Aeta lay on the beach, finally back to normal. He was bleeding, broken, and just wanted to die. Coincidently, he was considering drowning himself that very moment. He wondered where Jaden was, if she was okay, if she was afraid of him, or hated him. He shook his head. She definitely hates me....There's no way anyone could ever love me...
Jaden walked along the sand, her arms crossed over her chest. Her dirty-blonde hair was hanging freely for once, and her ice blue eyes held a look of confusion. She had never felt like this before... she had never been so confused about people and emotions before... this had never happened to her. She couldn't remember being shown affection, and yet, Aeta loved her. Even though she knew that her parents had loved her, she had been taken away from them so early in life she couldn't have made any real memories. She shuddered, remembering a few of those little 'tests' her last school had had.
She looked up at the sky, coming to the realization that she liked Aeta as much more than a friend. She knew he felt the same, since he had told her, and she just hoped she could find him. Even better, she hoped she would actually be able to tell him. The fourteen-year-old had never had to tell someone that she loved them before... and she didn't know if it was going to be easy or hard yet. She was leaning toward difficult, though.
When she finally looked back to where she was going, she noticed someone laying in the sand. And, of course, it was Aeta. She was both happy and upset to see him; happy because she really liked him, and sad now because she would have to figure out how to tell him. As soon as she was close enough to him to see he was bleeding, the girl stopped walking, and started running toward him as fast as she could.
"Aeta!" she yelled, quickly falling to her knees next to him. "Are you alright? Why are you bleeding? What happened?" She wondered if it was from a wound he had received on the roof, and she desperately hoped he wasn't going to die from it. Concern showed all over her face and in her eyes, and it was more than obvious that she cared for him more than anything.
She looked up at the sky, coming to the realization that she liked Aeta as much more than a friend. She knew he felt the same, since he had told her, and she just hoped she could find him. Even better, she hoped she would actually be able to tell him. The fourteen-year-old had never had to tell someone that she loved them before... and she didn't know if it was going to be easy or hard yet. She was leaning toward difficult, though.
When she finally looked back to where she was going, she noticed someone laying in the sand. And, of course, it was Aeta. She was both happy and upset to see him; happy because she really liked him, and sad now because she would have to figure out how to tell him. As soon as she was close enough to him to see he was bleeding, the girl stopped walking, and started running toward him as fast as she could.
"Aeta!" she yelled, quickly falling to her knees next to him. "Are you alright? Why are you bleeding? What happened?" She wondered if it was from a wound he had received on the roof, and she desperately hoped he wasn't going to die from it. Concern showed all over her face and in her eyes, and it was more than obvious that she cared for him more than anything.
Aeta shook his head. "Its minor cuts, and stuff...Nothing to really worry about...More of it was from me forcing my bones back into place than anything...I'm absolutely fine, now that you're here..." He said, then averted his eyes as he realized what he had just said. He stood up and walked out into the water, his sword laying on the beach. After he was out pretty far, he turned, calling for Jaden to join him.
"We're both at a beach, so why not swim?" He called, laughing.
"We're both at a beach, so why not swim?" He called, laughing.
Jaden nodded slowly, and her face reddened quite a bit when he said he was fine now that she was there. "I... I'm glad..." she said, smiling. It hadn't been forced at all. Aeta saying that had truly made her happy. She blinked and stood up when he walked into the water, wondering if he had gone insane. It was the middle of winter! How could he want to go swimming?!
She gave in, though, and took off her coat and her sword, throwing them down on the sand. She took off her shoes, resting them right next to her coat and sword. She walked near the water, gulping as the icy water hit her feet. She would survive, she would ignore it. Besides, she would probably be numb soon, anyway.
"Fine, I'm coming!" she said, quickly ran until it was too deep for her to do so, and swam until she got to Aeta. "It's so cold! How can you want to swim?" she asked him, laughing, then shook her head. "Not like it matters. I'm just happy I'm here with you." Her face went red again after she said that, and she offered him a smile before looking away in slight embarrassment.
She gave in, though, and took off her coat and her sword, throwing them down on the sand. She took off her shoes, resting them right next to her coat and sword. She walked near the water, gulping as the icy water hit her feet. She would survive, she would ignore it. Besides, she would probably be numb soon, anyway.
"Fine, I'm coming!" she said, quickly ran until it was too deep for her to do so, and swam until she got to Aeta. "It's so cold! How can you want to swim?" she asked him, laughing, then shook her head. "Not like it matters. I'm just happy I'm here with you." Her face went red again after she said that, and she offered him a smile before looking away in slight embarrassment.
Aeta shook his head. "Cold.." He said, not able to feel any part of his body any longer. He staggered out of the water, pulling Jaden with him, then fell down onto the semi-warm sand, pulling her down next to him.
"I cant feel any part of me.." He said, shuddering. "Its so cold..."
"I cant feel any part of me.." He said, shuddering. "Its so cold..."
Jaden blinked at how quickly he wanted to get out of the water, but didn't say anything. She allowed him to pull her out of the water with him, not protesting, even though she could walk by herself. Even if she was numb, she could still walk and the like. She didn't protest when he pulled her down next to him, either. "You shouldn't have just ran in there..." she said quietly. "But, hey, at least we'll both be sick instead of just one of us." She shook her head, then sighed inwardly, realizing she was going to have to tell him how she felt. She sat up, figuring there was no use in stalling. She just had to get it over with.
"Aeta... can I talk to you about something?" she asked quietly, biting the inside of her lip, just looking at him, and trying to form what she was going to say in her head.
"Aeta... can I talk to you about something?" she asked quietly, biting the inside of her lip, just looking at him, and trying to form what she was going to say in her head.
"Of course!" He said, sitting up and looking at her. "What do you need to talk about?" He has a pretty good idea of what she wanted to tell him, but he decided that he was probably wrong, so he didnt let his hopes get up.
"Um... well..." Jaden was silent for quite a while. Her toes wriggled in the sand and she continued to bite her lip, looking away. She had had this all planned out in her head, and even though she knew that he loved her, it was just really hard to say.
Just say it already!!! she scolded herself. She turned back to him, smiling somewhat. "I.. I love you..." she said quietly.
Just say it already!!! she scolded herself. She turned back to him, smiling somewhat. "I.. I love you..." she said quietly.
Aeta put his arms around her, hugging her tight against him. "You have no idea how happy hearing that makes me...When I'm with you, I feel like I could be better...And less of a screw up....I really do.." He trailed off, continuing to hug her.
Jaden's smile widened when he put his arms around her, and she hugged him back. She was glad to hear that he felt that way when she was around him, even though she didn't think of him as a screw up in any way. "Don't say that you're a screw up," she said, poking his shoulder. "You aren't. And that's the end of that little disagreement." She sighed inwardly, wondering if them being together could change his opinion of himself.
She decided she should change the subject, since she had said that that was the end of the discussion. "So, what do you want to talk about?" she asked him, a brighter look coming to her face.
She decided she should change the subject, since she had said that that was the end of the discussion. "So, what do you want to talk about?" she asked him, a brighter look coming to her face.