A Little Loss of Innocence

We were under the open sky. It was just past midnight, yet it was barely dark outside, here in this northern capital, so close to the summer solstice.

We were at a popular outdoors club by the waterfront. It was only open during the summer.

Across the water and behind the city, there was light lingering on the horizon. The world was blurry, and music boomed in my ears.

I couldn’t feel the night chill while surrounded by all the dancing people. Jasper was in front of me; we were dancing together.

He was hot, tall, and strongly built. He looked at me with clear blue eyes and smiled.

He had the kind of smile that spoke of promises, but right now it whispered of mischief. I had called him while I rushed from my family home toward the closest bus stop.

I had asked him if he had any suggestions on how to properly celebrate my graduation, and if I could stay over at his place. He was going out with his friends and had invited me to come along.

Jasper was a couple of years older than me, but we had stayed friends after he’d joined a squad. We had continued to spar together sometimes before my evening classes at the headquarters.

A couple of weeks ago, we had been alone in one of the junior combat studios. He had suddenly kissed me after he’d bested me while sparring.

It had not been an innocent kiss. It had involved a lot of grinding and skin contact.

A teacher had almost walked in on us, but we were able to feel all supernatural energies, including each other’s. We had felt him approach and sprung apart in time, but the way his skin had felt against mine had left my body hungry.

Hungrier than it already was. Anyway, that had led up to my decision to call him.

It was time to find out if the hunger could be satisfied. I did not love Jasper, but I trusted him, and I did not believe he was in love with me either.

I had heard rumors about him in the locker room at our headquarters. I wouldn’t be the first to sleep with him among the girls, and I doubted I’d be the last.

I smiled right back at him when I felt his hand around my waist, sliding to my back before he used it to pull me against him.

“Want to go home yet, Princess?” he spoke seductively, right into my ear so I’d hear him over the music.

I smirked at his bluntness. Princess was a nickname I had at the headquarters just because I had rich parents.

“Depends on what you’re inferring?” I replied, feeling brave.

Jasper chuckled before he bent down and kissed me, right in the middle of the crowd.

They didn’t care though, and I didn’t either. All that existed in this moment was the heat between us and the loud music.

“Let’s go home and play cards?” he laughed.

“You’re so silly, Jasper,” I giggled and shoved him.

He offered me his hand once he was done laughing, and I accepted it without a second thought.

“I was very surprised when you called me. I didn’t think you liked drinking,” Jasper said once we had said goodbye to his friends and were out on the street.

“I didn’t think so either,” I admitted.

I had turned all previous invitations to go out for drinks down, since I was busy with school and wanted perfect grades. With it just being the two of us, I began to grow nervous even though I was a little drunk.

I shivered from the cool night air. I wasn’t wearing anything over my graduation dress.

Jasper let go of my hand and swiftly pulled his sweater off.

“Here, I don’t feel the chill,” he said, handing it over to me.

I accepted it gratefully and put it on. The sun was already rising and birds were chirping.

“Did you leave home in a hurry?” Jasper asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, my dad was being annoying. He’d rather have me study than hunt demons,” I chuckled nervously.

“Oh, you mean like every parent?” he laughed.

“If all of us went to school instead, there wouldn’t be any more schools. Our work is vital to our world’s balance,” he argued.

“Well, I’d honestly feel like I’d completely wasted my time learning how to fight demons if I never actually get to fight demons,” I said and rolled my eyes.

***

I had just gotten my heels off when Jasper wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against his chest.

He kissed me when I turned my head to look up at him. The heat between us was comforting, and the nervousness I’d felt in the stairwell up to his apartment melted away.

I completely gave up control to him. He moved my hair over one of my shoulders and began kissing down the side of my jaw, then moved down my neck.

He grabbed the bottom of the sweater he had lent me and pulled it over my head. I tried not to flinch when he pulled the zipper of my dress down.

It fell to the ground when he pushed the straps holding it up over my shoulders, leaving me exposed in my nude-colored underwear. Jasper didn’t waste any time.

His hands slid over my waist. One hand moved up to grab my chest while the other moved below the hem of my panties.

I flinched when his finger moved between my legs.

“Already so wet,” he chuckled approvingly.

I hadn’t noticed at all, but then again, my world was spinning a little. I moaned out and almost lost my footing when his fingers entered me.

“Damn, Bella,” he said, sounding a little pained and amused before he nibbled the nape of my neck and retracted his fingers.

I wanted more and turned around to kiss him. He moved his hands down along my waist and back to grab my butt, before he moved them down my thighs.

I took the hint and jumped while he heaved me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He carried me into the bedroom, where he let me down on the bed before he proceeded to strip.

I looked at him, letting myself admire the shapes of his muscles. They were well defined.

I was beginning to feel a little nervous again at the loss of skin contact, especially when he took his boxers down and I saw the full length of him. He smiled smugly at me, noticing where my eyes were.

I looked up and smiled just as smugly back at him. I might be a bit nervous, but I pushed it aside.

I was determined to see this through. I wanted this.

He leaned over me on the bed and grabbed the hem of my panties, pulling them off in one swift movement. I’d barely had time to register what had happened before he was on top of me and kissing me.

I felt his hand over my butt and down my thigh, grabbing it to spread it open. I suddenly panicked when I felt him at my entrance; I hadn’t expected it so soon.

I was just thinking about trying to slow him down when he pushed into me, and I cried out instead.

It stung, much worse than I thought it would.

He didn’t notice and took my reaction as one of pleasure instead. The pain subsided and did turn into pleasure.

“More,” I moaned, and he rocked into me harder.

I wrapped my legs around him and tried to meet his thrusts to feel him deeper. It worked, and I threw my head back from the sensation.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. I felt him slow down and stiffen while groaning.

I realized he must have finished. He collapsed on top of me and lay there for a moment before he pulled out.

I was still at a high, wanting more.

“Did you come?” he asked after rolling to his back.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, feeling a little flustered.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cum that fast, you just suddenly felt way too good,” he confessed with a sigh.

He was probably a little embarrassed. “It’s all right. It was nice,” I said, not sure about what else to say.

Jasper looked at me, a little confused. “You’re done?” he asked.

“You’re not done?” I asked, getting up on my elbows.

“I don’t have to be, unless you are of course. Never heard of a second round?” he asked, looking mildly confused.

I’d never had a first round before, but there was no way I was telling him that. “Of course I have, but I have to get up early,” I excused myself so he wouldn’t find out.

“Right! Don’t your exams at the headquarters begin tomorrow? I had completely forgotten about that,” he said, looking at me with dread and surprise.

“You should have prioritized sleep,” he muttered.

Jasper was right. I should have. I was probably going to have a hangover too.

After I’d cleaned up, I got to borrow a T-shirt and boxers from him to sleep in. I was surprised to find them very comfortable.

I hoped he hadn’t figured out that I was a virgin; I didn’t want anybody to own my first time. He likely wouldn’t have slept with me if he knew.

He’d probably say some bullshit about doing it with someone you loved the first time, and I didn’t want that. My body was hungry, and I had yet to fall in love.

I didn’t know what I was expecting to feel, but I imagined it would be a little like the warm embrace from my dreams. I always felt so happy when I was dreaming.

***

~I held a silver dagger in my hand. I was afraid, but determined. I placed the tip against the skin on my arm.~

~I didn’t flinch when it slashed through my skin, and I began to carve, while blood trickled down my arm.~

~The mysterious symbols I formed should have been unfamiliar, yet they felt like a second language.~

~“No!” a man’s voice said loudly, almost with enough force to make the room shake. I didn’t look at him, just continued to carve, even though it stung, and I was afraid.~

I woke up to the sound of Jasper’s alarm. My heart was racing.

What was that dream? It felt too real.

I sighed at myself and tried to calm down. “It was just a dream,” I whispered to myself.

I was probably just nervous about the exams…