Chapter Text
Moonlight basked down from the lunar sky onto the shore, meeting at the sand of the beach. Glistening in all it’s beauty just like in the world Pomni remembered. The waves of the tide pulled her attention, her eyes wandered from the moon, to the shining stars that filled the black void above her. Her body covered with red and blue button up silk pajamas. She dragged her fingers on top of the moldable minerals as she sat in silence.
So much time had passed since she joined the circus. There wasn’t a way out, that was clear. Remaining optimistic, though, the conclusion of knowing the truth gave her some sort of closure. This was life now, and it wasn’t all that bad. Finding an exit was on her mind in the beginning, but as time went on, the facts became too apparent. Through every adventure, one of the six friends would stay behind while Caine was busy monitoring them. Every door opened and searched behind. Every desk checked. Every corner scanned and swept with no hope. Nothing. Each time after the adventures were over, the one who stayed behind to search never brought good news. This was home. Forever.
This realization struck some friends hard; some felt every trial and tribulation from their past life was for nothing. Others felt staying here was a chance at redemption. They agreed on one constant though: they had the chance to make the most out of it now with the bodies they have. This came to an easier acceptance when Caine decided to turn filters off. Even as an AI, Caine knew the feeling of being trapped. He loved the idea of them being stuck with him forever, but if he was going to keep them happy long-term, he knew he would have to compromise with at least some of their requests.
Caine granted Zooble’s wish for intimacy and fulfilled Pomni’s request for additional free time away from adventures. She was never a fan of horror, and for some reason, Caine loved giving them a good scare. Not her cup of tea. These requests granted them humanoid bodies but still left their character’s flexibility so that it wouldn’t interfere with Caine’s ideas for adventures. Jax received his request for a “manlier” room; He was thrilled to compromise with Zooble and Pomni, but Jax was a different story.
The 6 of them were happy, at least happier.
Pomni laid back on the sand, presenting herself a full open view of the poetic night sky. She watched as the stars danced, so realistic. A sigh exited her lips. Being alone was fine, but even she had to admit, it sometimes became difficult here. She raised up from the sand, sitting criss-cross while her body molded around the grain, hands on each knee like she was about to meditate. The silence was so loud but it was better than hearing Caine talk about adventures, or worse, himself. Her mind wandered to memories. The nostalgia giving her heart a sense of humanity. She pondered how in the early days of the circus, how close she had gotten to Jax. Pomni worried that had she not focused on the exit, perhaps they would have a stronger bond.
Jax was.. a character for sure. But technically, weren’t they all, in a literal sense?
Pomni closed her eyes, rubbing her fingertips on her collarbone under her shirt, drawing shapes onto her pale skin. Thoughts of their arguments surfaced causing her to exhale sharply. She blamed herself. They had gotten extremely distant after their argument about him not showing emotions. She didn’t intend for him to hide from her, she just wanted him to talk to her, willingly, and without her having to ask or beg.
Her eyes slowly opened. Begging. Her body shivered. The thoughts weren’t exactly kid friendly on that one. Pomni missed interactions of intelligence mixed with banter. It made her feel human again. Conversations with Jax kept her on her toes, kept her wondering what would come out of his mouth. Pomni loved the unknown, even if she hated to admit that. Zooble locked herself in her room too much, Gangle was way too focused on drawing two girls kissing from her favorite anime series. Ragatha always talked about people’s feelings, which was totally cool with Pomni, but Ragatha didn’t know how to bring that spark to conversation.. not the way Jax could.
“Oh! Are you here to look at the fireflies too?” Pomni gasped, surprised by the voice. She whipped her head towards the voice, making eye contact with Kinger. A smile appears across her face.
“N-no I just wanted to get out of my room!” She responds.
The tall figure holding a lavender purple blanket in his arms along with a picnic basket. Kinger reaches for her hand with his available arm. He’s wearing a royal purple silk pajama set with blue butterflies embroidering on the legs and arms. Caine’s decision to give them more human features allowed Kinger to have a normal body again. His hair was a greyish blonde, it worked well with his pastel blue eyes. He towered over her, but not nearly as tall as Jax.
”Yeah I felt the same way! Here! Enjoy a nice moonlight picnic with me, I doubt anyone else is up right now. Then we can catch us some fireflies!” Pomni stands up, watching as Kinger is getting prepared to set up his picnic.
”I coulddd accompany you while you hunt. I have nothing going on.” She responds. Of course she had nothing going on it had to be past 3am by now. Their gaze meets eachother as she looks at him. He’s been crying.
Kinger cracks a smile. “How exciting.” Kinger lays the blanket out onto the sand, placing the basket on top of it then proceeding to take a seat. He reaches in the basket and pulls out several wrapped items. Grapes, sandwiches, a variety of cheeses, and a bottle of red wine. Since when did he enjoy wine? He finishes pulling the goodies out of the basket while evenly placing them across the blanket. This didn’t seem like his first time doing this. This seemed like a routine if anything.
Pomni glances at his pupils with softness, letting the regret of her argument with Jax fade momentarily. “Where should we start? Maybe there's some fireflies over by the bushes.” She asks him in interest, looking around the beach for any hint of a green glow from a firefly.
”Woah slow down there! Sit back down. Enjoy a bite first. I don’t know about you Pomni, but I can’t get anything done on an empty stomach!” Kinger responded joyfully while unwrapping a sandwich and placing it closer to her on the blanket.
He was right.
“A-are you sure? I’m not really trying to impose on your personal ti-” She was cut off.”No Pomni, I insist!” Kinger interrupted as he patted the empty side of the large blanket. She nodded and took a seat.
“I try to come out here once a week at least but there’s been so much going on with the changes I haven’t taken the time to do this.” He pulls out 2 wine glasses.
With an eyebrow raised, Pomni looked around the selection of romantically chosen food choices. “So.. do you always have these foods for your picnics?” She questioned as her eyes stared into him. Kinger let out a volcanic laughter.
“Oh yes! It was my wife’s favorite but…” His eyes soften. His shoulders slouch further into himself. He looked back over at the moon that still glistened behind Pomni at his angle. “I just come out here to keep the tradition alive that I had with her.” Kinger smiled when his eyes averted back to her. This must be why he was crying, Pomni thought. “This is what she enjoyed eating when she would study her insects. I’d put a picnic together, she’d grab her journal and we would sit out here until the sun rose.” The light of the moon beamed into his eyes. Pomni’s breath shuttered.
To be loved is to be considered. To be considered is a love language of it’s own.
“That’s really thoughtful of you. She seems so lovely. "Oh, she was the most breathtaking woman I ever laid eyes on. She’s always with me.” Kinger replied.
Pomni could feel her chest get tighter. Her large pinwheel eyes dilated. Love was intoxicating to her.
”I always pour a glass for her, even knowing she won’t drink it!” Kinger joked, this definitely helped to lighten the mood for both of them. “Can I interest you in a glass?”
Pomni nodded her head with a shy smile as he motioned to the bottle, popping the cork with an opener from the basket. She glanced at the sandwich, studying it more as her hunger grew.
”Take one! It’s Turkey.” He said. He placed a glass of wine in front of her feet.
”Thank you.”
Pomni placed one of the sandwiches on a plate, along with a few pieces of cheese and a large helping of grapes. This was so relaxing, way better than the four walls of her depressing room. She ate slowly, enjoying taste again after not having the ability for months. Every bite sent shock waves down her spine, enjoyment of the taste could be noticed by Kinger as she let out moans of deliciousness.
They take turns talking about the taste and textures while enjoying the moonlight in sync.
After eating, Pomni and Kinger both clean up the blanket, putting everything back in the basket. They both finish with nothing but the wine left.
”Thank you, Kinger. I really appreciate you letting me eat with you. This was so yummy.” Pomni stated
"Not a problem at all! My wife has good taste!” Kinger chuckled. Kinger stood up, letting out a large stretch then bending back down to get his wine glass.
Pomni followed suit while holding her glass of wine and sipping it ever so slowly. She was so buzzed from her 2nd glass. The bottle was gone and Kinger was on his 2nd too. Both of them giggled while finishing their glasses, chugging the last of the deep red liquid.
”Over there!” Kinger points behind her with a gasp, hurrying to put their glasses away so he can run towards something of interest. Pomni turns in the direction he’s barreling towards. A little beside the shore, on the grassy area near a table and some trees, a large swarm of fireflies dance in sync. Kinger’s eyes go wide as he places the basket on the table. His focus directly on the floating glowing orbs.
”They’re just as beautiful as she was.” Pomni hears him say in a soft tone. She sits at the table, studying how something so small could captivate such a large man. Kinger breaks his attention to sit down in front of Pomni. As he sat, he kept peering back at the orbs.
”So.. what’s on your mind? I’m sure it was more than just not wanting to see your room.” Kinger asked, still looking at the insects flying nearby, but speaking to the jester. “I’m actually a really good secret keeper.”
She thought on her reply before answering. The wine was speaking to her but she wasn’t exactly trying to speak too much.
”Jax and I have been so distant lately. I got upset after the ‘They all get guns’ adventure. He told me he didn’t care about anyone in the circus.” She paused in her speech, her breath hitching. Her throat felt so dry but she kept going. “I just don’t understand him.”
"Understanding one another is never easy, is it?” Kinger interjected. “He’s complex, some people just have many more layers than meets the eye.” Of course Kinger was wise. It’s dark outside and his mind is all together. Pomni adored getting moments like these since he helped her through the haunted house and hell.
”I probably shouldn’t try to step on his toes you know?” Pomni responds back, her fingers dancing on her skin once again as she looked longingly at her feet. Her body began to get warm. “Jax thinks acting mean will get him further but all it does is push me away.”
That wasn’t entirely true. Her body increasing in heat as she talked about it. ”It makes me not want to talk to him.”
Lies.
”He’s ungrateful and he doesn’t know I could just wake up one day and not be here for him.”
Lies.
The alcohol was definitely speaking for her. Her fists clenched. Her body increasing in heat. Kinger averted his eyes away from the group of fireflies by this point. His eyes were wide staring into Pomni’s. He cleared his throat, trying to gather thoughts on what to say.
”Sounds like you need to speak to him and get on the same page with one another. Misunderstanding is common. I know Jax, he will come around when the world doesn’t feel so heavy to him. Maybe ask him to do something with you?"
Easy for him to say. Jax is a layered character, one that wasn’t subject to change. Pomni looked up at Kinger from her clenched fists. Was it really just that easy?
“I-I dont know if he’d want to.”
”You wont know until you try.” The blonde retorted as he stood from his chair, gathering the picnic basket into his palms. “Worrying about it won’t change the future, Pomni, acting upon it does.”
Those words hit her like a ton of bricks. Her eyes enlarged at the realization. Pomni takes a deep breath in and out, trying to collect herself as much as the alcohol will allow her.
“You’re right. I will try.” She responded to him.
An audible yawn was heard from Kinger, it was extremely late now. ”You should get some rest before you end up too exhausted to talk to him tomorrow.” Kinger laughs in lighthearted banter. “It will go the way you want it to if you give him understanding and consideration."
Kinger is way too good at giving advice. Consideration. She thought. Like Jax would ever do the same for her. He was selfish lacked empathy. Consideration wouldn’t be in his vocabulary.
Pomni stands up, stretching her arms out with a deep yawn. “Yeah maybe it is time to go to sleep. Thanks again for the company, Kinger.” She turns her heel to walk away. “I needed it more than you know.”
”Oh! haha I’m just looking out for you, I’m here for you if you ever need me. We have a very long time left in the circus. Have more faith in yourself.” He reassured her as he started walking back to the tent, leaving the moonlight and fireflies behind. “Goodnight, Pomni.”
The two then slowly made their way back to the tent where their bedrooms were, once Kinger went into his room, Pomni was left walking by herself. The clock on the wall ticked but never showed a time, just numbers. What a pathetic joke. A lifetime spent here and you can’t even tell what time it is.
Pomni opened the door to her bedroom, a slight creaking noise echoed through her bedroom. Eating with Kinger made her sleepy, but talking with him made her overthink. The alcohol was speaking to her by now. Her body burning, her vision fuzzy. She closed the door behind her, shutting out any amount of light from the hallway, then made her way to the side of her bed, leaning down to get a feel of the red and blue silk sheets. They were so soft, but it would be more comfortable with someone to share it with.
Throwing herself onto the spacious cushion, she sighed audibly, not even covering herself up as she stared at the canopy that hung above her. The canopy was a red sheer material; long and flowy. Her fingertips danced on the sheets in circles. Kinger was right about what he said, about giving Jax consideration. Pomni wanted to talk to him so badly, it almost made her go insane some days when he would avoid her.
Thoughts of the argument flashed before her eyes again. Jax screaming at her, implying that she blamed him for Kaufmo’s abstraction. She wasn’t saying that, she just didn’t want him acting like they were never friends. After everything they had been through this is what he thought of her? It hurt. They worked so well as a team. Why couldn’t he see that? Was he that avoidant, or did he just not like her? Jax was difficult to read, he could change his opinions in a matter of seconds. He knew how to press her buttons, he knew how to perfectly rage bait her into submission. He knew what made her tick just from observing her from day one. He was an inconsiderate, bitter, jealous man. Pomni had this 'I can save him’ mentality, which wasn’t a good look on her in the slightest. Perhaps he only caught her eye because of the lack of options in the circus, or maybe they were just that lonely. She wanted it to be so much more.
Pomni sits up long enough to pull the blankets over her, shes now wrapped comfortably in her blankets. She takes a deep breath, rolling onto her side to face the window. She continues thinking. In her short time here, proper changes have been made to where it seemed like everyone was happy. Then what is this empty feeling inside her?
A few moments go by, she can feel herself drifting to sleep. Her body curled up. Her blankets pulled to her cheeks. She can feel herself slipping into unconsciousness until it was cut short by a metal clinking from the hallway.
Jingle Jingle
Keys.
Pomni stayed still, remaining covered up and keeping her breathing at a low vibration. She glanced at the wall, seeing the black that occupied it be overtaken by a yellow glow emitting from the hallway lights. As the door continued to open, it creaked, filling the wall with a perfect shadow of who was at her door.
Pomni’s eyes were wide as her heart skipped several beats. She could see a tall, slim figure, almost taking up the entire doorframe from head to toe. The height and slimness of the figure being a dead giveaway. Jax.
Her heart jumped. He was in her room without her permission. Oddly enough, she didn’t even seem mad about it, more scared of the why he was here with her. What was he even doing? She really needed to get that key back, but that was a long shot knowing him.
The door closed, allowing the darkness to consume the room once again. Footsteps fill the silence, he’s walking to the bed. She closes her eyes and feels a pressure by her legs. He’s taken a seat at the end of her on the bed. The warmth of his body sets her ablaze. She breathes out sharply, trying her best to stay calm.
Jax’s hand lands on the calf of her leg, he starts rubbing up and down her legs from above the blankets. Pomni’s body is burning. He would have been able to tell her face was flushed if there had been any light in there. He pauses and sighs, she could feel his gaze on her, it pierced through her and made her body throb. The friction of his hand on her body, even through blankets, made her crazy. She was extremely touched starved for someone who is disgusted with physical touch. Jax was different for her, she’d beg for it if she wasn’t careful.
”Sweet dreams, PomPom.” As he took his hands off her leg, Jax whispered. And just like that, she felt empty again. This was borderline torture.
She contemplated whether she should say something. Jax got up from the bed, Pomni could still feel his eyes on her. He stood this way for a couple of minutes.
He mumbled, and then his footsteps grew quieter as he approached the door. Pomni stayed still, her mind racing with thoughts ranging from confusion to lust. The door opened and closed behind him as he left. Pomni shot up, staring at the door in awe.
She was so close.
What a pussy.
She groaned and threw her face into a pillow.
Such a coward. She wanted to scream. She looked down into her lap. A huge wet spot was soaked through her pants onto the sheets.
Great.
”I need to get that key back.”
....
”Zooble! I’m not having this conversation with you again!” Caine’s voice roared. “I spend so much time making these adventures! I make them just for you most of the time!” The ringleader pleas with her, visible sweat could be seen on his forehead. The two have been arguing for some time, enough to where Zooble is visibly exhausted and Caine is delirious with his search for answers on why they hated his ideas so much. As much as they both couldn’t admit it, they both craved validation and acceptance.
Pomni, Jax, and Ragatha all entered the main area of the circus, they all called it the living room considering this is where they usually hung out together. Gangle and Kinger were sitting on one of the couches watching from the sidelines as the two continued their disagreement.
”I just want to chill today, I’m not in the mood, Caine, seriously.” Zooble demanded, crossing her arms in a fit of frustration. She huffed and turned away from Caine. “I just want to spend the day doing something chill. I’m not going to ask again.” While piercing a glare to the ringleader, Zooble heard a growl under their breath.
"Well well well, is the angsty teen not getting her way?” Jax chimed in sarcastically. “Zoobie, come on now, we’re all adults here.” A sickening smirk smeared across his face. “I always forget how much you hate having fun!”
”Literally no one asked you for your opinion, shouldn’t you be in your room crying over what could have been?” Zooble fired back without empathy. His pupils dilated wide before rolling them to the back of his head. The room went silent momentarily once his eyes returned to Zooble, he was furrowing his brows angrily at their comment. Their glares piercing like swords into one another.
Zooble’s comment swirled in Pomni’s head. Exactly how much does Zooble know about him?
As if he had read her mind, he answered, ”You know nothing about me.” Jax scoffed. His figure was tall and lanky, his hair pitch black swaying over his ears and ocean blue eyes. His arms crossed, keeping his squinted eyes on Zooble.
”H-Hey guys, why don’t we give Caine a chance to explain what the adventure is today?” Ragatha pleaded, her smile and cheery attitude putting everyone else in an optimistic mood, all except Jax. Her firetruck red curls swayed in the air while she made her way to Caine to stand beside him.
"Great idea, Ragatha!” Caine responded. “You all are getting used to your new bodies and I can understand how difficult it can be to adjust. We’re going to take it slow as your new bodies need time to adapt, or maybe I just need to find a healthy boundary with my adventures so I don’t overwork you. I still want you to have fun, explore, and have a sense of idenity-”
”Hear that Zoobie? Finally a chance for you to find out who you really are.” Jax interrupted with a coo in his voice.
Zooble huffed in annoyance at him. "I love myself significantly more than you love yourself.” Zooble turned their attention back to the crowd. Pomni, Ragatha and Gangle all looking back at Zooble in disbelief, eyes wide.
Caine made his way over to Zooble in a hurry, ignoring her comments. “I’ve put together something small, something that might ease your tension.” Everyone was listening. “You all have different skill sets, but using them together is a great trust building exercise. We can even bring teams back, we won’t make it a competition, but really just a re-evaluation of basic human skill sets.” Caine stands in the middle of everyone.
He snapped his fingers and teleported the group to a spacious kitchen. Windows surrounded the white room, letting in the perfect amount of sunlight. The marble counters had ingredients placed on them. From the naked eye, you could see eggs, milk, sugar, and flour. Cookbooks flooded the bookshelf that was not too far from the large kitchen table, which could fit 8 people. Flowers decorated the windowsills.
”Today’s task will be..” Caine snaps once again, placing multiple mixing bowls, measuring cups, and extra ingredients on the kitchen island right before their eyes. “Baking a cake!” his large eyes glowed in awe. The group all looked at one another. Pomni smiled; they were finally having a relaxing adventure.
Pomni looked over to her left, noticing Jax in the corner looking out of the window. He was never involved in the group activities, but that wasn’t flying today. She felt a slight delay in her actions after reflecting on their argument from a few weeks ago. Even if they weren’t friends anymore, like he said, she still needed that key.
Caine finishes speaking to the group and giving them instructions, going on about how they should make angel food cake, meanwhile Pomni breaks away to stand with Jax by the window. She was going to listen to Kinger by asking Jax to hang out.
”I was never really a big cooking fan.” She admits, breaking the silence, trying to follow his eyes to the view outside, a vegetable garden with birds and a gravel walkway.
"Color me surprised; I figured a perfectionist like you would try anything once.” Jax replied, not breaking eye contact from the wide variety of flowers.
”Perfectionist? I’m far from perfect.” His eyes softened as she replied.
”Yeah, now that you mention it, you do make mistakes pretty often.” Her eyes rolled, ignoring his bland commentary.
“Would you like to bake the cake with me?” Pomni asked, holding her hand out to invite him back over to the group.
”Isn’t that the whole point of being here with everyone?"
ouch
”U-uh yeah.. Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Her eyes averted to the floor and her feet.
”Let’s get this over with so I can go to sleep the rest of the day.” Jax complained, shoving his hands in his pockets while walking away from her.
”Any questions?” Caine finishes his instructions, looking around at the group before exiting with a poof at the agreement that they were all on the same page.
”Okay I’ll get the flour, eggs, and milk. Gangle, you preheat the oven to 375 degrees!” Ragatha implored, grabbing for ingredients and mixing bowls. Ragatha was used to baking. She even considered it a passion. In the real world, she used it to make her mother proud of her. Even if baking never accomplished her goal in the real world, she knew at least someone in the circus would. Ragatha’s dress swayed behind her as she glided through the kitchen, every step got quicker and bouncier. She was in her happy place right now.
Kinger had his attention on the butterfly paintings by the pantry doors, his eyes wide in admiration. “A monarch butterfly!” His mouth moved into a smile.
”Pomni! Maybe you can do us the honor of making the icing for the cake?” Ragatha asked, opening the dry ingredients for the cake. Zooble looking in drawers to find utensils, Gangle setting the temperature for the oven.
”Y-yeah I can definitely do that for you.. U-uh.. how do you make frosting?”
Ragatha giggled as she kept pouring ingredients into the bowl without measuring. “2 sticks of unsalted butter, powdered sugar, a hint of vanilla extract, and a bit of salt for a better flavor! The perfect buttercream!”
Pomni smiled, “Thanks, Ragatha, you’re the best.” She makes her way to the fridge, grabbing butter from the door, then searching the cabinets for vanilla and powdered sugar. She lays the butter by the mixer in the far corner, going back to gather other needed ingredients.
“Vanilla… vanilla.. where is it?” Her hands swiftly checking through the cabinets. The top shelf. Of course.
"Shit.” she says to herself under her breath. Having set her goal, she lifts her right leg from the ground onto the countertop, which increases her height to reach it.
”Don’t even try it, Jester.” A voice from behind her demands. Her body froze in place. “You’re going to break your neck or something, and honestly, as much as I’d really enjoy seeing that, it would be pretty embarrassing to go out by trying to make frosting."
Her leg still propped on the counter, she felt his entire body move extremely close to her. She can feel his body heat on her back.
It’s Jax.
Jax reaches above her head, grabbing the vanilla and handing it right to her. She’s so small compared to him.
Pomni’s heart starts to race; he isn’t leaving from behind her. Her leg leaves the counter.
”Thanks.. Jax.” Pomni thanked him, placing everything she needed by the mixer. His body still within centimeters of hers. He stood over her, looking down at her. She first placed the butter in, then the sugar, then the vanilla. Pomni turns the mixer on low. The mixer began churning the ingredients slowly. She wasn’t much of a baker; her body felt hotter than the oven temperature by this point.
Her mind left the kitchen and went back to last night. Her goal wasn’t to be his friend anymore; it was to get the key. Jax remains behind her, watching while she figures out the mixer.
”I feel like this could go faster.” Jax complains just as his hand reaches the mixer to turn it on high.
Pomni snaps back to reality. “W-wait! No!” she screams.
The mixer spazzes out, churning the icing faster, causing it to spew out the sides of the bowl.
”Jax!” Pomni scolded, trying to gather her thoughts and lock in. As the mixer continues to freak out, the movements cause icing to splatter all over her face. Her hands desperately search for the off button to the mixer. Her finger grazes over the power button.
”You’re a fucking idiot!” She angrily spat, wiping at the freshly made white buttercream all over her face.
”I know you are, but what am I?” Jax replies with an elementary grade level joke, taking his index finger to wipe at a glob of icing on her face. He moved the finger to his mouth and lapped his tongue around the cream.
"Mmm” Jax smiled. “So yummy.”
Pomni stared at him with wide eyes. This was way more erotic than she needed to feel right now. She looks back at the bowl of icing, not too bad for her first time. It’s fluffy and semi-white; she could even say the perfect consistency.
”I think it’s ready, Pom.” Jax said, leaning down in her ear. “Don’t want to end up making more of a mess if you over-mix.”
”I never make a mess.” Pomni said.
”We will see about that.”
Her eyes went wide. The wet, uncomfortable feeling was back to haunt her. She could feel her body overheating. His body was still leaning over her.
”Your body is burning, are you that mad about the icing mess?”
Mad wasn’t the right word. Pomni could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment from him noticing her heat.
”You ruin everything.” Pomni said in a low tone.
”I could ruin a lot more than just this stupid icing.” Was he trying to use sexual banter?
”Go ruin someone else’s day.” Jax grinned at her, returning to his height as he removed himself from behind her ear. She gathered the icing into a new bowl, putting plastic wrap over it to seal it until it was ready to be used.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Jax cooed.
”It was harder dealing with you.”
”Oh Pomni! It looks beautiful!” Ragatha came up from behind them, leaning over to look at the bowl. “Ya know.. If you add a little drop of purple food dye, it’ll make this yellow tint go away.” She opens the plastic wrap from the bowl, grabbing a small bottle of dye, adding it to the icing. “It’ll turn out perfect.”
Ragatha takes the spatula already in her hand and begins mixing the icing until it becomes eggshell white. She slid the bowl back to Pomni.
"Thanks, Ragdoll, but it was perfect before you touched it.” Jax argued, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at the redhead.
”O-oh n-no! I wasn’t saying it was bad or anything! I just wanted to give it more of a white color a-and purple cancels out the yellow tones.. I didn’t mea-”
Pomni placed her hand on her shoulder, interrupting her.
"Hey, It’s okay, Ragatha. You meant no harm.” Pomni reassured Ragatha, walking with her to check on the oven to see if the cake had finished baking.
Jax groaned in boredom. “You take everything way too seriously.” His tone low as they continued to walk away.
Her pants became uncomfortable to walk, the feeling of Jax being right behind her while they were mixing was intoxicating her brain. She wanted to keep her distance so bad but how could she when even him being within 5 feet of her made her body set fire? This was just a fling, and it was extremely one-sided. At least that’s how she felt about it. There were better things to focus on, like how they had bodies, they could use their words to slur, they related more to Caine. Everyone wasn’t free, but they were.. Free-er. Everyone felt the absence of the weight.
Ding
A chime ringed.
”Oh! Looks like we are right on time!” Ragatha grabs an oven mitt, opening the door of the hot chamber. Steam started releasing into the air, alongside a heavenly scent of pastries. Everyone’s eyes averted to the freshly removed cake.
”It smells so yummy!” Gangle screeched, eyes dazzling with excitement.
”Pomni! Would you grab the icing?” Ragatha asked sweetly, her hands occupied by the molting hot cake in a baking dish.
”Of course!” Pomni obliged.
She rushed to the other side of the kitchen in search of the metallic bowl which stored their buttercream. Confusion flooded her face as she scanned the counters with her eyes. The bowl was nowhere to be found.
”It was just here..” Pomni says to herself, raising her brow in confusion.
”Pomni, hurry! It’ll be so much yummier while it’s still hot.” The country girl’s accent rang from across the room.
”I-I’m trying to find it.” Her search grew more erratic and rushed, opening the fridge.
Suddenly it hit her. She left the icing with Jax. Now he and the bowl were missing.
”Jax!”
No answer.
Pomni groaned in frustration.
"Damnit, dude.”
Her feet began walking heavier, almost stomping. New goal: find the icing.
"Jax, this isn’t funny!” Her voice shaken up. Pomni cut the corner of the fridge, looking into a living room that was decorated like a modern farmhouse. The couches were white with horse blankets draped over the back of them. The paintings were of racehorses from the early 1990’s. A large grandfather clock ticked throughout the sunlit room. This adventure was clearly for Ragatha.
Besides the décor, something else stood out: the trail of white frosting splatters painting the dark cherry wood floors. Her eyebrow raised in confusion. Following the trail, it led outside to the back porch. Swaying with enthusiasm, the slim masculine figure sat in a swing connected to the ceiling, digging his index finger into a mixing bowl, the same mixing bowl used to store the icing from earlier.
Pomni’s anger surfaces. Her fists balling up into her palms.
”Jax! What the fuck are you doing?” Jax slightly flinches, not expecting to hear her voice, much less expecting to hear it yelling at him.
”Clearly I’m enjoying a sweet treat. Do your eyes not work?” He snapped back, returning his finger to the bowl, lapping up more of the cream and guiding it to his mouth. “Enjoying the fruits of my labor, if you will.”
”Obviously I see what you’re doing, but why? You know that’s for our cake. And it wasn’t your labor! The mixer did all the work!” Her voice clearly irritated from his actions.
”Then next time, ask why, not what."
”Jax you know I made that for our cake. Now you’ve eaten all the icing I made!” Jax has almost licked the bowl clean, and her large doe eyes dart to it.
”Just make more.” He replied, clearly unworried and unapologetic about his actions.
Anger would control her if she didn’t bite her tongue. This is what she tried telling Kinger, how absolutely inconsiderate this man is.
”I’m so sick of you just doing whatever you want and thinking it’s okay!” Pomni’s eyes squinch closed. “You literally don’t care about anyone but yourself.”
Jax stayed silent, looking down into the mostly eaten bowl while Pomni continued going off.
”Like, how hard is it to just think of someone else, seriously? You think you can just do whatever you want, whenever you want. It’s not even funny.” After dumping all her frustrations, she snatched the bowl from his hands, leaving him shocked. “I didn’t even need your help to begin with.”
”Damn, Pom, I didn’t know you’d be this mad over a cake.” Jax snickers, crossing his legs while placing the palms of his hands behind his neck. “You should totally chill.”
”Yeah and you should stop coming into my room at night.” Pomni snaps back without giving it a thought.
Shit
Jax’s eyes widen. Pomni turns her attention away by turning on her heel to return to the kitchen. “You ruin everything.”
She begins walking away, her grip tight on the bowl.
"Oh so I check in on you after weeks of you not talking to me, now I’m the bad guy?” Jax defends himself, standing up from the swing. “Ya know, Pom, you always have to make me the bad guy, just like Ragatha. No wonder you’re always so nice to her.”
There was no way he was trying to twist this onto her.
”Oh ho~ Don’t you even-” Pomni started. “Let’s talk about the principle of the situation.” She kept her back turned to him and avoided eye contact, as making eye contact would cause her to fold. Immediately.
“That icing wasn’t for you, it was for all of us.”
”It’s not like you can’t make more.” His voice was getting more audible; he was walking toward her, she could feel it. “I’m giving you solutions here, Pomni.”
”Yeah, solutions to a problem YOU made.” She screamed back. Heat was rising from behind her. He was getting closer. “It’s just icing, Pomni. If I knew you’d blow a gasket over it, I would have never even eaten it.”
Jax’s chest was touching her back once again. His fingertips trailing back up to her hair, he took a few strands, swirling them between his fingers. “It was delicious, if that means anything to you.”
Even if it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, she knew he was apologizing, in his own warped way
Her grip somehow gets tighter around the bowl. She hadn’t felt this much tension since before joining the circus. As many times as Pomni tried to overlook his selfishness, it wasn’t as easy for her as everyone else made it sound. She huffs in frustration. There was no better time than now to ask.
Pomni swallowed her words, loosening her grip on the bowl. She turned around, lifting her neck up to connect their eyes. ”It’s just icing, I can make more.” Seconds felt like hours as their gazes to each other continued. She really wasn’t trying to fight over it. She sighed, releasing her anger in the same breath, he voice trembling.
“Can you please give me the key to my room?”
Laughter erupted from Jax, his eyes closing shut as he grabbed at his chest. His purple hoodie beginning to reveal tears dripping down onto the fabric. The laughter continued for a minute as Pomni just stared, blinking. Pomni watched with fierce eyes. Just stay confident, she thought.
As quickly as the laughing started, it stopped. Jax’s face returned to normal, a blank expression, his pupils returning to normal.
”No.”
Jax looked into Pomni's eyes without emotion, ignoring any response by walking around her, attempting to make it back to the kitchen.
Her blood was boiling, this time from anger, not sexual desire. She bit down, grinding her teeth before turning around. “Give me the key, Jax!” She yelled. Jax turned back around to face her, an evil smirk living rent free on his face.
"Or what?”
This was nothing more than a game to him.
Pomni stood her ground, placing the half-eaten bowl of icing on the coffee table in the living room.“Jax, just give me the key!” Her voice increasing in volume.
”Are you hard of hearing, or what? First, you can’t see, now you can’t hear?”
Her fists were back into tight balls, her teeth gritting together, her blood still at boiling point.
”AAHHHHH!” She screamed, putting one foot in front of the other then picking up her speed directly at Jax.
He had no time to react before Pomni shoved her hands on his shoulders, knocking him to the ground with her falling on top of him, straddling his hips.
”Fuc- What the fuck?” Jax’s eyes were wide in fear. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Her hands found their way to his neck, wrapping them tightly around his skin. Human skin felt so nice. She had forgotten how smooth touching on skin was. She had no time to soak it in before she started shaking him back and forth, his body slamming against the ground every time she pushed him down.
Jax was getting dizzy with every blow to the ground.
“I’m so sick of you! You just do whatever you want!” Pomni cried out, refusing to let go of the defenseless male. Defenseless by choice, of course.
His arms lay beside him, he wasn’t fighting back. Pomni continued her rage, spewing every word she had wanted to about how inconsiderate he was.
”You think it’s cool to just come into people’s room? Or eat icing when you KNOW it’s for something we need? You wanna rub it in my face all the time-” Each syllable of her words echoed through his mind while he remained too weary to respond in fear she’d get angrier.
”Pomni!"
The shouting silenced alongside the shaking. The red dissipated from her view, as she was left with the reality of Ragatha walking in the living room with her hands covering her mouth in shock.
Pomni stared at her with a blurred vision. She looks down and focuses her view on what’s below her. Jax has paused and is staring directly into her soul. She feels determined that she finally got through to him to stop messing with her. But that thought is quickly written out as her scan of him continues and a sickening smirk still sits upon his face.
Panic rushed through her veins.
”How embarrassing!” Jax called out. “Thanks for coming when you did, Rags! She wasn’t going to let me go!” He slyly laughed in amusement.
Ragatha stares at both of them for a few seconds, still in shock.
“Pomni, where is the icing?” Pomni removes her hands from Jax’s neck and points to the bowl.
“H-he ate it! I told him it wasn’t for him.” She groaned, putting her head in her hands. Her legs still straddled Jax’s hips. Pomni peered out of the open spaces between her fingers to see Jax still making eye contact, he wasn’t letting up. Her body starts heating up again.
She overreacted and was sitting in the embarrassment of it now. She sits in silence at the realization that Jax has his hips adjusting under her. As he shifts to try and escape her grip, a solid mass brushes against the inside of her legs. Jax pauses once he feels it too. Pomni’s jaw drops. He was so hard.
She peers back at Ragatha.
“I’ll come make more. I’m sorry I took so long.”
Ragatha remains staring as if she had a million questions. “I-it’s fine actually.” Her voice shaky. “I’d probably be able to get it done q-quicker y-you guys just uh.. hurry up.” Before either of them can reply, she turns around, returning to bake.
They were back to being alone but there was also an elephant in the room. She wasn’t going to spill the beans, though.
”You’re going to become diabetic if you love sweets enough to almost kill me over it.” Jax said. He grabbed at her hips, picking her up and placing her beside him. Her body still in shock and embarrassment from being walked in on. She stared at the wood floor which still had icing drippings on it. Jax managed to get up from the floor, returning to his full height. Brushing himself off, he examined her.
Pomni’s eyes averted from the floor to his pants, an enormous bulge could be seen by her even through his black pants. Her mouth was dry, she couldn’t gather words even if she truly wanted to. Jax continued to examine her, following her eyes to what she was looking at.
“Pervert.”
Her cheeks blush.
“N-no I’m not!” She fights back with words, stumbling to get back up on her own feet. Once she stands up, she looks into the kitchen entrance.
”I’m not used to having my human body yet. I didn’t mean for it to touch you.” Pomni looked directly into his eyes, her pupils enlarged.
”It-s uh.. It’s okay. This body is new to me too.” She was soaking. That was the most touch she’s been able to soak in since before she arrived. “I’m sorry I shoved you on the ground.” She really was sorry.
”Oh don’t mention it, Pom. The pleasure was mine!” He gave a slightly evil laugh, narrowing his eyes at her. “Your human body feels like it’s on fire. I almost thought you had a cold.” He’s smirking at her again, bending down to get in her face. “I gotta start ragebaiting you more.” He puts his hands in his hoodie pockets and turns on his heel to walk toward the kitchen. “Last one there is a rotten egg."
He leaves and all that’s left is Pomni standing by her lonesome, replaying what just happened to try and convince herself this wasn’t reality. She looks back down at her feet, the ticking of the clock against the wall echoed through the room.
She wanted to feel more of him so badly. Human connection was all she yearned for. Jax was funny, his skin was smooth, and he was hard.
She glanced more to the right. It was her lucky day after all.
The key.
It must have fallen out of his pocket.