Author's note: I was feeling "sweet" when I wrote this. You have been warned! XD
Chapter 10: Behind blue eyes
"That was quite a demonstration" Jacob commented from his seat as Reid emerged from the water completely dry. He was sitting on the sand with his back against a rock, admiring the view. Granted, the blond was still wearing all his clothes; he wasn't a werewolf after all and it was rather cold. He wondered whether the boy could also control his body temperature, so he asked him.
"Well, yes and no" the other answered, sitting down next to him. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed regretfully.
"What is it?"
Normally, Reid would just say 'nothing' and move on to the next question. Or make out with him to distract him, though I suspect that wouldn't work on him. I mean, yes we probably would make out, but then he'd surely ask me again. And it's not like I can kiss him every time he asks, Reid mused.
"You still in there?" Jacob joked, bumping their shoulders playfully. There was concern in his eyes, the warlock realized.
I'll have to be honest with him, he thought.
Taking a deep breath and gathering as much courage as he could, he braced himself to break the first rule of the Covenant: Tell no one. Although Caleb has already broken that rule with Sarah. Then again, Chase had actually involved Sarah, so really it hadn't been Caleb's fault.
"You know, I can practically hear you talking to yourself" Jacob said smiling lightly "but that's not really one of my powers. It would actually help if you opened your mouth to let the sounds out"
Reid turned to look at him, hoping to convey how serious this was.
"The thing is…" he sighed and closed his eyes. Shit, this is more difficult than I thought.
He felt a hand on his knee and opened his eyes. Jacob started rubbing small circles with his thumb.
"Look, if you can't talk about it…"
"I can" Reid interrupted. He needed to say this. He had already broken the first rule in the parking lot, confessing his status as a warlock. The difficult part was explaining the use. "It's just… Technically, I can do whatever I want, including changing my body temperature. But it would only be temporary, and I wouldn't do it too often"
"Changing your temperature?" somehow, Jacob suspected that wasn't it.
Reid shook his head, confirming the suspicions. "Anything"
"Why?"
It seemed like Reid needed to be edged on, and Jacob was ready to do just that. He didn't take his hand off Reid's knee as the other explained, sensing that it was difficult for him to admit and wanting to comfort him.
"It's addictive" he started, closing his eyes again. In his head he could hear Caleb's voice and in a way it helped him through it. He'd heard that speech so many times that he could practically recite it "At 13, we got a taste of the powers. Small stuff, like the things I showed you today"
Jacob's eyes widened at that. "Small stuff? That was small?"
Reid nodded. "Yeah. In reality, this is nothing compared to the power I'll have when I ascend"
He opened his eyes and held Jacob's gaze. "When I turn 18, I'll come into my full powers. I'll be able to do a lot more. But there's a catch"
"That it's addictive" Jacob filled in, trying to understand.
"Yes, but there's a reason for that. See, if you have all this unlimited power, there's a high chance you're going to go dark with it" Reid shivered as he remembered Chase Collins and the night Caleb ascended "So in order to avoid that, a deal was made. The power wears down your body. The more power you use, the quicker you age"
"And because it's addictive, once you start you can't stop. And the gift becomes a curse" Jacob said.
Reid nodded sadly. He'd already used too much today. He used too much on a regular basis. He kept telling himself that since he hadn't ascended yet, he wasn't addicted. He knew he was only kidding himself. He might not be feeling the pull yet, but he was sure that the day of his birthday all his carelessness and his boastfulness was going to come back to bite him in the ass. Sooner or later, he'd have to pay back what he'd used. That was the law of the Covenant.
Jacob removed his hand from Reid's knee and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close. He wanted to say that everything was going to be OK, but then again, what did he know about that kind of Power? He was going to take this information back to the elders. They might know what to do.
He didn't know how long they stayed like that, only that he didn't want it to end. There was something about this boy, this pale face, his mind supplied, that appealed to him. He hadn't imprinted, that was for sure, but he couldn't deny the instant attraction he'd felt that day, when he'd seen him behind the window of his room. Reid Garwin, warlock from Ipswich, had definitely caught his eye.
In a moment of boldness, Jacob slipped a hand under Reid's chin and lifted it to look him in the eye. Those deep blue eyes stared back in amazement, seemingly as lost as he was. He had promised Sam, the Alpha of the pack, that he wouldn't make a move on the warlock until they consulted with the elders. But really, how could he resist such a sight. With that in mind, he closed the short distance between them and pressed their lips together.