CHAPTER 10: "Getting Serious"

But it is a necessary evil. Not that I'll be the first one to talk. The hell I will. Nah-uh. Warren's gonna have to coax this out of me. Of course that's not always the safest bet for me, but…

"Where did you learn to do this?" Warren chuckles quietly, his breath hitting my neck.

"Do what?" I huff a bit. I can't really get annoyed in my current state of mind: pyro dearest has gone beyond drying my hair. He is now giving me a massage as well. And it feels damn good. Especially after today!

"Give a massage." I can practically feel him smile.

"Natural talent." I huff mockingly.

"Another one?" he laughs. "Okay so, what did you want to talk about?" his face falls. Talk about mood swings.

"Actually, today is exactly what I want to talk about." I cringe. I'm gonna get told off. I just know it. So maybe I should get the first word in.

"Warren, listen, I'm a big girl, I've been trained to fight my entire live, there is nothing that little icebox could've possibly done to –" his hands drop from my hair to my shoulders and turn me around to look at him.

"Oh, but there is." I can see the concern etched in his face. "Regina, as…" he hesitates. I try to help.

"Much of a bitch as she is?" he nods.

"Is extremely powerful." I stare.

"Oh, puh-lease! Did you see how many things I was handling and I was still beating her?" Warren groans.

"Tempest, she has the biggest raw power, energy wise, of the entire female population of the school. Except maybe for you, though. You are right, you were awesome today." I smile widely. "But she's still very dangerous. Not even Will can win against her." I snort.

"You're more powerful than Will." He looks at me like a parent scolding a stubborn child. How endearing can he be?

"I am, but Will is the standard of powerful at Sky High. If you can beat Will, you are more than powerful. Fortunately for Will, only I can beat him now. So if I say that Regina can give William a fair, even fight, we are talking powerful."

"So what? I'm more powerful than she is! What's the problem?!" at this, Warren seems to drop all composure. He takes a hold of my hands, much like back at the detention room, and looks deep into my eyes. By now, I'm pretty much sitting on his lap. We are mere inches away.

"So what? I'll tell you 'so what'!" his tone is hushed, nearly laced with despair. "You do not mess with Regina. She's powerful enough to hurt others. Even someone like you! Back at the gym, she was holding back." I snort.

"So was I! Have you any idea the utter chaos that would've been unleashed in that gym had I released my full strength on that Ice Bitch? She'd be a fucking crisp by now!"

"You were depleting your energy too fast! And don't you ever pull that little hurricane-playing-barrier thing on me again! Don't ever lock me out of something like that Samantha!" I cringe again. Samantha? He is angry. But so am I.

"I didn't want you getting in the middle of a fight!" I couldn't bring myself to say I worry about him. But just the mere thought of him getting into a fight and getting hurt makes me ill.

"And I don't want you to get hurt! Don't ever doubt that I won't fry Regina to a piece of charcoal if she lays a finger on you again but it would be a lot easier if you don't go around looking for a fight!" Ugh! I'm getting pissed but I'm also feeling a bit guilty about it. How can you be mad at such a guy and keep a clean conscience?! But I'm still getting pissed.

"Dude, stop worrying! I'm fine and healthy and I kicked the Ice Bitch's ass! No need to care like this!" as soon as the words leave my mouth I see something shift in Warren's eyes. They become softer. His heat is overwhelming, soothing, heart-warming. He sighs, then he scoops me into his arms and falls back onto the bed. I am currently sprawled over a half-naked Warren Peace. Focus! Serious conversation in progress, remember? I feel him caressing my hair. There goes my focus.

"That's just it, Tempest. I do care. I care a lot about what happens to you." I nearly melt. I could kiss him! OMG he cares about me! He looks down into my eyes, my head on his chest, listening to his soothing heart-beat. "As far as I'm concerned, you're not allowed to get hurt." I smile, nearly tearing up. I pull my self up over him, till my head fits in the crook of his neck. I risk a light kiss along his jaw.

"Ok, then. I'll try not to get hurt." I whisper. This has to be the first time I've ever seen him shiver. It makes me feel powerful.

"Now you know how I feel every day..." he says in a playful undertone. I gasp indignantly and hit him playfully on the chest. His broad and comfy chest. My hair could still use a little drying but I couldn't care less. I just snuggle into Warren as he pulls both of us onto the pillows at the head of the bed and throws the covers over the both of us. I'm in for a great night's sleep...

I feel the sunlight on my face, streaming in from between the open curtains and the wide open balcony doors. Somebody tell me why I didn't close the damn doors? Actually, don't bother. I've never been more comfortable in my entire life. I've never slept better. And everything around me is so deliciously warm. My head (and half my body, now I think about it) is resting on a hard, soft, warm something. I'm so relaxed and so comfy I'm probably not going to get up today. Yeah, there's a good idea. I'll just stay in bed for the rest of the day, resting against this magnificent, new-found pillow of mine. I sigh contently and stretch my self, purring like the cat I am.

"Comfortable much?" I hear a deep voice, still husky with sleep, somewhere above my head. I simply nod against my warm pillow, rubbing my face against it and purring again. I hear a deliciously deep chuckle and a shiver runs down my spine. I feel a pair of lips on my forehead. "Come on, Tempest, time to get up. It's a school day, remember?" I get another kiss on the forehead. I finally open my eyes and look up at where Warren's voice is coming from.

He smiles at me, his head still resting on my pillows. Wait, if he's using my pillows, then what is MY head resting on? I look down at my "pillow" and treat myself to a close up of Warren's perfect chest. I gulp. Please don't let me be drooling, please don't let me be drooling! OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG... SYSTEM OVERHEATING! I mentally slap myself. Get a hold of yourself girl! I look up to see Warren smirking, chuckling quietly.

"Oh come on, hotshot! It's too early in the morning!" I whine letting myself drop back on his chest, burying my face in the crook of his neck. He laughs quietly.

"Too early for what?" I huff, my breath hitting his neck and I feel him exhale. Ok, now we're even.

"Too early for you to catch me drooling over you like that!" he laughs again.

"Tempest, it is never too early to reassure my poor self esteem." I snort. If he has a poor self esteem then I missed the funeral for mine! He laughs out loud at that one. A glorious sound for the perfect morning. Man, I can be corny when I want to...

"Yeah, you can be. Now, up. Time for school." I whine and hold onto his neck, not wanting to get up. He chuckles, half-struggling with me, half-peeking at the clock to make sure we're not late. What would I do with out him?

"No idea." I chuckle. I hear a knock on the door and answer without thinking.

"Yeah?" Will comes in. Guess I'm not the only one not thinking. The difference is I have a valid excuse. Now I don't know why Warren is laughing: it could be because of me and it could be because of the look on Will's face. I laugh as well. It is priceless!

"William, please say you've come for something other than looking like an idiot?"

"Uh... I um... did... did you guys..." we laugh at his stuttering. "Warren what's going on?!" I bury my laughter into Warren's neck, but I can clearly hear his. Music to my ears. Corny alert!

"What happened, William, is that we talked late into the night and I simply fell asleep." I nod.

"I was as surprised as you are. Actually, I'm still surprised!"I add chirpily. And mind you, I'm never chirpy this early in the morning. Warren keeps laughing.

"Well, uh, mom says to get up and get ready..." I keep laughing. I feel Warren shifting under me, and then I'm being lifted into the air, only to be carried over to the door, then dropped on my feet and forced down to the kitchen. I growl softly at being manhandled. Will jumps a bit but Warren just laughs it off. I whine. This was going to be a loooong day.

After a delicious breakfast, courtesy of Mrs. Stronghold, a quick conflict on what to wear, and all the problems and yelling that come with such a conflict, I am finally out of the house, in a decent mood, flanked by Will and Warren. Will is still acting all "mentally scarred". Laughable, really. But Warren is starting to loose his patience.

"I still CAN'T believe you - "

"William, I hear another comment about it and you'll be walking naked down the Sky High halls!" Warren growls out, lighting up his hand momentarily, to go with the threat. Well, maybe he's already lost it. Right then, Layla walks up to us.

"Comment about what? What can't you believe Will?" I look at Warren. He looks at me. We're so friggin' doomed.

"They slept together!" I wince, visibly. Layla lets out the loudest, shrillest scream ever. Even Will is down on his knees, along with Warren and me, covering our ears. I am trying to explain it to her but she just keeps yelling incoherences.

"You! OMG! Did WHAT?!?!?!?! And- ? AAAHHHH! BUT- ? Was it- ? For real?! HOW? When? AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"

Finally, Will manages to clamp his hand over her mouth. Warren helps me up, ever the gentleman, and I tentatively try to reason with her. With Will's hand still over her mouth of course...

"Layla, Will is just talking shit. Again. Warren and I did NOT sleep together."I back-track at the look I get from Will. "At least not in the way you understood it." Layla nods, and Will deems it safe for him to pull his hand away.

"THEN HOW?!?!?!?!" she shrieks again. I cover my ears and scream back at her.

"IF YOU KEEP YELLING I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU!!!!" she shuts her trap. Finally! I compose myself, and re-start the explanation. "Ok, so, what your adorable boyfriend meant," I say, glaring at Will, while he cowers behind Layla, "is that Warren and I simply talked well into the night and fell asleep on my bed. Where he found us this morning."

"Oh!" That's IT? Is that all that she can say after nearly busting my eardrums?! Warren laughs out loud and I calm down considerably. But I'm still glaring at Will. As we proceed to get on the bus, just as Ronnie pulls up, Layla spots Magenta, next to Zach, Ethan right behind them. "Magenta, get us a seat. I've got news!" Gee, thanks Layla! Now the WHOLE FRIGGIN' BUS is going to be listening in on your conversation!!!!

Magenta switches spots anyway, leaving Will to sit with Zach and Warren to sit next to Ethan. I move behind Layla and Maj. I need to minimise the damage she's going to cause to my image.

"You are never going to believe what Will just told me!" she squeals. Magenta huffs.

"Well then tell me!" I try to cut in at this point but Layla just shushes me. How dare she!

"Will told me that this morning, when he went to wake Sammy up, he found Warren in her bed. As well." ok so she went for the kill. And I'm going to kill her after.

"Will found who WHERE?!" the whole bus has turned towards us. And since Layla and Magenta are staring at me, then they all stare at me. I huff, glare at them, and make them all turn around. I just hope there's no one around with enhanced hearing!

"Layla, you're telling this the wrong way. Just like your precious boyfriend."

"Oh, please tell me what Will said!" I turn to Maj.

"He just dropped the bomb on her! He just burst it out! 'They slept together'! She started screaming like I've never heard before in my entire life!" suddenly, my sensitive hearing catches a soft 'OMG' somewhere at the front of the bus. I look up and see a younger girl, probably sophomore, looking at me wide-eyed. OH, SHIT NO! "Oh fuck!"

"What?" Layla turns to me with a worried look. Magenta gets the evil glint.

"You just remembered it's true?" I slap her over the head.

"No you idiot! A girl, who I would imagine has super hearing, just heard us!" I can hear Warren laughing at the front. I look at him, catch his eye and glare for as long as is humanly possible for me. Which isn't really that long.

'What is it, Tempest? Afraid of a few school rumours?' I grimace.

'Actually I'm more worried about what your darling ex is going to make out of this!' I see his eyes narrowing. AWWWWWW 'And if she even tries to touch me, I'm going to kick her ass of the edge of the school! Nothing you can do about it!'

'If she tries to lay a finger on you, there won't be enough of her for you to push of the edge of the school after I'm through with her!' I shiver at the growl in his tone. Who doesn't want a hot pyro with too many qualities to enlist and a cute protective dark side?!

Oh, now that's just great! By the time we get to school, EVERY SINGLE FRIGGIN' GIRL is staring at either Warren or me. If it's at Warren... I really don't think I need to outline that look. Let's just leave it at somewhere around disappointment and longing. If it's me... it's pure and unaltered hatred. On the one hand, it feels ridiculous that people are hating me because of something I haven't done. On the other hand, I feel like giving them some true, honest-to-Goddess gossip-material...

As I walk down the hall to our first class, I feel Warren's arm slither around my waist in a possessive kind of way. Hey, I sure as hell am NOT complaining. I'm just a bit curious. He didn't strike me as the type to start this kinda rumour. But then again, I have nothing to complain about. LOL. I turn to him with a smile and I see the dangerous look on his face. I look in the direction of whatever is holding his attention. Wow. I knew he could glare but who would've thought that he could pin Regina Cold to the spot with a simple look. Oh what I would give to be able to subtly rub it into the Ice Bitch's face and get her to land herself detention again. But I promised Warren I wouldn't. So... Warren's arms around me will just have to do. As usual, the feeling more than makes up for any suffering. LOL. Don't you just love high school?

It's Hero History time and, seeing as the class is the most humongous bore ever, girls in this class are not just settling for glares. I am now surrounded by a small fence of paper balls coming from all over the class, bearing hate mail. I can't even bother reading them. But I am terribly bored.

'How about we give them something else to talk about?' I look at Warren with slight apprehension. What exactly is he talking about...?

'Like what?' he chuckles softly. Oh boy... No! Focus! He's saying something!

'I don't know. Make something up...' I look at him with a classical are-you-shitting-me look.

'What do you mean 'make something up'? Like what? What could possibly cause enough uproar so as to crush today's rumour?!' the look he gives me makes me shiver. He's thinking something that I'd probably love to try. But knowing me, I wouldn't have the guts.

'Oh, come on! Do you really think that badly of me?' Can you believe Warren Peace knows how to pout?! I didn't, (now I sure as hell do!) though I suppose it shouldn't really surprise me. I've yet to find something this guy CAN'T do. Jerk. He laughs. After a collective sigh I have to fight not to join into, I carry on.

'Yes, I do think that badly of you. What the hell do you want me to do?!' oh Goddess. That smirk. The lethal, sexy, Warren Peace smirk. This is going to be big. Be that good or bad. The smirk gets bigger. Oh shit.

'How does getting caught sound?'I gulp. Please tell me he doesn't mean what I think he means...

'Getting caught...? What do you mean "getting caught"?'He looks straight into my eyes.

'What do you understand by getting caught?' I blush. He chuckles lowly, knowingly making me shiver. 'Cause, I understand a closet, during a public event, and somebody seeing you and I going in, and not coming out... for a while...'

I don't think I've ever been this turned on. And by a mere idea. Warren and I, going into a closet during... Homecoming! Of course! And not coming out for a while... Just the idea of what people would think is going on, even if nothing will happen, makes my nerves spark to live. Suddenly, I feel Warren's warmth, too close to me, his lips whispering against my neck.

"Who ever said nothing was going to happen...?" I gasp so loud the whole class, except for the droning teacher, turns to me. I feel hot all over. I can't bring myself to care about the radical increase in temperature in the room. Warren straightens up, pulls the temperature back down, and laughs quietly. I'm shivering uncontrollably. I think we're going to make a habit of him carrying me over to Mad Science every Tuesday morning.

Sure enough, as soon as the bell rings he has to help me up. The feel of his hands on my bare arms feels like electricity. The heat emanating from his body is overwhelming. And worst of all, it is obviously affecting me. And he knows it.

As soon as we get to Mad Science I run to my seat. My legs are just incapable of holding me up any longer.

'Well, that's what you have me for...' I slap my hand over my mouth in an attempt to silence a groan. Layla turns to me, turning from me to Warren and back at me. I shake my head. I'll tell her later. If I can manage to get through this class...

As it happens, I've managed to get through all my classes. At least up until lunch. I'm currently standing in line, waiting for my food, surrounded by murderous girls. It would be better if I just skip lunch today...

"No need for that." Warren comes up behind me, his warmth soothing my nerves. In 2 minutes, I'm safely seated between Warren and Layla.

"Ok, now can you tell me what happened before Mad Science?" I wince. So Warren answers.

"We just came up with a plan to feed the rumours." I turn to him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, there, mister! YOU came up with that plan!" he smirks at me.

"Are you against it?" I just stick out my tongue. He licks his lips. Suddenly, I know what Ethan feels like every time he turns into a puddle. I feel someone poking my ribs and I jump back to Layla. She's wearing a smirk too.

"Sooo? What's the plan?" she asks Warren. I wince, inwardly. I can just picture everyone's reaction.

"The plan is to hide together, say in a supplies closet or something, and let a few people see. That should give them something else to talk about." Layla blinks. I can see Magenta smirking as well.

"But, people go together into rooms all the time." Huh. I hadn't thought about that. Then how...?

"Not bumping into every flat surface while making out." I nod.

"Well, that makes more sens- WHAT?!?!" I turn to Warren. Oh my Goddess, somebody please tell me he did not say what I think he did! I look around our table. I can see everyone grinning mischievously in agreement.

"What are you so surprised about, Tempest? We can hardly do this talking amiably." Goddess, that smirk! I gulp. I should've seen this coming. I should've. What the hell am I complaining about?! No idea why, either. I just nod. I gulp again. Oh my Goddess...

"I guess you're right. Even if we stop, what matters is what they can see." Warren wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me towards him. Make that flush against him.

"Tempest, I already told you: what makes you think nothing will happen...?" his whisper trails off as his lips brush against my ear. I am now a spineless pile of me. No, seriously, the only thing stopping me from besting Ethan's melting time is... well, Warren. I'm shivering uncontrollably. Again. Goddess, what I would give to just grab him and kiss him...

The rest of the week is spent in pretty much the same way. Every day, the tension gets worse. And I can't sleep well enough anymore. Which is terribly annoying. I mean, sure, my bed's comfy and sufficiently nice, but nothing compares to having Warren Peace as your pillow. I can hear him chuckling from next to me. It's frankly annoying. Oh, and, of course, I'm crankier than usual. We are currently in Gadgets and Costume class, which is ridiculous and pointless, to me anyway, seeing as I already have a uniform and I am my own gadget. So I could fall asleep in this class. But the teacher is a particularly strict one. Not to mention the guy has some sort of radar for bored students. So you have to, at least, pretend you're paying attention. And with Warren next to me, I just can't. I drop my head on my desk. I am bored and I am sleepy. And I don't give a crap whether or not the teacher will lock me away in detention or not. Suddenly, I feel a poke. I groan in all response.

"Come on, Tempest, you'll land yourself detention again..." Warren whispers in my ear. I jump out my seat. The teacher glares at me. I smile sweetly (NOT) and turn to glare at Warren. Mr. Hill turns back to the class, shaking his head.

"But I'm bored!" I whine. He looks at me with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. I gulp and turn back to the class, trying to get away from whatever he'll do now.

'What would entertain you, then?'I gulp again. Then I see a strawberry blonde glaring at me. She's one of the Ice Queen's minions. Huh...

'How about a small practical joke?' Warren turns to me, intrigued.

'What do you have in mind?' I nod over at the girl.

'Name and power?' Warren smirks.

'Good choice. She's one of Regina's favourite bitches. Alina Green. She has intangibility.' Like Kitty. Nice. Good power, if you know how to use it. Let's see if she does. Cause if she doesn't, she could fall right out of the school... 'Oh, she knows how to use it. She and her twin, Adrianna, were the ones to keep tags on me after Regina and I broke up.'

'Obsessed bitch indeed. What's her sister's power?' Warren grimaces.

'Invisibility.' Bad combo. Two bitches with the ability to disappear from sight and walk through walls, and subject to the Ice Bitch? I shudder at the thought. And what's the bet all the glaring is so that she can report back to her Queen. Well, then, let's give her something to report. 'I'm in.' Warren smiles at me. I smile back.

'Heat up her chair. Let's see how long she lasts before she starts squealing about it.'

Two minutes later Alina dearest is jumping up and down complaining about a burning chair. I put my powers to good use and cool the chair down. Just in time. Mr. Hill approaches, squinting suspiciously at Warren, and touches the chair. It feels slightly warm. But then again, Green's ass has been on that chair for the entire period. He turns his suspicion at me. I keep the straightest face possible. Not easy when I can nearly feel Warren shaking with silent laughter. But Hill doesn't have anything on us. So he keeps quiet. Nothing he can do about it, if he can't prove it was us. I love having powers. I love my friends. I love my life. I love Warren. I back track. Do I really mean that? I turn back to Warren, who, for once, if blissfully unaware of the turmoil inside my head. I look at his smile, at the sparkle in his eyes, I feel his hand holding mine, and I feel the warmth coursing through me. I am now more convinced than ever. I am falling in love with Warren Peace.