Jude Christopher Brahm,

Do you remember that time that you took me to Texas and we almost got killed by fangirls?

I thought of that earlier when I was driving to work and your little sister called me. I know that I shouldn't expect Elaine to be over the teenage girl obsession with boy bands--and I don't, but it brought that weekend to mind.

~ ~ ~

We were in San Antonio to visit family. (Or you were, I just tagged along to see the Alamo.)

It was our last day before we flew back to North Carolina, and I wasn't ready to leave the city. It was something odd and wonderful after living my entire life in a small town.

However, we had unwittingly planned the visit--or adventure--in September, and on the very weekend that One Direction was performing in the Alamodome.

It was the scariest thing that had ever happened to me, even though I was entranced by everything.

There were teenage girls everywhere wearing Midnight Memories t-shirts, snapbacks with 1D on them, and everything in between. I think I counted at least fifty 5 Seconds of Summer t-shirts, too.

You were not overly impressed. But that might just be because they were a group of cute, British boys and I was not exactly tied down. (Though, that confuses me. Why were you scared? There were so many other people there that they wouldn't have noticed me, no matter how loud I screamed.)

Just kidding. I wouldn't have gone with them even if they had. And besides, that only happens in bad fanfiction.

The sidewalks were full of teenagers in band merch, their annoyed parents, loud friends, and everything else.

You and I were two tourists who had wandered into a dangerous place.

"They're not even that great," you said when we were eating lunch on the river walk.

I almost choked. "Are you sure that isn't just insecurity speaking?"

You laughed. "Alright, fine. They're pretty good. But I don't understand what all the fuss is about." You gestured to a group of hysterically giggling girls. "What have they done that would make so many girls go completely crazy?"

"Good genetics?" I chuckled, dipping a fry in ketchup. "Seriously, looks are seventy-five percent of the hype in every boy band situation."

"Oh, I see how it works." You looked down at your mostly empty plate, then, shrugging lazily, you picked up your root beer float and took a long sip. "Is the other twenty-five percent vocal talent?"

"The percentages vary. One Direction is actually pretty good on the talent level. They're all good singers, it's just that their faces are really... nice." I grinned at you, and you laughed. "That's why all of the girls are crazy over them."

You watched my face for a minute, chewing, and then you leaned back. "You know, we could probably end up with seats if I booked right now."

"Really?" I raised my eyebrows, searching for sincerity, and when I found it, I ate another fry. "Why would you do that?"

"Don't you want to go? This might be your only chance to get to see then in person."

"I haven't heard all of their songs, I probably don't even qualify as a fan. Look at all of these people. They're insane. They'd trample us to death."

"You could ride on my shoulders. There might be a lot of them, but those girls are short. Or most of them. So." You studied me for a moment. "Do you want to go?"

"If you don't mind." I grinned a bit, breathless, and beginning to get excited.

"They'll probably be nose-bleeders," you said, searching on your phone for the time.

"That's fine," I replied, watching people pass by and the pigeons that waddled back and forth between the tables that were abandoned and the occupied ones. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Because I'm arranging for you to see other men? Man, I should have tried this sooner," you quipped, laughing. "But that does feel good to hear, I'll admit. You're pretty great yourself."

"Thanks." I winked. I tore off a piece of hamburger bun and threw it to the pigeons, even though the sign said not to feed them.

It made me kind of sad that they had to watch me eat without getting anything.

"Yep. We'll be against the ceiling. That alright?"

"Oh, absolutely fabulous." I laughed, tossing another piece of bun to a particularly friendly speckled pigeon near my feet.

"Do you need anything for the concert?"

I shook my head. "Just you and my shoes."

A grin crept onto your face. "Alright. You don't need to go back to your hotel room, then?"

"Nope, I think we're good, dude."

"Then I think we should get going. It starts in an hour and the line is going to be insane." You rubbed the back of your neck like the thought stressed you out and I cocked my head at you.

"You still up for our plan?"

"What plan?"

"That I can avoid being trampled by riding on your shoulders?"

You chuckled and bent over to tie your shoe. "Of course. I wouldn't want to lose you, would I?"

. . .

We got there thirty minutes before the concert started, and the sheer number of fangirls was horrifying.

You were looking around in utter amusement as I tried to get a better grasp on reality.

"Jude?" I said loudly over the roar of excited giggling.

You leaned down to listen to me.

"Mind giving that piggyback now?" I glanced around uncertainly at all of the people, knowing it was only a matter of time until the doors opened and they all rushed toward them.

I was aware of how destructive they could be under the right circumstances.

"Sure," you said, and smiled. You bent down and I climbed onto your back, wrapping both arms around your neck. "Now do you feel safer?"

I nodded, catching a few glances from girls standing near us.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"We have fifteen minutes."

I took a deep breath. "Okay."

The minutes dragged by as my skin got stickier and stickier against yours.

"Only a couple of minutes," you said, not sounding as tired as I figured you'd be. After all, you had been holding me for a while. Long enough to make my shorts stick to my thighs.

"Brace yourself, anyway." I tipped my face down nearer your ear. "It's about to get crazy, Jude."

"Oh, I know," you breathed in reply, turning your head to grin at me.

I chuckled, burying my face in the side of your neck. "The things that you do for my amusement. Sometimes I wonder about you."

"What can I say? I love you."

In the heat of the Texas (almost) autumn, I felt my cheeks heat. But it was a good heat. (Because I loved you, too.) 

I didn't get a chance to say so, however.

"OH MY GOD THE DOORS ARE OPEN!" screamed a girl ahead of us, and suddenly, all I could hear was chaos.

You were shoved roughly forward by the crowd, and I squealed.

The world went topsy-turvy, and I was suddenly very aware of what my mistake was.

Never trust any set of legs but your own on unsteady ground.

I toppled off of your shoulders into a roiling mass of hormonal heifers, and my life flashed before my eyes.

Even above all of the screaming and scraping, however, I could hear you going ballistic over my sudden disappearance, and that is to your credit. You realized my endangerment before I did.

I didn't get much of a chance to, though.

"Aurora!"

. . .

I woke up to unfamiliar smells and an overpowering headache.

"Aurora?"

I frowned against the light and blinked up at you. "Mm?"

You laughed softly and rested your forehead against my hand, which was in your hand. 

The other hand was full of needles.

"Am I dead?" I whispered, and grimaced as I realized what I said. "I mean, what happened?"

"One Direction."

I huffed a laugh. "Jude, you can't just blame every catastrophe on One Direction." I looked up at you and smiled a little.

"You have a concussion."

"I survived." I licked my lips and frowned. "My mouth is dry. What time is it?"

"Almost nine," you said, and then laughed. "I am so stupid. I should have known it would be a bad idea to try to carry you."

"Yeah, you should have," I teased, brushing your cheek. "Though to be fair, I suggested it. And it was a damn stupid idea."

You looked up at my use of the word and chuckled, reaching up to feel my forehead. "Whoa, you alright there?"

"I'm great with a side of harebrained, so yeah, alright. What about you?"

"I'm considering," you said, smiling playfully.

I frowned. "Considering what?"

You sighed softly, eyes lowered. "This might be a really bad time."

"There is no such thing as a bad time. You're my best friend, Jude-dude. I have grace for you and your mistakes," I said teasingly, smiling.

"You're my best friend, too," you said at last. "That's what this is about, kind of."

I reached over to run my fingers through your hair, and you caught my hand gently, looking up at me. 

"What is it?" I whispered, brow furrowed slightly.

"Aurora."

"Yes?"

"I know that I do things like get you in trouble with my parents, covered in mud, smelling like fish, trampled by fangirls... but I really don't ever want to stop doing stupid things with you."

"Why would we?"

You looked up and smiled softly. "So even though you're here because I'm an idiot, I would like to ask you if you'd consider being permanent partners in crime?"

I smiled softly at first, but it got too emotional for my face and began to collect in the corners of my eyes. Because... I had always thought I would find someone, but I had never... I had never thought that anyone would find me. That someone in this world who had the dream of finding someone would get to know me, and their heart would whisper, "Oh, she's the one. She is the treasure that I have been waiting for."

I always thought I would find a Love, Jude, but I never thought anyone would find me to be their Love.

"Would you?" you whispered, smiling.

"I would," I replied, tears threatening to overtake my cheeks. I wiped them away quickly enough to keep them at bay, but my laugh was still choked by them. I reached for you and you caught me in a tight hug. "God, I love you."

"Even though I almost got you killed?"

I laughed again, still struggling against the thickness in my throat. "It wasn't your fault that I suggested you carry me on your back in a crowd of psychotic teenagers. That was totally my fault."

"I listened to you."

"I asked."

You chuckled and pulled away long enough to kiss me softly. When you pulled away, I chuckled at the awestruck look in your gray eyes. "What?"

You swallowed hard. "I am so lucky."

I smiled, smoothing over your cheek with my palm. "Me too."

~ ~ ~

You didn't have the ring yet when you proposed. (It was a spur-of-the-moment thing, though, wasn't it?)

I was so happy, though, when you did, ring or no. I was just happy that we would be partners in crime.

Permanently, you said.

But I've been wondering... what is permanent to human beings?

Is it until next year? One month? A lifetime?

And if it is a lifetime, is it a short lifetime, a long lifetime, or somewhere in between?

Because permanent can mean eternal, in the case of permanent extinction, or it can mean a month, in the case of permanent markers.

But I'm assuming that you meant forever when you said permanent.

I'm still your partner in crime, Jude Christopher.

And you are my Love.

Sincerely,

Aurora

~ ~ ~

I hope you're enjoying the story. :) 

What do you think about Aurora and Jude?

Too fast? (Well, it is a short story with lots of time-jumps, so I hope that it can all be attributed to that.)

Thank you for reading! :)

[This chapter is dedicated to Crystal, CCrawfordWriting, because she is lovely and encouraging and sweet. <3 ]

~anonymous