[Erica's POV]
I wake up annoyed. The soft morning light filters through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across the room, but it does nothing to soothe my irritation. I turn my head to see Jason sleeping next to me, his chest rising and falling with each peaceful breath. Seeing him in his clothes is a stark reminder that we're still fighting because of what I did.
The video I saw after the fact of yesterday's training exercise replays in my mind like a broken record. The fear in his eyes, the tremor in his voice as he pleaded for help, the way he looked at me when he realized what we'd done. It's all etched into my memory, a constant source of guilt and frustration.
I try to think of something to say when he wakes up. The words dance on the tip of my tongue, but none of them feel right. How do I apologize for something I'm not entirely sure I regret? How do I explain that my love for him is so all-consuming that sometimes it can blind me to his pain?
I feel bad that I hurt him, truly, I do. The last thing I ever want is to cause Jason pain. But beneath that guilt, a hot, pulsing anger burns in my chest. How dare he play with my love like that? How dare he make me feel guilty for trying to protect him, for wanting to make sure he's safe?
My eyes trace the contours of his face, softened by sleep. His long lashes rest against his cheeks, and a stray lock of hair falls across his forehead. Even now, in the midst of our fight, he looks so peaceful, so trusting. It makes my heart ache with a mixture of love and possessiveness.
I reach out, my hand hovering just above his cheek. I want to touch him, to feel the warmth of his skin against my palm. But I hesitate, my hand trembling in the space between us. What right do I have to touch him when he's angry with me?
The room feels suffocating suddenly. Jason stirs beside me. His eyelids flutter open, revealing those hazel eyes I adore. Still half-asleep, he instinctively reaches for me, his arms encircling my waist as he pulls me close.
"Hey." he smiles wide, his voice thick with sleep. "I love you."
My body tenses at his loving touch, a stark contrast to the softness of the morning. I fix him with an icy stare, my blue eyes as cold as a winter storm.
"I love you too." I reply, my voice devoid of warmth.
Jason's eyes snap open fully, fear replacing the lingering drowsiness. He pulls back slightly, searching my face. "What's wrong?" he asks, concern etching lines across his forehead.
I arch an eyebrow, my lips pressed into a thin line. "Did you suddenly forget your declaration that we're fighting?"
Relief floods his features, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Oh, that," he says, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Just because I'm mad at you doesn't mean I don't love you, Erica."
His words, meant to reassure me, only fuel the fire burning in my chest. I pull away from him abruptly, sitting up in bed. The soft cotton sheets pool around my waist as I glare down at him.
"That's not how this works." I snap, my voice sharp enough to cut glass. "You can't just decide when we're fighting and when we're not."
Jason props himself up on his elbows, confusion clouding his features. "Erica, come on. It's not that simple-"
"No," I interrupt, my eyes flashing dangerously. "What's not simple is trying to keep you safe. You saw what happened when I took a two-second phone call." I take a breath and continue. "Everything I did yesterday was justified. Every precaution, every measure, it was all to protect you."
Jason sits up fully now, his brow furrowed. "Erica, I understand you want to protect me, but-"
"But nothing." I cut him off again, turning to face him. The morning light catches in my blonde hair, creating a halo effect that contrasts sharply with the storm in my eyes. "You don't get to be mad at me for loving you enough to do whatever it takes to keep you safe."
Seeing his clothes pisses me off again. Since when did we sleep with those on
I lean in close, my breath hot against Jason's ear. "Why didn't we make love last night?" I demand, my voice a low growl. "Was that part of your punishment?"
The morning light dances across Jason's face, highlighting the conflict in his eyes. He shifts uncomfortably, the sheets rustling beneath him. "I... I wanted to punish you." He admits reluctantly. "But honestly, it felt like I was punishing myself too."
My anger flares anew, a white-hot flame in my chest. Without warning, I push Jason down onto the bed, straddling him in one fluid motion. My hands pin his wrists above his head, my blonde hair falling around us like a curtain.
"What would you do if I took you right now?" I ask my voice husky with a mixture of desire and lingering rage.
Jason's pupils dilate, his breath catching in his throat. He swallows hard, Adam's apple bobbing. "Honestly?" he says, his voice trembling slightly. "I'd love it."
The tension between us crackles like electricity. In an instant, my lips crash against his, hungry and demanding. Jason responds immediately, matching my intensity. Our tongues dance, a passionate tango of desire and reconciliation.
The soft morning light filters through the curtains, casting a golden glow on our entwined bodies. The world outside fades away, leaving only us lost in this moment of raw passion.
But somewhere along our heated exchange, the anger that's been simmering inside me suddenly boils over. Without thinking, my hand shoots out, fingers wrapping around Jason's throat. I squeeze gently, feeling his pulse quicken beneath my palm.
Jason's eyes widen, a mixture of surprise and arousal evident in their hazel depths. His breath comes in short, controlled gasps, each one a testament to the power I hold over him in this moment.
"Erica," he whispers, my name a prayer on his lips.
As I straddle Jason, I can feel his body responding beneath me. His breath quickens, his chest rising and falling rapidly. A deep flush spreads across his cheeks and down his neck. His eyes are wide, pupils dilated with a deep desire for me.
My fingers tighten slightly around his throat. Jason's pulse races under my palm, his heartbeat a frantic staccato. A soft gasp escapes his parted lips. The sound sends a shiver of excitement through me.
"Maybe it's you who needs to be punished." I murmur, my voice low and dangerous.
Jason's reaction is immediate and visceral. A visible shudder runs through his body. His hips buck involuntarily, pressing his hard cock against me. I can feel it throbbing, begging for me.
I lean in close, my lips brushing his ear. "You like that idea, don't you?" I whisper. "Being punished by me?"
A strangled moan is his only response. His eyes are glazed over with lust, completely lost in the moment. The devotion and trust I see there takes my breath away. It's as if he's offering his very life to me, placing it willingly in my hands.
The power I feel is intoxicating. With just a squeeze of my fingers, I control his every breath. The harder I grip, the harder he gets. Truly, we are a perfect match, my dominance and his submission intertwining seamlessly.
"You need to learn," I growl, "that Mommy doesn't get in trouble."
Jason's eyes blaze with desire as he reaches for me, desperate to rip away the thin fabric separating us. His fingers grasp at my shirt, tugging urgently. I feel the heat of his skin against mine, electric and intoxicating.
Suddenly, a shrill beeping cuts through the passion filled haze. My phone alarm blares from the nightstand, shattering the moment.
My eyes widen, rage flashing across my features at the unwelcome interruption. Jason looks up at me pleadingly, his body still trembling with need beneath my grip. I can feel how badly he wants me, how close we are to giving in to our primal urges.
"School." Jason manages to choke out, his voice strained.
I sigh heavily, frustration evident in every line of my body. Petulantly, I pout down at him, suddenly resembling a bratty little girl denied her favorite toy. "Can't we just skip?" I whine, my bottom lip jutting out.
Jason moans, the vibrations reverberating through my palm still wrapped around his throat. "If you skip... too much more... this term," he gasps out between labored breaths, "you might not... graduate... again."
The words hit me like a bucket of ice water, dousing the flames of passion. I release my grip on Jason's throat, sitting back on my heels. The golden morning light seems to mock us now, a reminder of the day's responsibilities encroaching on our private world.
Jason gulps in the air, his chest heaving. The flush on his cheeks is fading, replaced by a look of resigned disappointment. We stare at each other for a long moment, the air thick with unfulfilled desire and the bitter tang of reality.
With a groan of frustration, I roll off Jason and flop onto my back beside him. The ceiling fan spins lazily above us, its gentle whir a stark contrast to the frenzied beating of our hearts just moments ago.
"I hate being responsible," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.
Suddenly, I sit up, the sheets pooling around my waist. I turn to Jason, my blue eyes blazing with renewed intensity. I raise my hand, extending my index finger towards him in a gesture both commanding and resolute.
"We are done fighting." I declare, my voice ringing with finality.
Jason's hazel eyes widen slightly, surprise and relief washing over his features. He nods slowly while he smiles. The tension in his shoulders visibly eases, like a weight being lifted.
"Okay." he says softly. Then, his expression grows more serious. "But Erica, if we do another exercise for the GPS, please just don't trick me into thinking I'm kidnapped again. I don't want to get kidnapped for real and assume it's fake."
His words hang in the air between us, heavy with the weight of past traumas and future fears. I feel a pang of guilt, remembering the terror in his eyes during yesterday's exercise.
I pause, considering his request. The logical part of my brain understands his concern, but the fiercely protective side of me bristles at any limitation on keeping him safe.
Finally, I let out a long sigh, my shoulders slumping slightly. "Fine." I say reluctantly, the word feeling foreign on my tongue.
The moment the agreement leaves my lips, the atmosphere in the room shifts. The lingering tension dissipates like morning mist under the sun's rays. Jason's face breaks into a warm, genuine smile that lights up his entire being.
Without warning, I lunge forward, capturing his lips in a passionate kiss. My hands cup his face, fingers threading through his hair as I pour all my love and devotion into the embrace. Jason responds immediately, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me closer.
The kiss is electric, sparks of desire reigniting between us. It's a promise, an apology, and a declaration of love all rolled into one.
*****
[Jason's POV]
I watch Rupert slam his hands down on the lunch table, screaming at Skye. His eyes bulge, veins pulsing at his temples as spittle flies from his lips. "We are fucking through!" he roars, his voice cracking with emotion.
Skye, in stark contrast, leans back in her chair, a bemused smile playing on her lips. Her cool gray eyes danced with amusement like she was watching a particularly entertaining sitcom rather than experiencing a public breakup. She twirls a strand of her sleek blonde ponytail around her finger, the very picture of nonchalance.
Rupert's face turns an alarming shade of crimson as he continues his tirade. "I can't believe you think dragons evolved from dinosaurs!" he sputters, gesticulating wildly. "It's preposterous! It's asinine! It's-"
"Scientifically plausible?" Skye interjects smoothly, arching an eyebrow. Her calm demeanor only seems to fuel Rupert's rage.
I sigh heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose. The cacophony of the lunchroom seems to fade into the background, leaving only the spectacle before me in sharp focus. The smell of overcooked cafeteria food mingles with the acrid scent of Rupert's fury, creating a nauseating miasma.
To my left, Nikki and Justine are practically bouncing in their seats, their eyes gleaming with excitement at the drama. Justine's fiery red hair seems to crackle with energy as she leans forward, elbows propped on the table.
"Get him, Skye!" Nikki whoops, pumping her fist in the air. Her short, messy brown hair peeks out from under her ever-present cap, giving her the look of a scrappy underdog cheering on a prize fight.
Justine joins in, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. "Show him what happens when you mess with a queen!" she calls out, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice.
Their enthusiasm is infectious, drawing the attention of nearby tables. Soon, a small crowd forms around us, students craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the unfolding drama. The air thrums with excitement, like the moment before a thunderclap.
Rupert, oblivious to his growing audience, continues his rant. "Dragons are mythical creatures!" he bellows, his hands clenched into tight fists. "They breathe fire! They fly! How could they possibly-"
Skye's eyes flash with a mix of amusement and determination. She stands up slowly, her tall, athletic frame towering over Rupert. The fluorescent lights of the cafeteria glint off her blonde ponytail as she raises her hands, positioning them at chest level.
"The." CLAP "Science." CLAP "Of." CLAP "Dragons." CLAP "Is." CLAP "Important!" CLAP
Each clap echoes through the cafeteria like thunder, silencing the murmurs of the growing crowd. Rupert's mouth hangs open, his tirade momentarily forgotten as he gapes at Skye's unexpected display.
Skye continues, "At the very least, Dinosaurs and dragons have to have a common ancestor." She speaks as if she is a subject matter expert on this topic.
As Rupert opens his mouth to retort I feel something inside me snap. The pettiness of the argument and the sheer spectacle of it all suddenly become too much to bear.
'I like it when it's us, but these two are outsiders pretending to be something they are not.' I carefully organize my thoughts.
I rise from my seat, my chair scraping loudly against the linoleum floor. The sound cuts through the tension like a knife, drawing all eyes to me. I stand tall, my presence seeming to fill the entire cafeteria. The air around me practically crackles with authority, a stark contrast to the weariness etched into every line of my face.
"Enough." I say, my voice low but carrying easily across the now-silent room. "You're both done."
Rupert and Skye turn to me, their argument momentarily forgotten as they register the finality in my tone. The crowd shifts uneasily, sensing the shift in power dynamics.
I fix them both with a tired but unyielding stare. "You both are a terrible fit for this lunch table." I continue, my words heavy with exhaustion and disappointment. "Your petty squabbles and ridiculous debates are disrupting the far more important petty squabbles and ridiculous debates."
Skye's confident demeanor falters, her gray eyes clouding with genuine sadness. She takes a step towards me, her athletic frame seeming to shrink as she pleads, "Please, Jason. Don't kick us out. I... I really enjoy being part of this group."
The fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across her face, accentuating the vulnerability in her expression. Her usual grace is replaced by an almost childlike hesitation, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
Rupert, on the other hand, bristles with indignation. His face, still flushed from the argument, contorts with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "Your advice sucked anyway, Ja-" he begins but stops abruptly as Erica shoots him a lightning-quick glance.
The intensity in Erica's blue eyes is palpable, like a physical force that makes the air around us crackle with tension. Rupert visibly wilts under her gaze, his bravado evaporating in an instant.
"Never mind," he mumbles, suddenly finding the scuffed linoleum floor fascinating. "I... I have to go." Without another word, he turns and hurries away, weaving through the crowd of onlookers with his head down.
Skye watches him leave, her expression a complex tapestry of emotions relief, regret, and a lingering sadness. She turns back to face us, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. The stark cafeteria lighting seems to soften around her as if trying to comfort her in her moment of vulnerability.
Nikki and Justine exchange glances, their earlier excitement replaced by a mix of sympathy and resolution. Nikki sighs. "We gave her a chance." she says, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Justine nods, her fiery hair catching the light as she moves. "But she blew it." she finishes, her green eyes reflecting a hint of regret despite the firmness in her tone.
The silence that follows is heavy, broken only by the distant clatter of trays and the muffled conversations from other tables. The crowd around us begins to disperse, the drama having reached its anticlimactic conclusion.
Irma, who has been as quiet as always throughout the ordeal, suddenly pipes up. Her wild brown curls seem to quiver with nervous energy as she speaks. "So... can I leave now too?" she asks, her voice hopeful.
I turn to her, my expression softening slightly. "No, Irma. You stay."
Irma's shoulders slump, her delicate frame seeming to deflate. She fidgets in her seat, her green eyes darting around nervously. "It's just..." she begins, her voice soft. "My boyfriend probably wouldn't want me sitting here."
The word "boyfriend" hangs in the air, seeming to reverberate through the cafeteria like a bombshell going off right next to me. Time itself appears to slow, the bustling lunchroom fading into a muted blur as all my attention zeroes in on Irma. The fluorescent lights overhead suddenly seem to intensify, bathing her in a spot light.
Irma's slight frame appears to shrink under the collective gaze of the table, her shoulders hunching as if trying to make herself as small as possible. Her porcelain skin flushes a deep red, the color creeping up her neck and blooming across her cheeks like wildfire. Her emerald eyes, usually so vibrant and full of quirky energy, now dart frantically from face to face, widening with each passing second of stunned silence.
The revelation hits me like a bolt of lightning, instantly vaporizing the fog of exhaustion that had been clouding my mind. I lean forward, craining my neck and head over to her like a Brontosaurus. The curiosity burning within me is almost palpable.
"Who is your new boyfriend, Irma?" I ask, my voice low and measured, each word dripping with barely contained excitement.
She takes a deep breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly beneath her oversized sweater adorned with a cartoonish alien face. "Louis Hill." she whispers, the name escaping her lips like a secret finally set free.
The impact of this simple utterance is seismic. Gasps erupt around the table, a symphony of surprise and disbelief. Nikki's jaw dropped so quickly that I could almost hear it hit the table, her eyes as wide as saucers. Justine's fiery hair seems to stand on end, crackling with the electricity of the moment. Even Erica, usually so composed, lets out a small squeak of shock.
I lean back in my chair, a grin spreading across my face that threatens to split it in two. The weariness that had been etched into my features moments ago has vanished entirely, replaced by an expression of pure, unbridled amazement.
"Does he know?" I ask, letting the implication of my words guide the conversation.
Irma's eyes widen in terror, her pupils dilating until they nearly swallow the vibrant green of her irises. The air grows thick and heavy as if the very atmosphere is pressing down on Irma, forcing the truth from her trembling lips.
"No," Irma whispers again. Her voice barely audible above the thundering of her own heart. "Please... please don't tell him."
With deliberate slowness, I nod. The motion feels heavy, laden with the gravity of unspoken promises. "It's none of my business." I say honestly.
The words seem to break a spell. Irma's body visibly relaxes, the tension draining from her like water from a broken dam. She slumps back in her chair, relief washing over her features and softening the lines of worry that had aged her beyond her years just moments ago.
'Louis you dog you. What I give to be a fly on the wall when he fucks her and he just smashes into eggs. Louis is gonna bug out, I bet.' I sit in wonder for Irma's future trying my hardest not to laugh.