Jason's Story - Part I
Summary: When Stackhouses meet Supes, lives change forever. We all know what happened after Sookie met Bill, but what about Jason? He met Crystal, and that changed lives too. This is Jason's story about his unwilling entry into the supernatural world. Set at the end of Dead and Gone, this tale begins as Jason, Michele, Hoyt and Holly head home after a double date in Shreveport. The night out was revealing. Inspired by the Every Picture Tells A Story Super Challenge (Random-Fandom)
Characters: Jason, Michele, Hoyt and Holly
Rating: Rated: T
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Disclaimer: The Sookie Stackhouse universe and characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I am only playing with them.
A night out - 25 February 2006
Jason ran off, fast as a scalded cat.
Holly tried to line up her shot. Jason appeared in stark silhouette against the bright backdrop of the illuminated, downtown Shreveport fountain. In regimented lines, the fountain's water jets spurted straight up, assertively, as if to contrast with the frenzy of Jason's wild movements. Holly concentrated hard, following his dark outline. It bounced and bounded - high and then low, high and then low - while the sparkling waters sloshed and splattered and squelched behind.
"I'll have to adjust for speed,' Holly remarked. "He's not running now. He's high-hurdling ... and fast."
Holly adjusted, pointed and shot this time. She caught Jason mid-stride.
"Gotcha," she said, with a smile.
"Good, because I never knew Jason could move like that," Michele replied. Surprise accentuated her husky, southern drawl.
Holly squeezed off another couple of shots, just to be sure she'd got him. Before this double date, Holly would have liked to shoot Jason with something more lethal than a camera. In her opinion, Jason thought a lot of himself, and not so much of other people, not even best buddies. Slightly over a year ago, after meeting one girl, Crystal Norris, Jason had dumped Hoyt, his long-term sidekick, without a backward glance. Jason seemed to be just great at moving on. Usually, the girl got left behind, but this time, it had been Hoyt. Holly knew this, because Hoyt had been lost without Jason, and she'd been there to happily pick up the pieces and put Hoyt back together again. So Holly hadn't wanted to go on this double date, not with Jason involved, but Michele could be persuasive. Much to Holly's surprise, the night-out had been real fun. Jason was much more like a playful pussy cat, than his old horndog self, with Michele around.
By pressing the review button on the back of the camera, Holly flicked quickly through the photos taken. Earlier at the club, four happy faces, especially Hoyt's, stared out at her again and again. She finished up by returning to shots of Hoyt and Jason messing around like big kids by the fountain, and finally to a jumping-Jason alone on the tiny screen.
Holly's eyes widened. Jason's shirt was open. His exposed torso rippled with muscles, picked out by the glaring fountain-light.
"I guess Jason's plenty fit," she observed.
"He's a pretty physical kind of guy," Michele agreed. "Is there a good shot of his last leap?"
"See for yourself." Holly passed the camera over.
Michele looked closely at the amazing photograph of Jason in action - super-agile action. Soaring above the paving stones, Jason was caught with his legs hurdling, his arms pumping, his hair streaming out behind him.
"Wow! Good shot, Holly! But ... Does Jason's hair look longer than usual to you?"
Holly dragged her eyes away from Hoyt and Jason, who were getting mighty close to the fountain's water jets. She peered at the camera's screen.
"Hmm, maybe," Holly hedged, looking up. "He might have more hair, but he's definitely got less in the shoe department. One's missing! That might explain why Hoyt and Jason are actually in the fountain now, searching for something. I bet Jason shucked that shoe off on purpose. Any excuse to get wet. They're both just great big kids at heart."
Michele didn't raise her head. She still scrutinised the photo. "Jason's shoeless foot seems to have an extra-long toenail. Ick! And his fingers look real long, like ... like claws. See, Holly."
Holly saw. "Trick of the light," she said carefully, shrugging.
"I guess," Michele agreed, turning her attention to the fountain too.
Holly and Michele watched the two 'boys' emerge, dripping wet, with their prize. They shook themselves off. The impromptu hunt had been a success. Jason stooped to put on his drenched loafer, and then caught up with Hoyt who was lolloping back towards Holly. Pulling his dripping shirt closed over his chest, Jason smiled sheepishly at Michele, but she didn't smile back. She was giving him the once-over.
'Hey, please don't sweat it, Michele,' Jason said, on reaching her side. "I guess I got carried away. It's been a great night. And Hoyt's got stuff to cover the car seats, so they won't get wet on the drive back to Bon Temps..."
Jason's words trailed off, as Michele tweaked his short, saturated hair. Next, she examined his fingers meticulously.
'Do I pass inspection, Ma'am? Do you need to see anything else?" he flirted, deciding to make the most of the intimate, if unusual, attention.
Michele held the camera up so Jason could see the photo of himself, mid-leap. "When we get home, Jason, if your big toenail is as long as it is in this photo, there will be no inspection of anything else, until we get you one serious pedicure."
Jason looked at the screen, and then looked a little pale.
"Um, trick of the light, honey, but your wish is my command. Once we're home, I expose and you inspect. Sound fair?" He smiled at Michele, using all his considerable charm, and kissed her forehead lightly.
Michele's brow smoothed.
Jason glanced back at the shot. "And what's that, sticking up between my legs?" He winked suggestively.
Michele giggle-snorted, then handed the camera back to Holly, so Hoyt could see too. "You are too much Jason," she said, rolling her eyes.
"That's what all the women say! I'm too much." Jason pouted.
Michele tugged the loose end of Jason's belt sharply. "This is all that rose up during your frisky display, Jason. Tuck it back in, big boy, and don't you lump me in with all women. I am the woman that matters."
"Okay, okay. You are the one," he laughed, stuffing the belt back through the loops on his waistband.
Michele looked pleased as punch, instead of like she could punch him for reminding her about his reputation with the ladies of Bon Temps ... and the neighbouring parish. Make that parishes. She helped him do up the press studs on his shirt.
"C'mon," said Holly, "I'm driving. Let's make tracks or we'll be going to bed at the same time as the vampires. We need to get you two boys dried off 'nall, before you catch your death too." It was a mild night for winter, but Hoyt was already starting to shiver.
So they did - make tracks, some real wet.
Bon Temps still slept when Holly and Hoyt dropped the other two off at Jason's.
"We should do this again," Jason said, with a hopeful glance at Hoyt, then Holly. "Maybe, head on over to the Bayou in Clarice sometime?"
They all agreed. Why not? They'd enjoyed each others' company some.
As she got out of the car, Michele asked Holly, "Could I borrow your camera card? I'd get it back to you real soon. I just want to look the photos over again. Maybe, get one of Jason enlarged."
"Sure," Holly replied, as Jason opened his mouth to speak.
But Michele chimed in first. She knew him well, or so she thought. "Jason! Not a word about anything enlarging, until I've seen your toenails! Remember?"
"Sure, honey, you know me. I aim to please." He didn't say who though.
Holly passed the card to Michele, before heading off home to warm Hoyt up.