A Hundred Ways To Say 'I Love You'

The Third Way

AN: Hello... Yeah, I'm back at it again. I really cannot get enough of these two and I have no shame, lol.

"Don't worry about me."

He had done it. For her. He pressed the button, so she didn't have to. He didn't want her to have to live with that, he wanted to carry the burden for her. He led her through a crowd of paparazzi and he didn't notice the way she was looking at him because he was far too focused on getting her the hell out of there. As he held on to her to get her out of the stadium and into the car, all he could think about was making sure she was safe, that and the way it felt when she took his hand and held it mere minutes ago.

Once they were both safely inside of the car they found the silence to be deafening. Jasper was pleasantly surprised when Eleanor took his hand, for the second time that day, and held it tight. He could see that she was fighting back tears, his princess, always so brave, so strong. It only made him love her more and he realized, right then, exactly how hard it would be to walk away from her and leave, leave like he promised, so she could move on. "I'm here," he whispered, as they pulled up in front of the Palace. "With you. I'm right here."

She didn't speak but squeezed his hand. Oh Jasper, please don't go. I take it back. Stay, stay, stay.

Jasper's phone interrupted the silence. It was an update about Prince Liam, he was in no fit state to return to the Palace and demanded to be taken elsewhere, Jasper is to remain responsible for the Princess and if necessary Her Majesty the Queen. "Eleanor," he said. "Let's get you inside, your mother, she'll want to see you."

"Right," she said, the first word she'd spoken since the chaos at the King's Cup.

So, they got out of the car and headed inside. Still Eleanor held Jasper's hand, she didn't care if it made her weak, she needed him. He thought she'd have let go before seeing her mother but she didn't, Queen Helena noticed it immediately but said nothing of it. "Thank goodness you're alright, Eleanor." The Queen exclaimed, she truly had feared the worst for a while there.

Eleanor didn't pull away, instead she let her mother hold her.

Jasper stood there quietly, feeling as if he was intruding but he couldn't leave, not even if he wanted to. "Mr Pryce has been reprimanded, your Majesty." Jasper informed the Queen.

Helena lifted her head up just a little bit so she could look right at the bodyguard. "Thank you, Frost."

The hours passed quickly. Now Mr Hill and various other members of the Royal Family's security detail had returned to the Palace, Jasper could, in theory, leave. But he couldn't. Not without seeing her first, he had to see her. He didn't walk right into her room like he would have normally done, instead he knocked, he was a bundle of nerves and he hadn't come expecting forgiveness, he wouldn't ask for it, he just wanted to see her, one last time. Upon hearing a faint, "Come in," from the Princess, Jasper opened the door and entered the room that was not his, but felt much like home. Though that feeling had more to do with the person the room belonged to and not the room itself.

She'd been crying. He could tell as soon as he walked in. She stood up as soon as she saw him, then her eyes trailed to the suitcase in her doorway and she nearly doubled over at the sight of it, the pain of the realization hitting her like a truck.

He forced himself to smile. "I know I shouldn't be here but I, well, I needed to see you, before I go."

Eleanor frowned. "Where will you go?" She asked, not even attempting to hide her concern.

Jasper shrugged. He honestly hadn't thought that far ahead. "I don't know."

"Thank you," She said, blinking back tears. "For today. I don't know what I would've done, I-"

"It's okay," Jasper said, cutting her off. He stepped closer, a little closer, and now he was close enough that she could see the tears forming in his eyes, too.

Eleanor smiled sadly. Then, she surprised not only Jasper but herself, and hugged him. She didn't say anything. She just let Jasper hold her and she felt, despite the events of the day, happy. Happy to have someone who would hold her like this and let her deal with things however she needed to deal with them to cope, to survive.

A few minutes passed and still not a word had been spoken between them. Jasper felt his heart breaking a little more with every fleeting second. He had to go. Now. Or he never would, and he couldn't do that, not to her. He kissed the top of her head and then, gently, pushed her away.

"You're going to be okay, Len," Jasper told her, his voice hoarse. "You're strong, stronger than all of them, you have people here who love you more than anything, lean on them, you'll be okay." A tear escaped and trailed down his cheek. "I'm sorry, I'm so god damn sorry Eleanor, for everything."

She hadn't said a word, she just stared at him and so he turned, and he walked away. "Wait," She called out, the sound of her voice immediately bringing him to a halt. "What about you?" She asked, her voice so quiet, so vulnerable.

He looked at her, for what he thought might be the last time and said, "Don't worry about me, Princess. As long as you're okay, that's all I want, that's all that matters."

She couldn't let him leave. He was Jasper. She didn't want him to leave. "Stay," She whispered ever so quietly. But he heard. He stayed.