The Hard Truth

Djinn Dojo

Chapter Summary: Lonnie tries to 'act natural', gets an admirer, and makes some (more) reckless decisions.

"What is this place?" She hears Audrey complain. "Just act natural you guys." she sort of heard Ben interrupt. Natural, she thought, right, she could do that.

Lonnie let herself be caught up in the mass of people moving in time with the music. The beat pulsed through her and she began to move, twisting her body around, dancing with the people next to her, and actually enjoying herself.

She felt like she was being watched and looked up to find herself making eye constant with a guy who was putting an apron away by the bar. The intensity of his gaze made her knees feel weak, her eyes flicked down when he licked his lips and she caught herself staring for a moment. Without thinking she flipped her hair over her shoulder sending him a look as she spun back around.

  "Ooh girl, I think you've got an admirer." A girl she'd been dancing with who had horns coming out of her purple hair and large black feathered wings grinned next to her. She bumped Lonnie's shoulder teasingly, and she looked back to see him still watching her. "Girl, I'm your wing-woman tonight, I'm gonna introduce you." The girl announced, clearing thinking her pun was hilarious, before leaving her side. Suddenly his smile vanished, and she felt a pit form in her stomach at the look he was shooting her way. As quickly as she registered his change in mood she felt a hand grab her waist and pull her backwards into a broad chest. "Hey!" She snapped, scowling as she tried to turn to tell them off for touching her, rearing her arm back to slam it backwards towards them.

In an instant, before she could land the hit, she was pulled free from the cage of his arms and found herself sideways in another person's arms, her hand resting on their chest as she steadied herself. "Don't touch her." His voice growled lowly. "Oh come on Jay, we were just dancing." The other man scowled back. "Really? Cause that sure didn't look like it to me." He shot back, "Leave before I throw you out." He ordered. The guy looked like he wanted to say something but decided it wasn't worth it, and left without a fight.

The arm that had been holding her around the waist relaxed before releasing her. "Hey, are you alright?" He stepped back and she realized it was the guy from the bar.

"I'm fine. Thanks" She nodded as the purple haired girl came back with a small shot glass. "Thought you could use a shot after dealing with that trash." She said offering it to Lonnie. She took it and thought for a second before downing it. "Thanks." She winced.

"Sorry," the purplette grimaced, "I guess I forget sometimes that it's a little strong for non-fae. I'm Mal by the way." She smiled, "and as you ready heard, this is Jay." She gestured. "You can call me Lonnie." She replied, smiling at her new friends.

"Hey, you should join us down by the docks later if you're up for it. My best friend's cousin is throwing a party down there." She invited, a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Haha, yeah, that'd be fun." She agreed without thinking. "Great! I've got to go find Evie about something, but stick around or with Jay and we'll make sure you get there? Sound cool?"

Jay laughed, and she found herself joining in, "Sounds cool, thanks Mal."

He turned to her again, "Hey, you wanna stay or get out of here for awhile? I know a cool place we can go that I think you'd like."

Lonnie regarded him for a second, and hummed as she thought. "Hmmm." With a shrug she answered, "Why not."

Minutes later Lonnie felt daring and a shiver of excitement ran through her. She shared a grin with Jay as he led her through the streets, the duo was bouncing off the walls, using pipes to throw themselves further, climbing to the rooftops to jump to the next one to go faster. This was the most fun she'd had so far, not to mention in awhile.

"So, where are we going anyway?"

"There." He pointed down to the entrance to a building, gold letters sparkled on the front.

"The Djinn Dojo?" She mused, rather interesting name. "Looks closed though?"

"Yeah." He gave her another grin that made her legs feel like jelly once again "But I know the owner." He wagged his eyebrows at her and she giggled, Lonnie the daughter of Mulan actually giggled.

Once they got inside she marveled at how well kept the Dojo actually was. For what she'd seen so far of the Isle, this was clean and in pretty good shape. "C'mon." She invited her closer, "Wanna go a few rounds? Bet you can't beat me." He teased, and she followed him.

"Oh, you are so on." She grinned, "prepare to eat your words."

A few rounds later found Lonnie pinned under Jay. The roughness of the Isle being what gave him an edge in comparison to the Auradonian style of fighting she was more used to. He leaned on his forearm, long hair falling around almost curtain like as it came out of his ponytail. The way he was looking at her made her think about the "smoulder" that King Eugene and Queen Rapunzel were always joking about, but by the way he was looking at her she didn't think he would even realize if he was.

He held her wrist in his other hand, keeping his eyes locked on hers he turned his hand and pressed a thumb at her pulse point as they fought to catch their breath together. She found her breath hitching as it caught in her throat when he pulled her wrist up and pressed his lips to it gently, eyes never leaving hers. The unfamiliar yet familiar intimacy of the moment sent her reeling.

With ease she instinctively rolled them so he was below her. She had a hand on his chest as she grinned at him. He laughed. "That's what I get for losing focus huh? I yield." Although she discovered you couldn't actually see them on the Isle, he looked at her like she herself hung the stars in the sky.

Before she could second guess herself, Lonnie made yet another reckless decision she would be sure to get yelled at by her parents about should they ever get home, no thanks to a missing barrier remote. Leaning down Lonnie cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. The hesitancy in his movements surprised her, and she realized he was making sure she knew she could change her mind. His calloused hands moved slowly, one hand trailed along her leg, resting on her waist to help give her more balance. The other hand came to cup her cheek, his fingers lightly tangling in her messy hair as he reciprocated her kiss. Soft words were breathlessly said against her lips in a language she didn't understand, and tensed for a half a second, clearly having not meant to say it.

"So, you are Djinn?" she murmured into the kiss, recognizing the sound of the language that her friend Jordan had begun secretly teaching her bits and pieces of. Secretly because Auradon Prep was seriously strict about speaking English for some reason. He froze for a second before humming an affirmative sound. "What's it mean?"

At first she didn't think he heard her question, but then he repeated the phrase in English for her. "Marry me." he pulled back, his thumb brushing against her cheek, his own cheeks were flushed and she could see an embarrassed apologetic look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, it just slipped out." he wet his lips with his tongue. "It's a Djinn thing." He continued, "A drive to claim what's ours."

"Oh." she blinked, remembering something else Jordan had told her about Djinn and Genies. They were prone to staking a claim shortly after they came into contact with their soulmate. Some proposed marriage, as Jay had just done. Some adorned their soulmate with lavish jewelry and clothes, another sign of their claim. They were possessive and protective magic beings, and when they mate their soulmate, they wanted everyone to know to back off.

"Oh?" he asked, seemingly surprised by her almost immediate understanding.

"Yeah, oh." she responded with a smirk and a roll of her eyes, "Get me a ring and we'll talk." she half teased.

He let out a barking laugh with relief. "I'll get you any ring you want." he declared, and she laughed with him as he pulled her back down for another kiss. When Li Lonnie had chosen to come to the Isle with Ben, she'd never thought she'd end up finding her soulmate here of all places, but she wasn't complaining.