Khrysopos ✔

THIRTY ONE

Hi. I'm mixing POVs in this chapter. I don't know if it's officially been done before, but if it has, then I truly do hope I don't screw this up.

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- Alex & Juliet's POV -

The bus ride back to the academy felt very short, and Juliet and Alex sat next to each other again. This time, it was without being tricked into it.

Juliet spent the entire time babbling Alex's ear off. He did not mind at all.

She mostly talked about the things she loved: Jazz, Swing, the 1940s and the 1950s aesthetic, watching movies that included a little history, the 90s aesthetic, and then she talked about food. All kinds of food. Mostly Italian and Chinese. She talked about myth, sports, and finally, about her favorite people.

Her maternal grandparents.

"I lived with them for an entire year once, you know," she said a little quietly, more to herself than to him. "I was a bit of a nuisance in my boarding school in Slovakia. I was around fourteen when my parents decided to send me to my grandparents'. They lived in Slovakia. Beautiful country. My home country." She played with the sleeves on her sweater. "It was the best year of my entire life. So many happy memories were made. I don't talk about them very much. My maternal grandparents. But I was a kid and they loved me fiercely and it left a mark."

"And your paternal grandparents?"

"I love them too. So much. They've always been there for me. No matter what. I love them more than anyone else in the entire world," she answered softly. And she did. She liked pretending as though she didn't need anyone, but everytime she found herself very sad or close to tears for no apparent reason, she found herself calling her grandmother or her grandfather. But they were always far away, and so she eventually stopped calling and grew up craving for someone to love her - anyone. 

"What are their names?"

"My grandfather's name is Arthur Ashton. He used to be a part of MI6," she informed him. "And my grandmother is Jeanette Ashton. She's an amazing person. My maternal grandparents were Katarína and Jaroslav."

"Tell me something about them," Alex asked softly. He liked listening to Juliet talk. It was somehow very peaceful and gratefully distracting.

And so Juliet told Alex about both sets of her grandparents. Every single little memory she could think of.

Alex couldn't help but feel a little jealous. His stepmother, Victoria, was a lovely woman and treated him as if he were her own, but they never could really get along like mother and son. They just treated each other like family, but there was no solid bond.

Alex's father, Mason, rarely spent time with his son, but he was a good man. When he was home, he always spent whatever time he could with his children.

Nyssa and Adam knew that Alex was their father's favourite, and they didn't mind at all. They were happy that Alex was atleast someone's favorite.

Alex's memories with his father were brief, but memorable. His father rarely came home from work now, though.

Alex's biological mother, on the other hand, wasn't around much. She only visited Alex on his birthdays. Mina Shang was a woman who was only warm and nice when she was with her son, and nobody else. She didn't visit often because she loved her job more than the little boy she gave birth to, but she still cared. It just wasn't enough to make him feel loved.

Alex was half British, and half Chinese. His name was supposed to be Kaito Shang or something, but since Alex was going to live with his father in England, his parents thought giving him a English name would help him fit in better. Unfortunately, they didn't think he'd take after his mother's features, and look more Chinese than British.

Other than his parents, Alex didn't really have anyone else who loved him. Nyssa and Adam, of course, but those two had each other's backs more than they had his.

For once, he just wanted the people he loved to have time for him, and consider him their absolute favorite. He wanted to feel special. Number one.

Alex noticed that Juliet didn't say anything while he was quiet. She probably understood he was in deep thought, and didn't want to interrupt him.

Alex smiled at her. "Do you compare people to animals sometimes?"

He was starting conversation. He was trying.

Juliet gaped at him with her bright green eyes. "Yes. I'm not the only one?"

Alex chuckled a little. "Everytime I see someone's face, I think of what species they would've belonged to if they were animals."

"I do the exact same thing! Cain reminds me of a blonde grizzly bear," Juliet informs him.

Alex completely agreed. "Nyssa is a raccoon. Adam is a beagle."

Juliet was grinning. "Marie is a flower. I can't compare her to an animal, for some reason. She's just so flower-y."

"Mr Callaghan reminds me of a sloth," Alex confided.

"I know right!" She squealed.

The whole bus looked at her.

She glared at them. "Do you all have a problem?" She asked sharply.

They all quickly turned away.

Alex wanted to laugh and hug her for being so adorably fierce.

He paused.

No, Alex.

Yes, Alex.

No no no no no -

Juliet turned to him again. "What animal did you compare me with when you first saw me?"

"A lion," he answered immediately.

She grinned. "That's so cool."

He shook his head at her fondly.

"I compared you to a panther," she told him.

He smiled a tiny bit.

It was quiet for a little while, and then their hands brushed against each other's.

Juliet paused.

Alex simply breathed, and waited for her to do something. Anything.

Juliet gently held his hand.

Alex's heart soared. No one had ever held his hand before.

And so, he slowly held her hand back.

It was all very cheesy shite, as Juliet would have described it.

They both wanted to grin widely, but instead, they just stared out of the window and enjoyed the cool, rainy air, and the feel of their soft hands holding onto each other for comfort.

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Update: writing style was so all over the place i really didnt know what the fuck i was doing as long as i got to write about alex