and she liked the way it sounded. Deciding to ask him, quite subtly about the choice, she opened the door, closing it behind her.
She saw Jerome run his hands through his hair in regret, heading towards the stairs, muttering under his breath "It's your fault, if you had the guts to just tell her to her face, you wouldn't have this problem!"
And Mara realised. Her eyes widened and suddenly, she saw it all again in her head, except…she saw it. Jerome sitting by her in every class, offering to be her partner time and time again even though she always turned him down. Sitting beside her at the table, doing his homework with her- Jerome had been doing him homework! The way he comforted her whenever something when wrong, he waited after class, he bought her jewellery! Jerome Clarke had never done that for a girl before.
Mara ran, she ran to him, and they both tumbled, surprisingly quietly down the stairs.
Jerome looked up in shock at having the breath knocked out of him, and realised he was on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at Mara was hovering above him. She lifted her wrist, so that he could see the charms. She placed her finger on the M.
"Mara," Jerome nodded, then the second one she pointed to "Love," and then the third one, with a smile on her face "Jerome," and this time, it took Jerome a moment to realise what she was saying. And his eyes widened in shock, and he took in a strangled gasp for air "Mara loves Jerome?" Mara leaned down to kiss him, and suddenly he didn't that he had the wind knocked out of him. He sat up, as did Mara, and took her hands in his "I didn't do it in the best way possible, did I?" he asked with a hopeless, handsome smile.
Mara grinned, kissing him lightly "You're Jerome," she reminded "You do everything in the most effective way possible, and it did work,"
The two of them wandered into his room, Alfie was away, visiting Nina's gran with Nina. "Finally," Jerome ran his hand through his hair "Mara, I've loved you for so long, I was beginning to think you'd never realise," he smiled at her "My oblivious little Mara,"
"I'm oblivious?" Mara laughed, sitting on his bed while he looked down at her "Jerome, remember that book I got you for your birthday three months ago? Charles Darwin: the evolution of species?"
"Yeah," Jerome nodded, "I remember, a great read," he pointed to his book shelf, where the gift from Mara was proudly on display
Mara smiled knowingly "Did you read it? Truthfully?" Jerome gave her a grin
"Sorry Mara, I do love it though, just because it's from you,"
"Maybe you should have," Mara couldn't hold back her smile "Page 23," Jerome picked the book from the shelf and flicked to the right page. And there, written in her handwriting in red pen, were the words I love you, Jerome Clarke. Happy Birthday. Jerome dropped the book in complete shock and Mara giggled, trying to stifle the sound
"T-three months?" Jerome whispered "F-for three months you've loved me and you never said anything?"
"Right," Mara nodded "That's not being hypocritical at all-" but she was cut off by Jerome's lips on hers.
But she liked the wind getting knocked out of her, especially by him.
Because getting the wind knocked out of you, is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
Review? And PROMPTS! Still writing tonight, so if you're quick it could be up in an hour!
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