blood, sweat, tears--and love [Tag Jim]

They had walked mostly in silence from the twins hideout- they were both upset and sad over what had happened, and Ariel didn't know what to say. Everything she could come up with was just something that would only make them even lower- so she decided to keep her mouth shut for once.
Once they were home, Ariel sighed to herself before she sat down on her bed. In one of the corners was the dress she had been using at the ball. It was still full of blood and bad memories, but she couldn't throw it away. Jasmine would probably want it back...
"So.." She started and glanced down. "You could atleast have told me that your father was back in town?!"

Jim hadn't boterd saying anything as well. Comming back to the tavern felt weird, and walking by unnoticed by Sarah made his heart feel alot more heavy if that was even possible. Would she want to see him again afetr this? Or was she happy to have him gone?
Slumping down on his own bed, he tierdly laid down. Even after that long nap at Smith's house, he was still pretty tired.
"I was afraid, and tried to ingore the fact that he was back completly," he admitted. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay.. I understand" Ariel shrugged slightly and glanced at him again.
"So-- uhm.." She started once again hesitantly and rubbed her hands nervously as she looked down.
"Back there when I told you that I loved you--- you never said anything back" Ariel said quietly and tried to keep her gaze on the floor. She didn't want to look at him right now- she was so afraid that he would say something that she didn't want to hear.

He turned his head at ehr directon, searching her eyes but couldn't as she kept her gaze at the floor.
"I think I'm afraid of admitting that too," he said honsetly and shifted on the bed. "I do love you. I meant every word I said on the ball."

"And about that---" She said and carefully looked up at him. She was so happy that he did loved her, but she still had questions- and was pretty low.. And who could blame her after what had happened?!
"Why did you tell me that before you started to-- you know..?! I mean, I get the idea that you want me to know everything in case you had been killed or would run away - but it would do it so much harder to forget about each other.." Ariel sighed and tried to keep her voice calm. Not that she wanted to forget him-- but still.

His expression was still unreadable when she aksed him that. He knew she would ask him something like this eventually.
"I guess, I just couldn't hold in my feelings when you told me that. And seeign you with Er-" he stopped himself before finishing that sentence. "Yes, i was prepared to leave after that, but I didn't egt very far as you see," he forced otu a small chuckle. "I was just so happy hearing you confess, and so, I thought you deserved to hea the truth as well. Even if it only would lead to be more painfull later... I'm just selfish like that."

Ariel smiled up to him weakly when she heard him chuckle, and she really didn't care if he was sellfish - she was still happy that he told her. Maybe it would have been more painful if she haven't known what he felt.
"I still love you though.. Even if you're the most sellfish man on earth" She smiled a little more and forced herself up on her legs so that she could walk over to his bed and sat down beside him.
"And you should know that if you ever leave - I will go with you.. No matter what"

He watched her sat down beside him, eyes growing slighty bigger after hearing what she said.
"Well, easier for me then. 'Cause then I wouldn't have to dragg you after me," he smiled and stroked her cheek. There's was no way he'd wnat to leave ehr behind now, after hearing her saying this.
He remeberd those times they would tlak about leaving Nirethia togheter, explore the world only the two of them. Maybe, some day, they could.

Ariel laughed slightly and leaned into his touch. She started to wonder what the people in town would think of her if they found out about everything that just had happened with her. She had never really cared about her reputation before, but now that was something she couldn't stop thinking about. If just Eric kept his mouth shut, then everything would be fine.. Or atleast things would be a little better..
"why don't your father and uncle like Eric?.. I mean, he's just like them..?!" She asked quietly. She didn't liked to talk about him, but if they just had accepted him from the start- he wouldn't had done this to her.

His smile fell, getting angry just hearing his cousin's name. after what he did to Ariel.... and will do to Odette. WHy would anyone want to make Jospeh of all people proud?
"Those two doens't like anyone but themself. In their eyes everyone's trash to them, no matetr what they do. I don't know what Jospeh's playing at, but he's only using Eric. And he's stupid enough to belive they'd actually liek him afetr this..." he groaled. He never understood those two either, and honselty, who would want to?

"Then shouldn't we go and look for Eric and Odette before Joseph finds them?! Maybe we can save them both.. "Ariel said- still with a low voice when she spoke. She knew that Eric could a good - she had seen it.. Or so she hoped- it could've been all in his act..
"Maybe it isn't too late.."

His eyes darkend. "Save Eric? After what he did to you?!" he said coldly. The only thing that guy deserved was slow, painfull death. "My cousin's a lost case if he does anythignto get accepted by that freak, and Odette..." he lowerd his eyes. "...if I show up, they'll make me hurt her as well. And I'm not eltting you near any of them."

Ariel looked down with shame by the first thing he said. She knew that he would react like that, but still she thought that he could be nice one day.
"So, you'll just sit here and do nothing?!" Ariek asked with a little frown.
"Go there and save her.. Don't listen to them if they want you to hurt her, and I--- I can hide so that they can't find me. Your friend Flynn, he lives in the woods- he can help me"

"Flynn?! So he's alirght then?" he asked, sounding realifed. Of course he knew Flynn could take care of himself, but still, with the twins all over you one couldn't be so sure.
"Ariel, you ake it sound so much easier than it is. But... yes, i'll still go," he said determinded and pushed himslef off the bed. "But if they catch me, they'll make me choose again. You or her..." he mumbled to himself, getting more anxious.

"yes, he's fine.. It was actually he who-- helped me home when Eric left me in the woods.." Ariel said and felt how her heart sank once again when she thought about it. She glanced at him when he stood up, and started to rub her hands nervously again.
"So-- Who will you chose?!" She asked quietly. From the sound of it- it seemed like he didn't know either. Maybe she will just run away while she can...

He smiled to himself. If he wasn't so stubborn, he'd actually might just run up and hug the guy, then quickly punch him and run away before he could get any ideas.
"Come on Ariel, I thought that'd be obvious by now," he sighend and smiled back at her, even though it pained him when he thought about how much Odette has to suffer.

"Well, I haven't met the woman before the ball - but it seems like you two has a past together.." Ariel shrugged and glanced down. She wondered why he had never introduced them to each other before..
"Who is she?"

He rubbed his neck, not really wanting to bring up the past, especially with Odette. But Ariel deserved an explination. If only he could remeber it himself.
He slumped down beside her on the bed again. "I don't know if you recall this, sicne it was along time ago, but remeber when Michale would come and take me with him for a few days?" he said, eyes darkening.
"He made me..." he inhaled deeply. "hurt people... kill them..." he went quiet for a moment. "...and one day he took me to Jospeh, who had locked up odette for his own amusment, abusing her. And they wanted me to hurt her as well.... which i did in the end. I cna't remeber those days though, beacuse Michale did something that made me forget about her... so, she's the one who knows really."

"So you have-- always been like this?!" Ariel asked and felt how her eyes started to get all wet again. She thought that she knew him - but apperently she didn't. He had so many secrets- and she didn't know how to handle them all.
"And Michael said that that Joseph should keep in mind what happened the last time-- what did he mean with that?"

He looked away from her when noticed more tear welling up in her eyes.
"I have no idea," he mutterd. "and honsetly, I don't want to know. He made me fucking lose half of my memories. Thank god I didn't forget about you..."

"Maybe if you had remembered everything, then you would have been worse.." Ariel said quietly and glanced at him.
"But okay, it's hard to talk about- I understand" Ariel nodded, mostly to herself - and held Jim's hand gently.
"And-- so you and Odette hasn't really been together?! In any kind of ways?!..."

He looked at little funny at her. "What?" he hald back a chukle. "Men and her? Sure I don't midn older girls but.. pffft," he almost laughed. "No Ariel, I may care deeply for her, but nothing more as a firend or... sister prehaps" he shrugged.

"Oh.. okay" Ariel forced a smile when he started to chuckle a little. Odette was more beautiful and elegant than Ariel was- so she wouldn't had thought it was that weird if he had been with her..
"So why haven't I met her before?.. I mean, if you sees her as a sister.."

"Acutally, i really wanted you two to meet," he blinked. "And she too, especially after I told her how I felt about you," he said casually. "Guess we were both to busy worrying about the freaks being back."

"You told her about me?" Ariel looked up with a shy smile. She never thought that he would talk about her with other people- but apperently he has.. But it didn't seemed like Odette was so happy to see her at the ball...
"So.. You talk about me, eh?!" Ariel's smile grew bigger and she jumped closer to him.
"What do you say then?.. How cute I am?!" Ariel giggled a little