Jasper x Fem! Reader (NOT FINISHED, may continue at a later date)

Chapter 23: The Fourth of July Party

Update (03/17/22): Major (Jasper and TJ's 1st convo) and minor sentence changes. Grammatical errors were fixed. New image added.

Mini A/N – As y'all already know...this chapter took me a LONG time to complete. But here it is! I hope you guys enjoy it, and don't forget to give me some feedback with comments and votes. I love you guys...and I mean it! Enjoy the chapter 😘

(Y/n)'s POV

You rolled over to the other side of the bed, pulling the covers over your chilly form. Your eyes sprung open, the early morning light casually laying over them. You blinked a couple of times before sighing, realizing Jasper wasn't in bed again. You chuckled to yourself, shifting over onto your back as you looked up at the ceiling. I'm thinking that as if we're a couple or something. You blushed slightly at the thought, sitting up in the bed. Kehlani was still sound asleep in the bed opposite you, but Millie was nowhere in the vicinity. You raised a delicate eyebrow, sliding your legs from under the covers before allowing your feet to touch the plush carpet under you. Maybe she's in mom's art studio with Jasper.

*Flashback to yesterday, July 3rd*

You woke up early in the morning, your body craving water. You rolled out of bed, shuffling to the door and pushing it open. Your bare feet padded against the hardwood flooring of the hallway, the sudden temperature change of the kitchen tile making you wince. You opened the refrigerator, pouring yourself a glass of water from the pitcher. You turned, leaning against the counter as you gulped down the ice-cold liquid. Sighing in satisfaction, you placed the glass onto the island with a soft clink. Your eyes suddenly caught sight of the faint light coming from under the door to your mom's art studio. You quickly glanced at the clock on the microwave, seeing that it was a little past six-thirty in the morning. Is mom really working on something this early, you thought, as you walked around the kitchen island and towards the door. They do say that inspiration doesn't sleep. You twisted the doorknob, pushing the slab of wood open to reveal Jasper sitting at the desk in the room. Her elbow was pressed against the desk's surface, her hand supporting her head as she scribbled on a piece of paper. "Jasper," you questioned quietly, shutting the door behind you. The gem flinched, quickly turning around to face you, her amber eyes all too wide. "What are you doing up so early," you asked, rubbing at your eyes.
"I—u-um...," she stuttered, looking around the room as if searching for the right thing to say. A dark blush began to spread across her face, and you giggled, walking up to her. She attempted to hide some of the papers from you, but you got ahold of one of them, glancing over it. Your brows furrowed in confusion as you tried to read her neat handwriting, handing her back the paper when you couldn't.
"What language is that, Jasper?" The gem cleared her throat, turning the small stack of papers over, hiding the words.
"It's written in Gem Glyph...my native language." You gasped, pressing your palms against her thighs as you leaned towards her.
"Teach me!" Jasper chuckled, pushing some of your (h/c) hair out of your face.
"Maybe later..." You pouted, sighing as you stood up straight again.
"Well, if you aren't going to teach me now, you could at least put me back to sleep again." The gem sighed, standing up. She scooped you up into her arms, pushing the door open with her foot. You chuckled evilly, kicking your legs like a child. Jasper rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face.
"You're such a baby..."
"No, I'm just lazy. There's a difference." Jasper shook her head before placing you back in the bed, crawling in after you.
"Just...go to sleep. I still have to finish what I was doing."
"M'kay," you mumbled, latching your arms around the gem's neck as you closed your eyes.

*End of Flashback*

You crept down the hallway, peeking into the art studio quietly. Just as you thought, Millie was in there, sitting in Jasper's lap as the gem continued to write whatever she was writing. Her hand movements were a lot quicker than last night, and she seemed almost restless. You decided not to bother her just yet and headed back into the bedroom, planning to catch a few more Z's.

*time skip brought to you by a restless gem*

Your eyes peeled open for the second time that day, and you sat up, stretching. You felt energized, almost hyper, which meant that you were well-rested. You smiled, hopping out of the bed as you checked the time on your phone. It had to be pretty late in the morning due to how bright the sunlight shining through the curtains was, lighting up the entire room. 10:06 AM. You bounced on your toes for a minute, smiling widely. I think I can get some exercise in before I take a shower. You walked out of the bedroom and into the living room to find that it was empty. "Good morning, sunshine." Your head snapped to the voice coming from the dining room, seeing Kehlani sitting at the table eating cereal.
"Where is everyone," you asked, going to sit by her.
"Your mom went to the store downstairs to pick up stuff for the barbecue. She took Jasper with her as a set of extra hands, and Millie wanted to go, so I let her. She also wanted me to let you know that we should be clothed by the time they get back and ready to take our asses to the mall." You chuckled, standing to pour yourself a bowl of cereal as well.
"Sounds like Mom alright—what time did they leave," you asked, looking over at Kehlani again. She shrugged, finishing her cereal and standing up to put her bowl in the sink.
"Probably like an hour ago."
"Oh, damn. They'll be back soon then, huh?" Kehlani giggled, nodding her head.
"Yeah, that's true. Hopefully, they'll stay out a little longer though, so I have time to perfect my look." You laughed, chewing your last spoonful of cereal. You drank the milk, putting the bowl in the sink.
"Did you get a peek at Jasper's outfit for tonight?" Kehlani groaned, tossing her head back slightly.
"No! Your mom is really adamant about keeping it a surprise." You groaned, too, rolling your eyes. Yesterday your mom took Jasper to the mall alone to buy her an outfit for the cocktail party. You knew it was something nice because you recognized the name on the bag, but your mom wouldn't let you, Kehlani, or Millie see it. She even made Jasper swear to secrecy, which resulted in the gem practically ignoring you for the majority of the day. Or there could have been another reason for her ignoring me, you thought, walking into the living room. When you had woke up for the second time yesterday, after seeing Jasper in your mom's art studio writing, she hadn't spoken to you much at all. You knew she was hiding what was on those papers, but it wasn't like you could read it anyway. It was as if she was afraid she would tell you on accident—so avoiding you was the best option for her. You sighed, sitting on the carpeted floor in front of the couch. Hopefully, she'll say something to me today. Being ignored is the worst. "I'm going to go and shower, (y/n). I'll let you know once I'm out."
"Alright. I'm going to try and blow some of this energy off." Kehlani chuckled, telling you to have fun before disappearing down the hallway. You started with a few basic exercises: doing push-ups and crunches, then squats. You had probably done about three sets of fifteen for each, getting ready to start on some timed jumping jacks and planks when you heard the door unlocking. Your head snapped towards it, and you ran into the back, closing the door behind you and locking it. You giggled at your antics, but truthfully you were scared that your mom would get pissed that you hadn't gotten dressed yet.
"(Y/n)! Kehlani", you heard your mom's voice yelling, the sound of bags shuffling loudly in the kitchen. You turned, pressing your back against the door to see Kehlani coming out of the bathroom. She jumped, almost dropping the towel wrapped around her. You quickly pressed your finger to your lips, signaling for her to be quiet. You then pointed to the door, mouthing that they were back. Her mouth shaped itself into an 'o', and she nodded, creeping over to her suitcase. You jumped, moving away from the door. You felt someone twisting the knob. You ran over to Kehlani, holding onto her as the both of you snickered quietly. You tiptoed over to your suitcase, preparing to take clothes out so you could hurry and take a shower.
"Mommy," you heard Millie's quiet voice say on the other side of the door. You and Kehlani looked at each other, and she mouthed to you, 'I have to! She's calling me.' You mouthed, 'No!' back, waving your hands around as the two of you snickered again quietly. You then shrugged, waving your hand towards the door. "Mommy," Millie called again, dragging the word out as she knocked on the door. Kehlani quickly put her underclothes on, covering her bottom half with the towel. She then walked towards the door, slowly unlocking it. You covered your mouth, biting into your hand. She swung the door open, revealing Millie's small frame. The little girl was wearing a white t-shirt with the words 'summer babe' written across it multiple times in red and blue with a pair of light blue jean shorts. On her feet were white tennis shoes, and a red ribbon was in her curly brown hair, tied into a big bow.
The toddler giggled, running up to her mom and reaching up for her. "We're back!"
"I can see that," Kehlani said with a chuckle, picking her daughter up.
"Where's my mom and Jasper," you asked, squeezing Millie's chubby cheeks. She giggled, wrapping her tiny hands around your fingers.
"Dee Dee is putting the stuff away, and Jasper is—"
" —right here, Shortcake," Jasper said, finishing Millie's sentence as she wrapped her arms around your waist.
"Someone seems to be in a good mood," you commented, turning around to look at the gem.
"I'm in a great mood," Jasper said, cheerfully, picking you up as she hugged you. You laughed, resting your hands on her shoulders as you looked her over, a blush tinting your cheeks. She was wearing a white hoodie with a black windbreaker over it, a pair of light blue ripped jeans, and the checkered Vans you had gotten for her a while back. A snapback with a black and white checkered brim to match her shoes hung at her side, attached to one of the belt loops on her jeans.

"Why's that," Kehlani asked curiously, cocking her head to the side. Jasper glanced in her direction, putting you down.
"Well, well, wouldn't you like to know, missy," she said jokingly, grabbing at Kehlani's sides. Your best friend laughed, wiggling slightly to get away from Jasper's hands. "Jasper may have had a little bit to drink," the gem whispered, kissing Millie and Kehlani's cheeks.
"It's ten AM," you said, looking at the gem as if she were crazy. Jasper chuckled, dipping her head into the crook of your neck and biting you. You gasped, pressing your lips together as your face began to heat up.
"So? Alcohol doesn't have a timeframe."
"How much did you have," you asked, pushing the gem away from you so you could look her in the face. Jasper shrugged, laughing.
"Eh...maybe like fifteen."
"Fifteen," you and Kehlani yelled, your eyes widening.
"That's not even a lot! It was only vodka shots," she said, chuckling as she draped her arms around Kehlani and your shoulders. "Besides, it'll wear off once I pee, it's fine."
"I have to stop you from hanging around my mom," you groaned, pinching the bridge of your nose. Kehlani giggled, putting Millie on the floor.
"You were right, (y/n). She is a lot nicer when she's drunk."
"What are you talking about? I'm always nice," Jasper said, leaning down and resting her head on your best friend's shoulder. "Sound familiar, Kehlani?"
"I'm...going to finish getting dressed," Kehlani said, quickly grabbing her clothes before going back into the bathroom.
"What was that all about," you asked, looking over at the gem.
"Inside joke," Jasper said, snickering. "I'm going to go pee. You stay here. I'm picking your outfit for the day."
"Why," you asked, laughing.
"I gotta make sure everybody knows who you belong to. So stay put," Jasper said before walking out of the room, Millie following behind her. Your (s/c-t) cheeks exploded into a blush, and you chewed on your bottom lip, giggling softly.

Jasper's POV

I walked out of Daia's bathroom, sighing deeply. I ran my fingers through my hair, watching in her mirror as the wavy white locks fell to the side, revealing my sideburns and part of my undercut. "How are you feeling, Jasper," Daia asked, clamping another bracelet closed on her wrist, the jewelry clinking whenever she moved. Her outfit was the definition of 'Fourth of July themed.' She was wearing a navy blue, polka-dotted high-low dress that had red and white stripes at the top of it, making it look like she had put a shirt over it to achieve that look. The outfit was completed with brown heels, her pedicured pink toenails peeking through the top.

"Alright, I guess," I said, sitting on the edge of her bed. She chuckled softly, sitting next to me.
"I'm guessing the alcohol wore off?" I nodded, a small smile on my face. "I can understand why you're nervous baby, but you don't have to be," she said, patting my thigh. "Even if she doesn't feel the same way, at least you got it off your chest. But if she doesn't, let me know I will for sure kick her ass for you." I laughed lightly, looking up at her. "You're a complete catch Jasper, believe that. You're beautiful inside and out." I blushed softly at her words, looking down at my hands. "And if my daughter doesn't love you then just know that I have enough to give until she comes to her senses," she finished with a hearty laugh, kissing my cheek. I chuckled, watching as Millie ran up to me from the other side of the room.
"Yeah, don't be nervous, Jasper! I believe in you!" I laughed, kissing the toddler's forehead.
"Thank you, Millie." She smiled at me, going back over to Daia.
"Dee Dee, can you do my makeup too," I heard Millie ask as I walked out of the room. I closed the door behind me, walking down the hallway only to run into Kehlani. She was now dressed, wearing a white blouse with long flowy sleeves. Her shoulders—and the majority of her stomach—were exposed, her chestnut skin shiny. A pair of light blue high-waisted jeans completed the outfit, trumpeting at the bottom, covering most of her sandaled feet. Her long black hair, tied up in a knotted bun at the top of her head, complimented her bangs that fell over part of her eyebrows.

"You look nice, Kehlani," I said, looking her up and down. She seemed startled at my sudden compliment, sitting up on the kitchen island as she pressed her glossy lips together.
"Thank you...you do too." I chuckled, standing a couple of feet in front of her.
"You seem to be getting pretty comfortable playing the role of being my friend."
"I could say the same to you," she said softly, picking at her nails. "But—you didn't allow me to finish what I was saying the other day!" I raised an eyebrow at her, pulling one of the dining room chairs from under the table and sitting in it. I looked up at her, folding my hands in front of me.
"I think I heard what I needed to. But please, do finish," I said sarcastically. Kehlani sighed, closing her eyes for a minute.
"Yes, I admit that it was wrong of me to treat my best friend the way that I did when I first met you, but I'm telling you, I realized that a while ago. Specifically when I saw that being flirty and confident with you wasn't getting me anywhere. I was jealous, and I let that control my actions and I'm sorry."
"First, you should be apologizing to (y/n). Not me. Second, you're telling me that you're no longer jealous?" She nodded, rubbing her arm.
"Jealousy is toxic, and I don't want my relationship with (y/n) to be that way. I'll just have to come clean to her. Show her the real me."
"Which is," I said, scoffing, sitting back in the chair in a more comfortable position. Kehlani glanced at my crossed arms, chewing on her bottom lip. I snapped, gaining her attention. "Focus, babydoll," I said, chuckling.
"Th-The nervous, insecure, unconfident Kehlani. She doesn't know about her because all throughout our college years I've been putting on a show for her. She made me just as nervous as you do, and she still kind of does."
"So you're telling me all that (y/n) knows of your personality is fake? And on top of that, you were crushing on her in college?"
"No, I wasn't crushing on her," Kehlani said, rolling her eyes. "She just radiated this...wall of confidence that I figured the real Kehlani wouldn't be able to get through. So I put on a façade so that we'd become friends..."
"You do realize that she would have been your friend regardless, right," I said, deadpanning. Kehlani let out an exasperated sigh, folding her arms.
"I know that now! But I can't just, confess to her that the best friend she's known all this time was a lie!" I rolled my eyes, standing up and walking up to her. She tensed up, looking away from me, but I grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me.
"Yes, you can. You have to tell her, or it's going to drive you crazy. Even if she doesn't want to be friends with you anymore, at least you got it off your chest, right?" She nodded her dark brown eyes kind of misty. I sighed, pulling her into a hug. She gasped quietly, slowly wrapping her arms around my neck. I can't believe I'm doing this right now. "You have to tell her, Kehlani. I'm serious."
"...when," she asked, her voice soft.
"Today." She nodded again, pulling away from me and looking down at her hands.
"Does this...make us friends now?"
"Maybe. Only if you're not lying about being jealous and if you're actually going to go through with telling her." She laughed lightly, smiling softly at me. "Plus, it would kinda suck not seeing Millie again, so," I added, a blush spreading across my cheeks.
"Yeah...she would hate me if she couldn't see you again. I would hate me." I chuckled, tapping her chin with my knuckle.
"I would hate myself too if I couldn't see 'me' anymore," I said with a wink, grinning at her. She giggled, swinging her legs gently.
"Thanks, Jasper..."
"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't want you and (y/n) to fall apart because of me...she cares too much about you." Kehlani nodded slowly, smiling. "Now if you would excuse me, your best friend is probably waiting on me." I then walked out of the kitchen and down the hallway into the bedroom. (Y/n) was laying on the bed in a towel, on her phone. She looked over at me, sitting up when I approached her. "Sorry for the wait," I said, sitting at the foot of the bed.
"I figured I would be waiting. So that's why I went ahead and took a shower and did my makeup and hair," (y/n) said with a soft laugh.
"Smart girl." She shrugged, putting her phone down beside her.
"I just learned my lesson after so many instances of you making me wait for something." I chuckled, nudging her shoulder with mine.
"Very funny. Are you ready to get dressed, Shortcake?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said with a giggle. I bent down, grabbing her suitcase. I stuck my hand into the hidden pocket in the lid, pulling out the neatly folded dress I had put in there. I handed it to her, and she looked over the material curiously. "Where did you...?"
"When I was cleaning your room, and packing the rest of your suitcase before we left, this caught my eye. It was at the back of your closet, hidden almost. Have any idea why it would be?" She shook her head, unfolding the dress.
"Any particular reason you want me to wear this specifically?"
"I already told you," I said, standing to stretch. (Y/n) blushed lightly, setting the outfit in her lap and then looking up at me.
"C'mon...be serious." I kneeled in front of her, looking up into her plunging (e/c) eyes.
"The serious answer is that I know you'll look great in my color. Simple as that," I said, grinning. (Y/n) laughed, pushing me as she blushed.
"Okay, Jasper. Whatever", she said, tangling her fingers into my hair. I closed my eyes, leaning into her touch. "Did you get a haircut," she asked, tracing her finger down my sideburn. I nodded as I turned around, sliding my hands up underneath my mane of white hair, picking it up to reveal my undercut to her. She gasped softly, running her fingers along the design cut into my hair. "It kind of reminds me of the paper fans that kids make," she said with a giggle, tracing her index finger down my jawline. I brushed my hair to the side again with my fingers, showing off my sideburns that were cut sharply, the line from the undercut stopping at my temple.
"What do you think," I asked, looking up at her.
"I like it...it fits you," she said, touching my gem gently with her fingertips. I inhaled sharply, closing my eyes as I began to feel that burning feeling in the pit of my stomach again. That itch that I felt only she could scratch. "I've been meaning to ask you, Captain..." The feeling increased, and I bit the inside of my cheek, humming in response to the sentence she had started. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I'd end up embarrassing myself. "Is your gem sensitive? Aside from the fact that it can crack or worse...I mean, like when I touch it," she asked innocently, gliding her finger back up it again. I growled low in my throat, gently pulling her hand from my gem. My breathing was slightly uneven, and I was beginning to feel lightheaded the more she touched it. She giggled, placing her hand back into her lap. "I'll take that as a yes..."
"I'd suggest not touching it unless you want to start something you can't finish," I growled, standing to my feet. "Now hurry up and get dressed. You and Kehlani still have to go to the mall downstairs."
"Yes, Captain," (y/n) said as I began walking out of the room. That girl is going to be the death of me.

(Y/n)'s POV

(Design of dress sleeves 👇🏼)

You sighed, smirking as you looked up at the ceiling, a blush spread across your nose and cheeks. You then stood up, dropping your towel and getting a pair of underwear from your suitcase. You slipped them over your legs, grabbing your strapless bra and sticking it on. You pulled the strings in the front, tightening it. Once you were satisfied with the way the bra fits, you pulled the dress up from your legs, shimmying it up to your hips. You stuck your arms into the cold-shoulder style sleeves last, pulling your dress up more to cover your chest. You walked into the bathroom, admiring yourself in the mirror. A light blush clouded your cheeks as you turned to the side, looking at how the dress conformed against your backside and thighs. Jasper was right—I do look good in her color. The dress was the same shade of orange as the majority of the gem's skin, the end of it stopping at your knees. You touched up your makeup while you were in the bathroom, adjusting the buns you had in your hair too. You smiled to yourself, walking out of the bathroom and back into the room to put some half-socks on. After you did that, you slipped your feet into the pair of white Vans you brought with you, walking out of the bedroom and into the living room. The sound of everyone's conversation started to become more and more clear to you the closer you got to the front of the penthouse.

" —so then after that...," your mom was saying, but she trailed off when she saw you, her mouth falling open slightly.
"Hey, why did you...holy shit," Jasper said, standing up and walking over to you. She placed her hand over her mouth, circling you as she examined your outfit. "I have truly outdone myself this time," the gem mumbled, taking your hand and spinning you around. You rolled your eyes, putting most of your weight onto one leg as you stood in front of her with your arms crossed.
"Yeah, I guess you can give yourself a pat on the back Jasper." The gem patted herself on the back, and you laughed at her, turning back to your mom and Kehlani.
"If anyone should get a pat on the back, it should be me," your mom said, walking up to you quickly. "I made you, and I stashed that dress in the back of your closet a long time ago."
"Mom! Since when have you started stashing stuff in my closet?!"
"Since you were born," she said laughing, squishing your face. "Thank me later." You groaned, shaking her shoulders gently. She chuckled before handing you a card. You took it from her slowly, raising an eyebrow.
"What's this for?"
"Your outfit for tonight. There's probably like a thousand dollars loaded on there, so get what you want, but hurry up! It's already eleven forty-one and we still have to get to the park to decorate before two!"
"Don't you think a thousand is a little too much though, Mom," you argued as she began pushing you towards the door. She then yanked Kehlani from the floor, moving her too.
"No, a thousand isn't too much. Jasper's outfit was one-fourth of that and the accessories ate up the rest of it. Now go! Also, Jasper! Remind me to give you your gift after we clean this place up," your mom finished, slamming the front door closed with both you and Kehlani on the outside of it. The two of you shared a surprised look, sighing at the same time.
"Did she give you a card, too," you asked your best friend, making your way towards the elevator.
"Yeah. Do you know what you're going to get?"
"No idea," you replied, stepping into the steel box. Kehlani chuckled, hooking her arm in yours.
"We are in the same boat then, sis..." You shared a giggle with her as the elevator began descending to the second floor.

*time skip brought to you by secret outfits*

After you and Kehlani had gotten your outfits for the cocktail party, you meet back up in the middle of the mall. Countless bags were in each of your hands. "What'd you get," your best friend asked, looking over at you as you walked beside her.
"Not telling," you said, giggling.
"Oh, c'mon," Kehlani said, laughing. You grinned at her, approaching the elevators again.
"Nope. I think you should keep yours a secret too."
"Alright, fine," Kehlani agreed, stepping into the elevator after you. "We'll just see each other's outfits when we get dressed tonight."
"Deal," you said, bumping your elbow with hers.
       When the two of you made it back to your mom's penthouse, with Miguel's help, you kicked on the door, waiting for someone to open it. After a moment of waiting, Jasper answered it, your mom's phone against her ear. "Yeah. Probably like twelve-thirty she said. No. No, it doesn't start until two," the gem said as she let you and Kehlani in.
"There's something sexy about her talking on the phone, isn't it," your best friend whispered to you. You giggled, hushing her as you went into the bedroom to store your dress in the closet.
"Mom! We're back", you yelled, going back into the living room.
"Great! Now we can go. Millie! Come here, baby." The toddler ran from the dining room, going up to your mom. "Do you think you can be a big girl and carry Dee Dee's purse for her?" Millie nodded, taking the bag from your mom. "Okay, I've got Storm and I'm going to get a few of these decorations. You and Kehlani grab as much as you can, but make sure you have everything you need first so we won't have to come back up here." You nodded, sticking your phone into Kehlani's back pocket.
"Hey," she protested, taking some of the bags from the counter. You giggled, grabbing some bags too.
"Oh! (Y/n), there's an anklet on the dining room table for you! Make sure you grab it," your mom yelled from outside the door. You quickly went into the dining room, picking the piece of jewelry up and curling your finger around it tightly. You then grabbed a couple more bags to carry, following Kehlani out of the door. You turned, looking into your mom's penthouse to see Jasper getting the rest of the bags. The gem then made her way towards you and everyone else, shutting the door the best she could with her heel. Your mom pulled it closed the rest of the way, locking it quickly. "Alright, everyone in the elevator." Jasper got in first, you and Kehlani next, and then your mom and Millie last. You sighed heavily, feeling slightly claustrophobic.
"What if someone else tries to get into the elevator, Daia," Kehlani asked politely.
"Then they'll just have to wait. And if they even try there's gonna be some problems," your mom answered. You and Jasper chuckled as the elevator dinged, the thing that Kehlani just mentioned happening. "Move along," your mom said sweetly, her words slightly laced with malice. You snorted, watching as the elevator doors closed again and continued its descent.
       A few minutes later, you all finally made it to the parking garage. Your mom ordered you and everyone else holding bags to put as many as they could into the trunk of her black Jeep Grand Cherokee, the rest of them going into the passenger seat of her pink Porsche. "Here, Jasper. Catch," your mom called, tossing the gem the keys to the car.
"Hold up. You're letting Jasper drive," you asked, running to the side of your mom's car after she had gotten in.
"Yes. She has her license and she is also a very good driver." Your mouth fell open as you looked between the gem and your mother, the both of them shrugging like the entire situation was completely fine. "Get in the car, (y/n)! We don't have all day," your mom yelled as she started her car, laughing. She revved the engine, causing Jasper to chuckle as she pushed you around the SUV, putting you into the passenger seat and buckling you in. You were frozen in place out of fear and confusion.
"What is happening right now," you whispered to yourself.
"What's happening is I'm about to smoke your mom," Jasper said, chuckling devilishly. "Are you and Millie buckled in, Kehlani?" Your best friend nodded, draping her arm over her child's car seat. Jasper started the car, rolling her window down. "You ready, Daia?"
"Storm says you're trash," your mom yelled from her car. The kitten licked her paw lazily as she sat in your mother's lap. You hadn't noticed before, but your mom and Storm were matching.
"Oh God, she's got Storm wrapped around her finger too," you whined, flattening your back against the seat. Jasper revved the engine, and your mom did, too, both of them reversing at the same time. You heard Millie giggle from behind you, cheering.
"Jasper's driving!"
"That's right, babydoll," the gem replied, pulling out of the parking garage after your mom. Traffic was nowhere near as crowded as you thought it would be, leaving the streets pretty much empty. Jasper pressed the gas, speeding past a yellow light after your mom. You gasped, glaring at the woman beside you.
"Oh, I am never getting into a car with you again if you're behind the wheel!" Jasper laughed, taking her right hand off of the wheel to squeeze your face.
"Calm down, Shortcake. Jasper knows what she's doing." You were about to say something else to the gem, but the sound of a phone ringing cut you off. You looked back at Kehlani, wondering if it was your phone or hers, but she just shrugged at you. "Oh shit," you heard Jasper say as she dug in her pocket, pulling out a phone. The phone that was ringing. She answered it, putting it on speaker and setting it on the middle console between you and her.
"I see that you're keeping up," your mom's voice said, coming through the device. You damn near almost passed out when Jasper chuckled, switching lanes.
"Of course! Who do you think I am?" Your mom laughed, the feedback from the wind coming through the phone.
"Well, in case you have to slow down due to (y/n) having a heart attack, you know where you're going."
"Aye," you yelled, crossing your arms and pouting. Jasper chuckled, picking the phone up again.
"Alright. See you there." Your mom said 'bye,' the sound of the phone hanging up following it. Jasper stuck the phone back in her pocket, resting her right hand in her lap.
"You've got some explaining to do, Jasper." The gem chuckled, resting her free hand on your thigh as she sped past another car with your mom, switching lanes to get in front of it.
"Yeah, I know, Shortcake," Jasper said with a smirk on her face, squeezing your thigh lightly. You pouted, looking out of the window as you felt a blush beginning to crawl up your face.

*time skip brought to you by more surprises*

Jasper pulled into the parking lot of the park a few seconds before your mom did, the smug look on her face powerful enough to knock somebody out. "How does it feel, Daia," she said, walking up to your mom slowly, her hands resting behind her head.
"Oh, shut up! You got lucky," your mom said, chuckling as she slapped Jasper's stomach.
"Was that supposed to hurt," the gem said mockingly, getting closer to your mom. "All muscle over here, baby!"
"Not here," your mom said, jabbing Jasper in her chest. The gem whimpered, cupping her hand over her breast. You snorted, covering your mouth to contain your laughter.
"That's not right, Daia! You don't just do that to a person," Jasper whined, rubbing her chest where your mom had hit her. Your mom chuckled, starting to pull bags from out of her car.
"Watch what you say to the queen then."
"Yes, ma'am," Jasper said, unlocking the trunk to the SUV. You and Kehlani began taking bags from the car, following your mom. She walked along the slightly inclined sidewalk, a black gate coming into view in front of her. Your mom pushed it open with her shoulder, the squeaking noise the gate made making your ears ring.
"Hey boys," your mom yelled, laughing. The men a little way in front of her turned around. They smiled widely at her, moving forward.
"We're barely boys anymore," one of your uncles said, taking some of the bags from your mom and sitting them on one of the many tables lined up under the tent you all were standing beneath. Long metal poles stuck into the ground along the concrete held the massive thing up.
"You really thought this through, huh, Ma," you said, putting the bags you had in hand on another table.
"Yep. I didn't want the tables to be on the uneven ground, so I made sure the tent was big enough to stretch across this concrete portion. All out there is grass for the kids to run and around play. There's also a playground over there. And then farther down, if you can see, is a basketball court," your mom explained, waving her arm across the expanse of greenery in front of you.
"I didn't sleep with you last night, girl! Come and give me a hug," your uncle yelled, waving you over. You chuckled softly, walking over to him.
"Hey, Uncle Reggie," you said in a monotone voice. He shook you as you hugged him, making you giggle.
"Now stop being so bougie and give the rest of ya uncles a hug," your mom said, chuckling as she began taking things out of the bags. You hugged your other three uncles that were there next, turning around to introduce all of them to your friends.
"Uncle Reggie, Pete, John, and Sam...this is Kehlani, Millie, and Jasper," you said, pointing to the people as you named them. Storm meowed loudly from by your ankles, rubbing her body against your legs. You chuckled, picking her up. "And this is Storm." Your uncles laughed, shaking both Jasper and Kehlani's hands.
"You've got quite a grip," Uncle John commented as he shook Jasper's hand, slapping her arm. She smiled, releasing his hand.
"And is this little one yours, Kehlani," your oldest uncle, Sam, asked your best friend.
"Yes, sir." He chuckled, reaching his hand out towards Millie. She grabbed onto his index finger, shaking it.
"Hey there, cutie," he said, smiling warmly at her.
"Hi," she said softly, smiling back at him.
"And how old are you," he asked, taking her from Kehlani's arms. Millie held up three fingers, and your uncle put on a surprised expression. "Oh! You're a big girl then, aren't you?" She nodded, giggling quietly.
"Can you girls go get the rest of the stuff from the car? After you've done that, you can go ahead and start decorating while we get this food together." You nodded, following Jasper and Kehlani back down the sidewalk.

*time skip brought to you by family*

It didn't take long for you, Jasper, and Kehlani to decorate the area around the tent and a little further down into the grass. The time was one forty-three, an hour after you guys had finished decorating everything. You sighed, taking a seat in one of the many chairs lined up against the black metal fence that enclosed the entire park. Kehlani walked over, coming to sit in the chair next to you. You smiled at her, looking back out over the grassy, green field. "Your family is really cool," Kehlani commented, leaning against the palm of her hand. You chuckled, sitting back in the chair and crossing your legs.
"You can have them," you said jokingly. Kehlani laughed, nudging your arm.
"Don't be like that. Even you know that they're pretty dope." You nodded, looking over at your uncles under the tent. Your mom was still sitting down at one of the round tables, an electric blue drink in hand. Storm was down by her ankles, appearing to be asleep. Your uncles were all doing various things. Their wives, who came when you were decorating, were setting up the food they had brought over burners to keep it hot. Jasper was by the grill, turning another rack of ribs over for Uncle Pete. He patted her shoulder, a huge smile on his face as he said something to her. You smiled softly, watching as Millie pulled on your oldest uncle's beard, her contagious laughter filling up the quiet area.
"What's up, y'all!" So much for peace and quiet. Your youngest auntie screamed as your mom ran up to her, them hugging each other tightly. All of her sisters were behind her, their kids in tow. You chuckled at how miserable your cousins looked until they spotted you from your place across the park.
"(Y/n)!" You chuckled as they ran up to you, your cousin JoJo getting to you first. She squeezed your waist, picking you up. You giggled, wrapping your arms around her neck.
"Love the haircut," you commented, rubbing her shaven head. She chuckled, rubbing her hands together and licking her lips.
"You already know I had to get fresh for the one time." You shook your head, letting out a small 'oof' when Veronica tackled you into a hug. You laughed, regaining your balance as you hugged her back.
"I missed you," she screamed, kissing your forehead. You chuckled, looking over her strawberry blonde hair.
"I missed you too. Did you dye your hair?"
"Yeah, girl. You know I've always been into hair, so I opened a shop with my mom to support my baby."
"Baby?!" She giggled, pointing at her mom, Michelle, who was holding a little boy who looked around Millie's age. "Damn...any more of y'all have kids I should know about," you asked, looking over the lot of them.
"CeCe has a little boy too. Kiara has two girls. Maya had another one, a little boy. Uh...and I think Aunt Savannah might have taken in some more foster kids, so the majority of the little ones that'll be running around are hers," Veronica explained, counting off on her fingers. You exhaled slowly, rubbing your forehead.
"Feel old yet," Omar asked, chuckling. You walked over to him, wrapping your arm around his neck and rubbing your knuckles against his scalp. He yelled, swatting at you as you laughed.
"Damn, O! She still got ya ass with the noogie like old times...you don't learn," JoJo said as she shook her head at her younger brother, slapping his back. "Come on, (y/n). I'm pretty sure Auntie Crystal wants to see you." You were about to begin walking away with your cousins when you remembered Kehlani.
"Oh! Wait, you guys." They all turned to you curiously, and you beckoned Kehlani over. She stood next to you, and you wrapped your arm around her waist, shaking her slightly. "This is my best friend, Kehlani. Uncle Sam has her baby up there. The little girl with the curly hair." Your cousins waved at her, JoJo looking her up and down.
"You are so pretty," Veronica and JoJo said at the same time. They made eye contact and then laughed, hugging each other's sides. Kehlani giggled, giving them a quiet 'thank you,' just as one of your younger cousins ran up to you. You grinned, hugging her.
"Kora! Hey, what's up," you asked, looking down at the short teenage girl.
"My mama wants you to come here."
"Yeah, we were just about to come over there, dunce," Omar said, flicking her forehead. She pushed him, and he laughed, continuing to mess with her.
"How old are y'all? Five," JoJo scoffed, starting to walk across the grass towards the tent. The rest of you followed her, laughing at Omar and Kora.
"I'm actually eighteen, thank you very much," the girl said, smacking Omar in the back of his head hard. Veronica busted out laughing, covering her mouth.
"I was being sarcastic, stupid," JoJo said, grabbing the back of Kora's neck as she laughed.
"Niece," you heard Auntie Crystal yell from her place by the grill. You looked up at her, realizing that she had a piece of barbecue chicken in her hand. She licked her fingers, wiping her hands as she tossed the bone into a nearby trashcan.
"Hey, Auntie," you said, chuckling, walking up to her and hugging her. She squeezed you for a moment, pulling you back to look you in the face.
"Why you didn't tell me about Jasper's fine ass," she yelled way too loud. You blushed, JoJo, Kora, and Veronica shouting 'who' simultaneously. "Her," your auntie said, pointing at the gem. "Jasper! Come here, baby!" The gem turned around, wiping her hands on a nearby towel before pulling her pants up.
"Ma'am," the gem questioned, standing next to her.
"What're your intentions with my niece," your auntie asked, squeezing Jasper's bicep. Your blush increased, and you nudged your auntie, furrowing your eyebrows. Jasper chuckled, exposing her canines as she grinned.
"There are no intentions! She's insufferable", you said, crossing your arms and pouting, your face ablaze.
"...lying ass", JoJo said under her breath, coughing. Veronica giggled, latching her arm to Jasper's.
"Well, if she's insufferable, let me have her!" JoJo shook her head, pushing her away from the gem.
"Nah, nah. That's all (y/n), back up. But you play basketball," JoJo asked the gem, looking up at her. "Because you're tall as hell. What're you? Like, six-five?" Jasper shrugged, turning when your mom called her name.
"Excuse me," she said, smiling lightly at your auntie and JoJo, walking away to see what your mom wanted.
"So, how's the sex? I gotta know," your auntie whispered, getting closer to you.
"Auntie!" Your (s/c-t) face was hot, and you averted your gaze from your cousins as they laughed. "We—it's not like that," you protested, crossing your arms.
"I know it's good. It's gotta be. Look at those hips...I know there's some power behind 'em. Mhm," your auntie finished, growling playfully, as she scratched at the air like a cat. You groaned, covering your face in embarrassment. JoJo was practically on the floor laughing, smacking Kora's shoulder.
"Ma, stop. You're going to kill both (y/n) and Josephine," Kora said, crossing her arms. JoJo suddenly stopped her obnoxious laughing, glaring at Kora.
"Aye, man. Don't be using my government name like that little girl," she said, jabbing her in the forehead. Kora and she then started slapping at each other, running off into the field again. Veronica ran after them, laughing as she tried to stop the two. Omar had disappeared somewhere around the food, and Kehlani was over by Millie. You shook your head, sliding out of your auntie's grasp to go back to your chair in the field.
After another forty-five minutes of family members coming into the park, greeting them, laughing, and getting embarrassed, your mom finally closed and locked the gate, sealing everyone inside. The kids started running in the field, going to the small playground further down. You smiled to yourself, tapping your foot to the music your mom had put on. "(Y/n)!" You looked up after hearing your name, trying to decipher who had called you out of all the people walking and running around. A short brown-skinned girl was jumping around, waving her hands in the air as she ran to you. You smiled widely, giggling like a little girl as you ran across the field to her. The two of you crashed into each other, collapsing in the soft grass. You laughed, rolling over on the ground until you were sitting up again. ViVi sat up after you, raking grass out of her shoulder-length dark brown hair. Blond highlights ran through the wavy locks, her dark brown eyes shining as she smiled at you. "¡Mejor amiga!" You hugged her again, pressing your cheek to hers on each side and making a kissing noise. "I missed you so much, amor."
"I missed you too! How long has it been...five, six years?" She nodded, giggling.
"How have you been, niña," ViVi asked, standing up from the ground and brushing herself off. She was wearing a black crop top with wide straps and a pair of blue leggings with a static pattern.
"I've been great, actually. How about you," you asked, helping you up from the ground. The two of you walked back to your place over by the black metal fence. You brushed your dress off before sitting down, ViVi standing up next to you, leaning against the fencing.
"Muy bien. Life is good, ya know? I'm just happy to see you again," she said, smiling softly at you. You chuckled, looking out at the kids running around. You caught sight of Millie running across the field towards the other kids, her mom approaching you.
"Oh, this is Kehlani, ViVi," you said after your best friend had sat down in the chair beside you. ViVi nodded in her direction, sharing a small smile with her. "Where's your dad," you asked after a moment of silence, looking up at your childhood friend.
"Por ahí," she said, pointing over to where your mom was. A few other people were surrounding her along with Miguel, almost hiding her from your view. Must be some of her friends. You also noticed after looking around that you didn't see anyone from your dad's side of the family. You sighed, not all that surprised. At least Mom looks happy—I hope she doesn't think about it too much later on. "So...," ViVi started, pulling you out of your thoughts, "Boyfriend, question mark?" You blushed slightly, chuckling.
"Nope."
"Girlfriend, question mark," she asked, bending down at the waist to look in your (e/c) eyes. You shook your head, giggling as your face grew hotter.
"Jasper," Kehlani said bluntly, examining her nails.
"What," you and ViVi asked at the same time.
"Jasper. Ten o'clock." You turned, looking up to see the gem approaching the three of you. She stopped in front of you, handing you the anklet your mom had given you as a gift that morning.
"You left it in the car. I saw it when I went to grab something outta there a minute ago," she said, her amber eyes looking more piercing in the afternoon sunlight that spread across the park.
"...thank you," you said softly, taking it from her fingers. You then bent your leg up to put it on.
"No problem," she said with a smile, glancing at ViVi. "You must be ViVi." Your friend nodded, sticking her hand out to the gem for her to shake. Jasper kissed the top of her hand, smirking slightly. "Nice to meet you...(y/n) talked about you a lot after she found out you were gonna be here." ViVi giggled, slipping her hand out of the gem's.
"I'm surprised you remembered," you said, playing with your (h/c) hair. Jasper chuckled, pinching your chin between her index finger and thumb quickly.
"Of course, I remembered, Shortcake." Someone then called her name from under the tent, and she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'll be back. I still owe you an explanation," she said, winking at you before jogging back over to the tent.
"Ay Dios mío...such a gentlewoman," ViVi said with a giggle, nudging your shoulder. "If you don't cuff her, I'll rompe tus tobillos." You laughed, shaking your head.
"We're just friends, ViVi. Nothing serious."
"Mhm...," she hummed skeptically, pushing you gently. "I'm going to go and eat. Do you want me to fix you a plate, hermana?" You nodded, thanking her as she walked away.
"Yeah, I'm going to go and make a plate too," Kehlani said, standing and following ViVi. You saw her pass Jasper on the way up there, the gem approaching you again. You chuckled, standing up and walking farther down along the fence towards the playground.
"You sure you won't get called back again," you asked the gem after she caught up with you. She laughed, putting her hands in her pockets before leaning against the fence in front of the playground. You watched all the little kids running around and playing, their screaming and laughing euphoric. JoJo and her brother, along with a few of your teenage cousins were playing basketball on the court farther down, the sound of them shit-talking reaching your ears.
"No, I don't think I'll get called again. Daia ran out of people to introduce me to, and out of drinks for me to try. And then Uncle Pete just finished the rest of the meat so."
"Good. Now time for your explanation," you said in false anger, pushing Jasper. She chuckled, looking up at the clear blue sky.
"Daia bought the phone today, and yesterday is when I got the license. It wasn't my fault though, I swear!" You gave her a look that said, 'I don't believe you,' causing her to laugh. "No, listen, hear me out. We were just coming out of this expensive dress shop when Daia saw a...what did she call it? A mixologist. The guy was mixing all these colorful drinks, showing off his skills and—," the gem paused her story as Millie ran up to her, bouncing excitedly down by her calves.
"Up," the toddler yelled, raising her arms in the air.
"Someone's got a lot of energy. What did you have," Jasper asked her, picking her up.
"Snowcone! Up!"
"How much more 'up' do you want to be, Millie," the gem asked, laughing lightly.
"The sky!" Jasper tossed her up in the air, and she screamed, latching onto her hair when she caught her again.
"Ow, ow, don't pull the hair, Millie," she said, laughing. The toddler giggled, reaching for you, and you took her from Jasper, ruffling her hair and kissing her forehead. She kicked her legs, and you put her back onto the ground, your eyes widening at how quick she took off running. "What the hell is in those snowcones?" You giggled, shrugging. "Anyway, back to what I was saying. So the guy was showing off his skills and such and of course, knowing your mom, she wanted to go and watch for a minute. But watching turned into her drinking almost everything he made. Eventually, I pulled her away from the little stand, suggesting we go back upstairs, but she said we should go and get something to eat."
"Ohh! So that's what took you guys so long," you said, nodding slowly.
"Yeah. So we leave out and we go get something to eat but then she has the crazy idea to let me drive since she's really tipsy. Probably drunk actually." You nodded as you listened to the gem speak, your eyes roaming over the playground. You saw Millie bouncing around, seemingly gathering kids together. You raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she was doing. "—and that's when we went to the license place and I got it then. Daia had to pull a few strings though since there's no record of me ever being on earth, but yeah."
"So when did you get a haircut? Today?" The gem nodded, running her fingers through her hair. The glint of something shiny on the side of her head caught your attention, causing you to look at her. You gasped, grabbing ahold of her hair, yanking it until she was bending down to your level. "When did you get your ears pierced?!" Jasper grunted, removing your fingers from her locks, holding your wrists in place in front of you with one of her hands.
"This morning. Daia did it when you and Kehlani went to the mall," she explained.
"You just let my mother do anything to you, don't you," you said, crossing your arms and shaking your head, a small smile on your face.
"Are you jealous," she said, snaking her arms around your waist. You blushed, looking away from her.
"Of course, I'm not—uh...Jasper," you questioned, giggling quietly. "I think you've got some fans."

Jasper's POV

I raised an eyebrow, turning my head to the left to see what (y/n) was looking at, let alone talking about. Millie and two little boys stood in front of us, their hands behind their backs as they looked up at me expectantly. "Is there something you need, Millie and friends," I asked, sliding my hands down (y/n)'s waist. She smacked my shoulder hard, and I laughed at the blush spread across her cheeks.
"Up," Millie yelled, reaching for me. I sighed, picking her up and tossing her in the air. She laughed, gently pushing one of the little boys closer to me after I had put her down. He looked up at me shyly, his green eyes catching the sunlight. I screamed internally at how cute he was, squatting down to his level.
"I'm guessing you want up too, huh," he nodded, holding up his arms. I chuckled, grabbing him as I stood back up. I tossed him in the air, and he shrieked excitedly, running off when I put him back down. The other little boy then waddled up to me next, holding his arms up too. I did the same to him, laughing as he ran away, giggling as well. "Millie, what's all of this?"
"Um...all the other kids saw you throw me up so—so they asked if you would do it to them too and I said yes," she said softly, looking down at her feet. I snatched her up, burying my face in her neck. She laughed loudly, pushing my face away as I continued to tickle her.
"You're so goofy. Go get the rest of 'em," I said, putting Millie back on the ground and ruffling her hair before she ran away.
"Aww that's so cute," (y/n) exclaimed from beside me, looking over at the kids warmly. I then grabbed her, causing her to giggle as I squeezed her in a hug, nipping at her neck.
"Nah, y'all are cute," I heard JoJo say from behind me. I turned around, smacking the basketball out of her hand. "When are you gonna come play basketball with us, Jasper? Them kids trash."
"Aye! Don't be talking shit over here behind people's backs," Omar yelled as he ran over to his sister, jumping on her. JoJo chuckled, slinging him off and then throwing the basketball at him.
"Take ya fat ass back over there and man the court. I'm gonna stay over here for a minute." Omar did as he was told, but not before pushing her one last time. "Man, come on, CJ," JoJo whined, nudging my arm.
"Damn, I haven't heard that nickname in so long," (y/n) mused, leaning against the metal fence. "When'd you tell her?"
"When she was by the grill stuffing her face," I answered, laughing as JoJo hit me in my stomach with the back of her hand.
"I prefer the nickname over your real name though. I told everybody else to start calling you that too," JoJo explained.
"Ooh, look at that. My nickname stuck," (y/n) said arrogantly, sticking her tongue out at me. I sucked my teeth, hitting her playfully as kids started to line up in front of me. I began picking them up one at a time, tossing them in the air before putting them back down. Some of them would go to the back of the line to get thrown again, while the others would run back to the playground.
"So this what you doing besides playing basketball with us, CJ? Throwing these little gremlins up in the air," JoJo said, laughing, popping one of the little girls on her butt before she ran away. The child stuck her tongue out at her, laughing when JoJo did the same back.
"They are not gremlins, they're adorable." I turned my head to the right, seeing ViVi walk up to (y/n) with a plate in hand. She handed it to her and (y/n) squealed, sitting back in her chair to eat.
"My bad, Selena," JoJo said, laughing. ViVi's mouth fell open, and she picked up some mulch surrounding the playground, throwing it at JoJo.
"I can't believe you just said that you puta," she screamed, laughing as she chased the other girl.
"Y'all better chill before you get that shit in my food!" I laughed at (y/n)'s angry expression as she tried to shield her plate from the mulch fight happening in front of her. I tossed another toddler in the air before I noticed a man standing at the end of the line. He was wearing grey sweatpants with a tight grey t-shirt and white tennis shoes. My eyebrows raised a little at the design of his shoes, interested in them. A gold watch rested on his wrist, a chain of the same color hanging around his neck.

"Now I know your big ass not trying to get thrown up in the air like these kids," JoJo said jokingly as the man got closer, only one little boy left in front of him.
"Hell nah. I was just tryna see what Kobe was so excited about. Running over here and shit," he said, patting the little boy's head.
"I told you, Daddy," the child argued, running up to me. "You said you can't throw me up anymore because I'm too big, so I wanna see if Jasper can like Millie told me."
"How old are you, Kobe," (y/n) asked, licking her fingers.
"Five," he answered, reaching up for me. I picked him up, grunting as if he was heavy. He laughed, wrapping his arms around my neck.
"He's still a baby, Tony," (y/n) said, kicking him with a chuckle. "He can be thrown up if he wanna be thrown up."
"Aye, don't be using my government like that. It's only TJ over here," Tony said, getting up in (y/n)'s face. She pulled on his beard, and he yanked on her legs, almost making her fall out of the chair.
"C'mon, Jasper," Kobe whined, bouncing in my arms. I chuckled, tossing him up in the air and then catching him, putting him back on the ground. He laughed, hugging my legs before running back over to the playground with the other kids.
"So...you think we automatically cool because my son likes you," TJ asked, walking up to me as he gripped his wrist, resting his hands down in front of him. I could tell he was flexing, maybe trying to intimidate me.
"I never said that," I answered, narrowing my eyes at him.
"No, but you were probably thinking it, right," he asked, stepping closer to me. I crossed my arms, taking a step closer to him as well. The eyes of everyone close enough to hear our interaction were on us.
"Nah," I said, realizing that we were the same height.
"Bro, you know good and damn well you'd love for me to be friends with you," he said, looking me up and down.
"You must want me to reward you or something" I asked, slightly starting to pull my shirt up.
"Nah, nah, I'm not with that gay shit, bro," he said laughing, stepping back from me. (Y/n) laughed, standing up from her seat.
"I can't, I need a drink after that," she said, walking towards the tent. ViVi followed her, laughing as well.
"I see you got jokes Jasper...," TJ said, sizing me up.
"Aye, don't be using my government name like that," I said, repeating what he had said earlier.
"Yeah, it's only CJ over here," JoJo said, nudging me with her elbow. I chuckled, looking back at TJ.
"Alright then, CJ," he said with a chuckle, rubbing his hands together. "I like that...TJ and CJ. But since you were trying to get all buff with me a minute ago...I wanna show you who's alpha around here." I raised an eyebrow at him, repositioning my feet on the ground. "I want to have a competition." I was confused as to how I was 'getting buff' with him earlier but the word 'competition' is what caught my attention.
"I'm listening..."
"Let's play a little basketball," TJ said with a shrug, grinning at me.
"Finally," JoJo yelled, pulling on both of our arms. "I've been trying to get her to play basketball with me all day after I explained it to her."
"My boy, O," TJ hollered, running up to JoJo's brother and giving him a handshake, pulling him into a hug. "Whatcha been up to?"
"Nothing much man, nothing much. When'd you pull up?"
"Not too long ago. I had dropped Kobe off earlier, but my baby momma was tripping on some shit so I had to leave and come back." Omar nodded, shaking his hand again.
"I understand, I understand. You and CJ 'bout to play basketball?"
"Yes, we are. Two on two. You and TJ, and me and CJ," JoJo said, taking the ball from her brother and bouncing it.
"How that sound to you, CJ," TJ asked me, hitting my arm lightly.
"I'm game," I said with a shrug.
"Well, let's get into it then," Omar said excitedly, skipping backward onto the court.

(Y/n)'s POV

You laughed as you walked out from under the tent and back into the warm sun, Kehlani, and ViVi on either side of you. You and the girls had a couple of the slushie drinks your mom had made. The same electric blue drink you had seen in her hand earlier. So to say that you were a little tipsy would be an understatement. "What happened to Jasper," Kehlani asked, looking around for the gem. She was no longer in the place where you were sitting in front of the fence a while ago.
"I don't know girl...," you mused, holding a hand over your eyes to shield them from the sun.
"Mira! She's playing basketball with JoJo and them," ViVi said, pointing to the court in the distance. You squinted, gasping when you finally saw the group on the court together.
"Since when does Jasper play basketball," Kehlani asked, looking over at you. You shrugged, giggling.
"Since now I guess. I didn't think Jasper would be into sports, but she's always been full of surprises, so."
"Only surprise you haven't seen yet is what's in her pants, miel," ViVi singsonged, skipping towards the basketball court as the three of you got closer. You blushed, running after her.
"Get your mind out of the gutter," you shouted, laughing as your childhood friend dodged the swipes of your hands. You wrestled with her for a moment before the sound of JoJo yelling caught your attention.
"Ohh! Another slam dunk on ya candy ass," she said, getting all in TJ's face. She and Jasper did a little custom handshake, imitating the sound of an explosion as they wiggled their fingers. You giggled, sitting down on the nearby bench with ViVi, Kehlani joining the two of you a moment later. "Just give up dude! We're too quick for you."
"Alright, alright, respect. Y'all only won because I was a little off my game today. How about another challenge," TJ proposed, walking up to Jasper.
"Lay it on me", the gem said, folding her arms. TJ leaned against Jasper's shoulder, licking his lips.
"A race", he said simply, holding his arms up as he backed away from her. Jasper shrugged, nodding as she twisted the silver-studded earring in her ear.
"Bet."
"She's gonna smoke you," you yelled, giggling as Jasper winked at you.
"We'll see, we'll see," TJ said, rolling his shoulders. "We don't wanna run any kids over so, we'll start farther out in the field, wherever JoJo and Omar are standing. Whoever makes it to the tent and then back first, wins."
"Sounds like a plan," Jasper said, following TJ up to the spot in the field that JoJo and Omar picked.
"Okay, (y/n) and ViVi, y'all go stand up there by the tent. Kehlani, you can be a middle point to make sure they not cheating or anything," JoJo said, pointing at the various places she had mentioned.
"Don't do him too dirty," you whispered to Jasper as you walked past. The gem chuckled, putting her hands in her jean pockets arrogantly. You and ViVi made your way back up by the tent, making sure not to stand too close just in case Jasper and TJ couldn't stop themselves.
"Okay, on your mark," Kehlani yelled, shuffling back a little in the grass, "get ready, get set and...go!" Both TJ and Jasper took off running towards you and ViVi, skidding to a halt at the same time and then turning around to run back towards JoJo and Omar. As they were coming back up the slight incline of the field, you noticed that they were neck and neck. Dirt and grass flew up into the air, and you and ViVi jumped back slightly, letting out light screams as you covered your faces.
"So," Jasper asked, dusting herself off.
"That was definitely a tie," you said, biting your thumbnail. ViVi hummed in agreement, and both competitors groaned, throwing their hands in the air.
"That just means we gotta beat that tie with another challenge," TJ said, smacking Jasper's upper arm.
"I say we drink," Jasper suggested, grinning at TJ. He grinned back, shaking the gem's hand and then pulling her into a hug.
"Now you're speaking my language."
"Did somebody say, drinking contest? Cuz I got bottles in my car," Auntie Crystal said, approaching all of you.
"Of course you do," JoJo said, coming up behind Jasper and TJ with Kehlani and Omar in tow.
"What kinda bottles we talking here, Auntie," TJ asked, crossing his arms.
"Hennessy." TJ chuckled, his shoulders bouncing slightly.
"Lightwork. I'm a solid six-foot-eight-inch wall of muscle. You can't stop this," he said, hitting his chest. Jasper laughed, running a hand through her hair.
"Am I muy loco or are they two sides of the same coin," ViVi commented as you followed a few feet behind Jasper and TJ towards your auntie's car.
"I was just about to say that," Kehlani agreed, walking up so that she was next to you. "Like, they're the same height and everything. I can't really tell who's in better shape since Jasper has those jackets on..."
"True, true," ViVi agreed, nodding her head. She then locked her arm in yours, walking a little slower. "So...you wanna tell me what that body looking like, (y/n)?" You giggled, a light blush on your face.
"Just ask Jasper," you said, closing your (e/c) eyes as you unhooked your arm from ViVi's. You then sat up on the hood of your auntie's car, swinging your legs lightly.
"Ask me what," Jasper questioned, leaning on the car next to you with a bottle of Hennessy in her hand. TJ was standing in front of her, already super hype.
"Go ahead, ViVi," you said, giggling as a blush appeared on her face. She averted her brown eyes from Jasper's amber ones as the gem looked at her curiously.
"You ask her," she countered, laughing as she pushed your shoulder gently.
"You're the one that wants to know!"
"Dude, just tell me," Jasper said, standing up and grabbing under your knees. She pulled you to the edge of the car hood, wrapping her arms around your waist. You giggled, pushing against her stomach to get away from her.
"No! ViVi is the one that wants to know."
"Know what," the gem asked with a chuckle, looking between you and your friend.
"Yo, CJ! You can fuck with (y/n) later! Unless you're giving up already", TJ said, twisting open his bottle of Hennessy.
"Oh, hell nah! Jasper doesn't quit," she said, opening her bottle next, turning around, and facing him.
"Y'all ready," your auntie said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yup," Jasper and TJ said at the same time, positioning the bottles at their lips. You placed your forearms on Jasper's shoulders, leaning forward slightly until your chest was pressed against her back to see TJ in front of her. The two made eye contact as they drank, the muscles in Jasper's throat rolling against your hand as she swallowed. You giggled, quickly getting off of the car to see who was the closest to being finished with the bottle.
"Oh fuck," TJ said in a strained voice after drinking about half of the brown liquid. "I can't...this shit is strong." Jasper finished the bottle, twisting the cap back on.
"That shit is nasty," she commented, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Never again."
"On God," TJ agreed, handing the bottle back to your auntie, a hiccup wracking his body. "Let's take a break. Walk with me, CJ." Jasper nodded her head, putting the empty bottle on the hood of the car, burping quietly.
"Gross," you said with a giggle. Jasper grinned, snaking her arm around your waist and pulling you to her. She dipped her head down into your neck, making you laugh quietly.
"I'll be right back," she said, her voice low. You chewed on your bottom lip, watching as she walked after TJ.
"I'm gonna go after them. Make sure they don't get into no trouble," JoJo announced, jogging after the two.

Jasper's POV

I followed TJ out of the park's parking lot, walking down the sidewalk behind him. "Where are we going, TJ," I asked, glancing behind me as I heard footsteps approaching me.
"Somewhere to talk," he answered, turning a corner and continuing to walk along the sidewalk.
"We could have just talked when we were at the park," I said with a chuckle, walking a little slower so that JoJo could catch up to us.
"There was too many people up in that park," he laughed, turning his head slightly behind him so I could hear what he said. I dropped my arm over JoJo's shoulders, chuckling when she grunted softly at the weight. TJ stopped next to a pole, pressing a red button on it. He stood there, and I walked up next to him, confused as to why he had stopped walking. The glowing, white outline of a person appeared on the little screen high up on the pole, and TJ continued across the street, waving his arm for us to follow.
"You came all the way out here just to go to another park," JoJo commented, walking up to TJ's side. He grabbed her head, shaking it slightly.
"This park has hella trees and less folks. Meaning nobody will smell what I'm about to cook up," he said to her, walking under the archway that was the entry to the park.
"Ohhh," JoJo said, chuckling, rubbing her hands together, "I see what you talkin' 'bout."
"CJ! You smoke," TJ asked me after we had found shade under a group of thick trees.
"Uh...no," I answered, completely confused as to what he was talking about.
"For real? Damn, that's crazy," he said, pulling a plastic bag out of his pocket. He shook it in front of me, the green nuggets jumping around in the bag. "Take a look at that," he said, opening the bag and handing me one of the round objects. A strong earthy, almost spicy smell hit me, making my shoulders relax at its familiarity. I held it between my fingers, turning it. It had a silver sheen to it that glistened in the rays of sun that were coming through the thick trees covering us. "Pretty ain't it? Only flower I'll ever carry," he said with a chuckle, holding the bag out to me. I dropped the plant back in there, looking over my stained fingertips.
"You bring any paper with you," JoJo asked, sitting on the huge rock behind her next to TJ. He pats his pockets, sucking his teeth.
"Damn...knew I forgot something."
"Yeah, I knew your forgetful ass would," JoJo said, pulling out two small packages from her pocket. One was purple, the other was white and silver. "You gotta sweet tooth, CJ?" I shook my head, and she tore open the white and silver pack, handing it to TJ.
"And that's why you're my favorite cousin," TJ said, slapping the palm of his hand against JoJo's and then gripping it. She chuckled, opening the second pack and then sitting it in her lap.
"You know I gotchu. You and CJ can have those diamonds, I'll take the grape." I cringed slightly at the mention of diamonds, frowning. TJ nodded, crushing the contents in the bag. JoJo handed what was in the purple packet to TJ, folding it and then putting it back in her pocket. He unrolled the brown paper, pinching some of the contents from the bag into it. Once it was filled, he handed it carefully to JoJo, and she rolled it back up skillfully, dabbing it against her tongue and then sealing it.
"You're a pro aren't you, cuzzo," TJ said with a chuckle, pulling another set of the brown paper from the white and silver package.
"Blunt clean ain't it," she said with a grin. TJ chuckled, starting on another one. "You gotta lighter," she asked after he had finished lining another one of the papers with the plant, handing it to me. I took it from him, repeating the same process I had seen JoJo do.
"Yes, girl," he answered, still focused on what he was doing. "I'm not that forgetful, shawty," he said, sticking the blunt in his mouth and then pulling out a lighter and handing it to JoJo. She lit the end of it, the sound of her sucking in a breath following. She gave the lighter back to TJ, smoke billowing out of her mouth. My eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. I looked down at what I had in my hand, taking the lighter from TJ after he was done with it.
"How you feeling, CJ," JoJo asked me, taking another drag of the blunt before coughing slightly. I shrugged, leaning against the tree behind me as I watched the fire flicker in front of me when I sucked in a breath. I blew the smoke out slowly, humming at the earthy taste left in my mouth.
"I don't feel anything right now," I replied honestly, watching the smoke swirl around us.
"You just gotta let Quick Silver do his work," TJ said calmly, leaning back on his hands. "But CJ...tell me a li'l bit about yourself."
"Not much to tell," I said, coughing for a minute. "Don't have many friends, but a lot of enemies. Being a soldier is all I know, so I'm really just trying to make it."
"That's deep," JoJo said slowly after a moment of silence. TJ hummed in agreement, blowing more smoke out of his mouth and then breathing it in. He scratched his beard, rubbing the black hair of his mustache that connected to it.
"I like you CJ...you're cool people. Hard to come by your type these days." I laughed lightly, slowly beginning to feel giddy and excited.
"Yeah, I can see why (y/n) likes you," JoJo added with a chuckle. I raised an eyebrow at her, a blush clouding my cheeks.
"How do you know that?" TJ scoffed, putting his blunt behind his ear.
"It's pretty obvious. You're already on the field, you just need to catch the ball and score the points."
"Here he goes with the football references," JoJo said, rolling her eyes. TJ smirked, nudging her.
"Look, CJ. (Y/n) not like these other females. You can't approach her the same way you would any other girl."
"Well, yeah. I know that", I said, blowing more smoke out of my mouth as my blush increased.
"If you're anything like me, the girl usually comes to you. Practically given to you and there's not much work you gotta put in. You follow me?" I chuckled, nodding.
"Yeah, I follow you."
"But (y/n) different like I said. She don't need nobody to be alright," TJ said, pulling the blunt from behind his ear and smoking it again. "You want her, right?"
"I mean, yeah. Sure. She just got a different feeling to her...not like anything I seen or felt before," I said, blushing more as I took another drag of the blunt. TJ and JoJo nodded, quiet for a while.
"Damn...that's deep for real," JoJo said, rubbing her hands against her jeans. "I'm tryna get like y'all," she said with a chuckle, crossing her arms. "Is Kehlani single?"
"On God she fine," TJ said, glancing over at JoJo. "But she got her eyes on lady killer over here," he said with a chuckle, pointing at me. I laughed, a cough mixing in with it.
"Nah, I don't think she does. Anymore. I talked to her about it this morning and she said she's cool," I said with a shrug.
"Damn, CJ. You hit her with that, 'We just friends', for real, huh," JoJo said, shaking her head. I shrugged, looking up at the dark green leaves in the trees, watching as the smoke squeezed through the branches. loo
"I was giving her obvious hints for a long time, but I don't think she caught on until I kinda told her flat out. I hope she didn't lie to me when she said she was cool..."
"She most definitely lied," TJ said, standing up and stretching.
"How do you know that," I asked him, crushing what was left of the blunt, which was practically nothing.
"The way she be looking at you. And the way she be looking at (y/n). I feel like she got something up her sleeve," TJ said, shaking his head.
"She won't know for sure unless she talk to her," JoJo said, bouncing her leg up and down slowly.
"CJ not tryna talk to that girl again. She needs a lowkey way of seeing what she's thinking."
"Ooh," JoJo exclaimed, snapping. "Dancing."
"Bro, what," TJ said, laughing.
"Yeah, I don't dance dude," I said, shaking my head with a chuckle.
"No, no hear me out," JoJo said, standing up, giggling as she grinned. "We take over the music for these next couple of hours. I get everyone into the groove of dancing and everything so it won't be weird, ya know. Y'all pick a song that you know every female has heard at least once. You and CJ do a little dance or whatever and include Kehlani in it some kinda way. (Y/n) will be impressed by the moves and whatnot, and she'll be happy that you and her best friend interacting and shit. Boom! You caught the ball and you scored. Two birds with one stone," JoJo finished, rubbing her hands together.
"I want to hate what you just said, but it kinda makes fucking sense," TJ said, shaking her hand and then pulling her into a quick hug. "Or it could be because I'm high as a kite, but whatever! Sounds like a plan."
"Hell nah. I don't dance. And how the fuck do you know that (y/n) is into dancing anyway," I asked, crossing my arms.
"She used to dance all the time when we were teenagers. But then her mom moved from the South and shit to here. When Auntie (ym/fn) started making all that money from her singing and performing, (y/n) stopped coming down South during the summer and spent that time with her dad. So," JoJo said, shrugging, "she stopped dancing and went all nerdy on us. We still love her though," she finished, chuckling with TJ. I smiled softly, looking down at the ground.
"So, what do you say, CJ," TJ asked me, grabbing my shoulder. I sighed softly.
"Alright, fine. I'll do it, only because I'm in a good mood right now." TJ gave a hearty laugh, slapping my back.
"That's that Quick Silver! I told you he'd speak to you, you just had to give it a minute. We can talk about the dance shit as we walk back. Now come on, I need to blow some of this energy off and fucking eat," TJ said, loudly, walking out from under the trees. JoJo and I looked at each other, laughing before following him.

*time skip brought to you by cloudy (9) minds*

(Y/n)'s POV

You were sitting at the table with your mom, Storm in your lap when you saw Jasper, TJ, and JoJo come back through the gate. You saw Kehlani perk up slightly like a puppy would when seeing their owner as Jasper walked under the tent. "Bro! Where's all the food," you heard TJ shout, a slight whine in his voice.
"Calm down boy, we just covered it up. We still got some left," Uncle Sam's wife, Diane, said reassuring him. He kissed her cheek, and the older woman chuckled, patting his back. TJ went into the pans your aunt had directed him to, Jasper and JoJo following behind him. He made himself a plate, and so did Jasper but JoJo just grabbed a breast of fried chicken, taking a spoonful of macaroni and eating it before sitting down with a snow cone in her other hand. You chuckled as they sat down at another table together, going back to petting Storm lazily.
"Where did they run off to," your mom questioned, opening one of her brown eyes to look at you. You shrugged, putting Storm on the ground by your feet.
"There's no telling with TJ." She chuckled, closing her eyes again, a soft smile on her face.
"I think they've both found their match." You hummed quietly in agreement, glancing back over at the pair about ten minutes later. They were just getting up from the table to throw their empty plates away, shoving and pushing each other. Jasper's laughter filled the tent, and TJ smacked her shoulder, his face contorted in a soundless howl. Jasper said something else to him, causing him to wheeze and bend forward, holding his stomach.
"Hold on...hold on, chill," he said between breaths, leaning against a nearby chair. Jasper continued to laugh, her shoulders shaking as she watched TJ lose his breath again in hysterics. You smiled, chuckling softly. I don't think I've ever seen her so happy... "Yo, Unc," TJ yelled after he had consoled himself. "I know you gotta football in your truck dawg," he said, looking at Uncle Pete.
"You right. Y'all trying to play a little football," your uncle asked, tossing TJ his keys. Your cousin caught them, jogging towards the gate.
"Yeah. I gotta teach CJ a few things," he called back, pushing the gate open.
"She looks like she can bulldoze you over while you're talking," your uncle said when TJ came back to give him his keys. Your cousin rolled his eyes, tossing the football in the air lightly.
"She wishes she could knock my two hundred pound ass over. CJ, think fast," he yelled, throwing the ball hard in Jasper's direction. You watched as it spiraled in the air, and you could have sworn everyone held their breath at that moment. The gem caught it with one hand, raising her eyebrow at him. "Ohhh," TJ hollered, dance-walking over to her. "CJ not playing no games! On the field! Now, solider", he said, laughing, pushing her from under the tent. Jasper chuckled, giving him the ball as they walked out onto the grass. "Plug my phone up, JoJo! I'm ready to get hype," TJ yelled, bouncing around. JoJo took his phone from the table they were sitting at, walking over behind your mom.
"Sorry, Auntie (ym/fn). Your music is kinda trash and us young adults ready to get hype," she said, unplugging your mom's phone from the speaker and replacing it with TJ's. Your mom smacked her thigh as she passed, laughing.
"What do you mean young adults? I'm not old!"
"Older than us," you commented, standing up. You wanted a better view of what was about to happen, so you planned to go and sit in your spot on the field. Your mom reached across the table to hit you, too, causing you to giggle. You followed JoJo from under the tent, noticing that your cousins and best friends (even some of the little kids) followed the two of you as well.
"We're gonna try and do a seven on seven, so I need some players," TJ yelled, looking over everyone that had walked down onto the field.
"You already know I'm playing," Omar said, going to stand by TJ.
"I'll play," a set of twins said at the same time, the sound of their mom cheering (who was one of your mom's friends) reaching everyone's ears when they walked onto the field, standing next to Jasper.
"JoJo! You not gonna come support your brother like these two dudes are doing," TJ asked, pointing at the twins.
"Nah, I'm good! Y'all big as hell and I like my bones, so," she yelled back, sitting on the ground next to you.
"Man, y'all scared," TJ asked, holding his arms up.
"We'll play," your uncles called, jogging down onto the field.
"Y'all sure? You not scared to get bulldozed by me," TJ said, chuckling. Uncle Pete shoved him, taking his place next to Jasper.
"Ain't nobody scared of you, boy." Next, Uncle Reggie and Uncle John took their places next to Omar and TJ. "Anyone else gonna play," Uncle Pete hollered, his deep voice echoing across the field.
"We'll play, we'll play," your cousins Elijah and Andre said, dispersing from the group by the fence and going out onto the field.
"Yeah, us too. I ain't no bitch," one of your older cousins named Derrick said, his younger brother Austin following him.
"We just need two more people. Anybody else," TJ shouted. He had started bouncing around again, and you could tell that he was getting more and more excited. He had played football in high school and a portion in college, but he wanted to focus on taking care of Kobe, so he dropped out his last year.
"I'll play," your cousin, who everyone called Junior, said, walking out onto the field nonchalantly. "Don't got nothing better to do."
"Yeah, me too," JoJo's brother-in-law, Bennet, said, smacking her neck as he walked past. She kicked the back of his legs, and he laughed, going to stand by Jasper.
"Alright. I got O, Uncle John, Uncle Reggie, Andre, Austin, and Junior," TJ said, pointing to those he named.
"And I have Uncle Pete, Kaiden and King, Elijah, Derrick, and Bennet," Jasper said, pointing out her team as well.
"Woo! Go, brother," Veronica yelled, clapping her hands, her baby boy doing the same. Elijah laughed, tying his locs back into a ponytail.
"Let's get started then," TJ yelled, giving the ball to Omar.
"I'm so excited," ViVi whispered from beside you, shaking your shoulder. You giggled, glancing back at the field. TJ was positioning everyone on his team, and Jasper was doing the same. Omar stood behind Uncle John, who was low to the ground, holding the football. A moment later, Omar started yelling commands, signaling the start of the game. TJ and Jasper were in front of each other, both of their expressions concentrated and serious. Uncle Pete was in front of Uncle John, low to the ground as well. Junior, Uncle Reggie, Andre, and Austin were scattered about behind Omar, making hand signals at each other. The twins, Kaiden and King, seemed to pick up on the signals, looking at each other and then departing on either end of the playing field. Elijah, Bennet, and Derrick shuffled their feet, preparing for take-off.
"Hike," Omar yelled, catching the ball from through Uncle John's legs. Jasper and TJ collided, their hands on each other's shoulders as they pushed and shoved, both trying to get the upper hand. Omar threw the ball, and TJ lowered his shoulder, ramming Jasper in the stomach with it. You heard her groan before hitting the ground, TJ immediately taking off and catching the ball, taking it to the makeshift end zone.
"Boom," TJ shouted, throwing the ball down on the ground. "That's how you do it!" He then walked up to Jasper, who was still on the ground, lying on her back. Her hands were over her face, one of her knees bent up while the other leg was straight. "I know you're embarrassed CJ, but you don't have to cry about it," TJ said jokingly, leaning over her as he laughed. You then began to hear a familiar deep chuckle, and it was coming from Jasper's throat.
"Uh oh," you said quietly, leaning forward in your chair.
"What," Kehlani asked from beside you.
"I know that laugh," you said, giggling, covering your mouth slightly. "She's about to get serious." TJ stuck his hand out towards the orange gem, helping her back to her feet.
"Get ready, TJ," you heard her say. Your cousin chuckled, patting the side of her head as he retreated to his side of the field.
"That's what I like to hear!"

*time skip brought to you by football*

Twenty minutes had passed by quickly, and now the teams were taking a five-minute "halftime" break. TJ and Jasper were in the middle of a shit-talking battle, the both of them laughing and shoving each other. "Yo! While y'all standing there playing, you could be taking a break and trying to figure out the next plays," Uncle Sam yelled from the tent.
"Yeah, CJ! Get your head in the game, girl! We're kicking your ass," TJ said, laughing.
"Your little ass won't be laughing when I run you over like a truck," she said, shoving him. TJ laughed again, taking his shirt off and throwing it over in your direction. It landed in JoJo's lap, and she threw it at you, gagging. You giggled, tossing it into an empty chair nearby.
"You ain't running nothing over, over here girl! You can't beat this," TJ yelled, flexing and getting all in Jasper's face.
"Two minutes left," Uncle Pete yelled, laughing at the pair.
"Oh hell nah," Jasper said, pulling off the black windbreaker she had on. She then walked over to you, pulling the white hoodie off next, unveiling a black muscle shirt. "Hold this for me baby," Jasper said, putting her jackets in your lap. She then rolled her shirt up and tucked it under her sports bra to reveal her toned stomach. You chewed on your bottom lip as you looked her over, holding her clothes to your chest. Her jeans hung low on her waist, the band of her boy shorts showing along with her defined v-line. "See something you like," she asked you as she tied her hair up, a smirk on her face. Your (e/c) eyes widened, and your cheeks heated when you looked up, making eye contact with her. She chuckled, pulling her phone and your mom's car keys from her pocket and giving those to you as well.
"Stop flirting and bring your ass, CJ," TJ shouted, cupping his mouth so that his voice carried. Jasper adjusted the silver chain around her neck, turning around and pointing at your cousin.
"Stay your ass right there, boy! I'm coming for you!"
"Look at me, and look at you," TJ said arrogantly, flexing again and making his chest jump. Jasper sucked her teeth, flexing, too, and then turning around to wink at you.
"Ooh," JoJo, ViVi, and Veronica said at the same time. You blushed more, attempting to hide in the gem's discarded clothes. Her scent was all over her jackets, and you sighed, closing your (e/c) eyes.
"So that's what her body is looking like," ViVi mused. "Estoy muy contenta." You giggled, looking back up at the continued football game. They had switched sides, Jasper's team now on the offensive and TJ's team on the defensive end.
"Jasper's really good at this, huh," Kehlani said quietly as everyone around you cheered.
"Yeah...she is."
"Almost like she's played before," your best friend said with a chuckle.
"I guess she's in her element. Running, tackling, grabbing, throwing...the dirt," you said with a giggle. "She just likes roughhousing. And TJ is the perfect opponent for her. It's cute," you said in a dreamy tone, smiling softly. "I don't think I've ever seen her this happy."
"...I have", Kehlani said softly. You glanced over at her, confusion written all over your face.
"When?"
"Whenever she's talking about you," she replied, a small smile adorning her lips. Her brown eyes contradicted her facial expression, causing you to furrow your eyebrows in worry.
"Kehlani, are you...okay?" She nodded, turning her head to face forwards and then giggling quietly.
"Look at Jasper and TJ." You turned your head back towards them, chuckling at the threats the two were making to each other across the field with expressions and hand movements. "Looks more like a game of charades rather than football," Kehlani added, making you laugh.
After another twenty minutes, the seven-on-seven game ended with Jasper's team as the winners. You cheered for her and the boys on the team, feeling kind of bad for TJ. Football was his life for a long time, and losing to someone who'd never played before had to sting at least a little bit. The boys and your uncles headed back to the tent to get refreshments for themselves, leaving Jasper and TJ on the field. You, Kehlani, ViVi, and JoJo stood up, walking onto the field to join them. TJ chuckled, taking a knee in front of Jasper.
"Damn, TJ. I ain't think I would ever see you get on one knee in front of a female," JoJo said, laughing as she crossed her arms. Jasper took a knee with him, wiping her forehead to stop her hair from sticking to it. "Oh shit! Double proposal!" You, ViVi, and Kehlani giggled at JoJo, watching the scene in front of you unfold.
"I really didn't expect you to beat me at my own game," TJ said to Jasper, jabbing her shoulder with his index finger. The gem chuckled, her breathing still a little uneven from the game. "And even though my team lost, I don't have anything but the utmost respect for you," he said with a small smile, placing his hand on the back of her neck. Jasper pressed her forehead to his, closing her amber eyes.
"I appreciate that. No more competitions for today, right?" TJ chuckled, opening his brown eyes to look into Jasper's amber ones, his forehead still pressed against hers.
"Nah, no more competitions...maybe. This is our truce," TJ said, holding his hand out towards the gem as he stood up. She slapped her hand against his palm, gripping his hand in hers as she stood up too. He pulled her into a bear hug, patting her back as she did the same to him.
"Aww," you and ViVi squealed, holding each other.
"That's so cute," you said, feeling all mushy inside at their brother/sister bond.
"Yeah, yeah," TJ said, pushing past everyone. "I need to sit the fuck down," he said, plopping down in the chair that had his shirt in it after picking it up. Jasper sat in your chair right next to him, hanging her jackets across the back of it. She then locked her arms behind her head, closing her eyes. JoJo sat on the arm of TJ's chair while Kehlani took the seat she had been sitting in before, right next to Jasper, and ViVi leaned against the fence behind them.
"Now where am I gonna sit," you asked with a chuckle, approaching the group.
"Right here, shawty," Jasper said, patting her thigh without even opening her eyes.
"You've been around TJ for too long Jasper...you're starting to sound like him," you said with a blush. You didn't want to admit it, but you were completely fine with her using lingo from the South. It was where you were born, after all, and not to mention it was kind of sexy.
"Don't hate the player, hate the game," TJ said, chuckling. You rolled your eyes, moving forward to sit on the gem's lap. She slid further down in the chair, moving her hips and then spreading her legs before she sighed as if the way she was sitting now was more comfortable.
"Neither one of you has game," you said, giggling. ViVi and Kehlani giggled, too, glancing over at Jasper and TJ to gauge their reactions. Jasper then suddenly sat up, wrapping her arms around your waist. Her abs pressed into your back, the thin material of your dress allowing you to feel everything.
"If I didn't have game, you wouldn't be sitting on my lap right now," she said, her breath brushing against your neck, making you shiver. You blushed, crossing your arms and pouting slightly.
"That's what I'm talking about, CJ," TJ said, giving her a short handshake, the both of them snapping at the end.
"Don't encourage her behavior," Kehlani said with a soft laugh, leaning forward in her chair to look at TJ.
"I think (y/n) secretly likes the new behavior though," ViVi commented, chuckling evilly. You blushed, grumbling to yourself.
"I don't think there's anything new about my behavior. She has sat on my lap before," Jasper commented, pulling your hips farther back.
"Yeah, but it was forced," you said, rolling your eyes. Jasper chuckled, swiping your legs to the side so that they rested against her other thigh.
"You could have gotten up at any time though. Like now, but you're still sitting here," the gem responded smartly.
"Listen here you little—," you started, only to be cut off by ViVi yelling in Spanish.
"Puta, this is my song," she shouted, running over to the tent to turn up the speakers. "Girl, your body is timeless...yeah," ViVi started as she ran back over you, pulling you up off of the gem's lap. "Girl, your body got me like, oh my gosh, oh my God, oh mama!" You giggled at your friend, singing the next set of lyrics with her.

(Song is at the very top. Back It Up by Prince Royce)

And you're makin' me earn it, yeah. Girl, you're makin' me earn it, oh my gosh, oh my God, oh mama

Ain't nothin' fake on you, you so, so real. Try playin' cool but can't help how I feel.

"I love it when you drop it down...baby, back, back, back it up," you sang as ViVi danced in front of you, moving her hips to the music.
"Dámelo Papi Chulo, dámelo Papi Chulo," ViVi sang after you, twirling.
"You turn around and make it bounce...baby, back, back, back it up!"
"Dámelo Papi Chulo, dámelo Papi Chulo," ViVi sang again, pressing her back against you as she swayed her hips.
"Oh, I wish I was stronger, yeah. But you're makin' it harder, oh my gosh, oh my God, oh mama—and you make me go longer, yeah. Say it over and over, oh my gosh, oh my God, oh mama," you sang as you spun her, entwining your fingers with hers when she turned her back to you again.

Ain't nothin' fake on you, you so, so real. Try playin' cool but can't help how I feel.

"I love it when you drop it down...baby, back, back, back it up," you giggled, watching as your friend shimmied her shoulders to the music.
"Dámelo Papi Chulo, dámelo Papi Chulo," she sang, closing her eyes as she slid down your body, turning to face you when she came back up.
"You turn around and make it bounce...baby, back, back, back it up," you laughed, placing your hands on her waist as she continued to dance.
"Dámelo Papi Chulo, dámelo Papi Chulo," ViVi sang, running her fingers up through her hair and holding her arms up as she continued to move her hips to the music. You let go of her, dancing with her in sync as the rest of the song played.

Boom, boom, mami, mami, mami
Damn, you're sexy
Boom, boom, mami, mami, mami
Damn, you're fine

Boom, boom, mami, mami, mami
You on fire
Boom, boom, mami, mami, mami
Let's ride

Now, back it up, push your booty out
Move it in, move it out

Now wind it up, while I grind it up
Like a twenty sack, and roll it out

You can go anywhere in the world, and you know that they know about me
I don't think you really wanna ask your girl if she knows anything about me

Nah, nah, you don't
Word of advice: Want a happy life?
Don't look for, what you don't want to find
But before your boyfriend finds out...back it up one more time
Dale

"Dámelo Mami Chula...dámelo Mami Chula," you sang to ViVi, holding her chin. She giggled, wrapping her arms around your neck.
"Dámelo Papi Chulo...dámelo Papi Chulo," she sang back again, her brown eyes latched onto your (e/c) ones.
"So back, back, back it up," you yelled together before dancing again.

I love it when you drop it down...baby, back, back, back it up
(Dámelo Papi Chulo, dámelo Papi Chulo)

You turn around and make it bounce...baby, back, back, back it up
(Dámelo Papi Chulo, dámelo Papi Chulo)

I love it when you drop it down...baby, back, back, back it up
(Dámelo Papi Chulo, dámelo Papi Chulo)

You turn around and, make it bounce...baby, back, back, back it up
(Dámelo Papi Chulo, dámelo Papi Chulo)

You and ViVi screamed and laughed after the song finished, holding each other's hands. "Can I just say...that was kind of sexy," JoJo said. You and ViVi turned to her just to find that everyone was staring at the two of you.
"I mean...I want to agree with you but (y/n) is our cousin," TJ said, looking up at JoJo with a smirk on his face.
"What? I can't say that them dancing together like that was fire," JoJo said, laughing. "What did you think, CJ?" The gem's hands were folded in front of her, partially rested over her mouth.
"I-I'm not even going to say anything," Jasper said, a visible blush across her cheeks. You giggled, covering your mouth slightly as you looked at her.
"Surprised," you asked, approaching her.
"No, more like intrigued," she replied with a chuckle.
"In other words, she would have probably preferred if you danced like that with her," TJ said. Jasper glared at him, and he let out a boisterous laugh, jumping out of the chair as the gem chased him down. "Yo, chill! I was just playing!" You laughed as TJ screamed like a little girl every time Jasper got close to him. Eventually, she stopped running after him, going up under the tent to get something to drink.
"It's kinda dead in this park...we need some action," JoJo shouted, jogging up into the tent. You weren't sure how but in some kind of way, she convinced everyone to get out on the field and move around and dance. The park was now filled with loud music and laughter again as it had been earlier. You smiled softly, turning around to grab Jasper's phone to check the time since yours was in your mom's purse under the tent. 3:32 PM. It felt later to you, but you shrugged, joining in on the group dance JoJo had started. She controlled the music for a while, playing songs like the Cha-Cha Slide, the Wobble, and the Cupid Shuffle. When she came back from under the tent after connecting TJ's phone back to the speakers, you flagged her down. She walked over to you with two slushies in hand, standing next to you where you were leaning against the fence. "What's up cuz," she asked, handing one of the drinks to you.
"Where did TJ and Jasper go when you followed them outta here," you asked, looking over at her curiously.
"Oh, TJ just wanted to talk to her about something. Where there wasn't nobody to interrupt and shit," she replied, looking out at the rest of your family that was still dancing, putting her lips around the straw in her drink.
"Must have been a long conversation...they do anything else," you asked, drinking some more of the slushie. The alcohol in it made your body tingle almost instantly. I really am a lightweight like my mom... JoJo looked back at you, putting two fingers to her lips and tapping them. Your mouth fell open, and you crossed your arms. "I knew it! I smelled it on her clothes. How many?" JoJo chuckled, nodding.
"Just one. He didn't force it on her, before you get all mad. She seemed really curious about it and seemed to love the smell and taste. She told me it was 'familiar' but new at the same time." You nodded, smiling softly.
"Well, she is an adult. It just scares me a little bit how much they're alike," you admitted, looking down at the grass below you. JoJo laughed, nudging her shoulder against yours.
"I wouldn't worry about them too much. They've got a brother, sister kinda bond I haven't seen in a hot minute. Let them have that." You giggled, letting out a sigh.
"Alright, I will," you said, drinking the rest of the slush and then tossing the cup into a nearby trashcan. You and JoJo then walked back to where Kehlani, ViVi, and Millie were. JoJo sat in the chair where TJ's shirt still was, and you sat on the arm of ViVi's chair, adjusting Jasper's clothes so they wouldn't fall off the back.
"I don't wanna be a bummer or anything (y/n), but Jasper and TJ have had a lot of those slushies," Kehlani said with a giggle. You turned your head, watching as Jasper and your cousin walked out from under the tent towards you and everyone else.
"How many of those slushies have you had," you asked Jasper when she reached you. She giggled, hiccuping before rolling her shirt back down.
"Wh-What're you talking about? I haven't had any more of them," she said, stretching. TJ chuckled behind her, putting his shirt back on.
"Stick your tongue out," you said with a smirk, crossing your arms.
"That's kinda kinky, li'l ma," Jasper said, resting her hands on her head.
"Just do it," you said, giggling, punching her lightly in her stomach. She chuckled, sticking her tongue out. You blushed slightly, but you discovered that it was blue like you had figured. "Well, you lied. How many have you had?" Jasper held up all ten of her fingers, shrugging.
"Nah, it was probably more than that," TJ said, leaning against Jasper's shoulder. The gem shushed him, the two of them sharing a playful giggle.
"So y'all are on cloud nine for real for real now then," you said, crossing your arms.
"Quick Silver isn't even that strong. So I was on like...cloud seven earlier and now I'm on nine," Jasper said, tapping your nose.
"Couldn't have said it better," TJ said a goofy grin on his face. You laughed just as TJ gasped, shaking Jasper. "This is the song!" The gem listened to it for a moment, laughing.

"I know this song." You gave her a look of surprise and confusion.
"You're lying," you said as the artist began singing.
"She used to work at King of Diamonds on a Monday. Only hit the club on Saturday and Sunday. I used to pull up every weekend, shoulda seen her...the way she did it, nobody could do it cleaner," the gem rapped, tilting your head up to look at her. Your mouth fell open slightly, your eyes not leaving her face. "I seen her in the suit for my birthday. And I can tell you the reason these hittas thirsty. Li'l mama getting it in all on her worst day. Li'l mama getting it in, she fit the school, and the gym into her workday," she continued, pulling you up from the chair. You got up slowly, your hands resting limply in hers. "I'm sprung, she got me doing the dishes. Held a hitta down when the clip was to an extension. You so bad, yeah, you so vicious. I'm so glad that, you're not his chick," Jasper grinned, pulling you to her chest and then pointing at TJ when she said the last line. "She wanted a hitta and got the right one. I'm all in the bed, she lookin' like fun. Pull up on me baby and spend the night, ah. They sayin' I'm sprung, they right," she continued, tapping your chin and then patting her chest after saying the first line. She then wrapped her arms around your waist, moving her hips with yours as she sang the last couple of lyrics.
"I can't let you go without me," TJ jumped in, pulling you away from Jasper.
"Aye shawty got me," she said, pulling you back. "Oh wait now li'l mama tryna lock me. Oh it can't be nobody if it's not me," she said, grabbing your face. You giggled, putting your arms around her neck. "I'm in the same spot that you dropped me."
"I can't let you go without me," TJ sang again, pulling you away from the gem with a frown on his face.
"Aye shawty got me," she said again, taking you back. "Oh wait now li'l mama tryna lock me. It can't be nobody if it's not me. Oh, I'm in the same spot that you dropped me."
"You, you, do, do, do," Jasper and TJ sang together, laughing.
"You sprung me baby I sprung you too," she said, looking back down at you and smirking. You blushed, looking away from her as TJ sang the next line.
"Too, too, too, too, too!"
"You unknot me baby I'ma undo," Jasper sang, tilting your head back up to look at her again.
"You, you, do, do, do!"
"I'm like a faucet baby, I'ma buss you too," she said with a smirk.
"You, do, too, too, too," TJ and JoJo sang, laughing at each other.
"I'm sprung and it's true cause—," TJ cut off Jasper as he snatched you away from her, dancing with you as he sang. You laughed at him, resting your hands on his chest.
"Ooh, you did it ooh you did it ooh. I already know what it takes to get into you. Ooh bring it back. She put that pussy on me she know how to make it clap make it clap," TJ said, looking directly at Jasper. She crossed her arms, putting on an angry expression as ViVi stood up. "I make it clap yo, I make it clap yo. I had them haters asking how you up in that rolls," TJ continued as you and ViVi clapped to the music, bouncing your legs as you switch between them in a dance. "And how them umbrellas coming out of locked doors, how the front doors open up like the back doors." TJ jumped up in Jasper's face, rapping the rest of T-Pain's lyrics. "I'll be like you ain't rich enough you ain't got my bitch in a Lamborghini, bikini, on the beach sittin' up. Now you bitchin' up, now your bitch wit us. She said, 'That champagne nasty', spit it up!" At this point, everyone in your family was watching what was going on, quiet 'oohs' breaking through the crowd to see what Jasper would do next. But TJ wasn't done yet. "Tony took one line and make a hot song. Now the chicks want tapes I am not gone. But it's been five times you ain't catch on. Maybe on the next song...I can't let you go without me," he said again, wrapping his arms around your waist as he stood behind you.
"Aye shawty got me," Jasper said, snatching you back from TJ and wrapping her arms around your waist. She rested her chin on your shoulder, and you giggled, closing your eyes and reaching your arms back to tangle your fingers in her hair. "Oh wait now li'l mama tryna lock me. Oh it can't be nobody if it's not me. Oh I'm in the same spot that you dropped me."
"I can't let you go without me," TJ said again, curling his index finger under your chin, causing you to open your (e/c) eyes and look at him.
"Aye shawty got me," Jasper said again, smacking his hand away. "Wait now li'l mama tryna lock me. Oh it can't be nobody if it's not me", she said, pressing her lips to your neck for a moment. The feeling of her lips upturning in a smirk made you bite your bottom lip as you laughed, a blush spreading across your cheeks. "I'm in the same spot that you dropped me."
"You, you, do, do, do," TJ, ViVi, and JoJo sang, along with a few others in the crowd watching.
"You sprung me, baby I sprung you too," the gem continued, rocking from side to side as she held onto you.
"Too, too, too, too, too!"
"You unknot me baby I'ma undo."
"You, you, do, do, do!"
"I'm like a faucet baby I'ma buss you too..."
"You, do, too, too, too," everybody sang, going quiet after the line to hear Jasper say Tory Lanez's last lyric.
"I'm sprung and it's true cause," she said, causing everyone to cheer, singing the rest of the song together.

I'm sprung, dawg she got me—got me doing things I'll never do, if you ain't been I'm telling you...

I'm sprung, dawg she got me—got me doing things I'll never do, if you ain't been I'm telling you...

Just as you thought the song was over, Jasper turned you around, looking down at you. Her amber eyes were partially lidded, her lashes casting shadows over the bright orbs. You gasped as she pushed a discarded strand of hair behind your ear, singing directly to you. "You're so sexy to me...sexy to me...give a damn who your ex be. I be flyin' to you jet speed. You sexy...make me wanna get messy. Make me wanna give it to you all day all night. In the broad light give a damn who catch me...you sexy. Sprung girl, you get me. Got me doing things I'd never do...and it's true." Your face and body were boiling, so you just knew your cheeks had gotten darker with a blush. Jasper chuckled, biting her bottom lip as she glanced down at yours. She inched closer to you, and you inhaled quietly, your eyes beginning to close. Your heart was heavy in your chest the closer she got—

—but then TJ called her. The gem turned her head as your cousin approached her, gripping her shoulder as he shook her. She laughed, letting go of you to drape her arm across his shoulders, putting him in a chokehold, and rubbing her knuckles against his head. ViVi came up behind you, leaning against your shoulder as she sighed heavily, watching as the two began to wrestle further away.
"Tan cerca," she tsked, shaking her head. "We'll get 'em next time." You laughed, squeezing her neck in your hands.
"Not helping!" Your friend giggled, tickling you to get free of your grasp.

Jasper's POV

I laughed as I pushed TJ off me, my eyes falling on Kehlani. She was sitting down in one of the chairs lined up against the fence. The same one she had been sitting in for the longest. Millie was in her lap, playing with car keys. Daia's car keys. I put my hands in my pockets, walking up to her. She jumped slightly when my shadow fell over her form, looking up at me. Must have been in deep thought. Millie giggled, reaching up for me, and I smiled, picking the little girl up. "Who let you get ahold of my keys," I asked the toddler, pinching her cheek. She pouted cutely, handing me the keys.
"Mama did," she answered, looking back at Kehlani.
"Yeah, sorry...I grabbed them to keep her busy for a while," she said with a small smile. I sat in the chair next to her, letting Millie run off to play with the other kids.
"I noticed that you didn't join in on the fun with everyone else earlier...you seemed kinda out of it, you okay?" Kehlani nodded, looking out in front of her. She was looking through people rather than looking at them. I touched her arm, grabbing her attention. "You know you can talk to me, right? And if you don't wanna talk to me then you can talk to (y/n)", I said, softening my facial expression as I looked at her.
"I'm okay Jasper, really," Kehlani said, rubbing my forearm. "Just tired I guess." Tired or planning something, I thought, thinking back to what TJ had said earlier.
"Well, I haven't seen you laugh or give me a real smile in about an hour so," I said, trailing off as I stood up. "Come with me." She took my outstretched hand, following behind me as I looked around for TJ. "Yo," I called when I saw him, Kehlani still holding my hand. He turned and looked at me, his eyebrows raised. Based on our eye contact, I knew he was asking: 'What the hell are you doing?'. I chuckled at how we could speak to each other without saying anything even though we met a few hours ago. I walked up to him, wrapping my arm around his neck as I pulled him to the side. "You remember what JoJo was talking about in the other park when we were smoking," I said lowly. He nodded, turning his head to spit on the ground. "Well, I'm ready to go ahead and try that out. See how she reacts since she's been out of it for a while. It's kinda creeping me out...I just wanna make sure she's good."
"Fo' sho', fo' sho'," he said, putting the toothpick he had in his hand back in his mouth. "I'll get it set up. You sure you're ready though? Not like we practiced or nothin'." I smacked the back of his head, and he chuckled, pushing me. "Alright, alright. JoJo", he called, alerting the woman's attention. "Get (y/n). And ViVi!" She turned around, tapping them. (Y/n) turned around with an eyebrow raised, her (e/c) eyes shiny in the sunlight. I chewed on my bottom lip at how the sun kissed her (s/c-t) skin, the orange dress hugging her curves. She then began walking over behind JoJo, stopping in front of me and TJ.
"What do you two knuckleheads want now," she asked, glancing between us.
"We want to challenge you. To a dance battle", TJ said, rubbing his hands together. (Y/n) looked at him like he was crazy and then nodded her head.
"Oh...you're serious. TJ, you know I don't dance like that anymore."
"C'mon! For old times sake", he pleaded, clamping his hands together like he was praying. She sighed, laughing softly.
"Okay, fine. You and Jasper, right," she asked, looking up at me.
"And Kehlani," he said, turning around to grab her.
"Wait, what," she said, obviously confused.
"You're going to be apart of our group. You don't have to dance but you can if you want. It'll be fun", I explained, leaning against her. (Y/n) smiled, unfolding her arms.
"Yeah, Kehlani! I've noticed you were looking kinda bored so let's do it", (y/n) said, holding her best friend's hands.
"...okay. Okay, fine! But only because I know that we'll win." (Y/n) giggled, looking Kehlani up and down.
"We'll see about that. TJ is rusty and Jasper doesn't seem like the type to dance, so we'll definitely crush you", she said, wrapping her arm around ViVi's neck.
"You're acting like you aren't rusty," TJ said, flicking (y/n)'s forehead. She grumbled, crossing her arms again.
"That's what you think, Sasquatch."
"That's your favorite insult, isn't it? For people bigger than you anyway", I said, smirking at her.
"Shut up. You know I could kick your ass anyday." I raised an eyebrow at her, bending down so that we were face to face.
"You sure about that, Shortcake?" She grabbed my gem, smirking. I closed my eyes, biting the inside of my cheek.
"Wait until you see the dance I have in mind. You won't be talking so much shit after me and ViVi beat you."
"Hey, hey! Don't kill our third member before we even get started", Kehlani said laughing, taking (y/n)'s hand off of my gem, her fingers brushing against it.
"C'mon, miel. Let's go and take some pictures while we talk about what dance we'll be doing", ViVi said, pulling (y/n) away.
"Speaking of pictures...you owe me some later, Jasper!" I chuckled, folding my arms as I watched her walk away.
"Okay, lovebird," TJ said in a joking manner, glancing at Kehlani to gauge her reaction. "Let's show Kehlani what we'll be doing and what song we'll be using." I nodded once, grabbing her hand again and following TJ out into the field.

*time skip brought to you by competitions*

After we had gone over the moves and the song with Kehlani, she looked a lot brighter than she had before. I didn't know if it was because she was excited, having fun, or if she just wanted my attention. "You sure you guys aren't going to, ya know, practice the dance," she asked, looking between me and TJ.
"CJ and I are pros. Well, I don't know about her, but I am", TJ said. I nudged him, chuckling as he walked away to go and talk to JoJo.
"It looks pretty easy so I don't think there's any reason I have to practice. Plus, I learn by watching, not necessarily doing", I said, looking over at ViVi and (y/n). They were talking and laughing, seemingly not worried about our little competition at all.
"I learn more and more about you almost everyday," Kehlani said with a giggle. "(Y/n) does too I suppose."
"What do you mean," I asked, turning my attention back to her.
"She didn't tell me that you could play basketball, or football," she said, a slight frown on her face. "Or that you had an interest in sports at all. I didn't even know that you had an undercut or that your ears were pierced", she said, reaching up to touch the back of my head.
"She didn't know those things either," I said with a chuckle. "There's a lot of things that you and (y/n) don't know about me." Kehlani sighed, sliding her hand down the back of my neck and then down my shoulder, stopping on my stomach.
"That's kind of surprising...given how close the two of you are." I shrugged, looking down at the ground.
"I'll let her know soon. She at least deserves that", I said, unhooking my hat from my belt loop.
"And what about me," she said quietly, looking up at me as she took her hand off of my stomach.
"Do I hear a twinge of jealousy," I asked after putting the snapback on, pulling my hair through the back of it.
"No," she said quickly. "I told you I wasn't jealous anymore and I wasn't lying when I said it," she said, rubbing her arm. I chuckled, folding my arms over my chest.
"It's kinda cute," I said, looking up to see TJ waving for us to come over. "Come on, Kehlani. It's time", I said as the music for our song started. I walked up with Kehlani, standing next to TJ as she stood to the side, waiting for her chance to jump in. (Y/n), and ViVi stood about five feet in front of us, their arms crossed.
"Okay, we want a clean and fair dance battle," JoJo yelled after pausing the music for a minute. Everyone laughed, and then she went back over to TJ's phone, pressing play. TJ and I did our handshake, smirking at each other as we jumped into the dance. (Y/n)'s face held a blush as she watched us, TJ and I, never lagging behind each other and staying in sync.

(Choreography for TJ and Jasper👇🏼)

(Full song below👇🏼 Skip to 1:10 to hear the rap that Kehlani does.)

Mini A/N – I cannot promise you that the lyrics I typed are correct because I can't even understand what she's saying AND there are no documented lyrics online. Let me know what you guys think she's saying lol.

"They say she something irregular. Confident next to the jugular. Boo boo the plan a cappella yuh. Callin' with me it was cellular. Call me ferocious competitor. He hit us up like a predator. Tossed up my bag but I bury ya. They mama too bitch I'm hysteria", Kehlani rapped, dancing in front of me and TJ. We were hyping her up when I heard (y/n) giggle. Kehlani then came up close to her and ViVi, rapping the rest of Lex Lu's lyrics. "Bet you hear me now. I assume my crown. Westside hold it down. I say Barack I'm proud. Shine like a star I'm imperial. Hit off the daughter's a stereo. I come from a different material. You gone beg for that fire and then carry-on. Bye", Kehlani finished, stepping back away from (y/n) and waving. Everyone in the crowd surrounding us was 'oohing' like they had been when TJ and I put on a show earlier. (Y/n) and ViVi chuckled when TJ and I jumped back into the choreography we chose, this time having fun with it and adding our own little twist. I put my hands behind my head, thrusting my hips forward towards (y/n) with a smirk on my face. I noticed her blush when TJ and I finished the dance, laughing as we did our custom handshake again.
"Beat that," TJ said, crossing his arms. (Y/n) chuckled, looking him up and down. She snapped, Veronica and Kora, separating from the crowd and putting chairs behind us.

(Skip to 2:15 to see (y/n) and ViVi's choreography 👇🏼)

(Full song 👇🏼)

"You might want to sit down for this," (y/n) said lowly, pushing against my chest until I sat down. I looked up at her, my eyes wide. "Get comfortable," she whispered, dragging her fingers down the middle of my chest to my stomach and then turning around, taking her place by ViVi again. TJ looked over at me, raising his eyebrows once before resting his elbow against the arm of the chair. "JoJo, skip ahead a little. You know where I want it," (y/n) said. ViVi chuckled, rolling her shoulders as the music started. They started vibing to the song, smiling at each other and us. I sat back in the chair, my right hand over my mouth as I leaned in TJ's direction. We looked at each other again, sharing a chuckle. (Y/n) and ViVi rocked their hips from side to side, with ViVi running her hands up through her hair and (y/n) holding onto her own shoulders. I had to admit that I got a little comfortable with the way they had started dancing, which caused me to be surprised when they started moving faster, their hips hitting every beat to the song. They then turned around, their backs facing us, and bent down before coming back up quickly and moving their hips and arms in a way that looked like they were riding a horse. I watched the way (y/n)'s hips flowed in her dress, the pit of my stomach slowly getting hot. They then turned to us again, popping their chests and then going into a barrage of dance moves. I could tell that (y/n) was beginning to get really into it and feel the music because she closed her (e/c) eyes, smiling softly to herself. So they weren't lying when they said she loved to dance. I was kicked out of my thoughts when (y/n) got closer to me, ViVi beside her in front of TJ. She made eye contact as she slowly moved her hips back and forth, getting lower and lower to the ground in front my me. They both then bounced up and down, putting most of their back into this portion of the dance. I blushed at the intense eye contact, attempting to swallow, but my mouth was dry. They both then crawled towards us, placing their hands on our thighs. (Y/n) slid her hands up my legs, hooking her fingers in the waistband of my jeans. As she stood up, she placed her knee on the chair in between my legs. She then snaked her hand up my stomach, grabbing ahold of my chain and pulling it as she got in my face. "You look a little flustered, Captain," she said with a light giggle, a smirk on her face. "Something you wanna say to me?" There's something I wanna do to you. I growled, biting my lip as I looked her up and down. She chuckled, pushing off of my chest to stand up straight again.
"I think we know who won that," JoJo said, as she came from by the speakers. (Y/n) and ViVi squealed, holding each other's hands as they bounced around. TJ stood up at the same time I did, clearing his throat. He positioned his hands in front of him, his jaw flexing. I snickered, covering my mouth as I looked at him. "Damn son, something wrong," JoJo asked, laughing.
"Nah man...I'm good," he answered, averting his eyes from ViVi, who glanced at him. JoJo and I shared a look, snorting.
"Bad day to wear sweats....eh Papi", ViVi questioned as she walked past him. JoJo and I busted out laughing, holding onto each other until we calmed our hysterics.
"Aye man! You can't even laugh right now, CJ", he said, shoving me. I laughed harder, backing away from him.
"Go get yo girl man," I joked. He grumbled, crossing his arms.
"I could say the same thing to you." I blushed, and he laughed at me mockingly. I hit him across his face, starting another wrestling match between us.
"Hey! The two big ass kids playing right now!" TJ and I ceased our actions, turning in the direction of the voice. Uncle Reggie stood under the tent with his hands on his hips, shaking his head. "If y'all want food for later you better come and fix your takeout plates."
"Yeah, we're gonna be heading out soon," Daia confirmed, handing a bag to one of her friends. TJ and I looked at each other, racing to get to the food.

*time skip brought to you by "this shit took too long to write!"*

(Y/n)'s POV

It was five eighteen when you and the others made it back to the penthouse. Jasper went into the kitchen to put the leftover food away, throwing the empty bags into the trash. Your mom came into the house last, Millie on her hip and Storm in her purse. Kehlani hadn't said much since the dance battle, and you were a little concerned about what was going through her head. "Don't tell me you're still bummed out about the dance battle," you said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. Kehlani giggled, sitting on the couch to take off her sandals.
"I can't really even be mad. ViVi and your dance was really good...even though you cheated", she said, nudging you. You laughed, following her into the kitchen.
"How did we cheat?"
"You used sex appeal against Jasper and TJ! Of course you were gonna win", she said, leaning against the kitchen island with a bottle of water in hand.
"Hey! It isn't my fault that TJ was sensitive to ViVi's charm. Her hips don't lie", you said, giggling.
"And what about you? And Jasper", Kehlani asked, twisting the top back onto the bottle. A light blush fell over your cheeks, and you shrugged, the tiles on the kitchen floor becoming interesting.
"I don't know what you mean..."
"Yeah, neither do I," Jasper said from the dining room, chuckling. "I'm not sensitive like TJ."
"Yeah, right," Kehlani said, rolling her eyes. "You looked like you were ready to pounce on her like a tiger." Your mom growled, coming into view from the hallway. The three of you shared a laugh at her antics, your attention staying on her because she looked like she had something to say.
"Alright! We're due to be at the studio at six-thirty. I'm probably going to give everyone else about thirty to forty-five minutes to get there before I close the doors and no one else is allowed in. There will be security at the doors, and there's a balcony for when my people start the fireworks. There's also going to be little Hors d'oeuvres and of course drinks", she said with a giggle, "but that's beside the point. Mingle, have fun! But don't do anything too crazy. Also, we'll be taking one car, so who's prepared to be the designated driver?" You and Jasper raised your hands together, looking at each other.
"You've been driving all day Jasper, let me. Besides, I wasn't really planning on having too much to drink. Maybe like one or two cups." The gem sighed with a shrug.
"Fine. I'll let you have this one but if you're tired, I'm driving." You giggled at how protective she was being, looking back to your mom for further instructions.
"Okay, we're set then! I've already got the tub set up for Millie since the little munchkin has been running around all day", your mom said, ruffling the toddler's hair. Millie giggled, holding onto your mom's leg. "So I'll give her a bath and then get her dressed. Is that okay with you, Kehlani?" Your best friend nodded with a smile, looking down at her daughter.
"Be good, Millie. And don't splash around too much!"
"Okay, Mommy," the little girl said before running down the hallway, probably to your mom's room. Your mom chuckled, turning as she prepared to go to her room.
"Jasper will be showering in my room too. I don't want you two seeing her outfit until it's on her body." You and Kehlani groaned, causing the gem to chuckle as she stood up, going to stand beside your mom. "Now hurry up you two. I want to try and be done before six o'clock. Chop, chop", your mom hollered before disappearing down the dark hallway. Jasper wiggled her fingers at you in a wave, making you giggle.
"Come on, Kehlani," you said, cheerfully skipping to the bedroom. "The faster we get done, the faster we can see everyone else's outfits!" Your best friend gasped, jogging after you.
"Coming!"

*time skip brought to you by cocktail parties*

You sat on the floor in your underwear, the soft carpet tickling your legs and backside. You chose a very cheeky style of panties due to what your outfit looked like, making sure the color of them wouldn't be seen through the material of the dress. You were in the middle of doing your makeup when Kehlani came out of the bathroom. Steam followed her out of the open door, making the room warm. "Cute," she said, commenting on your makeup so far. You smiled softly, swiping a second layer of eyeliner on your lid to make a thicker wing. Ugh, Jasper is lucky she was just made that way! Her natural eyeliner is too cute! You closed your eyeliner pen, adding a little more blush and highlight before spritzing your face with setting spray. You were going for a softer look regarding your face, but something bolder for your eyes to bring out the color. The eyeshadow resting on your lids was topped with gold glitter to match the jewelry you had bought, along with the anklet your mom had given you. You let out a relieved sigh, putting your makeup away along with the mirror.

"I'm going to go and do something with this hair now," you said, making Kehlani chuckle as she pulled out the items necessary for her makeup. You walked into the bathroom, going into the closet across from the sink. Flatiron? Curling iron, maybe? You tapped your chin, deciding to go for something curly. An updo—something that I can incorporate all of my new accessories into. You smiled, pulling the curling iron from the closet and shutting it, feeling giddy. You took your (h/c) hair from its restraints, letting it fall around your face. You brushed the soft locks as you waited for the curling iron to heat up. Once it had, you curled the ends of your (h/l) hair, focusing more on the front pieces that will frame your face. You put the hair utensil down on the sink, using bobby pins to achieve the look you were going for. You grinned at yourself in the mirror, extremely satisfied with the outcome. Now for the clips. You walked back into the bedroom, making sure to unplug the curling iron from the wall. You went into one of your shopping bags, taking out a medium-sized box. You opened it, admiring the three clips inside. All of them were gold and adorned with pearls, the biggest one being decorated with roses while the smaller ones had leaves on them. You took the box back into the bathroom with you, placing the largest clip at the back of your head, positioned in front of your bun. You then took out the two smaller ones, putting those at either side of your head, right above your ears. The sound of the box slamming closed echoed against the bathroom walls, making you wince slightly. You then went back into the bedroom again, prepared to slip your dress on.
"You are so pretty best friend," Kehlani mused, smiling at you. You smiled back, closing your (e/c) eyes as you tilted your head slightly.
"Thank you. You are too", you said, looking her over, admiring the feline-like smoky eye she had done. Kehlani giggled, standing up to go into the bathroom.

"Now, I have to go and do something to this hair." You chuckled at how she used your words, turning towards the bed to unzip the bag your dress was in. You pulled out the silky white material, holding it up in front of you. You hummed to express your happiness, sliding the dress up your legs and then your torso. Your shoulders, back, and arms were exposed, and you weren't wearing a bra which you were sure you'd regret later. The flowy material of the dress was soft to the touch, falling against your thighs. You had to admit that it was pretty short, but it was too pretty to pass up when you saw it. There were strings in the back to tie, but you would ask someone to do that in a minute. You sat on the edge of the bed, opening the shoebox next to you. Inside was a pair of white stiletto pumps. The heel was gold, and so was the bottom of the shoe, along with the lining around it. You slipped your (s/c-t) feet into them, standing up to look down at yourself. You smiled, taking two more boxes out of your shopping bags. One held a gold necklace, while the other had a set of matching earrings. The earrings were shaped like a single rose, the stem portion starting at your ear and ending with the actual flower at the bottom. You knew that you couldn't put the necklace on yourself, so you left it in its box, grabbing your lipstick. You took your phone, necklace box, anklet, and lipstick out into the hallway with you, your thoughts set on going into your mom's art studio where a huge mirror was. You twisted the doorknob, going into the room. You then pushed against the door gently to close it, going over to the mirror. You admired yourself again, getting close to the glass to put on the nude-colored lipstick. It had a pink tinge, and you pressed your lips together, appreciating how fast the matte properties worked. You rubbed your finger against your bottom lip, looking at the digit to see if any of it had rubbed off. You did a little dance when you saw that it hadn't, looking at yourself once more before walking out of the art studio. You still needed someone to tie your dress and put your necklace on, and since you hadn't seen anyone in the living room to help, you were about to go back into the bedroom to ask your best friend.

"Keh—," you started, about to call her name, but you were met with a pair of wide amber eyes that made your entire train of thought derail. "Jasper," you said breathlessly, looking the gem over. She was wearing a navy blue suit, the white dress shirt and handkerchief standing out against the dark fabric. A striped grey and navy blue tie were around her neck, the outfit completed with a shiny pair of black dress shoes. The gem adjusted the gold watch on her wrist, her face scarlet as she looked at you, her mouth slightly open. Her white hair was wavier than it usually was, tied back into a loose, high ponytail, showing off her undercut and studded earrings. "You look..."
"...beautiful", she said, finishing your sentence. You blushed, averting your (e/c) eyes from her sharp amber ones. The gem walked up to you, tilting your head up to look at her.
"C-Could you...," you started, not being able to get the rest of the words out, due to how nervous you were beginning to feel.
"Anything," Jasper said, her eyes softening. Your blush increased, and you giggled quietly, resting your hands against her forearms.
"Could you tie my dress for me? I can't reach it", you said, turning around. The gem brushed her hands across your bare shoulders, and then down your arms. You inhaled sharply, closing your eyes. Her claws gently scraped your back as she moved her hands to grab the thin strings. You pressed your lips together, your back arching slightly to give her more access. The feeling of the dress tightening around your form let you know that she had finished tying it. You then walked over to the kitchen island, setting the box with your necklace on top of the counter and opening it. You pulled the delicate jewelry out, unclasping it and then making your way back over to Jasper. You handed her the necklace slowly, your fingertips brushing against the palm of her large hands. You turned your back to her once more, making it easier for her to put the necklace on you. Jasper draped the piece of jewelry against your chest, clasping it in the back. She adjusted it around your neck, turning you around to examine it. "...do you like it," you asked quietly, sliding your hands up her necktie, adjusting it. She nodded, brushing her thumb across your cheek. You looked up at her, admiring all the little details in her face. The scarlet stripe across her eyes and part of her left cheek. The way her eyebrows arched and how her eyelashes curled more at the end of her eyes. The curve of her lips and the glint of her gem in certain lighting. You reached up with your right hand, touching the orange gemstone in the middle of her face. Jasper closed her eyes, leaning into your touch as you dragged your finger down her cheek, outlining her sharp jawline.
"Hey, (y/n). Could you—" You and Jasper jumped slightly at the sound of Kehlani's voice, turning in her direction. "Oh...," she said slowly, looking between you two. You cleared your throat, gaining her attention again as she stared at Jasper.
"You wanted me to do something," you asked, walking up to her. She shook her head as if she were shaking her thoughts off.

"Yeah...uh, could you zip me up," she asked, turning around. She moved her long dark hair to the side, revealing the zipper to her black dress. You zipped her up, pulling her straightened hair back over her shoulder. She had it in a half-up, half-down style, the top half braided into an intricate bun. "Thank you," she said, straightening her dress out.
"You're welcome," you said with a smile. The sound of heels walking along the hardwood floor from the hallway caught your attention, and you turned to see your mom, Millie walking beside her, holding her hand.
"Ah! You girls look so beautiful", she screamed, patting you and Kehlani's cheek. Both of you giggled, folding your hands in front of you. "So...what do you think," your mom asked, doing a spin. She was wearing a long-sleeved dress that was navy blue like Jasper's suit at the top, but light pink towards the bottom of it. Her heels matched the top of the dress, and her short hair was curled to perfection around her face, framing it beautifully.

"You look great, Daia," Jasper said with a chuckle, straightening out her suit jacket sleeve. Your mom giggled, walking over to Jasper and brushing off her shoulders.
"And what do you girls think of Jasper's outfit? Worth the wait, huh?" You and Kehlani nodded, a blush on your face. Definitely.
"(Y/n)! We're matching", Millie shouted, jumping around you. You giggled, picking her up and putting her on your hip.
"I see that we are," you said, pinching the toddler's cheek. Millie was wearing a silver and white dress, the skirt of the dress resembling a tutu. Her shoes matched the sparkly silver portion of the dress, the bow in her hair identical.

"She picked it out all by herself," your mom praised, smiling warmly at the little girl. Kehlani took Millie from you as the toddler giggled, caressing the silver earrings in her mom's ears.
"You look pretty too Mommy," she said, wrapping her arms around Kehlani's neck. Your best friend smiled, kissing Millie's forehead.
"Thank you, baby."
"Okay, you girls ready to go," your mom asked. All of you nodded and your mom clapped her hands together, smiling widely.

*time skip brought to you by the little things*

The five of you didn't arrive at the studio until six forty-five, fifteen minutes late. You followed your mom down the long hallway, Jasper walking next to you. Kehlani was on the other side of the gem, holding Millie's hand as the little girl walked quickly beside her mother. Those of your family that was already there were waiting outside of the doors in the hallway. Two huge guys guarded the door, keeping anyone from going in or even getting close. So she wasn't joking about the security, you thought, chuckling. "Sorry for the wait guys," your mom said, going up to the guards. "You may move aside now boys," your mom said, waving her hand. The guards moved aside on command, opening the door for your mom and everyone else.
The inside of the studio was huge. It wasn't anything but an open floor. To the right when you first walk in was a wall lined with large mirrors. Kind of like you would see in a dance studio. Maybe that's what this is. Mom just tweaked it a little, you thought, continuing to walk around. Ahead of you to the left was an opening in the walls that lead to bathrooms, and farther up ahead of it was a DJ station with a man standing behind it. "(Y/n)!" You turned upon hearing your name called. JoJo was waving at you from the bar at the back of the studio. You smiled, walking over to your cousin. The bar's countertop was made of polished, dark wood. There were long shelves behind it, hundreds of bottles of all different colors, shapes, and sizes. You pulled out one of the cushioned barstools, admiring the stone detailing under the counter before sitting next to JoJo. "Damn, cousin...I see you", JoJo complimented, tapping your chin with her knuckle. You giggled, resting your elbow on the bar countertop.
"Thank you. You clean up nice too," you said, pulling on her multicolored tie. The rest of her outfit consisted of a white dress shirt, rolled up to her elbows, and black pants with a matching vest. Her dress shoes were brown, and a silver watch hugged her wrist, along with another black band. "Where's everyone else," you asked, looking around the room for her siblings.
"Omar got sick, probably from eating so much with his fat ass," you chuckled, pushing her shoulder. "CeCe didn't feel like coming, and neither did Kiara. Derrick and Austin claimed they didn't have anything to wear so they went to a bar along with the other boys. And Maya took an early flight home because of work."
"Where's Veronica? I didn't see her when we came in", you said as JoJo flagged down the bartender, requesting a mixed drink for you two.
"Oh, she's over there with Kora. From what I can see they're fucking with Jasper", JoJo said with a chuckle, pointing to the right side of the bar. You glanced over to see a squared archway, and past it was a sort of sitting area. It was a big space; with a few cozy couches with matching chairs. There were also round tables that sat up to four people placed here and there, with a couple of end tables with flower vases. You leaned back some, spotting Jasper and your cousins like JoJo had said. You gasped, turning around on the barstool. "What," JoJo asked, looking in the same direction you had your eyes glued.
"My mommy got fruit," you said, giggling, as you pointed the long table against the wall. From what you could see, there was shrimp, little cookies and cakes, fruit, cheese, crackers, oysters, and a lot of other Hors d'oeuvres.
"You and this fruit," your cousin said, laughing as she stood up. "Do you want me to get you some?" You nodded, giving her puppy dog eyes. She chuckled, taking her drink with her as she walked away.
"Oh! I forgot to let you all know", your mom's voice echoed throughout the studio. You turned to see her by the DJ's station, a microphone in hand. "The fireworks will start at seven forty-five and will probably end around eight. Of course, other people are celebrating the Fourth of July as well, so feel free to go out on the balcony and watch their fireworks too", she finished, handing the microphone back to the man, allowing the music to start up again. You hummed to the song that was playing, Cupid by Q Parker, as JoJo came back with your fruit, Jasper in tow. You squealed, taking the plate from her.
"I have never seen someone get so excited about fruit," JoJo commented as you bit into a strawberry. Jasper chuckled, leaning her back against the counter next to you.
"She's a different breed," the gem said jokingly, smiling at you. You nudged her, popping a grape in your mouth as you took a sip of your drink. "Speaking of a different breed...look." You turned your head in the direction Jasper was pointing, your (e/c) eyes falling on ViVi and TJ. They had just walked into the studio together, ViVi's arm locked with TJ's. Your cousin was wearing all black: black button-down with black slacks. The only color you saw on him was his chain and the watch on his wrist. ViVi matched him with a black strapless high-low dress, a silver clutch in her hand to match the diamond-studded choker around her neck. You raised your eyebrows in surprise, smirking.

"You have got to be shitting me," JoJo said, coughing as she choked on her drink. You patted her back hard, laughing. "TJ!" Your male cousin turned his head, sighing as he walked over with ViVi.
"You guys look so cute," you squealed after pressing your cheek to ViVi's in a kiss. TJ grumbled, crossing his arms as your childhood friend blushed, giggling.
"I don't even want to talk to you," he said, thumping your thigh. You giggled, turning around for a moment to eat more of your fruit. "Well ain't you just the cleanest motherfucka in here," TJ said to Jasper, reaching his hand out towards her. The gem grinned, exposing her canines as she slapped his palm with hers. They did their handshake, snapping at the end.
"On God," JoJo agreed, walking over to TJ.
"I appreciate it," Jasper said, taking a strawberry from your plate. You whined, hitting her gently as she chuckled.
"But back to your bowlin' ball head lookin' ass. Why you ain't tell me you and Selena was hittin' it off?" ViVi smacked JoJo's arm hard, cursing at her in Spanish. Your cousin laughed, backing away from the Hispanic woman. "Chill, I'm sorry!"
"Hmph," ViVi said, crossing her arms.
"I didn't tell y'all because I didn't want y'all to be doing too much," TJ said, rolling his eyes. "Which y'all are doing right now!" Jasper laughed, slapping his back.
"Karma is a bitch, ain't it?"
"Man, shut yo duck ass up," TJ replied, laughing at the gem.
"If you think we're doing too much, then wait until everybody else finds out," you said with a chuckle, clearing the rest of your plate of fruit with Jasper's unwanted help. "Stop eating my fruit, Jasper!"
"I can't anymore, Shortcake, it's all gone," she said smartly, laughing. You pouted, your cheeks puffing up as you huffed. "Aww," Jasper said, hugging you. "You're so cute when you're mad!" You blushed, crossing your arms. The gem squeezed your face, taking your plate to go and throw away.
"Where's Kehlani," JoJo asked after many minutes of silence, drinking what was left in her glass. You looked around really quickly, not spotting her anywhere. You saw Millie running around with Kobe, but not her mother. Where is that girl?
"Hold on," you said, going into the lounging area of the studio. As you got closer, you noticed the large balcony, the stars and city lights shining through the glass sliding doors and windows leading out to it. Jasper was sitting on one of the couches in the room, your mom right next to her. They seemed to be discussing something important because of how close they were and how low they were talking. They also obviously did not want you to hear what they were talking about because they went completely silent when you walked up to them. You raised one of your eyebrows, looking between your mother's smiling face and Jasper's scarlet one. You sat on the gem's lap, facing your mom. "What were you guys talking about," you asked calmly.
"Stay out of grown folks' business," your mom answered, smacking your leg. You laughed, poking her in her cheek.
"I am grown. I was also obviously the subject of 'grown folks' business' so I believe I should know what the two of you were discussing", you countered, examining your nails. Your mom and Jasper glanced at each other, their mouths slightly agape.
"I guess we forgot she was smart, Daia," Jasper whispered. Your mom giggled, shoving the gem's arm gently.
"I guess we did, Jasper. But, since you want to know oh so bad...we were talking about taking pictures! Which we can do now that you're here", your mom said, standing up and taking her phone out of her clutch purse. "Say cheese!" You rolled your eyes, smiling lightly as Jasper wrapped her arms around your waist. "Oh, come on, (y/n)! I know you can do better than that", your mom complained. You groaned, laughing when Jasper squeezed your sides. You grabbed her arm, attempting to move her hands while you giggled.
"Don't do that, you might make me pee." The gem chuckled, resting her chin on your shoulder.
"But I like the sound of your laugh..." You blushed, smiling softly.
"So cute," your mom squealed, swiping her finger across her phone. You blushed, even more, not realizing that she had still been taking pictures. I really do feel as if we're in our own little world when we're together—with no one else around. "Now move. You can't hog Jasper forever", your mom said, handing you her phone. You chuckled, standing up to take their picture.
"No need to be so aggressive, Mother," you said, taking a few more pictures of them. Your mom chuckled, standing up to take her phone back.
"I'll send these to both you and Jasper. Don't get too comfortable though, because we'll be taking more later", she singsonged before walking away. JoJo and the others passed by her as they came into the room. TJ sat next to Jasper, ViVi taking the chair next to him. JoJo sat at a nearby table where both Kora and Veronica were, and you took a seat on the arm of the couch next to Jasper.
"Now I can do what I was trying to do before Mom wanted to take pictures," you mused. You stuck your hand in the breast pocket on the inside of her suit, feeling for your phone. You didn't buy a clutch, nor did you have pockets, so you asked Jasper to hold your phone earlier.
"Damn, if you want me to take my clothes off, just say so, Shortcake," Jasper said, smirking. You smacked her arm, a blush spreading across your cheeks.
"I want my phone. I need to call Kehlani", you said. Jasper raised an eyebrow, handing you the device.
"You sure she's not in the bathroom or something?"
"I'm pretty sure if she was in the bathroom, she would have come out a while ago," you said, scoffing.
"Unless she had a stomach ache," TJ said with a shrug. ViVi hit him, giving him a look. He chuckled, rubbing his arm.
"Thank you, ViVi," you said with a giggle.
"Wasn't she with you when we first walked in though," Jasper asked, stretching her arm out on the back of the chair.
"She was. But apparently she pulled an instant transmission on my ass or something", you mumbled, clicking on her contact and then putting your phone to your ear. She answered on the last ring, sounding hesitant.
"Hello?"
"Kehlani, where are you?"
"I went to go and pick up some aspirin from the little drugstore I saw nearby. I had a headache", she answered, the sound of cars and the loud murmur of people in the background.
"Oh...okay. Be careful", you said, thinking back to the ride on the way there. I hadn't seen any drugstore...
"Mhm. What? You worried about me," she asked with a giggle. You chuckled, smiling.
"Course not. Just hurry back. I wouldn't want you to miss the fireworks."
"Okay," your best friend said with a chuckle before hanging up. You stared at your dark phone screen for a moment, before giving it back to Jasper. She put it back into her breast pocket, looking at you expectantly.
"Well?"
"She said she had a headache so she went to a nearby drugstore to get some aspirin," you answered, your eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"But...there isn't a drugstore in this part of town. At least not anything I saw", ViVi said, giving you a confused expression.
"I told you she was up to something," TJ said, glancing at Jasper. She nudged him in his arm hard, silencing him.
"What," you asked, looking between the two.
"Nothing," Jasper answered, glaring at TJ. He shrugged apologetically, crossing his arms.
"No, tell me. If its about my best friend, I need to know."
"She's supposed to tell you," Jasper said, running a hand down her face.
"Tell me what," you said, looking at everyone around you.
"Dude...have you not realized", JoJo said slowly, sitting in her chair backward to face you.
"Realized what," you asked, laughing awkwardly.
"Kehlani is like...mad jealous of you and Jasper", TJ said with a light shrug. "It's pretty obvious."
"What," you said, laughing. "No. Kehlani isn't the type to get jealous. I know her." TJ and Jasper looked at each other, sighing. "Besides, what does she have to be jealous of? I don't have anything that she doesn't already have."
"Uh...CJ", JoJo said blankly. You blushed, pouting as you folded your arms.
"I-If she wanted Jasper, she could easily get her. Kehlani is beautiful, funny, confident, and smart. She could pull anyone", you said, defending your best friend. There's no way she's jealous of Jasper and me—we aren't even together! So what are they talking about?
"If she could easily get CJ, she would already have her," TJ said with a chuckle. "Just...keep an eye out around her, (y/n). I don't want to have to beat a female's ass for hurting my cousin." You gave a soft smile, looking down at your shoes.
"I wish she would hurt my mejor amiga...I'll go batshit crazy on her", ViVi said, frowning.
"Nobody is beating anyone's ass. I'm telling you, you guys are wrong about Kehlani. She's not jealous. I would know! It's super obvious when a girl is jealous, like you said TJ", you argued, looking over at him.
"It wouldn't be obvious to you if she's been hiding her true personality since the day you've met," Jasper commented lowly, a frown on her face. You glanced at her, thoughts swirling in your mind and fogging it up.
"Wh-What do you mean?"
"She's supposed to tell you today, so I won't say anything more. Plus, I don't want to talk about Kehlani right now, I want to have fun. This is a party, right," the gem said, looking around at everyone. They nodded, chuckling.
"CJ's right. We should be having fun, not talking about something that's leaving us confused and stressed out. It's only...seven eighteen", JoJo said, taking out her phone and looking at the screen. "We've gotta good minute until the fireworks start, so let's find something else to do."
"You are coming with me to the bar, chica," ViVi commanded, grabbing your wrist.
"But I already had something to drink," you mumbled.
"And y'all are going play cards with me," JoJo said, pulling a deck of new cards from her pocket. You looked back at them as ViVi led you back to the bar. What Jasper said about Kehlani was still on your mind.
"No, no, no, no," ViVi said, smushing your cheeks together after the two of you had sat down. "You're thinking. Getting all technical in your cerebro", she said, tapping your temples. You giggled, sighing slowly.
"It's scary how well you know me."
"I'm your bestest friend ever," ViVi said with a giggle, getting two drinks for both you and her. "And speaking of best friends, Kehlani just walked back in." You turned your head towards the entrance seeing her put a bottle in her dress pocket. Probably the aspirin she went and got from...wherever. You were about to raise your hand to wave her over, but you hesitated. No, don't act that way. She's your best friend. You trust her, right? You put on a smile, raising your arm to wave her over. Her eyes fell on you, and she smiled back, approaching you and ViVi.
"How's the headache," you asked when she sat on the other side of you.
"Hm? Oh", Kehlani said, rubbing her arm. "It's getting better." You nodded, sipping your second drink of the night.
"You look very nice, Kehlani," ViVi complimented, breaking the silence as she took a sip of the drink in her glass.
"Thank you! You do too", she answered, giving ViVi a close-eyed smile.
"Do you want a drink? Ms. (Ym/ln) has really great taste, honestly." You chuckled softly at ViVi's words, drinking some more of the alcohol she had gotten for you. Kehlani nodded, thanking the Hispanic woman before she got up to flag down the bartender at the other end of the counter.
"Kehlani," you said softly, "is there...something you want to tell me?"
"No...no, I don't think so," she said, looking at you curiously. "Why?"
"You've been pretty scattered these last couple of days. You know you can tell me anything", you said softly, resting your hand on her arm. "I won't judge...you're one of my best friends." Her dark brown eyes softened for a moment, a flicker of hesitation in them. Kehlani then chuckled softly, opening her mouth to speak, but she was interrupted by TJ's loud voice from the dining area. ViVi came back, sitting on the barstool next to you again and leaning sideways to see what all the commotion was about.
"Ay Dios...what the hell is that boy doing," ViVi said giggling, sliding the extra glass in her hand down to Kehlani.
"Looks like he just lost a game to Jasper," you said laughing.
"What game are they playing," Kehlani asked after swallowing the liquid in her mouth.
"Some card game," you said with a shrug.
"Well, if they're getting that excited about it, it must be muy interesante..." You nodded in agreement with ViVi, standing up.
"Let's go and see what they're up to," you said with a giggle.
"Hold on, before we go," ViVi started, drinking what was left in her glass. "I'm gonna get Jasper and TJ something to drink." You waited on your friend as she got two glasses of scotch with ice, carrying them back over to you while you finished your drink. "Okay, let's go." You and ViVi followed behind Kehlani to the dining area, seeing Jasper, TJ, and JoJo sitting at one of the round tables playing cards.
"Hm," Jasper said calmly, rolling a toothpick against her tongue. You blushed slightly, handing her the drink that ViVi had given you. "Thank you baby," she said, wrapping her left arm around your waist.
"Ace of spades," TJ said after placing a card down. Jasper looked him over and then at her cards. She smirked, putting a card down.
"Two of hearts," the gem said. You furrowed your eyebrows slightly, confused as to why she would say what card she was putting down. TJ started laughing, pulling ViVi into his lap after he drank some of the scotch.
"Thank you, (y/n). You just made me very happy, now that this cocky shit is going to have to pick up all these cards."
"What," you asked, looking at Jasper. Her facial expression was indifferent as TJ called the word 'bullshit', putting his cards down on the table as if he had won. Jasper picked the card up, showing you the two of hearts she had just put down. She then flipped it between her fingers, showing TJ. He groaned, putting his head down on the table in defeat. ViVi chuckled, rubbing his back.
"On God, you're cheating, CJ," he said, resting his cheek on his hand as he drank more of his scotch. The gem chuckled, taking the first sip of her drink, placing it back down on the table.
"I'm not cheating. You're just bad at this." He rolled his eyes, glaring at you.
"What," you asked again, giggling.
"You made an expression and your face made me think she was lying about the card she put down," he shouted, pointing at you accusingly. Jasper chuckled, pulling you down into her lap.
"I was actually confused on what game you guys were playing so that's why I made that face," you explained with a shrug. TJ suddenly stood up, shoving his finger in the gem's face. She raised an eyebrow at him, rolling the toothpick to the other side of her mouth.
"Arm wrestle. Right now. That's something I can beat you at."
"Oh, you wish," she said, sipping on her drink again. Jasper carried it with her towards the bar, just to set it down on a nearby table. She then walked to the bar with TJ, starting their arm-wrestling contest. You chuckled, standing up and going over to the table that held the Hors d'oeuvres. You poked a cube of cheese, putting it in your mouth and then throwing the toothpick away. You then grabbed a small plate, putting some of the sweets onto it before a bowl of candy caught your eye. You gasped when you saw the bowl full of hard candies, pouting slightly. You looked between the plate you had already made and the candy, chewing on your bottom lip. You sighed, deciding to get the candy later so you wouldn't waste the sweets. You turned, about to walk back to the table with your plate, when ViVi quickly walked up to you, looking worried.
"What's wrong," you asked her.
"I just saw Kehlani drop something into Jasper's drink," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder as she got a few pieces of shrimp. You coughed, almost choking on the small cake you had bit.
"Huh?!" You turned, looking back at the table your best friend was just sitting at with you and the others.
"She asked JoJo where the bathroom was, and when she passed by Jasper's drink on that table over there, I saw her drop a little tablet or something in it," ViVi said, holding onto your arm as she looked in the direction of the bathroom on the other side of the studio.
"Th-There's no way! Kehlani wouldn't do that, especially if...if she likes Jasper. Why would she poison her," you hissed, looking over your friend's shoulder for the gem. She was still at the bar, arm wrestling with TJ, a small crowd surrounding them and cheering quietly.
"Jasper and TJ obviously know something about her that you don't bebita. If she really is celosa, then she could have that 'If I can't have her, no one can' mindset", she explained, pulling you away from the Hors d'oeuvres table.
"But Kehlani...sh-she's not a bad person! She wouldn't ViVi, she—"
"Novia," your childhood best friend said softly, holding your face in her hands. "I'm not saying she's a bad person. But jealousy can make people do crazy things, just like anger or any other strong, negative emotion." You nodded slowly, your eyes kind of misty from the different things you were feeling all at the same time. Confusion, disbelief, sadness, anger, protectiveness. You gasped as you saw Jasper coming from by the bar, laughing at whatever TJ was saying. She was headed towards her glass that she left on the table unattended. You freed yourself from ViVi's grasp, walking quickly over to the table before Jasper could grab it. You snatched the glass from the table just as Jasper reached it.
"What are you doing with my drink, Shortcake," she asked, trying to take it from you. You shook your head, holding it away from her as you flattened the palm of your free hand against her stomach. She chuckled, leaning over and taking the glass from you.
"Jasper, please don't drink that," you pleaded, holding onto her suit jacket. She looked down at you, putting the glass on the table before resting her left hand on your cheek.
"Hey, hey, okay, I won't drink it. What's the matter," she asked you, her eyes full of worry as she brushed her thumb across your cheek. Your eyes widened, and you gasped quietly, not realizing that you were crying. You wiped your eyes gently, being careful not to smudge your makeup.
"N-Nothing...I'm okay." I guess the thought of something happening to her got to me.
"Are you sure," Jasper asked, hugging you. You nodded, wrapping your arms around her waist as you rested your cheek against her chest.
"The fireworks are starting," you heard someone say from behind you. You turned, seeing everyone go towards the sliding doors which led out to the balcony.
"Come on Jasper, let's go," you said to the gem, beginning to pull her towards everyone else.
"No, um...there's somewhere else I want to go to look at the fireworks", she said, grabbing your hand gently. You turned to look at her curiously, your (e/c) eyes wide.
"Okay..." The gem began walking back onto the dance floor of the studio, and you followed her, grabbing the alleged spiked drink. You wanted to get rid of it so that no one else would accidentally get to it. You dropped the entire glass into the trashcan behind the bar, continuing to follow Jasper. She stood in front of the large mirrors that lined the right wall of the studio when you first came in. "Jasper, what are you—" You cut your question off when she pulled open a hidden door, revealing a long hallway. "How did—" She smirked at you, offering you her hand again.
"Your mom told me about it earlier. Down this hallway is a private balcony. It's a lot smaller than the one downstairs, but the view is a lot better...or so she told me", the gem explained, leading you down the dark hallway up a flight of stairs. She then pushed a glass door open, revealing the cozy little balcony she had described. The railing around it was made of thick glass, short metal poles separating each pane. Your mouth was slightly open in awe as you walked up to the railing, looking out at the city. The distant cheering of people could be heard, and you smiled softly, looking below you to see part of your family and friends.
"Jasper, it's..."
"...beautiful?" You giggled, leaning against the balcony railing.
"Yes. But...why did you bring me up here?" The gem exhaled slowly, seemingly nervous.
"I—I want to tell you some things. Things about me and my past I feel you should know", she said with a light chuckle, approaching you. You gasped dramatically, covering your mouth.
"Storytime? With Jasper", you said jokingly, looking out at the fireworks that crashed in the sky. The gem laughed, standing next to you.
"Where should I start...," she mused, letting out a light sigh.
"How about the beginning," you said with a giggle, resting your cheek in the palm of your hand. Jasper snorted, giving you a warm smile.
"Well...I was made. In the Beta Kindergarten. The Diamonds needed soldiers fast since we were in the middle of a war. I already knew my purpose. I knew what I was made to do, and at that moment it was get rid of the Crystal Gems. Back then Rose Quartz had a huge army of her own soldiers, but they were no match for me. I took down eighty of them on my own before the sun went down." You glanced over at the gem, your mouth slightly open in surprise and awe.
"Impressive," you said with a giggle. Jasper smiled, looking up at the fireworks still exploding in the sky.
"At the time, I was a loyal soldier in my Diamond's court until...you know." You squeezed her arm, in an attempt to comfort the gem, moving closer to her. She smiled softly, looking back up at the sky. "You see that star right there," Jasper asked, stretching out her arm to point to it. You looked back up at the sky, immediately taking notice of the bright, white star.
"Yeah," you answered, staring at its beauty.
"Just past that star is Homeworld. The place I was forced to flee to after my Diamond was shattered. The other Diamonds were furious. I was assigned to Yellow, and after she heard about how many of the Crystal Gems I had defeated, she wanted to see me. She was pleased with my drive and determination as a soldier, so I was recognized as an elite. She even gave me my own pearl as a gift for my accomplishments", she chuckled, smiling widely at you.
"Y-You have a Pearl?" Jasper nodded, smirking.
"You seem surprised. Pearls are meant to be servants, possessions more or less. It's a big deal to be issued one, especially since Yellow Diamond herself saw to it that I was given one."
"Oh...so they're just, things to you guys", you said, frowning slightly.
"Yes, but...I didn't treat mine that way", Jasper said slowly, blushing. "Tangerine, she—you remind me of her a lot," she said with a light laugh. You blushed, chewing on your bottom lip. "Maybe that's why I fell for you so quickly. Because you felt so familiar..."
"J-Jasper," you stuttered, your eyes widening and cheeks flushing. Is she serious right now? "Is...she still on Homeworld?"
"Yeah. She would stay at my place and complete whatever duties I'd give her before leaving for a mission. If I stay gone for too long though they'll reassign her to someone else."
"...is that why you want to complete your mission? So you can leave Earth and go back to her", you asked innocently, looking over at the gem. She smiled softly, nodding. You looked down at your hands, her answer saddening you a little bit, but you knew you couldn't be upset. Tangerine was obviously very important to her, and you didn't want to get in the way of that.
"Speaking of my mission though, this is the most recent one I've been assigned by Yellow. Escort the Peridot assigned to the Cluster report mission since she was having some trouble getting her work done."
"Escort," you asked curiously, looking over at the orange gem.
"My sole purpose was to be extra muscle. I knew that the Crystal Gems were the ones causing the problems, but I didn't know Rose was still alive. The mission would have been a success if she hadn't jumped in," she growled. "I destabilized the others and knocked her out. I planned to take them back to Yellow Diamond as prisoners, but she got out of her cell and freed the others. The pearl and Amethyst headed towards the front of the ship while I took on the fusion."
"Wait...what does destabilize mean?"
"It disrupts a gem's body composition. Meaning we poof, but it takes a little longer for us to re-emerge because of the disruption. The cells I put them in had a wall made of the same energy used to destabilize them, meaning if they touched them or tried to free themselves they would poof instantly." You nodded, swallowing slightly at how terrifying that sounded.
"So...when Garnet fused again, you fought?" Jasper chuckled, nodding her head as she closed her eyes.
"Yeah. I lost, but the fight was nowhere near fair. Which is why—," she said, cutting herself off.
"...why what," you asked hesitantly, glancing at Jasper. She chewed on her lip, looking like she was in a mental battle with herself on whether she should tell you or not.
"Why I fused with Lapis. To beat those traitors. They shouldn't use fusion as a means to win, they should just fight me one on one! That's why the fight was not fair. So I figured if I had someone to fuse with..."
"...then it would be fair. I understand", you said with a light laugh. "If I know anything about you Jasper, it's that you're very honorable when it comes down to fighting or doing anything dealing with combat. You want your opponent to use everything that they've got, but only if it's fair game." The gem's mouth was slightly open as she looked at you, her amber eyes wide with surprise. You giggled, putting your hand under her chin and closing her mouth. "So you fused with Lapis and...?"
"An-And then she tricked me. She trapped me under the ocean in the fusion Malachite with her when I thought she was on my side. The Crystal Gems have kept her trapped on this planet for thousands of years, and instead of joining me...instead of being smart and helping me defeat them she took me as her prisoner instead." You furrowed your eyebrows slightly, frowning.
"How—how did it feel? Were you scared? Angry?" Jasper chuckled lightly, smiling softly.
"Of course, I was angry, Shortcake. But—a part of me liked it. We were bigger...stronger. I felt invincible even though she was torturing me with my own body and mind. Our body and mind. I...was nothing without her and she made that pretty clear. I was weak. Pathetic even."
"Do you...miss it?"
"I—not as much as I did before. Before I met you", she said softly, looking over at you. You blushed, averting your (e/c) eyes.
"Did you hate me when we first met," you asked hesitantly, playing with your necklace. Jasper chuckled, curling her index finger against your cheek, turning your face to her.
"I was mostly just angry at myself for needing help from a human. So yes, I did hate you."
"Oh...wow. That's a little depressing", you said, chuckling. Jasper laughed, standing up straight. She pulled you with her, wrapping her arms around your waist. You rested your hands on her shoulders, your eyes roaming her face.
"But that changed pretty quickly. You...confused me. You were kind to me but didn't let me walk all over you. You didn't even seem like you were afraid of me, and that's something that I'm not used to...so that made me angry, but at the same time I admired your strength." You blushed at the gem's words, her cheeks ablaze as well.
"I might have not shown it very well but...I was terrified of you. You were so fierce, but I wasn't about to let you run things", you said with a giggle, looking up at her. "Especially the day after I met you. When you didn't want me to leave the house...why was that?" Jasper cleared her throat, her gem glowing.
"W-Well...I was afraid that you wouldn't come back. I wasn't about to let you leave when you were making me feel all kinds of confusing emotions at the time...," she said quietly. You almost squealed at how cute she was being. "Now, the last thing I need to tell you," she said, sitting you on top of the balcony railing. She kept her arms planted securely around your waist so that you wouldn't fall, but you wrapped your arms around her neck for good measure.
"Lay it on me."
"How I feel about you," she said, looking at you intently. You swallowed slightly, looking down for a moment before meeting her amber eyes again.
"...I'm listening", you said quietly.
"You make me so weak, but—I feel so strong when I'm in your presence. You make me want to protect you, and everything that you love and care about...just like you said that you would do anything to protect your friends, I would do anything to protect you. Even if I have to protect you from myself", Jasper said, cupping the side of your face with her hand.
"Jasper...I—" She chuckled, silencing you.
"I wasn't finished yet, Shortcake," she said softly, tapping your chin with her knuckle. You pressed your lips together, nodding your head obediently. "I always thought that showing your emotions...or even having them made you weak. Especially as a soldier. But you've shown me otherwise. I can read you like an open book...I can tell how you're feeling about any and everything that comes across your path because you have such open reactions to things. I used to think that, that made you weak, but I've seen just how strong you are. Physically and emotionally and that's one of the things I admire most about you", she said, tucking a piece of your hair behind your ear. "It also scares me," Jasper finished with a chuckle, making you giggle. The gem's sharp amber eyes met your (e/c) ones again, and you pressed your forehead to hers, closing your eyes. "Just like Tangerine made Homeworld a home for me, you've made Earth feel that way again. You make me feel more at home on this planet than I have in over the five thousand years I've been alive", she said almost breathlessly. You tightened your arms around her neck when she squeezed your hip, making you gasp. You opened your eyes, pulling back from her to look at her face.
"Jasper, I—I don't know what to say," you said softly, tangling your fingers into her hair. The gem brushed your bottom lip with her thumb, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"Then don't speak," she whispered, pressing her lips to yours. You wasted no time kissing the gem back, the sound of more fireworks going off in the background. You giggled when you felt Jasper's lips upturn into a smirk, pulling away from her. You rested your hand on the side of her face, brushing your thumb across her gem, your other hand resting on her shoulder.
"The fireworks went off at the same time you kissed me..."
"Do you want to hear them again," Jasper asked, pressing her forehead to yours. You chuckled, closing your eyes.
"I'm pretty sure it's well after eight, Jasper...the fireworks show is over."
"I'm sure you'll hear them again in a minute," the gem said lowly, kissing you again as she moved her left hand from your waist to your thigh. You removed your hand from her face, sliding both hands down her shoulders, stopping on her necktie. You yanked the fabric, deepening the kiss, which caused Jasper to growl, her left hand snaking under your dress. She brushed her thumb across your heat, making you gasp in anticipation. The gem smirked, biting your bottom lip gently. You moaned softly, kissing her once more before pulling away, your breathing uneven.
"Oh my god," you whispered, wrapping your arms around her waist. She chuckled, picking you up off the balcony railing and wrapping her arms around you again.
"I told you that you'd hear them again," she said smugly.
"No, I felt them that time..." Jasper chuckled, rubbing your back. You suddenly began to feel kind of—wrong. Like something wasn't right. Everything is perfect. What could possibly be wrong, you thought. Your arms began to loosen around the gem. "Jasper," you said, pushing back again and looking up at her.
"Yes, Shortcake," she asked, caressing your face. You leaned into her touch for a moment, sighing afterward.
"I—I can't do this."
"What," Jasper said, sounding hurt and confused.
"You just laid your heart out on the table for me to see and—I haven't even been entirely truthful with you," you said sadly, resting your hands on her stomach.
"Tell me." You inhaled sharply, exhaling slowly. She deserves to know.
"The Crystal Gems...they aren't as far away as you might think they are."
"What do you mean," she asked, her grip tightening on you. You winced slightly, closing your eyes for a moment, pressing your lips together.
"When...I found your gem on the beach a little over a month ago, I wasn't alone. Rose...or Steven was with me. He was distracted the moment I found it, so he didn't know I had it then. The rest of the gems...they were looking for you. B-But I hid your gem and lied to them when they asked if I had seen it", you said quickly, the words flying out of your mouth. "I—I figured that you were just a normal piece of jewelry, not a gem like them, so that's why I took you back into the house with me. A couple days later, after you had reformed, I saw Steven on my way back from training. He saw the bruises you had left on me and I told him the truth. We both swore to secrecy to keep a fight from breaking out between you and the gems again, and also because he believed that I could—change you," you finished, looking up at her. Jasper's face was unreadable. You had no idea how she felt about what you just said, and that scared you. "...Jasper?"
"Is that why you've been keeping me cooped up in the house? Why I wasn't allowed to go into town or anywhere unless you were with me? To keep an eye on me, right," she said, her words laced with malice. You flinched, nodding your head slowly.
"Yes...that's why. It was—for my safety and the safety of my friends. But eventually it became for your safety too", you exclaimed, gripping her suit jacket in your hands. Jasper scoffed, her arms falling away from your body. She took a step away from you, shaking her head. "Jasper...I'm sorry. I—I should have told you sooner. I was being selfish and I'm sorry, just...please", you said, reaching out to her. She pushed your hands away gently, shaking her head again as she chuckled.
"I can't help but respect Rose's tactics...she'll even go as far as emotional pain to get what she wants", the gem said, laughing. Tears began clouding your vision as you reached out for the gem again, only for her to push you away again. "No, stop. You don't have to keep acting like you care anymore. You're obviously more loyal to Rose than you are to me, but I should have expected that. You humans will pick how long you've known someone over the quality of the relationship any day." Jasper took another step back until her back was pressed against the glass door that led back into the studio.
"No, Jasper! You've—," she cut you off with a humorless laugh.
"I told you that you don't need to keep acting like you care. Your mission is complete...I've changed. Go back and report to your captain", Jasper spat, turning around and putting her hand on the doorknob. "I just assumed you'd be different...," she said softly, before opening the door, leaving you on the balcony by yourself.