Tension's Like a Fire

The next two days went without a hitch.

Well actually there was a small hitch; Sally becoming increasingly jealous of Amelia.

Amelia and Jack were spending more and more time together. Just chatting amongst themselves.

No one had come to Sally to tell her what Jack thought of her so she still thought the feelings weren’t mutual.

By the second day she was looking at Amelia standing next to Jack thinking that maybe Amelia would have been the more appropriate for him. He wouldn’t have had to lean down so far to kiss her or even just to be in the same picture as her.

She watched Amelia put her hands on both sides of his face seeing if it would spur on some sort of vision for him.

Most of the conversations they had were “shop talk” about powers. They being the ones whose powers were most connected to the mind they had the most to chat about, especially since she seemed to have more information on these gifts than the guys ever hoped to know before they met her.

She said that Jack was one of the few who had two powers. The second power, she said, was always more latent than the first and it was damn near impossible to get to it’s full potential. She also theorized that everyone had powers -maybe multiple powers- just some never connect to them.

She never said how she knew these things but it was never questioned.

But after those to days of waxing jealously something finally happened.

It was probably about eleven in the morning when the doorbell rang that day.

Zack answered as he usually did being the most visibly intimidating.

A delivery man thrust a bouquet of flowers into his hands.

He didn’t hang around waiting for a tip or anything just politely smiled and walked off.

Zack brought the flowers in and sitting them on the island.

The flowers were colorful and exotic looking, it looked like an expensive arrangement.

Zack looked at it curiously for a moment.

“Uhh, Guys.” He called for them obviously unsure. “Come ‘ere.”

They all found their way to him from where ever they’d all been and stood surrounding him and the flowers.

“Did anybody order flowers?” He asked slowly.

Everybody was looking around muttering out “Not me.” and “Nope.” and “Did you?” all around to each other. Amelia excluded.

She stood still face serious. “Read the card.” She spoke pessimistically.

She’d seen bouquets like this before.

“I don’t see a card.” Zack said as he glanced around the flowers.

She took two slow graceful steps forward moving through everyone to be next to him and delicately reached into the middle of the arrangement.

“Stefan usually has them bury the card in the middle of the flowers if he wants to be sure no one reads the message aside from it’s intended recipient.” She said in the same tone.

As she withdrew her hand she clutched a small peach envelope casually between her index and middle finger. She turned and passed the envelope to Alex not wanting to be in the middle of this anymore.

“Well how would this ‘intended recipient’ know that?” Alex asked defensively. He hated the idea of this man even just sending them things. He didn’t trust it even for a moment... Of course who would?

She spoke as she walked back to her original spot outside the group. “Well he knew you’d know because of me, but everyone else he sends those to are people he actually does business with so he tells them how to find them.” She chuckled thinking back to the horrid man she’d worked for. “He’s so anal he writes the notes out himself because he doesn’t trust anyone else to do it.”

Alex looked to the note a laughed. “This is his handwriting?”

“Yes.” She said simply.

“This is the gayest handwriting I’ve ever seen.” He laughed more. “This is the handwriting of the guy we’re supposed to be afraid of?”

Her face dropped. “Alex, don’t write him off because he’s obsessively neat and it shows in his handwriting. He’s powerful with no conscience.” She pointed to her now dulling bruise. “This is what he’d do to a woman he’d been attempting to court for months. To a woman who helped him when he came to her looking for guidance. He knew as much about his powers as you guys before he came to me.”

“You taught him all he knows?” Jack asked incredulously.

She dropped her head almost in shame. “I didn’t know what he’d become. He’s power hungry and craves to dominate all. That’s why he seeks to have every power he can. Sally and Jazz were not the first kidnapped by him.” She morosely sighed. “He’s a monster and I created him.”

With that she walked away, a dramatic exit like no other they’d ever seen in their lives. She just walked off moving with her usual model-like grace quietly closing and opening the door as she left.

“Should one of us follow her?” Rian asked concerned.

Jazz shook her head no. “She needs space.”

That was excepted and the subject was changed.

“Read the damn card.” Sally said anxiously. She who got the worst of him knew he was a sadistic bastard.

Alex refocused his attention back to the fancy peach envelope and went about pulling it open.

He finally pulled out the parchment inside that had designs to match the envelope and unfolded it revealing more of the fancy -so neat it looked feminine- handwriting in dark black ink.

Alex began reading:

“‘Hello All,
I’m sure Sight has brought you up to speed on all you need to know. She’s excellent at that. Well I’ll get straight to the point and waste no time. I still need Jazz. Sally’s power has been revealed to me, I know all of your powers, and Sight... Well to hell with her anyway. Jazz will either be captured again or just come out revealing her powers to the world so I don’t have to find them myself. Ask Sally me searching for your powers isn’t a pleasant experience unless you enjoy letting someone put you into great pain. But I digress. Give me the girl or there will be hell to pay.’

"Then he signed his name in his stupid bitch writing.” Alex spit the last sentence angry at the content of the note.

Jazz again struck with overwhelming fear just like when Alex came up with their plan to get Sally back.

She choked back the tears that came in her fear. “Why don’t these stupid fuckers figure out that I don’t have a damn power!” Then she stormed off to Alex’s room slamming the door behind her.

Alex dropped the note on the counter heading to follow her. He stopped and looked to the bowl of fruit on the table and cracked a smile as he grabbed two apples then continued on his way.

He walked in closing the door softly behind him and looked at her sitting on the bed facing the opposite wall so he couldn’t see her face but he heard her crying.

“What do you want?” She spit through her sobs.

He smiled at how familiar and reversed this situation was.

“I brought you an apple.” He said kindly.

She turned to him and smiled remembering when she did this for him. “Thanks.”

He walked over to her and handed her the apple remaining in front of her watching her while she just looked a the apple in her hands.

Then she looked up into his eyes and sat her apple onto the bedside table before standing up -never breaking their eye contact- and gently removed his apple from his hand doing the same with it.

“I don’t think I want an apple though.” She said flirtatiously as she moved one of her hands to his chest.

He put his hand over hers on his chest. “This is a bit of a mood swing.” He said with a slight chuckle.

“Damn it Alex.” She said as she grabbed his face with the other hand and pulled his face to hers roughly.

His lips met hers with vigor instantly. He moved the hand the wasn’t squeezing hers to the back of her neck keeping her close.

Their lips were flush against each other’s and moving magically together.

His hand detached from hers on his chest and moved to her hip, grabbing it just as roughly as she grabbed him pulling her hip against his.

She moaned at the grinding of their hips. She moved her hand from his chest to his back and slid the other into his hair so she could better pull him onto the bed with her.

He ended up on top of her with her legs wrapped around his hips making their hips grind together even more forcefully.

He pulled away letting out a moan of his own. His breath uneven, he asked, “What caused this mood?” before burying his face in her neck planting kisses all over, from right below her ear all the way down to right above her collarbone as far as her shirt would allow him to go.

“Everybody knows there’s a party at the end of the world.” She answered laboring to come across the words as he worked on her neck with skill she’d never known before. She didn’t want to answer directly.

He pulled away for a moment and chuckled. “Way to play it cryptic.”

She rolled her eyes and pulled him back to her lips.

Alex’s hands ghosted up her torso lingering the longest on her breasts then went right back down going directly for the hem of her shirt. He moved it only slightly at first judging her reaction before realizing she wasn’t fighting it and pulling it all the way up roughly yanking it over her head after he parted their lips only long enough to do so.

After her shirt was off they’re kiss was harder. They were pushed even more forcefully together. Alex moving between her hips trying to rid all space from between them.

Alex found her hands and pinned them above her head and continued to writhe his hips against hers.

This time her moan was loud as he did that and gently tugged on her bottom lip with his teeth. They didn’t even think about the other guys hearing.

Things were getting a little out of hand.

But they were enjoying every moment of it.