Work Text:
Aelita’s POV
I always savored those moments I got to spend with him, even though most of the time we are working on bringing down XANA, one way or the other. Currently, bringing William back is our top priority. The clone is stupid enough that Yumi has to babysit it all the time.
Poor Yumi… I have to talk to her later and try to cheer her up. I am sure that she would be grateful for any kind words and for any support in this turbulent battle. Though being a Lyoko warrior meant that such situations were to be expected, we are only humans. We have to rest and relax sometimes, think about everything, and live our lives. The battle against XANA must and will continue, but it can’t control our lives.
I sadly glanced up at Jeremy, who was currently explaining what he doesn’t understand about the connection between Lyoko and the Internet.
For him, the battle against XANA was the top priority. I returned my distracted glance to his wardrobe, faintly noticing the laptop positioned on my knees as I recalled a very truthful sentence: By assigning importance to evil, you give it the power over your life. My lips tightened. That is exactly what happened to Jeremy. He became so entangled in the fight against XANA that he struggles to even keep his promise!
I closed my eyes. Is that promise hard to fulfill? I don’t think so. He promised to spend more time with me, and he promised that to me after I returned to Canada, out of grief. Hurt and demoralized, I left the situation then.
“Aelita? Are you listening?”
I sharply turned to him. “Uh… Would you mind repeating that?”
He frowned and turned back to his computer. “Never mind.”
I felt a pang of sadness burst through in my heart. His mind is wrapped up in defeating XANA so much of the time that he even does not think about something else! He barely eats something at dinners, which I noticed yesterday. As the saying goes, he really did allow evil to control his life. He does not even think about it that way, but I do. And it hurts me that all the time I spend with him has to be spent working on destroying XANA.
What I really wanted for the two of us was to become a couple. My darker side always tells me that I want that only because I want to be able to freely talk to him about his worsening health and lack of food intake. As his girlfriend, I would definitely be in a position to care about him even more, but the key difference is that I actually could make a difference for him... Though that is only my dark side talking. Why I really want to be his girlfriend is because I love him. I love him for all that he is worth and for everything that he has done for me.
He saved me from Lyoko, worked day and night to program my antivirus, programmed our vehicles on Lyoko, and spent so much time working on ensuring that everything goes smoothly. I still remember the incident with the false Franz Hopper. Everyone, except me, turned against him. I was so crushed for him then. I had a feeling that he wouldn’t reject me if I was his girlfriend—in other words, if the two of us sorted out our feelings towards each other on time.
I suspected that my presence when he ran away from the lab would only make things harder for him. He would probably be very ashamed and unhappy; he probably went to his room and cried. I didn’t blame him. I knew that I would react the same.
During all those months on Earth, I slowly relearned many things I once knew. When my dad returned me my memories, I suddenly gained my knowledge of feelings again. A tear slipped on my cheek, and I quickly brushed it away in hope that Jeremy did not see me in the moment of my vulnerability. My dad... he sacrificed so much for me. Aside from the happy thought that I would spend my life with Jeremy, the dream of meeting my father again was the most hurtful and happy dream I have got.
Another tear slipped on my cheek, and I brushed it away too, a little slower this time. Suddenly I did not care if Jeremy saw me crying, in the sole thought that if there is hope for us to be a couple, he needs to get to know me deeply, with all my flaws and imperfections. Why hide them? No one is perfect.
I involuntarily sobbed, and that sound caught Jeremy’s attention. From the corner of my eye, I saw him look at me, and I saw his look of surprise, which quickly turned into confusion and remorse. I lowered my gaze onto his laptop.
“Aelita?” He got up from his chair. “Are you alright?”
My teary gaze landed on his face, and I put up a weary smile. “I’m alright, thanks.” I propped up on the bed and slumped on the wall with his laptop still on my knees, and with the corner of my sleeve I brushed my face again. Jeremy knew better, though.
He sat beside me. “Aelita… If anything is wrong, you can tell me, so we can fix it.”
A sentence I’ve heard so many times before... The look on his face declared that he was unsure of what to do, but at the same time told me that he had honest and pure intentions. I gazed into his beautiful blue eyes. Oh, what would I give to be able to freely cry in his sweater while being hugged by him? What would I give to be his girlfriend? My love for him is enormous, and even bigger than that. I considered telling him the same word as before, which would lead to exactly the same talk as before. That word was simple, and I sometimes wondered how such little things, such small words, could convey so many lies. The word was ‘no’.
That must change, I decided. I have to fight for my dreams; I have to ensure that I have done everything I could have before declaring defeat. Suddenly, all those times I considered leaving our relationship in status quo made me angry at myself. Angry, because I would let one of my biggest dreams pass in front of my eyes when I could just snatch it and be content for the rest of my life. So, I spoke.
“Yes, Jeremy… There are wrong things... and only in cooperation we can fix them.”
Judging by his eyes, first and foremost, I saw concern. Concern for me and my well-being, but I also saw fear. He couldn’t be afraid of his feelings, could he? My gaze slipped towards the floor. I don’t know. I only want to leave this tight friend zone. Either we are together, or we aren’t. I need to know where we are standing. It is his turn to speak now.
“Um, what problems, Aelita? Are you worried about bringing back William?” I could see that the part about our cooperation frightened him a little. Maybe he is afraid of leaving this dead sea?
I shook my head. “I am, but... that belongs to the fight against XANA. My problem belongs to real life, not to fighting an evil AI.” I looked at him in the eye. “I can’t fight with myself anymore, Jeremy.”
He frowned. “What do you mean, Aelita?” He moved against the wall in order to see me better. “What are you fighting?”
I looked at him in the eye, then back at the floor. My voice was very weak, threatening to degenerate into sobs at any time. “I’m fighting against my feelings. I just... can’t do it anymore.” My voice crackled.
Jeremy lunged for his paper tissues, situated in his drawer, and gave one to me. I gratefully smiled and blew my nose. I stuffed the used tissue in my pocket, not wanting to throw it on the bed or anywhere else. I was too deep down in this, and I knew that Jeremy became greatly concerned with my fight. If only he knew why that fight was put up...
“This fight has to stop, Jeremy.” My voice was weak but firm, close to a whisper. “I have to stop it.” Before Jeremy could open his mouth to speak, I brushed away all my tears and cleared my throat. To myself, I looked a little bit better, if I ruled out my puffy eyes, that is. Either way, if we would be fixing problems and winning fights, I needed to be in better shape.
“But... what feelings are you fighting?” He paused, seemingly trying to find the right words. “I’m… I’m sorry if I caused that fight. I shouldn’t have been so..." I looked at him. He clearly was struggling to make up for before... But for what? He looked at me in the eye. “I’m sorry for what I told you about the audition.” He looked away. “I realize that music matters a lot to you, and I shouldn’t have forced you to come here. Forgive me, please.” He looked down at the floor. “You don’t have to work with me if you don’t want to.”
I was partially struck by his words, unsure of how to respond. If I get up now and go to the audition, then he won’t invite me to work together on his own anymore, and that means that I wouldn’t spend time with him at all. That was unacceptable. The other way around is to fix this now and still go to the audition, which seemed like a better outcome. I gently touched his hand, and I couldn’t help but slightly frown when he jerked away. I did not push it, though.
“I see what you are getting at, Jeremy, and I forgive you for that.”
When our gazes met, I saw relief in his. “Do you really mean that?”
I smiled. “Yes, I do.” My smile faltered. “Though that is not what I meant. I meant something else entirely. The fight inside of me is not about the concert. It’s about us.” Seeing his flustered face, I nodded. “Yes, Jeremy. About you and me solely. About our relationship.” My voice slowly gained strength.
Jeremy became nervous. What was he afraid of? He is afraid of social interaction, it seemed. “Uh… what… what about us?”
I giggled at a recent memory. “Your clone, Jeremy, is your complete opposite in many ways.” He gulped, slightly tugging on the collar of his shirt.
“What about it?”
I frowned. “The clone does not matter. Forget it. What matters is us; our relationship is on the line.” I paused for a while and put my glance on the window. “What kind of relationship does ours fall into?”
He gulped again. “Friendship, I suppose.”
My lips tightened. “I see.” My gaze returned to his face. He was practically radiating with uncertainty. “Jeremy, do you like me?”
He shuddered and moved a bit. “Hehe… do I… like you?”
I tried to make my face look friendly, and I shoved the laptop away from me. “Yes. Do you like me?”
He let out a nervous laugh. “Why... why do you ask? Hehe… this reminds me of the Yumi clone."
I frowned. What Yumi clone? I don’t remember any. It must have happened while I was still on Lyoko. “What Yumi clone?”
He relaxed a bit and started wiping his glasses off his shirt. “You see... XANA once sent a clone of Yumi.” He put his glasses back on. “It... it came into my room, and... well, how do I put this...”
This must be a very traumatic memory for him. I wonder what happened. “Yes? You can say it...”
He closed his eyes, most likely bracing himself from the emotional discomfort. “It came into my room and... well, it practically tried to seduce me into going to the scanner room.” Seeing my unpleasantly surprised expression, he hurried to say something. “Don’t worry, Ulrich came just in time before... before it could kiss me.”
I suddenly became very aware of the proximity between him and me. I even moved the laptop away... No wonder he is so uncomfortable... though, was that all? I wasn’t convinced.
“That is in the past, Jeremy.” He reluctantly nodded. “Do you like me, Jeremy?”
He inhaled. “Of course, I like you. Have you ever asked yourself why I spent so many nights working on Code: Earth?” He said this somewhat bravely. I took that as a good sign.
“Thanks, but that is not what I meant. Do you like me, Jeremy? As… more than just a friend?” My words conveyed so much eagerness and despair at the same time.
His collar must have been really tight. “Uhm… heh… can I pass?”
My mood visibly deflated. “You can’t pass. It is just a simple yes or no. There is no in-between, and I promise that we will always stay friends, despite your decision.”
He closed his eyes, and I could see that this question is putting so much strain on him. In the back of my mind, I hoped that he would say yes, but he looked so unsure, so scared. But of what? Of rejection? But I love him!
I gulped, awaiting his answer. He knows that, doesn’t he?
Time is so slow...
Looking at his face, he does not. Either way, it is too late now. It is his turn to answer, truthfully, I hope. He never lied.
“Do you like me as more than a friend?”
I thought that my eyes were going to bail out of their sockets. He asked me if I loved him!? I do! Of course, I do! Wasn’t I obvious? I was, but he wanted to make sure. I contemplated what to do. I wanted him to tell me first, but...
I smiled warmly. “Your answer is the same as mine. So, what is it? Are we friends... or something more?”
He blushed, looking composed for once. “Yes.”
I frowned. “Yes? What does that mean?”
He mischievously grinned. “That’s the answer to your first question.”
I burst into tears. Happy tears, for once. Happiness and delight filled me from the inside. I felt so easy now, that the exhausting fight I had is over. I was free. I grasped his hand. To my delight, he did not pull away. He looked at my hand, then back up at me.
“So… are we?”
I got a bit closer to him. “Are we what?”
“Uhm… You know what I mean, right?”
“Maybe.” I paused, trying to push him in the right direction. “How do couples form?”
“They... love each other very much.”
I sincerely laughed. “That is step one. We have done it.” He blushed. “What is next?” I giggled in happiness and childlike eagerness when realization dawned upon him. He grasped my other hand, still a bit nervous. I squeezed it in support.
“Aelita… Will you be my girlfriend?”
My shriek of joy filled the air. I jumped onto Jeremy and hugged him as tight as I could. Through my sobs and tears, this time from pure joy, I whispered. “Absolutely, Jeremy. I will.” After a few moments, he hugged me, too. I pulled away a bit.
“And there is nothing you can say that would make us not spend time together more.” He nodded. “As you promised," I added with a wink. He grinned, knowing full well what I meant. I hugged him again, and this time, he immediately returned it. Soon enough I fell on him, but he did not mind.
“Aelita?”
“Yeah?”
“Go to the gym and knock their socks off for me, will you?”
Her honest, crystal-clear laughter was soon cut off by a kiss. Her eyes widened at first, but she quickly adapted and deepened it to the best of her ability. Every thought that Jeremy had about William and XANA suddenly vanished, and all his love and hidden affection for her was poured into this kiss. Her mouth was so soft and warm, and by the looks of it, Aelita thought the same of him. When they parted, a few seconds of watching each other dreamily brought yet another kiss, this time lasting longer. After a long time, they laid themselves next to each other, both eager to kiss more but forced to get air.
Through gasps, Jeremy pulled Aelita closer. She did not object at all. She just buried herself deeply into him and inhaled his scent. Jeremy did the same.
Only one thought passed through Aelita’s mind.
One less fight to win.