Frost & Flames | Soulmate AU 2 |

Sixteen

Jacob comes back to the apartment with Thomas in tow about half an hour before we're going to start getting ready. Jacob takes one look at Scofield sitting on his couch and sighs dramatically, stalking past and going straight into the kitchen.

"Who's that?" Scofield asks.

"That's the guy whose apartment we're currently borrowing," I reply. "Max's friend."

"Ah," Scofield says, nodding. "I see he's not a fan of me?"

I snort, shaking my head.

"You could say that," I reply.

"What'd I do? Was it something I said?" he jokes.

"You could say that," I reply, staring back without laughing. Jacob has a good reason to dislike the League, especially the big guys who are in charge.

Scofield must notice my change in tone, because his eyebrows furrow.

"What is it?" he asks.

"It's not you individually, really," I say. "It's a League thing. That's all I'm gonna say, though. If you want to know, you're gonna have to ask him."

Jacob comes back into the room with a small cardboard box. He sets it on the coffee table.

"I had a stash of these in my closet, so help yourself if you need one," he says, shrugging. I lean forward to see what's inside, and it's a whole bunch of black domino masks and small glue bottles. I pluck one out of the box, looking it over. It's a far cry from the one I usually wear, a black one lined with silver that glints in the sunlight, but it will certainly serve its purpose tonight.

"Thanks, man," I say.

"Well, we can't have your adorably youthful face being run on every major news outlet, not can we?" he chirps back.

"Ah," Scofield says suddenly. "You're Jacob Reid."

Jacob shoulders straighten, his jaw tightening as he stares back at the director of the League.

"Yes, that's me," Jacob confirms. "Why? How do you know who I am?"

"I remember what happened to your parents," he says. Jacob is grinding his teeth, now, his jaw working back and forth. Thomas steps closer, placing his hand at the small of Jacob's back.

"You do?" Jacob bites back. "Well, if you can remember something that happened so long ago, why didn't you do anything about it back then?"

Scofield sighs, scrubbing his only hand over his face.

"People remember the things they regret the most, do they not?" he replies.

Jacob stares back, glowering and not saying anything.

"I'm gonna go make some frozen taquitos for the ungodly amount of people in my apartment," Jacob says without addressing Scofield's words. He turns without waiting for a response. Thomas follows, staring Scofield down with a glare as he goes.

'what was all that about? What about his parents?' Rowan asks through the Bond.

'Jacob's parents were murdered when he was eighteen. He asked the League for help because whoever did it was enhanced or it was something very serious, but they refused to investigate, which was obviously terrible. Jacob has enhancements, but he's never going to be League agent because of everything that happened,' I explain.