Torture (x Jim Moriarty x)

Chapter Twenty Six- Realisation

I pulled away to look at him properly, not sure if I had heard correctly or not.

"Can you repeat that?" I asked seriously.

Jim smiled fondly and sighed at me with happiness.

"I think...I'm in love with you", Jim repeated.

Hearing him say those seven words for the second time made my stomach have butterflies again.

I squinted at him with curiosity, debating whether he was joking or not. He looked pretty serious. I didn't know what to say. How does one respond to a statement like that?

"How do you know?" I eventually asked.

"Well, when I just saw you crying because you were worried about me, that's when I realised that you...love me too", Jim beamed.

"Wait, what?" I asked, feeling confused.

"Oh, come on, Claire", Jim smirked, "You love me. You know you do. Otherwise, why else would you care so much if I was hurt or not? You were shaking".

"Jim, I cried when my hamster died", I replied.

"Did you love your hamster?" Jim asked.

I paused for a few seconds.

"...Yes", I sighed, "But we've only been together for about a week!"

"Who, you and the hamster?" Jim raised an eyebrow.

"No, me and you", I half laughed, "Me and you have only been together for a week".

"Four days, actually", Jim corrected me.

"See, exactly!" I proved my point, "Nobody says that after four days".

"Yes, but we're different", Jim explained, taking my hands into his, "Who cares about the rules of when saying that? We can do what the hell we want. And I don't care about some stupid unsaid rule. So, Claire Daniels, I am one and truly in love with you!"

Jim looked as if he had just said something he wanted to say for ages. But I knew that wasn't true.

I thought about what he said for a moment. Maybe he had a point. Why do people have a day limit on when people should say that? Surely, if you truly mean it, you're allowed to say it? Okay, let's measure the facts. I really like this man, but love? What even is love? Is it liking someone very very much? If so, I loved Jim Moriarty. I knew I couldn't live without him, I knew I still got excited when he called me 'sweetheart' or 'honey' or 'darling', I knew I wanted to be with him for a very long time. Eventually, my speech took over my thoughts and, surprisingly I didn't regret what I said at all.

"I love you, too", I replied truthfully and it felt weird saying them words for the second time in my life in a relationship but an amazing kind of weird.

Jim stared down at me, his eyes becoming less dark by the second. For about one second, I saw the non-psychotic murderer expression on his face. For just one second, his eyes softened and his jaw loosened and I saw that he was genuinely being honest. For only one second, every vicious need in his emotions turned to romantic desire. That one second was the most magical realisation I'd ever had. Jim Moriarty wasn't just a consulting criminal. He was so much more, but he had a fear of letting anyone know that, a fear of letting anyone see him clearly. But I had just seen. I had seen the wonderful truth behind this man. Then, he gently lowered his head to give me the most meaningful and soft kiss I have ever received.

And that's when I knew that I definitely loved James Moriarty.