A/N So after over a year of not watching Kyle XY I finally dug it out of my bookcase and re-realised how amazingly perfect it is. Hope everyone enjoys my new attempt as I continue with my old promise of filling the world of fan fiction with more Kessi-ness.
Also to those of you who have read "Never Alone" and believe I have given up on it, it will be updated sometime in the next few days
Summary: Set after "Physic Friend". Kyle finally realises how important Jessi is to him after she almost drowned and Jessi uncovers a hidden talent that makes Kyle see what he's been missing since they met. Kessi!
Disclaimer: If I did own Kyle XY it never would have been cancelled cos I would have bitch-slapped anyone that tried... so obviously I don't. 'Nough said.
You Belong With Me
I couldn't understand it. For as long as I could remember Amanda was the only girl I had ever been attracted to romantically or even thought of. Now suddenly, after a seemingly random, yet somehow prophesised, event and few of her own words another was invading my every thought. I thought back over our time together, how much we had in common, and wondered how I didn't see it earlier. Now I only had to figure out who I was truly in love with... who was my soul mate; Amanda, as I had always thought? Or Jessi?
Kyle sat in his tub thinking back on the day's events, a deep frown marring his face as he thought again and again of Amanda's words before she had left him standing by the side of the water.
He remembered glancing at Jessi on the drive home, making sure to only let his eyes linger for a second or so after she turned to him and caught him outright staring at her the first time.
He studied the way her tiny hands clutched the thick blanket around herself and how her hair fell in dark, wet tendrils and curled at the base of her neck as it dried. His eyes flickered over her face as she blinked and kept her eyes closed, her long eye lashes resting delicately on the tops of her cheeks and he was sad to see the grim line of her mouth that seemed lately to be permanently in the shape of a grimace, which he now knew was at least partly of his own fault.
His eyes snapped open when he realised he had gotten so lost in his thoughts that his body temperature was rising rapidly and his heart stuttered an uneven rhythm and the fact that Jessi was just one floor below him did nothing to calm him.
He listened to the sounds all around him and tried to narrow it all down to one as Nicole had once taught him to relax and was startled when he caught the distance chirp of morning birds in the trees across the road.
He opened his eyes once again and climbed out of the tub, looking over at Josh's bed to see it already empty. He couldn't believe he was so distracted by Jessi that he hadn't even realised he'd spent the entire night thinking about her and hadn't even figured anything out yet. He once again heard Amanda's words echo inside his head clearly.
"The psychic said your soul mate would be in danger... it was Jessi."
Almost an hour later Kyle was seated at the kitchen bench, staring listlessly at his food, still in shock from half an hour ago and still unable to erase the image of Jessi's naked form from a part of his brain he didn't even know existed.
"Kyle, are you alright?" Nicole asked, seeing that he still hadn't eaten anything.
His eyes shot to hers and he immediately brightened, childlike grin playing across his face, though he felt anything but innocent in that moment. "I'm fine Nicole, just distracted by everything I guess."
"I'm sure, after yesterday. I still can't believe what they were letting happen on that boat. Someone should have been monitoring those kids to make sure everything was safe."
Josh snorted from his place at the counter as he finished his eggs. "Yeah, just what every teen wants. To go see an awesome band but be blocked from any of the good stuff by the parentals."
Just then Jessi entered hesitantly and walked to sit next to Kyle, look unsure. "HI everyone," she said, smiling. "Did you want some help with breakfast Nicole?"
The woman in question looked up in surprise, never knowing Jessi to be so polite and smiled softly back at her. "No Jessi, that's alright. Kyle told me you don't eat eggs so I'm just cooking you up a waffle right now. Is that okay?"
Jessi nodded and grin, gaze sliding to Kyle, surprised to find him already looking at her with a smile. "How did you know?" He shrugged slightly. "After your shower this morning I saw you walking back to your room and when you smelt the eggs being cooked you frowned and thought about how sick they made you." He paused and frowned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to read your thoughts, it just happened."
She shook her head, smile never leaving her face, she was shocked at how much attention he was paying her. "It's okay."
"Whoa whoa, wait a minute!" Josh exclaimed.
It was only then they realised everyone was staring at them. "You... read her thoughts!" Josh continued while pulling out his old Kyle file and scribbling something down, a new heading clear at the top of a new page that had Jessi's name added to it.
"Oh God," Lori groaned from her seat, "I thought you were done with that! Maybe we should be keeping a file on you; after all you are the true freak of the family."
Josh just rolled his eyes and smirked, taking a bite out of his last bit of toast and leaving to his room, calling out a "says you!" as he ran up at the stairs.
Nicole placed the now finished waffle in front of Jessi who eagerly took a forkful, shifting slightly under the unexplained gaze of Kyle who still couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her. "So are you guys still going to the second open mic night tonight?"
Lori and Kyle just nodded, though inside Kyle's thoughts were instantly in turmoil since he and Amanda were supposed to be going together and he definitely didn't know where they stood after last night.
"Jessi? What about you?" She asked again when the brunette didn't make any reaction.
Jessi looked up, startled to be included once again. She figured she would be treated as a guest or bystander. An intrusion just like she had been most other places but she was beginning to think maybe being a part of this family might actually work out for her.
"Oh... I didn't even know it was happening... no one invited me. But if you guys don't mind I'd like to go with you?" She glanced imploringly at Kyle and Lori.
Kyle hesitated, mouth twitching slightly as it did whenever he had something to say that he really didn't want to. "Well, I promised I'd go with Amanda... but I'm sure Lori and you will have a great time and I'll see you there."
He hated how her face feel for a moment before her smile came back full forced and completely fake. The fact that he was hurting her hurt him more than anything he had felt before and he found it strange that he suddenly felt guilty about going somewhere with Amanda instead of Jessi. Even though Amanda was his girlfriend and it should be the other way around.
The kitchen was filled with an awkward silence until Lori stood and made her way out. "Well I'm performing again so I gotta practice a few more times but yeah Jessi, we'll definitely go together."
As soon as she was gone the other sat in a few more seconds of silence before Jessi rose, quietly thanked Nicole for breakfast and left the room, looking defeated yet determined all at first.
Kyle lay done his stagnant fork down and listened to her footsteps fade and the door shut quietly behind her.
"Kyle is everything okay between you two?" Nicole asked.
Kyle just nodded his head, absentmindedly listening as Jessi tapped away on her computer as he thought about what he should do and how, in a single day, his thoughts and feelings had strayed so far from his girlfriend and to this girl who was so much like him in almost every way... This girl he didn't, and wouldn't, have to hide from.
The drive to the Rack, that had set up a temporary stage and speakers for the mic night that was part of a promotional campaign, was silent and awkward as Amanda drove and the each attempted several times to bring up successful topics of discussion.
When they finally got there Kyle unbuckled and moved to get out but stopped when he noticed Amanda had yet to move, car turned off but hands still stationary on the steering wheel and eyes looking pointedly ahead, not meeting his questioning gaze.
"Kyle, what are we doing?" She finally looked over at him and he licked his lips nervously.
"What do you mean?"
She sighed, losing some of her patience and not willing to let this... pretending go on any longer. "I mean us Kyle. We've been together months but barely do anything different to when we were friends. We see each other the same amount and have only kissed a handful of times. And now this whole thing with Jessi... It was obvious there was something between you from the beginning and I can't just sit around and pretend that we even stand a chance now that she's living with you." Her voice grew louder and angrier, hands clenching on the wheel.
"Amanda I-" He stopped in mid-protest. He knew denying it wouldn't do any good and would probably only make her think he was either insulting her intelligence or hiding that something had already happened. He changed the direction of his words and spoke carefully. "I'm sorry, I never... I thought I loved you Amanda and I still care about you but I never knew anyone like Jessi ever existed and I can't just let her go without ever finding out what was between us."
Amanda relaxed after hearing that. Of course it hurt, but he was telling her the truth and that meant a lot to her.
They both knew they loved each other, they just knew it was the love of friends now that they had their chance at something more and realised it just wouldn't work.
She gave him a half smile and received one in return. She reached over and squeezed his upper arm in comfort. "So, friends?"
His smile widened. "Friends. Definitely."
They sat and basked in what was probably the most amicable breakup throughout the Earth's history before music started up in the building to their left, the acoustic beginning of Lori's song travelling out to them.
"You better go inside," Amanda gestured to the door. "You don't want to miss your sister's song. Plus I was here earlier and saw Jessi's name down on the performers list."
Kyle's eyebrows shot up in surprise for a second before excitement ran throughout his entire being, making him almost bounce in his seat. "Really?"
Amanda laughed. "Yes really and you better go before you miss it. I think I'll go home, I'm pretty tired. But I'll see you in school."
His eyebrows furrowed for a moment. "You're okay? You promise?"
Amanda smiled reassuringly and nodded. "I promise. Good night Kyle."
"Night Amanda." With that he shot out of the car and into the Rack, eyes automatically searched for the tall, beautiful brunette that stood in the corner.
She turned to see him as soon as he passed the doorway, their connection flaring up, now possibly even more intense than ever. He grinned at her widely but the expression only lasted a mille-second when her face stayed curiously blank and her name was suddenly called by the MC of the night.
As she walked up on stage Kyle's breath was stolen as he couldn't remember ever seeing her look so beautiful. She stood in deep blue jeans, boots and a flowing black top, her hair straightened and loose around her face, head tilted down slightly to look at the guitar she was holding for a moment.
When her hand reached up to tuck a stray strand behide her ear Kyle only wished he was the one up there to do it for her.
He was so mesmerised that he hardly even noticed Lori making his way over to him.
"Did you know she could sing?" She asked him, of course noticing the way he was staring so intensely at her.
Kyle shook his head and then smiled cheekily. "We can do everything remember?" Lori just shook her head at him and huffed out a laugh as they both turned back to watch Jessi.
Her hands almost shook with nerves as she strummed the first chords of the song she had prepared. She wasn't as creative as Lori and couldn't write her own music and lyrics but after looking up what was probably thousands of songs on the internet she had found this one; a song that was so utterly perfect for how she was feeling it took her breath away to just read the lyrics. Then she had borrowed Lori's guitar once the other girl had finished with it and learnt it in the remaining two hours before the mic night.
She had never sung in front of any one and as her mouth opened she prayed she wouldn't make a fool out of herself.
Her eyes locked with Kyle's who was half the way back in the crowd with Lori standing beside him and told herself not to look away. She opened her, mind and let their connection flow so he would feel how much she meant what she sung.
You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset.
She's going off about something that you said,
'Cause she doesn't get your humour like I do.
She swallowed unevenly and could feel tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't help but let a tiny glimmer of hope rise inside her though as Kyle's heart sped up as he listened to her words and processed their meaning, his attention fully on her.
I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night,
I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like,
And she'll never know your story like I do.
For the first time, as her eyes darted quickly over the crowd to gauge their reactions, she noticed that despite what he had said that morning Amanda was not with him. The realisation only gave her more confidence.
She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts,
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers,
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find,
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time.
If you could see that I'm the one that understands you,
Been here all along, so why can't you see,
You belong with me?
You belong with me.
Kyle suddenly couldn't breathe properly and although he knew Lori was watching him out of the corner of her eye, without the knowledge of his and Amanda's break up, he couldn't tear his eyes from Jessi's or stop his body moving forward in the crowd to get closer to her.
He wanted more than anything now to tell her what had happened, to take away the clear hurt in her eyes that he had put there in the first place and to tell her she had been right all along and he finally knew it now.
He felt her fear through the open connection and sent her affection back, knowing he could do nothing more until the end of her performance.
Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans,
I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be,
Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself,
Hey isn't this easy?
It's like the question was really being spoken to himself and he thought to their past; when he had found her in his tub and at the party when they had randomly discussed static electricity and how they just knew things. And maybe that how love was meant to be just... easy.
And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town,
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down,
You say you're fine, I know you better than that,
Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?
He smiled for her now, reassurance coming off him in waves and as their emotions finally collided the lights in the Rack brightened, gaining in intensity as Kyle walked closer and closer to the stage.
She wears high heels, I wear sneakers,
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers,
Dreaming about that day when you wake up and find,
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you,
Been here all along, so why can't you see?
You belong with me.
Standing by and waiting at your backdoor,
All this time how could you not know baby?
You belong with me.
In that moment she was perfect. He never would have guessed that she had such an amazing voice but there it was, just one more thing he had been blind to and had never asked her about. As soon as this was over and they were together he was going to learn every little thing about her that he could.
Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night,
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're about to cry,
I know your favourite songs and you tell me about your dreams,
Think you know where you belong, think I know it's with me.
Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you,
Been here all along, so why can't you see?
You belong with me.
Standing by and waiting at your backdoor,
All this time how could you not know baby?
You belong with me.
You belong with me.
You belong with me.
Have you ever thought just maybe,
You belong with me,
You belong with me.
As her voice trailed off a single tear dropped onto her cheek and she walked off stage to almost thunderous applause, not knowing that while Kyle stood and continued to track her with his eyes all he could think of was how no truer words had ever been spoken to him and how much he wanted her in his arms at that moment.
He quickly snapped out of his trance though when he noticed her leaving through the back and raced after her. Just as he got outside he was within reach of her and grasped her right wrist, pulling her around to face him, heart breaking and guilt ridden when he saw the tears on her face.
"Jessi I-"
"What Kyle?" She rolled her eyes slightly at him, knowing that now they might share another moment like they had before but tomorrow he would simply go running back to Amanda. The very thought of the blonde sent a rush of anger and jealously through her body. "Where's Amanda?"
Kyle paused and decided that best way was to be straight forward. Jessi didn't need overly romantic gestures or speeches from him, she just needed the truth so he would give it to her. "We broke up."
Jessi's eyebrow shot up in surprise and she couldn't stop the curve of her mouth tilting upwards. "When? Why?"
"Just before I got here, and it was because of you Jessi." He stepped forward when she seemed to freeze in place, not sure how to take that statement. He reached up a hand and gently ran the tips of his fingers through her hair like he had been longing to do since he had seen her in the Rack and let his palm come to rest softly against her cheek.
"Jessi I'm so sorry. It's taken me too long to notice you and how wonderful and brilliant you are and I should have known straight away, like you did, how much of a part of me you were... that we are of each other." He paused and looked into her glistening eyes that seemed to silently beg him to go on. "Jessi, I have feelings for you, I think I love you and I want to be with you so I can figure it all out because I don't want to figure this out with anyone else."
Jessi reached up a hand to cover his on her cheek and trembled slightly under the weight of his words. Almost fearing it was too good to be true she reached up before he could change his mind, not that in her heart she thought he would now, and pulled his head down to hers, crashing their lips together.
They wrapped their arms around each other, Kyle's sliding from her face to her waist and wrapping around her securely, bringing her against his chest, feet almost leaving the ground as she clutched hers around his neck and shoulders.
Electricity shot in sharp bolts down their bodies and out through the ground causing all the cars around to go crazy and any lights in the vicinity of the entire block to explode in sudden and brilliant sparks of luminescent fire.
They broke away from the kiss but stayed within each other's embrace, ignoring the loud shouts coming from people still inside and those coming outside to check on their vehicles.
They let their foreheads rest together a moment, then Jessi opened her eyes and smiled at him radiantly. "I love you too."
His brow furrowed only slightly. "Jessi, I said I only think-"
"I know," she interrupted smugly, "but you do, I can tell." He smiled at her.
"I guess you are smarter," he mumbled and her smile somehow widened even more as they released each other, though still playfully getting in each other's faces.
"Stronger." She continued, taking another step back.
"Faster."
And with that they were both off like bullets tearing down the street and into a park at the end.
Lori watched them from the sidewalk, smiling fondly at their inevitable adorableness. She knew Kyle and Amanda must have broken up because he never would have acted like so if they hadn't.
She never thought she would approve of them but watching them together was amazing as Kyle caught Jessi around the waist and picked her up, spinning her in a playful circle as the girl shrieked in joy, audible from the few hundred meters distance she was standing at.
... There would be no living with them now, she thought with a chuckle.
A/N Sooooo, I really have no idea how this turned out or even if I write Kyle XY well now since my writing style has changed at least a little in the past two years. Please review because I really want to know what you think and if you want me to do any more one-shots.
Also I don't have a Beta, I check my own stuff so sorry if there are any major mistakes, I was too tired to re-check the whole thing.
Thanks guys,
Metal.