The Next Morning,
Jayden lay on his bed, wrapped in a blanket cocoon, hollow-eyed, and glued to his holo tab. He hadn't slept a wink.
His face was pale. His voice hoarse. "No... Elena. Don't walk away. He loves you, idiot…"
He had watched everything. All the Fifty Shades movies. All of 365 Days. Then he stumbled into Twilight, Romeo & Juliet, Queen Charlotte, Pompeii, and now... The Vampire Diaries.
Jayden Starrk, once a beast-hunting machine, was now a full-blown romance addict.
He was supposed to go hunting the previous night. He didn't.
He was supposed to wake up early to go hunting. He didn't.
The boy had been possessed. And the most annoying part was, he didn't plan on stopping any time soon.
Even Luna began to worry, she had corrupted him but didn't think he'd get this addicted in one night. It was true what they said about those that get influenced, they always end up becoming worse than normal.
[Jayden, um... You might wanna take a break from the whole... Brain corrupting contents] Luna stated. [You're spiralling]
Jayden didn't even blink. "I'm not spiraling. I'm educating myself. And I've only just begun. I haven't even gotten to the main course."
Luna raised a digital brow. [The what now?]
"Pure erotica," Jayden said, voice low, serious.
[What!?]
"Straight to the point. No love triangles. No plot twists. Just... the heat."
Luna chuckled wryly. [Please don't tell me you mean what I think you mean]
Jayden smirked. "I found this old website called Braziers... or something,"
Luna nearly choked, as if that were possible. [Oh, dear. What have I done?] she lamented
Jayden chuckled darkly. "Isn't this what you wanted?"
Luna sighed, she was indeed at fault. [I did. But...]
Jayden frowned. "But what?"
Luna then laughed awkwardly. [Nothing. Nothing at all. Carry on] she muttered. She actually wanted Jayden to know these things, but she didn't think he'd get so easily attached to them so fast. It made her terrified... Terrified that Jayden would end up like those freaks who would do weird sexual stuffs, including jerking off to pictures of their crush.
Jayden chuckled and continued watching his movies and... more.
Hours later...
The sun had already begun to set.
Jayden finally stretched and yawned, glancing around the room. "Wait… is it evening already?"
He looked at his stats. He hadn't eaten. He hadn't taken his bathe. He hadn't completed his daily quest. And that's when he realized he had basically wasted the entire day.
"Fuck! Luna, why didn't you tell me that I was wasting too much time watching movies?" he asked
Luna's digital mouth was wide open, she wanted to utter some vulgar words but she held herself back... or not. [Are you kidding me right now? What the fuck are you talking about? I told you you to take a break but you shunned me and continued watching. Do you have dementia or something?]
Jayden sighed, he was guilty. He was too immersed in the movies that he forgot when Luna had actually cautioned him. "I'm sorry, I just... Ever since yesterday, I've been feeling... different. It's like multiple emotions just suddenly erupting all at once. And I can't seem to think straight," he muttered
Luna exhaled, she calmed down. [Hmm, perhaps your emotions were actually heightened. But how?]
Jayden shook his head. "I don't know... It just suddenly happened. But it's bad, Luna. I'm getting waves of anger, sadness, guilt, and... Desire, all at the same time. And I've only been able to keep them at bay by distracting myself with the movies,"
[I see] Luna muttered. [But still, it's strange. Why would your emotions suddenly get heightened?]
Jayden shrugged. "I have no idea, but don't worry about it. Since I'm still able to control myself, it's fine. And the movies are helping out pretty well. They make me focus all those feelings into just one emotion... Desire," he explained
Luna chuckled. [So what now? You gonna go walk up to one of the girls and practice all the things you saw in Fifty Shades?]
Jayden blinked. "What! No. I mean... the thought has crossed my mind. But like I said before, I have total control,"
Luna scoffed. [Oh, yeah? I'll like to see just how much you can remain in control]
Jayden chuckled and wanted to retort, but then he heard a knock on the door.
His brows furrowed slightly. He stood, padded across the room, and opened the door.
And there she was.
Tasha. Wearing a soft, almost nervous smile. Her eyes, gentle sapphires shimmering under the dim hallway light.
Jayden sighed inwardly, the timing was too perfect. It was as if the universe itself was trying to prove Jayden wrong.
Hey, Jay," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, eyes briefly flicking to his face before darting away.
"Hey, Tasha," he replied with a smile. "What's up?"
"I just… you didn't come out all day. So I thought I'd check on you," she muttered, gaze still refusing to meet his.
Jayden's heart warmed. "Oh... That's really sweet of you."
Tasha froze. She turned beet red. "Sweet? He called me sweet?!" She took a breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Are you feeling unwell? I... I could stay, if you want," she added, still not meeting his eyes.
Inside, Jayden was reeling. The movies had prepared him for this, sure, but this. This felt real.
"She wants to stay? With me?"
[You lucky bastard] Luna whispered like a fangirl from the void. [This is it. The universe has officially placed her in your lap. Don't screw this opportunity]
Jayden ignored her, taking the high road. "Actually… I'm okay. But your concern means a lot to me," he admitted, not knowing how or why he had said the last statement. His emotions were off the rails.
Tasha's cheeks reddened, her heart thudded. "O... Okay," she said. "Do you need anything?"
Jayden shook his head. "No, I'm good. Thanks," he replied
Tasha nodded and smiled wrly, she clearly wanted to say more. But she tossed it at the back of her mind.
She turned to leave but paused. "Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. We've got a combat class tomorrow."
Jayden raised an eyebrow. "Combat class?"
Tasha smiled. "Don't worry, we wouldn't actually be sparring. I know you're worried about not knowing what your abilities are yet. But the teacher would just display a few combat techniques and they'll make a few announcements regarding the tournaments," she explained
Jayden nodded. "Okay, then I'll go with you tomorrow," he decided. Not like he had a choice anyways, he had agreed to attend both Martial art and combat classes. Which meant, he had to go.
Tasha clapped happily. "That's great," she said in excitement. To her, it seemed as though she had managed to convince Jayden to finally come to school. If only she knew that Jayden didn't even have a choice in the first instance.
"All right, I'll see you later. Bye," she said and turned to leave.
"Bye," Jayden replied. But he didn't go back into his room, he remained at the entrance, watching Tasha walk away. And then, something clicked in him, telling him to seize the moment. And surprisingly it wasn't Luna, this was all him. And then, without thinking...
"Tasha, wait!" he called out
Tasha paused in her steps and turned back to face him. "Hm?" she tilted her head, wondering why he had called her back.
Jayden took a deep breath, he didn't even know what he wanted to say. Everything right now was happening out of his heightened desires.
"I... I haven't had the chance to talk to you... about the night you came to my room," he muttered
Tasha smiled wrly, she was stunned by Jayden suddenly bringing it up after she had tried so hard to forget. "Jayden, I don't..."
""Please," he cut in gently. "Let me finish."
"I was a fool to treat you that way. I'm sorry, Tasha. Truly. That night… I felt something. And when I saw you lean in for a kiss... I panicked. I wasn't ready.
Tasha chuckled and walked closer to Jayden. "Jayden, I'm not mad at you for what happened. Well... I was at first. But then, I realised that you weren't even at fault. I was. I was foolish to think that I would receive a kiss just because of some stupid chemistry,"
"But it wasn't stupid, Tasha," Jayden muttered softly. "I felt every moment.. every second your face was close to mine. And when I saw you lean in for a kiss, I freaked out. I was still dealing with just waking up from coma. But... I haven't stopped thinking about it since. About you."
Tasha's breath hitched. Her eyes widened. she couldn't believe her ears. "Is he... confessing?"
"What… what are you saying?" she voiced out
"I'm saying…" Jayden stepped closer, his voice lowering. "I wish I kissed you that night. Held you in my arms and told you that I cared about you. I..."
"Stop," she whispered, interrupting Jayden's Oscar-winning, Romeo performance. Her voice cracked. "Please, Jayden.. just stop."
He froze. Her eyes were glassy now, trembling with unspoken feelings. His words had shattered the dam she'd built for some time.
She was staring at Jayden in disbelief, shock... and doubt. Her heart was beating really fast. Everything was happening so fast.. so unexpected that it felt like a dream.
Jayden had just confessed to her in the middle of the passage, she couldn't believe it. And as much as she wanted to convince herself that Jayden was lying and everything he said wasn't real, she couldn't. She could see it in his eyes... Pure, genuine affection.
She was in so much shock that she had to stop him from saying any more words. She had to process everything, but more importantly, she had questions.
"Why is he saying this to me now? Is it related to what he was saying yesterday about wanting to make amends? Is he saying this to me out of pity...? Or is he being honest?" Tasha pondered, looking into Jayden's eyes, which were filled with nothing but admiration and... desire for her. He meant every word he was saying.
Her breathing hitched, and excitement took over the previous panicking and doubtful Tasha. "Oh, God. He's... telling the truth. He actually... likes me? But..."
"Tasha," Jayden's sweet voice suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just couldn't control my emotions. Are you... uncomfortable?"
Tasha blinked. Uncomfortable... maybe a little. But upset? Why would she be? The guy she liked had just confessed his... affection for her. She was ecstatic.
"I don't want this to cause a disrupt in our current relationship," Jayden continued. "So, if you want to forget that this ever happened and go on with our normal lives... I'd be willing to..."
"I'm not upset," Tasha finally spoke, a smile drawn on her face. "And I'm not uncomfortable... and I don't want to forget about all this, but..."
She paused, recollecting what Jayden was saying before she interrupted him. He was clearly suggesting that they become more than friends. And she wanted that more than ever, but she was still shocked by everything.
"I just don't want to deal with all this right now," Tasha continued. "On the night I came into your room and thought you were going to kiss me, I also panicked. Because, I didn't really express my true feelings for you so why would you kiss me? I wanted to snap myself out of that fantasy but I couldn't, because I like you a lot, Jayden. I always have. And even now, I know that I don't just like you... I want you,"
"So, then what's stopping you?" Jayden asked in a low whisper. Acting like those hot protagonists in those erotic movies, when they were trying to seduce the girl.
Tasha chuckled. "Me. I'm stopping myself because I need time to think this through. I never thought this day would come... But it did, and that shook me more than anything,"
Jayden exhaled. "Then, don't think. Just act. You already know your true feelings and you also know mine. That's all that matters,"
Tasha shook her head. "No, it's not. And besides, when did you get so... Expressive and bold? And, and... when did you become Shakespeare?"
Jayden smiled. "I... I honestly don't know. I guess I just couldn't hold back my feelings anymore,"
Tasha chuckled. "Well, I love this new you. He's poetic," she smiled
Jayden nodded with a smile, acting like a gentleman. Then he stepped forward again, closing the gap with Tasha, leaving only a few inches between them.
"So, what's stopping us from finishing what we started in my room the other night?" he asked with a seductive smile. "What's stopping us from kissing right now?"
Tasha blinked twice, her mouth was wide open. She was shocked to hear Jayden say something like that. He was bold... too bold.
But she loved it. If only she knew Jayden wasn't exactly himself at the moment. All his thoughts, words and actions were being controlled by his heightened sense of desire. Right now, he would say and do anything to get laid.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, but... We can't. Not yet," Tasha said. "
Jayden sighed. "Why not?"
Tasha took some steps backwards, just to be safe. "Because... I can't just dive in… not like this. You dropped all this on me out of nowhere. I need time to… process. But I promise, we'll talk about this," she chuckled
Jayden smiled and nodded. "Okay, I'll wait. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be ready to listen," he muttered, having managed to get a grip of himself. If there's anything he learnt from the movies, it's that girls didn't like to be forced into it.
Tasha smiled.
Thank you," she whispered, then leaned in and kissed his cheek.
Jayden blinked. Her lips were soft. Warm. And everything inside him erupted.. fireworks in his bloodstream.
They stared at each other for a moment, saying everything and nothing.
"I'm glad you told me how you feel," she said. "It made me happy and... I want to make you happy. But we need to take this slow. Okay?"
He nodded. "Okay."
And just like that, she smiled and left.
Jayden sighed as soon as Tasha left the vicinity, he was relieved. Relieved that he hadn't done anything stupid while she was with him.
Jayden closed his door and leaned against it, breath heavy, heart racing. He'd survived. Barely.
He seemed to be in check of his emotions again, and his mind reeled back to everything. The confession, the flirts, the moment she kissed his cheek. That moment was everything, but it also could have cost him everything.
After Tasha had kissed him on the cheek, Jayden's desire only worsened, and he could barely control himself. When they were staring at each other, all Jayden could think about was how he wanted to grab her by the waist and give her a passionate kiss. But luckily, he held back. Because if he didn't, things wouldn't have ended well.
[Wow, I must admit. You are on fire] Luna said in excitement. [This was even better than yesterday's moment with the other one]
Jayden sighed. "Stop praising me, Luna. I don't know what came over me. And just like yesterday, I just started expressing all my feelings.. and I couldn't stop,"
[Well, at least now you won't have to do so anymore] Luna replied. [It's done. All that remains is to take her to bed]
Jayden exhaled. "I'm going to stop listening to you from now on,"
Luna giggled. [Fine, but keep watching those movies I recommend. You clearly learnt a lot from them and I know you can learn more]
Jayden shook his head. "I have to stop, they are the reason why this happened. And if not for my discipline, I might not have been able to control myself,"
Luna scoffed. [Well, you didn't control all parts of yourself]
Jayden raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
[Look down] she replied with a giggle
Jayden's gaze shifted downwards, and then... he saw it. A huge bulge in his pants.
His jaw dropped slightly and his cheeks turned red, while Luna burst out laughing.
[Hahaha! I can't believe this, you... you got a boner from a mere kiss on the cheek. Hahaha!] She was laughing so loudly that for a second, Jayden thought the entire house might hear her.
"Shut up, Luna," Jayden pouted. "It's this dumb heightened desire. I wouldn't normally feel something like this because of a minor touch,"
[Sure, whatever you say] Luna said in a sarcastic tone, before bursting into laughter once again.
Jayden frowned, his little brother had finally gone back to sleep. "Luna, this is no laughing matter. It isn't normal. And if my heightened desire could do this much, imagine what my rage would do,"
Luna instantly paused upon hearing Jayden's words, her tone became serious. [Oh, no. That's true. Your rage is already a problem enough, having it heightened would be bad. Really bad]
Jayden sighed. "I know, but... I don't even know why my emotions are heightened in the first place,"
[Well, I'm going to try and figure it out] Luna assured. [For now, get something to eat]
Jayden chuckled. "Sure thing, mum,"
Luna scoffed. [And this is why I don't care about you... You overstep your boundaries]
Jayden laughed. "Sure, whatever you say," he muttered, before leaving the room and heading to the dining. Dinner was ready, but Jayden didn't want to sit around and wait for the whole family to meet him there. So he dished his own portion and hurriedly ate, before returning to the room.
Jayden entered the room and sighed in relief. Right now, he was a walking emotional bomb. And things like questions, touch or mere thoughts could tip him off, and he'll spiral into an episode. It was best if he stayed away from them for now.
Jayden walked towards his bed, but suddenly paused, then his breathing became heavy. "I can feel the emotions, Luna... My emotions. They're getting worse," he muttered, as a sudden wave of emotions burst inside him. And after a few seconds, he lost total control of them.
He was having an episode.