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Tony prided himself in his ability to observe, read others. To notice the little things about what they wore, how they carried themselves, how they spoke and what they spoke about. Usually a single conversation was enough for Tony to garner enough information from someone, either able to determine them a threat, a waste of time, or a mark.
While not rendered, completely useless, this skillset hadn’t carried over into the shadowlands nearly as much as he would have liked- He was very quick to learn that appearance equates to very little, and judging someone based on it here is nothing short of idiotic.
Having kept that well in mind, he knew rather quickly that he was dealing with an open book when he was lumped with Jasper. The ladies were a little more of a mystery, guarded about their careers and their demise, the younger girl seeming to be entirely unaware of how she died.
Jasper on the other hand, would take on a tone that bordered on boastful, telling the others that he “Got eaten by lions!” Wore it like a badge of honour, not phased in the slightest as she showed off the lions tooth lodged firmly in his back, usually earning a squeamish groan from whoever he was imposing himself on.
A mixed bunch, for lack of a better term.
Much to Tony’s surprise, they’d taken the old garrison by storm, making quick work of dispatching any threatening spectres and fashioning the asylum building into a solid haunt of their very own, seamlessly finding their dynamic as a team. It made a lot of sense, the roles they found themselves occupied with- Jasper more than content to work hard as their onsite muscle, Cassie, their tech-head driver, Ceara the sneaky haunter and Tony, their intellectual leader.
Despite having his leadership thrust upon him without much of a say in it, he took it in stride, making the best out of a very interesting situation. A good idea indeed, to get used to the wraiths that he suspects he will be spending a lot of his undeath with.
Hence why he’s a little confused when just over a week into running the garrison, Jasper starts undermining all of Tony’s assumptions about him- It’s very unlike him to misjudge someone like Jasper.
It’s only very small things he notices in the beginning. Jasper had taken to shadowing Tony not long after they were posted, a bit like a lost dog. That was until Tony had bothered to give him a simple order in French, completely nonchalantly- If anything, he was just trying to be nice, since it was so obviously Jasper’s first language.
In return, Jasper had done nothing more than go red in the face and stay silent for the entire time he carried out his duties, a rather drastic change for someone who was usually such a chatterbox.
Since that moment, Jasper talks to him a lot less. It’s not impolite or anything- Just shorter with his sentences, quicker at getting his point across. He doesn’t make small talk with Tony, like he does with the ladies. The couple of time’s he’s geared up to tell a joke or say something out of pocket to Tony, he always hesitates, gets embarrassed and swallows his words, before muttering a quick “sorry” and moving on- Sometimes to go tell his joke to someone else!
Yet despite how little they talk, Tony can still feel Jasper’s eyes on him all the time. It almost forces him to consider that maybe he’s wronged Jasper? He’s not at all sure how he might have done so, but it’s making him a little restless, constantly having that gaze boring holes in him. He’s hardly subtle, that’s for sure. Maybe he has issues with authority?
He’s so tight lipped at times that he comes across as a little angry or upset, and it makes no sense at all because just a second ago he was all smiles and charm, chatting shit to Cassie. It’s baffling enough that Tony takes the initiative one evening to gently tap Jasper’s shoulder, get his attention. He startles once he realises who it is, standing straight.
So odd. He doesn’t even bat an eye when the others clamour for his attention.
“Jasper? You’re doing well I hope? I’m perfectly available if you have any concerns that need addressing.”
Like clockwork, he has trouble meeting Tony’s eyes, reaching a hand back to card nervously over his undercut, shifting from foot to foot where he stands. He looks shy and hesitant, miles away from the cocky, overconfident man that Tony had initially clocked him as.
Or rather, for some reason he doesn’t feel like he can act naturally around me in particular?
Tony keeps his expression calm, looking up at Jasper expectantly who continues to look anywhere but at Tony.
“Ah. I suppose I do have a question, Since you went to the trouble of finding me”
Hardly, Tony thinks. Considering Jasper was literally just loitering in the main hall of the asylum. Still, he nods for him to continue. Jasper gets a bit red in the face again when he blurts out his next sentence.
“You’re not gay, are you?”
It’s such an unexpected question that Tony takes a second, lets his mouth fall open a touch in surprise, blinking up at him slowly. Jasper looks... Maybe a little frustrated?
“I um- I don’t know? I can’t say I’ve ever thought about it? To be honest?”
It seems that might not have been the answer he was expecting, because Jasper is starting to look a little panicked, chewing at his lip- Surely that’s Tony’s way of letting him down gently!
“I- shit. Forget I said anything. Sorry.”
Before Tony can even begin to make sense of Jasper’s expression, he’s turned heel, making haste out the front door, leaving Tony to stare blankly and marinate in his thoughts.
......
Jasper talks to him even less now. Tony might actually go as far as to say he’s being avoided at this stage. Granted, it was a bit of an awkward exchange, but he didn’t think that his answer was inappropriate or offensive. To make matters worse, he still catches Jasper regularly staring at him, before leaning over to whisper into, usually, Cassie’s ear.
What on earth? Does he think I’m gay? Maybe he’s homophobic and feels the need to avoid me? Though that just doesn’t make sense considering his eccentric background?
The next time he has a fraction of time alone with Cassie, he simply can’t help but ask.
“Cassie- You haven’t noticed anything a little odd about Jasper’s behaviour, have you?”
She cocks her head at him, before shaking it.
“No? I mean he’s always a bit of a fucking weirdo- But that’s just him. Is something wrong?”
He shakes his head now, gesturing dismissively with one of his hands.
I shouldn’t mince my words with her. She’s very paranoid.
“Oh, I wouldn’t say wrong, it’s more- Well, the last time we spoke, he just asked me if I was gay, and then ran off? It’s been a week.”
To his astonishment, that doesn’t confuse her, instead she laughs at him, pressing a hand to her forehead to brace herself.
“Oh god! Well, what did you tell him?”
Tony examines her amused expression closely, quirking a brow.
“I said I didn’t know? That I had never thought about it! Which is true!”
She laughs again, makes to wipe a tear away from her eye. Tony isn’t sure if she’s exaggerating the look on her face, and keeps her pinned with an incredulous one of his own.
“Damn that’s funny. Also it’s probably my fault, I guess I sort of put him up to it? I didn’t expect him to take it so literally though.”
Tony frowns at her, unable to help the way his arms fold in front of his chest, unimpressed.
“Well if anything, that makes even less sense. If I happen to come to any conclusions, about my sexuality, then maybe I’ll hold a meeting for group discussion, if it happens to be such an interesting topic for everyone.”
He tries to keep his tone firm, maybe a little scolding, considering the ridiculousness of it all, but Cassie guffaws, nearly doubling over with laughter.
“Oh dear God, Tony you’re killing me! You’re well beyond my expertise! Just talk to him!”
Once again, she trots off, laughing, leaving Tony with more questions than answers.
.....
For lack of any better options, he does take her advice on board and seek Jasper out every so often, to check in on him, exchange a few words. Their conversations aren’t very long or enlightening, Jasper stays very polite and just gets a little flustered before finding an excuse to make his leave. It shouldn’t be bothering Tony as much as it does, it’s just that he doesn’t skirt around anyone else this much, not even Rai, who was more off-putting than most.
This particular evening, all the wraiths are fed and settled in the asylum, with naught to do but stare at a blank wall and wait. The lack of stimulation must be getting to Jasper, who has taken to pacing up and down the length of their haunt, stopping to look out a window every so often, or mumble to himself about something random. Seeing Jasper this bored is nigh on agonising, but he does suppose not all people can keep themselves amused with just some hard thinking.
It spurs him on to once again, get Jasper’s attention, calling for him across the hall. Jasper stands up straight, catching Tony’s gaze, but only briefly, before strolling over when Tony doesn’t say anything more.
“Yes?”
Jasper does look a tad awkward in his approach, clearly not speaking anymore than he has to. Regardless Tony continues to look up at him hopefully, gesturing for him to take a seat on the floor opposite him. As they sit, Tony fishes around in his jacket pockets for his deck of cards, pulling them out and starting to shuffle them, before dealing them each a hand. Jasper looks anxious when Tony prompts him to take the cards.
“You looked very bored. I’m going to teach you how to play go fish.”
Judging by the puzzled look on Jasper’s face, Tony is reassured that poker would have been a bit of an ambitious starting point. He’s about to start outlining the rules before it dawns on him.
“Pige dans le lac?”
Jasper’s eyes widen a little and he makes a soft “Ah” in understanding, his cheeks going red hot, before bringing his cards in closer to his chest, so as to hide them from Tony’s view. They begin to play, and to Tony’s relief, Jasper starts to relax a little, perking up when his competitive streak peeks through. He gets chatty and exited, and he keeps flashing Tony a toothy grin, even when he loses a round or fumbles with his cards.
Tony knows it would be unfair to challenge him to a game of poker, so he relents, letting himself enjoy Jasper’s company, finally able to start up a proper conversation with him. It’s weird, really, with most of Jasper’s concentration on the card game, it’s like he doesn’t seem to notice that he’s become quite chatty, telling Tony all about the circus he came from and how great it was, his friends Amez and Dom, some highlights of the last few shows he’d performed in.
He does keep looking up at Tony cautiously, like he was gauging if this was interesting enough to be discussing, but apart from that it’s night and Day to how nervous he was before.
Tony can’t make sense of it at all.
The cards have certainly put him at ease, but I can’t tell why. Is it really possible he has authority issues?
Of course, Tony engages happily in the conversation, impressed by Jasper’s athletic prowess, even if his retellings are a mite exaggerated- Compliments about his physicality seem to be the right buttons to push, because as soon as Tony starts with them, Jasper pauses their gameplay to regale him with another impressive story, fully immersed in the conversation. This is how he chats with everyone else. Maybe because the women are more likely to compliment him, he feels more comfortable talking with them?
Jasper is halfway through explaining a routine he had performed with his friends when he pauses, frowns and gestures impatiently, shaking his head. He’s lost the words, English falling a little short.
“It’s um. I’m sorry, not sure how to say-..”
Tony smiles, casually dealing another hand for more go fish, in case he needed the crutch again.
“If it makes it easier, we can talk in French? Your English is great, but this is probably more comfortable, right?”
Tony carefully gauges his expression, once again a little unsure as to why he averts his eyes and goes red hot in the face.
“Well yes, but now I am certainly going to make a fool of myself, you probably know French better than me.”
Tony laughs softly, carefully setting aside his pairs of cards as he finds them.
“Oh hardly. If nothing else I could very well use the practice. Rest assured that not many of the homeless in Madripoor were able to speak it.”
Jasper laughs at this now, expression softening and offering Tony a genuine smile, even though his face is still quite red.
“Alright then. French it is.”
.....
This interaction sooths some of Tony’s doubts about Jasper outright disliking him. He’s still not quite as chatty as he is with the others in the asylum, but he is almost always present at Tony’s side. He does frequently ask if Tony is free to play cards and truth be told, he indulges Jasper a lot of the time because the shadowlands is not a particularly entertaining place.
It’s easy to tell that he tries to get all of his feeding and garrison work done while Tony is still in the asylum and always makes sure to follow Tony into town when he bothers to go. It’s certainly an upgrade from the idea that Jasper didn’t like him, however, it’s starting to become a little overbearing now that everything he does seems to be the most interesting thing in the world.
Jasper also does try to garner his attention on purpose, now and again, especially if Tony was alone with him. Usually it’s to show off some display of strength or flexibility, bursting with pride when Tony dares to look marginally impressed.
Weird. He is strong at least. Having him follow me around like a bad smell won’t be a problem at least.
Soon enough, Tony starts actively counting on him being there- If for no reason other than he can ask for directions when they are in town. He notices that when they walk together, Tony naturally falls a little behind thanks to Jasper’s long stride and on more than one occasion he’s seen Jasper’s hands move, twitch, as if he might be preparing to pick Tony up. He never does though.
.....
A lot of the work they do at the garrison is fighting off spectres, in order to keep the townsfolk safe. Tony has no choice with his limited skills and weaponry, having to get into melee range to fight, and when he’s in the thick of it, this is the first time that Jasper truly impresses him.
A performer at heart maybe, but it’s like he was made to hit things. He’s strong and aggressive, even with a makeshift weapon, lopping the head off a spectre is commonplace, not afraid of getting down and dirty to scrap and bite. Tony chooses to keep this newfound awe to himself, appreciating it all the more that Jasper stays nice and close to him.
It’s during an early evening patrol that the four of them find themselves entangled with some renegades that have dared to make their way into town. They’ve dealt with enough spectre riff-raff that some renegades are a cake walk, Jasper and Cassie launching themselves into the fight without a second thought. Tony skirts around where they’re fighting, bludgeoning one of the wraiths in the shin with a sharp kick so that Jasper could finish him off. He retreats a fraction, readying his sword and quickly calculates their numbers, falling into a defensive stance when he notices there’s one wraith unaccounted for.
A second wraith is chained by Cassie, good, Ceara stumbling another off to the left with a hard punch. Jasper is ready to cave in the chest of a wraith that he’s knocked on the ass, Cassie intervening just in time so they could cuff him too. Tony’s head whips around again, now skirting the tree line, the edge of town, the old road, trying to clock where this missing wraith could be- A split second later he hears the flicker, and he’s fast enough to turn around, try to ready his sword, but the wraith has already caught his arm in a tight grip.
The wraith sneers at him when he tries to wrench his arm from it’s grip, to no avail, and Tony braces firm to strike him in the leg with a kick. Thrown off balance the wraith stumbles into Tony, refusing to let go of his arm, and they fall into a grapple, fighting for the sword in Tony’s hand.
Tony hisses when his arm is bent around painfully, using his legs to sink another good few kicks into the wraith. It’s an uneven match physically, this wraith simply stronger than Tony, and he manages to force Tony’s hand, the sword clattering to the ground, being snatched by his attacker. A split second decision, Tony doesn’t have time to try and get away, so he grips the wraith by the collar firm and draws, takes, pulls the corpus from him as hard as he can, hoping it’ll stall the sword that’s now being pressed at his throat.
He hears Jasper call out his name, the heavy thud of his footsteps- The wraith above him gasps in pain, grip trembling as he’s drained, the blade at Tony’s throat cuts, but no more before a thin sword is driven right through the back of his assailant. Tony sees the blade exit through the front of the wraith, missing him by only a fraction, and he sighs in relief when the body goes limp, spotting Cassie standing over him, rapier driven into the body.
From a few meters away he hears Jasper nearly roar in frustration, then the sound of a body being flung and colliding with the earth. Cassie has to draw her rapier out of the limp wraith to face another that’s approached, and Tony is barley up when the body besides him starts to discorporate, nhill ripping open at his side.
My sword!
He scrambles to locate it, finding it teetering at the edge of the nhill, and without a thought grabs for it- He’s too close, temporal energy searing through him and pulling, arm sinking right into the hole that sucked down the wraith beside him. It’s painfully strong, the grip of the tempest nigh on dragging him right in despite his efforts in trying to draw on his Argos, to flicker, to do something.
Tony can still hear the others scuffling with the remaining wraiths, and Jasper shouts his name again while Tony struggles to fight against the inky black nhill, that grips him at his shoulder. Time seems to slow as he panics, his face being drawn nearer and nearer to the nhill, when he’s grasped unexpectedly by the back of his coat and yanked free.
It’s such a strong and sudden jolt that his head whips back a little and he’s pulled from the nhill right into the air, as if he weighed nothing at all. The nhill folds into itself with a sharp whoosh just as he’s drawn away and thankfully, his sword is still clutched tight in his hand. A fraction of a second later he’s engulfed by something else entirely, two thick arms coiling around him in a grip that borders on crushing.
His knee jerk reaction is to fight the grip, squirm a little to get a look at what, who, and his shoulders fall slack with relief when he sees a flash of blue hair, Jasper’s face burying it’s way into his shoulder.
Weird. Jasper is holding him tight from behind, about a foot off the ground, his thick arms not budging at all when Tony wriggles. He hears Jasper sigh to himself, and Tony is lowered to the ground, but not released, wide palms manhandling him around to face each-other so that Jasper can give him a once over.
“Are.. Are you quite right there?”
Jasper doesn’t say anything back to him, his expression is painted with worry, maybe anger too. He looks a bit bulkier than usual, a bit more wild. Stronger.
His hands smooth up Tony’s arms, over his shoulders, a finger barley brushing over the cut in his throat, that he has bent over to examine. Jasper cusses under his breath, sighing again, and to Tony’s astonishment he’s pulled into another hug, that once again squeezes the pathos out him. His forehead rests against his shoulder, voice is a whisper in Tony’s ear, and Tony isn’t sure if Jasper is actually addressing him.
“It’s fine. You’re safe. If something had happened I-... Fuck.”
Other than doing his best to give him a reassuring pat on the back, Tony is a little lost on how to comfort him- It was only a nhill, at worst he might have lost his arm, or the sword.
“Jasper. I’m okay. You can put me down now.”
It seems Jasper didn’t realise he’d hiked Tony into the air again, and in that moment it’s like he comes to his senses, gently setting him down.
“Oh sorry! Wait, let me fix this-!”
He reaches out, again pressing the pad of his finger to the cut at Tony’s throat, making him pause, arms nearly flitting up to stop Jaspers hands. He’s not sure what Jasper intends to do- It’s not a bad injury or anything, he didn’t even lose corpus. Regardless, as Jasper traces his finger along the cut, Tony feels it knitting back together when Jasper sinks a pathos into it.
Wait, when did he learn to do that?
Jasper takes a second to examine his skin afterwards, before nodding to himself, pleased with his work. As soon as that’s done, Tony sees him soften a little around the edges, his bulky muscles shifting back into place, his expression loosing it’s wild edge and returning to his usual passive one. Tony realises it must have been the tooth.
He recalls a conversation about how Jasper said it made him stronger. Honestly, he’d labelled it as mere superstition, but alas, it seems he was incorrect.
“Uh um. Thanks I guess?”
At this point in time, their proximity is sinking in for Jasper, and he startles, taking a few steps back, crimson painting his cheeks. He opens his mouth to speak a couple of times, before shaking his head and snapping his gaze away from Tony, who just stares up at him, watching.
He finally settles on what to say when he spots Ceara and Cassie holding their weapons up at the three wraiths they have captured. They’ve indeed taken note of Jasper and Tony’s exchange, snickering to each other.
“I’ll take them to the asylum for us, okay? You guys can, uh, I don’t know, can scout the area or whatever...”
Tony is almost tempted to laugh. He didn’t expect to see the day when Jasper would be embarrassed by something. He’s usually so shameless. Yet now, he trudges over to the chained wraiths, hiking them up over his shoulders with little effort, stomping off and up the hill to their haunt.
As soon as Jasper is out of ears reach, Ceara laughs, and Tony isn’t actually sure if she’s laughing at him or Jasper. She trots up to his side, expression devious when she mocks a gag.
“Tell you what, I’m gonna barf if I see him do that again.”
Tony raises a brow at her, letting slip a “what?” Having to keep turning his head to look at her while she circled him.
“Oh come on. He’s got it so bad it’s embarrassing. You should put him out of his misery, for all of our sakes.”
Pinching his eyebrows into a frown, he pauses, stopping to consider the possibility of wraithly diseases. He’s heard nothing of the sort, and this young girl is not a medical expert by any stretch, but the shadowlands is ever harsh with the lesson of never say never. He bites.
“His misery? He doesn’t seem unwell to me?”
Ceara guffaws at him, nearly doubling over in her laughter. Come to think of it. It’s very reminiscent of the time that Cassie laughed at him, following a similar conversation. Probably because she is also laughing at him. Again.
“No, God Tony, you’re so smart, but so dumb! He’s got a crush on you!”
She laughs again, especially when Tony’s eyes widen in realisation, pink bleeding into his pale cheeks. Then she shakes her head.
“Actually scratch that. At this stage I don’t even think it’s a crush. I think he’s just grossly in love with you. For some reason.”
Oh. Oh!
Once again, Tony frowns, cupping his chin with a hand in thought, eyes fixed on her, expression critical despite how he’s blushing. For some reason? Was that really necessary?
“How is it that you know all this?”
She shrugs, tittering over her words.
“He’s super obvious. Not to mention I’m practically an expert when it comes to guys.” She gestures to herself. “One of the seniors at school, Stephanie, let me read her copies of Seventeen. And her mum’s Cosmos.”
Tony purses his lips, letting his eyes fall closed when he sighs out a breath, only now making a move to tuck away his sword.
“I suppose there’s only one thing I can do then.”
Ceara perks up even more, grin wild.
“You’re gonna kiss him, right?”
He snorts out a chuckle, shaking his head. They’ve started to trudge up the hill now.
“No way. I’ve got to do some research.”
For some reason, both Cassie and Ceara find that really funny.
.....
Dating advice isn’t something that is easy to come by, in a written form- At least when you’re a wraith. Tony doesn’t want to explain such a bizarre request to Pete, especially when there is a next to zero chance of finding a relic so specific. Cassie could probably help, but realistically, he’s not putting it past her to simply laugh off the request and tell him to “figure it out”. The library is also not much better, odds slim to none that a member of the general public is going to be picking up something relevant.
He’s almost drawing a blank- That is until Cassie comes in one afternoon, complaining that her mail run was awful, because her usual guy had a dentist appointment.
Of course! There’s bound to be stacks of women’s magazines in there- At least in the waiting room.
The next challenge is Tony finding a moment to himself, in order to drop into the clinic. He’s almost grateful for the fact that Jasper had gone a tad shy around him again, because it provides him with a spot of time to slink out of the asylum on his own.
He rather hopes it won’t take too long. Even if Jasper was still a little embarrassed, it’s not enough to stop him from leaving the asylum to seek Tony out once he realises he’s not there.
It’s not a far walk, even though Tony has to stop and analyse his surroundings a couple of times. Fate must certainly be on his side, because a woman, one he recognises as a mother from the school grounds, is just entering the clinic as he strolls up.
Excellent. My target demographic. And she opened the door for me too.
He slinks inside after her, pinpointing a nice corner to stand in, one that gives him a good view of the small waiting room and the door, so he could keep an eye on who enters. The clinic is exactly what he would expect of Dunross. It’s small, but not quite cramped. The waiting room hosts a fish tank to the left of the reception desk, a small TV that hangs from the wall blaring a nature documentary, a few toys for children to play with, and most importantly a large stack of women’s gossip magazines on the coffee table in the center of the room.
Tony’s eyes pin the women he followed inside as she chats with the receptionist, before she makes for a seat. He watches her with keen interest as she starts to shuffle through the magazines on offer. Tony is confident that any one of these could have some relevant information.
That is, until she makes her selection, a magazine about The Royal Family, and Tony sighs to himself in frustration. He reads over her shoulder for a mere moment to confirm that it’s not what he needs, before glancing around the otherwise empty room, clicking his tongue in annoyance. She seems captivated with the magazine. Useless.
His eyes do flit up to the television, ears straining to hear over the shroud when he turns his attention to the documentary that’s on. It’s about sharks, as far as he can tell, the calm voice of the narrator deadpanning out a sentence that details how the male bites hard enough to scar during copulation- Something that many species have in common.
Not very relevant to his current conundrum- Tony scoffs to himself. Nature is the worst. Would it kill them to play something useful?
The doorbell jingles as it’s opened once more, Tony turning to examine who’s entered. Another woman, she has a young teen boy with her, and judging by the way she talks to the receptionist, her son is the one with the appointment. Good.
Her and the teen take a seat opposite the other woman, Tony clasping his hands together in anticipation when she too, picks through the magazines. She opts for something much more interesting that looks sexually charged and full of celebrity scandal, Tony making himself at home just behind her seat, peering hard across the shroud.
She’s mostly stopping at the pages of gossip about ‘who’s dating who’ or ‘who has cheated’, reading for a little before flicking to the next install. There’s recipes, fortunes- A page on which she does spend a long time reading, (Tony eating up the few lines on Taurus expecting new love on the horizon, much to his own disgust.) Some ‘ask the editor’ and yes, a few pages that unbelievably, go into ‘The Top 10 Ways A Guy Shows He’s Into You’.
It’s so on the nose that Tony can hardly believe his eyes and he peers in closer to her, so much so that he’d be discorporated if she moved. She spends all of 5 seconds on the page, before flicking away- clearly she doesn’t require this wisdom. She does have a son, he supposes, but he needs it!
Wait!
Tony bites his lip, not really thinking before he risks it, letting his voice cross the shroud into her ear.
“Go back to that page.”
It’s barley a whisper, and she jumps to a start, eyes flitting to her teen son who doesn’t seem to have heard anything, his eyes glued to a Gameboy. If not her son then- who? She shakes her head, clearing it, and after another a cautious glance around the room, she flicks back, opening the page up nice and wide. She stares at it for a second, confirming once more that she really has no interest in this article, before that voice slices into the air again, right by her ear.
“Thanks.”
She looks to her left, where she heard the whisper, seeing nothing. It’s so ridiculously unusual, especially when she peers down at the magazine again, resigning herself to reading this rubbish- Unsure of what’s more likely between divine intervention of her marriage or a ghost that needs pickup advice.
Tony is satisfied at her pause, but knows that she won’t stay on the page forever, so makes an effort to cover as much ground as he can.
A handful of these hot tips aren’t the most reliable or relevant to a ghost. In particular the ones about how “he constantly calls you” or “He puts a lot of effort into dates” or “He want’s to add you on social media.”
Regardless, there’s plenty there that do tick off Jasper’s quirky little boxes. Asking about you, trying to be close to you, prolonged physical contact, paying attention to what you’re saying, engaging in conversation, being nervous or awkward around you. It goes on and on!
Tony finds his cheeks getting hot, the idea of Jasper fancying him finally starting to sink in. That just has to be it. There’s no other reason for his behaviour. It explains so much!
He skims through the rest of the article pretty quickly, making note of some of the suggestions for flirting back, laughing softly to himself at the absurdity of it all. There’s even a little pop quiz in the corner that gives a ‘Love calculation’ depending on how many tips apply, Tony rolling his eyes when Jasper adds up to the ‘Certified Soulmates’ point on the graph. Yikes. We’ll just see about that.
Still. As far as Tony’s aware, published word is indisputable, and the amount of women that heed these articles as law must account for something, so he dusts his hands, satisfied, slinking over to the door to wait for someone to leave.
.....
When Tony returns to the asylum, he nearly runs right into Jasper, who looks like he was just about to make his way into town. He halts in place, broad frame relaxing when he places his hands on Tony’s shoulder’s, sighing out a laugh.
“Oh, Tony. I was just about to go look for you!”
Tony chuckles to himself, looking up at Jasper, studying his expression, finding his genuine (albeit, sharp) smile to be somewhat more endearing than before- Now knowing that he’s thoroughly smitten. Tony simply can’t help but tease him just a smidge.
“You were going to look for me? Is there anything I can help you with Jasper?”
Jasper stops to think, hands idly petting at Tony’s shoulders.
“Oh um. No I guess not. I was mostly just going to follow so you didn’t get lost, I suppose.”
“Oh, that’s all? How very gentlemanly of you. Are you sure there’s no other way I can be of service?”
Tony ensures his tone is as charming as possible, flashing a sweet smile up at Jasper, who instantly goes nice and red in the face, choking on his words a fraction.
“I um- I didn’t-.. Have anything in mind, no...”
Tony chitters out a chuckle, giving the back of Jasper’s hands a playful pat, keeping his smile pleasant.
“Well then. If you’re not busy, I have a favour to ask. Will you accompany me to the park?”
Jasper is still red in the face, looking a little unsure. His hands get a bit nervous, leaving Tony’s shoulder’s to clamp together while he speaks. He has no reason to decline, of course- Tony knows he’s not busy.
“Ah. Yes of course I will. W-What kind of favour?”
As opposed to properly answering his question, Tony grins, gesturing towards the makeshift exit of their haunt, letting slip a soft “Wonderful” Turning about and making his leave. Jasper tails him, sparing a flushed glance around the room before he too ducks out of the asylum.
...
Cassie happens to witness their exchange peripherally while she tended to her motorcycle, rolling her eyes as they left. She doesn’t know a lick of French, but it doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together- In some capacity they must be working their shit out, judging by Tony’s sudden change in demeanour and tone. She sighs, waving a tool in Ceara’s direction.
“Now look at what you’ve done, you little pipsqueak.”
Ceara peers in Cassie’s direction, gearing up to once more, launch the small plush dinosaur across the hall with a hockey stick.
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Cassie continues to gesture at her, shaking her head.
“Looks like Tony wised up all of a sudden thanks to your two cents. I don’t want to imagine what we’ll have to put up with if those idiots hit it off- Did you happen to think about that?”
Ceara lowers the stick a fraction, little nose scrunching up in thought.
“What is there to think about? It’s not like I care what they do.”
Cassie outright scoffs at this, a hand flitting to her hip in a scolding manner.
“God, to have your youthful ignorance. You remember how gag worthy it was when Jasper got all sappy yesterday? Think about that but times ten!”
Again, Ceara ponders this, chewing her lip. Her expression does sour a touch.
“Oh gross. Still, it’s not like it’s my fault. I’m not making them do anything.”
“Yeah, but you accelerated this process. Just wait, you’ll be sorry.”
Very pointedly, Ceara hits the dinosaur with the hockey stick to send it flying to the other side of the room.
“As if. You just want to complain.”
....
The walk to the gardens is only a little awkward. It’s very clear that Jasper is trying to let Tony lead the way, but his stride is so large that he has to keep stopping, allowing Tony to catch up- It doesn’t help that Tony intentionally dawdles, trying to see wether or not Jasper will try and grab for him this time.
It’s very subtle, but after about three minutes in, Tony sees those big hands impatiently flinch up for just a moment to Tony’s waist level, before he tucks them back by his sides.
With a cheeky smirk, Tony stops, glancing up at Jasper. His eyes are wide and innocent.
“Oh? If you wanted to pick me up that would be fine? You do walk pretty fast...”
Jasper takes a little while to work out a sentence, cheeks going hot. He’s not really sure how Tony could tell what he was thinking and for a second he’s torn between wanting to be polite and being unable to let the opportunity pass.
He fidgets a little.
“I um. I actually would like that?- If you wanted of course, I mean it would be faster, and like, it would be easy for me? If it was okay?”
Tony has to resist the urge to giggle at the way he’s mushing his words, raising his arms a fraction so that Jasper can get the hint and stop talking.
It shuts him up right away, and Tony isn’t sure what he’s expecting, but Jasper outdoes himself when he settles into a kneel and scoops Tony up, sweet as anything. He stands and gets Tony comfortable in a bridal carry- Tony doesn’t miss that he only really needs the one arm for it, and once he’s hiked up against Jasper’s chest his cheeks heat, especially when they lock eyes for a second.
Shit. He’s really... Big.
Like this, Tony is suddenly well aware of their acute size difference. He can also feel how strong Jasper is, the subtle shift in his muscles as he gets Tony settled, his small hands flitting to cling at his broad shoulders. It hardly helps that Jasper is barley dressed, a breath away from skin to skin contact. They’ve been staring at each other for a bit too long now.
Jasper has gone very red in the cheeks by now, fumbling his words once more, ultimately averting his gaze and clearing his throat, starting to trod towards the gardens.
“I ah. Told you it would be easy. You weigh like nothing to me.”
Tony opts to take that as a compliment, snorting out a breath in amusement.
“Well that’s very good to know.”
He pauses for a moment, as Jasper wanders along, sparing a quick glance around them to make sure there weren’t any stray wraiths lingering nearby and he’s got to admit, Jasper’s height is a pretty good vantage point. He’s fast too. They’re just about in the gardens now, no one else around, so Tony quietly clears his throat.
Without missing a beat, Jasper’s eyes flit to Tony’s again.
“I know that you like me, Jasper.”
Now and again it pays to be blunt. Tony’s hoping that this is one of those occasions, especially when Jasper stops dead in his tracks, his grip faltering just a tad- As if he might drop Tony in surprise.
His expression tightens with embarrassment, his face going beet red as he looks away from Tony, starting to chew on his lip, sharp edges nigh on tearing it.
“I.. How..? I didn’t say anything? Have I made you uncomfortable?”
Tony fears a laugh now would be misplaced so he resists, instead letting a small hand smooth up his shoulders, settling at the back of his neck, fingers winding gently into the short hair there. Jasper doesn’t react either way, that is until Tony’s other hand slides up to cup his jaw, forcing them to lock eyes again.
Jasper’s cheeks are still red, but his expression softens. Tony looks sincere.
“Not at all. Admittedly it took me a bit to figure out. Put simply, things like dating are way out of my expertise- In hindsight though, you’re pretty obvious.”
He definitely still looks pretty embarrassed, and is a little lost for words, but he shifts in place, his other thick arm slowly, cautiously, sliding up Tony's back to draw them a bit closer, his hold shifting into something resembling an embrace. Good.
It’s bordering on bold when Tony lets his thumb trace over Jasper’s bottom lip. He can’t help but smirk when those green eyes go nice and wide, Jasper’s lips parting a touch, flashing pointed teeth. His hands flex to grip Tony tighter.
“You asked me a while ago if I was gay. As it turns out, I’ve had some time to consider it, and I’m pretty sure I am. I also think that we should kiss.”
Jasper lets slip a gasp- A soft little thing that tumbles quietly from his lips. Tony doesn’t think he’s ever seen him look this vulnerable. Jasper opts not to speak, knowing full well words are beyond him, settling for a curt little nod, leaning in to Tony’s space and gently brushing their noses. They’re so close.
His breath is warm against Tony’s lips and he’s being so cautious, nervous. It’s out of place for him- Tony is the one to bridge the last little bit of space between them, cupping Jasper’s cheek and pressing their mouths together.
Tony hasn’t kissed anyone before. That only really dawns on him once Jasper all but envelopes him, huge hands sweeping over his small frame and holding him tight, melting into the kiss. Tender and exploratory, he’s happy to let Jasper lead, surrendering to his firm grip, to the subtle crane of his neck as he deepens the kiss ever so slightly.
He doesn’t get rough or anything, yet Tony starts to get a good sense of how alight Jasper’s passions suddenly become now that they’re touching skin to skin and it is with a great sense of hesitation that Jasper eases up, pulls away to examine Tony’s expression. Make sure he hasn’t crossed any lines.
“You don’t have to stop. It’s nice.”
More pink floods back into Jasper’s cheeks and he laughs a little to himself, thumbs starting to rub little circles into the small of Tony’s back where he’s held.
“I um. I- I guess I’m just a bit surprised, in a good way of course! Like my dream come true I guess?”
The comment makes Tony blush as well. Jasper probably doesn’t have the self awareness to realise how sappy that sounds.
“All the more reason to keep going then?”
Tony keeps a cheeky smirk plastered on his face, entirely entertained by how Jasper does his best to steel himself, head whipping around to ensure there were no potential onlookers. He whispers “one moment” against the shell of Tony’s ear, and takes all of four steps to find a nice tree to hide under, pressing Tony’s back to the firm trunk, letting it bare his minute weight.
“Are you comfortable? It would be kinda’ awkward to drop my boss on the ground just because I got nervous..”
If it wasn’t for the fact he had witnessed it firsthand, he’d have a hard time believing that Jasper could be nervous about anything. The idea alone makes him chuckle, and he lets his hands slip down again to cling at Jasper’s shoulders- Just in case.
“Oh- If that’s been worrying you, you don’t have to think of me as your boss just because of my rank..”
Jasper makes an amused sound, leaning in to start nosing into his neck, lips hovering over Tony’s jaw. He’s still a touch hesitant, like he’s still prepared for Tony to change his mind.
“No way. It’s like... Soo much hotter if I’m seeing my boss. Very thrilling.”
That comment does make Tony laugh a little, little hands squeezing affectionately at the bulk of jasper’s shoulder’s.
“Seeing me? So you agree that we should date then?”
Tony can feel that Jasper’s cheeks grow warmer still, especially when he presses a soft kiss to the pale column of Tony’s neck. He feels Jasper nod against his skin, rather than answer and Tony snorts under his breath, hand coming up to card through his blue hair. So childish of him.
“Very well then. Dating it is.”
Jasper exhales against Tony’s neck as he speaks, a low, relieved sigh. His lips stay pressed to his skin, kissing up to the edge of his jaw. His grip is still firm. His voice is very low, a tad hesitant.
“I want to bite you. Is that okay? You can say no, of course.”
Wait, what!?
It takes a bit of conscious effort for Tony not to startle or pull away from Jasper, instead he does his best to relax, mulling over the request. He is asking for permission- But his teeth are sharp, so it’s probably gonna hurt? It seems a little counter productive, why on earth does he want to bite me??
It takes him a second to think it over. For a reason he can’t place, wanting to please Jasper wins out over his sense of self preservation. Very weird.
“Uh. Can you do it... gently? Nobody has ever wanted to bite me before...”
Something akin to a purr rumbles from Jasper’s throat. Tony feels it vibrate his skin, feels that Jasper is nodding his head again and Tony can just about taste the excitement that is simmering under his touch. There’s a first time for everything, he supposes.
“Just relax, little one..”
Jasper’s voice is low and husky against his ear, and Tony is glad that he’s being held as is knees grow weak, cheeks searing at his tone- There’s no way that was necessary, and quite suddenly he’s is feeling well out of his depth, Jasper’s hot breath tickling his sensitive skin. Tenderly, he places a kiss to Tony’s neck, before opening his mouth and gently pressing his teeth to flesh- Not quite enough to cut, but Tony can feel each of those little points, the barest of pressure like tingling pinpricks.
He stays as relaxed as he can. Knows that if he had a pulse it would be drumming against Jasper’s lips, the anticipation always worse than the act.
Jasper bites down in a way that borders on firm. His teeth slice into Tony’s skin, his corpus, but it doesn’t quite.. hurt like he’s expecting it to. More like an echo of pain that sits hot on his skin for a fraction of a second and ebbs away as his corpus tries to reform.
It’s not unpleasant, much to his relief, certainly tolerable. He can hardly say the same for Jasper though, who is seeping euphoria where he stands, jaws clamped around Tony’s neck, big hands flexing to grasp Tony a little firmer.
One, two, three- Three pathos! Tony easily counts them the moment they’re generated, realising that Jasper is feeding, his passions tingling away, only fizzling out, as he pulls back, looking a little sheepish. He watches as Tony’s neck knits back together seamlessly, huffing to himself, before his eyes flit back to Tony’s.
“I... Sorry if that was a bit much..”
Tony lets himself chuckle, shaking his head, especially since Jasper dares to look embarrassed- Like he’s just now realised what he’s done was a bit weird. At least Tony hasn’t tried to squirm from his grasp. Instead he looks calm, maybe even a bit amused.
“I- well. I was only going to care if it hurt. But it wasn’t much of anything and you seemed to enjoy it enough for the both of us.” Tony pauses to chuckle again, patting Jasper’s shoulders reassuringly, unable to believe he’s about to say this.
“After all. Many species, including sharks will bite during copulation. It’s common.”
Jasper’s eyes get a little wider.
“Damn. Tony, you know everything.”