Jen was in her closet looking for something suitable to wear. She didn't want to seem like she overdoing it with the meeting at the coffee shop. She frowned and just put on her normal clothes and put on a nicer canary yellow blouse and tailored slacks. She decided against the make up. She looked at her watch and gasped slightly it was already five o'clock. She had been worrying about this all day. She withdrew her wand and apparated in front of St. Mungo's. She took a deep breath and walked towards their coffee shop. Her steps were quick, she didn't want to be late nor did she want to look like she'd be waiting for hours. She was not desperate. Okay, that was a lie. She wanted Smeth back desperately but she didn't want him to know that.She walked into the coffee shop and heard the cheerful jangle of the bells over the door. She smiled at the new waitress and waved her off.
She took her seat at the small table that was made for two in the corner. The waitress approached her, "I'm waiting for someone. I'll order when he gets here." Hopefully she looked content, even beautiful. She had gained a tan over her time in Greece and it still wasn't quite gone. She was glad to be rid of the shorts in any case. She hated the damn things, Jen hated her legs. She tapped her heeled foot in anticipation for Smeth to come in and at least smile.Smeth hadn't been able to pay much attention to his Healer duties that day. Ever since he had passed his test, he had been trying his hardest to surpass even his best work.
Today, however, it seemed like he couldn't even do the most menial of tasks. After trying and failing to take a patient's temperature, his friend Healer Yaxley had taken pity on him and whispered that she'd cover for him for the rest of the day. So he had gone home, sat, and lay on his bed. It had been quite the shock to see Jen's newest journal entry. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He could still envision the day when she had ripped his heart out of his chest and stomped on it. Throwing an arm over his eyes, he stayed in that position, unmoving, until he rolled over to look at the clock. Yikes, almost time.
He wondered what they could possibly say. He had already admitted rather embarrassing private details about their breakup to her; things that he would never admit even when boiled in a vat of oil. Huh. As he passed a mirror on the way out of his flat, he paused, taking in his reflection. All right, hair combed, clothes neat. That should be good. There seemed to be a tiny knot forming in his stomach, which was silly, because they were now friends, right? Well, kind of friends, right?
A sharp crack announced his apparation, and there he was in front of the (their) coffeeshop. He hesitated a second before he pushed the door open, squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath. He spotted her immediately, and took the chair across from her. "Hello, Jen," he said, a small, yet genuine smile on his face. He couldn't help how pretty she looked; Merlin, it had been awhile since he had seen her.She smiled back at him and rose from her chair and automatically rose for a moment across the table and kissed her cheek. She noticed that he was tense and leaned back for a moment and took it all in. Damn, he looked good. She signaled the waitress and she ordered a black coffee, something she had gotten used to over in Rome. Not something he was used to from her, who usually ordered a cuppa. "Hey Smeth," the smile still on her face. She was not going to be desperate, she wasn't going to cry, she wasn't going to tell him that she made the stupidest mistake in her life and she wanted him back, right now. She mentally kicked herself. Not the time, this definitely was not the time for hysterics.
"How was work..sw...Smeth?" She had almost slipped up and called him sweetie. Good Lord, she needed to get a grip on herself and her mentality. She waited for him to order and respond to her. She sat up a little bit straightening her back up. Unknown to her she still held a pair of scissors in her pocket. She had been across town trying to get a chair and prove to herself that she could still style hair. She was going to let him know what he was missing, damnit. If there was one thing she thought she could still do and that was raise Smeth's blood pressure, even if it was just a sliver.She pushed her hair out of her eyes and gave her prettiest smile at him and fluttered her eyelashes at him and put her baby blues on him. She hadn't even tried this hard in school. She'd get down to the nasty and gritty of it on the way home. If she knew Smeth and she hoped to God she still did he'd feel obligated to walk her home. She was banking on it and hoped to Merlin he wouldn't let her down.
"Work was fine," Smeth replied, his own green eyes gazing into her blue. He sighed mentally, she really did the most extraordinary pair of blue eyes he had ever seen. Signaling for the waitress for a cup of tea. He brightened for a moment. "I passed my exam recently! I'm no longer an intern, I am now Healer Smethwyck." Thanking the waitress as she set down his cuppa, he sipped it. "Now that I'm Healer, work has been a lot more interesting, but challenging. I like to think of it as interesting, because now I'm now in charge of -" Pausing, he grinned a bit sheepishly. "Sorry, I just got a bit excited, it's been very exciting, as you can probably see." "How was... Italy?" Smeth coughed and placed his cup down. Mentioning Italy reminded Smeth of him, the other man. He pursed his lips slightly, but for the sake of their new friendship, he was willing to overlook it. After all, it was the past, right? Ugh. His emotions were conflicting, and while a certain part of him was telling him that Jen had certainly done him wrong - therefore, he shouldn't have even given her his time of day - another part was telling him no. Besides, they had been friends since childhood, he had known this girl practically since they were in diapers. If she wanted to give him lurid, expressive details about him, well, Smeth will try his hardest not to throw up or flip the table over.
She grinned at him, "Congratulations. I'm proud of you. I really am. That's something to proud of and I don't mind you talking about it one bit. You listened to me while I was going through beauty school." She sighed slightly at the mention of Italy, "Italy? I shouldn't have gone," she said softly. "I'm not going to gush about him. It just wasn't worth it. I wish I could rewind on my life and take it all back." Her eyes dulled as she thought of what had happened, a sadness washing over her. She tried to dispel it quickly and took a sip of coffee, taking it black."The only thing I appreciate about Rome now is that I came back with a tan when most of the other girls have to wait until the summer to get it," she offered a silly smile to him. "You've always enjoyed a challenge Smeth." She pushed her hair out of her eyes and held onto her coffee mug. For some reason her hands had become cold. Maybe it was the thought of Johnny or maybe it was the thought that was plaguing her mind. "So...are you seeing anyone?" She gnawed on her lower lip and refused to look him in the eye.
An automatic pang of sadness hit Smeth as he observed the expression on Jen's face when she spoke about Italy. He figured that any other ex-boyfriend who had been dumped for a superstar would have smirked at the fact that Jen had been dumped in turn, but while Smeth could appreciate the irony... well, he always did have a talent for being the nice guy. However, whatever semi-sad thoughts that may have lingered in his mind was temporarily put on pause as he smiled back at Jen's rather cute comment. "That tan does look nice, I mean, in comparison to me..." He rolled up a sleeve and stretched a forearm that looked quite pale in comparison. He paused as he considered Jen's question. Was he seeing anyone? "No, I'm not seeing anyone right now," he said honestly, after a short pause. There had been a few dates, some good, some bad, but nothing fantastic. "Um... what about you? Any new blokes after... him?"
She shook her head no, "No, I haven't really had the desire to see anyone. I had to work my way back home so there wasn't really time on top of that." She crossed her legs with a sigh and took a sip as the waitress brought their drinks back. "That's hot," she squeaked as the coffee burned the roof of her mouth and pushed it away. She squinched her nose up slightly, "And not very good. I think I may have been spoiled in Rome." She shook her head as if trying to get the taste of the coffee in her mouth. She frowned for a moment and then looked around and found sugar on the table. "I need the caffeine though. I barely got any sleep last night. Estella and I were up all night talking. I got up and went looking for a job found one and started, had lunch with Tobias and now I'm here with you."She drew in a breath after she finished her spiel and dumped sugar into the coffee. "This should drown out the taste of over roasted coffee. I hope." She shrugged slightly.He couldn't help but grin again at Jen. She was always like that with her coffee, even pre-Rome. "How's Estella?" he asked. "And Jacob?" Admittedly, ever since Jen and he had broken up, he hadn't seen much of Estella and Jacob, although he had always liked her a lot. Growing up, he had found her more kindly than the other Gibbon sibling, Tobias.
"I miss playing with Jacob, that little scamp."Smeth had also missed talking to Jen. Before he had come, he had been so nervous and apprehensive. And despite a few moments of awkwardness, they seemed to get along as naturally and well as they always had been, despite the extreme bumps along the road. Being friends again was something he would definitely enjoy.There would be more bumps down the road. She'd make sure of that. She was going to slowly climb the road of perdition back in Smeth's arms. If she couldn't, she'd be heart broken. She sipped her coffee again and then devoured it in a few big gulps. Her eyes popped a little bit and began to spark with a new found spark that was gained only by caffeine and sugar. She smiled and waited for him to finish his. "Jacob's got a new little friend. Marcus Flint. I guess Susie has been seeing his Dad for a while now. I've been out of the loop. There's a lot going on in my family and I just can't believe I've missed so much."
She looked up to the ceiling and sighed. Tobias was a conversation for another day. She just hoped to God now that she was talking to Smeth again and that he was a full time Healer that he wouldn't assign him extra shifts to keep him away from her. Tobias was weird like that. He would be focused on Johnny for a while. "You'll have to come over with me sometime. Susie still loves you like a brother and I'm sure Jacob would love to see you.""I'd love to come over and see how everyone's doing," he said enthusiastically. He drained his cup of the remaining tea and set it down, shaking his head no in response to the waitress who asked if he wanted a refill. "I'll have to give Jacob another Spider-Man and Superman, he really digs those comics." He recalled fondly how Jacob had reacted when he had first gifted the boy with the comics. In a way, Jacob reminded him of a younger Smeth."He had a birthday part that I missed. I saw the masks and everything it was really cute. Dinosaurs."
She began to take her wallet out of her purse to pay for the coffee. When they had been dating Smeth had always paid but it wasn't something she assumed and she had invited him out to coffee. "Will you walk me home? I don't like walking around alone especially now a days." She said softly. She took the proper bills out of her wallet. She always had a mix of Galleons and pounds in her wallet. Just in case. Some of the restaurants she liked were muggle and she just didn't want to confuse muggles and have to have someone modify their memory because she took out the wrong currency."He still has those comics. He was trying to get me to read them to him and I started and he said that he needed Uncle Smethy because I didn't read them right." She grinned at him. "I'll talk to Susie and see if the two of us can't come over sometime together." Susie would be more than happy to have Smeth and Jen over together. They'd probably be grilled when they weren't playing with Jacob about when they were going to get back together. It was just Susie's way and she wanted to see Jen happy. "The comics are ready to fall apart. I think they ma be his favorite bedtime story and he probably looks at the pictures when he's playing." She waited for him to stand up with her, hopefully he wouldn't refuse the walk home.
Smeth had always been raised to be a perfect gentleman, thanks to his parents and to the fact that he grew up with two sisters. He smiled. "Sure, I'll walk you home." He understood why she might have wanted the additional company; the dangers of You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters was still a scary threat. He opened his mouth to prtoest her paying, but he figured that she would want to. Ah, just this once. Whenever he was with his friends, he usually picked up the tab. Picking up tabs really never bothered him. He stood and opened the door, allowing her to go ahead of him before catching up.She saw the look on his face, "I invited you out. I pay," she said softly. She put her hands in her pockets to avoid the temptation of putting her hand in his. She huffed out a deep sigh. Confessions were about to come flying out the door as soon as they were out of the door in fact. With a chime she walked out of the coffee shop.
"Smeth," she pursed er lips for a moment and then looked straight ahead watching people walk by. She wasn't very far. Her apartment had always been close to Saint Mungo's just for the reason it was easier for her to meet Smeth for lunch or after work and go back to her place instead of apparating some place. She gnawed on her lower lip for a moment."There's another reason I asked you out today and that's to say...I love you still and I want you back and I know I wasn't really the best towards the end but I really want to give it another go and try to make up for what I've done. I've grown up in the last year and I'm serious and serious about us and most of all on top of that...over this last year I've realized that I'm seriously in love with you and I was stupid." She said all of this very quickly and as fast as she could with being understood and she refused to look at him. Tears were forming on her eyelashes and she didn't want him to see. Tears weren't fair to him. "I know I screwed up," her voice cracking on the last part of her sentence and she waited for him to say something as they approached the front door to her flat.
Smeth considered this evening to be a success. It hadn't at all been strange or awkward, and despite misgivings from his sisters and his best friend, reconnecting with his old friend, and the most serious ex-girlfriend that he had had not been terrible at all. The lightweight conversation had came easy, and he opened his mouth to tell her a funny story about the new Mungo's interns that had happened a few days ago, but snapped his mouth shut when Jen said his name quietly like that. He recognised that tone immediately and listened.Only listening turned out to be something else entirely.
So startled he was by Jen's confession, that he stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth wide open, big green eyes even bigger with complete shock. "I -" he began, realising he didn't know the words to say. Was he still in love with her? Well... he had done a pretty good job getting over her, by throwing himself into his job and into spending more time with friends and family until, slowly but surely, the agonising pain in his heart eventually faded. "Jen..." Realising that he couldn't stand behind Jen the entire night, he quickly closed the gap between them, and offered her his arms, seeing the tears in her eyes. "I - I don't know what to say, and I know that sounds lame, but..."Before he could say something that she didn't want to hear she kissed him.
Tears now streaming down her face openly since he had seen them. The kiss quickly became deep as she clutched the front of his shirt. Lips parted she slid her tongue past his lips, giving him the full passion that she had felt for him for the last six months of the "relationship" she had with Ron. The one thing that was missing in her relationship. She just didn't care anymore. She was going to show him that she was the right woman for him. No matter what Pheobe or Agatha said against her. All that mattered was Smeth and what he thought of her.Smeth had been speaking slowly, because he couldn't quite get the words out - as well as his thoughts. Her confession that she still was in love with him thrw him into the biggest loop that he had ever been in his entire life. However, that no longer became the biggest loop he had ever been in, as Jen grabbed him, kissing him.
Before he realised it, before he could even comprehend what he was doing, he was kissing her back. One hand slid across her waist, the other around the back of her neck. It felt so natural, so right, so -"Whoa," he gasped, pulling back a fraction. "I - I... er..." If he had thought he was at a loss for words before, well, that was nothing compared to now.She gasped her hands still gripping his shirt, not quite wanting to let go. Her eyes a brighter blue than before. "Please Smeth," she pleaded with him softly, "Please just...give me another chance." Her eyes pleaded with her. She sounded desperate and didn't care. She was spilling something out that had been on her mind since she had gotten back into London. Win Smeth back and at least talk to him. If she was turned down she'd hide the pain and let him move on. She wasn't the kind of girl to chase when she knew the chase couldn't be won. "Just...say something."
He was still holding onto her, and with great effort, he placed his arms back to his sides. "Oh Jen," he said quietly. He bit his lip, casting his eyes downward. A part of him wanted to take her back in his arms for another kiss, yet there was another part that kept insisting, reminding him, that she had indeed left him for another man, and that was something that had stung badly. "I can't give you an answer now, obviously. I mean, I have a lot thinking to do, about this, about all of this." He made some sort of vague hand gesture, raising his eyes to meet her's. "Let me walk you back to your flat? For now?"
She let go of his shirt albeit slowly and reluctantly. "Alright Smeth. I think we can do that...for now and I can understand that." She began to walk again, a little more quickly before. Her pride was ruined and if there was thing that Jen had it was her pride. She wiped the tears quickly from her face keeping her pace. She knew Smeth could keep up with her, easily. A deep breath was taken and she slowed down as they reached the door of her flat. "I guess...I'll see you later," she said in a dejected voice. She wasn't going to bother to hide the hurt, for now.
Smeth sighed. He knew her too well, she was highly disappointed and her pride had taken a sore hit. Though she walked quickly, his own long legs were able to keep up, and they soon got to her front door. "Jen, I - I can't give you the answer that you're looking for, at least not yet," he said gently, but honestly. "I'm still really surprised and stunned, and I'm still trying to take it all in." He bent over and kissed her on the cheek, hoping for at least a smile from her. "I really had a good time tonight, and... take care, Jen." He started to walk away, and he turned back, giving a wave and a small smile, before crack, he Apparated away, taking with him heavy and conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Jen gave him a small smile before she went inside and locked her flat door with shaky hands. She slid to the floor and buried her face in her hands. She began to sob uncontrollably barely able to keep the panic attack from coming. Tears slid freely down her face and she brought her knees up to her chest leaning against the door. She began to rock slightly and jsut cried for the pain in her heart that was beginning to ache and throb from just wanting to take back the last year and not having been dumb enough to wrap herself around Ron Jeremy. Her eyes became red and puffy quickly and she took a deep breath and stood up. She walked immediately into her room and cried herself to sleep.
