If I could Be Like That

By: Riley

Summary – Jo wanted to get back together with Kendall and asks for James's help. James likes Jo, but decides to help anyway. Short JamesxJo one-shot.

When Jo came back and expressed that she wanted to get back together with Kendall, she didn't tell Kendall first, she told James. Actually, it was a bit of a fluke, she had called James so she could be sure that she could surprise Kendall with her return. James had heard something in her voice in that call and asked her what was wrong. It was then that Jo told him that she wanted to get back together with Kendall, but that James had to swear to keep it a secret, because she was still working things out with how she felt. James agreed to keep it a secret and he agreed to help her.

That was his first mistake.

In retrospect, it was probably his second. His first mistake was that he agreed to help Jo in the first place when he, unbeknownst to everyone else, had feelings for Jo. He was annoyed at first when he didn't really get a chance to talk to her when she moved in, especially since the only impression she got from him was when he had blown up due to his allergy to Cuda Man spray. But when he saw how Jo looked at Kendall, he immediately gave up. He was used to it in a way, girls saw him as a sort of guy that would date and them dump them in a second. It was what he got for being so good looking; he couldn't fault them on that part. He wasn't Kendall; he didn't have that personality and charisma that had girls falling for him (that whole Lucy thing was another story) and Kendall was good boyfriend material, so he just bit his tongue and sat back watching as Jendall unfolded.

It didn't bother him that Jo hardly hung out with him, Logan, or Carlos, because that just made things easier for him. He didn't have to worry about the feelings that he had for her and he didn't have to feel tortured by it. When she left it wasn't that much harder, it was basically like things had been before, she just wasn't around.

But then she came back and his feelings resurfaced for her. He already promised that he would help her get back together with Kendall and he kept that promise. When Kendall and Jo started to talk again, James knew that Kendall was moving slowly, just so he could save himself a broken heart once more, just in case an even bigger opportunity came for Jo. So James used that time to do what any wingman would do for him, he talked Jo up to Kendall. He reminded him of how good looking Jo was, how sweet she was, how much fun she was, how she was good for him.

But that just made him fall harder for the blonde girl.

It made things harder for him.

So he tried to back off for a bit, only talking about her when it was necessary, just so no one would figure out what was going on. Logan had started to give him odd looks every now and then, but James was sure that he didn't know anything. Then things started to change with Jo as well; she stopped talking about Kendall so much and then the times where the two would meet up to plan something else to help Jendall get back together, they started talking to each other more and more about anything and everything. Soon, they didn't talk about Kendall at all, they conversed about anything else. Sure James flirted here and there, sure he made her laugh, he didn't expect anything out of it.

Then there was one day that they had agreed to meet up at their usual spot. On the pool deck, letting their feet sit in the water. They had just finished talking about the new music that BTR was working on, when James decided to take a risk. He didn't think about it before he said it, he just came out with what he was feeling.

"I can be a good boyfriend..." He said it softly. His usually confidence and air of narcissism was nowhere to be found. He continued to look at the water as he and Jo sat side by side

"I'm sure you'd be a great boyfriend," Jo reassured him.

James brought his hands behind him and rested them on the pool deck, leaning back a little bit as he looked up at the sky. He didn't speak against for a moment.

"You should let me show you sometime..."

Jo gave a soft smile before she mimicked his stance. But she turned and looked at him, causing him to look at her. "I'd really like that, James." she said, her own voice quiet, her brown eyes sparkling with happiness.

As James smiled back, he knew one thing; if given the chance, he would have helped her all over again if the outcome remained the same.

THE END

A/N: Just a quick one-shot to show why I think they would be good together. I'm still saying that if he got a fair shot in BTLove Song, she would have ended up with James. This was slightly inspired by the song that shares the fic's title, by 3 Doors Down. I hope you guys liked it.

Cheers,

-Riles