From here on in, things only carried on as they had. Omi seemed a little miffed at his friends in general, but after his interaction with Kimiko, he wasn't bringing up why. On the other hand, Omi was spending more time at Jack's, enjoying how willing he was to explain things and help him, even if he did so begrudgingly. The others noticed that while they were fighting, Omi and Jack were tossing even more casual bits of encouragement or approval in with their trash talk, and even referencing advice they seemed to be giving one another outside battle. When walking around the temple, Omi would be slipping into those wistful sigh moods more and more often.
Wuya was also throwing a few more old friends into the ring to try and sway Jack's jealousy. She tried showing interest in Tubbimura one day, only to find Jack reminding the obese ninja that he knew where the man's toy chihuahua Muffinface stayed, prompting Tubbimura to apologize to Wuya, but hastily scramble to do Jack's bidding instead.
Chase continued to show his face as minimally as possible. The fact that he'd been defeated by Jack and his team even once was humiliating, and it pained him to his core to admit it, but Jack was...doing well. And getting to him wasn't actually going to be getting any easier. Through his crow spy's eyes, he'd only watched the boy's defenses grow as he turned his parents' mansion into his new base, building the perimeter into a fortress complete with guard towers and what appeared to be a cell system being erected in his backyard. This was clearly his new prison-inspired headquarters.
Concerned that a boy with an admittedly sinister-looking lair developing was the one Omi was seemingly spending all his spare time with now, the Dragons felt compelled to approach him with their concerns. It felt like Omi was concentrated less on convincing Jack not to be evil and more on just hanging out with him.
Of course, getting Omi to hang around long enough to bring it up was the real issue.
Master Fung wandered past four of the Dragon Warriors in one of the halls as they played pool in a spare room they'd dragged a table into, pausing and stepping back to the doorway. "Where is Omi?" he wondered. It was unusual for the young warriors to be missing one if they were spending time together, and for that matter, he hadn't seen his adopted ward in quite a while.
"Take a guess," Raimundo said flatly as he leaned on his pool cue.
"Jaaack Spicer's. As always," Kimiko hemmed, and took her shot.
Glancing over the group, Raimundo noted, "You guys starting to think we should hold like, an intervention or something? I think he's starting to like it way too much over there."
Thumbing up the brim of his hat, Clay agreed, "Kinda feels like he's almost forgotten who his real friends are." A beat. "Say, you don't suppose that's exactly what Spicer's doin', do ya? Brainwashin' him?"
"You mean like an evil alien overlord? Hm. I wouldn't put it past him." Raimundo took a moment imagining Jack as an extraterrestrial invader corrupting Omi's poor innocent mind.
"Poor Omi..." Kimiko reasoned, "We'd better step in before he ends up being the one switching sides...and willingly this time."
Jermaine snorted. "Are you guys buggin'? I know Jack's evil and all, but it is way easier than that."
"Hm?" They all looked at him. He took his turn at the pool table before answering.
"Come on. Don't tell me I'm the only one seein' the real deal here."
The other three exchanged looks. "Care to enlighten us?" Raimundo voiced for them all.
Jermaine scoffed. "For real? Thought you'd pick it up for sure, Rai-dawg. Omi's head over heels for that bad boy, y'all!"
Kimiko looked sick, Raimundo grimaced hard, and Clay would have spit anything he'd had in his mouth out. Instead he ended up performing a strange choke-cough-wheeze.
"Okay," Raimundo spoke up again, "Maybe I was just really hoping that wasn't what you were going to say. Like...please can it be aliens?"
A light snort from the New Yorker. "Rai, you always wanna think stuff's aliens."
Folding his arms, the Brazilian countered, "Yeah, well at least aliens would be better than...that...other thing you said..." Curling his hands close to his chest, he turned away and shuddered.
Behind them, Master Fung felt incredibly awkward just the same and quietly backed himself out to continue down the hall. He still wasn't a fan of Jack either, and even less when the conversation turned towards teen relationships involving him romancing one of his students.
Jermaine's head tilted a bit. "You all really against a bit of thrill-seeking romance that bad? What's so bad about that Jack anyhow? Truth be told, he seems one of the least harmful Romeos Juliet coulda gone for."
Face only turning greener, Kimiko insisted, "Look, I don't really blame you for not knowing, Jermaine, but it's Jack. We've known him a long time, and he is the slimiest, whiniest, lamest guy there is!"
Counting out on his fingers, Raimundo quipped, "You forgot creepy, pathetic and a total nincompoop."
Gesturing to Raimundo as a point of validation, the girl carried on, "He'd totally destroy Omi's innocence if he knew Omi ever cared about him that much. Which I sincerely hope he doesn't. I mean, speaking of innocent, does Omi even know it's possible for boys to like each other?"
"Mm..." Jermaine folded his arms and glanced skeptically to the side, knowing full well that even if Omi didn't know, he was still leaning that way. "Doesn't mean he don't just need to figure it out."
Joining in the doubt, Clay gave his own skeptical huff and noted, "Well, even if Omi did fancy that low-down snake, it don't change the fact that he is a snake. Ah wouldn't trust Spicer to do anything more than lead that poor sap on just to tear him up later. Or just use him."
Stepping closer, Raimundo reminded the darker boy, "And did you forget Jack's kind of on the verge of world domination? For the second time running?" An index finger emphasized his point by going to his temple. His second hand held up two fingers. "He sure doesn't seem to be taking Omi's offer to swap sides into account. Omi's just wasting time at his place. I think it's time we pull that intervention."
With a firm nod, Kimiko folded her arms as well. "Even if he was getting through to Jack, there's no way that dweeb would ever be good enough for Omi, even as a friend."
Jermaine held his palms out. "Hold up. How do you know how good it's been going? Has Omi spilled something to you I've been missing?"
The others shared a glance, having to admit no, but not seeing Jermaine's point.
The curly-haired boy nodded knowingly. "I thought so. But it can't be all bad if Jack's been sending him home intact all this time, right? How do we know Omi's visits aren't what's kept him from launching that big world takeover? At the very least, it seems to be keepin' him from choosing any other sides."
The others mulled this over, Raimundo eventually supposing, "Well...it is true that Jack hasn't formed any new teams for a while. And we know Wuya's been trying."
A pair of trigger fingers shot his way from Jermaine. "My man. I knew you'd see the light." Call it his intuition, or even an advantage for being an outsider to the team's history with Jack, but he could just tell this wasn't something they should squash. Rather, he was fully set on supporting Omi's choices here.
Meekly, Raimundo gave a small half-smile.
Clay ventured, "Still. Ah'd feel a lot better knowin' Omi ain't in over his head. Don't take much given his stature."
Kimiko concurred, "Ditto. But also? Now I just have to know how 'close' Omi's been getting with Jack."
The others could agree to finding a natural nosy impulse to pry in that regard, as well as wanting to ensure Omi's safety. Raising a finger in the lull, Raimundo decreed, "Okay, as the leader, I officially declare snooping top priority next time we see our favorite cheese ball."
Raising his pool cue into position, Jermaine tutted and quipped, "Better end this game quick, then." That said, the tip of his cue elongated itself and branched out into an intricate series of thin wooden spindles, each targeting one of his team's balls, and promptly knocking them all into the nearest pocket in unison.
"Hey!" Kimiko and Clay cried out in dismay, meanwhile Raimundo started, but then snorted and shared a small series of victorious fistbumps with his partner.
...
The group didn't have to wait long for Omi to return, finding the boy humming to himself as he strode through the gardens, pausing on a bridge over a stream and hopping up to rest his arms on the banister as he beamed down to watch the water.
Clustered together to spy from a nearby gazebo, the four other warriors were forming a plan.
"I'm telling you, he can't be into guys," Kimiko was hushing, "He always makes a huge deal out of 'girl hugs' and compliments..!"
Having found himself more on Jermaine's side the more he thought about it, Raimundo countered, "Yeah, but like...he also thought girls were another species, didn't he? We ever seen him react to a guy calling him cute? Could just be an ego thing."
Turning her head with sharp skepticism towards the Brazilian, Kimiko bit, "You go tell him he's cute, then..!"
"What..?! Why me..?!"
"You brought it up..!"
Clay and Jermaine snickered at this hushed bickering. Enjoying the way Raimundo protested, the blonde cowboy chipped in, "C'mon, Rai, you know you always fancied yerself a charmer~..!"
Encouraging this with a small shove to the small of Raimundo's back, Jermaine added, "You even said you could always out-flirt me..! You're clearly the man for the job. Show us what you got, yo..!"
Steaming with embarrassment and frustration, Raimundo shot all his giggling friends a dirty look before stuffing his hands in his pants pockets and grumbling as he stomped off towards the bridge.
Reaching the edge of those planks, he inhaled deeply while drawing up his posture, trying to prepare himself for the incredibly awkward task of convincingly hitting on his friend in this context.
With as much of a game face on as he could muster, Raimundo slid smoothly up next to Omi on the railing. Unlike the short boy, his legs actually still reached the ground as he did so. Inflating his eyes innocently, the tan boy then turned to face the other as he spoke.
"Gosh, Omi. I was just passing through, and maybe it's just the garden, but I don't think I've ever noticed how cute you are~..!" Rapidly, he batted his eyelashes.
Perking, Omi faced the other with a bright beam. Eagerly he hopped to balance atop the railing to match Raimundo's height. "Really~? You think I am cute, Raimundo?"
Grimacing internally, Raimundo assured, "Of course..! Why, of all the four-foot monks I know, you are just the absolute cutiest~!" Here he reached to pinch Omi's cheek.
Cheeks tinting, Omi hunched and giggled in flatter. "Thank you~! It is about time my cuteness has been more widely acknowledged!"
Sticking his tongue out in a fake gag as he rolled his eyes to himself, Raimundo swirled to where he knew the others were hiding and gestured silently at Omi while making a strained face. He felt the point was proven. Someone please rescue him now..!
The others gave breezy shrugs of admission and Kimiko wafted a lazily-flapped wrist at him to indicate carrying on. Jermaine stood.
Back to Omi before the yellow boy could notice anything amiss, Raimundo hurried to insist, "Oh, totally..! World-wide adorably infectious..! But just so we're clear, I'm not like...into you or anything. I know it's easy to fall for me, but please don't start crushing on me over this." He didn't want the most awkward thing he'd ever done to end up lasting for eternity.
Posture slacking, Omi held a staving palm out, "I am sorry, Raimundo. I realize that it must be a struggle to discover your feelings after so long, but though you may try to cover them with backwards wording, I am afraid I simply cannot reciprocate." Sympathetically, he leaned to pat Raimundo's shoulder.
Jaw dropping what felt like a good foot, Raimundo gawped at the small boy, unable to believe he'd twisted his words completely around like that. If that didn't show how much of an ego problem this related to, he didn't know what did!
"Whaaaat?! Did you even hear what I just said?!"
"Yes, yes. You have finally fallen for my infectious charms, but must deny your feelings because you know I cannot return them. Do not worry. It is most understandable."
Grinding his teeth now and letting out an incredibly strained irate noise, Raimundo was unable to even express how wrong the other was. Then, before the Brazilian blew a gasket, Jermaine had approached and slipped his arms around one of Raimundo's. It seemed quite effective in defusing him.
"Yo, Omi. Don't hog Rai all to yourself out here. Mind if I borrow him?" Coyly, he tipped his head towards the boy he'd latched onto, almost resting on his shoulder and trying to invoke a potential awakening with his pose. With his gaze on Omi, he seemed not to notice one potentially stirring as Raimundo stiffened and became entirely blank.
"Borrow all you like, my friend," Omi granted, "I was finding it more enlightening to reflect on my own at the moment anyway. I believe similar would be best for Raimundo as well." Hopping down, he turned to stroll the opposite of the way he'd arrived, onto another small gazebo with climbing flowers over the latticed walls.
Turning back to find Raimundo in a completely neutral stance, Jermaine gained a small smirk. It looked like by complete accident, he'd found something to faze Mr. Smooth: contact. Letting go to instead take the brunette by his hand, Jermaine tugged to head back to the group. "A'ight, come on. You've sacrificed enough dignity."
"Got that right..." Raimundo felt humiliated, but looking at his hand in the other's, he couldn't help promptly looking away again and feeling his cheeks tinge in a slightly different manner.
As they joined the other two, Kimiko was already prepared with her PDA pulled out. "Alright, my turn." She was ready to get to the bottom of this.
Omi was once again staring into space as he wistfully smiled and already missed the darkened basement he'd come from.
Silently, on the other end of the bench on which the stout monk had seated himself, Kimiko sat as well. Lips shifting coyly, she placed the PDA down beside her, and slid it over in Omi's direction. Then, as he noticed the device entering his personal space, the girl stood once more and backed away without a word.
Quirking his brow, Omi looked from Kimiko's strange departure to the PDA. Picking it up, he found the screen filled with a rainbow graphic with the text: 'How Gay Are You? Take the Quiz Now!' Underneath this was a pulsing button that read 'PLAY'.
From the surveillance point, the other monks observed Omi glancing around curiously, then back at what had been left for him. With a brief shrug, he then beamed down at the little screen and began poking away with the stylus.
"He's going for it..!" Kimiko cheered.
Clay hemmed. "You sure this is gonna be the best way of tellin' us what way he swings?"
Kimiko scoffed, "I am more than well-acquainted with the internet enough to find the most accurate quizzes, thanks. But even if I wasn't, you'd have to be hard pressed to get something that simple completely wrong."
A few minutes later, Omi let out a short, pleased laugh. Springing up from his seat, he darted from his gazebo toward the mirroring one his friends were seated in.
"Look, Kimiko! I have won!" he declared, brandishing the PDA overhead.
Taking her device back, the Japanese girl looked at the results screen, the three boys around her leaning curiously to see as well. Rainbow confetti cascaded down the screen as a bubbly font spelled out: 'Fabbo! You are gay, all the way! Wear that pride with pride!'
All four pairs of eyes looked up at Omi, who did in fact seem quite prideful. He declared, "Perfect marks~! I am the most gay anyone could be! So, Kimiko, did I humiliate your score~?" Hands behind his back, he beamed smugly as he obviously assumed this was some sort of competition.
Folding his own arms confidently, Jermaine passed Kimiko a self-assured smile. Could he call it, or could he call it?
Fighting down a wave of nausea as she realized how real a possibility it was that Jack could get his grubby hands on her most naive friend, Kimiko looked to the stout Chinese boy and informed, "Uhh...it...wasn't actually a game, Omi. It was a personality quiz. But if I did take it..? Yeah. I wouldn't be anywhere close. I'm not gay."
Face falling in perplex, Omi questioned, "Personality quiz? But...how can one grade such a thing as personality?" Obviously his own was perfect, but it seemed like it was hard to give letter grades to something like that, and he hadn't even received a letter in this one he'd apparently taken.
"You don't." Kimiko shook her head loosely. "It just tells you something about yourself. Or, well, someone else. Like we just...decided to give you this...to see?"
Not finding this much clearer, Omi felt himself irking. "See what? You are testing me without my knowledge? What for?"
"It's for your own good, Omi..!" Kimiko professed softly, "We just don't want to see you get hurt..!"
"You doubt my abilities? Well, surely you can no longer with these results..!" The stoutest monk pointed to the PDA. "I am no doubt more gay than all of you!"
A round of awkward hemming.
Clay ventured, "Gay's not really a fightin' thing. It's more of a...datin' thing. And the kinda thing Ah'm more sure than ever Spicer'll be able to use to get one over on ya."
Flushing indignantly, Omi became offended. "So you think because I am gay, it means Jack Spicer will defeat me? What does Jack Spicer even have to do with it? He has been the opposite of defeating me!" From his perspective, it just sounded like his friends didn't trust him anymore.
Jermaine tried to ease the other's temper. "Woah, Omi-dawg, bein' gay ain't no thing. It just means you like other guys, man."
Unfortunately, this only seemed to spike Omi's tension. "That is it?! So why did you not just tell me that?!" His arms flapped wildly. "Why must you all insist to leave me in the dark and let me speak ignorantly of the world?! If you are wanting to speak of Jack Spicer, at least he is unafraid to tell me of new information directly!"
Flustering, the others became varying degrees of irate themselves. Clay cut in, "Well hang on now, pardner. It just ain't always easy to just up and explain things like that..!"
"You let me think girls had tails for three years!" Omi countered with a sharp point, "Jack Spicer confronts these things as soon as he hears them! How can I be sure it is not you who would like to use my ignorance against me?!"
Faltering, Raimundo twiddled his thumbs. "Well...maybe it is a little funny sometimes..." Registering the glares from his friends, and that this wasn't helping any, he corrected, "But...it's also really awkward stuff sometimes..?"An open shrug. Could any of them really be blamed for not wanting to elaborate on certain topics?
Omi's face soured, feeling his point still stood.
Feeling a tad guilty about finding a lot of Omi's ignorance cute, Kimiko avoided bringing it up and granted, "If Jack finds out you're gay, we just don't want him to use it to manipulate your feelings..." Gently, she reached out to try and touch the yellow boy's shoulder.
Omi stepped back out of reach, glowering. Kimiko's lip tucked in almost hurt dismay.
"You have not seen Jack Spicer the way I have," he told all four of them, "And in fact, something he has reminded me of: if you are uncertain about someone's qualities, especially a friend, it is best to ask and discuss it with them rather than seek outside sources to trust."
Raimundo's hands swirled vaguely. "Look, it was just a bit of harmless snooping..! We just don't want you to get tricked into joining evil again..!"
Clay nodded."Yeah, Omi, what're you gettin' riled up at us for?"
The corner of his mouth tugging, Omi returned adamantly, "I would never join the Heylin side again! I would not put myself in the position to have it even offered! Chase Young cannot even try now that I have wisened to his ways, and it is the very fact that you all appear to have so little faith in me that is making me, as you say, riled!" Did his friends all think him a mere child? It felt like it with how they seemed to think they needed to sneak learning about him without him, and shield him from what they learned.
Fists clenching, Omi finished, "In fact, in this moment, I am thinking Jack Spicer has been more a friend to me than all of you in recent memory!"
That did it.
"Oh yeah?!" Raimundo burst, "Well why don't you just go stay with him if you love him so much?!"
"That sounds most acceptable to me!"
Blowing them all a raspberry, Omi turned on his heel and sprinted away, leaping over the first wall in his way and out of sight as Raimundo called, "Sorry for looking out for you!"
Jermaine had tried to lift his hands to motion everyone to settle down, but he was too late. The harsh words had already been exchanged, and he wasn't sure what to say to repair them. Now he just sighed. He glanced between Kimiko sitting dejectedly, Raimundo standing with his back turned and closed posture, and Clay stoically glaring after where Omi had disappeared.
So much for support.
"Okay. You guys gotta know this isn't what I meant earlier..."
...
Upon hearing a perimeter alarm, Jack looked up from the welding he was doing in his tank top and towards one of several camera screens displayed on his computer, the most important screen enlarging to show Omi at his front gate, pacing back and forth and seemingly muttering animatedly to himself.
Quirking a brow, Jack reached for the Golden Tiger Claws and opened a small rift for the other boy. He watched as Omi marched into it without missing a beat.
As the short boy exited into the basement, Jack greeted, "Hey, Baldy. Back already..?" This marked the first time Omi had come here twice on the same day.
Seemingly not hearing the albino goth, Omi continued his pacing, now on the opposite side of the table from Jack as he continued swirling his arms in grand gestures.
"It is not bad enough that Jermaine must already be so perfect! Now all of my friends think they know better than me?! I was the first Dragon Warrior! At least of this generation! And Raimundo was last to be promoted! Perhaps he has shown leadership capabilities, but clearly he is still lacking greatly in wisdom!"
Jack just blinked. "Uhhh...as much as I like dissing you losers...what?"
Finally swirling to face the taller boy with his arms spread wide, Omi professed, "My friends! Ooooo, they claim they are trying to assist me, but it seems they are only trying to overshadow me! They all do not find me capable of even making a friend without their guidance! And Jermaine especially! He is set on making me feel inferior in a most shameful way I cannot even meditate away! But now I cannot help a building bitterness inside as they all wish to make me feel inadequate! I must not fall behind! I must prove that I am still the most expert Dragon Warrior! And especially that Jermaine has not become wiser than me in his absence!"
Processing this for a moment, Jack was silent. Then his cheeks puffed as he snorted. And then the was clutching his gut as he let out a sharp, lengthy laugh. More of a cackle, really.
At this less than sympathetic reaction, Omi's face scrunched up in a sulk.
Catching sight of this, Jack wiped some of the mirth from his eyes and got ahold of himself. "Aw, man! Trouble in Xiaolin Paradise, huh? I knew you goody-goodies weren't so perfect. And you? Haha! You're actually jealous? Of another Dragon Warrior? So it is possible for you guys to feel inferior!"
Omi just pouted harder.
Pressing both palms downward against the air, Jack relented, "Okay, okay...it's outta my system. Well, you wanna know what I do when I'm not feeling up to snuff?"
Perking now, Omi became curious about this mysterious coping mechanism. He hadn't even realized Jack had one. "Oh..? Yes, please. I would welcome any tactic to lessen the storm in my mind..."
With a smirk, knowing he was going to enjoy the initial reaction at least, Jack nodded and then looked to his left. "Musicbot!" His fingers snapped in demand, and a low, wide Jackbot outfitted like a boombox with RBG highlights hovered over to him. Picking a CD from one of the holding wells, he tossed the disc into the player and started it up.
All at once, hardcore thrash metal exploded from the robot and the speakers hooked up to several corners of the basement. Jack himself was screaming along to the lengthy opening wail of the vocalist on the track, stance wide as he held an air guitar and headbanged violently.
Predictably, Omi was shocked by this sudden wall of sound, reacting as though it were an earthquake when he felt the throbbing bass through the floor. He screamed too, but in terror. Grabbing hold of the nearest table leg, he watched Jack throw himself around with abandon, bumping his chest into a nearby Jackbot, and hardly thinking this seemed like a way to deal with one's emotions! This just looked like...chaos! Scary chaos!
Noticing Omi clinging to the table leg as he peeked out from under one eyelid, Jack figured that just wouldn't do. In actuality, he did want to do more than just give Omi a fright. This really was how he liked to vent. He wanted to show Omi that meditating didn't have to be the only way one worked through their problems.
Grabbing Omi by the hand, Jack tugged the shorter boy out into the middle of the floor with him. Omi let out a short note of uncertainty, standing bashfully now as Jack threw up a rock hand and held his gaze as he bobbed his head expectantly.
Glancing at his own hands, Omi looked up to Jack and then back down, mimicking the gesture with both sets of his own fingers. He held them up cautiously and met Jack's eyes with a questioning look.
Jack grinned in response, and banged his head harder, demonstrating and clearly inviting Omi to try it.
Again nervous, Omi hesitated, but closed his eyes and listened more closely to the intense music pouring from the walls. If he paid attention, there was a rhythm. That must be what Jack was moving himself to.
Once, he bobbed his head.
Then twice.
Then a little harder.
His brow pinched, and he realized that such feeble motions did not in fact match the mood the music was projecting.
Gritting his teeth as he absorbed the sound, Omi felt all of his frustrations at his friends welling up inside him, and ignited, fueled by the angry notes of the guitar piercing the air. How or why, he couldn't say, but he felt the charge in the air.
Stance firming, he mirrored Jack much more accurately, and thrashed his head swiftly, shoving his hands overhead much more aggressively. Jack met this with another grin and a hearty "Yeah!"
He swung his head in wide circles for Omi to match, which he did. He grabbed the other boy's wrist and tugged him close for a forceful bump against his chest, which Omi met graciously with his own. Jack only encouraged this by throwing himself at more Jackbots, Omi doing likewise as they formed their own mosh pit. Forehead to forehead, both boys even screamed in unison now as a fresh cue came.
Omi had no idea what was happening, but it did feel good to let go like this. He'd always known discipline as the answer to everything, and acting wild like this was so strange, yet so oddly freeing. Choosing it like this was so much more satisfying than when he'd given himself up to evil, becoming a being driven by pure energetic carnage. This felt more like a simple outlet, and more importantly, one that was working, however odd it may be.
As the disc ended, so did the blind swirl Omi had found himself ensconced in. He and Jack both lay on their backs on the floor, sprawled and breathing deeply. Their heads were vaguely pointed towards one another, but several feet apart, and the basement was a wreck. At one point, Omi had become a literal tornado that had unleashed upon the walls. Still, in this aftermath of destruction, there was a peace between the boys. Somehow their bond felt strengthened.
"And that..." Jack breezed as soon as he was able, "Is what we call Mosh. Not bad for a first timer."
With a sheepish chuckle, Omi admitted, "I do feel better...thank you for sharing this with me, Jack Spicer. Also, I apologize for unleashing a Tornado Strike and ruining your basement."
Lifting a lazy had to wave that off, Jack reminded, "Eh, it used to get destroyed pretty much every week. Half the time by you monks. I'll just get the new constructionbots to fix it."
Appreciatively, Omi chuckled.
An amiable silence fell between the two as they merely rested a moment, before a nagging presence forced Jack to open his eyes once more and find Omi's. For what felt like the umpteenth time, he found a familiar sappy puppy-like expression beaming at him with adoration.
"Okay, what's with the face?" the goth felt pressed to question, "Like I know you do that a lot, but this one's really sickening."
With a fond sigh, Omi simply returned, "I am merely noticing an important truth. Which is that I do find you very much with the heat, Jack Spicer~."
Puzzling through the butchered slang, Jack was just silent for a few more seconds until it suddenly clicked. Sharply, he sat up, eyes wide.
"You think I'm hot?! WHAT?!"
Sitting up as well, Omi turned to face the other boy. Jack looked incredibly flustered all of a sudden, his face saturated and his posture meek. Honestly, it was quite cute. But Omi felt bad that he appeared so uncomfortable.
"I apologize if that was saying too much," he granted bashfully, "It simply felt right to say."
Fidgeting, Jack could barely process his thoughts as he was sitting alone in a room with the one and only person who had ever admitted to being attracted to him.
"Er, um, no, I...you're good. I just...um."
"You may...forget it was said if you are that uncomfortable."
"No, I mean...I'm happy about it? But erm...like...not..?"
"I did not mean to make you upset."
"I'm not upset! Or maybe I am? I dunno! But 'cause I...like...having you around...too..?"
Hunching, Jack gripped himself tightly with his arms and looked away as he took his turn sulking tensely.
For a few seconds, Omi blinked at the other as the silence mounted in palpable awkwardness. Feeling he needed to break it before it became impossible to do so, the bald boy ventured, "Surely this should be a good thing? I am most happy to hear you have in fact been enjoying my company, Jack Spicer."
Lips wavering, Jack pressed, "Yeah, but like...I didn't wanna talk about it!" So long as nobody mentioned it was happening, he'd been fine letting whatever this was develop. Hearing Omi was attracted to him was...bizarre! Not allowed! More than he'd ever bargained for! Jack was the one who was supposed to pine after the impossible. It was his comfort zone. He couldn't handle someone else being the first to admit they liked him! Not when it was entirely possible for him to like them back! Not when it would be the easiest thing in the world to just accept!
Head tilting, Omi puzzled, "Why not? Surely if it is a good thing to be enjoying each other, it is good to say?"
With a frustrated note out his nose as an opener, Jack burst, "Because it's you!" Elaborating immediately, he stumbled over his words as he tried to make them sound right. "I don't want to like you because you're you and I'm me, and it makes me feel scared if you like me, because it feels real? Or different than anything else I'm used to, and it's all weird inside. Like I'd rather force any other relationship and do all the work and be the clingy one just to avoid knowing how much I like you because you're you and it's weird!"
Another silence as Jack simply let out a strained whimper as he was sure he'd utterly failed at voicing the turmoil inside his head, bringing his knees up in front of him and dropping his forehead on top of them. Underneath his thighs, his hands linked tightly.
Feeling even more strongly sympathetic for the lost boy, Omi's brow pinched. Jack was truly so beaten down by his experiences with others that he was afraid when someone wanted to show him a gentle hand? To honestly give him their affection? How greatly saddening.
"Rest assured, Jack Spicer," Omi stated adamantly, "I do not find it strange at all that I could like you so greatly." Hearing a tiny questioning simper, the yellow boy affirmed, "Perhaps it is unexpected to find my feelings run deeper than I thought, but regardless of depth, I would still like to be your friend. Because you are correct about one thing: it is very much real. And I would like to see you be at ease as you come to realize what real friends are." A brief sigh. "Mine may not be their best right now, but I must at least thank them for helping me to realize I am gay today." Now that he'd thrashed his troubles away, Omi couldn't find himself staying bitter at the others. He'd have to have another discussion with them once he was done here. "And I think, if we all tried, we could most certainly forge a greater path!"
Head tipping up slightly for a peek, Jack echoed, "You just found out you were gay today..? Wait a minute. Are you just trying to manipulate me into falling for you so I'll go good?!" His head shot up sharply as a motive that made much more sense entered his mind. Familiar feelings of vulnerability and being used found their way into his chest, offering a bit of that depressing comfort zone to cling to.
Omi's brow went up. "Nooo..? Actually, that is what the other Dragons were expecting you to do..."
Faltering, Jack didn't really know what to do with that information. "Oh. Well. Are you sure?"
"I am quite sure. In fact, now that I am aware of your heating, I believe I have been crashing you since nearly the beginning."
"C-Crushing on..? You mean..?"
"That too."
Again, Jack found his cheeks saturating heavily. Promptly, he stuffed his face back into his knees, unable to deal with this.
With a kind smile and a light sigh, Omi stood and walked over to the other boy, gingerly reaching to stroke his fiery hair. Jack winced and sharply turned his head away, but didn't retreat, hating that he liked the soothing touch too much to fight it.
Omi stroked further. "Please know that I am most sincere. I have sensed good things in you for a great while. I wish for you to belong, Jack."
The goth boy could swear his heart skipped a beat when what was essentially a rivalry-based honorific use of his full name was dropped. It sounded so alien to be addressed softly by just his first name from those lips. Cautiously, Jack lifted his head and turned just enough to look at the shorter boy. Omi closed his eyes in a friendly beam.
Really, there was no way for Jack not to be able to trust that face.
Omi tossed in one last sentiment. "And, if it is alright with you, I would quite like it if you would be alright with liking me. As I'm sure you are aware, I am veeeery likable~." Coyly, he folded his hands behind him and blushed happily.
Now unable to prevent himself from being endeared, Jack returned one tiny smile. "Yeah. Alright. Maybe. We'll see." Closing his own eyes and taking a cleansing breath, he then requested, "Can you maybe...give me a bit, though? I'm not really sure what I want right now. And I'd kinda like to focus on fixing stuff." A light thumb was tossed over his shoulder to indicate the trashed basement.
Readily, Omi agreed. "Of course, Jack. I only ask that you do consider it. I shall reflect on these things as well." Respectfully, he bowed to the seated boy.
Feeling another flutter at the first-name-only address, Jack decided it was time to stand. Unsure what else to do, he offered a small bow in return. "Yeah, yeah. Just get lost...sweet pea." On a whim, he quietly tossed in that pet name to test it on his tongue without the bitter edge of sarcasm. It tasted foreign. But not entirely unpleasant. Still hard to look at Omi while saying it, though.
With a pleasant chuckle and a dainty wave, Omi turned away to leave Jack to his devices, and the pair parted on a somewhat optimistic note, if they had to say.