Close Quarters
1307 Words
"Want what?" I whispered.
"Well, I have a habit of short relationships. Do you want your heart to get broken?" His deep voice broke the trance.
"No, I don't." I ran back to my room and didn't come back out until Damien tapped on the door in the morning.
"d***s making pancakes for breakfast!" He chirped through the thick wood door.
I opened the door and smiled down at Damien, he stood there in his batman pjs and bed hair, a big broad smile spread across his face.
"Let's go have some pancakes then,"
***
When we got down to the kitchen Tim was hunched over a newspaper and Jason was smothering his pancakes in a layer of Nutella thick enough to drown in.
"Here, there's fruit and other toppings on the table." d**k handed me a plate stacked with pancakes before handing Damien one too.
As I sat down at the table I looked across at Jason, to my surprise I was met with an angry glare.
why the hell was he angry with me? he was the one who warned me off.
"How'd you sleep?" d**k asked as he sat down to eat.
"She didn't," Jason spoke before I did.
"how would you know?" Tim mumbled as he looked up from his paper.
"I found her in the kitchen at like three in the morning," Jason glanced at me.
"I just couldn't sleep, I'm not used to gothem yet. I've lived on a island my whole life." I tried to explain, I didn't want them to think I was snooping around in the dark.
"It's okay, we didn't expect you to adapt instantly." Tim chuckled.
"Plus it pays off to be a night owl around here," Damien sat down next to me.
***
"Let's see how you do in training." d**k stood to the side of a wrestling mat.
"What do you want me to do?" I took off my hoodie and stood ready in my shorts and tank top.
"I want you to take down Jason."
"What?" I glanced at Jason, he stood before a punching bag, nothing but a pair of boxers on, sweat dripping down his face.
"You scared? I'll go easy on you." Jasin teased as he sauntered over to the mat.
I shrugged my shoulders and squared up. Jason lunged towards me but I ducked out of the way and grabbed his left leg, tripping him over.
Then I pinned his arm behind his back.
"I guess you don't need as much practise in hand to hand as we thought." d**k crossed his arms as he watched his younger brother struggle beneath my grip, "you can let him go now." he chuckled.
Stepping back, I released Jason. he stood up and looked me up and down with a his eyes squinted and scowl on his face.
"Don't be a sour puss." Damien giggled from a dark corner of the bat cave.
"I'm not." Jason insisted as he stalked towards the punching bag again.
I spent the next hour sparring with d**k before Tim burst in the room, spilling coffee on the floor.
"d**k, we gotta go!" He yelled out as he ran to change into his suit.
"Okay, Jason, you're in charge. Don't do anything stupid." he looked at me, "ring me if there's an emergency." and with that he went to change too.
"Well, I declare training is over."
Jason threw down his weights as soon as Tim and d**k were out of sight.
"Movie day?" Damien strode along beside his older brother and I followed suit.
I couldn't help noticing the rippling of Jason's muscles as he strode down the hall, sweat still dripping down his toned back and down to the waist band of his track pants.
it made me feel a way I'd never felt before. I could've sworn I hated him, but at the same time I was just so drawn to him.
"Hey, Cal, you gonna watch a movie?" He turned around to see my burning cheeks as I nodded a yes.
"Cool, meet you in the theatre room in 20."
I headed off to my room for a shower and slipped on some bike shorts and a guns and roses shirt.
I went to go find the theatre room, but the halls all looked the same. The same red velvety carpet. The same shaped windows. And the same view from each window.
I gradually began to run from one hall to the next. I felt my breath fall from my lungs.
Why was this place so huge? Why can't I find the right room? Why?
"Hey," I looked up to see Jason staring down at me.
I didn't realise I'd fallen to the floor.
"Hey," I got up, wiping the tears from my eyes.
"You, Er, okay." He asked as he helped me up.
"Yeah, this house is just too big." I tried to laugh it off, but I just sounded desperate.
"You wanna talk about it?" He asked as he led me in the right direction.
his warm inviting hand held onto mine.
"it's nothing." I sighed but all I could think of was his hands.
The movie we watched was a horror movie about a demonic doll. The whole time Jason let me lean against him on the large plush lounge. The smell of him, the warmth of his chest.
"Hey," I woke to the sound of Jason.
His face was right next to mine, his deep dark blue eyes starring into mine.
"Oh, shit." I yawned and sat up, only once I moved away from him I realised I had cuddled up to him, practically sitting in his lap.
"Ah, it's all good." he smirked.
Later that night we sat at the dinner table eating desert.
"Can we have a sleepover Alfred?" Damien asked.
"Damien, I told you, sleepovers are for girls." Jason rolled his eyes.
"Yes and we have a girl now," Damien gestured to me.
Neither Jason or Alfred could be bothered arguing with the little boy.
"I suppose we can have a camp out in the gardens, is it pleases the masters?" Alfred suggested.
"Yes, okay." Jason humoured his little brother.
"Yesss!" Damien lept from his chair and ran to his room to change into his pyjamas.
"I hope you haven't minded spending the day indulging in his fantasies." Jason licked his lips after taking a sip of his beer.
"Not at all, I find him rather charming." I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.
While growing up on thymascara I always wondered what it'd be like to have sisters my age, to have a brother, or to even just be near a boy.
I thought that they'd be like aliens compared to us girls. The older women on the island described them to me. Not just their quickness to anger and physical fighting, but how their bodies differ from ours.
as I sat across the table from Jason, I couldn't stop my mind woundering.
What did he look like...down there? Was it long or thick? was really really hairy? was it ugly?
"Cal?"
I was pulled from my thoughts.
"Oh, sorry?"
"I was just asking if you minded that we'd all sleep in the one tent?" Jason repeated.
"Oh, no, I mean as long as that's...proper...here." I blushed.
"It's completely normal." His gaze seemed to pierce my clothing. I felt strangely vulnerable.
"Well, I'll go change and meet you and Damien in the gardens then."
***
Back in my room I picked out a pair of sky blue cotton boxers and a matching loose chemise-like top. looking out my window I could see Damien jumping around on the grass while Alfred and Jason put up a large canvas tent.
***
"Cali!" Damien cried out as I walked barefoot along the cool stone path.
- Writer
