Jas laughed softly and wrapped his arms around Connor's waist, lightly resting against his shoulder so that he spoke close to his ear. "Sweetheart," he purred deeply, lightly pressing his lips to his shoulder, "I do know what you mean. But I've heard that term used as very derogatory in the past. Beside I wouldn't feel comfortable calling you that. But you don't need that name to be loyal or kind or anything. You are unconditionally loved by me no matter what you choose to do." He nuzzled his ear and pressed a kiss to his neck, trailing up until he reached his temple. "You're adorable, especially when flustered." He murmured, gently nudging him forwards as the line shortened, giving the cashier a bright smile
"You're just a flirt that's all and you know it's my weak spot." He rolled his eyes. He walked towards the cashier and his face changed. It was easy for him to go from one emotion to the other. "Can I get a mint chocolate chip with rainbow sprinkles?" He pointed to the ice cream flavor and then the size he wanted. "Your turn." He reached into his back pocket moving his hand around before finding his wallet. He was getting ready to pay since he didn't want Jas to pay for anything. He thought of it as human decency. "Don't worry I'll pay, so just order." His voice was dry.
"yes, but you know every word and gesture is meant for you and only you." He pressed a kiss to Connor's head and let him go so that he could order without growing more flustered. Jas watched as Connor ordered first, brows creasing in confusion as he noticed the sudden change to Connor's demeanor. Had he done or said something bothersome? Did he not like public displays of affection? Had he crossed a line?" Jas bit his lip in worry, lost in thought until Connor told him it was his turn to order. He blinked a few times before akwatdly turning to the cashier and pointing at what he wanted, muttering softly and avoiding eye contact. He nodded vaguely as Connor said he'd pay, barely even registering his movements as he took the cup of ice cream and muttered a thank you. He flinched at hearing Connor's voice, all too familiar to Jas since he was usually the one on the receiving end of that tmdry tone in their shared past lives.
Connor grabbed his ice cream when he was done with the order. He paid for it like he said he would've. "Hey…is something wrong?" Connor grabbed a few napkins. "Oh do you want to eat here or would you like to eat outside, either way, is fine with me." Connor looked at jas with a small smile inching upon his lips. It was only when he talked to Jas that he felt like he could talk to him like how he wished he could talk to anyone. He licked his ice cream with a hum of satisfaction. "It's been so long since I had ice cream like this."
Jas gazed into Connor's eyes for a few moments, searching for that dullness he'd always seen before whenever they met in conflict. When he saw none, Jas relaxed slightly and gently nudged Connor towards the door. "Let's go outside, it's too beautiful to stay indoors." He found an empty table and plopped down, digging into his ice cream with a him of agreement "then we should do this more often, maybe find some of those niche cafes and shops that no one knows about unless you really look around." He suggested, looking up at Connor once more just to make sure it was his Connor that he was talking to. "Uhm, hey back there, did I do something you didn't like? You didn't seem…normal, when ordering. Was it something I said?"
Connor nodded in agreement. "We definitely should." He down in the chair across from Jas and tilted his head. He thought for a moment, "Oh, you must mean when I…no, no, you did nothing wrong Jas…" He stretched his hand over the table so he could latch onto Jas's. "Nothing you did was wrong. There's nothing you could do that was wrong." His eyes were soft and loving. "It's more of a personal battle. I swear you did nothing wrong okay?" Connor pressed and kiss against Jas's forehead. He didn't let go of his hand as he ate his ice cream. "If you want I could tell you more about it when we get home. It's complicated and just a lot, so be patient with me okay? Everything I've said to you has been the truth and I've been sincere. Even the times I told you I hated you and things like that. I never once lied to you or faked my emotions around you. I can promise you that."
Jas leaned into the gentle kiss, releasing a sigh of relief and squeezing Connor's hand. "I've been patient with you all these lives love, I'd wait for you a million more." He murmured, looking up at Connir and smiling softly. He went back to eating for a moment, rolling over Connor'a words in his mind. It both reassured and hurt Jas to hear him say that every feeling and word spoken had been genuine. Most if their lives spent together was in one sided love from Jas and pure hatred from Connor, save for those times where he's find Jas and spill all his life's worries and pain onto him in one night. Knowing that Connor really did hate him hurt, but he'd been able to shove that aside. He brought Connor's hand up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles. "For Everytime you've said I hate you, there are equally amounts of times I've said I love you, each and every time has been sincere, no matter how sarcastic it may have sounded."
Connor looked down at his ice cream refusing to meet Jas's gaze. All he did was lace their fingers together. "A-Anyway…" Connor ate his ice cream peacefully. "You are quite the charmer Jas. If you don't mind me asking. Is your full name Jas or is it just a nickname? You don't have to tell me I'm just kind of curious." He stuffed a big spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. He sucked on it, opening his mouth because it was too cold. Soon enough he got a brian freeze. He held his head. "Ah…that hurts." he shook his head, trying to make it go away but it held there for a long time.
"I aim to impress." Jas replied, a grin spreading on his lips. He tilted his head curiously, his eyes catching the sunlight and making them look as if they were flowing a bit. "My full name is Jasper." He shrugged slightly and glanced away, his smile fading. "Whenever someone said my full name, it usually ever meant anything good. It's a good thing Jasper can be shortened." He shrugged and went back to eating, staring down at the table now instead of Connor. "People end up shortening it anyways so I thought why not make it easier and keep it that way."
“I see, so all of your friends all you that too. Now I have to think of a pet name.” Connor shook his head enough for the brain freeze to go away. “Let’s see…” he deep in thought. For some reason he didn’t like the fact that he called Jas the same name as everyone else. “I don’t know, all of them are embarrassing to say. Like babe or baby or love or darling…” you could practically seen the steam coming from his head at how embarrassed he was. “Besides you call me those things.” He stuffed more ice cream in his mouth with a pout. “What do you want to be called?”
Jas glanced up with small laugh. "You think my pet names for you are embarrassing, love?" He gently squeezed their linked hands finding Connor's whole deal with his name adorable. "You can call me whatever you want, dear. Even if it is my full name." He brushed his thumb along the back of Connor's hand and finished off the rest of his ice cream. "Why not take advantage of pet names? I am a cat after all." He suggested with a shrug
Connor finished his ice cream almost the same time Jas did. "They make me embarrassed because you say them all the time. Even before when you said things like that in our other lives I would go home and have a blush on my face because of it. It also makes me angry because you call everyone by that too." Connor got up to throw his trash out in a nearby garbage can. "So my goal now is to come up with a pet name for you." Connor was determined to find one that he could use for Jas, you could even see it on his face. "Now where to?"
"oh really? I'm glad i'm the one who makes you blush, dear." Hdme stoof and stretched, throwing his empty cup away. “As for using nicknames with others, that's more of a habit than anything else." He wrapped his arms back around Connor's waist. "I'm sure you'll come up with something embarrassingly cute." He reassured, gently taking his hand and tugging him to the door. "Lazer tag? I've never actually played before and it seems like fun." He suggested, glancing over his shoulder with a smile, anything that involves sneaking around in the dark was immediatly intriguing to him
Connor smirked. "Sure, but just to warn you I might beat you. I can handle a gun pretty well so be prepared. I'm so gonna make you wish you never asked to play." Connor took Jas's hand as they started walking again. "How come you talk like that. You talk was too civilized. Not to say I don't like it I just mean, I never really hear you talk like how I do. Is that because that's just the way you've been taught?" He thought more about the nickname. "How about kitty?! Since you're a cat and all it's only right that I name you something that fits you. You even pur like a cat when I pet you. It feels weird because I can feel the vibrations through my hand. Of course, you don't like it I have to come up with something else."
"oh dear, whatever shall I do?" He grinned eyes glowing slightly. He pressed a kiss to Connor's head and shrugged "it's most stuck with me throughout the lives. Besides, it unsettles people when a seemingly polite young man like myself is suddenly holding knife to your throat. It's a good way to intimidate." He swung their linked hands together and flicked his gaze around their surroundings. He thought for a moment and nodded "no I like it, it's cute. Besides I don't think any of my friends will dare call me that. It can be something only you call me."
Connor was a little startled when his eyes glowed, then again he also thought things like that were cool. "Whoa, I did;t know your eyes could glow like that," he mumbled listening to Jas talk, finding his voice soothing amongst the big crowd they were surrounded by. "Ah, I see." He thought about that many times he's witnessed something like that and he shivered. He hated watched Jas kill people life after life. Nothing good came from it only bloodshed and pain. That's why he hated it. He snapped out of his thoughts when Jas said that he liked the nickname he had thought of him. "Then that makes you my kitty." He rubbed his head once more, soft and light, almost like he was touching a cloud. He turned the corner fining the laser tag place that Jas was talking about. "That must be in right?"
He chuckled lightly "I still have a few more things you don't know about me, dear. We have to keep some mystery between us to make thing interesting, no?" He winked leaning into Connor's touch with a melodic purr, his eyes closinb in content for a moment. "You can't do this to me in public, dear, people are going to start thinking I'm crazy. Then again they're not entirely wrong." He gently grabbed Connor's hand and pressed a kiss to his wrist before letting go and looked up at the arcade. He nodded and tugged Connor inside.
“Than that would only make you my crazy kitty.” Connor looked around at all of the games and little claw machines they had. Everything was
Glowing in the dark even their shirts. “So cool. I’ve never been to an arcade before. Probably because I never take days off, I just work everyday. I’m only trained with a gun because…well you know why. Anyway…” Connor stood in front of Jas. “Are you ready to get pummeled in laser tag. I think we should have a bet.”
"oh this is going to be fun." Jas looked at himself then at Connor as they stepped into the black-lit arcade, his eyes immediatly turning their bright green along with the highlights in his hair. A Cheshire cat right at home in a weirdly wonderful world. "Neither have I but it looks like fun." He pulled Connor to the Lazer tag area, nodding his head. "If you're that confident you'll win, darling, go ahead. What's your vet?" He purred, an all too wide grin spreading on his features as he payed for a 1 on 1 round for them.
“W-Well, I didn’t think you would actually say yes so let me think.” He was distracted by Jas’s eyes. They were so bright it looked unnatural. “Well, if I win then um…” he thought of a good reward, but nothing came to mind. “I get a kiss and you have to have your cat ears out for the rest of the day. I know it stupid but it feels better when I work for him.” He sounded triumphant in his answer. “I don’t know what you want, so if you win what do you want. It can be anything.” Connor walked to the entrance of the laser tag. Jas wasn’t one to want many things so he was curious.
"I can definately do that but I must admit, I'm heartbroken you didn't ask for dinner, here I thought you were interested in my cooking." He pouted teasingly before pulling on the little vest and taking a laser gun. He thought for a moment as they went through the rules. "I did promise to kiss you senseless when I left that cell. I don't think I've ever fulfilled that promise yet." He winked and stepped through the door. "Reember love, they never said anything about using magic." He winked and dissapeared, now somewhere in the Lazer tag maze
“Did he say he was gonna what…?” His face was beat red. He stood there for a couple of minutes before snapped out of it. He remembered what he said before that though. “Tsk, him cook. I would like to see him try.” He huffed and ran into the maze as well once his gear was on. It was easy to spot him because of his eyes and hair highlights. The game had a timer whichever one had the most points to win. Along with the rest of the people who were playing on teams. “I’ll beat him soon enough. In ten minutes I’m going to win.” He hid behind a wall not really sure how to find him. Then again it was just like his training shoot every target on-site who isn’t on your team. He took a deep breath and spotted an opposite team member quickly shoot the chest plate. “One down but he’ll be back up soon.” He mumbled. "I wonder what Jas is doing…"
Jas meandered around, not very keen on staying hidden, to the dismay if his teammates. To keep the game interesting, Jas actually barely used his abilities, only a few times to freak out the other people playing or to get to higher up areas. While most his teammates stayed on their side if the arena, Jas and another teammate, who he had seen get shot at a few moments ago, were the only ones taking advantage of the nearly empty hiding areas. He chuckled to himself as he scanned the area, bringing out his cat ears to catch any noise as he numbly climbed up to a small watchtower.
Connor went around shooting the other team as best as he could, but still no sign of Jas. He hasn't once gotten shot yet. He would like to keep it that way. He looked around seeing Jas on the watchtower. His ears were black, but when he saw them he held his breath. He pointed the gun at Jas, hoping to get one shot in. He lined it up and pulled the trigger. He didn't have time to see if he had shot him or not because there was the opposite team member right behind him. He quickly shot him as well. The kid sadly walked away going to the recharge station. Connor chuckled lightly at his reaction. The score had been 34 to 36 with Connor's term on the winning side. "It really does pay off to be trained at this, though the game is not over yet… Jas could easily catch the team up without lifting a finger. Why did I agree to this?"
Jas scanned the area from his little perch, eyes widening as he saw a laser gun trained on him, rolling to the side and ducking behind a barrier, he quickly glanced down at himself to make sure his little vest was still green before shooting back in the general direction. "Oh darling if that was you…" He muttered with a laugh. He jumped down back into the maze, a wild smile on his lips as he scoured the area for his aponents.
