(POV Jason)
“Could you turn around for me. It's kinda hard to see how it fits in the back from in front of you.” Jasmine gave him an amused, almost expectant smile, though he was certain he could have heard the smile if he hadn't seen it. For some reason, he was reminded of that time Chloe's old cat had eaten their canaries.
“Yeah, sure.” He shuffled awkwardly as he turned around. He had never been a fan of attention, and right now he had a feeling Jasmine's attention was focused squarely on him.
After a few seconds, Jason heard what could only have been an approving hum. Glancing into the mirror, he saw that her eyes were moving slowly across his back, before settling further down. Is she staring at my ass? As he briefly looked at his own face, he saw that a slight tinge of red had bloomed across his cheeks.
“Now turn around again.” After another awkward shuffle, he was again facing Jasmine. “It looks… fantastic on you. Please let me buy you that one? I know it's a little over the max price you set, but you look amazing in it.”
Jason hesitated. “I don't know.” He had to admit the suit didn't look terrible on him; the navy three-piece suit was nice. It was VERY nice, at least by his standards. However, the price was 50 dollars over budget, which was… a lot of money.
“Please, it fits you really well. Better than the pricier one from earlier.” She winked. “Ok, how about a compromise. You don't like me spending too much money on you, but I do insist on paying. And you are not talking me out of that.” She said, having clearly recognized the objection he was about to make. “So, how about you working a little for it. You remember Sam, right?”
Jason's eyebrow lifted slightly. “Yeah, of course I do. Great kid. Why?”
“Well, you see. The daycare we use is only open so many days a week, and it's not open late, and things like that. Julie is my assistant, and I am afraid that before long we will have to work late more.” She hesitated. “I don't like taking her away from him outside working hours, but I might have to. That means we might need a semi-emergency babysitter.”
Jason nodded.
Jasmine continued. “He seemed to like you. So here's the deal. Any amount I spend on you for the rest of today, or any amount over a limit we decide on next time. You have to work off by babysitting Sam. We can work off you getting, let's say, seventeen dollars an hour, and figure out how many hours that becomes. And I won't take no for an answer on the rate.”
Jason's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't love the idea, but he didn't hate it either. It certainly made him more comfortable with the entire thing. After all, it would let him feel like less of a parasite. Jasmine seemed to really like paying for… well, everything. Screw it, really wish I could have talked down the price though. Still, his heart fluttered slightly at the implications of the promise.
He smiled at her. “Yeah, sure, why not. Sam seems great, so I don't mind that.” He lifted a finger. “But this is not an excuse for you to go overboard.”
Jasmine beamed, like a ray of sunshine directed straight at him. “I promise I won't go overboard. But I will be adding some things to the list. Just because I know Sam needs his babysitter for more than just four hours.”
Jason opened his mouth, and then he hesitated. He had a sinking feeling that there was no way he could talk her out of that. While that was in large part because it made too much logical sense. He suspected she was also using it as an excuse. Well, that was a trap.
He sighed. “Fine, but no going overboard. Promise?”
Jasmine lifted both hands in surrender. “I promise.” Then why don't I believe you?
(POV Jasmine)
The deal she had made with Jason was ingenious. It no longer felt like pulling teeth to get him to accept gifts, or her paying. She got that it went against the gender norms he was raised with, but quite frankly, him paying would go against hers. And that she couldn't have, not in her position.
Still, the main benefit was something else. Her eyes moved over Jason as he came walking back towards her. The fundraiser wasn't formal enough for a suit to be the perfect fit; it would by no means have been inappropriate. But that was better. She had managed to get him both a new shirt, several in fact, and a pair of slacks. And he looked great, in the combination of slacks, a blue striped shirt, and a navy blue dress jacket.
“So that's how we plan on lowering the tax burden.” Senator Smith's voice was as pleasant as lavender-scented honey. She had always used that tone when she needed to explain something to someone with too little training and too much money.
Just as he was halfway across the room, Jason got intercepted by someone she didn't recognize. Though she couldn't see the man's face. That wasn't good. Jason was many things, but used to dealing with these people wasn't one of them.
As she was about to walk over, she heard a polite cough to her left. Looking over, she saw that Senator Smith had maneuvered her way over to her.
“I am sorry, Senator, but I think I have to go rescue someone.” Jasmine laughed, in as light a tone as she could conjure. She nodded in the direction of Jason.
The senator waved dismissively. “Oh, don't worry about that, I just wanted to talk to you for a second.”
“So that is your doing, I presume.” Jasmine could feel her polite smile harden.
“Yes, it's just my assistant. He will behave, I promise.” She let out a sigh. “I never can get used to how you… People handle things when it comes to your men. For some reason, I keep forgetting that, no matter how much my daughter reminds me of it.”
“Quite.” Jasmine raised an eyebrow.
The state senator nodded. “Right, I should get to the point. How are matters proceeding in the south west? My daughter… how is she doing?”
The tension that had set in her jaw evaporated. “Things are proceeding on schedule. Though I can't really speak about the details. As for Sky, she seems to be doing great. She has settled and is doing great work.”
It was slight, but Jasmine could hear the senator's breath shudder ever so slightly. “That's great to hear.” She looked towards Jason, her eyebrows furrowing. “Have you told him?”
It was not a pleasant question. Preferably, she wouldn't have had to keep it secret at all, but they weren't in the old country. Her kind weren't a known factor here, too different from the normal social fabric. Luckily, that state of affairs wouldn't last much longer. They had spent the last twenty years working on things that might make them more acceptable. Gods know mom wouldn't stop complaining about funding the Twilight movies.
Senator Smith looked at her expectantly. “Ahh, sorry, I was lost in thought for a second. No, I haven't. Not yet.”
“Ahh, well, regardless, I think it's best we change topics.” She nodded in the direction of Jason and her assistant, who were walking over.
(POV Jason)
The room was filled with polite conversation and laughter. Every so often, he could hear another snippet of what might be political scheming or financial scheming. Luckily, Jasmine had handled nearly all of that thus far; she had managed to intercept every question aimed at him that was merely small talk. That was until he just had to go to the bathroom and got caught in a conversation with Joseph.
As he reached Jasmine, the woman standing next to her looked over at him with a polite smile and offered her hand. “You must be Jason. I am absolutely delighted to meet you. My name is Jessica Smith.”
Taking the offered hand, Jason tried to return the polite smile, but he couldn't quite shake the feeling that it might have come off a bit awkward. “Hi, nice to meet you. And yes, I am Jason, Jason Smallers.”
“Mrs. Smith here is the state senator for the district Fairvern is in. She is also Sky's mother.” Jasmine clarified. Though at some point during the introduction, she had managed to move far closer to him, now standing almost close enough that he could feel the body heat radiating off her.
“Ohh.” Jason hesitated. “Well, again, it's nice to meet you, ma'am."
The senator chuckled slightly, the sound filled with what could only have been genuine mirth. “Polite, aren't you. There is no need for all the formalities. Especially not from someone I hear is acquainted with my daughter.”
Turning more towards Jasmine, she continued what must have been their previous conversation. “Anyways, I have to continue making the rounds. But I can assure you, and your mother, that the subsidies for rural industries, the agricultural subsidies, and the funds for infrastructure improvements are going to pass. There is bipartisan support for both bills, and wide agreement that we, along with our northwestern neighbors, need to improve in-state production in the coming years.”
“That's great to hear, senator. My mother and the others will be very reassured that our concerns are taken seriously.”
After the senator had left, Jasmine practically dragged him by the hand through the masses, towards the drinks. “Here, you do look like you need one.” She handed him a glass of champagne.
“I am not…” Was all he managed to say before Jasmine placed a finger on his lips.
“No one is going to ask Jason. Even if someone does care, which I doubt, they all have better things to do.” She winked at him. “Plus, it can be our little secret. And I have my own motivations for wanting you a little tipsy.”
Jason blinked before he took a sip of the glass. He really didn't drink all that often; he had, of course, on a few occasions. But more often, his friends needed a driver, and he was the logical choice more often than not. There was also the problem of getting the alcohol in the first place.
“You can take a bigger sip than that. I am driving, so it's fine if you wanna let loose a little.” She said as she started guiding him towards the door out into the garden around the rather large… Mansion? He really wasn't sure what to call the house, but it was enormous, so mansion felt appropriate.
Jason hesitated. “I don't really wanna go home drunk. And I am kind of a lightweight.”
The evening air was still warm as they got outside. April had been a warm month, and the last week had been even warmer.
“Then don't, you can sleep at my place tonight.” There hadn't been that many people outside to begin with, and the part of the garden just outside the mansion Jasmine had led them to was utterly unpopulated. He then felt a hand press against his chest. pushing him gently into the wall. Looking at her, he saw and felt Jasmine leaning into him, her chest pressing against his. He felt her breath against his ear as she whispered. “After all, I was planning on getting you into my bed eventually.”
“I… Wel… Ehhh.” Jason stuttered, his mind not entirely sure what the response to that even was. And just as he was about to try and center himself, he felt Jasmine's hand on his jaw, carefully moving his face towards hers. Her lips pressed against his, soft yet far more aggressive than the first time she had kissed him. He leaned into it, kissing her back hesitantly.
She smiled at him for a brief second before her head moved lower, placing a kiss on the lower part of his neck. And for a split second, Jason thought he could feel… teeth brushing, almost lightly scratching against his neck just before she pulled away.
He had considered it earlier, but in the late-afternoon sun, she looked stunning. Her hair was waving slightly in the weak afternoon breeze, and made a stark contrast with the off-the-shoulder black velvet dress she was wearing.
Wait, what did she just say?
(POV Jasmine)
Jasmine couldn't help the slightly smug expression that spread across her face. Jason looked so utterly adorable, and he smelled so much better. His face was red enough that she was certain she would be able to cook an egg on it. That same blood rushing to his face, ever so close to the surface, also made him smell so good.
“Jason Smallers, that is the second time I have managed to steal a kiss from you. You need to be more on guard.” She chided. “Though I suspect you don't mind too much.”
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Jason, baby, are you ok?”
He blinked a few times. “Y… Yeah, I am. Could we slow down just a little?” He hesitated for a few seconds. “I am not entirely sure if I am ready for that.”
Jasmine cocked her head slightly to the side. “Of course we can. But can I ask what that is?”
“I mean the… Bed part.” His tone faded towards the end.
“Ahh, that, well, I did say eventually. It doesn't have to be today or even this year if you don't want it to.” She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “But I was sincere in my offer. If you don't want to go home tonight because you want to drink a little, then I do have a guest room. It's available if you want it.”
Jason's eyes looked down at the ground, flickering around in thought for a few seconds before he muttered. “I am just gonna wake everyone up.” Looking up, he met her gaze. “Yeah, I would like that.”
“Fantastic! I will ask Julie to get it ready for you.”
Jasmine knew the kiss had been rather sudden and perhaps a bit too aggressive given the circumstances. It would probably be best to slow down a little. She had learned a lot about Jason when they were working on the fence. Idle small talk always revealed more about a person than people gave it credit for.
She offered him her hand. “Come on, let's just walk and talk for a bit. I can be gone for ten minutes just fine without it becoming a problem.”
He downed his glass before, saying he wanted to go get another before they had a look around.
The garden itself was quite nice, very nice, in fact,, with the intricate patterns of early-blooming flowers must have been planted for just such an occasion. Though, quite frankly, the conversation and the company were infinitely more pleasant.
Jasmine took in the setting sun for a second. “You know you never did tell me what you wanted to save up for. You know the actual reason you got the waiter job.”
Jason looked out towards the horizon, lost in thought. “Yeah, I guess I can tell you.” He drew a breath. “It's to help save for my sister's college fund. She's smart, like really smart. And she recently got very interested in this weird school in Appalachia, which she wants to get into.” His eyebrows knitted together. “She wants to become a theo something.”
Appalachia, theo. That sounded familiar. “Do you mean a theurgist?”
Jason snapped his fingers. “Yeah, that. But from what I heard from her, it's really expensive and really hard to get into.”
Jasmine chuckled. “That last point is the understatement of the century. Ceremonial magic requires very hard training and discipline. But I am sure she will do just fine.” Theurgists were worth their weight in platinum, at least outside the old country. Even the clans needed more of them, though they couldn't be trained quickly. “You know, Jason, if she is serious about this, I do know a few theurgists. I can't get her an apprenticeship or into the conservatory. But I could ask one of them to assess if she has the aptitude for it. Do you want me to do that?”
Jason's face lit up like a New Year's sky at midnight. That is so sweet. “Really?!”
Jasmine chuckled and nodded. “Yes, but mind you, all I can do is ask them.”
Jason threw his arms around her, dragging her into a tight bear hug. “Thank you! She's gonna be so happy. I owe you one, Jasmine.”
“Well, handsome, I might just call that in one day.” Her tone lost some of its cheer. “But Jason, seriously, don't mention it to her. It might take some time; it might not happen at all. And if it's that important to her, and they can't make it.” She let the implication hang.
Jason emphatically waved his hands in dismissal. “I swear I won't. Thank you, Jasmine. Thank you.”
****
The sky was dark by the time they got back to Fairvern, and the night had no moon. Without the car's headlights, she would have been blind. The clouds had even blocked out the stars. A meteorological phenomenon that left her feeling concerned as if something ominous loomed just over the horizon. Yet the date had gone fantastically, and so had the various political goals she had to achieve while at the fundraiser.
Julie was still up, but Jason should be sound asleep. He had not been kidding when he said he was light-weight, and while he wasn't drunk, he certainly wasn't sober. She smiled slightly. It had been fun seeing him cut loose just a little. He normally seemed more guarded than he should be. Too worried, especially about money. Though given his family history, that wasn't surprising.
Sitting down on her couch, she rolled the crimson liquid in her glass. She had fed before meeting up with Jason. But given the rather strong urge she had gotten when she kissed his neck earlier, it was probably best to have a little drink.
She was scrolling over the reports on her tablet, taking a sip of her glass, when there was a knock on the door. The sudden noise made her jump slightly, spilling a little of the blood down her chin.
“Yes, Julie, what is it?” She said loud enough to be heard through the door.
She heard the door open as she reached for the napkins she kept by the sofa. And as her hand returned with the napkin, it stopped midair. Normally, Julie would already have said something; she wouldn't have waited.
Looking over to the door, she could see Jason standing there. His face was an odd color, paler than normal. She smiled at him, attempting to lighten the oppressive miasma that seemed to hang over him. “Are you ok, Jason?”
Jason's eyes were locked on her face, though not her eyes. His face only grew paler, as if he had seen a ghost or a monster. As she was about to speak, her tongue brushed against her teeth, and she felt what he had to be staring at. Fuck! FUCK! My fangs are showing.
Jasmine could feel her heart start racing. This was bad, this was really bad. It could still be salvaged; it just had to be. “Jason, can you please have a seat? There is something I think I have to explain.” She said while slowly standing up.
Jason took a step back, and then he bolted down the hallway.
(POV Jason)
Jason ran down the hall; the sound of his heart beating in his skull was deafening. He heard Jasmine say something, but he couldn't make it out as he reached the stairs. taking them three steps at a time. As he reached the foyer, he slammed into the front door. Fumbling slightly with the lock, he finally managed to get the door open.
What had he just seen? What was Jasmine? He didn't know, and quite frankly, HE just felt the overwhelming need to run. The image he walked in on had been straight out of a horror movie, a fanged human-looking being devouring human blood. It didn't matter either; he needed to get home. Adrenaline coursing through his veins removed any sense of pain as he ran down the gravel road towards the forest below the old lodge.
THUD!
The sound of something heavy hitting the ground could be heard from behind him as he ran. “JASON! Please just listen to me.”
He finally reached the tree line. Branches hit him in the face, and he did his best to ignore them, not that he could see them clearly in the nearly pitch-black night anyway. The moisture that had collected itself on the branches as the hot day cooled into a cold night misting his face. Not that it helped him cool down at all, he was barely able to notice it. Just like he barely noticed the rocks and twigs stabbed him in his feet as he tried to keep his pace. His breath became ragged, and as he heard the voice coming from far closer behind him than he had thought she would be.
“Jason, we NEED to talk about this. YOU need to let me explain.” Her voice didn't sound desperate, but there was a pleading, almost hurt undertone to it.
As he broke into a clearing, a shadow passed just over him, barely visible on the ground. A split second later, Jasmine hit the ground a few yards ahead of him. Less than a second after landing, her hands were already up, motioning for him to stop.
“baby… Jason, please just stop. Let me explain, please. You're going to hurt yourself if you keep running like this.”
Jason pivoted to the left and sprinted as fast as he could. trying to cover as much ground in the forest as he could. People don't move like that. a high pitch ringing sound had emerged from the rasping breaths he took, and the near total silence of the forest. The kind of sound you only heard when your head felt like it was about to pop from stress, or when something exploded. The cold had started seeping into his body, especially his feet.
“Jesus Christ." He heard coming from behind him.
The worst part about running in the dark through a forest was that one was nearly blind. Jason's foot caught on something, planting him face-first into the ground, a rock hitting him in the head.
It took a few seconds before he managed to orient himself; half his vision was swimming in red, and his left eye stung. As he tried to get his legs back under him, pain shot up from his right ankle as it gave out almost instantly. Jason winced as he fell back to his knees.
A voice came from behind him, filled with what sounded like… concern? “Jason, are you ok?”
Turning around, he saw Jasmine, or rather the outline of Jasmine with two almost faintly glowing red eyes as she walked into the dim moonlight. Seeing his face, she winced.
“I told you this was going to happen.” Her voice was a strange combination of annoyance, trying and failing to hide deep concern. Jason tried to get up again, but his ankle, however, had no plan whatsoever of supporting his weight. Jasmine walked slowly towards him with her hands raised. “Baby, there isn't any point in running. You couldn't outrun me when you could walk properly; you certainly can't do it now.” She hesitated a little. “I get that you're scared. Really, I do. But please just let me carry home. Then I can have a look at the rather nasty cut on your forehead and at your ankle. Which is at best twisted and at worst sprained or broken.” Her voice grew a little smaller. “Please. I promise nothing harmful will happen to you.”
“What are you?” Jason's voice was small, desperation filling it.
Jasmine chuckled slightly, though the concern etched across her face never left. “Oh, so now you want me to explain.” She looked him over, still approaching slowly before stopping a few feet away. “Baby, I promise I will explain everything. Just let me take care of your injuries first. And get you to a place that's warmer. You're shaking.”
He hadn't noticed that, but looking down at his hands, they were shaking. It could be either the adrenaline or the cold. However, given how he could feel the ache set into his body from all the impacts with branches, sharp rocks stepped on, and just general sprinting for having been running as fast as he could for god knows how long, he was fairly certain the adrenaline was fading.
“And how am I supposed to trust that I am gonna make it home from going with you?” He regretted the statement almost as soon as he said it, as hurt painted itself across Jasmine's face for a split second.
After closing her eyes briefly, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Really?” It had been a dumb question from the get-go. Jasmine didn't even seem winded from the chase, and while her clothes were torn in places, there didn't seem to be as much as a scratch on her skin anywhere that was visible. He had a sinking feeling that the only reason she hadn't caught him was because she thought it would simply make the situation worse. No, if she wanted to harm him, she could do so easily. At least back in the lodge, Julie and Sam were in the house. Not that it would give him any more safety. Yet for every interaction he had had with Jasmine, she had never seemed dangerous. Why not grant her at least a small amount of the benefit of the doubt?
“Sorry.” His voice was smaller now, and he struggled to meet her gaze. “Yeah, sure, we can go back.”
“That's great, I am going to carry you. So I am coming closer.” Just as he was about to insist that he could walk himself, he was met by her gaze and a single raised eyebrow. A look that brooked no objection. Placing one arm around his back and one under his knees. She lifted him in a princess carry, lifting him so quickly that Jason just managed to choke out a squeal of surprise as he threw his arms around her neck. Looking up at her, he saw her lips twitch like she was suppressing a smile.
It was almost offensive how little effort it seemed to take her to carry him back. He felt like she might as well have been carrying a surprisingly light toddler. It took them almost ten minutes before they were back at the lodge, though Jason could swear he had been running for longer than that. Though given the almost jogging pace Jasmine had been holding, maybe he was wrong for being surprised by that.
As they entered her office, Jasmine put him down on the couch, which was surprisingly comfortable to lie on. She had asked Julie to bring her first aid kit when they got back. The assistant had looked at them with eyes wide like saucers, as Jasmine had carried him in.
“Thanks, Julie, I will explain later.” Jasmine said, though he couldn't quite hear Julie's response.
Closing the door, Jasmine walked back over to him while opening the first aid kit. ¨Taking out a small bottle and setting it together with some cotton wipes on the table next to the couch. She then sat down on the pouf she had dragged next to his head, before dabbing the wipes in what had to be wound-cleaning solution.
“This might sting a little.” Her voice was soft, before the wound on his head started feeling like it was being stabbed by a thousand tiny needles.
Jason looked up at her as she discarded the wipe. Her face showed deep focus, with her eyebrows slightly furrowed and her jaw set. “Well, the good news is you won't need stitches if you let me deal with this. Is that ok?”
“Yeah, sure. What are you gonna do?” His voice was still hoarse.
She met his gaze and gave him a small smile before reaching for a wound-closing strip. “I am gonna do the same thing I did to your wrist on our first date. It should speed up the healing enough that there shouldn't be a scar.” She ripped off the backing on the strip and placed it on his forehead. As she adjusted it, he could feel the skin on his forehead being pulled at. “It's important that you don't scratch at it. But it shouldn't leave a scar.” She placed her hand over the wound. “This will feel slightly hot.” A nearly uncomfortable warmth started emanating from the wound. Though he had felt worse throughout his life, at worst, it was mild discomfort.
“What did you just do? And what do you mean by what you did to my wrist?” He said his voice was surprisingly even and calm.
Jasmine nodded, her hand still on his forehead. “It's noctian blood magic. I am basically using magic to speed up the normal healing process by quite a lot. I am not the best at it, but cuts, bruises, and minor injuries are relatively easy to deal with. I did the same to your wrist on our first date, though I couldn't use as much power that time for obvious reasons.”
“noctian?” Jason said both eyebrows lifted.
“Do you want me to explain now or after I deal with your legs?”
Jason considered it for a second. “Can you do both at the same time?”
Jasmine just nodded before moving down to the other side of the couch. Jason locked his eyes on the old ornamentation on the roof. “So what are you?”
A light chuckle came from further down. “What do you think I am?”
Jason considered it for a second. He had seen her in sunlight, so she obviously wasn't a vampire, at least not a classical one. So it had to be a day walking bloodsucker. A dhampier!
“A dahmpier?” Jason said hesitantly.
He felt the stinging of another wound being cleaned and had to consciously stop himself from flinching. Jasmine's voice was even, calm, patient, when she spoke. “That is surprisingly close. I am a noctian. Basically, I am dhampire if you bought one of wish.”
Jason chuckled, slightly. The attempt to lighten the mood was obvious, but he still appreciated it. “So what's the difference?”
She hesitated for a second. “The difference is that I age, albeit very slowly by normal standards. I am also not a walking corpse. I do have to drink human blood, though.”
He didn't know how to feel about that. Were they all like Jasmine? “How long has it been since you became, you know, a noctian?” There was a slight hesitation in his voice.
Jasmine laughed; it was a warm and pleasant sound. “I have always been like this, Jason. I am what we in the clans call a pureblood. Meaning I was born a noctian. Most are turned, we really aren't that fertile of a bunch.”
He had to know; there was no way for him not to ask. Finally, managing to look over at Jasmine, he said. “So what are you going to do to me now?”
Jasmine met his gaze, blinking a few times before catching on. “Ehh… I don't think anything will happen to you. I am not planning to do anything, at least. I just need to ask you a few questions.” She drew a breath. “I do hope this doesn't become a problem between us, Jason. I really like you. But if you don't want to see me anymore after this, I get it.” She looked over her work, seemingly done with everything except his ankle. He could see her frown slightly in thought before getting up and moving back to the pouf.
“For what it's worth, Jason, I am sorry for this. But I need to make sure I can trust that you won't tell anyone. It would be really bad for a lot of people if we, that is, my kind, benign here, got out. And I can't have that.” Jasmine seemed reluctant as she spoke.
Jason squirmed a little. “I won't tell anyone, I promise.”
Jasmine smiled at him, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. The smile made her look sad. No resigned. “I believe, but I need to be absolutely certain. Please believe me when I say I would never do this unless I had no other options. Can you look into my eyes, please?”
Jason met her gaze. “Jasmine, what are you…” He was cut off by the sudden feeling of pressure spreading throughout his mind, like some oppressive authority had reached into his very thoughts and taken hold of his mind. Jasmine had reached out a hand and was seemingly absent-mindedly playing with his hair.
“I need you to tell me the truth, Jason. Are you going to tell anyone about what happened today or what you learned?”
If he had even wanted to lie, which he hadn't to begin with, he was fairly certain it was impossible now. “No.” He spoke without conscious thought put into it. It was true, he had absolutely no intention of telling anyone.
Jasmine sighed and broke eye contact. And at that instance, he could feel the pressure disappear from his mind. “I am sorry, Jason, I know you might not believe me, but it's true. I have never been a fan of doing that, but I needed to be sure. I do understand if you don't want to see me anymore. But I would be delighted if you still wanted to go out after this.”
Jason thought about it for a split second. Sure, she was dangerous that had been shown, but thus far she had been nothing but well fun and nice. If she had wanted to hurt him she certainly could have done it whenever she wanted, and there was nothing he could do about it. And when she had been trying to talk to him in the woods she had seemed desperate, clutching on to something she didn't want to lose. She was also hot, which he wouldn't deny helped, and she liked him for some reason. Despite the monster she had seemed to be less than an hour ago, the person in front of him now was more or less the same one he had gotten to know over the last few weeks. Fuck it.
“I would still like to see you. But can you promise to never do, whatever that was again?”
Jasmine looked at him, almost like she was expecting to disappoint him. “I can promise to never do it again unless I absolutely have to. That is the best I can do.”
Jason nodded. He had trusted Jasmine a lot thus far, and if she really meant it, he thought he could do it with one more thing. “Ok, I can live with that. At least I am willing to give it a try. But can I have some time to think about it?”
Jasmine's face lifted, and the tension that had been present in her shoulders seemed to evaporate. “Yeah, of course. I would be slightly worried if you just said yes after the night you had.” She hesitated for a bit. “You know I really expect more of a reaction after compelling you like that.”
Jason's jaw tensed. The feeling had been deeply uncomfortable, but he couldn't remember her doing that before. would he even be able to. She had promised she hadn't, did he have any reason to not believe her. Would he be able to disbelieve her if he wanted to, though he knew that wasn't how belief worked. Jason's head hurt like a bitch, and while bad it wasn't nearly as bad as her launching herself through the air to land in front of him in the middle of the woods. “I think I might be too overwhelmed to really think too much about it.”
Jasmine studied his face for a second, before she slowly said. “Ok, tell me if there is anything more you want to know about it.” Sitting back down by his hurt ankle, she placed her hands on it. “Now let's see what we can do about this, shall we.”