Chapter 19 - What do you feel?

It had been a three days since the ambush of the two Disciple members in the RFI headquarters. Jade was still resting in the infirmary. Her wounds were somewhat fading and she had a bandage over the scratch that Lycan gave her. She was still sleeping like a baby. Creed went into her room and brought her food. He placed in on the table beside her bed. He sat on the floor on one side of the room. He was staring at her. 

"I hope she gets better soon." Creed thought to himself.

He was still staring at her. He now truly realized that she was beautiful. Not only in a physical sense but in her personality as well. She had always been there for him emotionally. 

"That's some sister you got Slade" He thought to himself again.

He took a nap at the floor of Jade's infirmary. He was tired for three straight days he was doing nothing except take care of her. She had been out since the incident. He knew that she was alive but she was not waking up. Jade was very tired.

Then in a surprise Jade woke up. She felt her body ache due to the wounds that she had accumulated in her fight with Lycan. She sat up on her bed and she looked around. To her surprise she saw Creed with his back against the wall while sleeping. She smiled for now she knew that he really cared. He was still asleep when Jade was staring at him. She saw his hair which was long and brown. She had observed that he had smooth skin on his face. She always felt sad when she saw the eye-patch that he was wearing for she never saw her with his two eyes intact. She took the food that he had brought over and she ate it. She never realized that she was this hungry as she finished all the food. Just as Jade was putting her plate on the table beside her bed, she heard Creed groaning. He had woken up from his nap and he opened his eyes. The face he saw was Jade's. He smiled at her and said.

"You're okay." 

Jade heard his voice and smiled herself.

"Thank you."

"No problem." He replied.

She just stared at him. Looking at his eyes, they were brown and fierce. He had a calm look at his face when he was not fighting, like he was a totally different person. She knew from that moment he kissed her on the forehead that she had loved him. Jade could just not muster up the courage to tell him. She blushed when he looked at her and she quickly looked away. That made him smile for he was flustered too.

The room had been silent for a while because Jade was not looking at Creed to avoid being noticed that she was blushing. Creed looked out the window now and he began to think about the last time he had felt like this.

"The last time I felt like this was with her." He thought to himself.

Jade now looked back at Creed. She noticed that he was thinking deeply about something. She finally broke the silence when she started to ask him.

"So...What you thinking about?" 

Creed heard her ask her that and he turned red right after. he was thinking about her and how he really felt.

"Uhhhhh nothing." Creed replied nervously

"Okay. Mind if I ask you something?" Jade asked him

"What is it?" Creed said.

"How old are you?" She asked.

He was surprised at what she had asked how old he is and at the same time he was ashamed because he knew that he was already over his teens.

"I'm uh...22" Creed replied.

Jade was surprised as well because Creed did not look like a 22 year old, he looked like he was still in his teens.

"You're 19 right? Creed asked her.

"Yeah how'd you know?" She said

"I can tell from your face." He replied.

"So that implies that you've been dating young girls before? In your republic days??" Jade blurted out.

"N-n-noo, I mean I just got lucky. Besides I never gone out when I was in the Republic. It was all strictly business for me." Creed replied.

She knew he was telling the truth. 

"Can I ask you another question?" Jade asked.

"Sure, fire away." Creed said.

"Umm, why did you...kiss me?" She asked. "Well technically my forehead but that's still part of me.." She stuttered saying.

Creed blushed when he was asked that. He knew the answer was simple but he could not tell her because he did not have the courage to do so. 

"Well?" Jade insisted.

"Because I....I....care about you..." Creed said to her as he blushed more.

Jade was surprised with his answer. She'd have a hunch that it was more than that but she did not be pushy towards him. She will wait until he musters up the courage to tell her how he really feels.

"Well I do too..." Jade replied.

"Really?" Creed asked her. "That's nice." 

"Why?" Jade asked him.

"It just feels nice that the person I care about the most cares too." He said with courage.

Jade felt her heart thumping when he said that for she knew that she loved him too.

"Hang on.. Did you just say that you like me???" She asked.

Creed flustered more when she insisted that question, but he wasn't able to answer. She decided to leave the question for some other time. She knew and was assured that he really cared about her.

"You're always there to protect me." Jade said. 

"Yes I am. I could never forgive myself if something bad were ever to happen to you." He replied.

"But I can fight too!" Jade insisted.

"I know, I just don't want you to get hurt." He replied.

"Do you trust me?" Jade asked him.

"Yes." He replied to her.

"Then I promise I won't get hurt or make you worry anymore. I'll be stronger for your sake." She replied to him. "I'd hate if you'd be sad because of me." she added.

Creed felt relieved and assured. He never met someone he could trust like her. Of course there was his mentor Slade but her sister was another story. Jade got up and sat close to Creed on the floor. He felt his heart skip a beat again. 

"Close your eye." Jade said to Creed.

"Why?" He asked.

"Do you trust me?" She asked him.

"Yes I do." Creed replied and he closed his eyes.

He felt her getting closer to him. He didn't move an inch from where he was sitting. Creed felt her hair. It was soft and smooth like a silk dress. He was focused on her hair that he had forgotten that his eye was even close. Then he felt something soft and tender on his cheek. She had kissed him on his cheek so deeply. Creed opened his eye and saw Jade blushing as she went back to her bed. He felt his heart beat so strong when she kissed him on the cheek. 

"Why?" He asked again in awe. She looked prettier to him more than ever.

"Because I care about you too..." She replied. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you..." 

Creed got up and said to her.

"You should get some rest." He said to her. "Get well soon." he added

"Thank you Creed." She replied "I love you..." She thought to herself.

Creed got out of her room and went to the elevator. Jephtah was on his way to the elevator when he saw Creed. He had seen him enter Jade's room so he decided to tease him a bit.

"You like her don't you?" He said to Creed.

"Yes..." he replied.

"Then tell her." Jephtah replied.

"I can't." Creed said.

"Look, there comes a time in every man's life that he has to be strong to face the woman he cares about." Jephtah said to him.

"That's not my reason.." Creed replied to him coldly.

"What's wrong then?" Jephtah said.

"We can't be together..." Creed said sadly.

"Why not?? You guys look good together." He replied.

"She's in enough danger as she is by being with me on this team. She had been hospitalized two times in a month. I hate seeing her get hurt." He replied. "I hate the fact that it's because of me why her life's in danger." he added.

"So you don't want to be together in order to protect her?" He asked.

"She has been attacked. She's their key to my weakness...and frankly I do not want to burden her with what's been happening to my life recently." He said.

"It's your choice Creed." Jephtah said as he got on the elevator.

"Yeah...my choice." Creed thought to himself.