Anomalies ✔

Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN: STARDUST

The world is always greater than your desires; plenty is never enough. 
-Aleksandar Hemon

While waiting to dry off so I don't have to mess up my hair until the Tourette's does it for me- -something I normally do while Jasper picks up Vivianna in the morning- -I usually just do this or gather things in my room, usually shirtless, usually when I don't have anything to give a fuck about until Jasper comes back.

Today is different.

Because since I got out of the shower, Jasper followed me around the dorm as I did the random, small and pretty much useless things my brain screams at me to do.

At the moment, I'm tying my short strings tighter, since they keep sagging down and Jasper gets distracted enough by it to continually poke the top of the strawberry, which, in turn, distracts me.

This was after I put on a tank top too.

"Okay," He says, eyes still on me. "Cuddle time, sir."

"Might not want to call me that." I grunt, watching as he laughs quite cutely and opens his arms for me -him laying on his bed, head turned to me with a pout.

Too fucking cute.

Not wasting time, having already gotten permission, I climb onto the bed and into his arms. I want to be as comfortable as possible, so I choose to sit on his lap instead of cuddle his side.

Besides, most times when we cuddle the giant puppy ends up pulling me onto him anyway, I'm just cutting to the chase.

Crossing my arms as Jasper grabs my hips, shifting under me until his head is raised more comfortably under the pillow to talk to me. It's way too tempting to touch him when we're like this.

But this is cuddle time.

And though I've never really cuddled with someone else, I actually enjoy it.

Then the musician is glancing above my head in the same moment I let out a quiet growl, ticing. Which, of course, just gets me thinking about what he must see through every one of my verbal tics.

"What's my growl look like?" I ask.

Without me doing anything else, he flushes. "Do it for me and I'll tell you."

Does it look that weird?

Narrowing my eyes at him- -the effect my glare once had is completely gone, which is only half disappointing- -I try to read him enough to know if it's weird enough that he can't describe it or he likes seeing it, but he just keeps smiling, dimples showing off.

Then, I growl how Noelle likes me to -deep in a way that she says makes the sound 'wide'.

It must be weird when it's right in your face because Jasper's lips part and he looks frozen as his eyes flick around.

"So?" I ask, thinking how a kiss would be nice right now. "What does it- -bit hot innit!- -look like?"

"Stardust."

I can only blink at him as his smile widens impossibly so, seeming really happy with that.

Stardust? I don't -I don't know how that looks.

Should I train myself not to growl anymore? I've done years of behavior therapy, which is why my tics are so manageable unless I get worked up. It used to be really hard for me to manage but now, if I ever manage to develop a bad tic, I know how to train myself to get rid of it.