They talk for a bit and walk home.

It took awhile for Jessie to let everything out, but she eventually stopped crying and stepped back from him. He missed her warmth the moment it was gone. She wasn’t the only one who’d been lonely.

“I’m really sorry about that. I should have let go a long time ago but it just felt so nice to feel the warmth of another person again.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he said, offering her a knowing look.

“Oh no! Your shirt is a mess! God I’m such a spaz to go off crying on someone like that. I promise I won’t be like this all the time.” She was talking fast and nervously, and he suspected he knew why.

“Jessie.”

“Oh, sorry... I’m just...”

“I get it, I really do. But you can chill. I’m not gonna go running in the other direction over silly little things like a damp t-shirt.”

“Trust me, you don’t want a stupid mess of a sister like me. I’m a lot to deal with, in a lot of ways. All of them terrible,” she said morosely.

Jessie is awfully damn cute when she’s worrying like this, he thought, amused.

“Weeeeell, I might get a little sick of you,” he started with a teasing smile, “but you’ll probably get sick of a good for nothing like me way sooner.”

“Pretty tough words for someone who hasn’t seen half of how much of a spaz I am.”

“I bet I can learn to like it!” He exclaimed merrily and patted her shoulder.

She laughed, and punched his arm. “Just remember, you signed up for this.”

“Back at ya, little sis.”

Cammy had said higher ranks granted Miracles, but it felt like a miracle had already happened. He was having a friendly chat with someone he used to think he could never have back.

“It’s humid out here, and you’ve gotta be burning up dressed like that. Why don’t we head back?” He offered her his arm like a proper gentleman.

“Already?” she looked personally wounded by the suggestion.

“What’s wrong?”

“Never mind, it’s stupid. We can go back.”

“Oh c’mon, let’s not start this again. What’s the deal?”

In little more than a whisper, she shyly said, “I want to hang out a little longer.”

So freaking cute!

“We’ll hang out in your room or something, if you don’t mind me inviting myself on such short notice,” he said, to which she quickly shook her head. “Come on then, let’s go home.”

This time she happily pranced over to him and took his arm. A certain part of her that he was definitely not looking at bounced with her movements.

I’m not looking, I’m not looking. I’m an excellent brother now and an upstanding citizen and I am most definitely NOT looking.

“Something wrong?”

His neck nearly broke from the strain of definitely not looking.

“Not at all! Let’s head home. Ahahaha!”

“Glad I’m not the only weird one,” she said with a laugh. “And why are we going to my room anyways?”

I HAVE NO ULTERIOR MOTIVES!

“I figure Mom won’t bother us there while we chat,” he said, calmly stating his only reason.

She looked sad for a moment, and he realized what he’d said. Rubbing in that Mom wouldn’t go near her room wasn’t the brightest idea. Thankfully, she seemed to recover quickly.

“True,” she said, and led the way home.