until the end of time -- JESS&HOPE

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

WHEN YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE ROAD & YOU LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL ,
& your thoughts have taken their toll

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outfit
It was understatement that she missed him. The feel of his arms around her and the taste of his lips. His honesty and the way he said her name. Hope she remembered it well. They had spoken over the phone but it wasn't the same. When her grandmother passed it away it seemed like her entire world just stopped moving. This was the last family member she actually still had and loved. So she handled everything with that and while Jess was the most amazing support system...even he couldn't keep her in Cresting Grove. Too many memories walked the streets with her and the store now held even more burdens along their shelves. It was all too much. So she fled just like a Summers. She told Jess and there were tears on her part but she promised him it would only be two months. Summer was coming up and she didn't want to ruin his fun with her sadness. She was only dragging him down. Hell, Cresting Grove was dragging her down. Hope and Jess never defined their relationship but they had been pretty clear about their feelings. They were only together for two months by the time she left but that was more than enough for them to see how great they were together. Then Hope put another two months between them to test that.

Hope went back to her old apartment that had collected way too much dust. She went in with a rag and a mop for two days and cleaned everything out. Hope was finally given the chance to donate her mothers things, toss her fathers possessions he had left behind, and organize her life the way she wanted. She didn't go out to bars or go looking for a lover because she didn't need one. She had Jess. But her own thoughts took her to places that made her go crazy. He must have been in heaven not having her around. They texted and spoke occasionally but long distance relationships were never a thing she believed in. She had to go home for them to finally work out. But she needed time. Hope took the two months to write, write, and write. Hope had gotten so much done that she felt like this trip was actually worth while. By the 50th day she felt like she was ready to go home.

She didn't feel like warning Jess of her homecoming because she wanted him to be surprised. Her bookstore was being taken care of by a family friend and everything seemed to be going smoothly. Now she could return to her post and let that person off the hook. That was something she was definitely excited about. Being in NYC gave her ideas to move back and start fresh there but she had business to deal with. And people to see. She wasn't going to be in the bookstore forever but she made a promise to her grandfather she would be the owner until she found another suitable one. So far there was no luck in that department.

Hope had gotten back early that Friday and after dropping off her bags she decided to put some effort into her outfit. She was dressed in leggings and a baggy t-shirt for the airplane but Hope was seeing Jess. It was necessary to try a little. So she got herself ready before heading over to his place to see if he was there. She knew Jess well and he was at one of two places; his apartment or their favorite place around town. He wasn't at his apartment so she walked to the main part of town. Thankfully Cresting Grove was small and everything was within walking distance, unlike NYC. She was nervous so say the least but so excited to finally see Jess in person. It was about time she got to hug him. Hope found her way to the cafe in town that was always buzzing with music in the evenings. That was one of the reasons it was their favorite. She could pull him out awkwardly onto the makeshift dance floor as blues music played on the speakers. It was painful for him but hilarious for her. And she loved it.

Hope was about to open the front door to the cafe but she stopped as her eyes found Jess sitting inside...with some other girl. Oh yes, very typical young people drama and she normally would have brushed it off and went inside but something was off. He was smiling. He even laughed. Hope only saw him do that around her and sometimes around his co-workers at his job. Jess was guarded and smiled the way he was smiling to people he felt utterly and completely comfortable with. It was scaring her. The girl sitting with him patted his arm and her hand lingered before returning to it's spot on the table. He let it happen. Hope backed away from the door and turned around, tears stinging her eyes. She wasn't going to cry about this. Maybe she was over reacting. Hope pulled out of her cell phone and texted Jess to come outside the cafe. She added a smiley face for safe measure. Jess knew her so well he could tell when her texts were tense.

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TAGGED !? JESS BBY !?
HOW MANY !? IDK !?
LISTENING TO !? NONE !?
LYRICS BY !? GREEN DAY - 21 GUNS !?
CREDIT TO !? RORA @ C. AFFAIRS[/color][/b] !?[/size][/center]

[JESS MORETTI]

It was hard when Hope's grandmother died. Jess could not pretend to be as distressed as Hope had been, but it was difficult for him to see her that way. Their relationship, while it had ups and downs here and there, involved fun. They were silly and messed around and let loose with each other. Jess and Hope--or maybe just Jess--had little desire to have too serious of a conversation. They escaped with each other.

So when Hope broke down, Jess was at a loss of what to do. He was there for her, of course. He sat next to her while she cried, and stood with her, hand-in-hand at the funeral. Many nights were spent in her apartment, with Jess making very pitiful dinners so Hope could just lay on the couch for a while. Often he would spend entire weekends with her.

And then she left.

He tried to be understanding when Hope told him she was going away to New York City. He threw on a smile and dutifully called her every night. Hell he bought a cell phone so they could text. But he could not shake the feeling of being abandoned. They both had shared their desire to escape the small town of Cresting Grove to live in NYC, and now that was where Hope was going. And Jess was left behind, with no escape from his responsibilities.

Though, Jess was not quite as alone as he had previously believed. Lena Sanchez, the painfully shy artist he had stolen from, had turned out to be a pretty good friend. They had a few things in common, and Jess found her interesting. He was a little ashamed to say that he brought his book buying business to Lena's family's store while Hope was away.

Occasionally Jess and Lena met up around the city, often to trade a book or to talk. Sometimes Jess read while Lena drew, both sitting in a comfortable and understanding silence. It was nice, at least, to not be totally alone while Hope was gone.

Jess was sitting beside Lena in the small cafe when he got the text. Still smiling he pulled the old phone from his pants pocket and then peered out the window. "I'm sorry Lena...I'm getting called away." He stood quickly and darted from the crowded cafe to meet Hope outside. As excited as he was to see her, he could not shake the sensation that something was wrong. Why did she not just come inside and see him?

Shaking his head, Jess stepped up beside Hope. "Well...this is a surprise. I didn't think you were going to be back until the end of the summer." He tilted his head and gave her a once over as he added silently in his head, if you were going to come back at all...

(TAGGED) HOPE! (MUSE) Final Destination? lol
(NOTES) yaaay
(CREDITS) THIS IS BY DYLAN of CAUTION 2.0! Lyrics by Paramore - Ignorance!

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

WHEN YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE ROAD & YOU LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL ,
& your thoughts have taken their toll

[/color] ,[/size]
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Hope didn't know what she expected to come from Jess coming outside. Was he going to be angry with her or excited yo see the girl he shared so many laughs with? It looked like he wad been getting along in the laughing department just fine without her. She was jealous...of course she was. Hope glanced back into the cafe and watched the girl sitting with him. She was pretty in an understated kind of way and the look on her face screamed she was shy or innocent. She could see why Jess was hanging with her. She looked like a nice person. A few years ago Hope would've been the first person to talk bad about the girl in the cafe. But that wasn't her style anymore. The girls name was finally coming to her...Lena. Her mother owned the rival bookstore in the other part of Cresting Grove. Hope always felt the store was too cliche and had no personality. Of course that was just her opinion.

Hope waited patiently for Jess to come outside and when he finally did a weak smile spread across her lips. He looked better than ever. Inside the cafe he saw him smile his usual crooked grin that sent tingles down her spine. His hair was still a bit messy and she yearned to run her hands through it. He began to speak to her and she noded. That was her intention; to surprise him but it had all backfired. "It's really good to see you. I've missed you" she told him with a small smile before reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck for a hug. Her cheek rested against his own and she closed her eyes for a moment, kissing his cheek soon after. She missed the faint smell of oil on his skin and that manly body wash he used. God, she had missed him more than she thought.

"I would've come in but... " she trailed off and shook her head looking away to the ground. This was all too much. She leaves for two months and he finds some new innocent little girlfriend. What was that about? She didn't expect him to wallow in sadness with her being gone but genuinely laughing around another girl was too much for her. "I could've sworn I saw you laughing in there. Did she slip something into your drink?" she joked sarcastically as she slapped him on the shoulder. The bitter taste in her mouth made her look away again. "I came to surprise you because I wanted to come home early but maybe tonight wasn't the best choice to do that," she explained as she kept full eye contact with him. She wanted to kiss him but she couldn't.

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TAGGED !? JESS BBY !?
HOW MANY !? IDK !?
LISTENING TO !? NONE !?
LYRICS BY !? GREEN DAY - 21 GUNS !?
CREDIT TO !? RORA @ C. AFFAIRS[/color][/b] !?[/size][/center]

[JESS MORETTI]

Something was definitely wrong. It had taken a mere two months for Jess to get to know Hope like the back of his hand--at least, he assumed he knew her that well. He certainly knew when something was off about her. Perhaps, he pondered, she had just changed while in New York City. What with her grandmother's death and then moving back to the city...he figured it would be enough to change a girl, even in such a short time span.

He wrapped his arms tightly around Hope the moment she moved towards him. He really had missed her. He missed getting off work to find Hope waiting for him outside the garage, or sneaking kisses between bookshelves in her shop. He'd missed seeing her smile and smelling her perfume. He had missed her dragging him around the mall, or onto the dance floor in that damned cafe. God, he just missed her!

Hope's lips grazed his cheek and quickly Jess turned his head in attempt to catch her for a real kiss. But she had moved away too quickly. Jess peered at Hope curiously as she drew back and turned her attention onto the ground. His mouth dropped into a frown. What was she saying? He turned his head to peer back inside the cafe where he had left Lena.

For a moment he could not even remember what he had been laughing at. Something to do with a book. But that did not even really matter right now. "No," Jess said plainly. "She said something amusing. I was amused." He tilted his head to the side again and squinted slightly, as if he was trying to see something out of focus. What he would give to see into Hope's mind.

At her final words, Jess' frown deepened, nearing a scowl. "What are you talking about, Hope?"

(TAGGED) HOPE! (MUSE) Final Destination? lol
(NOTES) yaaay
(CREDITS) THIS IS BY DYLAN of CAUTION 2.0! Lyrics by Paramore - Ignorance!

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

WHEN YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE ROAD & YOU LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL ,
& your thoughts have taken their toll

[/color] ,[/size]
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Hope watched him as his expression turned more confused as the conversation continued. All of this made sense in her head but he was on a different planet. While they understood each other extremely well there were still many moments that they couldn't read each others mind. They were so much alike and so different at the same time. He was more selectively introverted while she sometimes wanted to be right in the mix of things. With that they also handled arguments so differently that it didn't mesh well. Hope beat around the bush while Jess was direct. While in NYC she had decided to turn over a new leaf and not only be honest with herself but with the important people around her. At the moment Jess was one of the most important.

"Okay I come back to surprise you and I see you laughing with some random girl," she told him honestly and ran a hand through her hair nervously. "I know that I left and things have been tense but this is our place on a Friday night and I should be the one making you laugh," she said it out loud, getting more flustered every minute. Hope held her stomach for a moment and turned away to take a deep breathe. She was getting too worked out but being gone and coming back to this was complete bullshit in her mind. "Sorry for the dramatics but I need to get this off my chest now or else it will ferment," she apologized and watched as people passing by were now glancing at her. She recognized so many faces that it was scaring her. At least in NYC she could hide.

"I have been alone for the last two months because I was trying to figure things out. I didn't want to come back only to jeopardize our relationship or even the store. So I didn't go over that mountain," she told him and shook her head. That mountain was the same depression her mother went over. "I wasn't wishing you were alone waiting for me to come back because I'd never wish that for you. But I was at least hoping over two months someone else wouldn't have learned to make you laugh like that. Or that you let them," she finished, now looking at him. Her eyes glazed with tears as she admitted to her what her time was like in NYC. Pathetic huh? She couldn't bear it. That laugh was much more than he probably thought.

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TAGGED !? JESS BBY !?
HOW MANY !? IDK !?
LISTENING TO !? NONE !?
LYRICS BY !? GREEN DAY - 21 GUNS !?
CREDIT TO !? RORA @ C. AFFAIRS[/color][/b] !?[/size][/center]

[JESS MORETTI]

For several beats, Jess stood in silence as he processed everything Hope was saying to him. He could understand her being upset if she had come back to Cresting Grove, only to find him pressing 'some random girl' up against the wall, engaged in a passionate lip-lock. But all he had been doing was laughing. This, in Hope's eyes, was apparently a problem.

As Hope turned away from him, Jess reached for her but let his hand fall short. She's away two months and comes back just to get pissed at him. He heaved a heavy sigh and dragged his fingers through his hair. How was he supposed to handle this? If he had actually lost interest in her, would he have called Hope every day to talk for hours on the phone? He certainly wouldn't have dropped by her apartment every few days to get her mail and make sure everything was okay. God forbid he find a friend or two while she abandoned him in favor if New York.

It briefly occurred to Jess that perhaps he should mention some of that stuff in an attempt to talk some sense into the irrational woman in front of him. But he was really just getting pissed by now.

"Oh man, I laughed with another girl. God fucking forbid I do that, right?" He scoffed and folded his arms over his chest. "You're being ridiculous, Hope. You say you didn't expect me to wallow in my loneliness while you were up in the city, but you come back to find that I haven't...and you get upset!" Jess shook his head and glanced around at the audience they were beginning to accumulate. "You were alone up there because you chose to be. Meanwhile you left me here, by myself with no one yet again. So I found a friend so I wasn't so fucking alone."

(TAGGED) HOPE! (MUSE) Final Destination? lol
(NOTES) yaaay
(CREDITS) THIS IS BY DYLAN of CAUTION 2.0! Lyrics by Paramore - Ignorance!

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

WHEN YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE ROAD & YOU LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL ,
& your thoughts have taken their toll

[/color] ,[/size]
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Hope shook her head to herself as she looked at the ground, his words making more sense than she was speaking. Yes, she realized her though process was a bit flawed but this was how she felt. All that mattered at the moment was that the feelings coursing through her was overwhelming. She looked up at him now as he continued to speak before glancing at the people around them. These were people who knew both of them but probably had yet to know they were even together. Hope and Jess didn't like to scream about their relationship and hung out at the same places around town. But her apartment was their safe haven. She liked it that way but now they were being outed in front of some of the town. And it was their fault.

Choice. What an amazing thing. Are our lives governed by fate or choice in the end? She had no idea. Hope did make a choice to leave but Jess also had made a choice in all of this. Hope stepped forward and poked his chest with her finger, her eyes on his. ”You didn't try to fucking stop me,” she told him sharply and took her hand back. Maybe a large part of her left in the first place to see who would tell her to stay. And no one did. ”Also,” she laughed and pushed hair from her face. ”I don't think you realize how you little you laugh like that,” she informed him. Hope scoffed at the thought and bit her bottom lip. ”And probably how much I've missed it...” she told him as an afterthought.

”Why didn't you tell me during the numerous conversations we had that you wanted me to come home. Did you ever think I just wanted you to tell me the fucking truth?,” she asked him, her voice audibly angry. Why didn't he just tell her that he wanted her to come home? If he had said that then she would have come in a heartbeat. He let her stay there and while she appreciated that Hope still wanted him to reach out for once. Hope only imagined how many times he reached out to Lena or he let her pull him out of his shell. ”After a while it felt like you were just calling to call because it was your job or something. You never once told me to come home...” she said to him, her words hitting her harder than they could ever hit him. She after a while didn't have a reason to come home but she cared for him so much that she had to come back. Hope had to tell him the truth of just how much she cared about him.

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TAGGED !? JESS BBY !?
HOW MANY !? IDK !?
LISTENING TO !? NONE !?
LYRICS BY !? GREEN DAY - 21 GUNS !?
CREDIT TO !? RORA @ C. AFFAIRS[/color][/b] !?[/size][/center]

[JESS MORETTI]

Great, he thought to himself bitterly, now it was his fault for not asking her to come home. What happened in New York that her so fucked up that she was going insane right in front of him for no reason? Again Jess glanced around at the onlookers. The part of him that was not anxious to just go home wanted to drag Hope somewhere more private. And yet he did not move. Might as well have it out in front of the whole fucking town. There had been slim pickings for gossip lately anyways.

"How could I ask you to come back, Hope? Not only do I know how badly you wanted to get back to the city, but I also watched as this damn town was tearing you apart with grief! How could I ask you to come back to that?" His voice, which was usually so steady and calm, rose to meet Hope's angry tones. She wasn't the only one that could make a scene. "I could not ask you to come back to pain, damn it."

Jess scowled at her and raised his arms, fingers laced behind his head. Turning, he took a few steps away and drew in a deep breath. "As for Lena...I am sorry you came back to surprise me and got the wrong impression. But that's what it is. The wrong impression. She's a friend. So calm the fuck down. God you are the most irrational woman I've ever met."

He turned back to face Hope as he finished. The way she was going on like this had him feeling like he was trying to talk sense into his mother when she was on the fringes of sanity. And yet despite how frustrating Hope was being, he hated to think that she was upset with him. That after all she had gone through she came back home only to get hurt again. And while Jess knew that, rationally, it was not his fault he still felt bad. And if she wasn't being so damn ridiculous he might have just pulled her into his arms by now.

(TAGGED) HOPE! (MUSE) Springsteen by Eric Church
(NOTES) yaaay
(CREDITS) THIS IS BY DYLAN of CAUTION 2.0! Lyrics by Paramore - Ignorance!

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

WHEN YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE ROAD & YOU LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL ,
& your thoughts have taken their toll

[/color] ,[/size]
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope, honestly, wanted Jess to fight for her. Maybe it was a fairty tale mentality but couldn't Jess see that if she left they would inevitably drift apart. Jess never once mentioned on the phone this Lena girl or much of anything else. He was a guy who liked to keep to himself and it took her so much to get things out of him. Now she came back only to see that he wasn't telling her everything. She didn't want to know what he ate for breakfast or every little thing about his life but this was a big deal. He couldn't care to mention that he was hanging out with some girl around town? He must have known her enough to know that even when she came back on time she would have been pissed. But it didn't cross his mind and that's where they were different. Hope listened to his explanation for why he didn't tell her to come home and she leaned her head back, her eyes on the oncoming night sky.

He went on to apologize about Lena and she took it for what it was. She was a friend but even she knew that look in that girls eye when she smiled at Jess. Any girl who saw Jess as purely a friend was lying to themselves. Even if it was a tiny piece of attraction that was okay. But Jess was too damn perfect once you got to know him to not have feelings for. He was right that she was the most irrational woman in the world. She felt more jealous and angry over being happy to see him. That was just irrational to herself. He was the most stubborn, that's for sure. Sometimes she felt like he refused to see things her way.”You would've asked me to come back to you. Not to the pain because anytime I'm with you I didn't feel sad or upset,” she told him and stared at him, no longer caring about the crowd. ”Are you that oblivious to the fact that I love you?!” she asked him but soon realized what she had just said.

Hope ran a hand over her face and let out a sigh. ”And I know how much that may ruin the idea of being in a relationship with me but it had to be said. It's scary as hell and I just wish you could see my feelings for you as clearly as I do every day,” she told him and watched him, keeping her hands to her sides. That was the root of all of it. She had been keeping in those simple three words for so long that it was just pissing her off he couldn't see it too. How did she expect him to? ”Relationships and all of that are not our strong suits and I'm go crazy with the idea of how much I'm in love with you. So I don't want or expect you to say it back to me because I don't want it to ruin anything. I don't want to rush you into feeling something for me. Hell...I don't think I would even love myself,” she was now rambling but it was nervousness of just admitting for the first time her life she loved someone. She continued to go on about her understanding if he never wanted to see her again.

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TAGGED !? JESS BBY !?
HOW MANY !? IDK !?
LISTENING TO !? NONE !?
LYRICS BY !? GREEN DAY - 21 GUNS !?
CREDIT TO !? RORA @ C. AFFAIRS[/color][/b] !?[/size][/center]

[JESS MORETTI]

"Well you should have--" He stopped short as those three words left Hope's lips. For a moment his mouth moved, though no sound managed to come out. Had he heard her right? It was not like Jess had never heard those words, Faith thought it important that she express how very much she cared for her older brother on a regular basis, and then there were those girls who liked to toss those words around when drunk and in bed with him. But when Hope said it...it was completely different.

She continued talking all of a sudden, while Jess just stared at her, rather dumbstruck. Hope was rambling, like she usually did when she was nervous and panicking. And while he did hear and understand all that she was saying, he was trying at the same time to process his own thoughts and feelings. He had never said "I love you", not in the romantic sense. And for some strange reason, the idea of saying that was terrifying. Damn it, they had been doing so good and now Hope had to just go and raise the bar.

Jess was not even sure if he understood this "Love" thing. He tried to think back to the books he had read. How did they define this love that Hope was rambling on about? He knew Hope was special. He'd known that since he first saw her in her grandfather's bookstore. And then he knew they had something special when they spent the night in that very same store years later.

Still as she rambled, Jess filtered through his mental filing cabinets. Love, love, love....A man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her, said Oscare Wilde. Well that didn't help. He shook his head slightly to himself. Wilde was thought to be gay anyways, so he was not helping him with the love of a woman. C.S. Lewis had said that "to love is to be vulnerable". Well, thought Jess, I am willingly vulnerable with Hope...and she's kind of making herself vulnerable to me right now.

Another quote floated to the front of Jess' mind: “Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own.” Jess placed another mental check mark next to that. Of course Hope's happiness was more important than his. That was why he never asked her to return to the place that was making her so very unhappy.

She was still talking when Jess focused back in on reality. Something about understanding if he didn't want to see her anymore. Well that was complete bullshit. With a roll of his eyes Jess stepped forward, arms enveloping the irrational woman and his lips pressed hard against hers. He lingered for several beats before pulling away just enough to look at Hope.

"I don't pretend to be an expert on this love stuff...but if it means that being away from you is painful, and that I think about you constantly; with you as my last thought at night and first one in the morning, and that I want your happiness more than anything else and that you drive me fucking nuts..." He took a deep breath shaking his head slightly, "Well then I think I love you too.

(TAGGED) HOPE! (MUSE) Final Destination? lol
(NOTES) yaaay
(CREDITS) THIS IS BY DYLAN of CAUTION 2.0! Lyrics by Paramore - Ignorance!

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

WHEN YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE ROAD & YOU LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL ,
& your thoughts have taken their toll

[/color] ,[/size]
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope was a rambler and she knew this but it was her way of avoiding talking about anything potentially hurtful. It was almost like a kid plugging their ears with their fingers and going 'Lalalala' until everyone stopped talking. Thankfully she was an adult now and didn't do that but was still nervous to hear Jess either break up with her or completely ignore her sentiment. She kept talking but by this point was more mumbling to herself about how stupid love can be as Jess reached for her and pressed his lips against her own. It had been two months without those lips and now she was in heaven. Hope's hands immediately found the back of his neck and kissed him back with no hesitation. This was a good sign.

He leaned back and she kept her eyes closed but opened them slowly as he began to explain himself. She bit her bottom lip to hide a dorky smile as he went on but she was waiting to hear the magic words. If he was even going to say it. When he finally did Hope felt her heart pick up pace as she shook her head. Oh my god,” she let out and leaned up to kiss him again, her hands on the front of his shirt. She never thought she would see the day that Jess would say those three words to her. The crowd was beginning to disappear now that there wasn't anymore screaming but it was in true Hope-Jess nature to argue before actually being happy to see each other.

Hope leaned back a bit but their lips were still grazing. ”I'm sorry,” she told him simply and leaned back completely but her hands lingered on his neck. Her thumb rubbed aimlessly against his skin and she licked her bottom lip. ”Is there anything else you're mad at me about? Might as well get it off your chest now,” she told him, hoping there wasn't much else but she was the one who decided to leave. ”I was wishing you would have come with me...but you have such a life here. You have your family here and two months would have been too much. I didn't mean to leave you alone,” she told him honestly.

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TAGGED !? JESS BBY !?
HOW MANY !? IDK !?
LISTENING TO !? NONE !?
LYRICS BY !? GREEN DAY - 21 GUNS !?
CREDIT TO !? RORA @ C. AFFAIRS[/color][/b] !?[/size][/center]

[JESS MORETTI]

A grin crept across his face at her words. Between kisses he managed a little smart remarks, simply because he could not pass up such an opportunity. "No, just Jess. But if you wish you boost my ego by comparing me to a god...by all means." Before she could retort or hit him, Jess pulled Hope back in for another lingering kiss.

"You don't need to be sorry," he explained gently, though with a hint of that sly, crooked grin again. "You can't help your mental state." Jess gave her a gentle jab in her side and chuckled, ensuring that she knew he was just kidding. Kind of. He still thought she was being ridiculous, but Jess also knew he was a difficult person and he'd probably been driving her crazy. He had some sympathy. Not to mention: how could he complain when fights like these ended with really great "making up".

Jess shook his head, running his fingers gently through Hope's hair. "Logically I know I would not have been able to come with you...I can't leave my mom and Faith yet. Not for that long. It's okay."

(TAGGED) HOPE! (MUSE) Final Destination? lol
(NOTES) yaaay
(CREDITS) THIS IS BY DYLAN of CAUTION 2.0! Lyrics by Paramore - Ignorance!

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

WHEN YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE ROAD & YOU LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL ,
& your thoughts have taken their toll

[/color] ,[/size]
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope was glad to hear him joking with her once again and while she instinctively wanted to punch him in the arm he stopped her with another kiss. One of the things about Jess that she had missed more than anything was the way he kissed her. There were moments where he kissed her with ferocious passion that she could almost feel her lips bruising against his own. That kind of kisses were amazing but he normally kissed her gently like she was fancy china. She loved that he had no doubt she could handle herself but she had gone through so many years of being tough that it was nice to held like a gentle piece of jewelry. He knew her better than she knew herself.

She couldn't help but smile at him as he poked her side after his joke. ”I'm glad I'm home,” she told him in his ear and leaned back to kiss his cheek gently. With her grandparents gone she felt right at home in Jess' arms. She was often irrational and he was often stubborn so their arguments usually ended the same way. They didn't have many but it was healthy for any couple to go through times like this. Hope was normally chill about everything but coming back home to what she saw just set something off. She saw the madness to her ways and apologized for it; one of the best remedies.

Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment as his fingers ran their way through her hair. She listened to his words and nodded her head. Hope knew what he meant and looked at him, his hand reaching up. Her thumb ran over his cheekbone gently and she smirked. ”I'm not going anywhere for a while. Unless it's with you,” she told him and kissed him again. She was trying to fill up her quota of kissing him again. ”We should really go back to my place,” she told him and wrapped her arms around his lower back. ”Unless you've got other plans,” she told him with a smirk and leaned in to kiss his bottom lip gently.

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TAGGED !? JESS BBY !?
HOW MANY !? IDK !?
LISTENING TO !? NONE !?
LYRICS BY !? GREEN DAY - 21 GUNS !?
CREDIT TO !? RORA @ C. AFFAIRS[/color][/b] !?[/size][/center]

[JESS MORETTI]

Jess mirrored her smirk with a lopsided curl of his own lips. "That's good to hear, 'cause I had no intentions of letting you go anywhere. I was completely prepared to trap you in your apartment." He winked and pressed his forehead to Hope's, finger tips grazing her cheek idly. Her place, he mused, sounded excellent after two long and lonely months. Though the more Jess thought about it...the more he had other ideas.

"Well...since you mentioned it, I do kind of have other plans." He paused simply to gauge her reaction before continuing, "I am going to take you out in my new car." For a couple years now, Jess had been slowly restoring a black 1968 Plymouth Barracuda. In Jess' free time between caring for his family and working, he worked on the car. But when Hope came into the picture he suddenly had far less time to work on the 'Cuda.

But for about two months he had much more free time. The big black muscle car was now fully, beautifully restored and in excellent condition. Jess almost got as much pleasure out of hearing that engine purr as he did from hearing Hope purr. He took the young woman's hand and tugged her along the sidewalk. "It looks amazing. And I think you'll appreciate the back seat." Jess shot Hope a grin as they rounded the corner where the car was parked on the curb.

Like the gentleman he was--for Hope anyways--Jess opened up the passenger door and gestured to the inside of the car. The interior was just as immaculately restored as the exterior, with full black leather seats and new, clean floorboards. "You trust me, right?"

(TAGGED) HOPE! (MUSE) Final Destination? lol
(NOTES) yaaay
(CREDITS) THIS IS BY DYLAN of CAUTION 2.0! Lyrics by Paramore - Ignorance!

[HOPE A. SUMMERS]

WHEN YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE ROAD & YOU LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL ,
& your thoughts have taken their toll

[/color] ,[/size]
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Hope raised an eyebrow as he told her he had other plans. She kept her hands on the back of his neck, waiting for what exactly these plans were. Of course, he was trying to push her buttons and actually stated said plans. Her eyes went wide in excitement as he told her about his new car. ”Jess!” she hit his chest playfully. ”That's great,” she told him. Jess had vaguely told her about a car he had been fixing up for a while but never had the time to truly work on it. Hope assumed that her absence gave him the time he needed. Well, at least one good thing came from all of it.

She immediately smiled at Jess took her hand and led her down the sidewalk. Her other hand held onto his arm, her thumb rubbing at his skin. She missed this, their moments of just purely the two of them. Hope laughed as Jess commented on the back seat of the car but knew his observation was valid. She couldn't get enough of Jess and that wasn't only constrained to her apartment or even the bookstore. Hope took in his grin and let out a content sigh. They turned the corner and there sat the gorgeous, sexy car that Jess was so excited about. Hope let his hand go and walked in front of him, her hand running along the clean surface. ”This is amazing,” she told him and looked behind her shoulder at him. He truly did do an amazing job on the car. Hope hadn't had a chance to see much of Jess' work because the cars he fixed were mostly quick jobs. Or nothing she could see on the outside. But this...this just proved how great he was at his craft.

Hope smirked as Jess walked to the passenger side to open the door for her. He had admitted many times to her that before dating her he was never one for relationships. She could only imagine dating Jess and not having him do simple things like open a door fro her. She was glad he felt the need to be seriously invested in their relationship in the first place. Hope looked inside the car with a shake of her head. It was perfectly put together. As he leaned against the door and asked her a question he never asked before Hope smiled with a nod. ”More than anything,” she told him and reached her hand to touch his chin, bringing him closer. She kissed him for mere seconds but still felt the same butterflies rush to her stomach as their first kiss. ”Take me away, Moretti,” she grinned and sat in the car, closing the door. She ran a hand through her hair as she waited for him to take them wherever he had planned.

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TAGGED !? JESS BBY !?
HOW MANY !? IDK !?
LISTENING TO !? NONE !?
LYRICS BY !? GREEN DAY - 21 GUNS !?
CREDIT TO !? RORA @ C. AFFAIRS[/color][/b] !?[/size][/center]