Glaring is Caring [Jesse]

It had been a long, long time since Jesse had scrapped with anyone. At least on purpose. The last time he’d instigated it had been back at the compound, trying to kick Jacob Lawrence’s high and mighty ass. It had ended with a dislocated shoulder, and a sleeper hold that had seem him into MSAD’s doctor’s office. The memory alone still made him shudder for numerous reasons. Since then, he hadn’t been the instigator again. Verax had kicked the crap out of him when he’d first come back to Pilot Ridge, but he hadn’t fought back. At the time, he’d deserved it. He probably still did, too. That and more. He had a sin or two to repent for. If being on the receiving end of a few key hits would help, he’d take it.

The only scars he bore now were his old gunshot wound, still an odd mess of healed skin. Once it had been to that point, he hadn’t allowed the former doctor he’d lived with to fix it further. He also had a few from his time at home, all carefully placed to be covered by clothing. Not that it mattered. Jesse had thought of cover stories for each and every one a long time ago. It was easier to wield them than think of excuses on the spot. Stuttering and grasping for straws didn’t only make you look weak, but made you look like a liar, too.

He was trying to relax after a particularly long session with Dr. Neville. Their meetings always left him slightly rattled, mostly due to having to face up to things he’d long since buried. He was still point blank refusing to talk about his relationship with Gabriel Underwood, and he was well aware that he was going to continue to attend sessions until he did. He just wasn’t ready. He’d spent so long dealing with the grief that had come with his mentor’s death that he didn’t know what it was to not carry it around with him. If he let go, he had a fear of losing him forever. It was better to just carry it with him, damn the consequences.

He’d taken his rabbit outside for a bit of fresh air, confidence that he could run faster than the little animal if he felt like making a break for it. It wasn’t wearing a harness because that was stupid. He wasn’t going to lay in the grass holding the end of a tiny leash, no. Instead, he was just keeping an eye on it as the thing hopped around and nibbled grass and dandelions.

All it took was one moment of closing his eyes and not paying attention. One second the rabbit was there, the next it was taking off across the yard. Jesse looked at the disappearing black tail and hissed a curse under his breath before getting to his feet and chasing it.

... Okay. He’d stopped near a kid. A kid looking a little rough, but a kid. ... Was he eating his shoelaces? He frowned and leaned forward, scooping the rabbit into his arms. “Don’t run away, dumbass,” he grumbled, running his hands over the rabbit’s ears. Once he was assured that his pet was safe, he gave the kid a look. “And you. Don’t let him eat your laces. God knows where they’ve been.” If his new pet got sick because of him, there would be hell to pay.

O...kay. Kid now had funny looking arms. Well, this was Hammel. Stranger things happened. Still, Jesse was vaguely ticked off. Mostly at himself for letting Tyrone run away, but he was fine to deflect that elsewhere. The kid made a nice target. Yes, he was trying to change for the better, but dammit, it was hard and he needed to figure out some kind of outlet beyond chain smoking.

“It’s your fault because you let him,” he growled back, like it was painfully obvious to everyone else. Now he was closer and had Ty back, he actually looked at the kid. Beyond the odd appearance to his arms, he was... shit, the kid was skinny. Probably one of those metabolism freaks that couldn’t keep weight on. He looked a little rough, sure, but didn’t they all from time to time? Maybe he was a scrapper. That could explain it.

Regardless. He didn’t feel bad for him. Not really.

“I don’t care if they’re new or eighty years old.” Yes, he was still in a bad mood. That wasn’t going anywhere quickly.

He’d never been in a position like Clement’s. His father had had the means to provide the family with more than enough of everything, even if it was just for show. He’d never wanted for anything growing up. Designer clothes, the latest electronics, they’d had everything. It had felt hollow, sure, but it had all been there. Even at Hammel, he’d had a loaded credit card ready to go whenever he needed it. And then there had been Gabriel, who had given him everything again. His car, money, wisdom. All in all, at eighteen Jesse really wasn’t too bad off. Even if Dr. Neville had said not to spend anything Gabriel had given him. Joke was on the old man. He planned to use that money.

Jesse was ready to dig into the kid again when he spoke up. For a moment, he backed off, trying to separate his irritation from... what? Pity? Ugh. He sighed and leaned back on one foot. “What’d you do that was dumb enough to break ribs, kid?” He actually knew what that felt like, though he’d never give the real reason why. His cover had been that his brother had been responsible while roughhousing. Everyone had believed it. Even his own mother.

After a moment of debate, he flopped down on the bench and sat Ty on the space between them. “If you wanted to touch him, do it now, or forever hold your peace. ...Or whatever.” With that, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes from his pocket, as well as his lighter and toyed with them, watching the kid from the corner of his eye.

And the rabbit. So help him if Ty made another break for it.

Jesse knew all too well what wayward powers did, and talking about them was even less fun. Though his own powers were less obvious about it, it was only his dream manipulation that tended to go a little haywire. It sometimes resulted in night terrors that likely woke his roommates now that he was back in the dorms. He still had to find a way to control that, but training it was difficult.

The kid looked you, too. He was probably new, or at least a recent addition to the place. New with powers yet uncontrolled. It wasn’t like that was rare, but coupled with the kid’s appearance and admission about the broken ribs? That was a little less common. Somewhere deep down he felt something akin to what he tended to feel around his little sister, but he quickly squashed it. He wasn’t here to make friends or play happy family. He was here to train, go to class, graduate, and get the hell out. He couldn’t afford distractions, even if he kept being told he needed to make an effort to make friends.

One eyebrow arched up at the answer he was given. “Kid, you’re too fucking young for beer.” Not that he was one to talk. He actually surprised himself by saying it. What did he care if the kid got shitfaced on his own time? Didn’t he do just that when he was... okay, not at young as the kid looked, but still. This protective urge needed to slither off and die in a dark hole, because Jesse was getting tired of it already. He was protective of his little sister, and that was it. Seriously.

All the same, if he wanted to touch the damn rabbit, he’d let him. He took careful measures to make sure he was nowhere near being close to touching the kid, and Ty worked as a kind of barrier. Having a buffer helped in dealing with interactions, and as long as the kid wasn’t going to hurt his pet, he would let him sit there with Ty. The little rabbit actually seemed to enjoy the new person, snuffling at his leg and leaning into the attention he got.

Jesse, on the other hand, was trying to ignore the boy, though he did keep an eye on his rabbit. The question made him sigh and tilt his head back. “Tyrone,” he muttered. “Don’t bitch about it either. A friend named him.” His only friend, if he was honest. And he hadn’t been about to tell his only, pregnant, hormonal former operative friend no.

Jesse generally looked irate when he was on the Hammel grounds. Though he was trying to curb that habit, it was sometimes hard. Especially if he happened to see the trainer responsible for his mentor’s murder. It was all he could do to keep his hands to himself and his tongue in check as he walked by. Those days were harder, and it was for that reason that he avoided the hell out of the training hallways unless he had no choice.

The blond gave the kid a look of slight surprise when he admitted that he knew he was too young for beer. So... why had he done it in the first place? Jesse didn’t want to think about reasons why, because who knew? Maybe they’d hit closer to home than he really wanted things to. This was why he didn’t make friends.

“I don’t care why you did it. It was dumb.” Even more dumb than just underage drinking, if his appearance was anything to go by. Not that he was one to preach, being that he’d been under eighteen when he’d first drank, and he’d been smoking longer illegally than legally.

At least Ty didn’t seem to care about any of this. He was getting attention, and now he had a home he thrived on it. Jesse just kept a cautious eye on him, ensuring he could catch him before he launched off of the bench and took off through the grass again.

The question made Jesse snort and roll his eyes, pushing his bangs away from his face. “Because it’s a dumbass name for a rabbit. Couldn’t tell the person that named him that, though.” Not if he’d wanted to live. He had let Fifi name him as a way to cheer her up. Just because he disliked what she picked didn’t mean he’d change it, though. Stupid as it was, he still felt a vague tug of loyalty towards Fifi, especially since they’d both been out of MSAD. He owed her, and if naming his rabbit something stupid was a small way to repay her, he’d deal with it.

Questions. The kid had a lot of them. Jesse sighed and shook his head. “You ask a lot of questions, but no. I don’t.” After a pause, he hunched his shoulders and clasped his hands, resting his forehead on them. “I do worse than that. I get into your head, change memories. Dreams, if you’re sleeping, too.” He wasn’t sure if he was trying to scare the kid or not. He seemed kind of... skittish already, and really, Jesse’s steam for antagonism was running low. “Pyrokinetics are stupid as a rule, though. If you’re gonna be a bitch with your powers, at least be subtle about it.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ty move. The flop got his attention, but only a fraction of it. He really wasn’t worried about his pet moving anywhere now. And, because he’d decided he wasn’t actively trying to spook the kid, he just shook his head. “He’s fine. You made him happy is all. He’ll get up in a minute.” Maybe. If Clement stopped touching him.

The irritated look on the kid’s face actually gave Jesse an odd sense of amusement. How often had he given others that very same look at that age? Too many to count, probably. Done behind certain people’s backs, of course. It made him smirk slightly. Sure the comment had been born more of an almost-caring feeling, but the reaction it had sparked was unexpected. And pretty entertaining.

Ty’s name had come about as a distraction for Jesse’s former ally. He’d been pretty proud of it at the time. At least until she’d given Ty a stupid name. He was getting used to it, but really. Tyrone. Thank you so much, Fiona. “Yeah, it’s just a name. Like Hitler’s just a name.” Yes, he was sulking. He’d been hoping to win people over to his side when it came to stupid pet names. Oh well. At least Ty had a name now, rather than being called just ‘bunny’ or ‘hey you.’

The kid’s reaction to the knowledge that he wasn’t a pyrokinetic was also a little surprising. It looked like relief, which he could understand. He just didn’t get the reasoning for it. Not until he explained. A tiny frown took over as he swallowed the urge to haul off and track down the pyro responsible. Rixon wasn’t this big of a dick, he was pretty sure. Then again, if it had been over beer... maybe he could bribe it out of the kid. Somehow.

“I’ve never been on fire,” he admitted. “But if I wanted, I could make you think you were two years old again. Wipe your entire memory clean.” It would probably also punch a huge hole in his own memory banks, which didn’t sound all that desirable. “Not that I would.” Not unless he had a very, very good reason.

“... Pyrokinetic. Fire starters?” He didn’t know how else to tactfully explain what a pyrokinetic was, mostly because he didn’t like most of them. Well. Rixon. But that didn’t really matter, unless Rixon had been the one to burn the poor kid. “That’s the power that makes fire,” he tried again. God. Since when had he possessed this much patience?

He glanced down at Ty again, who looked like he was soaking in the attention. The blond made a small mental note to keep him out of his cage tonight and try to bond with him some more. Maybe he’d track down that animal talker girl from the pet store and see if she could talk to him, make sure he was happy.

When the kid asked for his name, Jesse almost wanted to walk away. He knew his reputation around the school. At one point he might have delighted in it, but now? Now it was almost a source of shame. There would be no escaping it if the kid had heard anything. “Jesse,” he answered, voice softer now. “What about you?”

Jesse snorted at the response he got and ran his fingers over Ty’s hind legs. “I value my life more than a name change. An old friend named him for me, and you don’t mess with pregnant girls and what they want.” Even he knew better than that. Fifi had seemed so happy after giving the rabbit a name that he’d feel bad about changing it. He’d just sulk about it until he was used to it.

He kept stroking Ty’s legs, careful to avoid touching Clement. His question took him by surprise. Make someone remember being born? Well, if he delved back far enough... maybe. He’d been told that his searching through memories felt like idle thoughts to those he did it to. If he flipped back far enough, could he make that kind of memory come back? He didn’t know, so he shrugged. “I’ve never tried. Who’d want that, anyway?” He couldn’t think of a reason someone would want to remember that kind of thing. He was more used to people wanting memories wiped, not restored.

He’d been idly threatened with the notion of having his memory wiped before, and he couldn’t say that the thought had excited him at the time. Though there were key things he thought about having removed from his memories, he hadn’t actually acted on it. Removing his father from his memories was one thing, or at least the things he’d done to him growing up. But removing his mentor was something that had crossed his mind, only to be tossed aside. He didn’t know what it was to not carry around the grief from his death, and he was scared to find out. Dr. Neville could take anything else away from him. Just not that. Not Gabriel.

If Clement was going to sulk over the lack of a science term for his power, then Jesse could join him too. Memory and dream manipulation was just that. Nothing more, and nothing fancy to call it. Not that it bothered him. He didn’t care, as long as he could wield it properly.

He arched a pierced eyebrow, but said nothing at Clement’s attempts to get the word. With more patience than he normally showed, he just sighed and said it again. Slower, this time. He wasn’t going to be an ass about it, shockingly. “Pyro, kin, etic.” Hopefully that would help him.

Not that he cared. Of course not.

“Okay. Clement.” It was better than kid, he supposed. Sort of. “What were you even doing out here? Avoiding your roommates?” It was something he knew a little about. Or a lot. Especially when rumors trailed the halls after him. “Not that it matters. Free country, I guess.”

Fiona was Jesse’s first experience with anyone pregnant beyond his own mother, and he couldn’t remember his mother ever being that moody. Granted, she’d been older, and more experienced with it. Still, he’d been nice and let her hug on Tyrone, and, when that had gotten old, hug him. It had taken a lot of will power, but he’d let her do it, and even hugged her back after a while. She had a weird effect on him, and it wasn’t something he wanted to think about.

“The problem with making someone remember that is how deep you have to go,” he said with a shake of his head. “Even doing it once, there’s a shitton of stuff to go wrong. ‘Sides, God only knows how many of my own memories I’d destroy.” His memories were already spotty due to the dozens of changes he’d made for Gabriel under his training regime. He didn’t want to deal with them going any further south. “Screw the scientists. ... And the doctors.” He’d never cooperate with them, no matter the compensation. The very idea of being near them, even for something like memory retrieval, bore a very, very large red flag for him. No thanks.

Huh. So he wasn’t avoiding roommates. Though the mention of the resident doctor made him wince involuntarily, he tried not to show it. “Well, it’s a hell of a lot better our here than in there.” Jesse jerked his head in the general direction of the buildings, not caring which one he actually indicated.

“Avoiding roommates.” What else was he supposed to say? “And to give Ty some fresh air that doesn’t smell like dirty teenager.” His dorms seemed to reek of it most days, no matter how much he tried to keep his room’s mess to a minimum. “Where’re you rooming?” Not that he cared. Honestly. He didn’t.

And why was that feeling of punching out any pyrokinetic he came across still burning? Goddammit, he did not care.