Chapter 14: Deals 2 (Jasmine and Jason)

(Pov Jasmine)

Jasmine walked towards the front door. She had heard Julie's car tires crushing the gravel of the driveway from her open office window. And given Jason's leg, she had decided it was best to come down and meet him here. If he let her, there really wasn't any reason for him to walk upstairs on his own. Though she suspected he might not be too fond of that idea.

Voices seeped through the door, one feminine and one masculine. She couldn't quite make out what they were talking about; it didn't sound all that important. As the door swung open, Julie entered first, taking off her sunglasses. She stepped to the side and held the doors open as Jason limped his way inside. He was wearing the glasses she had given him. The light shining through the cut amethyst lenses colored his cheeks in a bright, slightly purplish color. It made it look like he had a slight blush. That looked good on him. So it wasn't just the smell then.

Jasmine smiled at him. “They look good on you.”

Jason sat down on the small stool in the foyer and looked up at her with a small smile. “Thanks. And thank you for the sunglasses?” Judging by the reddening of the purple on his cheeks, he at least appreciated the compliment, and she certainly appreciated the slight aroma that now had entered the air.

“Sure, we can call them sunglasses. People use different terms for them all the time, so it doesn't matter.” She looked down as Jason started taking off his shoes.

His hands stopped moving for a split second. “Hey Jasmine, what are these?” he motioned to his glasses, “made off?”

“The frame is steel, I think, at least mostly. The lenses are amethyst. the actual gemstone that is”

He turned to look at her, eyes wide as he blinked several times. “They're expensive, aren't they?”

Jasmine scoffed. “Well, I wouldn't buy you anything subpar now, would I.” Jason's lips pressed together. “But I didn't get them for you as a sign of affection. Well, not just that anyway. They are expensive because they need to be.” She motioned to the lenses. “If they were anything other than amethyst, they wouldn't work.”

Jason nodded as he finished taking off his shoes. “I see. I will pay you back for them.”

“No. You absolutely won't. Jason, at the moment, I am betting on those glasses being the most expensive thing you own. I won't have you debt trapped to me for a year or two.” She drew a breath. “And more importantly, I got them because I fucked up and got you injured and then had to interrogate you in a way I hope I never have to do again. The glasses are me making amends, so please let me do that.”

Jason stared at her for a second, his hazel eyes gaining a strange, to admittedly rather fetching color as they were filtered through the purple of the amethyst. He sighed in defeat as he started getting back up. “Fine.“

Jasmine had to stop herself from trying to help him. After all, he wasn't a totally helpless child, and if she was gonna ask if he wanted her to carry him up the stairs. Well, it was probably best not to wound his pride too much.

“I figured we should let Sam and Julie have the living room. So we can just use the office couch, like we did last time. Does that sound good to you?”

“Yeah, that works.”

As they got to the stairs, his jaw tensed. Leaning in, she kept her tone low, though it wasn't a whisper. “Do you want me to carry you?”

Jason flinched slightly, and Jasmine barely stopped her hands from moving to his waist to steady him. “Sorry.” She winced

“It's fine.” He said, before glancing back to the stairs. His eyes locked onto them for a moment. “I am the girl in this relationship, aren't I. Sure, why the hell not?”

Jasmine laughed briefly. “You aren't Jason. You just happen to have a sprained ankle, and I am probably around four times stronger than you. Give or take.”

“Four times?!” Jason looked down at his hands, clutching his crutches.

“Something like that.” She got her hands ready to lift Jason into a bridal carry. “Ready?”

It didn't take long before she reluctantly put Jason down on the couch in her study. Jason had wanted to walk after they got upstairs, but he had quickly accepted his fate.

As she took off his brace, she pushed magic into his blood, feeling how it moved around his leg and ankle. “It's healing nicely. It should be good again in about a week and a half if I don't do anything further.” She glanced up at Jason's face. “Do you still want me to speed it up more? I can probably make it so it's back in shape by Saturday. Though you can probably start walking, carefully, by tomorrow evening. I think.”

“Yes, I still want you to speed it up. I kinda need to be able to walk soon.” He avoided her gaze during the final part of the sentence.

Jasmine nodded. She could guess at why the financial reports on the Smallers' farm had been less than promising. And given how far he seemed willing to go for his sister, she could only guess at what being temporarily out of play both at home and at work was doing to him.

Pushing the magic into his ankle, she tried to focus it around the remaining wound healing response. Her eyes were closed as the magic slowly seeped into him and as it started pushing back ever so slightly. In her mind's eye, an image began to emerge: veins and arteries, blood vessels and capillaries. She looked for the places where more of it seeped out than normal, the places where the energy behaved strangely, at least compared to normal. She focused it in such places. It wasn't spellcasting, not really. She was no witch, nor warlock, nor mage. No, what it was was a use of the magics innate to her being.

After a few minutes, she finally let out a breath she had completely forgotten she was holding. After blinking a few times, she looked up at Jason and gave him what she hoped was a comforting smile. “There, that's the best I can do. Unfortunately, this isn't my specialty.”

Jason looked relieved; his shoulders were lower than she had seen them since before they got back on Saturday. And a wide, almost jubilant smile was splitting his face. He chuckled briefly. “Thank you Jasmine. I mean it. It's just… I am not sure Mom and Dad should be running things on their own. They aren't exactly getting any younger.”

“Happy to help, Jason.” His smile seemed to brighten the entire room, like a beam of sunlight illuminating a mountainside.

Jason flopped back on the couch like a balloon that had been popped. The following silence lasted for a few minutes. However, it didn't feel awkward, at least not to her. It was  a comfortable silence, the kind that just lets you exist in company.

“Hey Jasmine, can I ask you something?” Jason got up on his elbows, looking over at her.

“Sure. What do you wanna know?”  Jasmine got up, grabbing a nearby ottoman to sit closer to his head.

“Why did… Ask me out the first time?”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “For multiple reasons. First of all you're hot. Second, I wanted to know more about the boy I stopped from cracking open his skull on the pavement my first day in town. You were good with Sam when he and I stopped by that time. Which is really a massive green flag as far as I am concerned. And lastly, well.” She trailed off. Not knowing how to make the last point not sound like she was going to eat him.

“And?”

Jasmine sighed. “Look, I can't think of a good way to say this, so I am just gonna say it. You smell really good. And I don't mean that in the way most women do when they say it, though that's also true. What I mean is that you smell good… In the way a perfectly cooked steak does. You smell like you taste really good.”

Jason just stared at her for a second, his hand slowly moving to his throat touching it briefly. When he spoke, his voice was deadpan in a way she hadn't heard it before. “You're going out with me, because I smell like food?”

She held up a finger. “Not only because you smell like food. But I do admit it's very much a part of it.”

“I see.”

He got quiet and stared at his hand for a bit. “Last time you said you were a pureblood. That you had never been human. How do you become what you are? Like other than being born into it.”

Jasmine knew exactly where that question was going. He certainly would be the first boy who had the idea. “My condition is caused by a parasite, and if someone were to drink my blood or have it infused over a period of time. Well then, that would turn them into a noctian, eventually. It takes somewhere between six months and a year.” She could see his eyes light up. She held up a finger. “But, it doesn't work for everyone. And more specifically, it doesn't work for men at all. None of the magic-granting parasites do.”

The light in his eyes died almost as soon as it appeared. “Wait, how are you a pureblood if there aren't any noctian men then?”

“Dad was human. He was Mom's thrall… until he died.” She could feel her jaw tense.

“Your mom owned slaves?”

Jasmine's jaw dropped, and she spoke before she could stop herself. “What the fuck. NO.”

“Doesn't thrall mean slave?” Jason seemed to have shrunk slightly.

Jasmine wanted to slap herself, of course he would think that. Anyone who wasn't from the old country or very well informed would think that. “It does, but not in this context. Thrall here is more the term we use for a human whose blood married to a noctian.” Jason looked at her like a 6-year-old does a teacher explaining algebra. “Yeah, that needs more explanation. So, over time, we can infuse our magic into a person. That makes it easier for us to drain power out of that person when we feed. The details are complicated, so please don't ask. But we can only have one at any given time, and it takes years to make the change. The term " thrall " comes from the fact that they can't resist our compulsion abilities. Though they are immune to every other noctian’s ability to do it. In practice, it is a marriage.”

“So a noctian can just make the thrall do whatever she wants.”

“Absolutly not. There are safeguards on it; the thralls watch out for each other. The matrons and elders also consider thralls clan resources as much as members.” One of Jason's eyebrows climbed at that.” I am also a clan resource, just so you know. anyways one of them is on the council, especially one whose noctian is away on business. Its to make sure no one fucks around without finding out. Compulsion on a thrall is only to be used if they ask for it or in emergencies. And no one messes with another woman's thrall. There is no faster way of starting a fight than that. So no one really stops the thralls from checking up on each other. The elders certainly won't let anyone stop them.”

“What if the thralls ordered to forget or to think they wanted to say yes?” His tone sounded guarded, cautious.

“Our compulsion is good Jason. But anything long term is very hard to do at all, and even harder to do well. Someone would eventually notice, if they knew what they were looking for. Thralls say no to their noctians all the time. Compulsion is just allowed for life or death emergencies, or some medical situations. People will notice if it's abused.”

Jason seemed to think it over for what felt like a minute. “Do you have any thoughts about doing that to me?”

Jasmine leaned back in her chair and chuckled. “Jason, you're basically asking if I have any thoughts about marrying you.” She could see the blush spread across his face. “But to answer your question. Yes, I do think that's very much on the table. You fit nearly all of the things I have imagined in a thrall. Or I should say, spouse. But that's only if  that's something you want. You also do get a lot out of it. If you think I have been spoiling you this far, well, let's just say there would be more of it. And I would have an obligation and a direct interest in protecting you. As would the clan, you would be a member after all.” She hesitated for a second. “ I was gonna bring it up when I thought I was certain and you were ready. I am certain at least.”

This was risky. After all he might say no. However at this point  they had kinda meandered into it, so she might as well just go for it. She had gotten her own hopes up, she had gotten Rhea's hopes up. He was also presumably the heir to a farm that would expand the clan's long term holdings in fairvern once the time came. Of course that mattered, but more importantly he seemed like he would make a great dad. His actions after last Saturday had also made her more certain. The boy might be easily swept along, but he wasn't ruled by his fears.

“Wait… Are you proposing right now?”

She winked at him. “I guess I am. Though we would have until the process is complete before it's… well, permanent. So I am asking if you want to marry me in two years' time. But this can also just be an explanation if that's what you want.”

“Oh.”

She reached for his hand, though he didn't pull away when she grabbed it. “It's fine if you wanna wait to answer that. And it's fine if you have conditions. Romance is great and all, but it's not enough. I am also not asking you to be monogamous; I won't take other partners. But I am not asking you not to. I am hoping for a polygamous relationship. I grew up with a lot of people, and I kinda want that.”

Jason's eyebrows had furrowed deeply. “I am really not sure how good I would be at polygamy.”

Jasmine laughed. “That's fine, Jason. I was raised in a culture where that's normal. So I can help with the others. It's also fine if you don't find anyone else. But I have a very old friend that I made a promise to, and we want to share. If you could at least talk to her and see if you like her, that would make me very happy. But if it doesn't work out that's fine. And I am only asking you to talk to her, and keep an open mind.”

“I can do that. Talk to her, I mean. I have to see on the polygamy thing.” Jason blinked. “Wait, did I just agree to marry you?”

Well, that went far better than she expected. He just needed to say the words. She hadn't dared tell Rhea about how certain she was about Jason. If this didn't work out, it would break the poor girl's heart. She didn't let on, but Jasmine was fairly certain she was excited enough that her legs ticked against the floor. She hadn't fully realized it herself until the last few days, just how much she actually liked him.

“Not in so many words.” Jasmine studied his face. “Do you… not want that.”

“I am not sure.” He hesitated for a few seconds, studying his hands. “You said it was fine if I attached conditions.” Jasmine nodded. “If I agree to this, and we go through with it. Will you help my parents if they need it?”

“Without hesitation. And it won't only be me, the entire clan will, at least if it's things that are medical or related to the farm.” She locked eyes with him. “And you will be a clan member. We protect our own. If anything happens to you, it will have consequences. And given that many of the older clan members survived the beginnings of the collapse back in the old country, they won't hesitate if they have to get their hands dirty. Neither will I. All you will have to do is ask for help, and you will have it.”

Jason's eyebrows furrowed, and he spent a solid minute in what could only have been deep though. “Ok. Yeah, I am willing to try. If I can still call it off in the next two years? You know, if we don't work out.”

“Yes, of course that's fine.”

Jasmine could feel her heart race. She hadn't really expected to do this now. It just kinda happened. Still, she was ecstatic, and before she could think too much about it, she was already pushing her lips aggressively into his. It took a second before she could feel him leaning into it, seemingly as enthusiastic as her.

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(POV Jason)

Jason had to lean back to catch his breath after what was the first and most intense make-out session of his life. He really hadn't come here with the expectation that he was going to get engaged, but here he was. It wouldn't be wrong to say things had moved quickly. Maybe too quickly, but only time could tell that.

Jasmine was great, a little to set on giving him things maybe. But his inability to accept gifts had long been a complaint from friends, so her near force of nature like attitude on that particular problem might be good for him. Even more than that, she made him feel… Wanted in a way no one else ever had. He had two years to see if this was just him reacting to attention or something more than that. He deeply hoped it was the latter. After all, despite everything he still felt safe, and she went out of her way to ensure that he did in a way no one else did. He might feel conflicted and uncertain, but he certainly didn't feel unsafe about the options given to him or those he chose.

He still had his misgivings about the situation; he felt he should know her better. But that could develop over time, and now at least his family had a guarantor. A powerful one at that. After all, West Star was a conglomerate of family-owned companies. People had built successful marriages on far, far less. He just so happened to have the advantage of actually liking and being attracted to her.

He could feel Jasmine's lean into him and her breath against his ear. “Oh, and Jason, I was able to talk to a theurgist friend of mine. She's willing to come by and see if your sister has what it takes. It's not a guaranteed spot, and she would become an apprentice, not a conservatory student. But it's a chance for her to become a theurgist.”

Jason blinked, his heart speeding up in his chest. His sister, the family genius, would finally have a chance, a proper chance, at the goal she had been set on for seemingly months. She had never been certain about what she wanted to do with her life before now. It had always been vague, noncommittal. The way she had spoken about the conservatory and theurgy had been different. And now that door was open.

It also meant he could set his savings aside to help with the farm. He could contribute more than just the rent. He couldn't tell his parents, of course, but that didn't mean he couldn't do it anyway.

As he stared back up at Jasmine, deeply into her crimson eyes, he came to a conclusion. He needed to pay her back for this. There was one thing she had wanted seemingly from the start, and if it got them closer was it actually a problem? Does being bitten hurt?

“Thank you.” His tone was surprisingly even. “Does being bitten hurt?”

Jasmine's face scrunched in confusion before a slightly predatory smile split it apart. When she spoke, her voice was husky in a way that sent shivers down his spine. “Well, according to the thralls I know, it stings a little at the beginning and then feels really, really good. Why do you wanna try it?”

For some reason, the look on Jasmine's face made Jason feel like a deer in headlights. It wasn't a bad feeling, but it did mean he couldn't really form a sentence properly. While he couldn't speak, he could still communicate. Jason nodded.

Jasmine leaned in slowly, and he could see a pair of fangs that normally weren't there. The pair rested against his throat for a second before enough pressure was applied for them to break the skin. Jason winced at the sensation, but it was quickly forgotten by the warm, pleasant sensation that started spreading from where he had been bitten. Radiating out throughout his body. Relaxing every tense muscle and numbing the ache in his ankle.

Jason felt like he was lying on a couch made of clouds. It was fantastic. It wasn't quite the same kind of pleasant as painkillers. He had taken some of those throughout his life, and this was different in a lot of ways. While his thoughts felt muddled, they weren't the kind of slowed you get with painkillers. And more importantly, he had never taken any painkillers that caused his pants to feel as tight as they currently did.

While he wanted to correct the situation, Jasmine had him in a vice grip. And after a few seconds, though, he concluded it was probably to stop him from moving around too much and cutting open an artery. The strangest part was that he hadn't even noticed her moving to grab hold of him like that.

After about a minute, he felt Jasmine stop sucking at his neck, her grip loosening. She placed a small, gentle kiss on the wound before she covered it with a hand. That same heat, the one that he felt when she was tending to his wounds, spread across the area around the bite mark.

“Fuck you taste good.” Her voice shook slightly.

He tried to replay, but had far too much trouble keeping his breathing even.

Jasmine sat back up and ran a hand through her hair, stopping about halfway. “Thank you Jason.” She smiled, and he saw her tongue dart at small patches of blood on her lips.

“Yeah. I…” Jason blinked, all of a sudden very aware again of the ongoing situation in his trousers.

He tried to subtly shimmy to hide it, but Jasmine glanced down. The smile on her face as she looked back at his face could only be described as offensively smug. like what you might expect to find on a cat that had gotten into the cage of an especially intelligent parrot and won the fight. Yet she seemed to have enough grace not to comment on it.

Jason looked around the room. “So what now?”

“Well, you shouldn't move around before you drink some water. I didn't take too much, but it might still have an effect.” She cocked her head. “Wanna watch a movie?”

Jason nodded. “Sounds great.” His brain then got backtracked to an earlier part of the conversation. “Wait did you say magic-granting parasites?”