Summertime Surprise

[Deleted]

Jessie struggled to concentrate on the book in her hands. Despite how comfy her seat and surroundings were, her brain wasn't cooperating with her desire to read. The room she occupied at that moment in time was really something out of her dreams. The brunette couldn't envision anything more perfect than the reading nook she had found. The chair she had snuggled into was obscenely large for a lounge chair. She could sleep there all night if she wanted. The room was covered in warm, muted tones. It was perfect. She didn't have anything like this back home. 

She still couldn't believe she got out of going home for the summer. It was truly a miracle. A last minute miracle, but a miracle still. A loving friend of her's, Sofia, had offered to let her stay at her family's home in London. Home was truly an understatement however. Truthfully, it was a house unlike any she had seen before. Mansions were few and far between in her hometown in Georgia. The whole ordeal was surreal. 

It was entirely too good to be true. Because it wasn't just any friend that had invited her to stay. Her dear friend was none other than Simon's twin. At first, she seriously considered declining. They hadn't had the best of friendships. Though the last few weeks of term caused her to change her mind. Surely Simon wouldn't be upset with her presence in his home? Truthfully she hadn't gotten the chance to discuss it with him. She figured Sofia would let him know at some point. 

And yet, as she clutched the book in her hands, her reading was interrupted by thoughts of Simon. It was late at night, and Sofia had long since gone to see her boyfriend. Jessie had only arrived that morning, but she had a feeling the summer would follow a pattern similar to this. Not that she minded, reading day in and day out sounded just fine to her. All day long, however, she had yet to see Simon. As the hours waned on, she grew more and more anxious to see him. Was he avoiding her? Did he even know she was here? 

simon sixten svendsen

[simon sixten svendsen]

It was officially summer and Simon couldn't be more relieved for the fact. The idea of no school, no books, and no naggy teachers - for a few weeks - put him at ease. It was hard to believe this would be his last summer before graduating Hogwarts, reality was setting in that he was going to be a seventh year and Gryffindor house captain. A feat he never thought would be possible with his academic track record, but he wanted to prove he was capable, so he'd do it. Simon was a man of his word, this would be a good way to keep him on top of his shit next year. Jessie had helped him raise his grades quite a bit this year, which he and his mother, were grateful for.

Tonight Simon took his time coming home to the Svendsen Manor. A small group of his friends decided to go to a pub to celebrate the end to the school year, so he spent  most of his night out to kick off the summer. His mother wasn't happy about him missing dinner but his argument was that he'd be home all summer with her. Sofia never mentioned bringing a visitor for the summer, which honestly wasn't a surprise. She most likely did it on purpose. As the young half vampire made his through the large front door and toward the stairs, Simon stopped dead in his tracks as he noticed someone in his peripheral who wasn't his mother, or Sofia - but familiar - nestled in the living room.

Simon tilted his head to the side, still slightly buzzed from the alcohol as his face was overcome with a mixture of confusion and surprise. He tried not to come home too intoxicated his first night home because he knew he'd never hear the end of it from his mother, but suddenly seeing Jessie in his home made him flustered. "Oh-" he froze, unsure where to go in his own home all of a sudden; his feet were glued to the floor. "Yooo-hey." he waved, then scratched the back of his neck and chuckled awkwardly. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." he said in a tone that more conveyed, 'what the hell are you doing here'. 

@jessiemeadows

[Deleted]

Her inability to read dragged on for a few more moments until she heard footsteps drawing nearer to her. Jessie subconsciously straightened her posture, head perking towards whoever was coming home so late. An odd sensation settled in her stomach when Simon entered her field of vision. He stopped suddenly, almost awkwardly. Something was off, she noticed. She frowned for a millisecond, worried he was mad that she was there. However, his demeanor made sense once he began speaking-- he was buzzed. She smiled slightly at the realization. Of course he'd go off drinking the first night home. A part of her ached to reprimand him, but she pushed that urge aside. For now. 

"Hey," the lioness replied, closing the book in her hands and tucking it between her side and the chair. She pulled a throw blanket across her legs while talking, "I'm guessing your sister didn't tell you?" she asked. Though she needed no response, she knew Sofia hadn't, based on his behavior.  A disgruntled sigh slipped past her lips. "I needed a place to stay. Your sister kindly offered," Jessie admitted, giving him the abridged version. He knew why she couldn't go home. She needn't repeat it.

The brunette eyed the half vampire in front of her, accidentally drinking in his appearance. It hadn't been terribly long since they had seen each other. Only a week or so ago, during their last tutoring session. His unruly hair was the same as always. Blue eyes still piercingly vibrant. He looked nice, she thought. "So, have a good night out?" she asked. Jessie didn't know if he wanted to go to bed, or if he wanted to chat. Striking up a conversation was better than awkwardly staring at him in silence. 

simon sixten svendsen

[simon sixten svendsen]

“No, she didn’t tell me.” he chuckled, finding it funny, but also not a surprise. They were the worst twins ever, sadly their unsatisfactory communication skills was nothing new.

The inebriated teen made his way around the large sofa, plopping himself onto the cushions and sinking in without a thought as she explained Sofia invited her over for the summer. That didn’t surprise him. The borders were shut down for anyone to leave, so many students were left stranded for the summer. As much as Jessie Meadows annoyed him during the school year, he wouldn’t want her to have to spend time in an orphanage. No one should have to do that.

Jessie didn’t have to go into detail about her situation. The awkward body language and tone said enough; they had talked about it in the past briefly in the library. His drunkenness made him feel more empathetic about her situation today, so his face softened, which he wasn’t completely aware of. His expression twisted into more of a boyish smile once he started to talk, ”Well, staying with Sofia will be fun if you enjoy alone time. She spends every waking moment with her new flavor of the week.” he stated with a snort. Simon almost felt bad for Jessie if she had any hopes of spending tons of ‘Girl Time’ with his sister. Jessie asked how his night out went and he was a little surprised she hadn’t bossed him around yet or berate him for being drunk and high. Crunk.

The lions shoulders shrugged upwards, feigning nonchalance. Truthfully he was kind of bummed that Claudia was still being cold towards him, not just a temporary thing like he was used to. ”It was good. Got word today I will be Gryffindor team Captain next year so I figured it would be a good reason to celebrate. ” he revealed, before shifting the conversation back to her. ”Hey, I’m glad you won’t have to go back to your family or some overcrowded orphanage this summer...” he said drunkenly, more thinking out loud than anything. Ruffling his messy hair he shook a finger at her, “Don’t you go around trying to be B-F-F’s with my mum to annoy me.” he warned more out of jest. Unfortunately for Simon, they were probably already well acquainted, knowing how cheery and social his mother was.

@jessiemeadows

[Deleted]

She shrugged when Simon confirmed that Sofia hadn't given him a heads up, as if to say, 'oh well.' Jessie only barely caught the soft expression on his face, before his goofy smile wiped it away. That look was common among those with whom she shared her family woes with. It was not a common thing for Simon, however. It happened occasionally, like when she cried in the library during one of their last meetings. Still, it wasn't common enough to stop her surprise. 

When he mentioned that Sofia wouldn't be around that often, that, however, wasn't surprising. "I had a sneaking suspicion it might be that way. But it's fine.  I have plenty of books I plan on reading over the summer," she said, picking up her book to show him before setting it down again. When Simon informed her that he was going to captain this year, a grin exploded on her face. A warmth spread across her chest. Happiness for him, she thought it was. It was similar to how she felt when she had finally heard that Simon's grades and test scores were sufficient at the end of term. 

"That's awesome," she admitted, still grinning. "I just might have to come to one of your games." As he mentioned that he was glad she didn't have to go home, the Lioness was once again reminded that he was slightly inebriated. She felt the urge to reprimand him again. But with the good news that he had heard, Jessie was willing to let it slide for the night. But just for that night. "Your mom had been lovely," she teased, pushing his pointing finger away from her. "I think we are well on our way to becoming BFFs."

simon sixten svendsen

[simon sixten svendsen]

Simon chuckled when Jessie admitted to having an idea of already spending most of her time solo, mentioning having plenty of books to fill the time. As she gestured for the book for Simon to see, he nodded, another title he didn't know. Admittedly, he wasn't a fan of reading, especially when it were assigned; it was hard enough for him to focus. The corners of his lips curled upwards,  "If you get bored you can come hang with me." Simon offered, fully knowing she'd be content with the books... Jessie was a nerd like that, but the least he could do was offer.

Jessie's face lit up when he shared the information about becoming house captain. For some reason he wasn't expecting her to be so excited for him. Her attitude alone got him excited about it again. As the Lioness mentioned having to attend a quidditch match one of these days, Simons head tilted to the side, "Psh. You better..." he urged in a threatening tone, trying to a pull a more scary look but the twinkle in his eye showed he was kidding. "It's because of you I was able to get my grades high enough to be considered." he told her, feeling some sort of pinch in his gut, warning him he was being 'too sentimental'. Simon took a breath, running a hand to ruffle his hair, "So if you need help beating up your bullies, or checking for vampires under the bed...or even a kiss goodnight, I'm your guy." he told her with a wink, knowing it could be taken more as flirtatious intent, however the rebellious side really wanted to see what he could get away with. There was no harm in flirting.

@jessiemeadows

[Deleted]

His smile triggered one of her own. "I'll hang out with you, sure. But only if you're doing something fun. I won't go riding a broomstick with you or anything though," she informed him. Jessie had a feeling it wouldn't take much to convince her. She drew the line at flying though. When he told her that she better go to a game, her eyes nearly rolled to the back of her head and got stuck there. He loved trying to be intimidating. Another warm feeling flushed her face as he explained that she was the reason he got the position he did. A soft pink tinge rested on her cheeks. "You could have done it without me. You just needed a push," she said, eyes straying from his. She wasn't lying. He was more than capable. He just didn't have the motivation all the time, she thought. 

He ran a hand through that mane of hair, as he referenced what happened a few weeks ago. Surprisingly, the half vampire actually did rescue her from a bully. An act that she was sure she wouldn't forget for a long time. When Simon finished his sentence, she felt as though she had been punched in the gut. Her head snapped back towards him, mouth falling open. Her cheeks lost their rosy shade, now turning scarlet red. A goodnight kiss? How drunk was he? "I'm sor-... what?" she managed to choke out, caught somewhere between mortified and..Nervous? She wasn't sure what else she was feeling, only that her gut was doing all sorts of gymnastics.  Still red-faced, Jessie tried her damnedest to regain her composure. "Well, you're a lot more buzzed than I thought," she mumbled. She was tense, and not totally sure why. 

simon sixten svendsen

[simon sixten svendsen]

"Psh, everything I do is fun." he proclaimed with a snooty nose raised toward the air. Simon was only pretending to have attitude with Jessie because she was sassy. It was fun to ruffle her feathers, he had to admit she was cute when flustered. "No offense, but you wouldn't have to worry about any invites to fly on a broom because you couldn't keep up." he stated, but he turned to her with a more hopeful smile and asked, "Hopefully you know how to ride a bike?"

Simon shrugged when Jessie was sweet enough to say that he was capable of his success without her, stating he just needed a little push. It was true, he did better under pressure, funnily enough with the micro manager Jessie Meadows breathing down his neck. This year he got the best marks he ever had in all of his classes, next year he had hopes to keep the same momentum. 

After making that stupid goodnight kiss joke he could instantly feel Jessie's awkwardness. Somehow he forgot he wasn't joking around with Claudia Watkins. Truthfully, he instantly wished he didn't say it, but she was quick to blame it on his drunkenness. "I'm not that drunk." Simon declared in denial, rolling his eyes defensively - probably making him appear more drunk. He puffed air through nostrils as he giggled to himself with a thought, he pointed a finger at her, "Someone hasn't been kissed and it shows. Fuck, I was only joking, there's no need to get all awkward about it." Simon stated bluntly but ended with a chuckle. He didn't mean it in a malicious way, joking about things getting awkward sometimes helped make the situation less awkward...or more...


@jessiemeadows

[Deleted]

Jessie had the distinct feeling that his idea of fun wasn't exactly her cup of tea. She could stay in and read all summer. But it wouldn't kill her to spend some time with an actual person, either.  And yes, she knew how to ride a bike. She didn't answer him out loud, hoping her eye roll was a good enough answer. Biking was a better alternative to flying. She wouldn't dare admit it to him, but there was no way she could keep up with his flying. 

Face still bright red, she gave him some side eye. "Okay, but you're probably not just buzzed," she quipped. The brunette figured there was a bit of pot in the mix as well, knowing Simon. Her mouth fell open once again when he stated that it was obvious she had never been kissed. Was it? Merlin knows Simon wouldn't let that fact go unnoticed if she confirmed it. The mortification she felt covered up whatever small, sinking feeling she felt when he declared he was just joking. 

Her face maintained it's color as she scrambled for something to say. Before she knew it, a fibb was flying out of her lips. "I have too! I've kissed lots of people," she sputtered. The words held little confidence. Jessie could feel herself sinking deeper in the chair, as if to escape from whatever teasing Simon might give her. Inwardly, she grumbled. She managed to sit up a little straighter, and face him directly. Jessie tucked a thick lock of hair behind her ear, trying to mustering up whatever false ego she could. "Besides, it's not like I'd ever kiss you."

simon sixten svendsen

[simon sixten svendsen]

Jessie called him out on most likely not ~only being buzzed. Apparently the Lioness knew him more than he thought.. For some reason he felt a tinge of guilt...like he wasn’t supposed to be high - but it immediately faded once he opened his mouth. ”Probably not...” he challenged her, feigning nonchalance. He was more high than drunk right now so she wasn’t wrong.

Simon could feel very awkwardness, it was actually quite funny how much she was stumbling over her words. She was too quick to defend herself so he caught on right away. The corners of his lips curled upwards again, trying to hide the humor from his face. Simon chuckled, sending her a quizzical look. “Hmm. That sounds like something a prude would say” he snorted.

Clutching a hand over his heart, he grimaced, ”Oooh that's unfortunate, I was hoping you’d wanna snog right now.” the young man drawled sarcastically, watching her reaction carefully. His tone lacking any true desire to actually do so, the neural expression on his face was a good indicator for that. Honestly if Jessie wanted to, he would have, because he was a hormonal teenage boy...but Jessie wasn’t that kind of girl.

@jessiemeadows

[Deleted]

Jessie frowned immediately at being called a prude. It wasn't her fault that she had never been kissed... it just never happened. Her feeling of embarrassment was fading. It was quickly replaced by anger, however. While being a familiar emotion she had around Simon, it wasn't something she had felt towards him in a quite a while. Reminding herself that she was in his home, Jessie bit her tongue. She didn't want to get kicked out for saying something petty. Though she doubted any serious repercussions could come of it, it was better to be safe than sorry. 

Her doe eyes watched as Simon theatrically clutched his chest. That triggered another eye roll. And yet, despite how aggravating he was, the diminutive lioness found herself thinking about his suggestion. He wasn't unattractive, not by any means.  Maybe if her eyes hadn't caught hold of his blue eyes, she would have said no outright. But she had, and her eyes quickly glided over him. After the eyes came the lips, which were probably more than just kissable. His jawline followed soon, perfectly cut and defined. On and on her eyes seemed to go, sweeping over him. They finally rested back on his own, before she tore them away at last. Her hesitation seemed obvious to herself. Hoping he hadn't caught it, she bit out a hard, "No."

simon sixten svendsen

[simon sixten svendsen]

Jessie didn't like being called a prude. The frown that crossed her face almost made him feel bad. Simon didn't want to make her feel bad about herself if it were something that she found sacred because it was more of a personal choice. If he wasn't drunk he probably wouldn't have been so invasive, so quickly.  

Simons jaw clenched ever so slightly when he felt Jessie's eyes on him, she was scoping him or something. Her hard 'no' following after caused the young Lion to erupt into a fit of giggles, alcohol and spliffs probably to blame. The answer was already obvious by the look of her face and body language, her verbally confirming it was the icing on the cake. If his parents witnessed him talking to Jessie that way they'd be mortified. That wasn't how they raised him to talk to a lady, even if he were messing with her. Simon rolled his eyes to the back of his skull, "Jeeze, calm down, Jessie. I haven't gotten you all huffy n' puffy in a while.." he commented dryly, hinting at a slow smile playing at the corners of his lips with a slight twinkle in his eyes because he knew that she probably wanted to kick him in the face about now. Jessie was cute when she was mad. He wouldn't comment that out loud to her right now in fear of putting her into cardiac arrest, so he'd save that for another day.

@jessiemeadows

[Deleted]

A breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding escaped her lips when Simon started giggling. Jessie watched as he nearly keeled over in laughter. If he noticed anything, it didn’t seem like he was planning on acting upon it. Or maybe he was too inebriated to catch on. Suddenly she was grateful they he enjoyed drinking and smoking. This time though, the sinking feeling in her gut was too noticeable to ignore.  Had she wanted him to notice? Did she want him to kiss her? Another frown crossed her features, this time out of confusion. What in Merlin’s name was going on with her? 

Simon’s voice pulled Jessie away from her thoughts. A surge of annoyance washed through her when he told her to calm down. “Oh trust me, I haven’t missed it,” she grumbled, relaxing against the chair once again. His eyes held a mischievous glint in them, as they always did.
She could feel the warmth in her cheeks slowing fading away. Thankfully. "I know you enjoy torturing me, but I don't exactly enjoy being pissed at you," the brunette admitted. 

It was true. Here lately, they had been nothing but kind to one another. A few snarky comments here and there. Playful, but not intentionally mean. He was good at conversing, and actually managed to make her laugh more often that not. Not that she would ever admit it out loud to anyone, let alone him... But Jessie genuinely enjoyed being around Simon. 

simon sixten svendsen

[simon sixten svendsen]

Merlin, why was Jessie Meadows so fun to mess around with? Her reactions to his words were animated, and truthfully, he could tell that she wasn't enjoying his company right now. Or...more like the nature of the conversation. To be fair, with a good book in her presence she probably wouldn't want the company of most.

As the petite girl admitted to not enjoying being pissed at him, he didn't even wait for a beat to react. "Well, don't be pissed at me then." he offered simply with a slow spreading shit eating grin, as if it were that simple. Ruffling his hair, "Maybe if you didn't take what I say so seriously and you'll have a better time." Simon suggested, pushing himself up off of the large cream colored sofa. Stretching animatedly and yawning, his blue eyes fell on Jessie, "Anyways, I'm beat. Nice talk." he jested playfully, knowing they didn't really have a captivating conversation, but it was entertaining nonetheless. As he got to the end of the grand staircase the half vamp turned one last time. "Goodnight Jessie--The offer still stands." the Lion dared to joke, more to see her reaction again before turning and climbing the stairs two at a time. It took everything in him not to laugh. Maybe he was being too ballsy by basically poking Jessie with a stick, but the Lioness was fun to mess with. 


@jessiemeadows

[Deleted]

Another eye roll was triggered when Simon told her not to be mad at him. Right. He didn't exactly make that an easy task. Jessie thought for a moment about what he said, to not take his words so seriously. Her eyebrows scrunched up in response. Not that she would tell him, but Simon was right. Though, it wasn't her fault that she liked for things to be literal. It made things a lot less confusing. 

"Well, goodnight then," she said, as he declared that he was off to bed. Within a few moments, the half vampire was up and already at the base of the staircase. She was about to raise her hand to give him a quick goodbye wave, before he spoke again. Jessie's face began to warm once again, and she quickly flipped him the bird. Another nervous wave coursed through her. Merlin, he truly loved torturing her. She watched as his form disappeared up the staircase. The lioness quickly crumbled against the chair once she was sure he was gone. She sat there for many minutes, muddled thoughts bouncing around inside her head. That entire interaction had been beyond weird. Not only that, but her reactions towards his words that evening had been odd as well. She half-wondered if he had enough marijuana smoke still on him to get her high. That was absurd of course.

A sudden, cold realization hit her, causing her stomach to drop. Her rampant thoughts were sliding into place, almost as if they were finishing a puzzle. The way she had wondered when Simon would come home, click. The near constant bout of anxiety she felt around him, click. How hard it was to tear her eyes off of him, click.  She hadn't gotten a second-hand high, as much as she wished that were the solution. Suddenly, the young lioness was having doubts about whether or not she should have come to stay at the beautiful mansion she was in. Because Jessie Meadows, Merlin help her, had a goddamn crush on Simon Svendsen.

simon sixten svendsen