Cold
AN: It's been a hot minute since I've written anything, and then suddenly one of the Muses or Apollo smacked me with this. I would not consider this proofread by any means, so proceed with caution and enjoy the fluffy goodness. (Fun fact: As I write this my area is under a severe snow warning and we're expecting to be frozen in. Irony!)
Pair: Jasper (MasoKitty OC) x Ophelia (My OC)
Warnings: Fluff (scawy), light (?) angst, hurt/comfort, first kiss, mentions of traumatic past, let me know if I missed some
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Ophelia wasn’t paying too much attention to the state of the apartment when she let Jasper in. She was honestly too caught up in her damn research paper to notice that it wasn’t quite up to snuff in many respects.
But the moment Jasper walked in and visibly flinched and shivered, she realized she might have overlooked some stuff.
“Shit, baby,” Jasper practically rasped out, voice snatched by pure shock. “It’s colder in here than outside.”
She was already putting one of the throw blankets she had lying around over his shoulders, not even bothering to let him take his coat off.
“I know, sorry. I should have had you come over another time. I didn’t make enough at work this past paycheck so I had to figure out what to prioritize. I felt like I could survive without heat, so I turned it down, but then the cold spike came through…” She paused, catching her breath. “You can go home. I get it, it’s rough.”
It looked like Jasper was in shock, then his face turned into something sterner.
“Baby, you can’t live in this. You’ll get sick.” She went to speak, but he held his hand up, stopping her from replying. “There’s no room for debate. Now, where’s the thermo-?”
“Jasper, no. I-,” Ophelia interrupted, stopping when his head whipped around so fast, she worried he hurt himself. (She never realized till that moment she didn’t tell him no very often) “I can’t afford the bill.” She realized how pathetic she sounded, quickly following with, “I’ll be fine! I grew up in Montana, remember? I'm used to the cold.”
With every word she said, Jasper looked more and more like he might have an aneurism. “Love, just because you are used to it, doesn’t mean that it is how it should be. I’ll help pay for it, if you nee-“
“I can’t ask that of you,” she blurted, eyes wide. “That’s not-“
“You are not asking. I am telling. This is final. Do not make me repeat myself. Where’s the thermostat?”
Ophelia’s mouth betrayed her brain. “It’s in the kitchen.” Did she just say that?
Whatever mental lashing she was about to dish muted at the sight of his smile. “There’s a good girl. Now, you go grab your schoolwork and bring it to the table out here.”
Her brain practically purred at his words, body moving before she could think.
He always did that to her, with honeyed words and well-placed compliments, she was putty in his hands. She couldn’t refuse him. And he knew it.
But she realized he never abused this power he held above her. The only times he went explicitly against her will was when he felt like she wasn’t taking care of herself properly. Almost like he felt some kind of responsibility to take her in his arms and personally see to her care and comfort.
And she liked it. She liked feeling like she didn’t have to watch her back, because he was. Like he would take care of anything that could hurt her. Like he truly treasured her.
Ophelia had put her laptop and books down pretty roughly on the table, fighting every bit of emotion she was feeling back with a broom.
Jasper moved around the small wall dividing the kitchen and living room/dining space, two mugs of something in his hands, and Ophelia realized she wasn’t going to hide it in time. Maybe she didn’t want to.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he looked at her, and for a second the room was still. Until the first tear left her eye.
Jasper was right in front of her in an instant, the mugs gone from his hands, which were now caressing her cheeks.
“No no, baby don’t cry, please. What’s wrong?” His voice was soft, like silk brushing across her heart, making the squeeze it caused feel less painful.
She choked, suffocating over her words and emotions, unable to say anything for a long moment before she finally sputtered out some miserable words.
“You love me.”
She felt the air in her lungs halt, brain barely processing the words she just said. Only able to focus on his beautiful amber eyes that seemed to read into her soul, find the shattered pieces of herself, and pull them out of her so he could kiss it better.
Those eyes that now looked so sad, that she could scream at herself for hurting them.
“Ophelia, did you not believe me till now?” It was the first time she ever heard him sound so…weak. She wanted to deny it, to take it all back. But she didn’t.
She shook her head and attempted to speak. “No one’s ever- Not like this-“
She cracked, tears flowing freely after her pathetic confession. Pain and joy and sorrow and love all swirling within her like a typhoon.
Jasper didn’t say anything. He just pulled her close, letting her bawl into him like she was a child, slowly guiding her to the couch. He sat down, pulling her with him and cradling her to his chest, her face buried into his shoulder and his rested on her head.
And there he held her for what could have been minutes or hours, Ophelia couldn’t tell. She was feeling the room start to warm up subtly, which, of course, made her cry harder at the reminder of everything that had happened. But soon the warmth and Jaspers touch brought a soothing comfort that she hadn’t felt since the first time the cold felt so painful, when she was so young.
When she was locked in the shed outside her foster home for the sin of curiosity, denied food and a blanket. She probably would’ve died, if it wasn’t for Dee pulling out the old window and sneaking in with a blanket.
A wave of longing hit at the thought of her sister, causing her tears, which were receding, to flow once more.
Thump
Both Ophelia and Jasper looked over to see Thacker sitting by the couch, staring up at them.
“Let me up.”
Ophelia tried to move to pick him up, but her position on Jaspers lap made it tricky. Not to mention she was half blinded by tears and felt as if she was in a daze.
Jasper nudged her back into place and maneuvered himself to reach for the rabbit, who, to Ophelia’s utter shock, let himself get picked up. Jasper placed him in Ophelia’s waiting arms.
Thacker maneuvered himself to where their chests were along each other, his heart beating over hers. His lungs released heavy, controlled breaths, and with each exhale she felt her emotions even out, no longer overwhelming her.
With the fading of the emotions and memories of the past, came clairvoyance of the present. And Ophelia realized quite quickly she made herself look like a damn fool.
She shot her head up so fast she nearly missed whacking Jasper in the face. As she looked him in the eye, she felt her face flush with embarrassment.
Sure she’s had her moments in front of him before, but by the gods, she just bawled in his arms because he cares about her. What sane person does that?
Jasper's laugh, smooth and rich and warm, brought her attention back to him.
“You’re so cute when you’re embarrassed, you know that?” He teasingly flicked her nose. “Even though you don’t need to be. I know what you’re about to start on about. So sit silent and listen.”
“You are my partner. Me listening to your problems, taking care of you, drying your tears are all part of the job. And I want to do these things for you. I want you to be the best you can be and I want to support that as best as I can. Because you’re right. I do love you. And I want to show it as much as I can.”
If Ophelia hadn’t spent the past gods know how long crying, she probably would have teared up again. But instead…
“Can I…”
She spoke so softly, Jasper had to move himself closer to hear her.
“Can I kiss you?”
Ophelia’s chest tightened, studying Jasper's face. But he only smiled gently.
“Sweetheart, you never have to ask.”
Ophelia had never kissed anyone, hardly knew how it worked. She was hoping it was as easy as it looked on the few movies and shows she’d seen.
She leaned into him, lifting her head to look him dead in the face. He was watching her intently, not moving an inch. She mustered up her courage, and shortened the distance, connecting her lips to his.
Her heart melted, swooning at the feeling of him against her. Her body, as if on instinct, moved to grasp onto his arms, using him as a tether to this reality. This marvelous reality that she never wanted to leave.
Jasper subtly leaned back, breaking the kiss gently and bringing his hand up to cup her jaw. Their eyes met, and Ophelia did her best to not to show that she was quite disgruntled with the end to their moment.
“Well, baby,” he purred, his voice in his lower register, the sound making her spine shiver, “Was it good for your first kiss?”
Of course he’d figure it out.
She nodded, burying her face in his shoulder to hide her blush, to which Jasper laughed.
“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he cooed, gently cupping her face and moving it to where he could see her. “There you are. My pretty girl.”
Ophelia went light headed at the praise, subconsciously nuzzling her face in his hand. She came back to Earth fast enough to see something dark shining in his eyes quickly go away, as he began to maneuver her off his lap so he could stand.
“I'm pretty sure the tea I made for you has gotten cold, but I’ll heat it back up for you. Go ahead and get your school work out while I fix it. And you may want to take your jacket off. Seems like the heat kicked on.”
Ophelia watched him disappear into the kitchen, trying to uncover what emotion he just pressed away a second ago.
“Maybe you should keep him around.”
Ophelia looked back to Thacker, who was no longer snuggling but sitting in her lap, staring at her.
“Why’s that?” She whispered.
“He’s reasonable enough to turn the heat on during a freeze warning.”
He jumped out of her lap and began to head over to his “room” (a closet she repurposed), but before he went away she heard one last thing.
“He makes you feel safe.”