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Chapter ten:
Jaime stared up at the stars above him. His chest was heavy and light and squeezing and fluttering all at once in a painful collision that left him confused at his own body's reactions. He was happy. No he was scared. No. He didn't know what he was. His heart and mind were tearing him apart and he didn't know which one possessed his true thoughts anymore.
To put it bluntly he was whelmed, no, he was overwhelmed; the flurry of emotions that cascaded down on him and surfaced and bobbed back down and drifted on the surface all left him reeling for escape from his own emotions. He couldn't tell if he hated it, loved it, feared it, wanted it, or if it was good or bad. He just knew he was confused and Bart was not helping. Heck, Bart was the source.
Jaime used his free hand to rub at his face in frustration. His other hand was busy being weighted down by a sleeping boy with soft auburn hair which tickled the curve of Jaime's neck. A sleeping boy with a cute nose that was being nuzzled into said neck at that very moment. Jaime suppressed the shiver that fought to run through him when Bart's lips brushed against his skin. He hated these reactions. They complicated things. Jaime didn't want to ruin his friendship and he didn't want to deal with his own body's hormonal reactions. Just because he was attracted to Bart was no reason to go losing his cool. Mierda, just thinking it so casually made Jaime feel at unease as if the sleeping boy would hear his thoughts if he were to think them too loud.
Jaime draped his arm over his eyes and wished it all away. Wished away his confusion and Bart's gravitational pull.
"Mierda." Jaime cursed, I'm screwed if I do, screwed if I don't...
Jaime sighed deeply.
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The sound of footsteps thumping dully in the dirt made Jaime alert that someone was approaching. Before he could even open his eyes though a boot tapped against his arm.
"Hey, kid, wake up." the foot's owner commanded.
Jaime made a show of yawning before he opened his eyes, it was hard to tell from his position what the woman looked like but he could see she was wearing a ranger's uniform; black hiking boots and a dark green uniform with a matching dark green cap.
"Yes ma'am?" Jaime rubbed the sand out his eyes and the woman's faintly Asian looking eyes narrowed a little in impatience or maybe it was irritation, he didn't really know.
"Wake up your boyfriend too." she commanded with a pointed look towards Bart, who Jaime now realized had his arm draped around his waist and his head pillowed on his chest. Jaime's face instantly flushed in embarrassment.
"We're not-" he tried to amend but a slight narrowing of her eyes shut him up. She obviously didn't want to hear it. He quickly followed her order and shook Bart's shoulder whispering, "Psst, hermano, wake up." holding back the pleading 'please' that he wanted to say.
Bart woke up a little less gracefully, squeezing Jaime a little tighter before opening his eyes slowly, then quickly and widely when he saw the ranger. His face saying for itself the shock that the stranger's presence was. He blenched and struggled to regain composure.
"This area isn't for camping." she stated in her husky, exasperated voice. Jaime wanted to stand up and talk to her eye to eye but Bart had neglected to move his arm, thus successfully pinning him down.
"We didn't know." Jaime said sincerely. In all the times that he'd gone camping with his father he'd never had trouble, "Has it always been?"
The ranger looked like she had taken his question the wrong way, if the slight scowl on her face was anything to go by, and was about to respond back angrily. Before she could though Jaime quickly clarified, "It's just that I used to go camping here with my dad."
The scowl was smoothed away by the clarification and she sighed like she understood but was still exasperated, "Two years ago some tree-huggers came here howling that an endangered insect lives here." It was with complete disdain that she told this, her face mildly irritated as she continued, "They raised hell and the state lost two miles worth of potential land."
"Wow...that's uh...something."
The ranger rolled her stormy grey eyes, "Yeah." then "Can you stand up so that I can talk to you?" He almost thought she was irritated until he saw the corner of her lip turned up.
"Yes ma'am." Jaime duly responded and Bart removed his arm this time, allowing Jaime to stand and see the ranger for the first time from a normal angle. She was beautiful he noted with amazement. An attractive face, full lips, sharp stormy grey eyes, long soft looking blonde hair pulled into a ponytail below the dark green ranger hat, and the killer body of a mature athletic woman.
He saw her smirk and he knew he had been caught staring.
"Listen, I'm not gonna get either of you in trouble okay?" her husky voice was a lot more attractive when she was friendly sounding.
"Thank you ma'am."
Bart was getting up to stand behind him.
"Quit calling me ma'am though." she sounded amused, "You're not much younger than me, just call me Artemis." she held out her hand.
"Artemis." Jaime repeated, it was a unique name; beautiful and exotic sounding. He took her soft hand in his own callous one and greeted her properly, "I'm Jaime Reyes."
She smiled cunningly, smirk still ghosting across her full lips, "Nice to meet you Jaime, and..." her eyes drifted to the boy standing behind him.
"Bart." he provided and offered his hand also, "Bart Allen."
Recognition crossed her face, "Are you related to Barry Allen?"
"You know my uncle?" Bart's eyebrows knit together in surprise.
The ranger, Artemis, laughed now, "Well," she chuckled lightly, "This is unexpected."
"Uh..." Bart's eyebrows were still together as the confusion on his face grew.
"I'm dating Wally." she stated and though that meant nothing to Jaime it made Bart's eyes widen with realization.
"Artemis!" he clicked the name with a conversation that he'd had months ago with his cousin.
Jaime watched in bewilderment as the two became animated and wrapped up into conversations of family and Wally. Slowly he pieced together that Wally was Bart's cousin through the conversation, but after hearing names of so many people that he didn't recognize he just gave up and absently listened.
.
.
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"-and that's why he has a fear of clowns." Artemis said as the group got to the Reyes family car with all their baggage in tow.
Bart chuckled sinisterly, "I can't believe all the dirt I've got on Wally now."
Jaime smiled as they all placed their items into the trunk and backseat.
"Yeah well he needs to get a kick to his ego every now and then." she had a wicked grin on her face as she shoved the sleeping bag in with the rest.
Jaime closed the trunk and they all turned to face each other, "Well I'm sorry about having to kick you guys out." she seemed to be genuinely apologetic.
"It's no biggie." Bart waved his hand, "Besides, meeting you was totally crash."
Artemis smiled and threw her thumb over her shoulder, "Well, my bikes there so as soon as you two leave I can leave." she had pointed to a black and green Kawasaki ninja.
"Wow. Nice motorcycle." Jaime complemented.
"It gets me from point A to B." she said modestly.
"Well, it was nice meeting you Bart." she said to him then turned to Jaime, and continued to him now "I expect to see you again at the family reunion this month, got it?" her alluring grin made that question sound friendly and slightly hopeful.
"Family reunion?" Bart inquired. Apparently he hadn't heard about it.
"Yeah, in a couple of weeks. It's at Barry's house."
"Huh. They hadn't said anything to me."
"You're staying with Jay and Joan right?" she addressed his grandparents by their first names.
"Yeah." he chirped back.
"Their invitation should come this weekish. Last year they told us to send invite by mail to them." she chuckled at a memory as she shook her head.
Bart chuckled because that did seem so them, "I getcha. Okay."
As they were driving off Artemis waved her hand and called out, "Bart! Don't forget to bring your boyfriend!"
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.
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When they got to Bart's home Jaime was stunned.
"Whoa hermano." he stared through the car window in a slight daze at the large two story building before him; it looked like it had come straight out of an all-American catalog from the 1950s. Perfect white fence, check. Light blue painting with painted white window frames, check. Walkway leading up to front door through perfectly mowed and kept grass, check. Flower garden on either sides of the front door, check. Garden gnome, check.
"Yeah. Just wait until you get inside." Bart said bashfully as he opened the passenger car door.
The inside, Jaime realized, was exactly what could be expected. It felt like he was on the set of a 1950s family show. The dining room table had a white table cloth over it. The TV was a box that looked like it was at least fifty years old. There was a Turkish rug thrown over the carpet in the living room. The clocks, ceiling fans, coffee table, couch, and lamps all looked retro. There was even an American flag hanging on the hallway wall. The only newer looking things Jaime could immediately see were the lazyboy chairs facing the TV, and even they looked like they were from the '80s.
"Wow. And these are people with only modern movies?" it seemed impossible that people who were so stuck in the past wouldn't have movies from then.
Bart chuckled nervously beside him and Jaime realized that it seemed impossible because it was impossible.
"Actually," Bart chuckled nervously, "I had to get you to invite me over somehow." he said by way of explanation.
Jaime's mouth gaped open for a fraction of a second, "You..." lied. Jaime shook his head and felt like laughing, so he did. An almost lunatic, hysterical laugh.
"Before we get any closer, is there anything else you want to fess up to?" he said when his laughs had dissipated to chuckles.
"My grandparents aren't here right now." Bart deadpanned in all seriousness, then, "And I think my cousin will be merciless if I don't bring you to the reunion. Artemis is going to tell Wally all about today and he'll want to see you too."
Jaime chuckled, "Is that an invite?"
"Yes?" Bart grinned precariously.
"Well I accept," Jaime said benevolently, "but you owe me food." he finished sternly, making a grin spread across Bart's lips.
"CRASH! GositinthelivingroomwhileIma kefood!" then he zoomed off towards the kitchen in a flash.
.
.
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Quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right?
Right.
Bart was standing in the middle of Joan's kitchen with chocolate and flour covering him. He wasn't sure how it'd gotten there in the first place but he hardly cared.
I hope this works, he thought as he reached inside the oven with pot holders and pulled out the tray of hot brownies.
The telltale ding of an oven timer alerted Jaime that Bart was done with whatever he was making in the kitchen. He got up from the patterned couch he'd been sitting in and wandered over towards where the kitchen was.
Jaime recognized the smell as soon as he walked into the kitchen; brownies, his favorite.
Bart watched Jaime make a straight line for the brownies he'd just set on the counter and executed his plan.
"You can't eat those yet." he declared, "They need to cool down." Bart hopped onto the kitchen counter next to Jaime and grabbed the bowl he'd used to mix the brownies in.
Jaime pouted his lower lip and gave Bart the strongest puppy eyes he'd ever seen.
Bart would have given in if he wasn't on a mission. His eyes momentarily traveled to those pouting lips, so perfect and alluring. He had to force himself to say no by mutely shaking his head, his eyes reconnected with Jaime's.
The hungry brown orbs dimmed with disappointment until they spotted the bowl in Bart's hand and they rekindled.
Bart pretended to be oblivious to his friend's hunger-lust eyes as he swiped some brownie batter onto his finger and licked it off-slowly, making sure to be a little messy. He saw Jaime's eyes drift to the chocolate at the corner of his mouth, which he'd left there.
This was the most seductive thing Bart could think of. The fact that he was using Jaime's personal brand of kryptonite was an effective additional touch.
But when he saw Jaime's eyes hungrily focus on his lips Bart could feel his own heart flutter hopelessly. He was supposed to be seducing Jaime and here he was being seduced. Jaime unconsciously licked his lips and Bart's eyes darted to the smooth muscle before he returned them upward where his soft chocolate-brown eyes were drawing the younger teen into them.
Jaime was too attractive. Bart was hopeless against those attractive features. From his dark, smooth black hair that matched so well with his mocha colored skin to his chocolate-brown eyes that could captivate Bart for weeks. He could spend forever staring at those gentle orbs which promised warmth and comfort and tenderness. His eyes which were so kind and caring. They were friendly and inviting and trusting. They promised all Bart could ask for and some. Eyes which, at that moment, were staring at him very hungrily, and oh how he wished they would always stare at him like that. Hungrily.
Jaime was seductive just standing there.
Not to mention the exotic flare he spoke with when he switched to Spanish or when he was flustered. Bart could spend the rest of his life listening to Jaime speak Spanish and have no complaints despite not understanding a word.
It was all Bart could do to not jump the innately seductive teen right then and there.
Jaime watched as his friend continued to scoop batter onto his finger then lick it off. There was just a hint of chocolate on the corner of his lip he noticed.
This is by far the most seductive thing I can think of, Bart thought as he smiled teasingly. If Jaime doesn't at least-
Then the Latino reached out and swiped the chocolate from the corner of the auburn's lip, bringing it to his own and smiling as he tasted it. All the vocabulary Bart might have possessed was thrown out the window when he heard Jaime softly moan at the taste.
"Okay hermano, that is seriously good. Give me the bowl." Bart knew full well that brownies and brownie batter was Jaime's weakness, but when Jaime made a grab for it Bart still used his quick reflexes to pull it out of reach.
He dipped two fingers in the same manner as before and, little messier than before, he brought the chocolaty goodness to his lips and slowly licked it off. He felt the chocolate smudge on his cheek and chin. He cleaned his fingers off and waited to see Jaime's next move.
The Latino stepped closer and repeated the action from before, "You're messy." he commented as he licked the chocolate off his own fingers.
Bart felt his heart flutter painfully as he watched Jaime and it took all his sanity to not push the Latino against the wall and kiss him until they were both breathless.
Bart could only nod dumbly because, honestly, he couldn't use his voice right then even if he wanted to.
Bart swiped more brownie batter and this time he kept eye contact with Jaime as he licked chocolate off of his hand. He watched Jaime watch him, his lips, his fingers.
Jaime didn't move any closer but he also didn't move away, and that was all the encouragement Bart needed.
Bart let his tongue dart out, Jaime bit his lip.
He was so intoxicating, Bart thought. Everything Jaime did made Bart feel uncomfortably hot. Here he was doing the most seductive thing he could think of and Jaime was the one seducing him. Bart just melted under Jaime's flinty gaze. Jaime was consuming his soul and he didn't even know it. At that moment all he wanted was to grab the taller teen by the collar and jerk him closer until he could taste the chocolate on Jaime's lips. It took all he had to not-
"Do you think they're done now?" Jaime said without breaking the eye contact, his voice coming out breathy and almost strained sounding.
"Yeah." Bart whispered back breathlessly.
Neither of them moved for a minute, each staring at the other and wondering what had just happened. Jaime let out a shallow breath and stepped back slowly, still maintaining the eye contact. Bart felt the absence of the older teen instantly and wanted to pull Jaime back and wrap his arms around him so that he couldn't get away again but reasoning made he just watch as Jaime moved away. Jaime coughed before stepping to the side and cutting himself out a piece.
"I, Uh, should go home and stuff." he said as he gestured to the kitchen exit.
All Bart could do was nod. He wondered if he'd ever regain the ability of speech.
He watched as Jaime took a bite of the brownie he'd cut out and moaned with closed eyes, "Wow. These are amazing Bart." he praised, "Thanks for the brownies." he waved before exiting.
Bart remained on the kitchen counter wondering what had just happened, bowl still held loosely in his hands.
It was killing Bart. He didn't know how they could have that and yet nothing. But, this was definitely progress he thought as he vacantly grabbed a spoon and scooped up some more batter.
.
.
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Jaime closed the door to his car a little harder than he needed to. He buckled his seatbelt and stuck the keys into the car without turning them. He then pounded his hands against the steering wheel repeatedly, biting back frustrated groans. What was that?!
He banged his head against the steering wheel before numbly planting his face against it.
Bart had just looked so...tempting. Jaime groaned. Was that really the adjective he was going to use to describe his best friend? "Yes." because there was no other way of describing it. This was so not cool. Jaime rocked his head slowly back and forth on the wheel.
"Not okay." he groaned. On so many levels.
Jaime reached for the brownie and took another bite. Of course it was amazing. He didn't know why he would expect anything else.
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