Update (08/06/21): Grammatical errors were fixed, minor sentence changes
Update v.2 (06/04/23): Grammatical errors fixed, many (MANY) minor sentence changes
Mini A/N – The picture above is used in this chapter for Jasper.
You groaned quietly, stretching under your covers. You flicked one eye open, reaching out to grab your phone from the nightstand. 6:09 AM. You sighed, disappointed that you woke up before your seven o'clock alarm. Well, since I'm already up, I might as well make the most of it. You hopped out of bed, making it up before you went to the bathroom. You turned on the shower water, walking back out of the tiled enclosure to get your underclothes. You then returned to the bathroom, undressed from your pajamas, and stepped into the shower. You sighed, letting the hot water run down your face. The bookstore will be closed at two today, and then I'll head over to the arcade, like yesterday. That means I'll be keeping the keys over the weekend. I just have to make sure to give them back to Mr. Smiley on Monday and let him know I won't be in town to work Friday. You hummed quietly to yourself as you rinsed the soap suds off of your body, turning the showerhead off after. You stepped on the bathmat and grabbed your towel from the rack. You dried yourself off, moving over to the mirror. Surprised I managed to keep my hair dry. You smiled, putting your bra and underwear on before leaving the misty bathroom. You went to your dresser, grabbed your brush, and ran it through your (h/c) hair. Once your hair was manageable enough to run your fingers through comfortably, you get your curling iron, carrying it into the bathroom with you. You plugged it in and placed it on the side of the sink, turning it on. You went back into your bedroom, going to the closet to pick out your outfit for the day while the curling iron heated up. You tapped your chin, your eyes roaming the many clothes lined up on hangers.
You finally decided on an outfit, pulling it from the closet and laying it on the comforter on your bed. I think I'll go for something cute today... You giggled to yourself, feeling giddy. You didn't know why, but you loved getting dressed up occasionally. Maybe it had something to do with your mother being a singer and stage performer. Some of the outfits you'd seen her get dressed up in for work were very extravagant. You returned to the bathroom, grabbing your comb from your dresser on the way there. You parted your hair on the side, pushing the sections apart until a portion rested gently over your eye. You ran the comb through your hair quickly, grabbing the curling iron and working on the ends of your (h/l) locks. When your ends were curled, you ran the comb through the curls to spread them out so they weren't so defined. You did a little dance in the mirror, happy that your hair came out the way you intended. You turned off the hair utensil and unplugged it as well. You left it by the sink to cool off before you would put it away. Returning to your room, you noticed that Storm wasn't in her bed. You raised an eyebrow, grabbing the white jean shorts off the hanger. Where is that kitten? You realized you hadn't seen much of her since last night when Kehlani and Millie showed up. Maybe she's hiding somewhere...they are strangers to her after all. You sighed, going back to the mirror above your dresser. You decided to put on makeup; just enough so it was a little noticeable. You went to grab the white tank top from the hanger next, sucking your teeth in slight annoyance. "I should have put the shirt on first...now my makeup is going to get all over it." You groaned, stretching the hole of the shirt that your head was supposed to go through as far as it would go, carefully slipping it over your head. You pumped your fist in the air when you successfully got it over your head without any mishaps. You flattened the shirt out, tucking the front of it into your shorts. The front of the t-shirt had light pink roses printed on it, with the words 'CARPE DIEM' written along the stems of the roses. You went back to your closet, pulling out the light pink windbreaker you had gotten with the outfit. You pulled on the beige zipper, tossing the open jacket onto the bed. You then grabbed the box that stored the new pair of shoes you bought when you ordered Jasper's. You opened the box, pulling out the beige platform ankle boots. The heel of the shoe was thick and dark brown, which would give you more stability. You never really wore heels like that, but when you decided to, they always looked great. You smiled to yourself again, putting the box back into the closet before closing it. And last but not least, you thought, going into your bottom drawer and taking out a pair of beige thigh-high socks. You then went to your nightstand to grab your phone before leaving your room with your jacket, shoes, and socks. You closed your door behind you, making your way down the stairs when your seven o'clock alarm rang. You pressed the button on your phone screen to stop the loud noise as you walked down the rest of the stairs. Jasper was lying on the couch in an almost fetal position to fit her entire body onto the piece of furniture. That's why I wanted them to be in my room, you thought with a sigh. Storm was on the floor under the coffee table, curled into a ball. You shook your head slowly, walking over to put your jacket and socks on one of the barstools in the kitchen, and placing your shoes down next to it. You opened the fridge, leaning down into the appliance. What should I cook for breakfast?...
You pulled the egg carton and milk jug from the refrigerator, closing the door. You then went over to the pantry and took out the box of dry instant pancake mix, setting that on the counter as well. You pulled open your cabinets and drawers, taking out a bowl, a fork, a spoon, a measuring cup, and two pans. You measured out the pancake mix powder, pouring one and a half a cup of milk into the measuring cup with the powder. You used the wooden spoon you took out of the drawer earlier to mix the two ingredients, adding more powder or milk to adjust the thickness. After, you turned on the stove and put one of the pans onto the left eye. You then quickly went into the refrigerator to grab a stick of butter, using it to oil the pan up for the pancakes. You poured the batter into the pan, making each pancake about five inches wide. You didn't want them to be too big, but you didn't want them to be silver dollar-sized either. The batter ran out at twelve pancakes, which you were completely satisfied with. Three for Jasper, two for me, two for Kehlani, and one for Millie...meaning there will be a few leftovers for whoever might want extra. You hummed contently, stacking the pancakes onto one plate. You set the plate aside, cracking five eggs into a bowl and whisking them with a fork quickly before scrambling them in the second pan. Once the eggs were done, you layered them onto another plate, putting everything dirty into the sink and taking out four plates, and putting them on the counter. You sighed, taking a plate for yourself and putting food onto it. You grabbed the syrup from the pantry, taking a seat on the barstool next to your jacket, socks, and shoes. You were about to stick the first forkful of your breakfast into your mouth when Jasper scared the shit out of you. "Jesus," you exclaimed, dropping your fork loudly onto your plate. The gem laughed, walking around the kitchen island to grab a plate. "That's not funny, Jasper," you said, glaring at her. "And you better be getting only three pancakes."
"You're right. It wasn't funny—it was hilarious." You growled, pinching her hard when she sat next to you. Jasper chuckled, beginning to eat her food. "Why did I only have to get three, though?"
"Because you have to save some for Kehlani and Millie." Jasper rolled her eyes, snorting.
"The kid will probably eat one, and if I'm being honest, I don't care if Kehlani eats or not."
"Jasper," you said in a warning tone, nudging her arm with your elbow. "What's up with you? You've been rude ever since they got here."
"I don't like your so-called 'best friend.'"
"You don't even know her," you said, poking at your scrambled eggs.
"And you do?" the gem asked, raising an eyebrow at you.
"Yes! I've known her for over four years!" Jasper scoffed, standing to put her plate in the sink.
"Four years is nothing," she said as she leaned on the island before you.
"Four years is nothing to you because you're old as hell," you said, chuckling as you poked Jasper's gem, causing her to scrunch her face up.
"When was the last time you spoke to her besides yesterday?"
"Well," you said, slightly blushing in embarrassment as you push your food around some more, "...I don't know. It's been a while. We haven't really made contact since I moved here, so..." Jasper hummed as if to say, 'I told you so.'
"If you two haven't talked in that long, then how can you really call her your friend? I don't trust her."
"You don't trust anyone. And just because you haven't talked to someone in a while doesn't mean you can't still be friends, Jasper," you said as you stood up to clean your plate over the trashcan. You then went to the sink to put the plate in the water.
"I trust you," the gem said with a shrug, her cheeks tinted. You blushed too, walking back to the barstools to grab your socks.
" —I trust you too, Jasper, but...could you at least get to know her first before you just jump to conclusions?" The gem groaned, crossing her arms.
"Fine. I'll do it for you, but that doesn't mean I'll be nice." You giggled, pulling the second sock up your leg, and adjusting the white frill at the top before sticking your feet into your heels.
"Okay, but don't be too mean."
"I can't make any promises." You sighed, deciding not to push her to be any nicer for you. At least she's trying. You laced your right shoe up, straightening your posture to look down at yourself. You then pulled your jacket on, looking up to catch Jasper staring at you.
"What?" you asked, your blush resurfacing.
"Nothing you're...just wearing pink today. And roses..." You gasped quietly, shaking your head as you began to take your jacket back off.
"Oh, Jasper, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking, I'll go and change ri—"
"No, no, don't worry about it," she said, grabbing your wrist before you could go upstairs. You turned around to look up at her, noticing that you were face to face since you had on platform heels. Jasper pulled the light pink jacket back over your shoulders, holding her hand under your chin. "The color looks good on you..." You blushed, averting your (e/c) eyes from Jasper's bright amber ones.
"Th-Thank you, but...are you sure, Jasper?" The gem smirked, squishing your cheeks between her thumb and index finger.
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it, would I?" You rolled your eyes, pushing her away as she laughed.
"Go and wake Storm up for me. I want to make sure she eats before I leave for work because I don't think she'll come out from under that table while Kehlani and Millie are down here. She's been kinda avoiding them, don't you think?" you said as you walked over to the sink to begin washing the dishes, your heels clicking against the tiled floor in the kitchen.
"I'd want to avoid her too if I was Storm," you heard Jasper mutter under her breath as she walked into the living room.
"Hey! I heard that," you said, turning on the water in the sink to fill it up.
"I wanted you to," Jasper called back. You chuckled, pouring a little dishwashing liquid over the dirty dishes. You then grabbed the brilopad, scrubbing the pans you used first. You heard Jasper cooing to Storm quietly to wake her up, making you just want to scream in delight. Too cute! You finished the pans, rinsed them off, and then put them into the drying rack. You then started on the bowls, the measuring cup, plates, and utensils, which you cleaned quickly. You put those into the drying rack next, toweling your hands dry with a paper towel. You threw it away, turning around to see Jasper carrying a tense-looking Storm into the kitchen. You pet her ears quickly, which seemed to calm her down as Jasper set her on the floor by her food bowls. You went to sit on the couch, turning the TV on and changing the channel to the news. You turned your head towards the stairs when you heard the floor creak quietly. Millie was coming down, watching her every step carefully as she held onto the wall. She looked up, her (e/c) eyes making contact with your eyes of the same color. You coaxed her over with your hand, changing the channel to an early morning cartoon.
"Are you hungry, Millie?" you asked in a soft voice as if you were going to scare the child if you spoke too loud. She nodded quietly, playing with the end of her pajama shirt. "Well, I made some pancakes and eggs. Do you want some?" She nodded again, and you smiled softly, turning around on the sofa. "Jasper! Make Millie a plate and heat it up a little. Don't put too many eggs, though, because I don't think she'll eat all of that. Oh! And cut up her pancake for her." Jasper sighed loudly from the kitchen but did as you asked. You chuckled, turning back around in your seat. "Jasper is going to fix your food for you, okay?" She looked a little uncertain, but she nodded again slowly, turning towards the TV as she sat down on the floor in front of the coffee table. A minute later, Jasper brought her plate into the living room. Millie scampered off the floor, running to you and crawling up in your lap. You were shocked that she had run to you like that, but you wrapped your arms around the little girl protectively as she visibly shook in your grasp. "Millie, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Jasper sat the plate on the coffee table, sitting on the couch next to you as she looked at you curiously. You shrugged, rubbing the toddler's back and messy curls. "Are you afraid of Jasper?" you asked, chuckling lightly. She nodded, her face still buried in your chest. You laughed, pulling her back to look into her big (e/c) eyes. I wonder if my eyes ever emitted this much innocence when I was little, you thought to yourself as you smiled at her. "Baby, Jasper is not going to hurt you," you said with a light laugh. "She might look scary, but she's really nothing but a big teddy bear," you whispered as you patted the child's cheek.
"Hey! Don't spit out nonsense like that to her," Jasper protested as she poked your side. You laughed, swatting her hand away.
"All I'm saying is, you don't have to be scared of her, okay? She won't hurt you, but if she does, then tell me, and I'll beat her up."
"You wish," Jasper scoffed, rolling her eyes. "She couldn't beat me up even if she tried," Jasper said, leaning towards Millie. Surprisingly, the toddler didn't move away. She looked at the gem wide-eyed, her tiny hands gripping your jacket still.
"See? She isn't so scary, is she?" you said, putting her on the couch beside Jasper. "I have to go now, though, so you two play nice." You went to grab your purse, putting your phone inside of it, and also making sure Mr. Smiley's keys were in there. You took your keys from the hook, unlocking the front door. "Okay, I'll see you two tonight. Bye," you finished, closing and locking the door behind you before making your way down your porch and across the beach to the boardwalk.
Jasper's POV
I sighed as I stood up from the couch again, going into the kitchen to see if Storm had finished her food. The bowl was empty, and she was making her way out of her litterbox. I picked her up, setting her in the living room with the kid. Storm meowed quietly, slowly walking towards the child, her body low to the ground. Millie stuck another piece of pancake into her mouth, chewing before putting the fork back on her plate. She reached her left hand out to Storm, making a grabbing motion. "Kitty," Millie said meekly, making it almost sound like a question. Storm pressed her nose to the child's hand, rubbing her head against it as she purred. Millie giggled, petting the grey tabby before going back to eating her food. I smiled softly, going up the stairs. I think they'll be alright until I get out of the shower. I walked into my room, where someone else just happened to be sleeping for the time being. I didn't bother knocking because for one: I didn't care. And for two: it was my room. I walked over to my closet, sliding one of the doors open. I pulled out a simple outfit of black jeans and a crop top that had the logo from some chip brand called 'Cheetos.' I didn't get it, but apparently (y/n) thought the shirt was "fucking hilarious," so she bought it for me.
I closed the closet doors, not even trying to be quiet for the sake of the sleeping woman in my bed. I walked over to my dresser, pulling out underwear and a bra. I grabbed the Timberlands I wore yesterday next, about to leave the room when Kehlani spoke. "Wow, Jasper, bold enough to walk into a room without knocking, huh?" She was awake this whole time?
"I only came in here to get my clothes for the day. Nothing more and nothing less." She giggled, sitting up in the bed.
"I could have been naked or something, and you just walked up in here like that..."
"There's no way you would have been naked sleeping in the same bed as your child," I said, turning around to face her as I gritted my teeth. There was just something about her that was infuriating. I didn't like her in the slightest. How could (y/n) be best friends with her?
"Sexy and smart. You've got a lot goin' on for you there," she said, biting her index finger as she looked me up and down. Yeah, I'm done here, I thought as I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me. I went into (y/n)'s room, closing her bedroom door. I then went into the bathroom, making sure to lock the door before I turned the water in the shower on. I got undressed, stepped into the shower, and began to clean myself up. I wanted to make the shower quick since I had left Storm and Millie downstairs by themselves. And based on what I've read about human children, they aren't supposed to be left unattended for too long. When I finished my shower and stepped out onto the bathmat on the floor, I quickly dried my body and hair. I walked out into (y/n)'s bedroom, got dressed, and ran a hand through the messy white locks on my head. I'll do something with it later. I tossed my dirty clothes into the hamper, opened the bedroom door, and quickly trotted down the stairs. Everything appeared to still be in order—Millie was still on the floor, except her breakfast was all gone. Storm was on the floor next to the girl, sitting in silence as she was being petted. I walked over to the pair, taking Millie's plate from the table.
"You're all done, right?" She nodded quietly, looking back to the TV. I took her empty plate into the kitchen, noticing that the bottom of the dish was sticky with syrup. I put the plate in the sink, washing my hands. How did she manage to get syrup under the plate? I dried my hands, going back into the living room to inspect the coffee table. I ran my fingers over the surface, finding that it was sticky as well. I sighed, going into the kitchen to get the dishtowel. I wet it and put a little soap on it before squeezing it out, so it was damp. I went back into the living room and wiped the table down, throwing the towel back into the sink from there. "Millie, let me see your hands." She looked up at me, her big (e/c) eyes boring into mine. "Jeez, don't look at me like that," I said, chuckling as I squatted to her level. "I just want to see if your hands are sticky," I said as I offered my left hand to her. She hesitantly put her hand in mine, it no larger than one of my fingers. She marveled at our size difference for a minute, causing me to chuckle again. I felt the hand she had given me, taking the other from her lap. Both were sticky like I expected, so I placed my hands under her arms, picking her up. "You need to wipe your hands off. We don't want you getting syrup everywhere, now do we?" She shook her head slowly as I put her on the counter. I grabbed a few paper towels, wet them, and put a little soap on them as I had done with the dishtowel. I went back over to the little girl, wiping her palms, in between her fingers, and the back of her hands before finishing with her mouth and around it. I tossed the paper towels into the trashcan, putting her back onto the floor. "Did you pet Storm with your sticky hands?" I asked her as I crossed my arms lightly over my chest. She nodded, looking down at her feet. "I'm not mad, sweetheart. C'mon," I said, stretching my hand out towards her. Millie raised her hands up towards me, and I laughed, picking her up. "Alright, I'm about to take you to your mom so that I can clean Storm up."
"...okay," she said, holding onto the front of my shirt as I walked up the stairs. I tapped on my room door with my knuckle gently, twisting the knob and pushing the door open. If she didn't want me to come in, then the door wouldn't have been unlocked. I set Millie on the floor, and she went over to her mom, who was still in bed, on her phone.
"Hey, baby," she said, picking Millie up from the floor and putting her in the bed with her. "I was wondering where you went. What were you doing?"
"Eating," she said, playing with the end of her shirt.
"Oh really now? What did you eat?" Kehlani asked, glancing up at me. Millie looked at me as well, and I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms.
"She ate a pancake and some scrambled eggs. (Y/n) made breakfast before she left, and she told me to fix her a plate while I was in the kitchen."
"Taking care of my baby too? You are just too much, Jasper!" I rolled my eyes, preparing to leave the room again.
"You should probably wash Millie up and take a shower as well while you're at it. You don't want to be in the bed all day when your best friend is working her ass off. I'd like for the house to be clean before she gets home," I said sternly as I walked out of the room and back downstairs to grab Storm. "C'mere baby," I said, snapping and making kissing noises. Storm came from under the coffee table, running over to me. I picked her up, putting her in the crook of my arm. I walked through the kitchen and opened the back door to the patio. I set Storm down on the wooden stairs while I went to the side of the house, grabbing the tin tub that belonged to (y/n)'s father. She told me that he used to use it for a holiday called 'Halloween.' He'd fill it up with cold water and put apples inside for the kids to try and grab it with their mouths. If they did it successfully, they'd get to keep the apple and get candy as a prize.
I used the hose connected to the house to rinse the tub out before filling it up with warm water. I then went back into the house, taking the shampoo (y/n) had bought specifically for Storm. While I was in the house though, I heard the shower water from upstairs turn on. I guess she actually did listen to me. I shrugged, going back outside. I grabbed Storm, putting her in the water. She struggled for a minute, but eventually, she relaxed, allowing me to coat her body with the water. I squeezed shampoo onto her back, picking her up by the scruff of her neck so she stood on her hind legs. I put more shampoo onto her belly, closing the lid and setting it aside. I rubbed the fur on her back and stomach gently until it made suds, extending the soap to each of her legs and the top of her head. I was careful not to get any in her eyes because I knew from experience the sensation wasn't pleasing. Storm meowed, stretching once I set her back down to rinse her body of the soap suds. I massaged her ears, gaining a light purr from the kitten. I smiled softly, pulling her out of the water and setting her on the sand. I splashed the water in the direction of the cave, wetting the sand in that area. I turned to bring Storm into the house to dry her off, but she had taken a place on the patio in the sun, lying down. "Smart girl..." I left her to her own devices while I went back into the house to wash and dry my hands so I could start cleaning up. I decided to start in the living room so I wouldn't have to deal with the horrible vacuum cleaner for too long. I took the thing out of the closet by the stairs, plugging it into the wall. I sighed, turned it on, and began pushing it across the carpet, lifting up the coffee table and holding it in the air, so I could vacuum underneath it. Once I finished that, I put the thing away and grabbed the broom to sweep the tiles in the kitchen, dumping the contents from the dustpan into the trash. I was about to start on the dishes when I heard someone coming down the stairs. I turned my head, seeing Kehlani carrying Millie on her hip. She was dressed, and so was the kid, who was wearing a copper brown skirt with straps connected at the back that ran over her shoulders. Two black buttons at the waistband of the skirt held the straps in place at the front, and a white shirt that said 'living my best life' was tucked into it. I smiled softly as the little girl came over to me while Kehlani went into the kitchen to heat herself up some food. She reached up for me, her tiny hands resting against my leg. My Diamond, she's adorable, I thought as I picked her up.
"Jasper?" Millie asked except the 'J' in my name sounded more like a 'Y' when she said it.
"Hm?" I said, adjusting her so that we were face to face. She looked down shyly, twisting the ends of my hair around her fingers.
"I...wanna do hair," she said quietly, a blush spreading across her small face. I chuckled, tilting my head to grab her attention again.
"You want to do my hair?" She nodded, looking up at me. "You sure you can handle it? I have a lot." Millie nodded again, putting her hands on either side of my neck.
"Yes."
"Well, alright. You're just going to have to wait until I finish cleaning, though. It'll go a lot faster once your mom starts helping." Millie turned her head and looked at her mom, who was sitting at the kitchen island, eating her food.
"Mommy, you have to help so...so that I can do hair," Millie said after I had put her down on the floor. She went over to Kehlani, patting her thigh hard. (Y/n)'s best friend chuckled, running her fingers through the toddler's curly hair.
"Okay, baby, I'll help once I finish eating. She seems to have taken a liking to you pretty quickly, Jasper." I shrugged, making my way slowly toward the stairs.
"What can I say? I'm a likable person." Kehlani giggled, turning around on the stool towards me.
"You aren't wrong. You might as well be Millie's second mommy, with the way you've been taking care of her."
"Just being nice," I said, going up the stairs. I went into (y/n)'s room, and then into her bathroom, taking out the materials needed to clean the tiled area. After I had finished cleaning in there, I went back down the stairs with a sigh. Kehlani was finishing up mopping the kitchen floor while Millie was back on the sofa, watching cartoons. I decided to go out the front door quickly to check on Storm on the patio. I walked around the house towards the back to see that the kitten was sound asleep, the warm sunlight still drying her fur. I walked back through the front door, leaving her be for the time being. I then walked over to Millie, standing next to the chair arm where she was. "Are you ready?" The toddler nodded, folding her legs under her as she scooted closer to the edge of the couch. I sat on the floor in front of her, allowing her access to my hair. "Don't get lost in there, okay?" I said with a chuckle. Millie giggled, grabbing pieces of my hair as she began doing whatever it was she was doing.
*time skip brought to you by feelin' good*
(Y/n)'s POV
You locked the bookstore's front door, humming to yourself. The sun was shining against the back of your thighs, sending a warm, tingling feeling through your body. You smiled softly, turning your body to the right. The buzz of people talking and laughing rang all around you. The boardwalk usually got busier in the afternoon, when the sun was highest in the sky. You began to make your way to the arcade, passing two buildings before you made it there. You walked into the establishment, looking for Mr. Smiley. You spotted him walking around, his signature smile on display as he observed the children playing the different games, running around, and screaming. You chuckled to yourself, approaching him. "Mr. Smiley," you called, grabbing his attention. He turned to you, his smile seeming to brighten.
"Hey there, (y/n)! What brings you in here? I told you that you didn't have to work today this morning."
"Yeah, I know," you said laughing, "I just forgot to let you know something." The older man raised an eyebrow at you, resting his hands behind his back. "You probably already know that the Fourth of July is coming up next week. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be here to work for Thursday through Sunday." Mr. Smiley chuckled, patting your shoulder.
"That's completely fine, girly. You're supposed to spend time with family that day! Besides, the arcade will be closed for that week anyway, and the amusement park will only be open for that Saturday. I was thinking about holding some kind of fireworks show for the people." You smiled widely, adjusting your purse on your shoulder.
"Oh, that's great! Too bad I won't be here for it...but I'll ask someone to take pictures and videos for me." Mr. Smiley chuckled, looking around the arcade.
"You're going to go and see your mother, I presume?"
"Yes, sir. I'll be leaving Wednesday to help her plan and whatnot." Mr. Smiley nodded slowly, smiling.
"You're a good kid, you know that?" You blushed slightly, laughing shyly.
"I try to be..." Your trainer chuckled, patting your shoulder again.
"Go ahead and get home. I still have to run this establishment until five." You laughed, hugging the old man.
"Alright. I'll see you later." You then left out of the arcade, dodging a couple of running children and their parents who were trying to contain them. You giggled, making your way down the crowded boardwalk to your home.
You unlocked the front door, pushing it open. Sunlight covered the living room and kitchen, reaching even as far as the staircase. You closed the door behind you, glancing to your right to see that the curtains were open. You sighed quietly, deciding to leave it be. Jasper was sitting on the couch, her legs propped up on your coffee table with a book in hand. Millie was playing with Storm on the floor, with various cat toys scattered across the carpet. The little girl laughed as Storm ran under Jasper's calves, the toddler soon giving chase the same way. She crawled under the gem like Storm had done, seeming to get stuck halfway. Jasper lifted one of her legs nonchalantly, freeing Millie's backside. The girl fell to the floor with a soft thud, crawling across the floor again to grab Storm. You chuckled, hanging your purse and keys by the door. Jasper looked up from the book, smiling at you. "You're home early."
"Yeah, Mr. Smiley let me off the hook for today." Jasper hummed, turning back to the book in her hand. "What are you reading?" you asked curiously, leaning over the gem's shoulder. Jasper closed the book after she tagged the page she was on, showing you the cover. "Ah...Scaredy Cat. What made you pick that up off of my shelf?" Jasper shrugged, chuckling.
"The cover. It's pretty good, though." You nodded, straightening your posture and stretching.
"Where's Kehlani? And what on earth happened to your hair?" you asked, giggling as you tried to run your fingers through Jasper's tangled white hair.
"She's upstairs, and Millie happened," she said, closing the book again, and sitting it on the table. "She asked if she could do my hair, so I let her. And if I try and take it down, she gives me the cutest face, watch." Jasper uncrossed her ankles, putting her feet on the floor. She leaned forward, resting her elbows against her knees. "Millie, sweetheart," Jasper said, spreading her hands open. Millie's curly head popped up from the other side of the table as she looked at Jasper curiously. The toddler then pushed herself up on her feet, running over to her. Jasper closed her hands around Millie's back as she stood between the gem's thighs. "Can Jasper go and fix her hair now?" Millie pouted, stomping her feet quietly.
"No! Nothing is wrong with it." Jasper chuckled, looking back at you as you covered your mouth, trying not to scream. "You don't like it?" Millie asked, giving the gem misty puppy dog eyes.
"No, no, I like it. It's just going to get all tangled up if I keep it like this. Then you won't be able to do it anymore." Millie gasped, putting her hands on either side of Jasper's face.
"No! You can go fix it! Okay?" Jasper chuckled again, ruffling the little girl's hair.
"Okay." Millie went back to playing with your grey kitten. Jasper stood to her feet, turning to look at you.
"You two are so cute," you said, pulling on the gem's arm. "I'm surprised how quickly she got used to you."
"What can I say, I'm a likable person," Jasper said with a shrug. You laughed as you walked up the stairs by her side.
"Are you sure about that? Because I don't think Jasper from, what? Like a month or so ago? Would agree with you." Jasper raised an eyebrow at you, smirking soon after. "I don't like that look...," you said blushing, backing away from the gem once you reached the top of the stairs. Jasper chuckled, pushing you against the wall harshly. You gasped, the impact knocking the wind out of you slightly. The gem's left hand came in contact with the wall next to your head, her other hand wrapping around your throat. Your arms flew to her wrists to remove her hand, but she wasn't squeezing nearly as hard as she had during your first encounter.
"This is something the old Jasper would do...right, human," Jasper growled in your ear. You chuckled, the blush on your face increasing as your body's temperature rose.
"No. The old Jasper wouldn't show mercy when choking me like you're doing right now." Jasper grinned, her sharp canines showing as she held your gaze.
"You're right...maybe I'm just a little too gentle with you," she said as she squeezed your neck tighter, her right thigh resting between yours to keep you from suffocating as she lifted you slightly in the air. You let out a short laugh, wrapping your legs around the gem's waist, and pulling her closer to you. Jasper's eyes widened, a scarlet blush appearing over her cheeks. You wrapped your arms loosely around her neck.
"It's funny how you think you're the one in control right now," you said quietly, tangling your fingers into her hair. Jasper growled again, tightening her grip on your throat again.
"What do you mean by that, runt?" You chuckled deviously, yanking her hair, causing her head to shoot back quickly. Jasper groaned, laughing maniacally the next moment, her shoulders bouncing from the action. You had to give it to her...the quartz really did sound like a villain. You gasped as she looked back at you, somehow making the space between the two of you even tighter. "You should be glad that you have company here. If there wasn't, I would have my way with you, little one."
"Y-You don't even know what that means," you protested, beginning to squirm in Jasper's grip. She laughed again, pressing her thumb to your bottom lip.
"What makes you think I don't know what I just said?" You racked your brain for a comeback, your mouth falling open as you tried to find something to say. "I'll show you once Kehlani and Millie aren't around. I've actually been looking forward to it for a while...," Jasper said huskily.
"I—I," you stuttered, your voice giving up on you. Did she...just admit to wanting to...? Your blush increased as you held onto the gem who pulled you from the wall. She set you back onto the floor, and you held onto her arm, trying to regain your balance.
"Still clinging to me, I see," Jasper said with a deep chuckle as she pushed your room door open. You sighed, pushing her. She laughed, going over to your dresser for your brush. She picked it up, attempting to run it through her hair. You laughed, taking the utensil from her.
"You aren't going to get that through your hair like that. You have to take all the braids and...whatevers out first." Jasper sighed, beginning to work her fingers through her hair, detangling the mess. "So, did you and Kehlani get to know each other today?"
"A little, I guess. I mostly stayed around Millie. I told you, I don't trust her." You sighed, rolling your eyes.
"Well, did you at least talk to her?" Jasper nodded, grabbing the brush again, allowing the bristles to smooth out whatever kinks were left. "Okay, good. Getting somewhere. It's kind of important to me that the two of you get to know each other better."
"And why is that?" Jasper asked, turning to you after she had finished brushing her hair. She was now running her fingers through it, making sure there weren't any more knots.
"Because you're both important to me, and I would like it if you two could at least get along." Jasper blushed, swinging her hair behind her. "Now that you're done fixing your hair, let's go outside before it gets dark," you said, grinning, pulling on the gem's wrist. Jasper twisted her wrist, making your grip loosen. She then held your hand before continuing to follow you. You blushed slightly, landing on the first floor. Millie was sitting on the couch now, Storm resting next to her as she watched TV.
"What're we going outside for?"
"I have to take your picture with that outfit on," you said, giggling, grabbing your phone from the kitchen island. Jasper groaned, reluctantly going with you out back. "Okay, stand right here," you said, positioning the gem to the left of the patio. You wanted the sun and the ocean to be in the background. Jasper sighed, crossing her arms and standing where you put her. You took a picture, examining it. "Jasper," you whined, "c'mon, at least look like you're enjoying yourself." Jasper put on a grin, exposing her canines again. "No, stop, be serious," you said, laughing. "Look, look," you said, running up to her and handing her your phone, "do something like this." You turned back towards the gem, resting one of your hands at the back of your head, the other one at your side with your thumb in your shorts pocket. "Like that," you said after a moment of holding the pose. Jasper nodded, chewing on her lip as she looked at your phone screen. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing, nothing." You went over to Jasper, attempting to grab your phone, but she held it away from you.
"Give me my phone, Jasper. I'm serious."
"Hold on, give me a minute," she said, swiping across your screen.
"You better not be in my pictures, Jasper," you screamed, jumping on her back. The gem laughed, giving you your phone back.
"You have a lot of pictures of Storm. And a lot of memes." You gasped, jumping back off of her to push her. "Yeah, I know what those are." You stuck your tongue out at her, going back to the camera app.
"Okay, c'mon." Jasper stood back in the place you put her first, striking the same pose that you had. "Do something with your hair," you exclaimed, continuing to take pictures of the gem to see if any good ones would come out of it. Jasper turned slightly to the side, burying her hands into her hair. Her muscles flexed, and her shirt lifted a little, exposing her midriff. She smirked, closing her eyes as she held the pose. You took plenty of pictures, blushing slightly.
"Okay, I'm done. Let me see," Jasper said, approaching you again. You began to delete the ones that were just repeated, ending with only having about three. You swiped in your photos to see if you had missed any, coming across a picture of yourself. You furrowed your eyebrows, noticing that the picture was taken today.
"Jasper, did you...take a picture of me?"
"Yeah," she said, shrugging, "I couldn't help myself."
"Why, though?" you asked, looking up at her.
"Same reason you wanted to take pictures of me," she said, throwing her arm over your shoulders. "Now show 'em to me." You handed Jasper your phone, and she looked through them, nodding in approval. "How does it feel being in the presence of perfection?"
"Suffocating," you said jokingly, taking your phone back from the gem so you could send the pictures to your mom.
"Now that was just rude," Jasper said, sounding hurt. You mocked her, laughing at your mom's reply to the text.
Mom ❤️: You should have gotten her a shirt that said 'puffs' instead of 'crunchy' lol
You showed the message to the gem, and her mouth fell open before she began smiling. "Am I a joke to you?" she asked, putting you in a chokehold.
"Sometimes," you mumbled. Jasper tightened her grip on you, and you laughed, hitting her arm. "Okay, okay, no!" She let go of you, sitting on the patio steps.
"Better not be." You chuckled, sitting down next to her.
"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. Yesterday, while I was at work, my mom called me and told me she wants me to help her plan a Fourth of July party. So we're going to go down there on Wednesday."
"Sweet," she said, yawning as she leaned against the wooden deck.
"Yeah, but...we can't just leave Kehlani and Millie here."
"So what? We're going to take them with us?"
"I mean—we don't really have a choice. We're going to be taking Storm too since we won't just be staying a weekend."
"No, we definitely have a choice. You can just tell her to leave. Did you tell her about it yet?"
"No, I haven't told Kehlani."
"Haven't told me what?" The two of you turned, seeing Kehlani in the doorway with Millie in her arms. Her bare chestnut legs and arms shined in the sunlight, her hair resting over her shoulder. She was wearing shorts like yours except they were a light blue wash color and a black tank top with a choker to match. Storm ran through a spacing between the door and your best friend's legs, stopping at your side as she hissed at her. "What's up with that cat? She really doesn't like me," she said, chuckling as she sat on the other side of Jasper, leaning against the gem.
"Oh...uh—I was just telling Jasper about the Fourth of July party my mom is planning on throwing."
"Oooh! A party! Girl, you already know I'm all for parties. When are we leaving? Your mom lives in Empire City, right?"
"Yeah...um. She wants me to come down there on Wednesday. I'll just—make sure to let her know that we'll be adding two more people."
"Great! I can't wait. And I bet your mom throws the best parties. Have you met (y/n)'s mom, Jasper?"
"Yes, I have. Not too long ago, actually," the gem answered blankly, scooting closer to your side to put some distance between herself and Kehlani.
"Oh, okay, okay. How long have you and Jasper known each other (y/n)?"
"A little over a month," you said with a shrug as you chuckled dryly. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason, I was just curious." Kehlani then leaned forward slightly, looking at you.
"What?" you said, laughing lightly before standing and stretching. Your legs popped, and you sighed, resting your hands on your hips as you looked back at your best friend curiously.
"Is that what you wore today?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Light pink isn't really your color, sis. It kinda clashes with your skin tone," Kehlani said with a shrug. You looked down at yourself, fiddling with your fingers. You lifted your head, giving her a small smile. You were about to reply to her comment, but Jasper beat you to it.
"The color looks just fine on her. I'm pretty sure if you wore the same outfit, it wouldn't look nearly as good on you as it does on her. Maybe you should train with us tomorrow," Jasper added politely, giving Kehlani a close-eyed smile.
"Oh, you two train together? Like workout? Maybe I will join you tomorrow. If that's okay with (y/n)."
"Y-Yeah...it's fine by me."
"Good," Kehlani said, standing. "Maybe you and I could even get some private training in on the weekdays, Jasper. Ya know, since (y/n) is always working, and I'll be staying here for a while. I can be a temporary stand-in for you—unless you want to make it official."
"I'll think about it," Jasper said blankly. Kehlani chuckled, running her fingers over Jasper's shoulder before retreating back into the house. You looked at your best friend's back, her long black hair swaying behind her as she sashayed through the kitchen and into the living room. You looked down at the gem, noticing how tense her jaw was.
"...you okay?" Millie asked Jasper quietly as she moved over to stand between the gem's knees. Jasper smiled at her, tapping the little girl's chin with her knuckle.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Do you want to train with us tomorrow too?" Jasper asked Mille as she chuckled. Millie shook her head, quietly playing with Jasper's fingers.
"No. I just watch." The both of you chuckled quietly, and you took your place back down next to Jasper again. "(Y/n)?" You looked at Millie, who was staring at you, her (e/c) eyes catching the sunlight.
"Yeah, baby?"
"I-I like pink...it pretty," the toddler said quietly as she played with the end of her skirt. You smiled, giggling quietly.
"Thank you, Millie."
"See, even the kid knows beauty when she sees it. Jeez," Jasper said, rolling her eyes. You blushed, lightly kicking up some of the sand near your shoes. Millie giggled as Jasper stood up, picking her up with her. The gem tossed the little girl in the air, making her scream in delight.
"Again!"
"Tomorrow. But only if you're good." Millie giggled again, holding onto Jasper's shirt. "You coming inside, half-pint?" You nodded, walking back into the house with Jasper and Millie, Storm at your heels. Why is it beginning to become awkward around my own best friend?