XJ → Harry Hook [1]✔

'Abilities'

Harry waited for XJ to elaborate and frowned when she didn't. "Could you...explain what you're thinking to me?" He asked, hesitant to break her concentration. Her fingers were flying across the keyboard, and he half-expected her to snap at him.

"Okay, so I originally had absolutely no tactic on taking notes on someone and their personality. However, you just made me realize that the easiest way to do that is when they're showing more emotion."

"Doesn't everyone feel all the time?"

"Yes, but more emotion - or in my own words - excess emotion, means anger, sympathy, jealousy rather than just impassiveness and calm. You'd think that I'd realize that sooner, but thankfully, I have a secretly intelligent boyfriend to tell me, no matter how late into the game I am."

Harry blinked. XJ looked up to see the pirate still looking bewildered. Harry shrugged, "You lost me at more emotion."

XJ laughed, "Leave the manipulation to me; if I need anything physical and rash, I'll tell you."

Harry pecked XJ's cheek, grinning, "Good enough for me." He suddenly remembered something. "Speaking of physical, I joined the wrestling team."

XJ's eyes widened, "What?"

Harry grinned sheepishly, "I know I said I wouldn't at the start, but..."

"You don't have to explain!" XJ said, her eyes lighting up. "This is great!"

"It is?"

"When the royal pricks lose to you, they'll get angry. I can tell everything I want about them from that!" XJ exclaimed enthusiastically.

"You're going to come to today's practice?" Harry asked excitedly.

XJ nodded, sneezing, "Yeah, I am. This'll be the perfect opportunity for me to make up for lost time."

"You're sick, though." Harry frowned, "You shouldn't be moving around."

XJ scoffed, "I'll be fine as long as I carry a pack of tissues, Harry. Nobody's going to care. When is the practice?"

"After classes today. I can come and get you if you want." Harry offered.

XJ rolled her eyes and sneezed again. "Where's the venue?"

"The gym. Do you know how to get there?"

"Harry, I'm the one with the map - do you know how to get there?"

Harry nodded and grinned, "I can't wait to beat everyone."

"Don't get cocky, love." XJ sniffed. "You still haven't beaten me."

Harry tapped her nose, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "We can do that when you've recovered, lass."

"I can still beat you when I'm sick." XJ boasted as she sneezed again.

"Oh, who's the cocky one now?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't use my own words against me, Harry Hook." XJ scolded playfully.

Harry grinned and kissed XJ on the lips. XJ's eyes widened, "You're going to get sick, you moron!"

Harry shrugged, grinning, "It's worth it."

---

XJ spent the rest of the day in her dorm, sneezing and sniffing as she read up on the school's syllabus. She finished everything the school was about to cover and deduced that listening in class would be a waste of time when it came to grades.

When Harry wasn't swooping in to kiss XJ every now and then out of the blue, startling her, he used his time to put up a punching bag that he had stolen from the gym. It wasn't easy as the ceiling of the dorm was very high. Harry had had to climb the spare bed's canopy and nail various shelves onto the walls so he could slowly make himself a makeshift staircase, and finally nail a hook to the ceiling in the corner of the room.