by Trixie
Hiya. . . this is my first little timid fanfic post to the IRME. . . be kind :)
Ch 1: 'Creatures of the Night'
I wander around the penthouse, oddly calm after what’s happened over the last month.
She had left one month ago today. Yet I still can’t feel the heart wrenching sadness I felt before.
The last time she left me.
I shake my head sadly, a small smile curving my lips. Could I be that shallow? Could I have honestly been that hurt over something so juvenile? She didn’t just leave me. She left me for another man. A gangster.
Is that really what smarted so much?
I love her. Or at least, I loved her. I did. Truly. Deeply. But. . . somewhere along the way, it died. That love, undeniable, everlasting, turned out to be a passing thing. Something I could take or leave.
Do I miss her? Not so much her as the idea of her. I miss something I’ve never really had. The woman I love to distraction who loves me as strong, as true. I want to come first, damnit. I want to be the man the woman I love dreams about, longs for. The way I do for her. I want it to be equally strong on both our parts.
I want to be wanted.
Sighing, I grab my coat, flinging the door open. I’ve got to get out of here. It’s Halloween, I’m not wearing a costume, and I don’t care. I’m going to the Outback and Mac’s going to pour me a series of stiff drinks.
~~~~
I look down at myself. Geez, this was a stupid costume. I shouldn’t have worn it. I’m just. . . not right for it. I’m not *built* right for it. Why do I let myself get talked into these things. He smiles at me.
"Cheer up Venus," Ned tells me lightly. "You look beautiful," he assures me in the sincere tone of a friend.
I sigh. "I don’t even think we should be doing this Mr. As – Ned," I correct myself at his look. "This is never going to work. I mean, Jax isn’t even here."
Ned grins at me. "But he will be. Trust me. I know him. He’ll show up here to get away from the walls that talk at home." Shrugging, Ned takes a sip of the ‘ghoul’ punch Mac had put out for everyone. "Remember the all too short requited love I told you about?" he asks me softly.
I smile a little. "How could I forget?" I ask, moving my body back and forth uncomfortably, tugging the strap of my costume that keeps falling off my shoulders back up. "It’s not every day you hear a man talk about love so honestly to a virtual stranger."
Ned raises his eyebrows at me. "Well she taught me a few things about the human condition. Jax will be here tonight. It’s his home away from home, and probably the one place on earth he’ll feel able to breathe."
Raising an eyebrow at him, one corner of my mouth turns up. "You speak from experience?"
He grins at me, dimples flashing. "My home is the Port Charles Grille," he says softly. His eyes dart to the entrance of the Outback, and before I can so much as squeak a protest, his arms go around me and he’s kissing me. Deciding he was pretty good at this, but not sure why he was doing it, I kissed him back. As soon as it began it ended, and he pulls away, smiling. He inclines his eyes to the left. "Look V - he’s breathing," he murmurs.
My eyes slowly turn, landing on the object of my affections, as well as a series of fantasies I don’t even like to think about when I’m in public. "Jax!" I greet brightly, waving.
He smiles wanly, walking over to us. "Hello V. Ashton," he says brusquely, nodding at Ned once before turning back to me. "That’s an. . . interesting costume V," he murmurs approvingly.
I smile a bit self consciously, looking down at the *incredibly* skimpy vampire costume I was wearing. Spaghetti strapped black sheer dress that went to my ankles. It had two long slits up either leg to upper thigh, barely keeping me modest. It was topped off by a long blood red cape. My hair was - what had Ned called it? Poofed? - for the effect. He said it had given me that mussy sexy look, and if I weren’t such a good friend he’d think twice about helping me land Jax.
I contain a chuckle. If I wasn’t so hopelessly in love with Jasper Jacks, I’d let him try.
"I bought it for her," Ned interjects smoothly, his voice dripped possessiveness. I look up at him and he sends me the most amusing look as if to say ‘I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but go with it’. "I had this old thing," he indicates his own vampire costume, "hanging in the closet at home and I figured what the hell? Haven’t gone out for Halloween in years."
I watch the looks that exchange between the two and I wonder, not for the first time, if most of the animosity directed between them isn’t for show. "You planning a night of Trick or Treating Ned?" Jax asks playfully.
Ned smiles a little. "I’m not sure. What do you say Venus? Would you like to play kids for the night? See how much candy we can get?"
Jax looks a little uncomfortable and I wonder why. "Yea Venus," he says brightly, regaining his composure and looking at me. "You up for a little Trick or Treating?"
Ned grins. "But Jasper, you’re not even wearing a costume," he chastises.
"I’ll find one," Jax says sharply.
Ned backs away a little. "Of course you will," he says in a soothing voice, turning toward me and winking. "In fact. . . . Why don’t I be generous?" He unties his cape and hands it to Jax. "You’re already wearing a black shirt and pants," he points out, indicating Jax’s slacks and loose dress shirt, un-tucked and unbuttoned a quarter of the way down his chest.
I widen my eyes, slightly panicked. "Uh. . . . Ned? What about you?" I ask pointedly.
Ned grins at me. "Oh, did I forget to tell you? I promised Brooke I’d take her Trick or Treating this year." He looks at his watch. "And I only have an hour to make it to Brooklyn." He snaps his fingers. "Guess I won’t be able to join you after all. But you two have fun," he adds, leaning in and giving me a chaste kiss on the mouth. "Remember to breathe," he whispers, for my ears only, stepping away.
And with that, he was gone.
And I was left, dressed as a vampire, next to Jax, who was already donning the cape. "So. . . ready to go?" I ask, my voice tinged with nerves and excitement.
Jax smiles down at me, bringing a hand up and placing my chin between his thumb and middle finger. "I’m ready V," he says softly, looking into my eyes.
I bite my lower lip. God what does that mean? Should I read into it, or let it go? Should I assume he’s just being himself, answering a question the way a normal human would. . . . or should I assume he’s being Jax, that infuriatingly wonderful man I fell deeply in love with in an amount of time spent together that’s almost laughable. The man who can’t answer a simple question simply, instead wishing to fill it with loads of subtext I’d be a fool to attempt wading through.
Eventually, I settle for, "Ready, willing and able?" I ask in what I hope is an inviting tone, with as much sass as I can manage.
A cat that ate the canary grin spreads over his face as he leans down toward my face. "Always willing Venus," he whispers, barely an inch from my mouth, "and most definitely able."
I swallow deeply as he pulls back, finally breathing. "Then. . . let’s go. . . get candy," I finally mumble, half stumbling in front of him in my rush to get out the door.
I swear I hear the lowest, richest, sexiest chuckle behind me.
~~~~
I am a man of great control. In fact, I pride myself on my ability to never show the enemy what I’m thinking. To keep my guard up, and watch the wheels turn behind my impassable, icy blue eyes.
But V isn’t the enemy.
And I find myself fighting for control as she stoops down in that barely there costume to talk to a lost little ghost.
"Where’s your Mommy Sweetheart?" she asks in the most concerned tone.
The ghost shrugs, looking around fretfully. V holds out her hand, waiting for the ghost to take it. Finally, she does. "What’s your name?" she asks softly.
"Jasmine," she murmurs shyly.
"How old are you Jasmine?" V continues softly, keeping her voice a low, even, friendly pitch.
"Six," Jasmine continues, a bit stronger then before.
"Well Jasmine, my friend and I were going to go Trick-or-Treating. Was your Mommy taking you Trick-or-Treating?"
It is at this precise moment I realize why V is a natural born police officer. She has the kind of skills most law enforcement officials can only dream of. The face of an angel with the grit of a Marine. People trust her implicitly, with both their safety and they’re emotional well being. She puts you at ease.
"I never knew my Mommy," Jasmine whispers solemnly.
She holds in the gasp I’m sure she wants to vocalize. There’s a flicker behind her eyes before she buries it quickly and I wonder what it meant. I’m startled with how badly I want to know, want her to tell me.
"What about your Daddy?" she asks instead, voice still soft, cajoling.
"My Daddy’s dead," she whispers, lower lip trembling.
"My Daddy’s dead too," I hear her reply, my heart aching at the pain I still hear in her voice. "Sucks, doesn’t it?" she asks in a voice I can only describe as quintessential Venus.
Jasmine nods. "Yea," she breathes.
"Who were you out with tonight then?" she continues, voice back to soft and cajoling once more.
"Ms. Banner. She took all of us out for Halloween."
"Ms. Banner? Diane Banner?" V asks, smiling slightly.
Jasmine’s eyes light up. "Yea. You know her?"
Nodding, V stands up, stretching her legs which I’m sure must be incredibly sore. "She’s always had a soft spot for kids," I hear her murmur. "She’s running the shelter for children while Ward House is being rebuilt," V says to me, finally acknowledging my presence. She glances back down at Jasmine. "This is my friend, Jasper Jacks." She leans down. "But he doesn’t like to be called Jasper. Just Jax," she whispers conspiratorially.
I grin, stooping down to Jasmine’s level. "I’ll tell you what Jasmine," he murmurs. "If you promise not to tell anyone I let you do it, you may call me Jasper."
Jasmine’s eyes light up and the first genuine smile I’ve seen since we found her, wandering the sidewalks helplessly, ghost mask in her hand, near tears. "Hello Jasper," she murmurs, smiling. She has the most beautiful curly blonde hair, and it shines around her head like a halo. I’m almost disturbed by how much she looks like an angel in that white dress, minus scary mask.
"Hello Jasmine," I greet her in return. I glance up at V. "What should we do?"
V smiles. "Diane was going to take all the kids to the Outback for a Halloween party in fifteen minutes. I say we just take Jasmine back there."
I stand, looking V up and down. "Tell me," I begin, leaning my head down to hers. "Is there anything you don’t know?"
The grin that lights her face up steals my breath away. "Not so far," she says, without a trace of modesty. "I’ll let you know though." She turns to Jasmine, holding her hand out to the little girl. "You wanna go to a Monster Mash Jasmine?"
Jasmine’s face lights up. "Sure!" she says in the most excited voice I’ve heard her use yet. She takes V’s hand and the three of us proceed down the road.
~~~~