Frost (Bxb)

Chapter Thirty-Three

(Asurah's POV)

I stared down at the pitiful creature that had tried to harm me the night before, the man's eyes downcast as he stared hatefully at the floor he currently rested on. He looked absolutely pitiful, refusing to eat anything I sent down here. He may have tried to steal me away, and might be a big bag of douchery, but I wasn't heartless enough to let him starve. So I had sent Cuban down to give him food, but the man only threw the plate across the room, refusing to even take a nibble. It was pitiful, really, and I had hoped that talking to him would make him change his mind. However, I should have known he would have cursed and spat at me at the attempt.

At least I tried, right?

I sighed, running a tired hand down my face before I left him to stew in his misery. I went up to the main floor and made my way into the lounge, where Jox, Delkele, Joseph and a couple others resided.

"You bet on horses that race? How do you know if yours will win?" Delkele was asking Joseph, who merely shrugged and leaned back in his seat.

"You don't. But that's the thrill of it."

Jox scoffed. "Sounds like a waste of coin to me. Why not invest in something that is certain?"

Joseph shrugged. "Because sadly nothing is ever certain on Earth, anymore. And it's usually the snobby rich people with too much money that is voting on horse races. While everyone else lives in fear of being kicked out onto the streets. Its abhorable, really, since the only people living without fear, are those with money."

Delkele frowned, pulling his long crimson hair over his shoulder. "That is such a sad way to live. My planet is full of barbarians, and even we do not live such a way."

"Yeah, it's the sad reality, though. Oh hey, nice of you to finally join us, Ash." Joseph said, making everyone look as me as I took a seat next to the curly haired brunet.

I sighed, leaning my head against Joseph's shoulder, not missing the way Delkele looked away with a sad glint in his eyes. I felt my heart constrict, but I didn't move my head. It was probably quite cruel of me, since the barbarian was still hurting from my rejection. But he had to see that I was in love with someone else. Maybe then, he could move his admiration away from me and actually find happiness with someone else.

"We were talking about how crappy Earth is compared to our planets," Jox spoke, sitting across from us, next to Delkele. He nudged the barbarian king, who merely glanced at him from the corners of his eyes.

I raised my eyebrows, perplexed on the way they were acting together. Well...that was a new development, I mused, glancing between the Glacic and barbarian. Certainly nothing I had expected.

I glanced over to Joseph, who apparently saw what I saw. He shrugged, as if he were telling me to just let it be, before he glanced back at the other duo.

"What kind of foods does Earth have? I'm curious." Jox inquired, glancing at Joseph with curiosity.

Joseph scrunched up his nose, the arm that was around me tightening around my shoulders. "There's way too many to say. Most of it is greasy, fatty foods, though. Not healthy, but delicious either way. I have to say my personal favorite...is Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo."

"The heck is that?" I asked, glancing at him.

"I'm bad at explaining things, but ah, it has noodles in it, with chicken and alfredo sauce. You can add whatever else you want in it, and it's pretty good."

"I like the greens from Hera," I said, tapping my foot against the floor from habit.

"You know those juicy things, with the jam in the middle?" Jox asked me, holding his hands up and making a roundish shape with them.

I furrowed my brow, trying to figure out what he was talking about. "Do they have powdered sugar on them?"

Jox nodded with a grin on his face, his light blue eyes lighting up. "Yes! I absolutely love the ones filled with strawberry jam. I cannot get enough of them."

Delkele snorted, his arms crossed over his bulging chest. "How are you not round in the belly, then? Last I checked, those things are extremely fattening."

Jox shrugged and grinned, patting his relatively flat stomach. "As you can clearly see, I work off the extra weight."

Delkele surprised me when he blushed, looking away from the Glacic. When he said no more, I took this as my opportunity to speak. "So Del, what's the food you enjoy most?" I asked, making the large redhead to blush at the nickname.

"I enjoy all foods," he replied gruffly, "mostly meat."

"Of course you do," Joseph snorted, making the redhead glare at him. He shrugged in response. "What? You're the size of a tower, and it's cliche as crap that your favorite food is big heaping hunks of meat. I find that funny. Am I the only one?" He looked around the room, his shoulders raised and his arms out, as if he were trying to get us to agree with him.

Delkele rolled his eyes. "Didn't you just say that all of Earth's food is fatty and greasy?"

"Most of it, yeah."

"Then you have no right to make fun of me for liking meat."

"I ain't making fun of you. I'm just laughing at the irony, is all."

"Stupid human."

"Overgrown bag of dicks."

"Guys," I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Can't you get along for like...two seconds, maybe? Like the way you two go at each other's throat makes me think you're secretly married, or something."

Delkele scoffed as if the very idea was absurd. "Only in his dreams."

"Keep telling yourself that, big boy."

"So, Asurah," Jox turned towards me, ignoring the bickering men beside us, "you going to the Celebration?"

I furrowed my brows, resisting the urge to groan at the absurd holiday my people had dedicated to me. "You mean it's that time already?"

Jox smirked and nodded, resting his elbows onto his knees, his chin cupped by his hands. "Yup. And your people will be very disappointed if you don't show."

I sighed, already dreading the amount of embarrassment I would have to endure. "Fine. How many days do I have left to mentally prepare for it?"

"A week. Which gives you enough time to mentally prepare yourself, as well as get a new celebratory outfit made." The other albino shrugged and leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs at the ankles. "Hey, at least it won't be as boring as last year, since this time you have Joseph."

I pursed my lips, glancing at Joseph who was making faces as Delkele, making the redhead roll his eyes at his childishness. I turned back to Jox. "That's true. Though, I hope he doesn't take to tradition and dress as me, either. That'd be too embarrassing and weird for my tiny fragile self to handle."

Jox waved me off, a smile forming on his lips. "Nah, I doubt he'd do that to you. Besides, it should be fun."

Yeah. Fun. Sure.