empathy

THIRTY-NINE

"Let me take you out," Jasper speaks up. 

Heaving her head from the pillow, she frowns at the sun hitting her eyes, blinding her, before simply letting her head fall back down and pulling her pillow on top of it. 

"You can take yourself out and let me sleep," she grumbles. "It's half-past twelve. You're missing the whole day," he points out. "So, there's this restaurant in Seattle, it's run by a friend of mine. I think you'd like it."

"You're taking advantage of my none functional, tired brain and love for food. Unfair," she sighs when he pulls the pillow off. "The fact you are able to tell me that, tells me I am not taking advantage of you at all," he retorts. 

"I don't want to go to a restaurant," Anastasia deadpans. "You always want to get food," Jasper points out. "Yeah. But you don't eat. So you'd stare at me, which is really creepy by the way. Just like you watching me sleep. How long have you been in here?" she sits up while rubbing her eyes. "Oh, I just came in. I wasn't watching you. I know you'd find a way to slap me without breaking your hand."

"Good. I need coffee."

Jasper reaches behind him, stopping her from standing up completely and hands her the coffee he made earlier. 

"Alright. No restaurant. Anything else I should consider in my plannings?" he asks her. "Don't be romantic. Romance freaks me out," she shrugs. "I know that, too. You like sports, don't you?" Jasper questions her. 

"Like watching sports or like actually, you know, participate in physical activity?" "Participate."

"Well, I guess. If it's nothing you have to do in teams. Or, running."

Nodding, he leans forward for a moment. His lips brush over her forehead before he is already pulling away from her. Barely even touching her at all. 

Anastasia goes to protest before quickly shutting her mouth. She wasn't actually gonna complain, was she? She doesn't like affection, he doesn't need it. Or him, for that sake.

"Are you gonna let me sleep now?" she settles to say instead. "I'll pick you up at eight. Make sure to have eaten, you'll need your strength. Oh, and, for once in your life, dress comfortably."

Anastasia raises a brow at that but he is gone before she has the chance to disagree. 

Jasper spends the day planning before eventually getting he can't be planning this at all. So, instead, he goes for a hunt and spends the remaining minutes playing some video games with Emmett and Aurelia before leaving again.

"What? You're not gonna change?" Emmett calls after him. "I look great," Jasper brushes him off. "Look who's getting cocky these days," the burly guy grins teasingly. "It's not being cocky when you're right."

Ana is staring at the clock, she has seriously considered just going somewhere to avoid this... meet up but eventually decided against it. Still, she's not dressed comfortably, not at all. She's in her usual attire for sunny days. A black transparent thighs, a skater skirt and her boots. Though, she supposes, the hoodie is a change from the usual tight turtle neck she is now only wearing beneath. She didn't want to bring a jacket.

Hell, she doesn't even know where they'll be going. Or what they're gonna do.

"Comfortable, huh?" Jasper leans against the frame of her door. "I don't do comfortable. Is that a knife in your hand?"

"Yeah. Come on," he nods at her to follow after him. They don't go far just a little into the woods and she turns to him questioningly once she sees the various knives laying around. "What? You finally gonna murder me?" she states, unsure of whatever it is that's going on. 

"I would never dream of hurting you," he turns the knife in his hand and hands it to her. "What are you doing?" she frowns, watching him walk towards a tree and pinning something on it. "A post-it?"

"Let's see how well you aim," he speaks up. "Throw it," Jasper points at the knife in her hand. "Why do you want me to throw a knife? I'm pretty sure most people would say I'm enough of a psychopath already," she deadpans. "Just throw it."

Staring down at the knife in her hand she sends him a wary look before throwing it, not hitting the post-it at all. Not even close.

"Why are we doing this?" she asks him when he walks closer to her. "To help you let go of that anger you're so used to pushing down. Just let it go. Find some motivation like, imagine your father or, I don't know. Just... you need to let go of that anger."

Looking at him, she lets out a sigh before turning back to look at the post-it note. 

"Yeah, that's not working," Anastasia means after a  long while of just staring. "Can I toy with your emotions?" he positions himself behind her. Placing his hand on the small of her back when she agrees. 

Her hands tighten around the knife in her hand when he pulls up whatever piece of anger he can find and her jaw clenches harshly. 

"Let go," he breathes and she rings with herself before throwing the knife. Its tip hits the tree but it's still nowhere near the post-it. "His face. Picture his face, darlin'." 

Grabbing another knife, she basically hurls it at the tree, panting heavily. But at least it hits the post-it. It hits his face. 

Another one follows suit and she brings her arms up, the backs of her wrists facing her mouth as tears pool in her eyes. 

"It's alright," Jasper's arms wrap around her, pulling her against his chest. "You're gonna be alright." 

For a moment the two of them just stand there, the tears not really dripping from her eyes but her bottom lip trembling as she desperately needs them to do just that. But they don't, they just swim in her eyes, making them burn. 

"You want to go again?" he offers after a minute. 

Pulling away from him, she harshly brushes the tears away and nods. Yes. Yes, she does. She wants nothing more than that. 

"Can I get the big one?"