He Doesn't Talk Much - Jacksepticeye Egos Fanfic

Chapter 14 - A Friend Pays a Visit

Jameson's idea gave him a thrill of fear each time he thought about it. He hadn't performed in... well, two months. Could he still entertain an audience? Would they even like him?

These thoughts quite often kept Jameson up at night  leading up to the fateful October 31st video. He would pace around his apartment, wondering over what was to come, and thinking about the past. 

Anti... 

Yes, he often thought about Anti. Jameson trembled to imagine where Anti was now. Or Schneeplestein, for that matter...  

Anti, the friend who Jameson had so often revered, and Schneeplestein, the brilliant doctor who saved Jack's life. Anti, the monster who tried to kill Jacksepticeye, and Schneeplestein, the conniving madman who had cut open Jameson's throat. 

As much as Jackie and Chase insisted that it hadn't been Henrik's fault, the thought of him made Jameson's skin crawl. If only things could go back to the way they had been! Jameson never thought he'd miss the days of lying to Henrik and Anti, but so much had changed since then...

Jameson glanced up at the clock... 2 am. He'd missed bedtime quite egregiously, and was still in his vest and trousers. He sighed and stood from his spot on the couch, resigning himself to a tired day tomorrow. 

Then, there was a knock at the door. 

Jameson's blood froze. He couldn't well ask, "Who is it?"  or send the knocker away without opening the door. The thought made Jameson's stomach turn. He tiptoed over to the peephole and stared through, only to find the empty hallway on the other side. 

Jameson frowned and pulled away. His eyebrows knit together in consternation. 

"Hello."

Jameson leaped a foot in the air and wheeled around, eyes going as wide as dinner plates. He gasped, letting out a strained choking noise as he pressed himself back against the front door. 

Standing in his living room was Antisepticeye. 

Jameson couldn't scream for help; his cellphone was out of reach, and he had nothing with which to defend himself. His heart began to pound, but Anti didn't advance. There was a strange gleam in his eyes- something heartbroken. 

"Jameson," he said, gingerly. "I'm... I'm so sorry."

Don't trust him! Jameson told himself. 

"I just... I just wanted to talk, J," he continued, sinking down to sit on Jameson's couch.

No, Jameson signed, shaking his head vehemently for good measure. No, you need to leave.

"Jameson, please-"

Jameson stumbled back, away from the couch. His heart raced, his stomach was turning, and his skin was crawling, like the glitches and static of Anti's cold, sad eyes.

Don't try to manipulate me again-

"That's not what I'm here for," Anti insisted, shaking his head. "No, Jameson, I just..." he paused, pressing his lips together.

In his consternation, he glitched.

And for a moment, a frame, Anti looked smug, or maybe just confident. In the next moment, though, the look was gone.

"I'm just here to say, I'm sorry for what Henrik did to you," Anti said. "It... it was horrible. Monstrous. I know there's nothing I can do to make this up to you. I just, I wanted you to know that I'm more sorry than you can imagine."

Jameson's heart began to melt. Still, he shook his head in denial. He wanted to argue, to snap back! But without a voice -

Jameson shoved both his hands out in front of himself violently, shoving Anti in the shoulders. The darker ego stumbled back, surprise and frustration flickering in his eyes as he caught his footing again.

Jameson shook his head sternly, and signed, I can't trust you.

"I know you can't. You're smarter than that," Anti agreed. "I just want to try again. I'll never regain your trust if you don't let me try."

Jameson looked away.

"Let's... let's do something. Like old times. Let's go hang out, do something, something, anything you want, JJ," Anti begged, glitching. Then, he fell silent for a moment, before at last adding in a low voice, "Come on. You gotta let me in."

Jameson sighed. Slowly, he lifted his gaze back to Antisepticeye with pain in his eyes.

He blinked slowly, and the shadows melted like spring snow. With relief in his heart, he signed, Well... what did you have in mind?