A/N: ***State Lines by Novo Amor
Jeremie's footsteps are heavy as he ventures out into the quad. It is late afternoon, and the sky is still blue, with only a few wispy clouds present. His brain feels cloudier than the sky, his thoughts heavy with the weight of unspoken words and lingering regrets. He sees the tree up ahead, where Aelita and William are sitting together underneath, hands interlocked as they talk amongst themselves. The look on her face is one of pure happiness. The last time he saw her like that was the day of their first date.
He grits his teeth and diverts his path, choosing not to approach them. Instead, he parks himself on a bench and turns his face upward, gazing at the sky as he continues to reminisce. The memories are bittersweet, and he isn't sure whether he wants to push them back down or let them wash over him.
He remembers the night of their first date vividly. They had gone out for a lovely dinner together at a fancy Italian restaurant, and afterwards, they had laid around looking at the stars for an hour and a half.
He remembers her smile that night. It's the same smile that he sees when he brings his gaze back down across the quad just in time to catch William giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
Jeremie's heart squeezes, his breath catching in his throat. He can't take anymore of this. He stands up, his knees shaking, and starts to walk away from the heartbreaking scene. As he's leaving, he swears he sees William's gaze lock onto him for a moment.
A few days later, Jeremie finds himself studying in the library late at night. With things relatively quiet on Lyoko, he decided a change of pace and scenery would be good for him.
As he reads an article about physics, movement at the door catches his eye.
In strolls Aelita, her hair piled up in a bun atop her head, and her glasses glinting just a bit too far down the bridge of her nose. She looks... different, Jeremie notices as she browses the shelves. She's wearing sweatpants and a maroon sweatshirt with the emblem of the Kadic soccer team front and center and "Dunbar" printed across the back.
Jeremie raises his eyebrows as he watches her flit about the bookshelves, being indecisive about her next read, as he fondly remembers that quality about her.
Is she... wearing William's clothing?
He feels the familiar pang of jealousy deep within his gut. Why am I reacting like this? he wonders to himself. It's not like she belongs to me anymore.
Just then, he watches William enter the library. He walks straight over to Aelita and embraces her from behind, planting a quick kiss on the crook of her neck before whispering something into her ear that makes her smile and nod.
It's as if he's been punched in the gut. Even so, he can't stop watching them.
Aelita grabs a book she's apparently finally decided on, and the two head to a table, their fingers interlaced as they walk. Jeremie stares for a moment longer as they sit together. Their faces are only inches apart as William watches her read.
He forces himself to look back down at his own notes. But he can't focus—the sight of the two of them, looking so blissfully happy together, makes him sick to his stomach.
Just then, the silence is broken by Aelita giggling softly. Jeremie chances a glance in their direction. William is gazing at Aelita adoringly, a lovestruck grin adorning his face.
Aelita, seemingly having a hard time resisting him, leans in and kisses him. She wraps her arms around his neck, and he slides his arms around her waist.
Jeremie's grip tightens on his pencil, his knuckles turning white.
They look so perfect together. So right.
What does she see in him? What does he have that I don't? he ruminates. A crack shoots through the air as his pencil snaps in half.
Suddenly, Aelita breaks the kiss, her eyes wide with alarm after she hones in on the source of the sound. William follows her line of vision, his eyes landing on Jeremie.
Jeremie quickly averts his gaze, looking down at his notebook as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.
His face is burning up. His heart is thudding against his ribcage. Shit.
The glower that Jeremie receives from William sends a shiver straight down his spine. Memories flash in Jeremie's mind of him wearing the same expression under XANA's influence.
Fuck.
Jeremie watches William rise from his seat abruptly, nearly knocking the chair over. The couple leaves the library post-haste, with William gripping Aelita's hand and practically dragging her away.
Early the next morning, Jeremie sits at a table in the Student Union Center of campus, absentmindedly consuming an apple. He's deep in thought, replaying the events of the previous day over and over in his head.
It hurts. It hurts to see her with William.
He knows it's his own damn fault, though.
A wiser person than him would actively avoid areas on campus where they know for a fact they will see their ex with their new partner. Jeremie, although intelligent, isn't known for his wisdom.
He can't help it—he wants to see them together. He wants to soak up all the moments between them, soaking up every tiny little bit of information about the kind of couple they are. He can't figure out the exact nature of his own emotions. Part of him still feels something for Aelita. But... there's also another part of him that feels an extreme anticipation toward the idea of watching them fail.
He hates himself for it.
"Belpois," a voice behind him calls flatly.
Jeremie freezes. He swallows the chunk of apple in his mouth and slowly turns around.
William is towering over him, arms crossed, eyes clouded with disdain. "You and I need to have a little chat," he says, walking around Jeremie and sitting across from him.
Jeremie clears his throat. "Can I help you, William?"
"Do you have a problem we need to talk about?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I know you're smarter than this. Don't play dumb," William deadpans. "I've noticed you conveniently nearby almost constantly for the past week."
Jeremie raises an eyebrow. "Conveniently nearby? Are you saying I'm stalking you?"
William shakes his head slowly. "I don't think that's the right term. Stalking is an invasion of privacy. But this? What you're doing right now? This is just pathetic."
Jeremie swallows thickly, his throat dry. He's stunned into silence.
William studies him. "You still have feelings for her, don't you."
Jeremie scoffs. "Excuse me?"
"Don't play dumb. Aelita and I are onto you, Belpois. Only, she doesn't think you're creepy. She just feels bad for you."
Jeremie winces. He opens his mouth to respond, but William cuts him off.
"Listen. I'm gonna give it to you straight. I'm not here to pick a fight. I'm gonna be smart about this and play nice for her sake. The only reason I'm here right now is to politely ask you to lay the fuck off. And I'm not going to ask you again." William's voice is ice cold, his words cutting into Jeremie like daggers.
Jeremie scowls. "Yeah, yeah. Understood," he murmurs.
William crosses his arms again, watching silently as Jeremie gathers his things and walks away. That takes care of that, he thinks to himself.
He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. With a heavy sigh, he takes it out to see a text from Bastien: "Dunbar ur gonna be sleepin in the hallway tonite if u forgot we have a push day date."
William shoots back: "I'm omw! Honey."
As William makes his way down to the gym, he thinks of a way to pester his roommate for his petulant text.
"Finally. There you are! I was wondering when you'd return from the war," Bastien sings as he acts like a World War II era wife, hands clasped in front of his chest and eyelids fluttering.
William rolls his eyes with feigned contempt. "If you're gonna give me wife energy like that, you better put a ring on it, dude."
Without skipping a beat, Bastien is down on one knee, brandishing a three kilogram dumbbell out like a diamond ring. "William, will you be my spot forever more?"
It's now William's turn to act. "Oh, Bastien, I thought you'd never ask! Of course, I will!"
They burst out laughing, making others in the weight room stop and stare at them like they have two heads each.
As they calm down, Bastien asks William, "But for real, what actually took you so long?"
"Man, do I have a story to tell you."
Raindrops fall from the darkened sky, playing a tranquil rhythm on the roof of William's car. His fingers drum along to a beat of his own as he allows himself to get lost in his own thoughts. A smile spreads across his lips as he thinks about the night ahead of him. He's headed to the Hermitage for a date night in with Aelita. Originally, they were going to go out to dinner, but the bad weather prompted them to move things indoors. William doesn't mind; he'll spend any chance he gets with Aelita, rain or shine.
As he pulls up to the curb at the rear of the Hermitage, he kills the engine. He picks his phone up to see a text from Aelita: "Door's open so just come in when you get here"
He gets out of the car and a quick shiver runs through his body as the chilly autumn breeze ruffles his hair. He remembers he has his duffel bag in the back seat, and opens the back left door to quickly grab and throw on a sweatshirt. Once he does so, he shuts the door and makes his way up to the house.
When he enters, the warmth of the house engulfs him, along with a delicious, enticing smell. She must already have started cooking something, he thinks to himself. I wonder what.
Following his nose, he makes his way over to the kitchen. ***As he gets closer and closer, he hears Aelita humming along to some softly playing music. When he spots her, he smiles instantly. She has her back to him, carefully measuring out various seasonings. She has his sweatshirt on again, and it's huge on her, making her look like she's not wearing shorts. Without uttering a greeting, he walks up to her and wraps her in a bear hug from behind, kissing her softly on the cheek.
Aelita squeaks in surprise. "Geez, Will. You scared me half to death!" she exclaims lightheartedly.
William laughs, hugging her tighter. "I couldn't resist. What're you making?"
Aelita shrugs his arms off of her. "Well, it was going to be a secret, but I guess you caught me red-handed. I found a yummy-looking chili recipe online and really wanted to try it. It's perfect chili weather today, after all."
William rests his chin on her head. "Smells tasty so far. What else do you have planned for the night?"
"Nothing much. I was thinking we could just snuggle up on the couch and watch TV."
"Sounds like a solid plan to me."
Aelita smiles. She leans forward to grab a wayward measuring spoon on the counter, getting on her tiptoes and wiggling her fingers to reach for it. Her sweatshirt rides up to reveal the shorts she has on.
William raises an eyebrow, but then stiffens when he realizes that Aelita's rear is pressed up against him.
He clears his throat and shifts his stance awkwardly.
Aelita whirls around. "Everything okay?"
"Just peachy," he says as he steps back, turning away from her to hide the color he feels rising into his cheeks. His gaze lands on the refrigerator. He walks over, grabbing a glass on the way, and pours himself some much needed cold water. He gulps the water down quickly, trying his best to avoid making eye contact with Aelita.
She notices that he's avoiding eye contact, and her cheeks also start to redden as she realizes what she inadvertently did. Her eyes drift to his torso, and she gulps - William is sporting a bit of a bulge in his joggers.
She takes a deep breath and wordlessly turns back to cooking.
William, satisfied with his drink of water, finally chances a look at her. When he sees that she's not looking, his eyes drift to her lower half. He watches as she opens the oven and bends over to check on what smells to him like garlic bread. Her shorts ride up, and the sight of her taut hamstrings stretching makes his breath catch in his throat, and he tries not to choke. He looks away again, cursing under his breath.
Aelita shuts the oven. She leans against the counter, her hands resting on the edge of it for support. Noticing William's still averted gaze, a small smile graces her lips.
"Is everything really alright?" she asks innocently.
William nods. "Yuuuuup." He pauses, and when his eyes lock with hers, he notices her eyes are glinting playfully. "What?"
"Nothing." She bites her lip, and the gesture makes William's heart beat wildly. "It's just nice to feel wanted for once."
"You've always been wanted, Aelita."
"Eh. Debatable." She shrugs. "Come, help me set the table. Everything will be ready soon."
William nods. He grabs some bowls from the cabinet and begins setting the table.
Aelita plates their food—she's made a delicious-looking pumpkin and beef chili, fragrant with cinnamon and cumin. She tops their bowls with Greek yogurt and some scallions.
"Wow, this looks amazing, Lita," William says. "You really didn't have to go through all this trouble."
"I wanted to," she responds simply. "I really love cooking, and it's been a while since I've had anyone to cook for."
William smiles sadly. "Well, I'm honored to be the first in a while."
Aelita smiles too. "Dig in."
William takes a heaping bite of the chili. "Holy shit. This is delicious."
"Thanks." Aelita blushes. "I'm glad you like it."
"I love it. I could eat this every day."
"Maybe I'll make it for you again, then."
"I'd like that."
They continue eating in silence.
"So, I've been meaning to ask you something," William begins after several minutes have passed.
"What's up?"
"What's the deal with you and Belpois?"
Aelita raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, he's always in the background. Always watching. Always lurking. It's kind of creepy."
Aelita shrugs. "Honestly, I have no idea why he's doing that. But things between us didn't end well, so I guess he's still bitter about it."
William frowns. "What happened between you two, exactly? You still haven't told me."
Aelita sighs. "I don't want to get into it right now. Let's just say that he's not the person I thought he was."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. It's in the past."
"Well, let's just hope it stays in the past."
Aelita raises an eyebrow again. "Why would it not?"
William shrugs. "He didn't deny that he still has feelings for you."
"Huh? What are you talking about? William, what did you do?"
"I confronted him about it. I told him to back off."
Aelita groans. "William, you can't do that. You can't just go around threatening people."
"I didn't threaten him. I just told him to back off."
"I don't think that was necessary."
"Well, I do. I don't like the idea of another guy weaseling his way into our relationship."
"William, Jeremie and I are over. There's nothing to worry about."
"Trust me, I'm not worried. I'm just... annoyed. Seriously, I'd really like to know what actually happened between you two."
Aelita sighs. "It's... complicated. We were together for a year, and things were fine... until they just weren't. When his true colors came out, it was difficult for me and I just couldn't handle it, so I ended things."
William watches her closely as she speaks, studying her facial expression and noting the ambiguity of her words. "Did he hurt you?"
"No, nothing like that. At least, not physically. But, please, Will... I really don't want to talk about this." She sighs again and abruptly rises from her seat, gathering the dirtied dishes and shuffling back into the kitchen.
William follows her, wordlessly drying dishes after she's scrubbed and rinsed them. Something in his gut tells him there's way more to this than she's letting on, but he'll let her reveal it on her own timeline. If ever.
"Thank you," she murmurs as she hands him the last dish.
"Of course." He sets the dish down and turns to face her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I care about you a lot, Lita. More than I've ever cared about anyone else."
Aelita smiles against his chest. "I care about you, too, Will."
"I'm sorry if I overstepped. I just... I can't stand the thought of you being in emotional pain."
"I'm not. Not anymore."
William pulls away from her and cups her face in his hands. "Good. I'm glad." He plants a soft kiss on her lips.
Aelita's heart skips a beat when she looks into his eyes. A bit flustered, she takes one of his hands and leads him to the living room. "Come watch TV with me."
"Sure."
They sit down on the couch, and Aelita curls into William's side, resting her head on his chest.
William puts his feet up on the coffee table. "What are we watching?"
"My favorite crime drama, SVU. It's one of my guilty pleasures."
William chuckles. "I wouldn't have pegged you as a crime show fan."
"I'm full of surprises."
"That you are."
Aelita smiles and snuggles closer to him.
As the episode progresses, William finds himself becoming more and more engrossed. "What? No way, I can't believe Benson didn't arrest him," he mutters.
"Just wait. She'll get him."
"I'm not sure I can handle the suspense." He pretends to bite his nails with anxiety.
Aelita giggles.
Feeling the need to get more comfortable, William puts an arm around Aelita and squeezes her a little closer. Hm, he thinks to himself, it's nice that she's got some squish to her. It's only when he hear the tiniest peep from Aelita that he looks down and realizes, with horror, that it's not her arm that he's squeezed. At lightning speed, he retracts his arm.
"I'm so sorry, Aelita, I didn't mean to—"
He is interrupted by Aelita breaking into a fit of giggles, her body shaking with her uncontrollable laughter.
"It's okay, William," she says as she catches her breath. "It's fine. You can touch me."
She reaches up and grabs his hand, gently placing it back on her chest. Through the sweatshirt, William can feel that she's not wearing a bra. He swallows hard.
"Are you sure?"
"Mhm."
William's heart is pounding. He's not sure what to do, so he just leaves his hand where it is.
They continue watching the television, gazes transfixed on the screen as the layers of drama unfold. They watch episode after episode together, until their eyelids get heavier and heavier. Eventually, they fall asleep in each other's arms, the television still playing in the background.
Soft rays of sunlight stream through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. As the room fills with the gentle warmth of the sun, Aelita stirs. She opens her eyes and is momentarily disoriented.
Where am I? Did I fall asleep on the couch?
As her eyes adjust to the light, she uses her hands to feel around, patting what she thinks is the couch cushions.
Wait a minute. Her hands brush against something firm. Something warm. Something breathing. This isn't the couch.
She uses her arms to push herself up, and finds herself gazing up at William, still sound asleep. His chest rises and falls slowly, and his facial expression is peaceful.
Aelita smiles as she admires him in the morning light. For as long she's known him, William has always been an inherently active person, be it strength training, conditioning, or playing for Kadic and Versailles Football Club—a semi-professional team—at the same time. Seeing him so still and relaxed is a rare sight.
She reaches a hand up and brushes a stray lock of hair out of his face. She traces his jawline with her index finger, and then trails her finger down his neck, over his collarbone, and down his chest. "You really are something," she murmurs. "I'm so lucky."
"Nah. I'm the lucky one."
Aelita gasps and withdraws her hand faster than if she'd touched a hot stove. She pushes off of William's chest and sits up, scooting away from him towards the other side of the couch. "I didn't realize you were awake."
William chuckles sleepily. "It's kind of hard to stay asleep when your blanket plays the bongos on your chest."
Aelita blushes but says nothing.
William hugs himself and pretends to shiver. "Speaking of which, do you know where my blanket went? It's a little over a meter and a half and has pink hair."
Aelita rolls her eyes as she chuckles. "Shut up."
"So you're just gonna leave me here, cold and alone? That's cruel," he says teasingly. He laces his fingers behind his head and raises an eyebrow.
"Fine, you big baby." Aelita crawls back over to him and nestles herself between his legs, keenly aware of something hard against her stomach as she lays her head on his chest again.
"Better," William says contentedly.
Aelita hums in response.
William wraps his arms around her, and the two lay in silence for a few minutes.
"Can I ask you something?" William finally says.
"Of course."
"Why did you decide to give me a chance? I mean, I know it's only been a month, but... I'm curious."
Aelita thinks for a moment. "Well, I think you're a really great guy. I've always thought that, even when everyone else was giving you a hard time. I've always had a soft spot for you. I guess it just took me a long time to fully admit it to myself."
"I'm glad you did. I'm glad we're here now."
"Me too."
A moment of comfortable silence passes between them.
"So, what's the plan for today?" William asks, tracing little circles on the small of her back.
"Well, I don't really have much on my plate for today," Aelita answers as she traces her own doodles on his bicep. "I have a paper to write, but that's not due for a few days."
"Hmm. So, basically, we have the whole day to ourselves, then?" he asks suggestively.
"Basically."
"Well, that's convenient." William's voice is husky as he speaks.
Aelita feels her cheeks heat up. "What are you suggesting, Mr. Dunbar?"
"Oh, nothing. Just a little of this..." William kisses her forehead. "...and a little of that..." He kisses her cheek. "...and some of this." He tilts her chin up and kisses her on the lips.
Aelita reciprocates, and the kiss quickly becomes heated.
William pulls away. "Is this okay?"
"Yes," Aelita responds.
"Are you sure? I don't want to pressure you."
"I'm sure."
"I don't want you to think I'm—"
"William," Aelita interrupts him. "You're my boyfriend. You're allowed to kiss me. I want you to kiss me."
William smiles. "Boyfriend, huh? I like the sound of that."
Aelita giggles. "Now, where were we?"
"Right about here, I think." William reconnects their lips, and Aelita sighs contentedly.
As their lips move against each other's, Aelita reaches her hand up to cup William's cheek. She traces his jawline with her thumb. William deepens the kiss, and Aelita moans softly.
"God, you are intoxicating, Aelita," William murmurs against her lips.
"Mmm," is all she can manage to say. She is dazed, eyes half-lidded and clouded with lust. Ever so slowly, she repositions herself so that she's now straddling William. The hardness that she felt against her stomach earlier can now be felt through the thin fabric of her shorts, and she grinds her hips against him experimentally, a soft sigh escaping her lips.
William inhales sharply. "Fuck," he hisses.
Aelita repeats the motion, and William groans.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?"
"I think I have an idea," Aelita whispers. She leans down to kiss him again.
As their tongues dance together, William reaches his hands under Aelita's sweatshirt. He cups her breasts, squeezing them gently.
Aelita gasps.
"Too much?"
"No. Keep going."
William slides his thumbs over her nipples, and Aelita whimpers.
"I love the sounds you make," William murmurs as he continues kissing her.
Aelita's breath is coming in shallow pants now. "William..."
"Yes, Princess?"
"I've never felt like this before."
"Like what?"
"So... turned on."
William chuckles. "Ditto."
"No, I'm serious."
"So am I."
Aelita pulls back and locks eyes with him. "I've never done... anything like this before."
William's eyes widen. "Wait. Are you saying...?"
Aelita shakes her head. "No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm actually not a virgin. Shocker, I know."
Jealousy flashes across William's features, but he says nothing.
Aelita continues. "But I've... I've never had someone make me feel the way you're making me feel right now."
William smiles. "Well, I'm glad I can be the one to make you feel this way, then."
Aelita returns his smile. "Me too." She kisses him again, and their hands resume their exploration of each other's bodies.
Suddenly, the sound of Aelita's phone ringing pierces through the air and breaks the mood. She groans and reluctantly pulls away from William to grab it off the coffee table and answer it.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Lita," comes Sissi's voice. "Wanna get breakfast with me and Odd? We're heading to the cafe on campus soon."
Aelita glances at William, meeting his curious but still lustful gaze. "Sure, I—uh, we'd love that."
"We? Ooh, girl, are you with William right now? Wait. Did you spend the night with him?!"
Aelita giggles. "Maybe."
"Ooh, juicy. Well, bring him along. See you in a bit."
"Bye." Aelita hangs up the phone and turns to William. "Breakfast?"
"Sure," he agrees as he sits up underneath her and wraps his arms around her again. He plants a few kisses under her jaw, "But right now, I'm really just... thirsty."
"As much as, I'd love to continue," she breathes, "I think this is a good place to pause." She starts climbing off of him, causing him to lightly protest. "I'm gonna hop in the shower really quick. There's another full bathroom if you want to take a shower too."
"I think I will. Luckily, I have my gym bag in the car, so I have a change of clothes and what not." He effortlessly lifts Aelita off of him and gets up off the couch, heading towards the back door. "Have a good shower."
"You too," Aelita calls to him as he steps outside.
He takes in a deep breath, relishing in the earthy scent of petrichor from the ground. As he walks to his car to gather his belongings, he is lost in thought.
I'm dating Aelita Stones.
He can't believe it.
He grabs his gym bag from the back seat and locks the car, then heads back inside.
I'm really dating Aelita.
After a few minutes of searching, he eventually makes his way to the guest bathroom and sets his bag down on the floor. He turns the cold water on and begins to strip down.
How am I this lucky?
He steps into the shower and lets the cold water wash over him.
I'm so happy.
As he lathers his hair, he starts to hum a tune.
I think I might be falling in love.