Star Crossed [Sample Only]

8] Teasing Jazz

Teasing Jazz

At the end of training, Leon says his farewells and then leaves to go back to Alex's mansion. Everyone is sweaty and wants to go home to clean up before they come to my house it seems so I tell them I'll see them later. Nearly everyone has left and John and Alex are the last to go. I turn to walk down the path towards my house when Alex starts to walk beside me.

"Your house is the opposite way," I remind him, stopping to watch John walking down the path in the other direction.

"I thought it would be a good chance to talk to you again," Alex suggests, "I'll walk to your house with you."

"Don't you want to freshen up first?" I ask.

"I can have a shower at your place, can't I?" Alex asks. An image of a naked Alex having a steamy shower at my house is a good image to have in mind. I'm so glad he can't read my thoughts.

"I guess so, but are you going to wear the same clothes?" I ask.

"Yeah, what else am I going to wear?" Alex laughs.

"I'll ask if my dad has a spare shirt," I reply and he nods. I continue to walk. It's good walking weather, the sun's rays were warming my skin and there's a gentle breeze in the air. I put my hands in my hair and run my fingers through. I was hoping the light wind would dry off the dampness from the last day of hardcore exercising.

"I know it's a weird concept," Alex begins, getting straight into what he really wanted to talk about, "And I know you don't like it, but could you also keep in mind that just over an hour ago I had no idea I could move objects with my mind? I am still coming to terms with this myself."

He reaches a hand out and swipes it in the air gently in front of him. A few still dry leaves on the footpath lift into the air and then fall back down again.

"Alex," I start, slowly, "I like the idea of you moving objects, it's really cool. What I don't like, and what I need to come to terms with is why this is happening," I try to keep the anger out of my tone. I know he didn't choose to gain this new ability, but I still felt as if it was somehow unjust.

"I know," Alex replies, calmly, "Try not to think about what Leon said too much, about being able to force female Gems to share their magic. I don't think that actually happens much. He was probably just talking about in really extreme cases," I'd like to agree with what Alex was saying but I couldn't get what happened before out of my mind.

"Yet you stopped me from moving, and all we were doing was having a race. The look in your eyes when you forced me to stop... it was pretty damn possessive, like you had every right to – Argh, I don't like thinking about it. Let's not talk about it anymore."

"That's exactly what we should be talking about," Alex prompts me not to avoid the topic.

"Why?" I snap, quickly irritated.

"You know very well why... it's why you're upset."

"I'm not upset," I mutter, unconvincingly. Alex laughs, putting an arm around my shoulders, "What's so funny?" I ask.

"You are," he keeps his arm around my shoulders. I'm still confused why he suddenly started to laugh. He doesn't say anything but he grabs a lock of my hair and I think he unconsciously starts to tug at it gently, wrapping it around his finger.

"Why am I funny?" I decide to ask again and it comes out a bit weak, mostly because I can't really concentrate with him playing with my hair.

"Because you said I looked possessive and then you got upset. The thing is, Jazz, I can't help being a little possessive of you."