Chasing Jupiter ✔️

Twenty Three

Paris was amazing, we spent the entire three days sight seeing. We went to the Cathédrale of Notre Dame, the Louvre, and of course the Eiffel Tower. We spent alot of time walking through little shopping areas. We ate so much French cuisine I might burst if I eat anymore. All in all it was perfect, and I have hundreds of pictures fo prove it.

We just landed in Tokyo, I was sad to leave Paris but I was also so excited to go to Japan. Archer looked really down, but I also didn't want to ask him what was wrong in the back of an Uber. I guess I would just wait until we get to the hotel to ask him.

Maybe it was just jet lag?

*****

"Archer? Is everything okay?" I cautiously ask him, my anxiety not wanting me to cause an argument. "Yeah. I'm fine." He mutters flopping on the bed. I crawl into the bed cuddling next to him. "I'm only going to say this once because I don't want to cause an argument. But if anything is bothering you you can talk to me. I'm not going to push you, just know that I'm here." He doesn't reply at first, I start to question if he's upset with me. The last time I told him he could talk to me it ended in me slapping him and us not speaking for weeks.

"You're not the only one who grew up with a shitty family." He slowly begins talking. I don't say anything, just letting him speak. "I don't talk about my family ever. In fact I hate my family, I never used to. But given the recent events I do now." He was rambling, but I didn't dare to speak.

"Growing up my parents were the perfect example of true love. The fairytale story of high school sweethearts. I'm an only child, so I can't lie and say I wasn't spoiled. Then everything changed when my dad got fired from his job. He stayed home drinking his life away. My mom had to get a second job just to keep us afloat." He takes a deep breath, my heart breaking at the pain in his voice.

"Drinking turned into drugs, and drugs turned into violent outbursts, and violent outbursts turned into creative ways to hide bruises. This went on for almost two years. It got to the point where the hits didn't even hurt anymore, they were just numb. I was just numb. My mom and I were just numb... But I knew better than to fight back. The one time I did I ended up with three broken ribs. Eight months ago my mom and I had enough. So we came up with a plan to leave. I was going to stay at a 'friends' and she would sneak out after he fell asleep. We were going to run." He sucked in a deep breath before continuing.

"I packed everything important to me in my car and waiting at the park near our house. I waited for hours. When it was nearly ten pm and my mom still wasn't there I got nervous. And then..." He trails off taking a deep breath. "And then I got a phone call from the hospital. My mom... She uh.... She had been beaten pretty badly. I guess he heard her trying to sneak out." I wiped a tear from his face. "My dad was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, attempted murder, and domestic abuse. Once he was arrested we ran." The tears were officially flowing from both of us.

"I thought things would be different when we moved to Washington. But my mom started using and drinking. Constantly bringing home different guys, the last straw for me was the night she hit me, and I just couldn't take it. I could handle the beatings from my dad. But my mom... She knew what we both had went through. I- I don't blame her, I blame the drugs. But I couldn't look her in the face anymore, so I left. And now I mostly sleep in my car. Only going home whenever necessary."

I felt like I'd been shot in the chest.

How is it that this boy could go through as much as he has and still have the strength to smile. How is it that I knew exactly how he felt with our stories being so different. What a fucked up world we lived in. "My mom always wanted to visit Tokyo. It was kind of a dream of ours. But after she started getting into drugs and I stopped talking to her I was determined I would go without her. I guess being here is just bittersweet."

I didn't even know what to say to... well any of that. I don't pity him, but I feel sorry. But I didn't want to tell him I felt sorry for him because I know it would only upset him. I also didn't want to make him think that I didn't care by not responding. "What's going on behind those big beautiful eyes princess?" Snaps me out of my thoughts. "I don't really know what to say other than fuck parents."

Really Jupiter?!

He cracks a smile at me and I sigh in relief. "Why did you tell me all of that?" I mutter. "Because I trust you, and it was about time you know just as much about me as I do you. Now come on princess, no more sulk time. We only have three days here and I want to make them last." I was about to argue with him but he presses his lips to mine, essentially shutting me up.

*****

After renting a car we began to drive to Chichibu Mountain, the mountain in the Tokyo Drift movie. As avid fans we both agreed we wanted to go there first. Our feelings of sadness and hatred for our shitty parents (besides my dad of course) left behind. Once we reach the top of the mountain I can't help but bounce around in my seat like a child. "Oh my goody goodness gosh we're here!" I screech jumping out of the car. It wasn't anything special, but it was the mountain I had always died to race down. I vowed I would do it. And tonight I will. I couldn't stop bouncing, I felt like I had one to many shots of espresso.
I was to busy snapping pictures to hear Archer coming up behind me. But I don't jump when his arms wrap around me, I just melt into his embrace. "I have to tell you something." He whispers in my ear. I put my phone away giving him my full attention. The nervous look on his face causes my anxiety to spike. "Please don't take this in a bad way... I just can't hold it in anymore, I really think you need to know -"

"Oh my god you're breaking up with me." I cut him off. "What! No! I'm trying to tell you-"

"Did you cheat on me or something! Is that why your nervous?"

"Princess I would never do that to you, if you would stop -" my mind was spinning like crazy, his mouth was moving but I couldn't hear him. Why the fuck am I always overthinking!
"...love you Jupiter." That snapped me back into reality.

"You... What." My brain doesn't quite process what he's saying to me. "I'm saying that I'm here at the top of a mountain in fucking Japan with you. And I'm telling you I love you." He sucks in a deep breath and I loose all ability to breathe in general.

"When I met you I wasn't looking for anyone or anything. And the next thing I know I slammed into this spitfire of a girl who's height didn't match the size of her attitude. And god did I hate you, but then... we got paired for that project and you opened up to me. And I knew I was in trouble. And that was it. I found the real you and I couldn't help myself slowly wanting to spend more time with you. Because being with you is so simple Jupiter. It's as easy as breathing, until I look at you and you take my breath away. It hit me like a ton of bricks. That I was so insanely in love with you." He said it. He actually said it. I jump into his arms wrapping my legs around his waist. "I love you too!" I barely got the words out before slamming my lips to his.

He loves me back!