Rogue (Rogue #1)

31

"I remember my first crush was Tuxedo Mask," Theo gushed at the anime screen. The four of them were all holed up in the living room, watching an episode of Sailor Moon Eniola didn't recognize right away. Jay was still nowhere to be found and, to be honest,she was kind of glad.

Eniola wanted to kiss him. She really did. But it brought back memories she didn't have the energy to unpack yet. Eniola had convinced herself that she was over Keone, but she didn't know what was wrong. Memories were a huge bitch sometimes.

They had barely spoken since then, even though it was supposed to be a fun night, but she couldn't help but feel bittersweet. Maybe it was a mistake to try to date a teammate again. It might work for Lucia and Theo, but not for her.

"He and Eren and Todoroki were vital parts in realizing I was in fact, not straight," Theo admitted, eyes glued to the screen.

"My first was Sailor Moon," Jay said, voice husky with morning coming out of the hallway, running a hand through his freshly damp hair. Suddenly, watching Sailor Moon was pretty interesting, even though Eniola still didn't know what the plot was.

Eniola forced out a laugh. "Good morning," Iris said to him.

"Morning everyone," Jay greeted, taking a seat on the beanbag next to Eniola. She slightly coiled to the side. They met eyes with one another for a quick second, but Eniola tore her gaze away first, heart hammering.

"Good morning," he told her, but she simply nodded. "What's Wendy cooking? Something vegan again?"

"Yup," Iris said. "Miso and green onion biscuits. They're very delicious."

"Okay," Jay said, not fully convinced. "Whatever you say."

"I'm going to convert him," Iris whispered under her breath.

Eniola noticed Jay had not made a snarky comment on command. She quickly looked back at him, who was already looking at her.

"So, the finals," he managed to say awkwardly to her.

"They're tonight," Eniola replied monotonously, avoiding his gaze.

"Breakfast is served," Wendy announced to the team, and Eniola was happy for the distraction. She quickly rose from the beanbag, following everyone into the kitchen.

"Wait," Jay called to her. She turned around to him. "Can I talk to you?"

"What?" she asked.

"You're supposed to be moving today," he said to her quietly. "What are you going to do?"

It relieved Eniola that he didn't mention the almost-kiss. "I realize I need to make my own decisions and decide my future. I'm not leaving."

"That's—" he began. "Amazing. Because I want you to stay."

"Yeah," she shrugged.

"Can I talk about what happened last night?" Jay asked softly. "Did I do anything?"

"No," she blurted. "It's not about you."

"Then why did you leave?" he asked. "You don't have to tell me, but I want to know how you feel."

"Because it reminded me of Keone," Eniola admitted. "Especially from the arena."

"I didn't mean for it to end up that way," Jay said. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Eniola said. "It just didn't feel right to me."

"How do I make it feel right then?" Jay asked, getting up and taking his hand in hers.

"I just want to wait and clear my head," Eniola said.

"Okay," Jay agreed. "I'll wait." They looked into each other's eyes before Jay wrapped her in a hug. It felt nice to be embraced by him. Eniola didn't know how long, but she was glad he wanted to wait.