Boys and Girls, Part I

A/N: Okay...here it is. I'm simultaneously sad and happy that this story is coming to an end; the former because I hate when things have to come to an end and the latter because this means I get to move on to my next story. Enjoy.

Chapter 16 - Declaration

“Hello Delaney,” a deep, but uncertain voice spoke.

Delaney said nothing – just stared bleary-eyed at the man who had broken her heart…twice.

“Can I…come in, please?”

Delaney slowly nodded, averting her gaze from him to wipe the tears from her eyes. He walked in awkwardly, still clutching the roses. He acknowledged Stephanie and Jacy, who both shot him accusatory glares. Jacy slowly rose from the sofa and walked over to Stephanie. She whispered something to the latter, and Stephanie reluctantly moved toward the door. Lani followed the duo but not before giving her best friend an encouraging nod. She closed the door, leaving Jason and Delaney alone.

Jason shuffled nervously, trying to make eye contact with Delaney, but she was determined not to look. He slowly offered the pink roses to her, and Delaney was forced to accept them.

“Pink?”

“I didn’t want to be a total cliché,” he said with a smile. Delaney wanted to smile, but she couldn’t muster the strength to do so. She meekly took the roses and set them down on the coffee table. She finally found the courage to look up at Jason’s mint green eyes but was surprised to find that that cool cockiness that usually resided within them was…not there. He looked tired and vulnerable, rather than energized and confident – so unlike the Jason Kent she knew. Then, she remembered that this was the guy that had ditched her two times in the last three months, and she grew hostile.

“What are you doing here?”

“I want to talk with you.”

“That’s what you said the last time,” she answered. “As I remember, we didn’t get a lot of talking done.”

Jason winced. “This time I really mean to talk with you, Delaney.”

“And I believe you,” she shot back sarcastically.

“I got past Ailani, didn’t I?”

It was true. Lani must have seen some merit to Jason’s argument – enough so that she actually let him into the apartment and allowed him to be alone with Delaney. Then again, Lani just might have been the latest victim of Jason’s dangerous charms. Delaney continued to regard Jason’s presence with caution.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Us.”

“Obviously,” she answered, “but what about ‘us’ specifically?”

“Our future,” he said with a bit more resolve.

“We don’t have a future,” Delaney replied.

“I’d have to disagree with that.”

“Oh, yeah, why’s that?” Delaney challenged.

“Because I’ve been completely miserable without you,” Jason admitted.

That seemed to cut all powers of speech from Delaney.

Jason gave a disbelieving chuckle and ran a hand through his hair, which had grown out a little since the last time that she’d seen him. “I haven’t slept in three weeks because I keep thinking about what an asshole I’ve been. I haven’t eaten or been able to study either. I just can’t stand the idea of you hurting –

“Stop.”

Jason halted mid-speech. He hadn’t expected the interruption of his catharsis and looked almost hurt at Delaney’s order. “Excuse me?”

“I am not going to pity you, Jason Kent.”

Jason’s expression grew severe. “That’s not what I –

“Because I haven’t slept either, Jason!” she interrupted. “I haven’t eaten, and I’ve ditched a lot of classes recovering from what you did to me!”

“Delaney –

“I…” Delaney began, getting all choked up again, “I keep thinking about what a great guy you seemed to be, and h-how great it felt to be together. A-and th-then I get that cold slap in the face when I realize that the same guy who found a purple snakeskin wallet and returned it to me, the same guy who told me that he wanted to be my friend, the same guy who kissed me and made love to me…abandoned me twice!” With that, Delaney’s sobs grew. Jason, who was usually annoyed by a crying female, couldn’t help but feel his heart breaking. She retreated over to the sofa and sat down, her fists resting on her thighs and her eyes still spewing tears of anger and frustration. Jason wanted to sit down and run his hand through her beautiful red hair; he wanted to soothe her, but he thought better of it and moved over to the windowsill, where Delaney and Lani’s pictures were.

“I-I’ve wanted to play professional football since I was ten,” he said randomly, staring aimlessly at the photos, “because my older brother, Patrick, had said the same thing just days earlier – he was thirteen. My old man was ecstatic. My mom was…” he smiled. “…my mom was less than thrilled.” He leaned his forearms against the ledge. “But I promised her that I would be careful – that I would have everything carefully planned out.”

Jason heard Delaney’s sobs growing softer in the background. He continued. “I looked up to my older brother, Patrick, because he was good at everything he did without trying very hard.” Jason’s eyebrows furrowed. “I wasn’t like him at all, in that respect. I had to work at being successful. It was a blessing that I was three years behind him because it gave me time to get good at things that mattered. I practiced football like a crazed maniac, so that I could become good enough to get a scholarship to NMU – just like Patrick.” He turned his head. Delaney’s sobs had considerably quieted. Her eyes were still glued to the ground, however, so Jason turned back forward and went on.

“I met this girl my freshman year, and she was everything I thought that a football player’s girlfriend should be – beautiful, smart, and vibrant. I really thought that I loved her, but then I realized that I loved it more when others saw me with her than when we were alone together.” He straightened and dropped his arms to the side. “What’s more…she left me for Patrick after he won one of the Bowl championship games. They’re married and are expecting their first child in a few months.”

Jason swore he heard a small gasp from Delaney but pretended not to notice. “That pushed me over the edge. I wanted to win so badly after that. I wanted to prove that I could be just like Patrick. What’s more, he chose not to be drafted, so I had that added opportunity to do what he didn’t – play pro football.”

Jason turned around and looked at his beautifully miserable redhead with a disgusted sneer on his face. “Isn’t it sick how some people are defined by the goals they set for themselves?”

Delaney didn’t answer but her blue eyes at least looked up to his.

“They become obsessed with fulfilling some end that they soon forget why they’re doing it. You know, I thought that my brother was the biggest loser for forgoing the draft to become a nine-to-five Seattle businessman with a pregnant wife. I didn’t understand what the point of that kind of life was…” – his gaze intensified – “…until I met you, Delaney.”

Delaney’s heart quickened, and Jason made his way over to her. He knelt in front of her, as she remained seated on the sofa. He took her hands in his and was greatly relieved when she didn’t try to resist him.

“When I’m with you, Delaney…I lose focus. I can’t seem to stop thinking about anything but you. I keep thinking about your blue eyes and your beautiful red hair. I think about your perfect body…and your perfect heart.” He cupped the side of her face in one of his large, strong hands. He was trembling and so was she. “I used to think that we were both too different for anything to happen – that we were two different people headed in two different directions. That’s why I ran away – twice – because I was afraid to put my real feelings about you into perspective. But then, I realized…I realized that we’re both miserable without each other. What does that tell you?”

He rubbed the remnant of a tear on her cheek away with his thumb. “It tells me that there is a future for us, Delaney – that the idea of you and me is not…impossible.”

To Jason’s amazement, Delaney’s grim mouth finally arched into a slow smile, and he decided that he liked that look on Delaney a lot. He liked it so much that he put the icing on the cake – the cherry on top. “It tells me that I love you, Delaney.”

Delaney’s hand flew to her chest, and she looked like she was about to cry again.

“Jason,” she gasped.

“I don’t blame you if you never want to talk to me again, Delaney,” Jason continued, getting a little choked up, himself. “If you tell me to leave you alone for the rest of your life, I’ll do it because I owe you that much. If you tell me to shove all the footballs in the world up my ass and go to hell…I’ll try my best because I’ve hurt you so much, and I deserve all that bad shit. But if you give me a second chance, Delaney Cameron…I will never take you for granted, ever again. I will bow every day at the feet of the god who blessed my life with your presence.” He kissed her at the corner of her tear-stained eye. “I’ll take care of you, sweetheart. You’ll forget about your mom and her nagging because I’ll make sure you never have to work a day of your life; you’re going to be a football player’s wife.” Her mouth opened in shock, and a small giggle sounded. He kissed the corner of her other tear-stained eye. “I’m going to spoil you with everything you want, I’m going to make love to you every which way, and –

“I love you too, Jason,” Delaney whispered, giving him a soft, chaste kiss on the lips. Jason took Delaney’s kiss as a green light. He cupped both of his hands around her delicate face and moved in for a more intimate kiss. His lips met hers roughly, and she forced her mouth on his just as passionately. His tongue found its way through her mouth and made contact with hers. Jason’s breathing quickened, and his green eyes were on fire with the hope of scoring with the woman of his dreams when a knock at the front door broke up their kiss.

Little Stephanie Kaelin peeked through the front door. “I…uh…left my purse.” She slowly slid past the door and walked shyly to retrieve her tropical tote. She hooked it over her arm, trying not to make eye contact with either Jason or Delaney, and tiptoed back to the front door.

But being Stephanie, she couldn’t resist giving the two a quick thumbs up before slipping out the door and closing it behind her. Jason and Delaney laughed before their lips met in another kiss that seemed to cement the beginning of something wonderful.

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A/N: There's one extra suprise for you guys...