Jasper x Fem! Reader (NOT FINISHED, may continue at a later date)

Chapter 40: Acceptance and Hope

       New Years came and passed by exceptionally slow, but that was only how you perceived it since you stayed in the house through the holiday. A few days after the Christmas party, you found yourself battling with the symptoms of a common cold, and you knew that it was no one else's fault but yours. You went outside to talk to Kehlani and Millie without your shawl on in the cold, so of course, you got sick. Having a cold wasn't so bad, but it did aid in your downfall. Seeing how upset Millie was after you told her about Jasper made you feel bad. It also reminded you of how you felt when you first realized that there was a huge possibility the gem wouldn't be coming back. The interaction you had with Millie and the sadness that fell over her little face pulled you back into a cloud of depression and self-loathing, and the cold wasn't helping either.
You were in your room, bundled under the covers. You still had a slight cough and runny nose, but overall your physical health was improving. "(Y/n), are you awake, honey," your mom's voice called through the door as she knocked.
"Yeah," you said, your voice sounding stuffy. Your mom walked in a moment later, a mug in her hands.
"I made you some soup." You sat up slowly, taking the warm glass from her. You sipped the broth, sighing at the warmth that flowed through you. "I'll bring you some medicine after a while, but we seriously need to talk."
"About what," you asked curiously, looking up at your mom over the glass.
"About you still being in my house."
"You're kicking me out," you asked, sniffing quietly.
"Not yet. But you need to get out, baby. Go and interact with people your age. Call ViVi up or something, I don't know. I just don't want you in this room any longer." You nodded, understanding your mom's concern for your mental well-being. "Just think about it, okay? It'll make it easier when I force you out", she said with a chuckle. You laughed softly, upturning the mug to your mouth again. Your mom then stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. You sighed softly, swallowing what was in your mouth before sitting the half-empty mug on your nightstand. Mom is right. I should get out of the apartment on my own accord. You snuggled under your comforter again, rolling over towards the wall to grab your phone. You pulled the device to you, clicking the home button. You watched your screen light up, and then you placed your thumb lightly on the home button again, unlocking it. You then moved your finger up to click on the messages app, scrolling through to find ViVi's name in your recents.

You: Hey, when will you be in town again?

       You sent the message, humming quietly as you turned your phone off and sat it on the pillow beside you. You yawned, preparing to take a nap as you waited for your best friend to reply to your message.

*time skip brought to you by flu season*

Once you were sure you had completely gotten over your cold, you took it upon yourself to take your mother's advice and get out of the penthouse. It was a gloomy Monday morning, with the sky being grey and cloudy. You shivered, not entirely prepared for how cold it was outside. I'll warm up as I'm jogging, you thought, stretching in the parking garage. You were wearing a pair of thick tights and a light zip-up jacket. Your (h/c) hair was restrained to the back of your head, a few strands falling over your forehead and around your ears. You inhaled deeply, scrunching up your nose at the burning sensation of the cold air going through it. You then exhaled slowly, watching your breath roll out in front of you. You smiled softly, turning towards the exit and taking off out of the parking garage. You clicked the button on your headphones, steadying your breathing as the music began to play in your ears. The sidewalk was kind of crowded, but not to where you didn't have room to run. You decided to cross the street to head towards the less busy side of the city. You giggled quietly as adrenaline slowly began to pump through your veins, making you excited. You hadn't exercised in a while, and you mentally kicked yourself for depriving your body of something so great. Just jogging for this short amount of time reminded you just how much you enjoyed working out. I have to get back in shape. I think it might be time for meal prep since the holidays are over now. You pressed your lips together, nodding shortly at your thought before turning the corner and continuing to run along the sidewalk. You had to admit Empire City was beautiful in its own way. You could see why your mom loved the city so much. There were always people everywhere, bustling around nonstop. The busy, fast-paced style of life had always suited her. You chuckled, picking up speed so that you were no longer jogging. You could no longer see the faces of the people you ran past clearly, signaling that you were now in a moderately paced run. Cold air whipped past you, biting at your face and ankles, but you didn't mind. You huffed quietly, running across another street when you noticed a familiar park in the distance. You furrowed your eyebrows, squinting slightly as you were trying to make sure the foggy morning wasn't affecting your vision. You slowed down to a light jog as you got closer to the park, your breathing heavy. You chuckled, stopping in front of the gate before pushing it open to go inside. Although you entered the park from the back, you could easily tell that it was the same one you spent the Fourth of July in. You shook your head, smiling softly as you walked over to the basketball court and sat on one of the benches nearby.