'I told you so' [Tag Ariel]

Jim pushed open the window to his and Ariel's attic and jumped inside. Eeverything in town ahd gone back lke it used to be, as if the incident at the ball never happend. it shouldn't really surprise him how fast peole could forget things and move on. Better him he guessed. Though he still needed to stay hidden.
Noticing no one was there to greet him, he forced his worry away and told himself that Ariel would sure be back soon. He wasn't gone that long this time... she was porbably just taking a walk or helping out his mom downstairs...

Ariel stumbled up the stairs with one hand on the wound to stop it from bleeding- not that it helped, but soon she would be home and take care of it. She opened the door and sighed in relief when she was home without anyone noticed her- but as soon she saw Jim, she gasped and ran into the small bathroom and closed the door after her. He would be furious if he found out what she had done- which he would do.. She leaned towards the door and groaned slightly from the pain.

"Oh Ariel, I was wonderng where you-"
He blinked when she all of a sudden ran inside their small bathroom and shut the door closed. "...were."
He knocked on the door gently. "Hey, you alirght in there? Did something happen?" he asked concernd. She had run in so fast that hadn't have time to turn fully around and have a look at her.

Ariel glanced at the door when she heard him speak on the other side of it, and started to sob quietly. She's so stupid, and he would hate her for this.. Slowly she opened the door and kept her head down so that she wouldn't see the look on his face when he saw her shoulder.
"I--" She started with a sigh and didn't know what to say now. "It hurts.."

Hearing her soob, he paniced and was about to open the door, but she ebat him to it.
He stared shocked at her shoulder. "...what the hell happend?" he asked furiously, not angry at her but at whoever had done this to her. "Come on, let's get that treatend..." he said while trying to keep his voice calm and took her by the hand, gently leading her over to her bed to sit down.

Ariel sat down on her bed without a word and glanced at him carefully. Now she was afraid that if he found out who it was, he would probably go to Joseph - and then he would get hurt too.
"I-- uhm.. was robbed.. " She said and tried to sound convincing. "I had the money from todays work and would go to the shop and buy some fruits when a man came up to me- and when I didn't want to give the money to him- he... did this"

He didn't look convinced, though that story was belivable, in this town and all.
He huffed and placed the bandages and oinment on the bed between them. He'll have to take care of her wound first...
"May I?"

Ariel just nodded and looked down again. She didn't want to lie to him, but it was only to protect him. Of course Joseph would tease him about it if they ever met again, but still.
"I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to get in any trouble.." She said quietly and glanced at him through her lashes

"It's not your fault, no need to apologize," he mumbled, focusing on getting her wound cleand. It sure was a nasty one... a little to deep to be from only theif who wanted her money...
"Don't think for a second I'm mad at you ok?" he said sternly, but with concern in his eyes.

Ariel forced a smile towards him before she looked away with guilt. He would be mad at her if he knew that she went over to the Korso's without him.. She flinched from the pain when he started to clean the wound and took a deep breath, trying to forget about it.
"No, I'm sorry- I lied to you." Ariel sighed and ran her free hand through her hair. "It was no robber, I went to-- Michael again.." she almost whispered and started to sob again. Why couldn't she just keep a secret?! "I'm sorry.."

His hands froze for a moment when she told him the truth, then calmy proced to clean it. Sometimes Jim wonderd why he botherd. Whatever he said to people, no oen took was he said seriously, not litsend to his wanrnings and did it anyway.
"So... my old man did this..?" he asked through gritted teeth as he tried to keep his anger in check. "And why did you go abck there on your own?!"

"I just wanted to see if he had thought about what we had talked about last time.." Ariel said in a sob and forced herself not to look at him.
"I thought I was talking to Michael, but it turned out it was Joseph.. So don't be mad at your father, it wasn't his fault.."

"Y-you talked to Joseph?!" That only seemed to make me more angry. "What the hell were you thinking?!" he burst out then, unable to keep his anger and worry contained. "You have any idea how lucky you are he didn't kill you? What if he ahd done something much worse to you?! What if he had..." He bit his lip and ran ahnd through his hair, inhailing deeply. "What if he had taken you away from me...?"

Ariel flinched a little when he almost started to yell at her, but she saw it coming. That's why she didn't want to say anything from the start.
"I didn't know it was him. They look exactly the same and he acted like Michael" She said with a frown and looked up at him before her face softened.
"But he didn't- I'm still here.." She said quietly. "And he knows that if he kills me, you would never do anything for him again.."

He took a deep breaht again. Would it really matter to Joseph if Jim did as told or not? He always got the feeling Mike stopped Jospeh from killing him or something... "I'm sorry I yelled," he apologized and picke dup the bandage. "I just... I'm so scared... to have something happen to you.."

"I know, Jim.." She said softly and placed a hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry. I just want to do things better for us, but it just seemes that I make it worse.." Ariel sighed and glanced down again.

He shaked his head. No she wans't making things worse. In fact, she ha dmade him manage dto clma down alot more than he ever thought was possible. He pulled her into a hug carefully when he finished patching her up. "Please don't do anything like that alone again," he pleaded.

"I promise.." Ariel said with a soft smile when they had pulled away from the hug.
"But you can't be there and watch over me all the time. Bad things happends to everyone.." She shrugged slightly before she looked down again.

"I know... but some thigns we can prevent from happening, if we avoid it," he mumbled and stared at her wounded shoulder. "Just... be more careful... without you here, i'd surely go mad again, for real."

Ariel glanced at him with sad eyes when he brought up that he had been going crazy before, and she let out a small sigh as she thought about it. She was happy that no one had found him and throwed him in prison, but she started to wonder how long he could live here in secret. Ariel wanted to let everyone know that they were together, but she couldn't even say his name before people started to get angry..
"Do you think we can really be happy?" She asked quietly and took her gaze away from him.
"Or do we have to live like this forever?"

Jim felt the familiar feeling of guilt crawling back. Ariel deserved so muhc better than this, and yet here she still was, with him. He wished he could tell her that yes, they could still be happy. They would get their chance to leave and start over. But he wouldn't give her false hope...
"We can try," he mumbled. "I wish I could promise you'd it be better one day, but after all the shit i've done and caused..." he layed down on th bed behind her with and arm covering his face. "You don't have to stay with me Ariel."

"I know that I don't have to...-" Ariel said in a sigh, but with a smile as she removed his arm from his face and stroked his cheek instead. She wanted to lay down next to him, but she knew that it would onlt hurt her shoulder if she laid down on the side.
"-.. But I want to. You're my best friend and the man I want to spend the rest of my life with- you don't just walks away from that.." She said softly.
"And someone have to take care of you, right?!" She joked with a small laugh.

Jim was really lucky wasn't he? To have some like Ariel by his side, she was more than he would ever deserve in life.
Wordlessly he placed a hand behind her head and leaned up towards, close enough to bring their lips togheter in a tender kiss.
"From the looks of it, we both need someone to look after us," he joked back.

"Yeah.. I guess.." Ariel said, a little ashamed - and stroked her hand carefully over her shoulder and wound.
"Soo.. How is it at the castle?" She asked to change the subject

"It's... fine I guess," he shrugged and slumped back down on the bed. "and boring, but the pay is pretty good. And I seem to ahve a tlanet for hourse back riding," he smirked. "Someday, i'll take you out for a ride."