A/N: And here's the bit that'll make you mad...we'll not be visiting the present day in this story for a few chapters so I can develop the relationship in the past. Happy readings. Read, Review, and don't hurt me please?


Nepeta looked out her window, cuddling with the stuffed animal Jake had gotten her. She stroked the soft fur, biting her lip as she watched her parents walk out of the house, mildly surprised that Jake was not with them before she realized what she was doing, looking away sadly. She couldn't remember the last time she had been jealous of someone, having always gotten along easily with people.

She glanced up when there was a knock, setting the stuffed animal down before walking to her door. "Yes Jake?" She asked with a sigh, hesitating slightly as she rested her hand on the door nob, feeling a faint pain of tightness pass over her chest.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. It...it kind of seems like you're avoiding me." Jake said quietly, his own hand on the door knob as he rested his forehead against the door. "I apologized for making you mad. And for making your friends mad with that comment. Will you please come out of hiding and talk to me?"

"It sounds like you're begging me." Nepeta sighed, looking at the floor. "But why should I let you? You'll probably just do something stupid again...and I was avoiding you for obvious reasons. None of my friends really like you either."

"Then your friends have bad taste." Jake muttered to himself.

Nepeta narrowed her eyes, jerking the door outward and smacking him. "They do not have bad taste! Maybe Gamzee does...and so does Eridan but other than that, they do not have bad taste!"

"That hurt!" Jake said, jerking away and rubbing his head. "Who ever heard of a door coming outwards on a bedroom?"

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Nepeta asked, eyes wide as she saw the faint spot of blood. She took his hand, dragging him to the bathroom. "Sit down," she murmured, looking at the cut before grabbing what she needed, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Why were you leaning against the door?" She demanded softly.

"I didn't think you would hit me with it." Jake sighed, moving to rub the spot before getting his hand slapped away.

"Don't touch it," Nepeta murmured, putting a band-aide over it carefully. "You'll just make it worse."

"I never thought you as a motherly type of person." Jake mused. "And I don't mean that in a bad way either."

Nepeta glowered at him, rubbing the back of her neck before shaking her head. "I guess I am...I never really thought about it and it was my fault for smacking you with the door."

"Well, that's true but you still didn't have to come out here and care for me like you did." Jake sighed, shaking his head. "That's something I don't expect people to do for me. I've been a prick too. I never know when to shut up and I constantly am found talking to your father about guns. And I probably bug you a lot as well. But you...you're sweet and kind and you've put up with that for god knows what reasons. And...I think I like you."

Nepeta stood up, washing her hands in the sink to give her time to answer, biting her lip. "I have boundaries." She muttered after a moment.

Jake frowned, watching her back as she worked at washing her hands. "What do you mean by boundaries?" He asked after a moment.

"I don't date," Nepeta muttered.

"I think you took me the wrong way." Jake said quickly, moving to stand. "I want to be friends, but hiding all the time is really hard for us to be friends. I only meant that I like you as a friend."

Nepeta raised an eyebrow, watching him silently. "Maybe you did mean something different and you don't really like me as a friend."

"I heard that you liked shipping your friends together. I've asked around to some of the others that haven't talked to you in a while. I know they used to have fun asking you who you paired them with the day before and you'd always have four answers. Who did you pair yourself with? Or did you ever give yourself a chance for love?" Jake demanded, standing up to make her face him.

"I don't want to love. I'll just lose the person." Nepeta mumbled, looking away from him. "I don't see why this matters so much to you either."

Jake let her, giving in with a sigh. "You just seem so depressed." He said quietly. "All we're doing is going around in circles with this conversation. Maybe we can't have a normal conversation but..I can at least try to get you to have one."

Nepeta turned away, heading out of the bathroom. "I'll check your cut later." She muttered, going to find what was on her door that could have possibly made such a cut before leaning against the door, letting out a sigh and biting her lip.

"Nepeta?" Jake asked quietly, walking behind her and resting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry if what I said upset you." He murmured.

Nepeta stared at the floor, shifting before shaking her head. "I'm fine," she mumbled, hands bracing against the door as she hung her head down further to hid her face, feeling the tears well over.

"No you're not," Jake sighed. "And it's probably my fault as well." He reached forward hesitantly, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Nepeta shook her head, intent on staring at the ground. "It doesn't concern you." She hissed, watching as the cat padded over, rubbing against her legs as he mewed softly and nuzzled her leg.

"Even the cat thinks something is wrong." Jake sighed.

"I just want to be left alone." Nepeta mumbled, looking up after a moment at him. Jake watched her rub at her eyes, feeling like it was his fault for making her cry.

Jake hugged her silently, shaking his head. "I don't want to leave you alone like this." He decided. "I don't want anything happening to you. Come on, why don't we go sit down?"

Nepeta pulled away, picking up the cat after a moment. "You hardly know me." Nepeta sighed. "I don't see why you want to start now."

"I'll be here for a while, so why can't I start getting to know you?" Jake frowned. "I thought it would have been nice if we became good friends."

"Equius was a good friend!" Nepeta snapped, looking down before adding, "he was my best friend."

"He'll always be your friend...but maybe at some time in your life, it's time to maybe think about making a new friend like me?" He asked, hesitantly, half tempted to take a step back in case if she tried to hit him.

"Maybe I don't want friends. Maybe I don't want new friends or old friends or any friends at all." She whispered, slightly surprised when Jake touched her hand.

"Friends are always there for friends." Jake said softly. "And it looks like you can use some friends right now."

Nepeta looked away, seemingly lost as to what to do. "Fine, friends?" She muttered after a moment.

Jake smiled, nodding happily. "Friends indeed," he said happily, glad that she had taken his suggestion. "Let's start with hanging out tomorrow while your parents are gone." he decided.

"Their trips never seem to last very long." Nepeta sighed, mostly to herself before she smiled slightly, somewhat happy that they could be at least somewhat friends.

A/N: So...some of the more stranger events take place in chapter Five and six, which is why I've kind of been delayed in updating. And some other personal issues as well. So...I do have most of chapter five written...I'm just really sore and other fun shit. So hope you like it!