Oh no. Oh no. That had been the WORST THING EVER he could have done.

Jake.

Wuz.

A.

FAILURE.

His face absolutely FELL, but he didn't even think for very long because Neptune was CRYING and Jake didn't want to SEE her cry. It broke his heart.

SO.

He leaned forwards and, even though she'd probably push him away, he put his arms around her and hugged her close. "I'm sorry, Tune," he said in a choked voice. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you... I want you to be happy-" and I don't know how to DO that "-I just wanted us how we were..."

Jake clung to Neptune, holding back his own tears, wincing at the sound of hers. He was willing to do anything to make Neptune happy... but he didn't know WHAT that would be.

"Everything... everything will be okay, Tune." You know... eventually... with or without him.

"Oh cool. I never really get to travel. Actually other than England I've only been here. But I'm going to go to America during the holiday with my friends! And I'm really excited because I get to see somewhere new." Nika rubbed her eyes. She was slowly recovering from her sleepiness, but she was still tired. "A flying car? Where I live people on drive them on the ground. But I'm sure with wizards anything is possible."

Oh wow really if you want you can vist me this summer in a same village in the uk.We live around muggles so there is not much magic at my house.I know your going to us for the summer but still my mom and sister is a good cook.

"I am?" Jake responded weakly, feeling like the worst person in the world. He decided to try not to do that anymore... but he was honestly unaware of how he could do that.

...

And then he heard her next point.

"You did?"

Jake had to FIGHT to keep the smile out of his voice and he rubbed Neptune's back to try and comfort her.

But then...

"You d...idn't."

So many emotions in a few moments... it was insane. Jake shook his head clear and rubbed Neptune's back again to try and console her, over and over. "Shhhh... just try and calm down before we get into all that... but I have to say... I really don't mean to make you feel bad. Not my intention at all. You don't have anything to feel like this about."

Not at ALL. This was... extreme.

Jake only continued to just TRY and calm Neptune. No use having this discussion when she was soooooo upset.

Oh.

Ew.

Jake was half glad he wouldn't need these robes for very long. Despite everything throughout his changing Hogwarts life, he was still a bit of a CLEAN freak. Which was VERY different from a NEAT freak.

BUTANYWAY.

"I hope he is too. He deserves much more... you did good in my opinion," he smiled carefully. Shame she didn't kill him. Whut?

Why did she stop? She didn't come to the game becauuusssse...?

Wait, whut?

"Break up with you? What?" Jake repeated, looking slightly lost. "Of... of course I didn't." Had she not read the note? "We had a disagreement, Tune. The first time we've ever disagreed. I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner... I couldn't. I didn't break up with you..."

Plus if he HAD it would have been much more obvious.

"You're worth far too much to me."

hah, HAD to reply <3
 

"Yeah, 'cause I was thinking about going home... not because of that. I wanted to get leaving this place over with, but I overreacted. I don't know what I was thinking, and it was stupid of me to say it like that..." Jake trailed off, looking straight at Neptune with a slightly pained expression. "And I told you I wasn't good at all this either."

Jake took Neptune's hand tentatively. "I'm sorry I confused you. But... I do love you Neptune." And it was SO hard for him to say that... because the last time he'd said it, he thought it would be reciprocated forever. "You are worth the entire universe to me..." And that was possibly infinite.

Looking ashamed with himself, Jake looked down. GUH. So many thoughts had been rushing through his head for so long and he was... just confused. And ashamed with what he thought. Mainly about Jimmy.

But he didn't bring that up, because he seemed to be wrong.

UGHhhhh
 

Didn't come to see him? If that was it, he'd got that part.

"I know... I know... and I'm not exactly happy about all that, but I guess I understand," he said. "... kinda? Anyway..."

Whatever. He didn't want to talk about that yet... fehhhh.

"Wish I wouldn't what?" Jake asked, fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, curl up in a ball or whatever. He had done something wrong again, and it seemed he was destined to keep doing that.

He didn't know what he was doing and Jake was certain he was going to lose Neptune.

"Neptune... do you want to be with me? Because I'm not perfect... and... I want to be with you, but I don't know what you want me to do right now, and... well..." He didn't think she would want to be with someone so clueless.

They'd only had one disagreement... Jake was so confused as to how they were HERE.

The young man trailed off and looked at Neptune, conjuring up a handkerchief and holding it out to her.

Ah. The game.

That nearly pushed him over the edge, but it didn't, because that was completely separate.

"People... people do things that make other people unhappy. That's life, Neptune. I'm pretty sure I can get over it. I don't think you have much reason to feel guilty but if there is one thing I know, it's that emotions can't be helped."

He shook his head and looked down, and that was when he felt his emotional wall begin to crack. His eyes teared up and he felt like hugging Neptune again for his OWN benefit.

"You are good, Neptune," he said quietly, his voice starting to crack slightly. "You are worth all this to me... you're so much better than so many girls." Jake ran the back of his hand over his eyes. "If I'm going to make you so upset like this... I'm no good for you. I just want to make you happy... again."

Jake gave one soft sob and wiped his eyes again before leaning back against the table, taking a deep breath.

He could put his own troubles aside for now, so the young man looked at Neptune, slightly seriously and quite concerned. "What has you so upset, Neptune? You're so sad..." It was heartbreaking. "Is it because of me?"

"Because I'm a bloody idiot, Tune," Jake smiled lightly. "I think I was just sensitive that day. I wouldn't have been so ungrateful if I hadn't been having such a low time. As for hating you..." he shook his head in utter disbelief. "I could never do that. I only 'hate' very few people." Marie Salazar and Josh Carter being high on that particular list. "And I think that's just a strong dislike."

VERY strong.

Anyway, yes... he didn't really expect Neptune to feel sorry, so he hadn't even brought that up. The guilt he knew about, because she'd SAID it and all. "Well... I will apologise if I feel like I should, Neptune. I felt I had to... but I'll stop if, you know... you understand that it's true."

Frequently apologising when he felt he'd done something wrong was something Jake always did and apparently couldn't help. Sometimes he even apologised for apologising. Nightmare.

Jake snuggled slightly up to Neptune and held his hand up to the handkerchief. Erm. No. He had enough snot over him. "I won't be gone all the time. I can be down at the village for Hogsmeade weekends if you want. Believe me, leaving here isn't something I'm looking forward to myself. You have other friends here, surely. I refuse to believe you don't. Plus, you get Dale next year, and he's like a hundred friends." The thickness of Jake's voice kind of went away as he composed himself. "I might even get a set of those two way mirrors this summer."

He gave a little sigh and wrapped an arm around Neptune's shoulder. "I just want you to be happy, whatever the situation. Can't bear to see you so sad."

Jake probably would have shrugged if Neptune hadn't been on his shoulder. She made a point... but... "I'm an idiot in a different way than is expected," he remarked, smirking slightly. OH YES. He was like... a social idiot, rather than a chain-idiot.

He shook his head slightly. "I did do something wrong. A big something. If I hadn't been avoiding the entire world in the first place, I wouldn't have been all sensitive, and then we wouldn't have argued, and I wouldn't have been all ungrateful and wouldn't have got hurt and the situation would just be different... because I'm a coward. And that is why I apologised."

And he was not taking it back.

Jake looked at Neptune and actually did take the handkerchief this time, only to use it to gently dab at Neptune's face.

He listened to her and nodded. In truth, he never stopped telling her she was fascinating or pretty or any of that, and he'd never known how to flirt in the first place. So none of that would be hard to do... apart from... the love thing.

Jake stalled and felt himself deflate a little, emotionally and physically. He'd thrown that 'love' word at her and, once again, it had been wrong. Jake couldn't even put into words how much he wished he didn't understand what love was, like when he'd been in first year.

"I can do that," he said quietly, dropping his hand with the handkerchief down again.

Ha. Haughty with Neptune. Jake reckoned he had some kind of dampner in his brain that wouldn't let him be haughty with anyone other than his parents. Baha.

But he was getting sidetracked. Jake shrugged one shoulder... there was kind of no answer to that, other than establishing again that he didn't feel like doing being a jerk.

"It's okay. I'm okay," Jake shrugged, at the suggestion of being looked after. How else would he have been released from the Hospital Wing... he decided not to mention how he'd begged for Neptune to be there because he thought she WAS there. "It was only a concussion."

Could have been MUCH worse.

He smiled at Neptune again and brushed his thumb over her cheek. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable at all. We'll be like we were, I promise." Jake felt a LOT better now, actually. Of course, still disappointed... but that would pass.

Glancing out of the window, Jake noticed how nice the day really was, for the first time ever. "Fancy heading out to the lake or something soon? It'll be deserted with everyone at the Quidditch celebration."

Those words made him feel a little disappointed after he'd said them... but he pushed that feeling away.

"Yeah, I know," Jake grinned at Neptune. It was true... it really was. Hurrhurr.

He shrugged at that apology. If Jake was honest, he had no idea what Neptune was saying, but left it, because it was a topic he himself wasn't fond of.

"Tell you what happened?" the young man repeated. "Like... in the game?"

And what WAS she doing. Crazy gurrl was lookin' in his earlug. "Either way, sure."

He needed the sun. He wanted to SUNBATHE. Yup. Sun equalled happyrays.

"You're SUPPOSED to say that you don't ever think I'm ridiculous," Neptune poked her finger right into his ear hole. Because she could and she was speaking the truth.

She raised her arms up and out, the universal sign from toddlers around the world that they needed to be picked up. It was Neptune's sign for...wanting to be picked up. SWOOPED up and carried away. Please?

"....if you want to tell me. You can say you should have came if you wanted to know. You can. I'll just ask someone else, but .... I can't say I wouldn't say the same to you."

Truth.

"Really?" Nika was surprised by the offer. She didn't think the girl liked her very much. She took another sip of the sugery coffee and smiled. "I would love that." Nika gave her a genuine smile. "So your cousins with Rex right? Does that mean I will be seeing you at his wedding?"

"Oh. Right... well..." he stalled slightly and grinned. "I don't ever think you're ridiculous." Just sometimes a leeeeeeettle over sensitive.

Jake carried on smiling, feeling infinitely better. Wait wut? What did that mean. "Can't say you wouldn't..." he frowned, trying to work it out. No. Didn't work. "I think my brain just exploded."

He stood up and did exactly what he figured (and hoped) Neptune wanted him to do, scooping her up in his arms like Prince Charming carrying off a Princess... which was exactly what was happening. "I'll tell you what I can remember," Jake nodded, and leaned in to nuzzzzzle Neptune's ear/neck for a moment. "To the lake."

Le rawrr.