quirkysmuse (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
quirkysmuse) wrote2010-10-24 01:59 pm
quirkysmuse) wrote2010-10-24 01:59 pm
Entry tags:
Unnatural History, "Caught In-Between" ch.10, rated T
Fandom: Unnatural History
Title: Caught In-Between
Chapter Title: 10: Truth before the Fall
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: R/M (subject to change)
Genre: Adventure/Romance
Characters/Pairings: Henry/Maggie, Jasper/Maggie, & Jasper/Henry
Warnings: polyamory, UST in later chapters.
Disclaimer: Cartoon Network owns Unnatural History. I only borrow and play.
Notes: In progress. OT3 fic, with mature situations to be added later. (Once completed I'll post to the UnH comm here at LJ.)
URLS: FFnet | AO3
Story Summary:As a strange heat wave hits DC, the gang becomes involved in a mystery that enhances their feelings for one another, with a new fertility artifact as a possible cause. Henry x Maggie x Jasper. In-progress.
Previous Chapter
Chapter Ten: Truth before the Fall
Maggie couldn’t sleep that night. It was silly; she wasn’t usually this distracted, and she wasn’t the type to stress over a problem that it would lead to this insomnia. She was a pro at figuring things out, but when it came to Henry and their moment in the pool today, she was stumped.
She was sure he was going to kiss her. She still didn’t know what got into her or what spurred her to go for him like that. It must be the heat. It must be...
No... Maggie refused to credit this to the Inanna statue. The more she racked her brain about it, the more her thoughts came full circle. Would she have ever entertained the idea of liking Henry if it hadn’t been for the statue? He was a good friend, and she loved him like a friend, one of her best friends even, and Maggie Winnock was not the type to have best friends. Over the years, she’d had casual girlfriends; mostly they wanted to use her for help on homework. But none of them were ever interested in sticking around to hang out with her or spend time with her like Henry and Jasper.
Jasper... Oh, she was sick. The more she thought about her almost-kiss in the pool with Henry, the more she understood why he stopped. He didn’t want to hurt Jasper. It was obvious that despite what she felt for Henry, she knew that Jasper had feelings for her too, and he was either too scared or too polite to act on them toward her.
Maggie admitted she liked Jasper enough to entertain ideas of being with him, even before Henry had showed up in Smithson High. The problem was Maggie had always over-thought things with Jasper. Was he that guy friend that was so dear to her he was like a brother or was he that guy friend she held onto because some day he’d be a long-term lover, a partner, or even a husband? Maggie had always put Jasper in that classification, and when Henry came, intriguing her and drawing her into his adventures, well, he complicated things.
Then, it became the three of them, and Maggie felt like she was caught in the middle between them. Definitely her thoughts on Jasper had become complicated, and Henry was... a tantalizing distraction. Still, the solidity in her feelings for Jasper had depth she wasn’t sure Henry could ever generate in turn. As alluring as Henry was, Maggie wasn’t stupid. She knew he had a wanderer’s spirit, and as soon as he graduated from Smithson, she was sure his excursions to places like Mongolia would no longer become just a summer thing, and she wondered with Jasper and her going to college if they would realistically be able to come along with him anymore.
Maggie sighed heavily. No wonder she couldn’t sleep. Her mind was like a hornet’s nest, and the more she entertained images of both Henry and Jasper in her head, the more she staved off the heat forming between her legs, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to step over that line with herself, to fantasize such salacious things about the boys who were dearer friends to her than anyone else.
Still, if she didn’t, she may never sleep and her brain would continue to go into overdrive. She knew there was more she needed than fantasies. She had to get answers, and tomorrow she would find Henry and confront him about the pool. Maggie knew Henry would be blunt and honest about anything, and even if it hurt, she had to know where they stood. Did he really want to kiss her? If he did, then what could they do? How can they go forward without hurting Jasper?
“This is stupid,” Maggie groaned aloud. She punched her pillow and rolled over on her stomach and desperately yearned for sleep.
However, this night, she knew she wasn’t getting any.
-x-
“You look like crap,” Jasper said, immediately noticing Maggie’s disarray when she entered the halls that morning. She let out a mournful sigh and met Jasper’s eyes.
“Couldn’t sleep,” she said, shooting a glare in Henry’s direction before turning back to Jasper. “I couldn’t stop thinking about the stupid artifact. However, I’m relieved we cleared Mrs. Farah.”
“What do you mean? She’s still suspicious,” Henry countered. “There’s still that strange box in her room, which I’m betting is the secret she’s hiding.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Give it a rest, Henry. I’m sure that chest just had some very private things in there. It was probably old because it’s a family heirloom or something. I mean you did say that Mrs. Farah is royalty and a well-known collector. It’s probably something very personal to her.”
“We don’t know everything for sure,” Henry said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Then, he sighed. “Well, I can’t keep an eye on her tonight. I have to make up my time lost in the DOUM rooms.” He looked to his cousin. Jasper shook his head.
“I have band practice tonight. We have a concert coming up,” Jasper said, but Maggie noticed he looked more relieved he couldn’t do stalker duty at Henry’s pleading.
“Tell you what, Henry,” Maggie said with an unusually chipper yet mocking voice. “I’ll come down to the exhibit tonight and watch Mrs. Farah. I’ve been meaning to check out this new exhibit anyway.”
Henry’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sure, Maggie? I wouldn’t ask you to do something you didn’t want to do.”
Maggie smirked. “Yeah, why not? I can find out more about these artifacts and do some research of their origins. Maybe there’s a paper trail.” Henry nodded, and his delighted expression was obvious as Maggie still held an interest in his claims.
Suddenly the bell ring, and the three huddled together with Henry and Maggie on Jasper’s side and they walked like a synchronized group down the hall toward their first class.
-x-
Maggie found Mrs. Farah’s behavior positively boring. She watched her as much as she could, observing her and trying to eavesdrop in any conversation she might have with someone, and at the same time, Maggie went from artifact to artifact using her photographic memory to absorb all the information of the statues on display.
Maggie decided that Mrs. Farah was definitely innocent. She seemed a little paranoid, watching every student with a scrutinizing eye (even Maggie too), and Maggie didn’t blame her for thinking that someone would steal such priceless statues. Although, her ageism was certainly unnecessary, but Maggie knew it was more common than not among adults that frequented the National Museum Complex and Smithson High.
After gathering all the data she could on the artifacts, Maggie noted when Mrs. Farah left but she decided to abstain from tailing her back to her hotel. Maggie would rather not have that experience again, and she didn’t want to show her face there and raise any suspicions on behalf of the hotel staff.
Instead, she decided to visit Henry in the DOUM rooms and report back to him. In the meantime, Maggie would get some answers from him. As nervous as it made her to think about confronting Henry about the incident between them in the pool, she had to do something, or tonight would be another sleepless night with distracting visions of what could happen between them.
She had to do something. She left the exhibit right away, and when she came in front of the open door down to the DOUM rooms she stopped, took a deep breath, and she walked stiffly inside, holding her head up with hardened determination.
When Maggie found him, Henry was scanning away at undocumented artifacts and files, and when most people would be positively bored, Henry seemed preoccupied while he worked, humming something soothing as he treated each item and folder file with care.
“Henry?” Maggie knocked lightly on the door, and he looked up and waved her inside.
“Hi, Maggie,” he said with an amiable smile. “What can I do for you?”
“I just got back from the exhibit,” she said, piquing his interest. She bit her lip and took their conversation into another direction. “Henry... we need to talk,” Maggie spoke, rubbing her hands together nervously. She saw Henry’s happy-go lucky smile disappear, and he met her eyes seriously.
“Is... this talk about what happened in the pool?” he asked, never drawing his attention away from her. His direct stare was making her more nervous.
“Um, yeah... among other things,” Maggie said, clearing her throat. “I know you’ll always be honest with me, so I just want to know... do you have feelings for me?”
Henry put down the scanner and started walking toward her. Maggie backed away slightly, and Henry stopped, cautious to not crowd her.
“Because... I want you to know, I’ve been feeling something too. It’s okay if I’m totally wrong and you reject me, but I thought I would gather some evidence first before I confront you, and well, I can’t help but prove the way you’ve been acting that you do,” she said, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. “And please don’t tell me this is because of the Inanna stone because I don’t think I could handle any mystical theories right now.”
She felt his hands rest on her arms, and she looked up from the floor into his eyes. “Yes, I do,” was all he said at first. She felt dizzy, so she backed against the table in the middle of the room, and Henry leaned in closer, his hands falling from her arms to the edge of the table as he caged himself around her.
Maggie stared at him, and he just watched her for the moment, and she could only imagine what was going on inside his head. She laughed a little out loud, which made him curious. “I was just thinking, this must be different than when Madison confessed to you.”
“I wanted to talk to you, but Jasper...”
“Yeah...” Maggie started, but she pursed her lips and felt like challenging Henry’s caution. “But he’s not here right now.”
Henry pulled away slightly. He turned his head to the right, and she caught a quick smile before he sighed. “Maggie…”
She lifted her chin and watched him intently. She felt her knees shaking, but she wanted to appear somewhat confident to Henry, strong and more than anything, inviting. She cared about Jasper too, sure, but she wanted this and she would worry about Jasper later. She just had to be sure that her feelings had changed, and so had Henry’s.
Henry turned to her, and she knew he read auras, and she wondered if was trying to do that now. He stared at her as she felt him come closer. Maggie lifted her arms and snaked them around his neck drawing him in. His lips were warm against hers, surprisingly soft, and he tasted of wasabi peas, which she admitted were quite good. She almost laughed against his lips, but suddenly he pulled her closer against him, drawing her tongue deeper inside his mouth, teasing and searching out her taste.
Maggie almost forgot to breathe, and when he pushed her against the edge of the table, she felt heat generate between them - but it was nothing like the heat wave that had hit the area recently. This was carnal and impulsive, and she knew that if he pushed her, if he turned wild and whispered tales in her ear about skinny dipping in the Pacific or kissing her under a stormy Australian night sky, she’d open up to him - all of her, and he could do whatever he wanted, and she would believe in magic, just for Henry.
In all her dizzying thoughts, Henry’s tongue was still in her mouth, and he retreated sporadically to nibble on her bottom lip, or to draw his tongue lazily across her neck. She gasped several times when she felt him taste and tickle the sensitive flesh, and she felt his hands cautiously trailing down her back and settling on the swell of her backside. Maggie moved her arms around his back, pulling him closer to her, their bodies rocking and coming together like magnets, as they inwardly desired to reach further - to discard clothes and fill their bodies and journey toward their release.
When she realized how wonderful that would be, Maggie pulled away, stalling their frenzied kiss for a moment to look deeply into his eyes. Soon he followed her lead, and they began to calm themselves, executing control and dampening their insatiable urges to move further.
“Henry...” Maggie said in a heady breath. “I think...that we have a problem.”
Henry nuzzled his face in the space between her neck and shoulder. “I know,” he said, his words buzzing against her skin. Oh, he felt so good, and his warmth didn’t bother her, not even in this heat. She pulled his head back up for another kiss, and he lifted her on the table as she wrapped her legs around him. “This is bad,” she said in between kisses.
“I know,” he repeated, and she felt his tongue on her ear and gasped. She arched into him, and felt his hands tremble at the bottom of her shirt. When they dipped inside, she moaned a little, feeling his skin against hers as he traced the line of her waist up toward the cup of her bra. When he stopped, she nodded, giving him permission, and she felt his shaking yet eager hands caress and squeeze her breasts, and she leaned into him, leading him, delighting as his fingers explored and found more.
“Maggie, I think we should...” He wanted to stop, needed to stop. She needed to stop too, but she couldn’t.
“Just let go...move away,” she said in a heavy breath as his lips settled against her cheek.
“Yeah,” he said, kissing her deeply again, and then she felt it, his excitement rubbing against her. Damn teenage hormones. If she told him how much she wanted him, they might never stop. They might never come back from this.
“We can do this later,” Maggie said, and she finally found the energy to pull away. She cupped Henry’s face in her palms. “I promise.”
Henry nodded once. “I’m sorry. I was too forward.”
Maggie grabbed his ears and he winced. “Stop.”
“You know in some cultures, tugging on the ears means...” Maggie shot him a warning look.
“Right. Yeah, we need to stop,” Henry said agreeably as Maggie pulled her hands away from his ears.
“And find Jasper,” Maggie said.
“He’s at band practice or something,” Henry stated.
“I know, but I think if we see him we can control ourselves.” Maggie sighed, but Henry agreed. He leaned in and rested his head against her chest, drawing her into a tender embrace. Maggie reluctantly hugged him back.
“I never meant to do any of this, to hurt Jasper,” Henry bemoaned idly. Maggie squeezed him closer, resting her head on his.
“I know. Neither did I,” she said, and in a brave moment, they drew out of their embrace and left the DOUM rooms, itching to hold hands but keeping their feelings at bay.
All for Jasper’s sake.
Chapter 11
Title: Caught In-Between
Chapter Title: 10: Truth before the Fall
Author: Paynesgrey
Rating: R/M (subject to change)
Genre: Adventure/Romance
Characters/Pairings: Henry/Maggie, Jasper/Maggie, & Jasper/Henry
Warnings: polyamory, UST in later chapters.
Disclaimer: Cartoon Network owns Unnatural History. I only borrow and play.
Notes: In progress. OT3 fic, with mature situations to be added later. (Once completed I'll post to the UnH comm here at LJ.)
URLS: FFnet | AO3
Story Summary:As a strange heat wave hits DC, the gang becomes involved in a mystery that enhances their feelings for one another, with a new fertility artifact as a possible cause. Henry x Maggie x Jasper. In-progress.
Previous Chapter
Chapter Ten: Truth before the Fall
Maggie couldn’t sleep that night. It was silly; she wasn’t usually this distracted, and she wasn’t the type to stress over a problem that it would lead to this insomnia. She was a pro at figuring things out, but when it came to Henry and their moment in the pool today, she was stumped.
She was sure he was going to kiss her. She still didn’t know what got into her or what spurred her to go for him like that. It must be the heat. It must be...
No... Maggie refused to credit this to the Inanna statue. The more she racked her brain about it, the more her thoughts came full circle. Would she have ever entertained the idea of liking Henry if it hadn’t been for the statue? He was a good friend, and she loved him like a friend, one of her best friends even, and Maggie Winnock was not the type to have best friends. Over the years, she’d had casual girlfriends; mostly they wanted to use her for help on homework. But none of them were ever interested in sticking around to hang out with her or spend time with her like Henry and Jasper.
Jasper... Oh, she was sick. The more she thought about her almost-kiss in the pool with Henry, the more she understood why he stopped. He didn’t want to hurt Jasper. It was obvious that despite what she felt for Henry, she knew that Jasper had feelings for her too, and he was either too scared or too polite to act on them toward her.
Maggie admitted she liked Jasper enough to entertain ideas of being with him, even before Henry had showed up in Smithson High. The problem was Maggie had always over-thought things with Jasper. Was he that guy friend that was so dear to her he was like a brother or was he that guy friend she held onto because some day he’d be a long-term lover, a partner, or even a husband? Maggie had always put Jasper in that classification, and when Henry came, intriguing her and drawing her into his adventures, well, he complicated things.
Then, it became the three of them, and Maggie felt like she was caught in the middle between them. Definitely her thoughts on Jasper had become complicated, and Henry was... a tantalizing distraction. Still, the solidity in her feelings for Jasper had depth she wasn’t sure Henry could ever generate in turn. As alluring as Henry was, Maggie wasn’t stupid. She knew he had a wanderer’s spirit, and as soon as he graduated from Smithson, she was sure his excursions to places like Mongolia would no longer become just a summer thing, and she wondered with Jasper and her going to college if they would realistically be able to come along with him anymore.
Maggie sighed heavily. No wonder she couldn’t sleep. Her mind was like a hornet’s nest, and the more she entertained images of both Henry and Jasper in her head, the more she staved off the heat forming between her legs, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to step over that line with herself, to fantasize such salacious things about the boys who were dearer friends to her than anyone else.
Still, if she didn’t, she may never sleep and her brain would continue to go into overdrive. She knew there was more she needed than fantasies. She had to get answers, and tomorrow she would find Henry and confront him about the pool. Maggie knew Henry would be blunt and honest about anything, and even if it hurt, she had to know where they stood. Did he really want to kiss her? If he did, then what could they do? How can they go forward without hurting Jasper?
“This is stupid,” Maggie groaned aloud. She punched her pillow and rolled over on her stomach and desperately yearned for sleep.
However, this night, she knew she wasn’t getting any.
-x-
“You look like crap,” Jasper said, immediately noticing Maggie’s disarray when she entered the halls that morning. She let out a mournful sigh and met Jasper’s eyes.
“Couldn’t sleep,” she said, shooting a glare in Henry’s direction before turning back to Jasper. “I couldn’t stop thinking about the stupid artifact. However, I’m relieved we cleared Mrs. Farah.”
“What do you mean? She’s still suspicious,” Henry countered. “There’s still that strange box in her room, which I’m betting is the secret she’s hiding.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “Give it a rest, Henry. I’m sure that chest just had some very private things in there. It was probably old because it’s a family heirloom or something. I mean you did say that Mrs. Farah is royalty and a well-known collector. It’s probably something very personal to her.”
“We don’t know everything for sure,” Henry said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Then, he sighed. “Well, I can’t keep an eye on her tonight. I have to make up my time lost in the DOUM rooms.” He looked to his cousin. Jasper shook his head.
“I have band practice tonight. We have a concert coming up,” Jasper said, but Maggie noticed he looked more relieved he couldn’t do stalker duty at Henry’s pleading.
“Tell you what, Henry,” Maggie said with an unusually chipper yet mocking voice. “I’ll come down to the exhibit tonight and watch Mrs. Farah. I’ve been meaning to check out this new exhibit anyway.”
Henry’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sure, Maggie? I wouldn’t ask you to do something you didn’t want to do.”
Maggie smirked. “Yeah, why not? I can find out more about these artifacts and do some research of their origins. Maybe there’s a paper trail.” Henry nodded, and his delighted expression was obvious as Maggie still held an interest in his claims.
Suddenly the bell ring, and the three huddled together with Henry and Maggie on Jasper’s side and they walked like a synchronized group down the hall toward their first class.
-x-
Maggie found Mrs. Farah’s behavior positively boring. She watched her as much as she could, observing her and trying to eavesdrop in any conversation she might have with someone, and at the same time, Maggie went from artifact to artifact using her photographic memory to absorb all the information of the statues on display.
Maggie decided that Mrs. Farah was definitely innocent. She seemed a little paranoid, watching every student with a scrutinizing eye (even Maggie too), and Maggie didn’t blame her for thinking that someone would steal such priceless statues. Although, her ageism was certainly unnecessary, but Maggie knew it was more common than not among adults that frequented the National Museum Complex and Smithson High.
After gathering all the data she could on the artifacts, Maggie noted when Mrs. Farah left but she decided to abstain from tailing her back to her hotel. Maggie would rather not have that experience again, and she didn’t want to show her face there and raise any suspicions on behalf of the hotel staff.
Instead, she decided to visit Henry in the DOUM rooms and report back to him. In the meantime, Maggie would get some answers from him. As nervous as it made her to think about confronting Henry about the incident between them in the pool, she had to do something, or tonight would be another sleepless night with distracting visions of what could happen between them.
She had to do something. She left the exhibit right away, and when she came in front of the open door down to the DOUM rooms she stopped, took a deep breath, and she walked stiffly inside, holding her head up with hardened determination.
When Maggie found him, Henry was scanning away at undocumented artifacts and files, and when most people would be positively bored, Henry seemed preoccupied while he worked, humming something soothing as he treated each item and folder file with care.
“Henry?” Maggie knocked lightly on the door, and he looked up and waved her inside.
“Hi, Maggie,” he said with an amiable smile. “What can I do for you?”
“I just got back from the exhibit,” she said, piquing his interest. She bit her lip and took their conversation into another direction. “Henry... we need to talk,” Maggie spoke, rubbing her hands together nervously. She saw Henry’s happy-go lucky smile disappear, and he met her eyes seriously.
“Is... this talk about what happened in the pool?” he asked, never drawing his attention away from her. His direct stare was making her more nervous.
“Um, yeah... among other things,” Maggie said, clearing her throat. “I know you’ll always be honest with me, so I just want to know... do you have feelings for me?”
Henry put down the scanner and started walking toward her. Maggie backed away slightly, and Henry stopped, cautious to not crowd her.
“Because... I want you to know, I’ve been feeling something too. It’s okay if I’m totally wrong and you reject me, but I thought I would gather some evidence first before I confront you, and well, I can’t help but prove the way you’ve been acting that you do,” she said, and she pinched the bridge of her nose. “And please don’t tell me this is because of the Inanna stone because I don’t think I could handle any mystical theories right now.”
She felt his hands rest on her arms, and she looked up from the floor into his eyes. “Yes, I do,” was all he said at first. She felt dizzy, so she backed against the table in the middle of the room, and Henry leaned in closer, his hands falling from her arms to the edge of the table as he caged himself around her.
Maggie stared at him, and he just watched her for the moment, and she could only imagine what was going on inside his head. She laughed a little out loud, which made him curious. “I was just thinking, this must be different than when Madison confessed to you.”
“I wanted to talk to you, but Jasper...”
“Yeah...” Maggie started, but she pursed her lips and felt like challenging Henry’s caution. “But he’s not here right now.”
Henry pulled away slightly. He turned his head to the right, and she caught a quick smile before he sighed. “Maggie…”
She lifted her chin and watched him intently. She felt her knees shaking, but she wanted to appear somewhat confident to Henry, strong and more than anything, inviting. She cared about Jasper too, sure, but she wanted this and she would worry about Jasper later. She just had to be sure that her feelings had changed, and so had Henry’s.
Henry turned to her, and she knew he read auras, and she wondered if was trying to do that now. He stared at her as she felt him come closer. Maggie lifted her arms and snaked them around his neck drawing him in. His lips were warm against hers, surprisingly soft, and he tasted of wasabi peas, which she admitted were quite good. She almost laughed against his lips, but suddenly he pulled her closer against him, drawing her tongue deeper inside his mouth, teasing and searching out her taste.
Maggie almost forgot to breathe, and when he pushed her against the edge of the table, she felt heat generate between them - but it was nothing like the heat wave that had hit the area recently. This was carnal and impulsive, and she knew that if he pushed her, if he turned wild and whispered tales in her ear about skinny dipping in the Pacific or kissing her under a stormy Australian night sky, she’d open up to him - all of her, and he could do whatever he wanted, and she would believe in magic, just for Henry.
In all her dizzying thoughts, Henry’s tongue was still in her mouth, and he retreated sporadically to nibble on her bottom lip, or to draw his tongue lazily across her neck. She gasped several times when she felt him taste and tickle the sensitive flesh, and she felt his hands cautiously trailing down her back and settling on the swell of her backside. Maggie moved her arms around his back, pulling him closer to her, their bodies rocking and coming together like magnets, as they inwardly desired to reach further - to discard clothes and fill their bodies and journey toward their release.
When she realized how wonderful that would be, Maggie pulled away, stalling their frenzied kiss for a moment to look deeply into his eyes. Soon he followed her lead, and they began to calm themselves, executing control and dampening their insatiable urges to move further.
“Henry...” Maggie said in a heady breath. “I think...that we have a problem.”
Henry nuzzled his face in the space between her neck and shoulder. “I know,” he said, his words buzzing against her skin. Oh, he felt so good, and his warmth didn’t bother her, not even in this heat. She pulled his head back up for another kiss, and he lifted her on the table as she wrapped her legs around him. “This is bad,” she said in between kisses.
“I know,” he repeated, and she felt his tongue on her ear and gasped. She arched into him, and felt his hands tremble at the bottom of her shirt. When they dipped inside, she moaned a little, feeling his skin against hers as he traced the line of her waist up toward the cup of her bra. When he stopped, she nodded, giving him permission, and she felt his shaking yet eager hands caress and squeeze her breasts, and she leaned into him, leading him, delighting as his fingers explored and found more.
“Maggie, I think we should...” He wanted to stop, needed to stop. She needed to stop too, but she couldn’t.
“Just let go...move away,” she said in a heavy breath as his lips settled against her cheek.
“Yeah,” he said, kissing her deeply again, and then she felt it, his excitement rubbing against her. Damn teenage hormones. If she told him how much she wanted him, they might never stop. They might never come back from this.
“We can do this later,” Maggie said, and she finally found the energy to pull away. She cupped Henry’s face in her palms. “I promise.”
Henry nodded once. “I’m sorry. I was too forward.”
Maggie grabbed his ears and he winced. “Stop.”
“You know in some cultures, tugging on the ears means...” Maggie shot him a warning look.
“Right. Yeah, we need to stop,” Henry said agreeably as Maggie pulled her hands away from his ears.
“And find Jasper,” Maggie said.
“He’s at band practice or something,” Henry stated.
“I know, but I think if we see him we can control ourselves.” Maggie sighed, but Henry agreed. He leaned in and rested his head against her chest, drawing her into a tender embrace. Maggie reluctantly hugged him back.
“I never meant to do any of this, to hurt Jasper,” Henry bemoaned idly. Maggie squeezed him closer, resting her head on his.
“I know. Neither did I,” she said, and in a brave moment, they drew out of their embrace and left the DOUM rooms, itching to hold hands but keeping their feelings at bay.
All for Jasper’s sake.
Chapter 11