Rebecca! Girl, this is your prompt! Loved it!

Enjoy!

"Why don't you just ask her out then?" Eddie sighed, exasperated. The five boys sat in Jerome and Alfie's room, sharing a pizza.

"Yeah," Mick seconded "Instead of droning on and on and on and on about how wonderful she is," he rolled his eyes, taking his third slice. Jerome glared at him, and Alfie laughed.

"Like I'm the only gutless one here," Jerome scoffed "Fabian? When are you gonna make your move on Nina? Mick, how's Joy? Eddie, are you and Patricia together today or not? The only person here who's actually in a stable relationship is…Alfie…" his voice trailed off and all the boys in the room suddenly realised how bizarre it was that Alfie, the Alfie Lewis, was the one in a stable relationship.

"Well," Alfie leaned back, smiling smugly "I could train you all-"

"Shut it," Jerome rolled his eyes, chucking a pepperoni at his friend.

"You know, Jerome," Fabian spoke up, deciding to ignore the Nina comment. "You've been…liking Mara for some time now,"

"Yeah, I know," Jerome nodded

"Well…a crush…technically a crush only lasts four months…if it exceeds that…well," Fabian blushed at his words "You're already in love."

Jerome's eyes widened in outrage, as all the other boys fell about laughing. Eddie hit him hard on the back "Jerome is in LOVE!" he called loudly. Jerome shook his head, turning back to Fabian

"That's not true," Fabian shrugged helplessly. Jerome turned to Mick

"How long have you fancied Joy?" he asked desperately

"I don't know," Mick shrugged, thinking about it "2 months? 7 weeks? I remember it was the day she helped me out with training,"

"No…" Jerome let out a small laugh "If I was in love with her, I'd know. I mean…you're feelings would change from a crush to…well you know….being in love."

"How long have you liked her?" Fabian asked curiously "It seemed pretty out of the blue, one moment you never talk to her, the next your-"

"Obsessed with everything she does," Mick cut him off "I mean, you ruined our relationship to be with her, and you didn't even ask her out,"

"Well I couldn't ask her out immediately after your relationship fell apart- on it's own for that matter." Jerome snapped, rolling his eyes. Although, he did have a rather large part to play in the great Mara-Mick fight of 2012. Jerome ran a hand through his dirty blond hair "I don't know Fabian, about two years ago,"

"Well…" Fabian thought hard "Well, didn't you notice any difference after four months? Anything?"

"Well…" Jerome thought hard, four months into liking Mara, but only one memory could come up

"Jerome?" Mara frowned at him "Are you alright? Looking a little zoned out there…"

"I'm fine," he smiled at her and Mara laughed. "What?" he asked defensively

"Nothing, nothing…it's just…you have a pretty brilliant smile."

And of course that memory had stuck with him. He thought of it often.

Line Break

"Mara…" Jerome asked her as the two walked home the next day. It was the middle of July, and uncomfortably hot. Jerome's blazer and cardigan were both gone, and his tie was much looser than he was use too. Mara had left her blazer at home, and the time for grey tights had gone, the time for white ankle socks, arriving. "Did you know…that a crush exceeds four months…if it goes over…you're in love?"

Mara looked up at him "Well…I've read that somewhere, yes," she nodded "Why?"

"I don't know, Fabian and I were talking about it the other day,"

"About him and Nina?" Mara smiled "Jerome, the relationship guru."

"Haha," Jerome nudged her very gently, always wary about how delicate Mara Jaffray was. "I've been single for far too long,"

"So have I," Mara reminded "Don't put me down."

"I never do."

Line Break

"Patricia!" Mara exclaimed "That's not right is it? Surely not. No way…I mean…I've liked Jerome for much longer than four months- that doesn't mean I'm in love, right?"

Patricia gave an unhelpful shrug "Sorry Mara, Eddie's being a bit of a pr-"

"Don't worry," Nina cut her off with a smile "I'm sure it's not true."

Mara frowned, wringing her hands together. "But what if it is? What if I'm in love with Jerome…and I'm doing nothing about it. The least I can do is tell him how I feel," Patricia nodded

"Finally. Go on, face him, the worst that could happen is he totally rejects you and your friendship dies."

Mara's face dropped and Nina rolled her eyes.

Line Break

"Jerome." Mara smiled when she saw him leaving his room. It was 6:00pm, and the house was quiet, most people up in their room, swamped with homework. But of course, Jerome wasn't doing it, and Mara had already done it. Both two opposite ends of extremes. "Glad I caught you,"

"I've got nowhere to run, Jaffray," he winked at her, walking into the kitchen, Mara followed him, leaning against the island as he rummaged like a lost bear through the fridge.

"I wanted to talk to you,"

"I'm all ears,"

"Well…" Mara took a deep breath, and her next words came out in a flurried rush "I really like you Jerome, I've liked you for a long time, way over four months and I was just thinking with Patricia and Nina that if the fact you told me this morning is actually correct then I don't want to continue and pretend that I don't feel anything when I do, and stop any chance at this happening." She looked up at him hopefully, and Jerome dropped the carton of milk, and it spilt onto the milk. He turned to her with wide eyes

"W-way over four months?" he managed, his eyes were wide, a startled blue that Mara found so handsome, it was all she could do to run over and kiss him. But she stayed put, stapled to the ground. "H-how much longer than four months?"

"Honestly?" Mara gave out a laugh "About a year,"

"A year!" Jerome exclaimed, almost slipping the liquid and clutching on the counter, his voice was high pitched "Mara! Why didn't you say anything?"

"Why?" Mara cried "What's wrong?"

"I've liked you for two years! Are you telling me you liked me all this time?" Mara laughed, and then Jerome gave a shuddering sigh of relief, and his shoulders slumped "You are saying that," he summed up, walking around the island to engulf her in one of the best hugs.

"Two years?" she smiled into his chest "Even when I was dating Mick?"

"Even then," Jerome whispered "He wasn't right for you,"

"But you are?" Mara teased with smile

"Oh yeah," Jerome nodded with a grin "You definitely need a larger dose of Clarke in your life," Mara smiled, and then pulled back, frowning at the mess on the floor. "Don't worry, Jaffray. No use crying over spilt milk," Mara rolled her eyes and Jerome pulled her in for another hug.

Line Break

"So," Rebecca, the 22 year old leaned over the table, looking at her parents "I just don't how I feel about Robert…when did you two first realise you were in love?"

Jerome and Mara smiled at her, but Jerome spoke up "After four months," Rebecca nodded, but Mara just laughed

"I fell in love with your father well before four months. I just didn't know it,"

Rebecca smiled "I hope I find what you guys found,"

Jerome ruffled her hair "You mean what I found? Your mother was completely clueless," Mara whacked him hard in the arm and they all laughed.

"Don't worry Becs, if you're thinking about marrying him…then don't. It should come to you as clear as daylight."

Rebecca nodded, smiling "You're right mum, as per usual," she and her father rolled their eyes, and Mara whacked Jerome on the arm again.

The ending kinda got away from me…sorry

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