Never Give Up The Fight

Chapter Twenty One- Rain

"How did it go?" Luc asked Li halfway through their study session.

"Not as bad as I thought it would," she replied, not looking up from Luc's notes on the song for their music exam. "He needs time to think about it though." Luc nodded.

"That's fair," they decided. "If he ends up at the right decision. What do you think of the song?"

"It looks good. Very you," she looked up then, biting her lip in thought. "You said you're nervous about performing it?"

"I can do it in front of you, just...not strangers, I guess." Luc wrung their hands nervously.

"Your anxiety."

"Yeah." It wasn't a question, but Luc answered anyway.

"We're meeting the rest of the gang and Jade tomorrow," Li mused. "Are you free the day after? We could go to Rainbow Magicland, it'd be a good source for the anxiety." Rainbow Magicland was an amusement park where the Local Losers sometimes went to blow off steam.

Luc breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're a life saver."

"I'm a superhero, what do you expect?" Li smiled. Luc returned it.

Li handed their notes back and started working on her own song.

"Did you tell Raph everything about the café?" Luc asked after a while.

"Not everything," Li admitted. "I mean, he's not likely to believe me if I tell him I brought up Jade's background."

"He better." Luc muttered under their breath.

"He likes Jade, not me, of course he doesn't wanna let her go so easily. But...he did say I was the first to know about his dad. I never knew that."

"Well, he's just blinded by how hot she is," Luc shrugged. "He'll come to his senses in time." Li raised an eyebrow.

"You're saying I'm not hot?"

"Well, seven out of ten." Li shoved them playfully.

"C'mon, I'm at least a nine."

"Yeah, and I'm Cleopatra." Luc nudged her back. Li grinned.

"Do you want my help or not?"

"Alright, alright." Luc returned her smile.

"Now, c'mon," Li encouraged them. "Let me hear this song of yours."

"I can't do this," Deimos sighed the next day, flopping down onto the sofa. "It's impossible." Whisper nudged his arm, mewing softly. He started stroking her fur absent-mindedly.

"You're overthinking it," Jade told him. "It's not actually that hard."

"I'm Farfalla, Rome's greatest enemy," he groaned. "I shouldn't have to apologise."

"Even kings must apologise." Deimos glared at her.

"Well, how would you do it then?"

Jade placed a hand on her heart, brown eyes widening.

"Dear, Jasper," she began. "I know I upset you with my overinflated ego, but I deeply regret what I said. Ignore the fact I look like I've swallowed a lemon, I just have a stick up my ass taller than the colosseum. But in all sincerity, I need you. I'm just too pathetic to admit it. So, I'm sorry.." It took Deimos a couple of seconds to realise that she'd insulted him.

"Hey!"

"I didn't say anything that wasn't true," Jade shrugged. "Try again." Deimos sighed but, to his credit, still made an effort.