Blueeyeddevil06, thank you for being my awesome beta!
Jadite sat dejected in Nephrite's home. He was reclining on the couch and staring at the TV that he hadn't bothered to turn on. The 85" television usually had some sports game playing whenever he was in that room. Often it didn't matter what sport it was. He just loved watching any and all games. So, when Zoisite entered the room, it didn't take his considerable brain power to deduce that something was bothering his friend and packmate.
"Well, you look like hell," Zoisite said, knowing his friend wouldn't take concern from him right now. He was aware of how to handle him and get him to talk.
"Well, fuck you too!" Jadeite snapped back.
Zoisite rolled his eyes and sat on a nearby chair. "Did you want me to ask you about your feelings and braid your hair?" He teased his friend. That got a chuckle out of Jadeite.
"Usagi's right. She's a witch."
"She?"
"Rei! The girl… No, the woman at the shrine."
"And that's a problem? We're werewolves. It's not like us to be standoffish with a pretty girl, no matter what they are."
Jadeite huffed out a frustrated breath and raked his fingers through his hair. "She's not just some girl. Dammit, she's my mate!"
That shocked Zoisite. "You're sure?!" He asked rhetorically and then said, "then what's the problem? So what if she's a witch? You know that won't bother any of us."
"Diamond's the problem."
"I'm not following."
Jadeite grew solemn and looked his friend in the eyes. "She knows I work for Diamond–that we work for Diamond. She won't date me while I serve him. She told me to choose. I told her I couldn't walk away from my pack."
"But she's your mate! That's… you must be in agony."
"Yup!" he said, popping the "p". "I don't care how I sound when I admit my heart feels like it's bleeding. I can't go against my pack, though."
Zoisite stood, stretched, and started to walk off. When he got about ten steps away, he paused and turned back to face Jadeite. He was the one in their group with the clean language, so it surprised Jadeite when he said, "You're such a fucking moron. The guys and I should kick your ass. We serve Diamond for the money and out of boredom. We'd choose any one of our pack over him."
"But he doesn't let anyone leave. Betrayal means death."
"Then we sure as hell better ensure that it's Diamond's death. I'm too pretty to die."
Jadeite leaned forward. "You can't make that decision for them."
"Stop being such a jackass. Trust us more than that. Would you hesitate if I found my mate and was in your position?"
He really thought about that hard, and Jadeite shook his head. "No. You're right; I wouldn't."
Zoisite continued walking out of the room, and as he did, he said, "plus, I was getting bored anyway. I need a challenge, and going against Diamond… this will be fun."
When Zoisite left, Jadeite grabbed the remote and turned on a basketball game. He sat back and smiled at the TV. He knew he was always right to choose his pack. He just had failed to consider they would do the same thing for him.
Life was about to get incredibly dangerous. They would have to work against Diamond from within his own organization and backstab him. He was sure from the depth of his being that Rei was worth it for him, though.
Nephrite and Kunzite were having a very different conversation with a very similar result.
An hour ago, Kunzite informed Diamond who the dirty cop was that cheated on Emerald, and he had Kunzite go and eliminate him. He masked his horror when Diamond indicated that Emerald had seen the tattoo, and he knew he was having Kunzite, a werewolf, kill the son of Wiseman.
Nephrite was as infuriated as Kunzite was, and that comforted him. He wanted out of the organization, and that would take the agreement of the whole pack. He knew he was halfway to them all going against Diamond.
Zoisite had gone directly from his conversation with Jadeite to the University. He had to catch a glimpse of her again. He watched as she exited the building, and her blue hair caught his eye, even in the dark of the evening. She was perfect, and honestly, he was very motivated to leave Diamond. He didn't want to taint her, but she drew him to her powerfully.
He couldn't help himself; before he knew it, he walked up to her. "Hello, Beautiful."
She raised one eyebrow and looked at him skeptically. "Does that line work on women for you?"
He huffed out a frustrated breath. "I didn't mean to use any line on you. You're unique."
He watched her lip curl in disgust. "And there is another one."
He raked his fingers roughly through his hair. He said, "I'm just this nerdy guy who doesn't know how to talk to a beautiful, intelligent woman. I'll walk away and leave you alone. I'm sorry I bothered you."
Ami couldn't help herself. He looked so adorably lost and frustrated with himself. "Do you want to buy me a cup of coffee?"
"Absolutely!"