MC:SM- Is This Love?

(NOTE: The Jesse in this story is female Jesse.)

Lukas’s POV

            I don’t know what this feeling is inside whenever I think of Jesse. We’ve been through a lot in our journey to defeat the Witherstorm, and we’ve seen so much of our world. And as we continued through our quest to find a way to defeat the Witherstorm and save the world, I felt this feeling inside of me grow the more time I spent with Jesse.

            Jesse isn’t a loser, like Aiden, Maya, and Gill think she is. In fact, she’s a hero. She survived the Nether and The End, stood up against a large group of angry Endermen, crafted a bomb that would blow up just seconds later, and more. On top of it all, she always looked out for her friends, and she even looked out for me.

            I can’t forget all the kind things she’s done for me since the day our journey began. It seemed like a normal building competition, with Aiden insulting her and her friends, and me trying to keep my group as good sports to just build our creation and have a good time at the building competition. Then we all went to Endercon. Jesse was a good sport and complemented my team’s build even though her team won.

            When she showed her good sportsmanship, I knew that Petra was right about Jesse standing out in a good way. I knew that Jesse was kind-hearted, compared to what Aiden claimed she was. But as our journey continued, I realized that she’s not just kind-hearted. She’s also brave, smart, and caring.

            I began to notice this when we chased after Ivor for scamming Petra. Ivor’s iron golem attacked us, and I ended up stuck in the basement at Endercon. I thought that Petra, Axel, Olivia, and even Jesse weren’t coming back for me. But I was wrong. Jesse came back for me. With her quick thinking, she distracted the iron golem and stopped him from attacking me. I was touched by how she came back for me.

            “No man left behind. That’s my motto,” she said, after I thanked her.

            That’s when I began to see how selfless she was. She cared more about her friends than herself, and I admire that about her.

            And as our journey continued, she showed that I was a part of her team to, even if I was a part of the Ocelots.

            After we escaped from the Nether and set up shelter, Jesse gave me a cookie that Axel offered her, because he was one short and didn’t give me one. Axel and I got into an argument, but Jesse stopped our fight, and even convinced me not to leave the group and wander off on my own. If she hadn’t stopped me, I probably would’ve gotten attacked by the Witherstorm and sucked inside it.

            As our journey continued from there, Jesse continued to intrigue me with her actions. While we were still against Ivor, she fought him despite how he used potions to his advantage, to help Gabriel while he was growing weak from the Wither Sickness. And when we ended up in the Monster Grinder, Jesse told me to go after the amulet after she dropped it, because she refused to let Axel and Reuben get eaten by zombies. I went after the amulet, but I was also mesmerized by how she fought the zombies to protect her friends.

            And during our search for Soren in The End, I got a little stressed out and hopeless. But Jesse helped me lift my hope and spirit, and even when I snapped at the others, she talked to me to help me calm down. I knew that something was wrong with Gabriel, but when Jesse told me that he had Wither Sickness and was trying to keep her promise with him to keep it secret, I understood it was to not worry me, Olivia, Axel, or Reuben. I couldn’t stay cross with them because I knew that it was because they were worried about us.

            And that’s not the end of it. After we escaped the Witherstorm when our attempt with the Formida-bomb failed, Petra told me that she saw my friends (despite her amnesia). I decided to go and look for my friends. Jesse started to convince me to stay, but she told me to go ahead and look for my friends. I was glad that she understood why I wanted to go after my friends and search for them.

            But after I began my search for my friends, I began to feel like I regretted letting Jesse go. I wished that I stayed with her and the others, but it was too late to turn back and give up. I continued to search for my friends, and after I found them, I convinced them to help out Jesse. I couldn’t leave her or the others hanging by the thread.

            In the end, we were able to defeat the Witherstorm. But ever since then, and Jesse, Petra, Axel, Olivia, and even I became a part of the New Order of the Stone, I’ve had this feeling grow stronger inside of me.

            And I think… I think I’m in love with Jesse.

            But is this love? I know we’ve been through a lot together as a team, but are we more than friends? I know that the other Ocelots would hate me for loving Jesse, and Axel still is a little sour with me here and there. And on top of it all, what if Jesse doesn’t love me back? Is it love when you love someone who doesn’t love you back?

            “Lukas, is something bothering you?” I heard someone ask me.

            I had been sitting at my desk, looking over some blue prints I made for a new structure I visualized, when I ended up thinking about Jesse. I turned to my right and saw Petra staring at me.

            “Uh… just thinking…” I said calmly.

            “And just what are you thinking about?” she asked me with a suspicious look.

            I can’t bring myself to lie to Petra. She’s like a sister to me, and I just can’t bring myself to lie to her. I couldn’t hide the truth from her.

            I let out a sigh and said, “I think I’m in love with Jesse.”

            To my surprise, she smiled at me and said, “About time you told me so.”

            “You thought I like her?” I asked Petra.

            “I don’t think you like Jesse. I know you like Jesse,” said Petra. “Axel told me how you two have gotten along during your journey, and what you’ve done for her in return for what she’s done for you. Just go tell her how you feel.”

            “But Petra, I’m confused. I don’t know how she feels about me in return. Is this love that I feel for Jesse?” I asked.

            “Maybe you won’t know until you talk to her. And now would be a good time to talk to her anyway. She needs comfort because she’s visiting Reuben’s memorial right now,” said Petra.

            I felt sadness stirring inside of me. Reuben went with Jesse into the Witherstorm to finally defeat it with her, and poor Reuben ended up falling to his death. He died a hero, but even though it’s been weeks, Jesse still mourns for him. He wasn’t just her pet pig. He was her best friend, and family to her as well.

            “Okay, I’ll go see how Jesse’s doing,” I said to Petra.

            I made my way to the memorial that we made for Reuben. I saw Jesse standing by herself. She was staring at the banner that had Reuben’s face and name on it. Her eyes were red, which meant she had been crying.

            “Hey Jesse,” I told her calmly.

            She turned to face me. I could tell that she had been crying, because her cheeks had dry tears that rolled down her face.

            “Hey Lukas…” she said quietly.

            I stood by her side, and to my surprise, she grabbed my hand. I didn’t let go though. She needed comfort, and I had to be there to comfort her.

            I was about to say something about Reuben, but she stopped sniffling and said, “Reuben’s a hero. We’ll always remember him.”

            “He’ll always be in our hearts,” I agreed wit her.

            She turned to face me. Jesse made a small, sad smile.

            “You okay?” I asked her.

            “Yeah. I’m okay,” she said. “I feel better that you came over here to check on me.”

            I nervously smiled.

            “Thanks for checking on me,” she said. She stopped sniffling and talked clearly this time.

            “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” I said nervously.

            “Lukas, is something wrong?” she asked me.

            I let out a sigh and said, “You… you sure you want me to tell you? I mean, I don’t know if now’s a good time…”

            “Lukas, whatever it is, you can tell me anything. I trust you,” she said.

            I smiled at her. She’s so trustworthy, caring, and kind.

            “Jesse… I… after our journey… I… I think I’ve developed some… some feeling for you… and… I don’t know but… is this love?” I said.

            Jesse was silent. She had a stunned look on her face. While she stood there, I suddenly felt that maybe she didn’t like me all along, and I just shocked her with my words.

            I was about to turn around and leave, but Jesse pulled me over to her and kissed me! Right on the lips!

            We both blushed as we kissed, but she wrapped her arms around me. I wrapped my arms around her, and kissed her back.

            When he pulled apart, she said, “I was hoping you’d tell me that someday.”

            Both of us blushed again. But I smiled at her and she smiled back. I held her hand as we walked back home, together.

The end