The Morning After [Jaden/Harley]

[Jaden Aerins]

The sun filtered in through the window and penetrated Jaden's eye lids. It was the same kind of sunlight that came with the loud buzz of voices from the road at her own home but here...Where was here exactly? She opened her eyes begrudgingly, and found herself laying one her side glaring at a very large room that, when properly lit like now, looked a lot nicer than it had last night.

Last Night. She closed her eyes tightly trying to remember exactly what happened. She remembered most of what she had thought to be a dream upon waking but given the circumstances it seems to be true. She rolled over in the large bed and opened one eye, sure enough Harley was there, sleeping like a rock. She couldn't hold in the giggle as she sat up quickly. Her head throbbed painfully as she climbed out of the bed and went searching around the room for some clothing. She found her red converse where she had left them after changing and was happy to find her clothing from the Leaky Cauldron to be dry. She pulled the black tank top over her head and then pulled on her jean shorts which were still a little damp but she didn't mind.

The damp shorts reminded her of the water on the table in the corner. She poured herself a glass and gulped at it slowly trying to ease the headache that made her whole body sore...or at least that it was she was telling herself in her mind as she sat down on the couch and glared into her glass of clear, freezing liquid (she assumed it was still cold due to magic).

[Harley Duke]

Harley woke with a start, completely forgetting that there was someone in the room with him, he rose from bed. He crossed the room like a zombie, completely naked, and pulled out a pair of jeans, and pulled one leg on, before making his way out of the wardrobe, still attempting to hazily navigate his way through the jeans. Then, a lot of things happened at once, he caught sight of Jaden, which made him trip on the unfilled trouser leg, and he landed in a heap on the floor. Quite possibly the least graceful thing that could be imagined. He got to his feat and puled his pants on all the way, trying to remember last night. Then the truth came to him in a flash of colours, and his ego stirred.

He remembered the experience, something he had been deprived of for almost three years, and he internally smiled. He would treasure the past 24 hours as some of his best for the rest of his life.

[Jaden Aerins]

Jaden watched with raised eyebrows as Harley seemingly ignored her presence and upon spotting her he tumbled over himself and despite wanting so badly to laugh Jaden felt almost nauseous. She was having trouble believing what had happened had actually happened. She narrowed her eyes and huffed placing her glass on the table as she bent over and pulled on her converse, "Hello, Harley." She said numbly. Her heart was beating in her ears and yelling at her that she needed to run up and hug the man before her but she resisted. She needed to keep sane here.

"I think I'm going to head out if that is all right, I'll have the elf show me to the door?" She stood in a way that suggested she was preparing to leave, "Maybe you should finish dressing yourself. She smiled bitterly and started walking toward the door which, unfortunately, meant walking right passed Harley.

[Harley Duke]

Harley, who was having enough difficulty trying to figure out why she was being much less kind towards him than last night, had no idea what he was supposed to say. He was unsure what he had done to warrant this attitude, but he suspected it may have something to do with his behavior last night, in regards to Jaden's intoxication. He spoke, just before she reached the spot he was standing. "Ummm, have I done something wrong?" Harley knew this was the wrong thing to say, but he simply couldn't figure out where he had gone wrong.

Harley had been under the impression that last night had ended on a positive note, and thus had pushed the idea that she would still be negative towards him to the back of his mind.

'This is the problem with females, they never mean what they say.'

Is what the deep voice of wisdom in the back if his head was telling him.

[Jaden Aerins]

Anger coursed through Jaden's veins as the question left his lips. She was speechless for a moment and stared at him only a few feet in front of her for a long time before saying, "Did you do something wrong? Are you seriously asking me that? Are you saying just leaving without saying anything and then taking advantage of the fact that I was completely plastered last night to get me in bed is not wrong?!" She huffed and took the few more steps so she was standing right in front of him, noticeably shorter and extremely angry as she stood up on her toes to try and match his height, failing miserably.

"I can't believe you! I loved you so much and you did that to me like it was nothing, did you even care at all?" She screamed, tears running down her face as she turned her face away from him and closed her eyes to the bright window which was making her headache worse.

[Harley Duke]

Harley's eyes widened at the mention of of him taking advantage of her, and said, with a large hint rage threatening at his voice. "I didn't.........you should..............WHAT THE HELL JADEN? Why would you even say that? You and I both know it wasn't like that." He turned away, facing the wall, so he didn't have to look at her, the last thing he needed was to lose control of his anger.

He spoke with an even voice after a few seconds. "Yes, I'll agree it was a stupid thing to do, leaving the way I did, but I've already told you my reasons. I think it was you that made the move last night, so don't even pull any of that guilt trip crap with me. You honestly regret me coming back for you?" He walked to his bed, and sat on it again, without looking at her. He placed his head in his hands, he could feel a headache coming on.

[Jaden Aerins]

Jaden rolled her eyes, "Right. You came back just for me! I'm sure you were bummed when you saw me last night. I was the one who had to engage you in conversation! You had planned to ignore me I'm sure..." Jaden's voice got quieter as she went, knowing what she said was true but also know she sounded like an idiot. She was suddenly whispering, still looking away from him, "Sorry...for accusing you of taking advantage me it was rude but...seriously..." She glared at the floor and rubbed the tears from her cheeks before turning to look at him, "Still, I guess I just don't understand what's going on here...I mean what are we doing? You left! I wanted to forgot, not that I could, and you...you are gonna have a great job and a great life and end up leaving me again right?" Her biggest fear had always been being alone and when he left all he did was make that fear more prominent. She feared repetitive action on his part.

[Harley Duke]

At her semi-apology he simply made a noise that sounded like "Hmmmmgh" And when she had finished speaking he replied, in a calm, cool voice. "Not true, you know the only reason I wasn't here for so long was because I wasn't allowed out of the compound. However, once I'm a fully qualified auror, I can come and go whenever I want, and that means I can see you every day, if you want me to. You knew I always wanted to do this, and you knew it would be hard, but you can't believe that I just stopped loving you.

He got up from the bed, and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her tiny figure, and another internal question popped to mind.

'How can something so small possibly control someone like me?'

[Jaden Aerins]

He was right. She shouldn't have believed he stopped loving her. But she did, and it hurt. What else was she supposed to think? He didn't even leave a note or ANYTHING it was like he just detached himself from her without any notice and expected to be welcomed with open arms! This thought flared her temper but only for the split second before he wrapped his arms around her. His warmth made her heart skip a beat and her knees went weak. It took every once of strength she had not to lean into him and return the hug.

"You're no fair." She choked out burying her face in his chest and still holding back the urge to wrap her arms around his waist.

[Harley Duke]

Harley smiled, and he knew the battle was won, for the moment, women were, after all, complicated animals. He planted a kiss on her forehead, and said, in his most deep, soothing voice. "Yeah, but you love me." He knew he wouldn't be in trouble for at least a little while.

[Jaden Aerins]

Jaden stuck out her bottom lip to pout and scrunched her nose, "Do not!" She denied but couldn't hold back the smile. Finally she gave in and wrapped him in a hug, "Stupid-face!" She groaned pulling herself closer to him as her temper went down and happiness filled her up, "Love you."

[Harley Duke]

Harley held her for just a moment, before letting go, and announcing loudly. "Good, now that's settled, we need food, because I'm freaking hungry. What do you feel like?" He purposely was trying to keep the conversation a little random, and being a male, food was a good option. He was starving, having not eaten since yesterday afternoon. The thought of bacon made his stomach grumble, and he almost completely forgot about the girl in front of him. He crossed the room and sat at the lounge, indicating for her to join him.

[Jaden Aerins]

Jaden laughed at the spontaneity of the conversation. She went to sit down with him and smiled when she realized that she was hungry as well, "So are you free today as well? When do you return to training?" She asked as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Suddenly she had a strange thought about how her parents used to be. They would fight like they hated one another and be all lovey-dovey in the next second. Deja vu. Did that mean they were like a married couple?

[Harley Duke]

"I'm free today, until dark, then I have to go back to the academy, but I'll only be gone for a couple of months, then I'll be back. Why? What did you have in mind." He gave her leg a suggestive squeeze, and smiled, indicating that he was half-joking. "So, what do you want for breakfast? I'll get the elf to bring it here." He put another kiss on her forehead, just to re-enforce the positive auror.

[Jaden Aerins]

She leaned on to his shoulder thinking about what she wanted to eat before just saying, "What ever you're having is fine." She quickly reverted back to the former conversation, though, "But I don't really know what I want to do I was just wondering if you were gonna go see Padril or Tim or something today? I kind of want to see you more." Jaden grinned and turned away, trying to hide an embarrassed face.