Today had been like any other for Jessica since she moved two months ago. She got up, made breakfast for herself and Roscoe, then went and got ready for the day. Braiding her hair she picked up a few of her papers and a book to read. Another day off from work and she was happy for it. Somedays Jessica wondered if it really was worth it being a nurse and having to move all the time to make sure she’d never be caught.
But she also would find herself, staring out her window watching faces pass by. A hope behind the staring of finding the man she had helped before back in Brooklyn. There were some nights the loneliness of her bed was too much and her dreams would turn to her memories of that night. The adrenaline, the freedom, the pain, but most importantly the connection she felt with him. She had wished she had asked his name, but it was probably best if they kept the secrecy.
A sigh escaped her lips as Roscoe whined with his leash in his mouth. Nudging her leg Jessica smiled lightly and patted his head before taking the leather into her hand and grabbing her things. Since that night she needed a companion and Roscoe was just the perfect little man to have. He was trained in both emotional comfort and security. Originally he was going to be a part of the police force before an accident that had taken his two back legs.
When she had seen him there in that animal hospital unloved and broken she had felt a deep connection to him and adopted him on the spot. Afterwards at home she healed his legs and he guarded her with his life. Even if he was a few years old, you’d never be able to tell though because he acted like just a pup.
Making her way down the street she and Roscoe passed a few stores before finding a bookstore to step into. “Welcome to Mystic Books. Would you like anything to drink before you sit down? Awe, you got such a cute puppy!” The woman behind the counter was talking so fast Jessica was starting to get annoyed. “Are dogs allowed to be in here? If not I’m gonna find somewhere else.”
“Oh, dogs are perfectly fine to be in here. You know what, I’ll give you a free drink and pastry. Go find a seat anywhere you like.” Jessica raised an eyebrow at the woman with dark hair and dark eyes. She was a curious one, “Don’t you need me to order something before just assuming?”
“You look like a cinnamon kind of girl. How about an apple cinnamon latte, and a wild berry muffin?” Jessica shrugged. The woman wasn’t wrong, but the paranoia was stronger now. “Sure. I can go for that.” She said and walked over to a corner seat by the window. She never sat with her back to a door, she needed vantage points to see if GADEM was watching her. They’ve been getting even more ballsy lately. Laying the papers down she filled them out zoning into her professional mindset.
The woman brought over the drink and muffin and smiled before leaving back to the counter. Taking a sip of the coffee a smile graced Jessica’s lips for the first time in the past two months. Her hazel eyes drifted to the streets as she again thought about that mysterious man. She wondered where he was right now… and if he was maybe thinking about her too. Tears brimmed her eyes as she picked up her book to read and distract herself from her own thoughts.
‘Why would he think of me? He’s probably been with so many different women that they blend together now…’ And having that thought made her heart hurt. Roscoe whined and laid his head on her lap. He could tell she was upset and got on his hind legs to give her cheek a light lick. “I’m okay buddy.” She said with a sniffle and patted his head, scratching behind his ears as she smiled to him. “Good boy Roscoe.”
Jacob woke up staring at the bland color of the motel ceiling, the room was a mess and he truly didn’t have the energy to bother with the gorgeous brunette wrapped in the bed’s striped duvet. His back hurt from the rough supports of the couch and his head throbbed from an oncoming headache. He’d spent the night drinking away in celebration of another twenty grand in his pocket for offing some asshole politician. He didn’t think twice about it when he pulled the trigger, ended up scaring a personal assistant and a board room full of pompous idiots with brain splattered against the expensive paint job bordering the massive room. Still, when he happily succumbed to the seductive flirts from the tall brunette with some or other boring name he couldn’t bring himself to invest in her to the sexual degree she lusted after.
In the end she passed out in his bed and he ended up sleeping on the filthy couch. Jacob glanced up for a second, stood up and dressed in a pair of clothes tucked on top of the counter in the bathroom. He kept quiet as he grabbed his duffel and left the girl to her own in the motel room. He ended up getting himself an apartment in New York, purely because of one job that turned out into a strong streak of wealthy employers and easy targets. Still, he didn’t want to take anyone back to his place – stepping into a mess of guns, knives and manila folders with target mug shots plastered all over his desk.
Jacob followed a familiar route down the busy city streets, the duffel hung lazily over his shoulder and his metal arm hung lazily by his side. The last thing he expected to see was the familiar red locks of a woman who haunted his dreams and his thoughts for practically every day since he left her place that morning. Jacob felt his feet grow heavy and dull as he anchored to the spot and indulged his senses. He wasn’t even sure why he entered the book store, he only knew his feet carried him almost automatically through the glass doors and towards her table.
“If I didn’t know better I’d think you’re following me princess”, he forced a look over his features that didn’t swim in the haunted uncertainty in his mind. There was something otherworldly beautiful about her delicate features and bright red hair. Jacob relaxed into the hardness of the wooden chair and set his duffel softly by his feet.
Jessica was lost in her thoughts as she stared blankly at the pages in her book. She hadn’t been paying much attention to her surroundings as she sipped her coffee and ate some of the muffin. Roscoe sat patiently by her side, almost as if he was proud to be there by her side. That is until she heard his light growls. She first turned to him, but her eyes wandered up at the familiar nickname only muttered that night.
Her eyes looked over the rough and rugged features of the mystery man as they widened in genuine shock. She hadn’t expected to run into him again, and her heart skipped a beat in her chest. “Who’s to say it isn’t you following me?” She asked in a teasing tone. Roscoe peeked his eyes up over the top of the table and his brow furrowed some as she stared at Jacob.
Roscoe didn’t like sharing Jessica’s attention with anyone. He wanted to be the only special man in her eyes and he would be damned if someone took her from him. Moving closer to her he placed his chin on the table and gave a low growl again. He didn’t know this man, and she hadn’t told him he was a friend yet, so his hair began to stand on end.
“Oh Roscoe, heel. Friend.” She said and pointed at Jacob as Roscoe looked between the two. It was easy to read the skepticism in the dogs eyes as he eventually laid his head on Jessica’s lap again. He wanted to make sure this guy didn’t try anything he didn’t like to his owner. Closing her book she picked up the cup and sipped some more of the latte. Her brown eyes caught his blue ones as she licked her lips of the sweet spiced liquid. “Looking for another good time? Or just passing through?”
“Trust me princess, if I was the one following you wouldn’t know I’m here”, he found himself smirking to try and hide the grin begging to touch his lips. Of all the people in the world, he never expected to run into her but he had the odd feeling of absolute delight bordering his mind, although he’d never admit it aloud. He looked down at the wet snout peeking over the edge of the table with an amused look dancing in his gaze, he appreciated the confident touch of a grown to the pup’s introduction. At least Jessica had someone looking out for her, the world was a dangerous place and he’d been worried for her safety since the day he shut the door behind him but he didn’t have the courage to stay and watch over her himself.
He wiggled his brow in the slightest at the pup, raised a finger to the young girl carrying trays of food and drinks before gesturing to the cup of coffee in front of Jessica. Jacob thought a sip of coffee might very well be enough to break through that godawful fatigue from sleeping on the cough the whole night. “I know I’m a grade A dick but I’m not exactly looking to screw every woman I come across you know”, Jacob reached out to take the cup of coffee from the waitress with grateful smile atop his lips.
“I moved here, about a month ago. Lot of rich assholes with grudges around these parts, good for business”, he welcomed the hot touch of the coffee to his lips with a shrug of his shoulders. He didn’t see the need to lie to her, she wasn’t a stranger to his violent side and he believed it to be one of the more obvious reasons that he felt so oddly comfortable in her company.
“I hope I’m interrupting anything, other than your breakfast date with the handsome fella over there”, he looked over his shoulder for a second half expecting to see someone stumbling in to meet with the beautiful red head but at the sight of no new customers he relaxed back into his chair. It was more shocking than he cared to admit, but a pleasant revelation at least.
Jacob glanced down at a message audible coming through to his phone, he rolled his eyes at the simple words sprawled onto the screen. An address, a date and a time. Simple drop off for the money the buyer still owed him for the last assassination, it was rare that people dared to break off a deal with him, the three assholes that did were all made excellent examples of. It was a message to all his clients, and by the looks of it everyone complied.
Jessica smirked as she took another sip. “But you’re a smart man. Kind of unpredictable.” She laid her chin in her palm as her elbow leaned on the armrest of the plush chair she sat in. She watched Roscoe as he still stared down Jacob and laughed a little. She noticed the glint of playfulness in Jacob’s eyes as he looked at Roscoe. Oh the things Roscoe will do to test him.
Roscoe wiggled his brow back as he moved his head back to Jessica’s lap and wagged his tail. She knew what that meant and she couldn’t hide the giddy smile. “Awe, does that mean I’m a special case?” She teased more, matching her smile. “That’s funny because I moved here just shortly after we met. GADEM is a bitch to get away from.” She said lightly scratching Roscoe behind his ear as she tore off a bit of the muffin and plopped it in her mouth.
She bit her lip as she wanted to be a sassy bitch and decided to throw his own logic back at him. “I know I can be a grade A bitch, but I’m not exactly looking to get with every mysterious stranger I meet.” Roscoe whined a little and she cooed at him. “Except you Roscoe. And maybe our guest here, but mostly you.” She let him lick her face a few times and smiled brighter.
Jessica’s brown eyes watched him seeing him turn. She wondered what he might’ve heard, but she would leave it alone for a bit as his phone went off. Her phone also went off as she relaxed into the back rest of the arm chair. Pulling out her phone she groaned and ignored it. She didn’t want to go to the party her coworker was throwing tonight. She wasn’t the best in social events, but she had been reminded that she had said she would make it to the next one. “Damn it Stacey… Don’t use my own words against me.” She mumbled as she glared at the phone. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Stacey, she absolutely loved her like a sister she never had. She just didn’t want to be socially drunk in front of people she hardly knew besides her.
Jacob didn’t have the words to confess that he did find her special, unique and a bittersweet plague to his complex mind. Her beautiful face haunted his dreams and brought a comfort in his nightmares, he’d keep that bit of information to himself though. “Yeah”, he glanced around almost paranoid at the mention of GADEM before leaning the bony prominences of his elbows onto the table and meeting the red head’s striking eyes with an honest glance, “Bastards have been getting ballsy lately”. He was well aware of sudden mutant disappearances, he knew there was someone out there gutting their agents and he was awfully annoyed at the sight of seeing some fucked up vigilante stalking the streets.
Her found himself smirking at the eager slip of his own words bleeding through her perfect lips, “Does that mean I’m a special case?”, his lips danced on the verge of a cocky smirk and he was suddenly reminded again just how much her company meant to him. Instead of letting it leak into his grin he opted to sip at the thick border of the cup and welcomed the caffeine with a happy sigh. He found the pup adorable, a word he didn’t allow to pass through his mind very often but there was something almost childlike and witty about Roscoe’s dark eyes.
“Groaning, isn’t that a little too pessimistic for you?”, he grinned with a cocky glint to his gaze before reaching over and snatching the phone out of her palms. “You’re too beautiful to be cooped up in your place the whole night, you should go”, he wasn’t sure why he wanted her to enjoy life as much as he yearned in that moment but he was eager to see her smile in light of a vibrant thirst for life’s greatest adventures.
“If GADEM’s bothering you I’ll take care of it, free of charge”, his lips tilted into a playful grin, in the recesses of his mind thoughts bordered on doing absolutely anything for Jessica. He’d groan and moan if he had to but he had a deep desire to spend time with her, more than a quick roll in the sheets of passion but he was too shut off to admit it, to even acknowledge the thought properly.
“We got a problem pal?”, he joked lightly to Roscoe’s dark peek over the edge of the table, he used to have a dog when he was little but he hardly had time these days to look after himself, much less a four legged friend who needed more attention than his sniper rifle.
“Hey!” Jessica grabbed her phone back and pouted. “Last time I checked I’m not the optimistic type. Being like that I get myself into sticky situations.” She frowned. She wasn’t talking about what had happened the first time they met. It was just everything that happened in her life that led her to believe no one was truly good. Even good intentions can lead to taking advantage.
A blush came to her face hearing him call her beautiful. Taking another sip of her coffee she looked out the window. Honestly, if she didn’t want to keep closed off to everyone she probably would have admitted to him being someone special in her heart. But she just couldn’t bring herself to open up to that trust. She’d been burned too many times by it just blowing up in her face…
“Besides, I’m not the best in a crowded room and I have nothing cute to wear.” She motioned to the slightly large t-shirt, and jeans. She might if she cared about wearing anything cute, but she never went on dates, never went out. She was a nomadic recluse and she had wanted to keep it that way. Just thinking about it her anxiety was starting to ramp up and her leg started to shake some.
Roscoe gave a playful growl again but whined noticing the sign of anxiety from his owner. He gave a soft bark and nudged her hand gaining scratches behind his ear. “They haven’t been a problem for me recently, but they get too close for comfort sometimes. They were part of an investigation that lead to my place of work…”
It was scary having them be that close. She felt terrible for the patients she couldn’t help in fear of being caught and taken away. She’d heard a lot of horror stories and soon… with that president elect she’d have to sign a piece of paper separating her from the human race. Placing the cup on the table and felt tears brimming. That same little girl she had helped the night they met had died the night GADEM investigated. Her father had lost his temper so badly that while it would’ve taken a lot of time, Jessica would’ve sacrificed her life for that little girl to live. However, now she didn’t have to be in a world full of pain. She couldn’t let them know about her powers. Having the power to instantly heal wounds would be too great in their hands. Used for wrong doing.
Jacob held his open palms in the air ass a sign of mock surrender, “can’t blame me for being curious”. His lips tilted into a grin, he was awfully intrigued how easily he could shove the brave façade of a merciless killer and be a version of himself he hardly recognized but felt familiar all the same. He was true to a more humane side of him that he seemed to spare almost automatically only for her. Jacob rolled his eyes at her excuse, he checked the time on his watch with a grin.
“I’m pretty sure you’re the highlight in a crowded room. I’ve got some time to kill, how about we go get you something nice”, he honestly thought she deserved some happiness, or at least something to look forward to other than a mundane night at home. “You don’t need it though, you look great in anything, especially in nothing”, there was a sly grin set on his lips as he looked over the little flesh of her perfect skin he could see.
“those bastards are everywhere”, he groaned annoyed at the thought suddenly wanting to take her to a secluded place. While he wouldn’t mind jumping back into the throngs of passion with her he wanted to teach her how to defend herself, give her the means of escaping GADEM if it ever came down to it. Still, he didn’t’ want to ruin a perfectly good conversation, at least not so soon.
Jacob pulled a few bills from his pocket and set them down onto the table, he didn’t care if it was too much, he was bored anyway. “How about we get out of here? This place is getting a little too boring for my taste”, he glanced around the interior with a bored sigh and found himself instantly grinning the second his gaze met hers again.
“I’m sure the handsome little guy would like a walk”, he glanced down at Roscoe with a hopeful smirk lining the borders of his lips. Jacob smiled stiffly at the waitress before getting to his feet and holding out a palm to help Jessica to her feet.
Jessica couldn’t help but to laugh at his surrender. But her laughter died down at him offering to go with her to get something to wear. Another groan left her throat as she slouched more into the chair covering her face with a hand. “Persistent ain’t ya?”
Jessica watched his posture change with the mention of GADEM and frowned some. She knew some self-defense, but it was more basic one on one. To keep herself from getting raped or anything like that. Beyond that she didn’t know how to take on more than one person at the same time. Her eyes turned to Roscoe as he nudged her hand more as it stopped scratching his head. He could still feel her anxiety and wanted to help any way he could.
She smiled at the black fluff ball of energy with accents of brown and white. She was always happy to have his company, but really she was tired of being lonely. She watched as Jacob put some bills on the table. That looked like way too much for just a simple coffee and muffin, but she could feel a small smile turning her lips again.
“Well, I hate to disappoint, but I’m not the best at entertaining.” She gave a sly smile. “Well, unless it’s in a bedroom.” She gave a playful wink and took his help to stand up. At hearing the word walk Roscoe stood with a wagging tail. His tongue lolled out of his mouth happily as he growled and spun looking up at Jacob. He was starting to like this human. He seemed nice so far.
“That a question or a statement, cause I’m sure you already know the answer”, he chuckled lightly, she was an oasis in a world deprived of color. Everything else tasted bland and danced in the grey colors of nonexistent interest but Jessica was the color to his soul and he was too proud to admit it to himself and to her. Even then, his mind couldn’t stop seeing the vibrant red of her hair, the absolute deep heaven in her eyes and a light inside the dark of the world that he thrived in. To him she was the closest feeling he got to home, a feeling he didn’t realize at the time was a precursor for a lifelong infatuation with her love.
“You were pretty good in an empty warehouse too”, he pointed out regardless of who could hear the words he uttered. He wasn’t shy about what he liked and what he wanted, when it came down to the root of feelings he was a fucking coward. Still, this was the sneakiest way he could dive back into that fountain of youth he tasted only briefly on the night they spent together.
Jacob winked down at the furry friend with a playful grin before leading the way out of the door, unlike the time they spent in the bar he stood pressed against the door as he held open the door for Jessica to pass through first. He couldn’t help but drown in the happy curves that made him slowly lose his mind, as much as he appreciated time he spent in her company there was no one out there who dulled his lustful intentions. Hell, he couldn’t even bed a fucking gorgeous stranger for one night, it was uncharacteristically strange for him.
“I take it Mr. personality over here’s for protection”, he reached down cautiously to rub his fingers over the soft fur of Roscoe’s ears. He appreciated knowing there was someone she had to comfort her and to watch over her, at least now he knew she was close enough for his watchful gaze to settle. She didn’t even have to know, he’d just keep a constant look out to know she was still safe and happy, maybe urge her out into the world so she could meet new people and find someone worth settling down with. He couldn’t explain it, her happiness was a deep rooted need for him, he needed her to embrace happiness and enjoy the taste of life.
