Ummm, mindless Aidesses fluff? This actually created a headcanon for me, heh. Heh heh heh.
3rd F!Jesse takes the stage here. In this eh oneshot.
"Get your hands off of her, Aiden," Jesse growled, staring at the boy with a shriveling black gaze. Olivia giggled nervously, edging away from him and towards Axel.
"Oh yeah, lover girl?" Aiden sneered, "I guess you can't let me have a bit of fun, huh? Too bad."
She tried to will herself not to grab his shirt collar and shake him like a wet jacket. "That's not- no. That's not what I said, punk. Leave other people's- interests alone. Jerk."
"Oh, my feelings are hurt!" he cried, clutching at his chest, "Ow, Jesse- that hurt..."
Lukas stepped between them, "Look, guys, stop arguing. I swear this happens every time-"
"Shut up, Lukas," Jesse snarled, pushing him away. Their eyes met, the light of his blue eyes clashing with the dark void of hers.
"Whoa! Look- I'm just trying to-"
"I said shut it, Lukas." The blond teen just backed away, palms forward in a gesture of surrender.
"Heh, yeah, push around Lukas, why don't you? But he is such a loser-"
"I'm right here!" Lukas said, folding his arms and staring at Aiden critically.
"Whatever."
"Ugh, Lukas, leave. Take Maya and Gill with you. Axel, Olivia you two go off and get lost in Endercon. I'll find you." Lukas gladly obliged, with the other two Ocelots following in hot pursuit.
"Jesse!" Olivia exclaimed, wrapping a timid arm around Axel's bicep, "Why are you like this- You-"
"Get lost," she muttered again, setting a grim tilt to her jaw. The two looked at each other, then shrugged and walked away.
"Oh, so now you're alone. Aren't you worried, huh?" he grinned, "What with my 'reputation?'"
Jesse could barely keep herself from screaming at the jab. He didn't even feel sorry. She'd had it. Everything. Aiden's face everywhere. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Clenching her fists and taking in a few deep breaths, her mind formulated a plan. A perfect plan for a player like Aiden.
"Hey, Aiden. I heard you're a player. So- let's play a game, shall we?" she smirked at him. He narrowed his eyes to green slits.
"What kind of game?"
"Oh, it'll be simple for someone of your- romantic conquests." Jesse savored the way he blushed for some reason- seeing the red tint to his cheeks was satisfying. "Here's a proposal I'm sure you'll love." She reached out and tilted his chin up so he could meet her eyes, "Let's sweet talk. We can play fight. Let's talk every day. Tell each other good morning and night every day, take walks together. Give each other nicknames. Let's hang out with each other's friends. Go on dates. Talk way into the night. Let's hold each other- we can kiss and hug-" she flinched slightly at the last one- "And whoever falls in love first. Loses."
Aiden swallowed hard, looking into Jesse's pitch-black eyes.
"We got a deal, Aiden?" she stuck out her hand, dead serious. After a moment of careful consideration, the look was gone from his face, replaced by one of- something that Jesse didn't really want to analyze.
"Deal." He smirked, taking her hand and shaking it vigorously. When she dropped her hand, he didn't let go.
"Let it go," she hissed.
"Nope. Part of the deal, right?" Aiden winked, and Jesse groaned. This was going to be a very long game.
xXx
Jesse brushed out her black hair, smiling at herself, wondering if she should plait it.
"Another date?" Olivia asked, sighing slightly, "Are you two official?" Jesse frowned, fingers flying as she braided her hair.
"No, Olivia. I told you about the deal. It's just for show."
"Yeah, but at this rate, you're going out more often then Axel and I are."
Jesse shrugged, tying the braid off and throwing it over her shoulder, "Whatever. If it makes him become madly in love with me, then so be it. I'll win."
Olivia threw down an empty glass bottle, which clattered on the countertop she had been brewing on.
"Is that all you care about, Jesse?! Keeping up appearances? Winning?"
Jesse smirked at her reflection, pushing a few strands into place, "Hm, maybe."
Olivia glared at her, eyes gleaming, "Really? Everything?"
"Uh huh..."
The redstone expert hurled down another bottle on the counter, smashing it to tiny fragments, "That's it. I've had it."
Jesse turned and looked at her coolly, "Had what?"
"This- this obsession with winning! Being the best at everything. It's great for kindergarteners, but adults?! You can't do this anymore."
"Do what?"
"Obsess over things- winning, leading, being the best- Aiden... Always Aiden. You talk for hours and won't shut your mouth about him." She grimaced as she tugged a shard from her gloves, "He's all you talk about! What happened to Lukas? I thought you liked him, but now- you treat him like he's the worst person ever! I thought you two were official, what happened?!"
Jesse looked away darkly, clenching her fists and muttering.
"Jesse. Look at me."
"No."
"What's- Ugh. Never mind." She paused, toying thoughtfully with her hair, "And then Petra... At the same time, too. What's up with that? You were best of friends. Then all of a sudden, you dropped them like a hot potato!" Jesse grunted and folded her arms, surveying her work in the mirror. It took a bit for her friend to get it. "Oh. Oh no..." Olivia winced, "Did they-?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"But-"
Jesse shoved the hair out of her face, keeping the dyed blue part out of her eyes with a matching azure hair clippy, trying not to burst out for either rage or bitterness or both. She paused, then took a deep breath, "Fine." Looking down at her hands with disappointment, she tried to force the words, "Petra's- Petra's- she's-"
Olivia padded closer, sitting next to where Jesse had slumped to the carpet, "Yeah?"
"Petra's- gonna have- a kid."
Olivia's mouth dropped open, and she covered it with a hand.
"Oh Jesse, Jesse- I'm... I'm so sorry. I- are you sure it was-"
"Stop. Just stop. I know it's him, 'cuz now- He's running to me..." Jesse swiped at her tearing eyes, letting Olivia hug her- for once, "An' he's scared- something. 'Voids her like a plague... 'Specs me tah give 'im sympathy for his- their- it-"
"Oh Jesse-"
"Lemme go- don't need your pity," Jesse mumbled, making no move to stop her friend.
"I wish you'd told me..."
"I told you. I don't need your pity!"
"Be careful, Jesse. Aiden-"
"At least Aiden is faithful in his pursuits! He'd keep coming back, the little twit. Lukas- Lukas can never come back. He left. Lef' me an the relationship for 'nother girl." Jesse rose to her feet, glancing outside, "Now if you'll excuse me- I have a date." She rushed off, down the tree house ladder and into the night.
"Jesse," Olivia sighed, "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into..."
xXx
A few months later, Jesse sighed over her food, picking at it. Aiden looked up from the other side of the table, tilting his head.
"Jess, what's wrong?" Jesse cringed.
"Oh God. Aiden, you know I hate it when you call me that." He shrugged, smiling. Jesse further picked at her baked potato and steak.
"Seriously, what's wrong?"
"Shut up, Aidey," she mumbled. He flinched slightly.
"That bad?"
"Uh huh."
"So, I hear- uh, Petra? Had that kid, huh?"
"Yup."
"Named it after you?"
Jesse slammed her fork on the table, "Aiden, SHUT. UP. I don't want to talk about Lukas- or Petra- or their kid."
"Yeah, funny about that-"
"Drop it like a hot potato." Aiden shrugged again.
"Fine." They paused awkwardly. Jesse messed with her steak, poking holes in it with her fork. Aiden just watched her uncomfortably, glancing from the plate to her downcast face and back to her plate again. "Jesse- I- I'm-" He laced his fingers together and looked down at them, licking his lips and looking torn.
""You're what," she snarled, "You're sowwy? Oh Aiden-boy... I can reassure you that I don't give you a flipping-" An unauthorized tear trailed down her cheek, and she looked down even lower, not caring if the curtain of hair covering her face got in her food. Jesse's shoulders heaved as she took in deep breaths, trying to stop herself from going into all-out crying mode, and she set her fork on the table with a bang. "I need to go. Leave me alone." She got up, slapping down some currency on the table and ran out of the diner. Aiden just watched her, smirking sadly.
Watching her retreating form, he just shook his head and whispered, "But I already paid..." Sighing and getting up, he nodded to the waiter, then walked outside, shoving his hands in his pockets and burying his face in the blue scarf that- Jesse- had bought for him. Early Christmas present she'd said- with a glimmer of mixed hatred and affection in her eyes... Muttering to himself, he followed the running boot prints in the thin layer of snow. The flakes still fell from the darkened sky quickly, and winds tossed them to and fro. Perfect conditions for a blizzard, which quickened his pace. He didn't know why, he just sort of- no. Aiden followed Jesse's prints outside of the town. They led to- one of her favorite places. The cliff that overlooked the city... Mumbling increasing as the snowflakes stuck to his face, he near ran up the trail, praying fervently that she hadn't-
No please God, no... I swear- I'll-, he prayed fervently. He turned the corner, heart in his throat, sincerely hoping...
There she was, looking out on the city- tears trailing down her face. Jesse was no longer sobbing, but whimpering piteously, breathing unevenly. Her legs dangled precariously off of the cliff face. Aiden edged carefully to her, then sat down, admiring the view. The city was covered in a thicker layer of snow, the fields were untouched, a clean white canvas for the children to play in tomorrow. The lights were muted, shining out on the shimmering blanket.
"What it is this time, Aiden?" she mumbled, rubbing at her face with an over sized sweater sleeve. He put his hand on her shoulder, drawing her into a semi-hug.
"I'm really- sorry, Jesse." She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"'Tz not your fault. You're good," Jesse slurred, wiping at the drying tear trails on her face.
"Mmmm..." He felt strangely- satisfied. Affirmation from Jesse these days was extremely hard to get. But it wasn't just that.
"Jesse-"
"Aiden-" the blinked, then looked at each other.
"Uh, yeah?" he said, grinning uncertainly.
"I- I lost," she whispered, burying her face in her sweater sleeves, "I los' the game..." It didn't take very much thinking to get what she said. Aiden's heart beat irregularly.
"Hey, don't worry about it..." She peeked up at him.
"Why?"
"B-because..." He rested his chin on the top of her head. "I lost, too."
Heh, there's my headcanon. Luktra is basically canon and so is Aidesse. And that's that. I think that this is mediocre, but I do actually kind of ship 3rd F!Jesse and Aiden now...
RQTC: Eyyy, what did you think of this, um. Yeah.
TheAmberShadow (Guest): Heh, yeah- Petra's Petra :P And I'm glad you like it! :D
Miragold123: Yup, I guess so. I tend to think that she's a little more dirty-minded than the rest of the Order in any AU because she's the resident go-getter.
Ciao~!
~Shadow