This is just a sick joke, right?

She thanked him for the help and dressed herself in her towels, finding some new ones for him to leave him for his own bath. He looked down at his underpants realizing they had gotten wet from helping her and having splashed water around. He sighed a little and chose to step under the shower head wearing his underpants and started scrubbing both hands, head, scalp, and neck until it felt like he was clean. It was a quite short bath and he was also quite quick to put his underpants to dry and wrap himself in a towel as he then went out of the bathroom. Even though the house was small, he still didn’t know how to find his way to her that easily, but occasionally he found her with her head between her knees. He hurried over to her and squatted down next to her placing a hand on her shoulder. “Jade, hey, I’m here. Nothing’s going to hurt you,” if she looked up, he would sit down next to her on the bed and pull her in for an embrace.

She hadn’t heard the water stop, nor how he was walking around in her house. It was only when a hand was placed on her shoulder, and his voice trying to convince here that nothing was going to hurt her. How could he be so sure? Those things, they had, they had killed her friend. Oh god, how had she been able to laugh and, and talk about how she had been crushing on him. And, she could have died tonight. Then it hit her, like someone punched her in her face. She looked up into his eyes. A small sob left her as she realized what had really gone down.

The embrace was nice, warm and she closed her eyes leaning into it. “Sorry, sorry I can’t seem, it’s like its stuck in my head now” she whispered, almost feeling like he was being her anchor right now. She pulled her legs up, turning around letting her arms find his neck and placed her head in between his shoulder and neck. Her nose pressing towards his necks skin.

He wrapped his arms closely around her hushing her politely and tried to calm her. She pulled her legs up and turned more towards him, and he helped her to sit more comfortably. She certainly sought comfort. “I know,” he exhaled. “We all react differently,” he mumbled to her, caressing her back gently. “I’m here for you, okay?” he whispered holding her tight. “I’ll make sure no one is getting near,” he assured her, “My team is making sure the camp will look untouched,” he said letting her sit for a moment. “When the sun is up we can go there if you want, alright?” he suggested.

It felt nice, it really did. And even though the thoughts and panic didn’t quite leave her body. She made a small nod as he suggested bringing her in the morning. That might be quite nice. She had the week off anyway, giving she had been on camp with children this week. She had been sneaky and made it so, that she could at least relax after. Not that she in a million years needed to use the time to come to grips that she had witness something she couldn’t quite explain. And she wanted to ask him, but hadn’t found the courage, as she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

“Lay with me?” she asked quietly pulling away, but only a little. Her face being so close to his. Feeling his hot breath pressing towards his faces skin. Just a moment more, to feel comfort of being this close to someone.

She pulled a bit away, and he certainly let her. She was setting the boundaries for what she needed right now. “Of course,” he replied just as quite as her. Since she was almost already in his arms, he corrected his hands a bit before he got to his legs with her in his arms and removed the covers and put her down. He was rather quick to get to the other side and lay next to her. “Come here,” he said softly and pulled her closer. He was still wearing the towel, not really daring to take it off, even though it wasn’t comfortable to lay on.

At this point she hadn’t even notice that he wasn’t wearing anything. Other than at towel protecting his dignity. Her eyes closed as he picked up in his arms, there was something so utterly calming about just, being taking care of while you needed to comfort and closeness of another person. Being under the covers of her bed, sinking down into her mattress and just feel the pressure of something over her, almost made it possible to breathe without it hurting her throat. Her eyes opened as he asked her to come closer. Her heart skipping multiple beats, or just pounding against her chest in a really weird way.

As his face moved towards hers, it was almost like her body acted on pure instinct and leaned in and let her lips briefly graze his. It wasn’t like a full-on kiss, but it was enough to make her want to pursue it. Instead a little voice in her head, told her that she was taking advantage, so she pulled back a little. “Sorry” she mumbled, closing her eyes, shaking her head a little. “I’m, no, I, shouldn’t have done that” she tried to get her words together, not that it was really working for her. What a hellish night this was.

He pulled her closer and all of a sudden he felt her lips graze his. It surprised him, but not that it was visible in any way. He didn’t pull away but almost like throwing a stone in water, his lips shortly reciprocated the meeting, even though it was almost nothing. He didn’t even know why he did it, it just happened. “O-okay,” he said with a gentle frown, slightly confused. She apologized and pulled back, clearly not meaning for that to happen. He noticed how words turned into a mumbled and jumble of words, “Hey, hey,” he hushed her and pulled her back, this time raising his head a little so her head would be closer to his chest and beating heart. “Don’t worry about it,” he exhaled. His heartbeat was calm, and he kissed the top of her head gently. “It’s messy. I know,” he tried to calm her so she wouldn’t feel bad for what she had done. People did many things when they reacted on trauma and shock, so he didn’t mind it at all.

It almost made it worse he was so nice about it. So gentle around her, he probably had tried this a couple of times. Saving someone, and they not knowing what to do or handle it. But that meant, was he a hunter of some sort? Did bears run amok like that often? Oh, what if was a virus that had started in America, and now was coming to England? Her thought was pulled back as told her that it was messy, and pulled her closer to him, placing his head by her still wet hair. A small, short laugh left her, as she didn’t know what else to do. “Well, still didn’t want to take advantage of you, just because you are so nice to me” she mumbled, closing her eyes as she pressed the side of her head towards his chest. She tried to push the feelings down about it, how many times she had wished to know just how it felt to kiss him. And now that she had done it? She had done it in such a stupid manner. Well, at least she had gotten her friend back, right?

She laughed a little. She probably felt out of it and didn’t know what to do. He chuckled a little as she said she was taking advantage of him. He didn’t think so. He made sure that she laid close and well. “It’s only taking advantage of me if you’re getting something you want unfairly,” he said taking a shorter breath in. “You are getting comforted,” he elaborated. “It’s not like I’m giving you all of my love to you just because of this,” he said let his eyes rest on her. “Or was that your plan from the start?” he teased.
He rested his eyes for a moment. “On the other hand, if I kissed you for my own pleasure without the intention to do anything more – now that would be me taking advantage of you,” he explained calmly. He wasn’t going to make a move on her when she was fragile like this.

She hummed a little as he started explaining her why she shouldn’t feel bad. Even though he didn’t say it with so many words. Giving you all of my love. Why did that small phrase made but her heart jump, but also hurt? Funny how her head and heart couldn’t really agree on what emotions she was feeling being this close to him. Maybe it was just old, buried feelings, that was creeping up because it was easier to deal with those than panic and death. “Oh yes, my masterplan, lure you to the campsite, it was really me that made those bears, or – whatever kind of animal it was storm in and attack us, so I could get you naked under the covers and kiss you” she let her head fall down on the pillow so she could look him in his eyes, even though they were closed right now. “Hmm, so we agree, none of us is taking any advantage of the other, because I kissed you, and you didn’t kiss me, and it was, just because sometimes doing something unexpected makes it easier to deal with whatever trauma one has just experienced?” she mumbled, still having her head close to him, a soft smile forming over her lips.

He pulled a smile as she started to explain her master plan. He thought it was slightly funny. “Well your plan succeeded,” he chuckled a little, even though he knew it hadn’t been her plan and that she didn’t know he was only wearing a towel. He opened his eyes as she put her head on her pillow. He smiled a little how she was cutting things out in pieces for them. “Yes, we agree,” he said happily. “But before you’re going to do something too unexpected, I would like for you get some rest. I won’t leave,” he told her.

”why would I do anything more unexpected?” she asked lifting a brow “I think I done every stupid thing in the book by now” she mumbled, feeling how the air she took through her nose rose her chest. “Rest, does sound like a good thing” it took some time, but sleep finally came to her, after a little tossing and turning.

She woke a couple of hours later. It was like her whole body was affected by a hungover. Maybe it was the lack of sleep. But as her eyes found the clock it said four. Stupid habits that she never could shake. After she had moved to England, she had started her routine to getting healthy. And with her studies she had to get up at four to go for a run, have time to take a bath look at her homework before going to her morning lectures. She looked over her shoulder, seeing that Sterling was sleeping beside her. A soft smile formed on her lips. If her teenage self could see her now. She slit out of the bed as carefully as she could and tiptoed out of the room. Walking into the bathroom, locking the door so she could move their clothes from the washer to the dryer. Hoping it might be ready for him when he woke up. Then she saw that his underpants hanging – he wasn’t wearing. Oh dear God. She felt the heat in her cheeks as she took them and walked back with those and his pants lying them on the bedside she had been sleeping on. Still making sure to be as silent as she could.

She closed the door, this time she went in the kitchen and started making coffee, looking in her fridge what she could make for breakfast.

Sterling didn’t fall asleep by the second, he waited until he was sure that Jade was asleep and a couple of hours later, he would fall into his own slumber. He never really slept much anymore unless he hadn’t been hunting for a while. As she woke up and scooted out of the bed he actually woke up and let his eyes follow her as she exited to find the bathroom. His eyes closed shut, believing she was just going for a midnight pee. When she came back, his eyes opened slightly, but nothing to be seen. He saw how she had dried clothing in her hands and put it close to him so he could get dressed. Incredible. She left again, and he was quite certain that she wasn’t going to get back down into her bed so as soon as the door closed, he turned around on his back and started to dress himself. He wasn’t going to be able to sleep when she walked around like that. He got dressed and exited the room. He turned around and found her standing in the door of the fridge. “Making breakfast already?” he wondered with a smile and scratched his neck a bit.

She hadn’t heard him get out of the bedroom, focused on seeing if she needed to go buy something. Maybe she should go for a run, while waiting for the clothes to dry and Sterling to wake up? A scream left her, and she smacked the door shut, while grabbing her heart as she turned around seeing that it was only Sterling. “Oh my God” she started laughing leaning against the counter then nodding towards the bedroom “I thought you were still sleeping” she tried to reason herself out of how she had reacted, because that, that had been pathetic. “I was just checking if I had things for breakfast, I didn’t know how long you would sleep and” she shook her head breathing out again, pulling a little in the strand that was in her hoodie. “Want some coffee?” she asked, giving him a slight smile licking her lips. As she did, her eyes catch his lips, thinking about the wrong attempt to kiss him yesterday she had done. Embarrassment flamed in her body, she turned around grabbing two cups to hide the redness forming in her freckles cheeks.

Jade almost jumped as he revealed that he was up. His eyes widened and blinked a little rapidly. Had she really not heard him come into the kitchen? He pulled a little crooked smile as she started to laugh and explained that she believed he was sleeping, “Sorry that I scared you,” he laughed a little. “I’ve been awake for a while,” he explained.
He nodded a bit as she explained that she was just checking because she didn’t know how long he would be sleeping. He smiled back at her as she asked if he wanted some coffee, “Yes please,” he noticed how she had licked her lips and how her gaze had traveled. He moved over next to her as she turned around, looking at the cups she had found. “How do you like your coffee?” he asked her, smiling sweetly towards her, noticing the extra color in her cheeks.

Once again, he moved around, and on her floorboards, you should be able to hear it. But he was so light on his feet, that he took her by surprise being so close. She drew in a sharp breath looking up at him, as he asked how she liked her coffee. “I, normally take it with some milk” she answered standing there with both the cups held just out of her chest. She put it down and poked him at his cheek “that right there, that is the smile that should be illegal” she joked, taking a deep breath, and moved past him towards the coffee machine that was done, and poured in the coffee. “So, how do you want your coffee?” she asked, walking towards the fridge, and pulled out the milk for her, before walking back to the cups steaming with the hot golden-brown liquid.

It almost seemed like she got surprised again. He kept his smile as she said she normally used milk with her coffee. His eyes followed her hands as she put the mugs down and then looked back up into her eyes as she poked his cheek. The motion and her words only made him smile wider. “You think I should be put in prison for smiling?” he joked back. His eyes followed her as she poured in the coffee. “Normally, I like mine dark and bitter,” he said leaning back towards the counter and grabbed onto the edge of it. “But I’ll take one similar to yours,” he said with a wider smile. It had been such a long time ago since they had been spending time together that there were so many things that he had forgotten about her. “There’s still some hours till dawn, so do you just want to relax a bit, or do you have a morning routine or something?” he wondered with a gentle smile being open for most of the things.

“Yes definitely” she nodded and winked as he asked if he should be put in prison for his smile. “I’m sure you have killed many with it, so it would only be fair” she poured milk in both coffees’ as he had just told her that he would take it just like her. She turned around handing him the cup, as he asked what she would do now. She breathed out and looked around, leaning against the counter taking her cup and pressing it towards her chin. “Well, normally I go for a run now, then I take my shower, make breakfast and then around seven I’m out the door to my next chase” she breathed closing her eyes feeling the heat from the cup against her cheek. “But I’m off this week, so, the plan was actually to just relax, and bake” she laughed giving him a small smile, some things never changed. Like the fact that she had been baking since she had been a little girl. Baking and cooking had always been her thing. “It will take some time before the rest of your clothes is done” she looked towards the fridge “how long will you be staying before you have to go?” she asked, because he would stay longer, she needed to go to the store and buy something for them to eat. Being away on camp she hadn’t been able to buy anything for a while.

Sterling smiled kindly at Jade as she agree that he should be put in jail. “You must be invincible then,” he said kindly, meaning that when he was around her, he almost always smiled. He received the cup and blew it a little as a habit from the black coffee he usually drank. He folded both his hands around the cup enjoying the warmth and nice burnt smell. He listened carefully as she explained her routine, and when she informed about her plans for this morning it was almost like lights lit up in his eyes. He loved when she baked. “And what’s going to be baked today?” he asked clearly wanting to have a taste of whatever she had to offer.
“Well, I’m not leaving without my clothing,” he said slightly cheekily, “I mostly work in the evening, but besides from that I just have to meet up with my sister at some point,” he said. “So, I’ll stay as long as it’s alright for you,” he said and blew his coffee again before taking a sip of it.

As he told her that she was invincible, she took her arm up almost to flex her non exiting muscles “yes, haven’t you heard, I’m actually an Amazonian” she winked at him, she took a sip of her coffee as he asked what she would be baking today.  A heartfelt chuckle left her as she thought about it, placing a thoughtful finger on her lip “Well” she looked out the window to the many apple trees. It was still season for it, so fresh plucked apple pie didn’t seem like such a bad idea.

“So, don’t want to walk around almost half naked huh?” she gave him a teasing smile, she still couldn’t get over just how many scars he had, how he had gotten them? She nodded when he explained needing to meet up with his sister. Wait, did that mean that Hannah was in Athena as well? “It would be nice if you stayed” she said with a small smile. She licked her lips, taking another sip of coffee “well, then I think I will drive into town, get us something to eat, and make us a good old fashion apple pie” she emptied her cup and placed it in the sink after putting some water in it. “There is a TV room up the stairs, make yourself feel at home” she walked over and slipped into her shoes and put a jacket over her outfit, not really caring about going outside without make up on. Nor that she was wearing a longing outfit, that she had also slept in.

Sterling chuckled a little as she flexed her biceps. “I can see that,” he said and pulled up his arm to flex it, “My only weapon is my smile,” he said smiling before he looked from his arm over at her and took his arm down. He tilted his head a little as she wondered what she would be baking.

He looked down at himself only wearing something to cover his legs and up to his hips. “To be honest,” he looked up, “I don’t mind,” he said with a cheeky smile. He noticed how she looked at his body, or maybe it was just his scars, but just for the fun of it, he flexed his pectorals to see if she got embarrassed.
“I will then,” he assured her as she told him that it would be nice if he stayed. She explained her plan. Drive to town to shop. He raised his eyebrows a little as she seemed determined to go shopping. Even after all the things that happened yesterday, she was ready to go out in the dark at what… Five in the morning?
She told him that he could watch some television upstairs if he wanted to, and that he should just make himself feel at home. He always thought it was a weird thing to say. He noticed how she determined walked over to get dressed. “Hey, wait a minute!” he said putting his cup down and lifting his hand up to tell her to stop moving. He went to the bathroom and grabbed some of the light sources he had used just a couple of hours ago. He jogged over to her and placed the small cubes in her hand. There was five. That should be more than enough. “I don’t expect you to need these, but if you throw one it’ll open and shine. Just... If you have any stupid encounters... It won’t hurt you,” he said and looked up into her eyes before he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Drive safe, alright?”  he said pulling a crooked smile. “Wait, are the shops even open at this hour?”

To be fair, she was more or less running from being this close to him while he wasn’t really wearing anything. Or he was wearing pants. But how he teased her back, and how he kept drawing her eyes attention towards his very beautiful body. Jade had always pride herself on not wanting someone because how they looked, but their personality. But she wasn’t blind, now, was she? He was not only gorgeous, but also still the guy she remembered from when she had been at teenager and young adult. She stopped up as he told her to wait a minute. She pushed her brows together as he told her to wait. As he came back, he took her hand and placed five cubes in her hand. She looked down at them. What was those? She looked up at him clearly confused. Who would try to hurt her on a shopping trip?

But she forgot to ask, as her breath was caught in her throat as he looked into her eyes. He leaned in and forgot to even breathe as his lips caught her cheek. Now that wasn’t fair, er stupid heart reminding better than her brain at this moment. “Ehm yes, safe” she mumbled, pulling back giving him an innocent smile, feeling how her cheeks burned. Even more so when he asked if the shops were even open. “Oh, I have to drive into grounds of lily, there aren’t many good shops nearby so I’ll be back in two hours or so” she gave him a slightly apologetic smile “but then you might be able to get some more sleep, because after yesterday you need it” her smile became more confident, but before she left she remembered she hadn’t taken any shopping bags, she walked towards one of the drawers in the kitchen and took two out. She then walked back to Sterling. Grabbing his shoulder lifting herself up giving himself a peck on his cheek. Winked at him before she walked out the door, driving to the shops so they would be able to get something to eat.

She had to drive a long way and he nodded slowly. Alright, then. “Yeah, of course,” he said as she mentioned sleeping a little longer, even though he doubted that he could get even a minute more of sleep. He watched how she was almost on her way out of the house when she suddenly went to grab shopping bags and kissed his cheek on the way out. He smiled a soft cheeky smile as she exited. Either something had changed, or he had just explored a more confident Jade.

Hours went by and he hadn’t been able to find rest, but he had arranged his weapons and cleaned two guns and assembled his belt again. It was when he heard someone outside that he turned his head and got up from his sitting position, putting on his belt and walked closer to the glass door to look outside and see who was standing outside. Jade and some man? For a moment he just watched what was happening, but eventually even he felt like the discussion they had was too much and he opened the door to exit. He was still not wearing anything on his torso. Without realizing, he might have come off a little protective – but maybe it was just the way his muscles looked on his body. “Is he bothering you, Jade?” he asked while he was approaching.

The drive had been quite nice, she could listen to music, sing along on some of the numbers. Forget for a second what had happened and who waited for her at home. She had tried to hurry up her way of buying groceries and gotten everything, she needed and drove home again. Her eyes had found its way towards the camp every time she had passed, but luckily the sun was up now, and it seemed like nothing had happened. Maybe it really had been a horrible nightmare. But that would mean Sterling would be waiting for her when she came back home, which would be a shame.

A smile formed on her lips as she drove into her street, a smile that quickly faltered at she saw the car waiting for her. Why was Daniel here? She parked and stepped out, being greeted by her former boyfriend coming towards her.

“Are you okay?” Jade looked rather confused at him and nodded “Yes?” he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, japing about being so worried after he had heard the new that morning letting them now that there had been a bear attack at the camp and Tim was dead. “Please, I’m fine, stop hugging me” she pressed his arms away, and the man that had been worried turned into the angry man he had become at the end of their relationship. “That’s great Jade, just great, here I was worried sick about you, and you just push me away like always!” she felt that, the hit in her heart. She had tried to let Daniel in, but after Oliver – she shook her head, after being left like that not knowing what she had done wrong, and him not able to explain it to her? It had broken something in her. Brought her back to the time where she had been the fat lonely girl, that everyone just felt sorry for. So when she had met Daniel, it had been a way for her to mend a broken heart, it hadn’t been fair. “Well I wasn’t the one cheating now was I!” she thew back in his face, and went around to pick her groceries to get back inside. The last thing she needed was a fight with him.

“Well, what did you expect me to do? Just sit around, I wanted to marry you, but you wouldn’t let me in!”
“So, what, you just came here to fight? What did you expect that I had a traumatic night and now changed my mind? Just, get the hell out of here Daniel!”

He was just about to say something when Sterling’s voice rung out. He turned around looking at the man, scuffing before turning towards Jade “Wow, how long did that take you, huh? Falling into another man’s arms, standing there making me feel bad of being with Julia, you know what, fuck you Jade, I’m so over you, and you know what? You’re not even that pretty, actually you are ugly inside out” she drew in a sharp breath but didn’t say anything as he walked towards his car looking at Sterling “Good luck with her, she’ll push you over the edge dude, just run while you can” he got in and drove off. Jade swallowed hard and watched the car drive away before looking towards Sterling “Sorry about that” she said with a smile, clearly masking over the emotions going on in her body. She grabbed the bags of groceries and locked the car. Walked inside the house, telling herself over and over to not cry. To many tears had already been spilled over that man.

Sterling frowned as the man started to talk about how long it had taken Jade to fall into another mans arms. He didn’t know the story between the two of them, but he caught onto the fact that he had been cheating and now he was jealous because she was with Sterling… Even though she wasn’t with Sterling in the way he believed. Even though Sterling wasn’t a boyfriend, he still knew what was too much and what wasn’t and the way he spoke to Jade wasn’t alright. He stepped all the way over to Jade, hearing how she drew a sharp breath in. “What about you just fuck off,” he sneered at the dude who got into his car and drove off. He looked down at Jade as she apologized. He wanted to say she had nothing to apologize for, but he could clearly see how she was putting up a mask, because her eyes were too wet to be alright. He was about to comment on it when she got the groceries. He followed her and took any other bags.

He closed the door after them and walked over to her. “You shouldn’t listen to him,” he breathed out. As he got close enough he turned her around with a simple grab on the shoulder. With a gentle finger, he let it sweep past her chin to make her look up at him. “Hey- No-” he could see that it was difficult for her. Sterling almost paniced. He hadn't expected her to feel this difficult about it. He collected himself.“Why should he be right about anything he just said?” he asked a little stern. He grabbed both of her shoulders, “Jade, listen. You’re beautiful. You’ve always been beautiful,” he said and poked her sternum, “Inside out,” he assured her. He let his hand remove a strand of her hair and his hand didn’t really get away from right underneath her ear.