#josandra

They’d only been officially dating for about a month, but Jonas knew the cast and crutches had bothered Lys the whole time. He’d never even seen her without them. If he was honest with himself, he worried what their relationship would be like without that element.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he hurried to check it, hoping Lys was finished. But it was a weather report for the city. Thunderstorm warning until late that night. Jonas dismissed it. Those were usually exaggerated anyway. The concert was at an amphitheater, but in a completely different city. They’d be fine. 

His phone buzzed again, a text from Lys. Done! Be out in a few <3

Jonas stood, unable to hold still. He tapped his phone against his leg and shifted his weight from side to side, ignoring stares from other people in the room. Then she was there, striding from the hallway and toward him. She smiled, turning in a circle before she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. When she pulled away, Jonas laughed.

“Nice to see you enjoying full mobility for once.”

“It’s glorious,” she said. “And, I can do this.” She jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist. By reflex, Jonas’s hands wound around her thighs to keep her from falling or knocking him off balance. The sudden closeness of her, her energy and excitement, it made him brave.

“Lys,” he said, “you’re amazing.”

She rolled her eyes the way she always did when he got serious, just like he did to her. They left the office hand in hand, and Jonas noted the grey sky and strong wind, feeling a little hesitant about his plan. Out of habit he opened the passenger door first and held it for her.

“You know, you don’t need to do that anymore.”

He shrugged. “Is it okay if I want to?”

“Yeah,” she smiled. “It’s okay.”

He closed the door for her and got in on his side. “So, anything exciting you want to do now that the cast is gone?”

She shrugged. “I’m up for anything. Though the doctor said not to be too hard on my leg for a while to let it build up strength again. Why?”

“I may have something in mind.”

“Then by all means, lead the way.”

Jonas pulled out of the parking lot and turned on the music, specifically playing the band they’d go see later. But first, he went to the taco shop they’d visited that first day.

Lys eyed him. “This feels vaguely familiar.”

“Good,” he said. “It should.”

They ate and talked, and Jonas couldn’t stop watching the way she moved. She looked like a completely new person. When she walked he wished he could just lay his hands on her hips and move with her. He’d have to get her to dance with him at the concert.

By the time they were out of the city, Lys knew exactly what was going on and she started telling Jonas all about the band they were going to see. It was one she loved but he hadn’t listened to until meeting her. He let her ramble, enjoying the sound of her voice.

By the time they got to the venue, the sky was dark and flashed with lightning. People were going in, but some were coming out too. They were met by security guards at the entrances.

“Sorry folks, concert’s canceled,” they shouted. “Contact the ticket sellers for a refund!”

“What?!” Jonas swore at the storm. “This was supposed to be perfect, dammit.”

Lys put her arm through his as they walked back to the car. “It’s probably for the best. Look, it’s already coming down out there.” She pointed to the horizon in the direction of their home city, and the rain was definitely pouring, lightning flashing all through the clouds.

“Yeah, but--” Jonas started.

He was cut off as Lys’s phone chimed and she pulled it out. “Mom says the roads in and out of the city are closed from flooding.”

Jonas put a hand to his face. “This can’t get any worse.” Lys was still texting her mom. “Wait, what are you telling her?”

“That we made it to the concert but probably can’t get back. Hang on.” A second later, another text chimed in. “She says there’s a cheap hotel just down the road. She can call in a room for us and we could head back in the morning.”

Jonas’s throat tightened. Was his girlfriend’s mom offering to pay for them to spend a night in the same room together? He looked at Lys. “She’s not, like...worried we’ll...do stuff?”

Lys shrugged. “Don’t know. She might assume we already have.”

Jonas blinked. When would they have...he shoved the thought away. “Well, I guess if I’m not buying you a concert t-shirt I could get you some pajamas for tonight.”

She grinned. “Only if I get to pick some out for you too.”

Jonas’s face reddened as he opened her door. “Now wait, we are talking pajamas, not, like…”

“I’m not going to buy you boxers if that’s what you’re worried about,” she laughed and kissed him before climbing in. “And I expect you to buy me more than a bra and panties.”

Jonas cleared his throat as he closed the door. The night was about to get interesting.

They stopped at a department store and each picked out pajamas for the other. True to her word, Lys chose a pair of red and grey plaid cotton pants and a t-shirt with a comic book hero on it for him. Jonas went with the same for her but in green, and the shirt was a tank top.

They picked up sodas and snacks and made their way to the hotel. By the time they arrived the storm was pouring on them, and Jonas was glad they’d gotten dry clothes to change into. Because the way Lys’s wet shirt clung to her curves was making it hard to focus on anything else.

Finally in their room for the night, Jonas was amused to note that Lys’s mom had opted for two queen-sized beds instead of one king. 

“I’m gonna shower first,” Lys said, wringing out her hair. “I’m actually excited to shower without the cast.”

Jonas smiled, trying not to imagine her.... “Have fun.” He started to unpack their grocery bags, but he could feel her watching him. He turned and met her gaze.

She was looking at him like...like she never had before. Her brown eyes were so intense, it made his whole body burn.

“Yeah?” he asked.

She smiled. “Just...nothing.” She ducked into the bathroom and closed the door.

Jonas cleared his throat, addressing the need to adjust his pants. This girl…. He heard the shower turn on, and for a moment he considered knocking, maybe asking if he could join her. He’d only slept with a couple girls before this, and he wanted to with Lys, he wanted to so damn badly. Did he even have a condom with him though? He checked his wallet just in case--yes, he had two. That was lucky. Maybe. Did she even want to? They hadn’t ever discussed it. They’d only been dating for a month, only known each other for two. This was unfamiliar territory.

The bathroom door opened a crack.

Nothing else. She didn’t poke her head out or call for him or ask him to get her anything. She just opened the door a tiny bit.

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Jonas went to the door. He knocked. “Lys, you okay?”

“Fine,” she said from behind the curtain. “That was just in case you need in.”

Jonas took a deep breath. Need versus want. He didn’t need to be in the same room as Lysandra while she was naked….

“Okay, thanks,” he said. He went back to unpacking the things they’d bought. Finished with the first bag, he turned to the second and realized Lys’s dry pajamas were there, not in the bathroom with her.

The water shut off. Jonas heard her step out of the shower and a minute later she came out, one towel wrapped around her hair, the other around her body and tucked beneath her arms.

His mouth fell open.

Lys, for all her bravado usually, looked somewhat nervous as she came up to him. “You haven’t even changed yet?”

He blinked twice, looked away, focused on the table in front of him. “Ah, no, I um...I was just…”

“Jonas?”

He looked at her.

“Please kiss me.”

He didn’t need to be told twice.

His hands found her body and pulled her close as her arms went around his neck. He turned and put her back against the wall, pressing his hips into hers. Her lips were so soft, her body perfect, fitting against his like pieces of a puzzle. Jonas kissed her jaw, her neck, her collarbone, her shoulder. She held onto him, humming as he kissed her. Her leg rose to hook around his hip, and Jonas caught it, feeling her bare skin against his hand. It drove him insane.

“Jonas,” she breathed.

He straightened, meeting her eyes, but didn’t pull away entirely. He was breathing heavily, and so was she. “Yeah?”

“I...I really...really want to do this but...I’m not on birth control or anything, and--”

“I have a condom.” He blurted it out, feeling stupid after he said it. “I mean, if you--”

“I do.”

He sighed. “So do I.”

He kissed her again, and she started pulling his wet shirt up around his chest. He hardly thought as he yanked it off over his head and tossed it aside. Then her warm hands were running along the edge of his jeans, finding his belt, unbuttoning his pants, and Jonas lost all ability to think.

He picked her up and carried her to the nearest bed, falling on top of the blankets with her beneath him.

“Lys?”

“Yeah?”

He paused to look at her. Her hair towel had unwound, freeing her curls to form a dark halo around her head. Her legs were wrapped around him, but he looked at her eyes, brushing hair back from her face. “I...you’re beautiful. You know that?”

She smiled. Her hands slid around his neck and tangled in his hair. “I love you too, Jonas.”

He sighed in relief. “I do, Lys. I love you so much.”

Their bodies pressed together, Jonas let his emotions take over, giving Lysandra everything he had, and accepting everything she offered in return. She fit to him in every way, and he couldn’t remember ever being so happy.

Jonas had crushed on a lot of girls in his seventeen years. He’d kissed a fair few of them, slept with a couple, but he’d never told anyone he loved them. What amazed him was not that he was doing any of that with Lys now, but that she’d known he wanted to say it, even when he’d been scared to. She was so much like him, and so different. She strengthened his weaknesses, and made him want to be better than he was.

He could hardly believe he’d only known her for two months. If it hadn’t been for that day in the doctor’s office, their injuries, they might never have met at all. He’d never really thought about a future with anyone, but he could see himself with Lys. Could see them staying together for years, living together, maybe getting a cat, maybe even getting married.

Possibilities that would’ve seemed so far off felt inevitable with Lysandra. As he kissed every part of her and felt her body move with his, he wished more than anything that the night could last forever. But even if it didn’t, he promised himself he would do anything to stay by her side.

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! For more of my Falling Kingdoms fanfiction, check out my Master Post. Fore lots more in general, check out this post from @timotheus-the-watcher. 

Jonas closed it without replying. It wasn’t the first time Cleo had to cancel on him because of Magnus, and it wouldn’t be the last. Didn’t matter that concert tickets were way more awesome than a movie, didn’t matter that Cleo and Jonas had been planning this for weeks. Count on Magnus to sweep in and make his plans look better.

Jonas sighed, his leg bouncing as he tried to focus on the soccer game, checking Lysandra’s messages every few seconds. He didn’t want to text her again; that would be ridiculous. He could wait. Either she’d text him back or he could see her again when she came out, and then he’d--

He’d what? What was he doing waiting? He’d just met this girl, what did he expect to happen if she came out and found him still here? She’d probably think he was stalking her. He didn’t want that, he just wanted to know her. He had to find out more about her, maybe ask her out...

Well, shit.

Jonas hurried to reply. What??

Fractured tibia. Not broken, just cracked, but I’m getting a f*ing cast anyway. Won’t be playing anymore this season.

Damn, that sucks :(

Yeah.

Jonas hesitated. He wanted to help, say something to cheer her up, but he had no idea what. Then something occurred to him. Hey, did you drive yourself here?

A few seconds later, ...maybe

On a fractured leg??

It’s not a FULL fracture, okay? And I used my other leg, I’m not dumb.

Jonas laughed. Ok ok. So, do you need a ride after getting that cast?

I already texted my mom. She’s at work, but she’ll come help. I’ll be okay.

Ok. Jonas’s fingers hovered over the keypad before he added, Let me know if I can help.

Thanks, Jonas.

He stood, making his way out of the office and to his car. If they hadn’t just barely met he could’ve invited her to the concert that night. Might’ve been fun, helping her get around with a cast on. And they could get dinner and Jonas could maybe even call it a real date instead of just pretending it was the way he did with Cleo.

He sat in the driver’s seat for a minute, enjoying the heat after the cold air in the doctor’s office. He reached for his keys when his phone buzzed again.

Are you still here?

Lysandra. He wrote back, Just getting in my car. Why?

My mom can’t make it. And my dad and brother are out of town...is that ride still available?

Jonas smiled, climbing out of his car. Totally. I’m coming back in.

I might be like half an hour, are you sure?

Jonas ran through his schedule for the day. He had a couple of hours before he wanted to grab food and start driving to the concert venue a few cities over... Maybe… That depends. Do you like The Guardians?

The band? Hell yes. Why?

Jonas re-entered the waiting room. His seat was still free. I’ve got two tickets for their show tonight, and my friend I was gonna take can’t make it. It’s a long drive, but if you’re up for it…

You’re not serious.

I am completely serious

Holy hell. Hang on, I really want to say yes but I need to check with my mom.

Jonas’s smile was starting to hurt his cheeks. This girl was so easy to talk to. He set his phone down and watched the last few minutes of the soccer match, trying to keep his heart from racing at the thought of a ninety-minute drive with this new girl, an awesome concert, and a ninety-minute drive home afterward. His leg started to bounce again. Then his phone buzzed.

So my mom is cool with it if she can meet you before we go. Is that okay?

Meeting the mom on day one...that wasn’t daunting at all. Jonas swallowed his fear and typed, Yeah, no problem. When does she get off work?

She doesn’t, not until midnight. We’ll probably have to swing by her office and she can come out and talk. This is starting to sound like a huge ordeal, are you sure you’re okay with it?

Jonas smiled, sitting back in the chair. I promise you, I am more than ok with it.

He sat in the waiting room for forty-five minutes, texting Lysandra about their favorite bands, sports, and their families before she finally emerged, a blue cast covering her lower leg. She caught his eye and smiled before going to the front desk to check out, and Jonas stood to join her, staying back until she’d set her next appointment and turned to face him.

She sighed. “Well. I guess...I’ll have to have my mom come get my car some other time,” she said.

Jonas shrugged. “We can work something out. Tomorrow, maybe.”

She shook her head, pressing her lips together to keep from smiling. “I know you’re probably just being so nice to get in my pants, but I’m gonna hope that a cast turns you off long enough for me to get to know you first.”

Jonas’s eyes widened at her bluntness, and he felt his face and neck go warm for the hundredth time since meeting her. He cleared his throat. “Well, um...I hadn’t specifically thought that far ahead, but ah,” he met her eyes, “I do want to get to know you.”

She stared at him for a moment, eyes narrow, as though checking for something. Finally her smile returned and she nodded. “Okay.”

“You ready for a drive, then?”

“Yeah.”

***

Meeting Lysandra’s mom turned out to be pretty terrifying. The woman was way more suspicious of Jonas’s intentions than Lys had been, and questioned him on his entire life--everything from his family to school to his plans for the future--and Lys just leaned against a bench and watched. Her eyes danced with amusement as Jonas tried to answer each question quickly and honestly.

When they finally got back in his car--having received her mom’s approval--Jonas groaned, running a hand over his face. “That was exhausting.”

Lysandra laughed. The sound lightened everything, and Jonas turned to watch her.

“I can’t believe you put up with all that!” she said through bouts of laughter. “That was amazing.”

“Um, thanks.” Jonas laughed too, pulling out of the parking lot. “Well, we have an hour and a half until we get there. What do you want for dinner?”

She swept a few stray hairs back from her face. “Don’t know. I like pizza, burgers, tacos...what about you?”

Jonas laughed. “I think I might be in love. You just listed my three main food groups.”

Lysandra blushed this time.

Jonas pulled into the next taco place he saw and paid for their food. The drive to the concert arena was interspersed with excited conversations, fights about sports, comfortable silences, and singing at the top of their lungs. Jonas managed to get them a spot close to the venue by showing the parking guys Lys’s leg, and the people inside upgraded their tickets too. 

It turned out Lys didn’t need too much help getting around since she’d already been using the crutches for a few days and had gotten used to walking with them. But Jonas did help hold them when she sat down, to keep them from hitting any stray concert-goers.

The show was amazing, and made better with Lysandra there. Jonas couldn’t stop smiling at the sight of her. When her favorite song came on she grabbed his arm and shook him so hard he almost fell over. And she sang every word, even harmonizing to some parts. The concert lights made her skin glow and her eyes spark. 

Jonas didn’t want the night to end.

Lys texted her mom when they got out to let her know they were heading home. Jonas let the music play quietly as he drove in the darkness and Lys fell asleep beside him. He kept thinking back over the evening, the day with her. He knew he was probably just infatuated. It had happened with Cleo too, and other girls, but this felt different. More than wanting to hold her hand or kiss her--which he did want to do--Jonas wanted to take care of her.

When they got back to their city, Jonas pulled over and laid a hand on Lys’s shoulder to wake her up. She blinked, looking at him with bleary eyes before sitting up.

“Sorry, wow. How long was I asleep?”

“About an hour, you’re good. How do I get to your house?”

“Take the freeway to Fenwood, go south. I’ll show you from there.”

Jonas nodded. He tried to keep his eyes on the road as Lysandra took out her ponytail and scrubbed her nails through her hair. The smell of her shampoo drifted to him again, and his hands tightened on the steering wheel.

He cleared his throat. “So...I hope you had fun tonight?”

She smiled at him, wrapping her hair into a messy bun. “I did.”

“Good, good. So did I.”

“We should hang out again sometime.”

Jonas looked from the road to her and back. “Yeah? I mean...you want to?”

“Yeah. I do.”

Jonas’s smile widened. “I do too.”

He pulled up to her house at a quarter-to one in the morning. Through the windows, Jonas could see the living room light was on.

“My mom’s probably waiting up,” Lys said.

Jonas parked. “Here, let me help you out of the car.”

Lys smirked. “Are you trying to get brownie points?”

He shrugged. “Will it work?”

She bit her lip as he got out and he had to tear his gaze away from her to walk around the car. He took her crutches and helped pull her to a standing position before handing them back to her and closing the car door. She stood there for a moment, watching the living room window, and Jonas watched her.

“Um...Jonas?”

His heart began to race. “Yeah?”

“Thanks for all your help. For the concert, dinner, and...everything.”

He nodded. “Anytime. Really.”

She leaned in and placed a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth, smiled, and made her way up the walk. The front door opened before she got there, and Jonas waved to her mom. When it closed, he got back in his car and sat in the driver’s seat, letting the night settle around him.

His phone buzzed.

He’d missed about twenty messages from Cleo, but this newest one was from Lys.

You know, it said, now that I think about it, I’m becoming fond of that mop on your head.

Read Part 3 

He looked up, standing from his seat in the corner of the room, and the nurse smiled as she approached, offering him a clipboard.

“Doctor Seline would like you to fill out this questionnaire again before coming back, just so he can see how you’re feeling. Then he’ll take a look at the ankle to make sure you’re fully healed.”

“All right, thanks.”

She smiled again and left him to it.

Has the injury bothered you in the past week? No.

Have you received any other injuries that would affect the healing of the one for which you’re being treated? No…

The thirteen year old girl got called back, and Jonas tried very hard not to chuckle as she walked past him.

Have you--the door to the parking lot beeped as someone new entered. Jonas glanced up, expecting to see another mom with a stroller or old man with a cane before he went back to his paper.

But it wasn’t either. It was a girl about his age, walking with crutches and an ace bandage wrapped around her lower right leg. She had wide eyes and long curly brown hair pulled into a ponytail. She wore a green t-shirt from a high school Jonas recognized, and knee-length jean shorts that were frayed at the bottom.

His phone buzzed.

Jonas jumped, the clipboard he help clattering to the floor. He’d forgotten he set his cell on the chair beneath him when the nurse called his name. Face burning with embarrassment, he hastily picked up the clipboard and his phone, keeping his eyes down.

Cleo had texted him. His friend...sort of. More like his crush.

How’s the doctor?

Jonas took a breath and typed back, Fine. Haven’t gone back yet.

Ugh. those offices take forever. Let me know how it goes :)

Sure

He his send just as someone sat in the empty seat beside him. Crutches clattered, and one of them hit Jonas in the head.

“Ow!” He barely caught it on its way to the floor, the other one was already there.

The girl swore under her breath. “Stupid things,” she said. “Sorry. this was the best seat to see the match.” She took the crutch from Jonas, then leaned forward to pick up the one that fell.

As she did her ponytail fell over her shoulder and Jonas caught the scent of shampoo and sunshine. Heat from the summer day outside flowed from her in waves.

“Guess you can have the doctor look at your head, since you’re here,” she said, angling the crutches so they lay against her chair. She turned and finally looked at him. “Might want to get their opinion on that mop on your head, too, while you’re at it.”

Jonas laughed despite himself. He ran a hand over the bump now growing on his head, then through his hair. “For the record, I’m actually fond of the mop.”

She grimaced, then shrugged. “Whatever. It just makes you look like you’re twelve.”

He felt his face flush again, feeling more like the thirteen-year-old girl than himself. He cleared his throat. “So, what’re you in for?”

“I got x-rays yesterday on this,” she gestured to her leg. “Just coming back to see what the problem is. You?”

He looked at her. The green shirt she wore brought out the brown of her eyes and made her lips look more pink than he thought they should. He cleared his throat. “Ah, follow-up. I sprained my ankle in a baseball game a few weeks ago.”

“Nice,” she said, giving a nod of approval. “Where do you play?”

“South Point High.”

She sat up. “No way. Was that in the championship game?”

Jonas nodded. He would love to show off that he’d scored the winning run, but that would be--

“Are you the guy who slid into home? The winning run?”

He blinked, staring at her.

“You are!” She smiled, and Jonas’s stomach did a flip. “Oh, that was awesome. Our baseball team is crap, but I love watching the game.”

Wow, Jonas thought, as she continued talking. Her expressions were animated, and she remembered every great play of that game the way Jonas did.

Cleo hadn’t even come to that game, he thought. She hated the dust and the crowds and she got bored so easily she’d spend the whole time on her phone and miss the amazing plays. But this girl, here…

She finally cut herself off, looking around. “I’m rambling. I’ll stop. I just... that game was really amazing.” She paused, then put her hand out. “I’m Lys. Lysandra. I play first base on my softball team and center in soccer.”

Jonas took her hand. “Jonas. Shortstop.”

She smiled as her cheeks reddened for the first time and Jonas couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Jonas Agallon?”

His gaze tore away to look at the nurse approaching again. He looked down at the clipboard. “Ah, I didn’t finish the--”

“It’s okay, Doctor Seline is running behind schedule so you can just come back and talk through it while he checks you.”

“Right.” Jonas looked back at the girl beside him. Lysandra. “Um, this might be weird, but could I text you sometime?”

She nodded, smiling again. He brought up the keypad on his phone and handed it to her. She typed it in, then hit call, and a moment later her pocket played a chime and she hung it up.

Jonas’s hands were shaking with excitement as he took his phone back from her. He wanted to do something...take her hand or hug her or...but he’d just met her. Instead he stood and followed the nurse to the hall, looking back once to see Lysandra wave at him, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

The nurse ordered him to sit on the examining table and took his blood pressure and temperature and checked his eyes and ears and heart. Then she left, saying the doctor would be in soon. After a minute of waiting, Jonas took his phone out again and saved Lysandra’s number, then brought up a new message.

What would he say? He just saw her five minutes ago, but as little as he’d said, he really wanted to keep talking to her. He typed, Sorry I had to go. Can we finish our conversation this way?

Would he seem desperate, texting so soon? Would she reply? Would she even care?

Then a reply came, Sure. But you know, I was doing most of the talking ;)

Jonas sighed in relief. It’s ok. I kinda liked listening to you talk. Before she could reply to that, he texted again, So how did you hurt your leg?

Soccer, she said. I jumped to kick a goal and fell on it wrong. I’m pretty sure it’s just a pulled tendon or something but the doctor wants to rule out cracks just in case.

Smart doctor, Jonas replied. Then the door to his room opened, so he texted, brb xo, like he was used to doing with Cleo, before tucking his phone into his pocket.

Part 2 | Part 3