This is just a little something I wrote for Jessa shippers out there. Enjoy :)
Tessa was laying on her stomach atop the queen-sized bed of the hotel room her and Jem were staying at for a few weeks, wearing pajama shorts and a sweater.
Beside the bed was a window that overlooked the skyline of Shanghai, China.
Tessa and Jem have been travelling the world for only a couple months, and it was surprising that Tessa had brought up the idea to visit Jem's home country, instead of Jem himself.
It was late at night, and Tessa was waiting for Jem to come to bed. Shanghai was still busy even at night, just like New York.
Just as Tessa's eyes fluttered shut, Jem walked out of the bathroom, his hair darker than it usually was from the shower he just took. Jem wore a white bathrobe, rubbing a towel through his wet hair to dry it off. The corner of his mouth tipped up when he saw Tessa sleeping soundly on the bed, still on her stomach, her chin resting on her knuckles as she faced the window.
Jem slipped on some shorts, then taking his robe off, and put a t-shirt over his head, sliding it onto his body. He clicked off the lamps on the nightstands on the one side of the bed, and the only light in the room now was Shanghai's light, flooding into through the windows. It danced around in Tessa's dark hair, eyelash shadows like spiders across her cheekbones.
A few strands of hair were splayed across her cheeks, and Jem saw Tessa's nose scrunch up as it tickled her face. He laughed quietly to himself, setting himself on the edge of the bed, right next to Tessa. He brushed his long fingers across her cheeks to get the hair away from her face, and bent down to kiss her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Tessa," he murmured against her.
Jem moved up to the other side of the bed, setting himself next to Tessa. He propped his arm up with his elbow, holding his head in his hand, looking at her admirably. Realizing that she might be cold with the wind blowing in from the window, Jem took the blanket from the bed, laying it onto her. She squirmed when Jem's arms were around her, and turned to face him, her eyes still closed. She moved in closer to him, her head now resting on Jem's forearm.
Without opening her eyes, Tessa softly asked, "Can you play for me, Jem?"
Jem jumped at the sound of Tessa's voice, even though it was only a whisper. "Did I wake you?"
"I was barely asleep," Tessa said, brushing the back of her hand across Jem's cheek.
"You looked like your were sleeping soundly to me," Jem said, as he played with Tessa's hair.
"You never answered my question," Tessa said softly. She always carried that rosewood box that held the violin Will and her had kept around in a suitcase.
"I haven't played it in so long," was all Jem said in answer.
"You'll play beautifully," Tessa said, smiling up at him, "just like you always had." Jem only looked at Tessa, doubtful of himself. "I'll get it for you. Alright?"
"Alright," Jem replied, giving Tessa a small smile.
"Okay." Tessa smiled back and rubbed her thumb across Jem's cheek, standing from the bed.
When Tessa came back, carrying the rosewood box in her hands, Jem straightened up, and he looked like he was holding his breath. Tessa sat back on the bed, crossing her legs, and she placed the box on Jem's lap.
Jem looked at Tessa one more time, then opened the box.
Tessa saw a glint in Jem's dark eyes, then the corner of his mouth twitch the slightest. The touch was hesitant at first, but then Jem lay his slender quivering fingers upon the wood of his violin. He slid his fingers beside the bridge of the violin, under the old strings, plucking them slightly. And it made a dull but melodious buzzing sound that brought a half-hearted smile to Jem's lips.
Jem looked up at Tessa, his eyes shining. "Go on," she said, making a small gesture with her hand. "Do something magical, as you always had."
Jem smiled fully and wholeheartedly this time, bringing the bottom of the violin tucked under his neck. He looked into the rosewood box, eyeing the bow, and picking it up by his fingertips. He gripped it until it felt familiar to him again, then closed his eyes as he set it to the body of his violin.
A grin spread wide across Tessa's face when the soothing sound of the violin started as Jem slid his bow across the strings. She saw that Jem's jaw had begun to set, and his eyes shut tighter as he played.
Then Tessa began to recognize the tune. It had taken her a while, for it had been so many years since she had heard it. It was the song Jem had created for her, and for her only.
Just as she had that night long before, Tessa began to cry. And when Jem's eyes fluttered open in the middle of the song, she saw his eyes were filled with tears as well, and they spilled across his cheeks when his bow froze, playing the last note of the song.
The bow slipped from his fingers, and Jem set his violin back down into the rosewood box. Reaching over, Jem lay his palm on Tessa's waist and pulled her into him, hugging her tightly.
"Did you like it?" Jem said softly into Tessa's neck, and tears still slipped down his cheeks.
"I loved it," Tessa whispered back into Jem's hair. She kissed his temple lightly and rubbed his back. "I loved it as I had before, on that night you had first played it for me." Tessa pulled away to look at Jem and smiled at him so widely that her eyes nearly squeezed shut and more tears spilled down her face. She held his face in her hands. "And I will love it always."
