OUTBREAK: ZERO is a semi post-apocalyptic pandemic roleplay set in the fictional city of Lethford, USA. Current season: Winter, 20/21.
March 2020. The world is in pandemonium as one month ago, GHNv-20 was confirmed, five months after the beginning of norovirus season. The number of the infected are in the higher hundred thousands, and the death toll is at an estimated 250,000, with about seventy percent of the rest of the population experiencing mild to moderate illnesses connected to the S. pyogenes bacteria.
The fear of the unknown has caused mass hysteria and panic.
In an attempt to provide a semblance of safety and control, military personnel patrol the streets, even here in Lethford City, and the police force is trying to keep up with the rising street violence, assault, and theft.
Welcome to OUTBREAK: zero. Will you survive?
HAYANA
SITE OWNER + HEAD ADMINISTRATOR
Hi! I'm Haya. I'm pretty much your girl for everything! If you have any questions regarding our plot, membergroups, etc. don't hesitate to ask me. I'm also in charge of coding, graphics, anything skin related, and advertising/affiliates.
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ADDI
ADMINISTRATOR
Hey! I'm Addi. Hit me up if you need help with anything. I'm always for plotting so don't be shy. I like coffee, booze, and working out. I'm back from a long hiatus the dead so if you need anything, best ask the others until I get back into the groove of things!
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FINNLEY
GLOBAL MODERATOR
Hi hello! My name is Finnley, or Finn, call whichever and I'll be there for you (yes like the FRIENDS theme song). I am in charge of the claims and helping with miscellaneous things. Let me know if you have any questions!
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outbreak
/ˈaʊtbreɪk/ zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/
a sudden occurrence of something unwelcome, such as war or disease. number, no quantity or number; nought; the figure 0.
Her tears didn’t slow as he tried to wipe them away. He wasn’t expecting his touch to magically make everything feel better. This wasn’t a story book, where a man whisked in and rescued the pretty damsel in distress and then everything was happily ever after. Life was real, it was ugly, it was painful. But it was also beautiful, and filled with joyful moments, and filled with love when you dared to let it be. Right now, this was one of those painful moments for Ezra. And he only hoped that he could help ease that pain.
On his second coax to lay next to him, she went for it. He was glad that he hadn’t stepped over a line or made her feel awkward. So as she wrapped against him, he pulled her close, tucking her against his chest. Her arms that laid across him was bit a light weight to him. And he picked up his free hand to stroke the back of her arm lightly, the other holding her firmly to his side as he just existed beside her. Letting her work through her thoughts for a moment. He wanted to let her have that peace. Even if she fell asleep during it, that would be okay.
Jasper felt her head twist, looking up at him and he tilted his head towards her, not minding how close she was one bit. He liked the way her breath tickled his skin as she breathed, and he smiled lightly when she asked if he was alright. “No, you didn’t hurt me. You hit like a girl.” He joked, hoping that he might ease her mind a little bit as he did. Returning that familiar banter the two had the first time they had met. But his cheek had stung after it had been smacked. It was a decent hit, and maybe he’d tell her that later, but not right now. Not until he felt her ease up a bit more against him.
As her eyes probed his skin, he raised an eyebrow at her. She was looking for evidence on him of where she had struck. But he was sure it was dark enough that she wouldn’t find anything. And by morning there wouldn’t be a mark left, that he was sure of. He squeezed her side, “You aren’t going to find anything. I told you I’m okay.” He pressed.
The way she said she was okay, almost sounded like a question. As if she was saying it out loud to make sure that she heard it herself. He waited a moment, his finger tips still brushing against her arm over him. Taking deep breaths, he nodded against her. “Okay, good.” He responded. He hesitated then, looking at the ceiling as he contemplated his next move or words. He took another deep breath, as if it was going to help his brain start moving if he took in enough oxygen.
Even being wrapped up beside her, he didn’t want her to think he was trying to be slick. No matter how much he had flirted before, and even so in the few exchanges of text messages, this was not the time nor place for her to feel like he was making a move on her. Not that he thought he had given her that idea yet. So he slowly went to shift out of the bed. “Do you want some water before I go? I’ll just be right downstairs if you need me...” He asked, shifting so that way he was on his side and looking down at her.
Jasper wanted to get away from his room because the longer he looked at her, swallowed by his shirt and looking at him with those soft blue eyes, he wanted to not leave. He wanted to scoop her into his arms and drag her into lay on his chest as they settled into his bed. So it was safer for him to make a quick exit so he didn’t get the idea to suggest it. Or even give her the chance to argue that he could just sleep beside her. She needed space, it was better than him overwhelming a space for her to rest. Because he didn’t know if he’d have the strength to not touch her as they laid besides one another.
Her small gasp as he pressed his lips to her forehead made his blood rush through him. He liked the sound of it, he even caught what he thought was a red blush over her face before he was gone. A smile of satisfaction that never left his face during his prep to go to sleep.
- - When he woke, he wasn’t even sure why he had. His eyes went to the clock on the wall, straining to see what it said in the darkness. The power was still out, he could tell by the dark screens behind the desk. So it was still late, or really early. He shifted on the couch, his lower back popping in discomfort from being curled up like he had been. Maybe he just needed to get into a better position and his body wasn’t figuring it out in his sleep.
A soft sound caught his attention. He leaned up on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees for a second as he focused on the sound. What the hell was that? And suddenly there was a loud yell. He was up and halfway up the stairs before his mind even put together that it was Ezra. He burst into the room, ready to fight whoever was in there. But when he was confronted with an empty room, and her thrashing on the bed, realization kicked in what was happening. A night terror. He moved forward carefully, knowing that she was going to wake up one of two ways now. At least from his experience with others he had been deployed with.
“Little one, it’s okay. You are safe. You are not there. You are safe here.” He spoke gently at first, hoping his voice would be enough to pull her out of it. He sat on the side of the bed next to her. But she wasn’t letting up. Her body was shaking and the yelp was what tore through him in that moment. His hands reaching out to try and steady her body. “Ezra, wake up. It’s just a dream. It’s ok-” A crack sounded through the room as her hand made contact with his face. It was a solid hit, but he recovered quickly as her scream sounded back to him from his walls. “Ezra its me, it’s okay. You were dreaming.” He waited until she seemed truly away, her body slumping forward as she tried to catch her breath.
As she apologized, he took her face between his hands and hushed her lightly. The pads of his thumbs brushing away the tears as they fell from her eyes. “Shhh, it’s okay. Don’t apologize, you are safe.” He repeated. As she shook he shifted into the bed with her, lifting the blanket for him to slip under it and he tugged her towards him. “Come little one. Come here,” He offered, wanting to wrap her in his arms as he brushed her tears away and her hair back from her face.
“Oh, so I’m in the same room as a rebel legend? The journalist in me is quaking.”
He shook his head at her question. “I think you are pushing it far there. I am like a giant walking target. It’s hard for me to go out and remain anonymous if I partook in the rebel activities.” his hand gesturing to himself, as if she could not see the height and build of him as it was. Not a lot of people in Lethford stood over six foot three. Let alone four more inches on top of that. He was a walking billboard and couldn’t exactly blend in. Which was part of the reason that he did what he did. No need to blend in if he was part of the background things happening. You always needed ones like him or else everything would fall apart.
He was glad that she let him direct her as much as she did. He had a feeling if the power was on she would be protesting the entire way because she ‘wasn’t a child’. Which while that was true, he also liked having a hold on her in some capacity. She was soft beneath his hands and she seemed to trust him as they moved along, following his lead. And when he lit the candles around his room, she had a beautiful glow to her. He found himself walking to play with her hair, but obviously kept that tucked away in his mind.
He watched her gather the clothes before clipping out the soft thank you. “You’re welcome.” He gave her a small smile as she met his gaze, hugging his clothes tight to her chest. He wanted to say something but she was already inside the bathroom before he could even form the thought of what he wanted to say. Once she was inside, he looked around the room. Making sure nothing was out that was too embarrassing, not that he had a lot to be embarrassed about. Grabbing a few things and tossing them in the trash, papers or random wrappers that he had forgotten about. He straightened out the sheets on his bed, thankful that he had just recently washed them. Probably only a day of sleep on them as it was. And no one came up here when they were locked in.
He went to the closet he had, pulling out an extra blanket and pillow set, placing them on the end of his bed for himself. He would make camp on one of the couches below. He was a gentleman at the end of the day, and he knew his mother would tan his hide if he hadn’t offered her the best sleeping spot he had to offer. His bed was extra long, for obvious reasons, and was comfortable enough. He frowned lightly at the thought of the couch below. Even if he got comfortable, he’d still be hanging over it in more than one way. He was just too large for the space.
He turned back to her as she spoke up, her hair piled high on her head which only showed off the bruises on her neck more. He tried his best to not stare at them, as he didn’t want her to keep being reminded they were there because he couldn’t control his eyes. “Sometimes I am right.” He joked back, taking in how his shirt seemed to dwarf her under it. He felt a tug on the side of his mouth as it lifted into a small smile. “Well I am glad that you are comfortable. You’re clothes in the bathroom?” he asked, pointing as he walked over to the bathroom anyway. Collecting her clothes. “I figured I’d wash them for you so you have fresh clothes in the morning...” He trailed off, coming to stand in front of his spare pillow and blanket rested.
“You can take the bed. I’m going to take one of the couches in the office below. I won’t be far. So if you need anything, just holler down to me. I’ll leave the door open.” He started, picking up the sleep set for himself under one arm, her clothes tucked neatly in the other. “Uh, good night, little one.” He said, crossing the distance to her to brush a soft kiss to her forehead before he disappeared down the stairs, the door left open behind him just like he said. He got the washing machine going with her clothes, so they cycle would start first thing in the morning when the power started back up. And then he laid out his blanket, and flopped down on the couch, his legs hanging over the arm rest and one arm laying on the floor. Falling asleep softly to the thoughts of a certain blonde curling up safely in his bed.
He was sure she’d have a hundred questions to ask. And he was quite shocked she hadn’t started rattling them off the moment we was ushering her farther behind racks of parts and supplies. He almost questioned her himself, like should be actually be more worried about the other injuries on her? Were they effecting her that much that she was losing her ability to talk? He knew she was a journalist. Which meant that naturally she was an inquisitive person. But he let it pass. She had been through a lot in the past few days, he was sure.
She breezed past him when he gestured for her to proceed into the room he was showing her. A well hidden one without overly hiding it. Meaning if a search was done, it could easily be over looked but also upon discovering it, it wasn’t hidden per say. He crossed his arms over his chest as he ducked under the door frame. Not wanting to knock his head on it, as he had done several times going in and out of the room. Mainly when he moved quickly and didn’t think about it. But that was more towards the beginning and less now.
He didn’t follow her completely in, just standing inside the door and watching her as she looked over the space. It was rather big considering the fact that it was what it was. His eyes never looked away from her, watching her take it in. Wondering what was running through her mind when she turned to him with a bright smile. One that made his heart tighten in his chest a bit, she was achingly beautiful in that moment. Even with the bruises on her skin and the lack of sleep. Huh. Wasn’t that something...
“That’s a pretty big ask for a journalist like myself. But you’re kinda cute, so I’ll let it slide.”
A small smirk fell on his lips as he chuckled deep in his chest. Of course it was a huge ask, honestly he was still questioning himself on how well his brain was working. It was a risky move telling her. She could easily write about this, come back with police, her tipping them off to what he had going on. Now, there wasn’t a lot to prove upon looking. They’d probably just scout him out. But still, it was a risk. So would she keep that? That he was ‘cute’ enough for her to not go around telling all of Lethford? He was well known amongst the rebels, but that was about it. A whisper amongst them. Not something printed or written down, at least not that he was aware of.
“The journalist in you is probably cursing the part of you that thinks I’m so adorable.” He joked back, watching her inspect one of the couches. He tried his best to keep this area the cleanest, and after recent events and how many people had wound up there, it was scrubbed clean. As clean as it could be. The room still held the faint smell of cleaners and he was sure that on the fabric couches, she could feel that they were still damp from where he had shampooed them earlier. He wasn’t risking himself, or anyone who came to him, with getting sick.
“How long have you been doing this?”
It was a safe question to ask. One that he felt answering could just bring out those not so easy to answer questions. Not yet at least. He had to keep reminding himself that no matter how much he wanted to tell her, she was still a stranger. One that could be dangerous at the end of it all. Who could out him and many others. He wasn’t completely sure why he trusted her as much as he did, but the way that she looked upstairs, made him want to offer her a safe space. That she could know she had a safe place to escape to. Where a mountain of a man would keep her safe. “Long enough that it’s well known that I am a save haven within the right groups.” It was a safe answer.
Jasper watched as she started to walk back towards him, dropping his arms from his chest to rest comfortably at his sides. Something about arms being crossed made him think he looked more intimidating, at least that was something he had been told a long time ago. So he made conscious efforts sometimes to make himself seem less threatening for his size. As she got closer, they were suddenly plunged into darkness. There was that lovely power cut off. He knew it was coming soon. Next thing he knew, he heard a stumble and a small figure known as Ezra was crashing against him. He laughed as his hand instinctively reached out to help steady her. She seemed to hurry to find her feet again and let him go as if he was fire to the touch.
He kept his hand on her arm with a gentle grip, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing her arm. “It’s okay. Let’s get you back upstairs. I have some candles and lights up there. Just be careful with those two left feet.” He joked, his hand gently directing her out of the door and locking up behind them. As he had shown her the way down there, he would usher her back to the stairs and up them with a small warning to his room. Once inside, he went to work with lighting a few candles so that she could see and turned on his battery powered fan that he had. “Do you want a change of clothes? I am sure that you don’t want to sleep in what you are wearing...” He suggested, though he was already pulling out a black shirt of his. Which he was sure would swallow her whole. “I... ah, I think my shorts will not stay on you but here’s a pair just in case.” He said, as she set the clothes down on the edge of the bed.
He held her close, not too tight as he was afraid to hurt her, but securely. She seemed to want his comfort that he was offering, moving into him and pressing her face into his chest. He noted how he could easily wrap his arms around her all the way. He knew he was a large man, everyone even pointed it out, but he liked how she fit against him. Like he could protect her from everything with just holding her wrapped in his arms. She seemed to ease up a little as he kept up the small circles on her back. Taking that as a good sign that he was helping settle that battle that was happening in her head.
He had wished someone had done that for him years ago. When he had been in combat. Not that he would have expected any other soldier to do it for him. But to have someone there to help ease that ache, to give him something to focus on. Just to comfort him by rubbing small circles on his back. That’s what he would have wanted, which is why he felt it was the right thing to do for her.
Her hand slipped into his, and he held it softly, his thumb running over the back of her hand for a moment as she seemed to pull herself together before she met his eyes. And then there it was. That small retort that she gave him made him laugh lightly. There she was. Even though her ton was not there, she was trying to fall back into her normal banter with him and he’d allow it. “There is a curfew.” He said back to her, his blue eyes rolling lightly, teasingly, as he gently pulled her to another side door in his room. Once the door was open, she’d see that the stairs led her straight into the shop, his impala resting below them. “But we aren’t technically leaving my home.”
And with that he would steer her down the steps, keeping his pace steady so he wasn’t dragging her along. A light was on, but not much else to light their way. But Jasper kept the shop clean and in order, so he didn’t have to worry about them tripping over anything as they walked. He would guild her towards what looked like a supply room, and once the door open he flipped the light on. Showing that it was in fact, exactly what it looked like. With a deep breath, he started to explain. “I served in the military. I believe in fighting for my rights and doing what is right for those around me. I also don’t believe that what is happening with the military presence now is actually right. Not the abuse of the power that has been seen.” His tone was deep, but he kept it neutral as he brought her through the room. Then he turned her to an almost hidden door that was behind a few isles of parts.
He flipped the lock on the door and opened it up. “I have a safe space. For those hiding. For those who are trying to help people. Not those criminals who did those raids. But good honest people. Who just want to protect and save their family.” He reached in and turned another light on. They’d probably only had a little bit of time before the power outage kicked in. But he wanted her to see this. “If you ever need to get away, you ever need a safe space. You can come to me.” He held the door open and nodded for her to enter if she wanted to.
What she’d find inside is a large room. A bed in one corner, a few couches lining the wall. A small fridge that held water and a few things like stuff to make PB&J sandwiches. Non-perishables stacked in the corner. It was truly a hide out. A safe space where someone could hole up for a few days without having to worry or leave. “The TV works as well.” He joked at the small TV that was in the corner. “Just don’t go around telling all your friends.” He warned.
When he returned, she had made herself comfortable on his bed. Not a bad idea, and he was glad that she had. This was not going to be an easy task at hand, nor a fun one. She might even want to cuss him out at one point during the process and he wouldn’t blame her one bit. Though she gave him a small smile as he told her he wasn’t about to Frankenstein her hand back together. It wasn’t something he could do with confidence. She had made space on the bed for him, but he found himself kneeling in front of her instead, he would likely be too big and awkward next to her if he tried from that angle.
He scooted as close as he could in front of her, his body lightly touching the end of the bed as he dragged her hand close to him. He started cleaning her hand. It wasn’t pretty, and the more he looked at it, the more he was wondering how in the world she had done that. At first he thought she had cut her hand open with a knife. Just because it was what had made sense. But now that he was looking at it closer, the edges were uneven, the slice was not like a blade running across it. No, this was different.
He tried his best to soothe her as he started to pinch the skin together and pour the superglue into place. He knew it probably was going to sting. He had been pieced together a few times with the super glue himself but damn did it almost leave no scarring at all. He hoped that would be true for her as well. And her hand wouldn’t look pretty either. It was going to look rather ugly depending on how everything dried and held together her hand. He only hoped that he was helping and not causing more damage.
As he was about halfway through it, her voice spoke up again, and his eyes lifted to hers. “He’s dead.” It was like a bolt of electricity shot down his spine and kicked him right in the rear. God, he knew that feeling. The one that she no doubt had swirling around her stomach and he wished that he could take it for her. As her eyes reached his, he reached out and brushed part of her hair behind her shoulder. He knew what was going to be said next. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. So he refocused for a moment and quickly finished the job that was in front of him. “I killed him.” He blew lightly on the last of the glue to make sure it dried as fast as possible.
Once he was sure it would hold, Jasper stood and scooped her in his arms. “I know its not easy, I know you are going to remember this. I wish I could tell you that it’ll just go away. And with time it might. But just know, you did what you had to do to survive Ezra. You would not be here if you didn’t do what you did. I know I don’t know a lot about you yet, but I know you wouldn’t hurt someone unless you absolutely had to.” He was talking in a soft, deep voice to her, his hand rubbing little circles on her back. “You are safe here. I... come with me.” He slowly released her, and stepped away, offering his hand to her so he could lead her to what he wanted to show her.
“I was doing an interview at the hospital when the riots broke out.”
Jasper felt awful. He was being aggressive. Even though he was trying not to. And not for a damn good reason. He had no right to question her like he was. He thought that she’d tell him to screw off, get mad, hit him, something. He deserved it. He had no right to be acting the way that he was. But the bruising, it was so violent under her skin. And all he could picture was the kind of violence that she had been met with to cause it. Which only spurred on the thoughts. It was a vicious cycle that he was caught in.
The hospital had been one of the harder hit places. It had medical supplies, even if they were low on them themselves. But they had gone there for that, whatever was left over. Whatever they could possibly get their hands on to either stock up on or sell. And it didn’t help his case when he barked for her to show him where she was hurt. Even when he tried to soften his tone, he knew that the damage of how he said it was already done.
She was watching him, her eyes searching him for something. The silence started to drag out and he couldn’t tell if he wanted to tell her to forget it... or if he wanted to scream. But then she started talking. She started telling him where she was injured. His hand immediately lifted to lightly probe the back of her head for the knot. He found it, and tried his best to not cause her to wince. It was bigger than he expected, meaning someone had slammed her hard into a door or wall or the floor. The scratches on her back, he almost found himself slipping his hand up the back of her shirt to feel them but was quickly reminded that that action would be highly inappropriate.
Though when her eyes flashed to his lips, he felt confusion rip through him. He wanted to tell her to not reward this behavior coming from him by looking at him like that. It was not okay how he was feeling. How he was acting. Thankfully he was easily distracted as she pulled a hand away from his shoulder. He hadn’t even noticed it before, and as she unwrapped it, he winced lightly at the sight. It wasn’t pretty, but he knew that he could handle that. Maybe not with stitches, but he had other things to take care of it. “Oh little one,” He breathed out lightly.
He shifted her lightly, placing her to sit on the bed instead of his lap. “Stay here okay? I am going to get my first aide kit.” He told her lightly, making sure that he was not demanding anything from her. He had done enough of that already. And he disappeared downstairs. He made quick work of gathering the kit, a small bowl of warm water, and then came back up the stairs. “I don’t trust myself to do stitches on your palm. If it was elsewhere I’d do it, but I have superglue. And that works like a charm. Just stings a lot.” If she gave him the okay, he would start working to clean her hand.
When she took a sharp breath, he almost put her back down. The last thing he wanted was to make her upset further. Or maybe she as hurt elsewhere and he just made it worse. But when her legs locked around his waist, he shifted a hand to one of her thighs while securely still holding her around the waist and walked them up the stairs. He could feel the wetness of her tears on his skin and something about him was being torn apart. His hold on her was firm as he made it up the stairs and secured them in his room. Her grip tightened at the light and he felt that tear get a little bigger in his chest.
When she leaned back, he shifted his hold only enough so that he could look at her face. Her eyes red from the tears, the salty stains down her cheeks. But that was not what his eyes were focused on. No, he was focused on the discoloration of her skin. But the one that made him shake lightly was the very clear, vivid hand marks around her throat. He didn’t even hear her apology. If he had, he would have scoffed at her and told her to stop apologizing. There was nothing to be apologizing for. Instead, all he could hear was his heart beat in his ears.
The marks on her skin made him feel violent. He wanted to go out and destroy the city, what was left of it, until he found th person who did this. He walked them forward and turned to sit on the edge of his bed, still holding her firmly in his lap. When her weight was on him, he shifted his hand on her thigh to come up and brush against the dark marks over her throat. They were large, meaning a man did this to her. If he had been there... he couldn’t even finish the thought. Because he hadn’t been there. Why was he feeling so protective over her when he barely knew her.
His hand lifted and touched the less noticeable bruise on her cheek. “Who did this to you?” He found himself whispering. It wasn’t a good question. With everything, he could have already guessed that it was someone she didn’t know. A random attacker. But why her? “Where were you that someone attacked you like this?” His voice was a little louder now, almost to normal volume of his deep voice. His eyes started scanning her over more as he leaned slightly back from her. Her reassurance of ‘back to the hospital’ had him not exactly convinced. “Back to the hospital? Where else are you hurt? Show me.” He winched lightly when he realized how demanding he sounded. “Please... I know some basic first aide. I could look it over.” He tried to ease up his tone, soften it.
”It's not as bad as it looks. I mean, I wasn't in the thick of it.”
Which meant one thing. It was worse than it looked right now. And that the dim lights hadn’t even begun to show him the damage that was on her skin. His hands tightened to the point that he wouldn’t be surprised if his nails broke skin on his palm. He knew that ‘wasn’t in the thick of it’ only meant that she wasn’t in City Hall or the hospital. Maybe? Those seemed to be the worse hit, the police station, while it was still part of it, had less civilians and it seemed that was more of a department thing than anything else. At least what he had heard and seen through some of the news reporting. And he heard it first hand from the ones who left the moment it got out of control.
“ I can't just take over your space like that. I'll be fine, really.”
But he was already moving forward and wrapping her against him. She stiffened, but didn’t move away and he took that as enough of an okay to continue his hold, tightening it a little as her body leaned into him. “Nonsense, you can invade my space. This is a safe space.” He was used to this, in the sense of offering a safe haven. Normally they’d come to him and the secret room in the back was made up with a few sitting/sleeping places, depending on how you used them. Even stocked with some basics to eat and a few other supplies one might need while hiding out. And his building was made of metal, meaning that they were secured and hidden from prying eyes or break ins. The weakest point would be someone ripping down the shutters to the office. But he had means to keep others away from there as well.
A small movement started, and he looked down at the top of her head as he suddenly took in her shoulders shaking. Her body trembling in his arms. And that was when it clicked. She was crying. Her hands moved to wrap her arms around his neck and his heart crushed a bit at the feeling. This tough little firecracker who was not intimidated by him was having a moment of weakness and he felt the strongest urge to protect her. And he’d do just that. With his arms already around her, he leaned down just enough to wrap them around the small of her waist and pop her off her feet, moving to carry her upstairs to his apartment. If she struggled, he’d at least try and tuck her and lead her to his room. He secured the door to the stairs behind him and moved them slowly up the stairs.
The lighting in his room was brighter, but the bulbs gave off a warm glow instead of harsh hospital lighting. His hand on her back made small circles to try and soothe her. “Little one, let me see.” He tried his best to have her look to him. He wanted to see her, her injuries that he was sure she was trying to down play for him.
She hesitated too long. At least for his liking. He almost spoke up again, maybe she didn’t hear him. But she had stopped, so she heard something. In his mind, with her hand movements before she turned around, he knew something wasn’t right. He wasn’t dull. He knew that she was trying to collect herself before she turned to face him. Though he could not help the small smirk that lifted the corner of his mouth as she stared at his chest. He hadn’t really thought that through when he opened the door, but he was glad that he hadn’t. It was nice to see her eyes running over him.
”I wanted to come check on the bike, and I guess I didn't realize how much longer walking takes.”
His brow quirked at her as she slipped past him and into the office. The light was low and he was looking over her. Her body language was throwing off all kinds of warning signals. Her voice was chipper and smooth. He didn’t know which one was lying for a moment as he stood there, mirroring her pose and crossing his arms over his large chest. He was running his eyes over her a second time when he noticed. The bandage on her hand. His immediate response was to move forward, but after a step he stopped. She seemed jumpy as it was and the last thing he wanted to do was cause her to run.
But when his eyes traveled back up her neck and face, he saw much worse things marking her skin. Bruises. Immediately his blood ran hot and his arms flexed as he tried his best to keep his hands under his arms. “Ezra, please tell me you were not out during all of this...” his tone was low, his blue eyes staring at her from across the office as she went on to say something about returning tomorrow. His head immediately shaking, his blonde hair still damp, smacked his shoulders as he did so. “You aren’t going anywhere at this time. Curfew is in effect and the power is about to go out. And after everything...” He didn’t even want to continue the sentence as he looked her over again.
Oh heaven help whoever did this to her. He couldn’t stop himself anymore, and he came forward. His large hands slipping over her shoulders and pulling her to his chest, holding her against him without locking her there. Allowing her to pull away if needed. But oh dear god, he didn’t want to see what was marking her skin. He knew that once he invited her deeper into his apartment, where the lighting was a bit better, he knew it would be much worse than what he could see in this low light.
The riots were not something that he was ready for. Sure he had heard talk around that something might be happening, but his heads up was when he had people banging on his garage door to be hidden. Now, the people he had let in were the ones who ran the moment things really took a downturn. When opening fire on innocent people had started and what they thought would just be a raid to get supplies to those who were denied help had turned into something completely terrifying. He had sheltered a lot. To the point that it was uncomfortable with just how many people he had in the shop. This was supposed to be a safe place for one or two people at a time. Not for a crowd. Especially not during the time where there was a deadly outbreak as well.
As soon as it was safe to do so, he started sending people out. Small groups until there were no more left. Thanking the heavens that the majority had kept the place clean, thanking him for helping them. He went about sanitizing everything. He did not want to get sick, nor did he want it lingering on things to get other sick. As he cleaned and came across the bike parked in his garage, he thought about the pistol that was Ezra. The little blonde who he had been texting now for a few days, trying to nail down a time to take her on that date that she had said he could take her on. Obviously they hadn’t agreed on something just yet and with everything that had happened the past twenty four hours, he was glad that they hadn’t made plans. She didn’t need to see what he was up to. Not yet.
He was moving to another surface in the office, and was making a mental note to text her and check on her. The idea that she could have been out during that made his chest tight, and he didn’t like the feeling. So he focused on scrubbing down the desk in front of him. No, she was probably at home and safe. Watching from her local new station or listening to the radio from the safety of her office or her home, right? He found himself scrubbing the desk a bit too hard and immediately let up. Taking a shaky breath he finished wiping it down and that was the last place that needed to be cleaned. Which meant he now needed to shower himself and get into some clean clothes.
He caught a look at the time and didn’t even realize that they were coming up on the mandatory shut down of time. He let out a small groan, it was always off for way too long in his opinion. He gathered his battery powered fan, a few candles, lit them around his room before he jumped into the shower. He was towel drying his hair when he heard a noise, the sweat pants hanging on his hips moved as he made his way down the stairs to the office and looked on the CCTV screen, to see a movement outside his door front. “Dammit, I just got everything clean.” Jasper said until he suddenly recognized the blonde head that seemed to be turning away to leave.
He immediately moved to the door, towel draped over his bare shoulders as he opened the door. “Little one?” He called out to her retreating form. “What are you doing here? Come inside.” He had almost commanded her, but he meant it because it was past curfew which meant that patrol would be out any second. He opened the door and made space for her to enter his office. If she was to enter, he’d close and lock the door behind them.
"Don't be sorry, it was a long time ago. I'm pretty sure I've got a really good chance at becoming some comic book super hero, honestly."
Even though she joked about it, he was sure that it still hurt. And that having some random guy you just met poke fun at something that was attached to good memories didn't make it easier. Hell, he was sure that he wouldn't have handled it as smoothly as she did. Jasper had to admire that about her. Though it also made him think that maybe during actual times of distress that she might hide behind that same dark humor. "Only if you get great superpowers." He joked back lightly at her.
And then he was pulling her in. Her small hands landing on his chest made the breath come out of his lungs in a hurry. He liked the way that they rested there, and all too quickly she pulled away from him. As if he was on fire. Which he certainly felt that way now that she was nice and close to him. She looked surprised by his actions, which is what he was trying to do. And he was further drawn in by her by the fact that she didn't try to place any distance between the two. Even when he started talking about taking her out on a date. Like he was some respectable gentleman.
"I feel I should warn you that I don't eat salads."
Jasper shrugged a shoulder and lifted a dark eyebrow at her. "Well thats good, the place I want to bring you doesn't serve those." He tossed back at her. Not that there was anything wrong with salads. Hell, every so often he enjoyed one. But at least he now knew she wasn't a vegetarian or vegan or anything like that. Meaning safe bets for being able to offer her a date that he was thinking about. Especially now that he insulted her about the whole dad's car thing.
When she asked him when, and mentioned having a dog, he perked up a little bit. "Maybe the dog can come along." He offered, a small smile on his face. He didn't have any pets of his own but he enjoyed them when he could. "Well, I can get an order in for parts today, but it probably won't be filled until tomorrow. So depending on availability of them and shipping times during this time... it could be a few days before I can have this girl out of the shop." He patted her bike lightly on its side, as if it was a stead of its own.
He wiped his hands clean on his jeans before he reached into a pocket and pulled out his phone. With a quick swipe of his finger, he unlocked it and opened the contacts area, handing it to her. "If you put your info in, I can call you when things are in. And we can work out the cost later. In the meantime, you can text me and we will set up a date." He kept saying the word date, and even though it was an odd thing, he felt excitement stir in his chest. It had been a while, and he didn't mind the idea of dressing somewhat nice for her and trying his luck at charming her.
So far it didn't seem like he was doing such a bad job at it. Jasper decided then to lean down to her just a little, a teasing smile on his face as he looked into her eyes. "So is that a yes, you will go out on a date with me?"
“Honestly, sometimes I'd prefer to be doing work like this. It's exhausting interacting with people sometimes.”
He chuckled. He understood that on a level. Back before the pandemic, he was the man behind the scenes. Just the mountain that moved in the shop and actually worked on the cars that people would get a look at through a window or when he dropped off keys back into the office when things were done. Mostly because he didn’t like being stared at with wide eyes or hearing ‘how's the weather up there?’ Or some other lame thing that he has heard a thousand times already. Now that the family left and he was the only one there? Well, he is both the face and the hands of the shop. “Sometimes. But every so often they will take you by surprise.”
Kind of like how she did with him. He normally would push people off but this fiery blonde was able to snatch his attention and he was rolling with it. And boy did he like the look that crossed her face when he said her name. And her hand was just as he pictured it, small, soft against his calloused one. Warm without causing discomfort or wet from being clammy. He was glad that the feeling was mutual because when his name rolled off her tongue, he felt like she kicked him in the rear. He released her hand and gave her a small shrug from one of his shoulders. “Glad it pleases you my lady,” he joked. It wasn’t like he had a choice in his name, it was something given to him a long time ago. Though he definitely didn’t feel like another name fit him any better. He didn’t look like a Michael or Derek. Jasper was something he felt like fit him well.
When he asked his question, he was expecting her to fire off with how much better the car looked or some movie that she had seen it in where it was a badass car. He had expected something simple and witty or easy to go off on. What he hadn’t prepared for, was the explanation that it was her father's car. Was, being the keyword in the sentence that let him know that the man wasn’t around anymore and that this was all from a fond memory of the man. Well didn’t that just make him feel like a giant jerk. Go ahead and get the stamp of ‘jackass’ and stamp it to his forehead now. He focused his eyes back on the work in front of them. When she stopped talking, he wasn’t quite sure what to say. “Sorry,” he apologized lightly for the way that he talked about it. Or perhaps about the thought of her losing someone close to her like that as well. All of it? Yeah, all of it. He was sorry.
“I didn’t realize it was more than just a pretty car.” He pressed on. He wasn’t really sure how to recover from it now and he fell silent for a moment between this and her taunting him about handling his car. When his response was out, and his eyes locked onto her face, he had to fight the urge to smirk at her. Though his eyes wandered over her as she leaned towards him. He couldn’t help it as he took in the curve of her body as she popped out a question that was going to get them both into some trouble if he let it get carried away. Like he really wanted to.
“How nicely do I need to ask?”
Jasper met her head-on, placing down the part that was in his hands on the tools that he had beside him. His arms shot out and grabbed either side of the seat under her, hands grazing the sides of her hips as he pulled her closer to him. He spread his legs so her knees would hit the seat between them, signaling they were as close as they could get at the moment. “You seem to be pretty smart. Why not ask nicely and find out?” He didn’t invade her space any more than pulling her close to him. He sat up straight, still towering over her even when he was sitting down. Though that had more to do with the fact that she was sitting as well.
The reason he didn’t lean into her, to give her easy access to his face was because he liked the crackling anticipation between them. And if he leaned towards her any bit, he might grasp her face and ravish her mouth with his. But he had a bit more manners than that. He’d at least like to buy the girl some food first before he did anything of that sort. “She’s probably going to be in the shop for a few days until I can get the right parts. Maybe I can treat you to lunch or dinner one day while we wait for them?” Yes, he was asking her out in his own, semi-awkward way. He didn’t do this regularly and wasn’t exactly the smoothest talker when it came to being serious and not teasing. But he was shooting his shot.
“Oh, I'm sure. You look like someone with a very active imagination.”
He couldn’t stop the wicked grin that found its way onto his face. Normally he was untrusting of new people. He would be polite but tiptoeing around topics and not really letting them in. But this little blonde had him intrigued, even during this pandemic where really he should be telling her to wait inside the waiting room under his apartment of sorts. Keeping a spacial distance between them, all that jazz. But instead, he was practically shoulder to shoulder with the woman and letting her into his workspace. Which he didn’t even want to think about the legal issues that could arise if she was to get hurt. “I was never good at art. But I am great with my hands and listen to coaching well.” he joked. He didn’t look over to her after he said it, just because he knew he might laugh or possibly make a stupid move.
As she mentioned she was a journalist, he almost felt his mind smack him. Not too exciting his ass. He glanced at her very quickly before he was back to the engine in front of him. She had a way of speaking, a way of asking questions to found out the truth that was underneath. She’d probably be persistent and not willing to back down from a challenge either. Nor would she give up if she got the wind of something good. A good journalist had to have those things. He was sure about that. Which meant she was either one of two things to him; a threat or possibly very useful. She might have information from the inside of things that a normal civilian might not know. Though she’d also have the resources to bleed him dry if he was caught on her bad side. This gave him a very interesting situation outside of the fact that he was attracted to her.
“It sounds more exciting than sitting in a garage all day and fixing engines.” He told her, leaning back a bit to put something down before he wheeled himself back into place next to her. He chuckled lightly as she went on giving him a hard time about him calling her little one. A soft shrug of his shoulders came before he answered, “I feel like you enjoyed it when I first called you that. So yes.” He gave her a knowing look. Challenging her to tell him differently. “Ezra. Well, I can’t promise I won’t call you little one. But it’s nice to meet you officially.” He wiped his hand off on his jeans and offered it for her to shake. He was also a bit curious how small her hand would be in his. “Jasper.”
“If I were picking for raw power, it probably would be a different car.”
At that comment, he felt like maybe, just maybe he was about to feel like a jerk for what he said. And he couldn’t help the next words out of his mouth even if he wanted to. “Then why did you pick it?” It wasn’t a tease or a joust. It was a curious question that he actually wanted to know from her. He looked down at her, their gazes locked as she seemed to find his comment about his car that amusing. He had a feeling she was going to have a witty little comment back for him. And he wasn’t disappointed as she started off with how embarrassed he’d be. He gave her an ‘oh really’ look, brows raised high in a challenge. And then she hit him with the question that just about booted him in the rear.
“You sure you even know how to handle her correctly?”
His first thought was how he was going to prove her so wrong. Whether he meant from the driver's seat or by picking her up and dragging her up the set of stairs behind him, he wasn’t quite sure. But he contained himself, knowing he was more of a gentleman than that. At least for the time being. “Oh sweet little Ezra. Trust me, I know how to handle her perfectly.” He said, moving to pull apart a few more pieces of her engine and start cleaning them off, his eyes inspecting the parts as he went for anything that gave away what was happening. “If you really think you could do much better, if you ask nicely, I may just let you show me how to handle her.” His blue eyes looking above the part in front of him to lock eyes on to her. Would the challenge be accepted?
"I won't touch a thing. I don't make enough to reimburse have the equipment in here."
A deep chuckle came from him as she waved her small hand around his shop. Even though it wasn't truly his, he considered it his own in a way. He knew that it all looked fancy and nice, even if there were grease stains on the concrete below them. "I couldn't afford to replace half the things in here. But I am sure we could work something out to pay off your debt." He kept his eyes on the bike in front of him, but the smallest of smiles tugged at the corners of his mouth. He was going to enjoy teasing her. Though she started it earlier. So he would blame this on her if she brought it up. "What do you do?" He thought to ask after the fact, but he was curious now.
As she slid her seat into the space next to him, he slowed his movements, listening to her retort on the girls around their parts. "Not all of them can have good taste in cars, little one. Or else men would really be thrown out of their element." He teased, his hands pulling apart one part and let out a small cuss as liquid that shouldn't be there started leaking out. He whipped a rag from the station on his side and caught the majority of it before it hit the ground. "Lesson here, this should not have oil in it as much as it does. Which means you have a leak somewhere." He slowly removed the rag, making sure that it was done pushing out the liquid before he started a closer inspection.
"Dream car: 1970 Dodge Challenger."
He raised an eyebrow and glanced over at her at that point. Normally if someone was trying to just say something to impress him, it was like 'oh a classic mustang' or something along those lines. Clearly not really versed in the car world. Though a challenger wasn't a unique car, it was a specific year that caught his attention. "The only way that one is acceptable is if it's a semi." He commented, pushing his chair back as he grabbed another tool before he slid back to his spot. Possibly getting a little closer than before to her. But it was more to see if she'd squirm away from him. His build was intimidating sometimes. And he liked seeing how others responded to him sometimes.
Jasper nodded towards his Impala. "That's my dream car. And she didn't always look like that. Lots of hours went into her, all spent well for the way she purrs now." He explained, blue eyes glancing over at her. "So your little Dodge Challenger doesn't even come close to her." He challenged.
