Now pinned against the kitchen sink, which wasn't all that comfortable I should add, I watched as Jason gently kissed my throat. Oblivious to the fact it was Dredd's lackey who was kissing me right now I titled my head back as he trailed kisses down my neck and once he reached my shirt he started to unbutton it, his mouth never leaving my neck.
"Slow...down." I mumbled and he chuckled, carefully undoing each button and as he uncovered my collarbone he brushed a kiss against it. I gasped when his teeth grazed it, his tongue lightly licking the spot before his mouth moved further down. While I wanted him to keep going, and frankly who wouldn't, I wasn't sure just how far this would go. As if he could sense my doubts Jason lifted his head and gave me a smile.
"Just relax. I promise I won't do anything if it makes you uncomfortable." Jason told me before he reached for the second button, deftly undoing it and as he pressed a kiss against my bare skin I bit back a gasp. "You're really tense, aren't you?" He whispered as he set to work on the rest of my buttons and before my eyes he grinned as he opened my shirt. Leaving it open he leant closer and I groaned as his tongue brushed against my belly. "Does that help?" He asked chuckling as I closed my eyes, a sigh escaping. Brushing kiss after kiss against my skin he reached for my skirt and that's when I shifted my legs.
"I...Im not ready." I stammered and Jason looked up at me for a moment before he gave me a slight smile and a nod. "Sorry its just...I've never...you know."
Without answering he leant close and when his tongue flicked into my navel I gripped the sink hard, both hands going white as I arched my back. Taking this as a sign to keep going Jason tongued my navel his hands reaching around my waist but as he gently scratched my back I gasped and he froze. "Did I do something wrong?" Jason asked as I whimpered and when he looked at my hip he saw something. "What's that?" I let out another gasp as his fingers brushed the bruise level with my hip and seeing my discomfort he stood.
"Its for an earlier battle. Probably from Dredd." I muttered as he stared at my face. "Your boss isn't shy about beating up a lady."
"Well he doesn't care who he fights." Jason replied as I started to head for the bathroom only to find Jason following me and I stopped, hands on my hips which really wasn't all that effective with my shirt open. "So I guess I get the shower next?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow and I nodded, fighting the urge to blush as he gave me the once over.
"I shower alone, always have and always will." I told him as I entered the bathroom, ignoring the grin he had on his face. Though after I closed the door behind me I leant against it, letting out a sigh before I headed for the shower trying to get the image of Jason kissing my belly out of my mind. Especially the part when he tongued my navel I smiled as I turned the shower on, adjusting the temprature in between undressing. Just as I reached down to unclip my bra I heard a knock and I frowned walking over to the door and opening it slightly to find Jason standing there. "Didn't I just say that...?" I trailed off when he handed me a towel and I gave me a grateful smile, curious as to where he'd gotten it. "Uh...thanks."
"You're welcome." Jason muttered as I turned around giving him a perfect view of me in my underwear. It wasn't intentional but I was too caught up in his kindness to notice him staring at me, his eyes wide and jaw almost touching the floor. By the time he shook his head I had closed the door and now standing under the showerhead I sighed, letting the hot water soothe my aching back. After a minute I reached for the soap and as carefully as I could I slowly ran the soap over the entire length of my body. Being as careful as possible I soaped the bruises on my back gritting my teeth against the pain before I looked down at my leg.
"Well I guess it wouldn't look that bad now...would it?" I muttered to myself as I knelt and after spending a few minutes debating whether it would be safe to remove the bandage or not, I shook my head at my own cowadice. As I reached for the end of the bandage I took a deep breath and as I slowly unwound it I flinched when I saw my leg.
From above the ankle to just below the knee my leg was a dark shade of red and when I looked closer I saw a very tiny pinprick which I guessed was where the needle pricked my skin. Thankfully it looked and felt a lot better than it had when I had first injured myself. Being extra careful I ran the soap over the whole leg biting my lip when a sudden burst of pain ripped through it. Letting out a whimper I took the soap off the leg and holding it out I slowly rinsed the soap off. "That was a bad idea." I muttered as I returned the soap to the holder and as I rinsed the soap from the rest of my body I sighed, the pain ebbing as I took my weight off of it.
"Hmm might wash my hair while I'm here." I muttered reaching for the shampoo this time. It took me a few minutes to scrub my hair but it was worth the effort as I washed the dust and sweat from it. Now feeling a lot better I turned off the water and as I padded over to the towel rack I didn't know that Jason was right now sitting on the couch, patiently waiting for his turn.
"I wonder how long she'll be?" Jason muttered to himself as he fiddled with his tie, looking towards the bathroom door. "I'm surprised she was grateful for the towel." He chuckled thinking back to the moment when I turned around and he saw me in my underwear. When I coughed he shook his head looking up to see me wrapped in a towel and just for fun he whistled at me, letting out a laugh when I blushed.
"Oh you're so funny. I left my clean clothes in my bedroom, not that its any of your business. Shower's all yours." I answered as I walked away ignoring the fact he was staring at me. Once I was inside my room I made sure the door was locked before I headed for my closet. After I went through it to find a clean pair of pyjamas, which took me a few minutes making me realize I needed to do the laundry soon, I dropped the damp towel on my bed.
Pulling my arms through the sleeves of my pyjama top I started to button it. Once it was on I reached for my matching pants only to realize I didn't have a pair of underpants and with a shake of my head I went seacrhing through my drawer eventually locating a pair and after slipping them on over one leg I pulled them on. Then I grabbed my pyjama pants and pulled them over the top. Now dressed I reached for the towel to finish drying my hair.
By the time my hair was completely dry I let out a yawn and as I rubbed at my eyes I went seraching for something to wrap around my leg. As I looked for a scarf or something similar I found Jason's handkerchief that he'd used to bind my leg and just for a moment I grinned, remembering that night at the cafe. Then I frowned as I set it down on the drawer as I also remembered what happened next to me and with a shake of my head I walked back to my bed. As I slipped under the covers I let out another yawn and after I rested my head on my remaining pillow I felt my eyes drifting shut. Just before I fell asleep, exhausted by the day I wondered what I was going to do now that I was out of a job.
"Well it might be a small apartment but I suppose its better than nothing." Jason said as he emerged from the bathroom, using the other towel he'd borrowed from my cudboard to dry his hair. Now dressed in just his black shirt and a pair of matching black boxers he looked around. "Huh where did Crystal go?" He muttered as he headed for the only door he hadn't checked and as he slowly opened it he saw me lying curled up under the blankets, out to the world and he grinned as I snuggled into the pillow. "I guess she's not that bad looking. Could stand to lose the attitude though. Not very attractive."
After carefully closing the door he returned to the living room. Once he set up his own bed Jason yawned and as he lay on the couch shifting this way and that before he was comfortable, he pulled the blankets over his body leaving just his head uncovered. With his head lying on the pillow he felt his eyes closing and giving my bedroom door a final glance he fell asleep.
The night passed without incident but as the sun shone through my bedroom window I woke to a strange sound. It sounded like a whimper and as I lay there still half asleep I soon heard it again so with a frustrated sigh I climbed off the bed. Stumbling towards the bedroom door I opened the door and after the sound grew louder I walked into the living room only to find Jason still asleep, tangled up in the blankets I'd left him.
"Jason?" I whispered as I walked over to his side and he mumbled something as he shifted onto his side. "Hey Naught." I said a little louder this time and this time he shuddered. I hate to admit it but I was starting to worry and as I reached for his shoulder, intending to wake him his eyes shot open. With a sudden gasp he tumbled off the couch ending up in a very undignified heap on the floor and I let out a giggle as he blinked up at me.
"What are you doing here?" Jason asked as I knelt beside me, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Confused he stared at me then the room a slight frown on his face before he finally shook his head. "I'm still at your apartment."
"Are you okay? You were tossing and turning in your sleep." I explained as I helped him to his feet. "Was it a nightmare?" I asked and he shrugged as he started to straighten his bed, avoiding my eyes for some reason. "Was it about Dredd?" He froze then and I knew I was right.
"Its none of your business." He growled and I narrowed my eyes at him, angry that he would speak like that to me. Seeing the angry look on my face he rubbed his chin. "Look just forget it. Thanks for letting me stay the night." He added looking towards the kitchen wall and not my face and I shook my head at him.
"That's okay. I should probably make breakfast before I start looking for another job." I answered as I headed for the bathroom, wanting to brush my teeth and hair. I wasn't expecting much other than a thank you so I was pleasantly surprised and a little touched to find that in the time it took me to get dressed Jason had made us both breakfast. I have to say I was actually quite touched that he'd gone to the trouble right until he made the following comment.
"Oh you're here. I couldn't make anything other than toast since that was all you had. You need to go shopping as soon as possible." Jason told me as he sat at the table making me hold back on the complement. As I ate I kept glancing at him as he stared at the kitchen wall, his mind elsewhere though as soon as he finished he turned to me. "Why do you keep staring at me?" He asked as he set down his plate, his eyes staring into mine.
"I was just wondering about your nightmare." I replied, wiping toast crumbs from my face and he narrowed his eyes. At the same time he climbed to his feet but before he could walk away I stood and reached out for his jacket sleeve. "Look you don't have to tell me." I added though I kept a firm grip on his jacket and he shook his head.
"I don't but you won't stop pestering me until I do, right?" He asked and I gave him a quick nod which made him roll his eyes. "I was dreaming about being back at Dredd's hideout. Before you say anything I'm not telling you where it is." He muttered and I sighed motioning him with my hand to continue. "I remember returning to my office and just as I sat down Dredd appeared and attacked me, grabbing me around my neck asking where I was and even giving him a convincing lie didn't work. He threw me into my computer and as I lay on the floor his arms glowed with Anti- Turbo energy. I knew he was furious when he picked me up and threw me towards the back wall. I'n not sure what happened next sice you woke me up."
"I'm sorry I asked. Is he that unstable?" I asked and judging from the snort it was a dumb question to ask. "Okay fine I admit that wasn't the best question to ask but you don't have to be a smartass about it." I muttered as I headed towards the sink and while I was distracted I didn't notice Jason walk over to the couch. Dropping my plate into the sink I turned to pick up Jason's next only to pause when I saw him folding his blankets and setting them down in a neat pile.
"I guess now would be a good time to take my leave." Jason said as he started to head towards the door. Just as he reached for the doorknob I shook my head and he raised an eyebrow when I hurried over. "Is there something you need?" He asked, head tilted to one side.
"I was thinking..." I started to say and getting a slight smile in response I sighed. "No jokes. Look you could stay here for a while. Maybe until you help me find another job since you lost me the last one." Seeing Jason pout, arms crossed against his chest I let out a giggle.
"Its not my fault Forge can't take a joke. And you think my boss's unstable." He grumbled and I burst into a fit of giggles. Jason wasn't happy about being laughed at though I did see just for a split second a smile emerge on his lips. For reasons he couldn't figure out Jason decided to help me gain employment somewhere else though I had to buy the paper since he was currently 'between jobs' as he chose to call it.
I wasn't really sure if I could trust him not to leave while I was gone so I ended up taking the only pair of front door keys, waiting until he was distracted by the television and my movie collection to notice that I'd locked the apartment door. As I headed down the stairs I let out a tired breath feeling a little guilty that I'd locked him inside but it wasn't like he could just wander around Copper Canyon on his own. That thought stopped me dead in my tracks as I realized that since I was no longer an employee at N-Tek, I didn't have to keep my eyes on Jason anymore. Still even if I was no longer following orders anymore I really didn't want to let him go and that made me grin. Though as soon as I reached the ground floor and stepped outside I shook my head wondering why I cared if he stayed with me or went back to working for Miles Dredd.
"Did I hit my head or something?" I muttered to myself as I walked along the sidewalk, unable to understand why I even liked having the jerk around. Even when I bought the paper and headed home I couldn't stop thinking about how nice he'd been towards me despite being my enemy. "I suppose that doesn't apply now that I'm out of a job."
Of course that happy thought darkened my mood and as I returned to my apartment I paused in front of the door worried about how I would ever find another job that I lived for. Still sitting on the couch where I'd left him, Jason glanced up for a moment before his attention returned to the tv.
"You're back." He mumbled not even noticing as I closed the door. Though as I headed for the table he turned back to see my head drop and he shook his head as I dropped the paper on the table. When I took a seat, head slumped he rose and walked over. "What happened to you?" He asked and my head dropped further until it was resting on the table. "That can't be comfortable." He pointed out and I just shrugged as I rested my arms under my chin.
"I don't want another job." I mumbled and as he stared I sniffed. "I make one little mistake and Forge kicks me out. It wasn't even my fault..." I whimpered.
"Do you always complain this much? Because its seriously annoying." Jason said as he crossed his arms as I turned my head to face him. His smile vanished completely as I let out a growl and before he had time to react I just about leapt off the chair.
"You bastard!" I yelled as I lunged at him and he let out a shocked yelp, moving back. "You caused all this!" Jason tried to back away as I advanced on him only to bump into the couch behind him. Knowing I was more upset than angry, at least he hoped so anyway, Jason chose the best possible action. He grabbed my arm and spun me around before he gave me a shove. With a flail of my limbs I ended up falling on the couch and I let out a startled yelp as my back smacked into the cushions. Shocked I stared up at him as Jason let out a laugh.
"Maybe you should calm down and...whoa!" He yelled as I grabbed his arm and off-balance he fell foward ending up on top of me. A little winded from his elbow jabbing me in the stomach I lay there gasping as he stared at me. "Okay what is your...problem?" He whispered as he found our faces only inches apart. Unable to look away I blushed as he stared directly into my eyes.
"Um..oops?" I muttered as I leant forward and without hesitating Jason leant closer. Just as our lips were about to touch we heard the phone in the kitchen ring and we both turned at the same time. "Why now?" I grumbled and Jason chuckled reaching over, brushing a strand of loose hair away from my face.
"You could just ignore it." Jason told me and I gave him a shy grin. Once the phone stopped we leant in again right until my mobile started to ring and Jason glared at my pocket. "Oh come on."
"If I don't answer it we'll never get any peace." I answered as I reached into my pocket. "Hello?" I said as I sat back against the couch, watching on as Jason moved off my lap. Though as I listened to the caller I grinned as Jason made himself comfortable, now leaning against me. "What? How do I know this isn't a joke?" I asked as I tried to ignore Jason's eyes on me. After a full minute I hung up and before Jason could blink I laughed.
"I think Max Steel was right about the mood swings." He said and I gave him a huge smile. "Good news?"
"I'm still working for N-Tek! Forge explained that it really wasn't my fault and he wants me to report back to N-Tek." I explained and Jason frowned leaning against the couch. "Did I say something wrong?" I asked as Jason remained strangely silent.
"So you go back to N-Tek and I return to Dredd? Thanks a lot, Crystal." He grumbled as he climbed to his feet and I shook my head. "Or should I say Agent Crystal now?"
"Jason, wait a second. Look you could always...work for N-Tek. I mean who says you have to return to being a bad guy?" I asked surprising both myself and Jason, whose eyes went wide. "I was just suggesting that maybe we could work together. I promise I won't let Forge stick you in a Stasis cell again." I explained as he turned around his back to me and when he didn't answer I hung my head. "I..I don't know what else to do." I whispered my eyes scrunching shut, my hands digging into the couch as I looked at the floor. "If I lose my job I lose this apartment and I love living in Copper Canyon. I've only been here a month and I've grown attached to it."
Jason had always thought himself above human emotions but as he listened to me practically beg him to help something stirred deep inside him and he found himself sorely tempted to accept my offer. Then he shook his head confused as to why he wanted to help and he turned around, opening his mouth as he went to explain that he wouldn't be joining the good guys anytime soon only for the words to die in his throat.
"You're just like everyone else." I sniffed burying my face in my hands and he rolled his eyes at me. "Everyone always does this to me. They pretend to be my friend, to actually care about me when they're only using me. Why should now be any different?"
"Alright stop the waterworks. If I come with you back to..ugh N-Tek how can I be sure I won't be locked up again?" Jason asked as I lifted my head, wiping at my watery eyes with the back of my hand. "Do I have your word?"
"If you can give me your word that you're not just using me?" I answered as I stood up and for the longest time we stared at each other. A few minutes later we headed back to N-Tek and as I walked just in front of Jason I silently wondered if he really could be trusted not to turn on me the first chance he got.