Lost Girl in Transition Ch. 01

Clearly discouraged by the irritation in his voice, Kimi did exactly that. But the curiosity in her eyes remained as she slowly backed away.

"Sorry," she briskly said. "I just thought you might be more comfortable with it off. But hey, It's your decision."

With a turn away from Tristan, Kimi headed towards Ethan, who stood with an awkward stance that was similar to Claudia's.

"Ready to go, babe?" Kimi asked her boyfriend, and as he nodded his head, she grabbed his hand, giving it a tug to urge him forward.

A quick glance Tristan's way was all that Ethan had time to give, but it was long enough for Claudia to see the curiosity that was there. With Ethan and Kimi leading the way, Tristan and Claudia followed them, but they purposely walked several paces behind so that their words would remain hushed.

"It's your scars, Isn't it?" Claudia asked as they headed down the narrow trail. "That's why you won't take off your shirt."

Tristan nodded.

"Well I understand you feeling self-conscious and everything, but Kimi and Ethan aren't going to judge you. If anything, they'll probably just sympathize and feel bad that you used to self-harm."

"Which would be even worse than judgment," Tristan said. "I don't want people feeling sorry for me, especially not for something as stupid as cutting."

"It wouldn't be pity, it would be concern."

"How do you know?" Tristan asked.

"Well, I guess I don't exactly. But Ethan and Kimi are your friends, so I really don't see why you're worried about it."

"I'm not worried, alright?" Tristan replied. "But the scars makes me feel ashamed and exposed, so I'm not taking off my shirt."

"Fair enough," Claudia said, and to convey that she fully understood his decision, she linked her fingers through his.

Having reached the pool of geothermally heated water, the four teens dipped their bodies into it. Almost instantly, their muscles began to loosen, slackening the tension in their bodies that had built after seven hours of driving.

Surrounded by natural rock walls, the hot spring was situated beneath a waterfall that cascaded over a cliff. Sighing faintly, Claudia continued to sink down until the water reached her chest, then lazily swam around Tristan before giving him a playful nudge.

"You going to swim with me, or just stay still like a bump on a log?"

The smile she gave him indicated her lightheartedness, and with her gaze set on him in an openly seductive way, she began swimming backwards with fluidity and grace. As if pulled along by a string, Tristan began swimming after her, steadily increasing his speed to match the briskness of hers. Before very long they were in a bona fide race, and as Tristan and Claudia became neck and neck, Ethan and Kimi began to shout their support.

Claudia couldn't tell who was shouting for who, but as Tristan reached the edge of the hot spring first, she finally slowed down, then allowed herself to float before catching her breath.

"You okay?" Tristan grinned while watching her take in deep breaths. "If I'd known you were a weak swimmer, I would have taken it easier on you."

"*Weak*?" The look she gave him was playful but intense. "I've been swimming since the age of four, so I hardly think that weak would describe my swim style."

"You weren't kicking hard enough," he proclaimed. "So that's why you were struggling to keep up with me."

"Yeah, yeah," Claudia good naturedly said, and she climbed up onto a rock ledge that encircled the naturally hot body of water.

As Tristan joined her side, she offered him a small smile, then lifted her hands to smooth back her hair, which hung around her shoulders in wet curls.

Subtly, but just obvious enough for Claudia to notice, Tristan lowered his gaze to her mouth, then dryly swallowed before faintly clearing his throat.

"I like your swimsuit, by the way," he said while dipping his eyes to the tie dyed swim top. "It looks really nice on you."

"Thanks." Her eyes glossed over, lips unconsciously parting just a bit. "So just out of curiosity, have you ever done anything like what happened at the gas station? Or was that a first time occurrence for you?"

"As far as manipulating a moving vehicle, yes it was the first time. But I've been practicing on smaller objects for nearly six months now.

"So you've never made a car crash before," Claudia said. "Or done anything else that involves controlling people...."

"I didn't control *him*," Tristan said. "I funneled my energy towards his truck, then used my mind to take over his vehicle."

"So instead of him driving, you were in control."

Tristan nodded in response to the question, and with a steady look that made her just the slightest bit uneasy, he stared straight into her eyes.

"You said you've been practicing on smaller objects," Claudia started. "What kind of objects do you mean, exactly?"

"Remember when we were in my car on prom night and you wanted to get out, but I wouldn't release the door locks?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's one of the things I'm most skilled at."

"Manipulating locks?"

He offered a nod.

"And what else?"

"Silverware, windows, dishes, smaller everyday objects for the most part."

"But just earlier today you manipulated a huge pickup truck..."

"Like I said, I've been practicing. And I was also very angry at the time, so that probably helped throw my energy more intensely than I usually would be able to propel it."

Now outright staring at him, Claudia didn't know whether to be fascinated or wary of his admission.

You look scared," Tristan stated. "Like you want to get away from me as quick as you can."

"I'm not scared," Claudia stated, but even as she said it, a mild tenseness had come into her stomach. "I just can't get over how you actually did that."

Uncertain of how to response, Tristan only looked back at her.

"Is there anything else you can do? Like anything major I should know about?"

"There are a few other abilities I haven't told you about," he admitted. "But those are small things that will reveal themselves along the way."

"Along the way of what?" She asked.

"You and me." Now intensely gazing at her, Tristan took her smaller hand in his. "Our paths have already converged, but the question is, are you truly ready to walk with me?"

Although it was a seemingly simple question, Claudia knew that Tristan was asking her to dig deep; to go within herself and be completely honest with him. So naturally an immediate response was impossible to give, considering that they had a connection on a higher level than most others their age.

Focusing her eyes on his, she saw that he was patiently watching her. Close enough to feel the tiny hairs on his arm, Claudia felt her posture relax, and her palms began to moisten as the scent of *him* filtered into her nostrils.

It would be a bold faced lie if she denied feeling a bit of hesitancy, not out of a lack of desire, but the uncertainty of just what he was fully capable of. But even stronger was the sensation of him calling out to her, nonverbally urging her to trust and completely accept him just as he was.

Still steadily looking at her, he continued to patiently wait, but as she adjusted herself so that her body was turned towards his, a glow came into his eyes that was undoubtedly one of hope.

"Yes, I am ready," she declared while looking up at him, and her hand reached out to his face, palm resting against the defined angle his jaw.

"That's great," he softly whispered while resting his forehead against hers, then ever so gently wrapped an arm around her waist, cradling her with such tenderness that her body became boneless.

Feeling utterly adored, Claudia lowered her gaze to his lips, and that was all Tristan needed as enticement to move in closer. Powerless against his warm, silky tongue, she allowed him to take the lead. At first his kisses were slow and determined, as if wanting to prove how skilled he was his tongue. But as her gasps became more heated, one of his hands lifted to the swells of her breasts.

Slowly and with a provactiveness that made her weak with desire, Tristan allowed his thumb to slide over the hardness of a nipple. It didn't take long before it was straining against her bikini top, and having teased it to a rigid stiffness, he began to touch her other peak. Aching for the same attention, it promptly became erect, and wanting to do some touching of her own, Claudia slipped her hand beneath the hem of his T-shirt.

She only got as far as his belly button before he suddenly grabbed her hand, and with a quickness that conveyed how uncomfortable he felt, Tristan removed her hand from beneath his shirt.

"What's wrong?" Claudia asked with brows that drew together.

"I don't want you touching me there." His voice came out harsh, but the shame on his face conveyed insecurity.

"The scars don't matter to me, Tristan. I told you that months ago, when I first saw them." "I still don't want you touching them," he said. "They're ugly and make me feel like a freak."

"But I want to touch you," she said, and with a gentleness, tugged at the hem of his shirt. "If you want us to fully connect, then you've got to trust that I accept you completely."

Clearly still hesitant, Tristan gave her a long look. But after several long moments of being steadily stared at, his tenseness began to fade. Tentatively, he reached down to grab the hem of his shirt, but just before he could pull it up, he suddenly halted.

"I think maybe we should this in private," he said. "I don't want Kimi and Ethan seeing my chest."

At the mention of their friends, Claudia's gaze shifted to seek them out, and on spotting two figures beneath the cascading waterfall, she noticed they were busily engaged in a passionate make out session.

"Seems to me they're pretty busy with each other, so I wouldn't worry about them paying you any attention."

Turning his head to look at them, Tristan saw that Claudia was right, and with his gaze turned back on Claudia, he offered a response.

"Okay, I'll take it off," he said, and with one fluid movement, removed his shirt and set it aside.

Now fully uncovered, Tristan's chest was exposed for her eyes, and with one hand placed against the hardness of his chest, she began gliding her fingers along the scars that marred his skin. Consisting of thin, pink lines that criss-crossed over each other, the markings stretched from both his nipples down to the v-shaped outline of his hipbone.

While some of the markings had faded with time, quite a few were raised and pink-red in color, which made Claudia touch the blemishes with a tender gentleness. But the way that Tristan had stiffened beneath her touch sent the message that he was feeling uneasy.

"Relax," Claudia said while looking up into his eyes. "I just want to touch you for a bit," and with fingers that continued to wander over his chest, she traced the patterns the scars created as they intersected with one another.

Clearly still self-conscious, Tristan shifted in his seat, but as Claudia mapped a trail to the dip of his belly button, his abdominal muscles twitched. Realizing it was one of his sweet spots, she languidly circled a finger around the edge of his belly button, then allowed her digit to drift along the faint line of hair directly below it. Now intently eyeing the path of her finger, Tristan watched as her digit moved lower still, but as the hem of his shorts cut off her exploratory route, Tristan eased out a faint sigh.

More than certain that he wanted her to continue, Claudia toyed with the hem of his shorts, sliding her fingers just underneath and along the top of the elastic waistband. Although temptingly close to his nether regions, her fingers were several inches away from *that spot.* But the proximity of her delicate hands was more than enough to incite a reaction.

Now sporting a sizeable erection, Tristan had begun to breathe a little deeper and his body tensed with desire. Seemingly captivated by her fingers, Tristan watched as she slipped then further beneath the top of his shorts.

Hot and hard, the rigid flesh seemed to beckon Claudia's fingers, emitting a level of heat that quickly encased her entire hand. It wasn't until her palm enclosed his excitement, however, that she realized the heat was actually penetrating her skin, trailing up her wrist and along her arm before spreading throughout her entire chest.

Shocked at the level of energy he was exuding, Claudia stared up at him with widened eyes, and with a gaze that studied her very deeply, Tristan lifted a hand to a cheek and pulled her face in closer. Now eye to eye, their noses lightly brushed together, breaths ghosting each other's lips as shallow gasps were pushed from their throats.

Still palming his hardness, Claudia moved her hand up and down a few times, then ran the pad of her thumb across the tip, which was wet and slippery with pre-come. Lidded with lust, his eyes were filled with a hunger that made Claudia's skin flush hot. Fully swollen and aching for manipulation, Tristan's cock was pushing against the fabric of his trousers, and eager to free it from imprisonment, Claudia allowed the tip of it to peek out from above his waistband.

Never having laid eyes on it before, Claudia took a few moments to simply study it, noting how the head of his penis was wide and smoothly curved. Clear and silky, his pre-ejaculate seeped invitingly from the slit, and desiring a taste, she swirling her thumb along the head.

Maintaining eye contact, Claudia lifted her finger to her mouth, then sensuously licked the pad of her thumb while staring straight into Tristan's eyes. Without a moment of hesitation, Tristan leaned in to kiss her, and as his tongue began to slide along the tip of her own, she realized that he was tasting himself.

Turned on by his slight kinkiness, Claudia kissed him even deeper, and soon their kiss became so wet and passionate, that it was clear they both wanted a lot more than just kissing. Overwhelmed by the heat of his mouth, Claudia raggedly moaned, and with both palms lifting to his wide, manly shoulders, she began to caress them. By the time they pulled away for air, both were raggedly breathing, but neither made an attempt to release one another from the confines of their arms.

"Sweetness," he breathed while still trying to catch his breath. "That's a good name for you, don't you think?"

"What? You mean like a pet name?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, It's cute. I like it a lot, actually."

Tristan's lips curled into a soft smile, and he took her hand in his so that their fingers interlocked.

"So how do you really feel about my TK abilities?" He asked while giving her an inquiring look. "Does it make you feel uneasy at all, or are you totally cool with it?"

"TK abilities?"

"Telekinetic," he responded. "Or as I sometimes like to call it, object manipulation."

"Well, truthfully speaking, I was a little freaked out at first. But after having some time to think it over, I realized there's no reason for me to be scared."

"That's good," Tristan said while stroking her hand with his thumb. "Because you know I would never hurt you, right?"

"Of course," she said softly.

"And I would never do anything evil just because I could. I mean the guy in that truck at the gas station was pretty shaken up after the crash, but I never intended to try and kill him."

"I know you didn't," Claudia responded. "But I do understand why you did it. He was a complete prick, and totally had it coming. I mean, he *spit* on you, Tristan."

As if recalling how disgusting it had felt, Tristan's eyes went cold, and a tightness came into his expression. "If you want to know the truth, it did cross my mind."

"What?"

"Doing serious bodily harm to him." Something dark flashed through his eyes and for a moment he seemed to be recalling just what that particular thing was. "It wasn't just the fact that he spit on me, he *insulted* you, Claudia."

"Well hey, you totaled his truck," she said. "So you got your revenge, that's for certain."

"Yeah." The inflection in his voice indicated triumph, and his expression smoothed out to one of satisfaction. "So you liked what I did, then."

"Well yeah, I certainly didn't hate it." A smile broke out across her lips as she recalled the demolished truck. "I mean you wrecked his car, Tristan. With your *mind*."

The amazement in Claudia's eyes caused Tristan's lips to tug upward, and his face lit up at her reaction.

"I always just figured it was something that only existed in the movies, but knowing you have the ability and seeing it right in front of my eyes..."

"Did it excite you?" He interjected, and staring straight into her eyes, awaited the response.

"Excite?" Claudia asked.

"Yes." The way he was now looking at her was quite imploring, if not a little seductive.

"I don't know," Claudia responded. "What exactly do you mean by excite?"

"In a sexual way," Tristan said. "Knowing I can do what I do, and cause such destruction with only my mind."

The way her skin flushed hot provided the answer she failed to speak, and almost immediately, Tristan picked up on the response of her body.

"So it *does* turn you on."

"What?"

"I can feel what you feel, remember?"

This time it was Claudia's face that heated up.

"It's okay to be turned on," he said. "There's nothing wrong with admitting it."

"I feel kinda funny about it, though. I mean Isn't it weird to be turned on by something like that?"

"Why would it be weird?" Tristan asked.

"I don't know..." And as her voice trailed off, she found that she truly didn't have a righteous answer. "I saw this movie once about people who got off on watching car crashes-"

"I know the film," Tristan interjected. "It's called Crash. David Cronenberg directed it."

"Yeah, that's it. Crash," Claudia said. "Anyways, at the time I thought it was a totally weird movie, but now I'm realizing that maybe I'm not so different than the main characters."

"But you didn't get off on watching that guy's car crash," Tristan said. "You just thought it was exciting that I was the one who caused it."

"Right," Claudia agreed.

"So then you're not a symphorophiliac," Tristan said.

"That's what It's called?"

He nodded.

"How did you know that?"

"Research."

"And what led you to researching something so strange and completely random?"

"It wasn't random for me," Tristan said. "I've always had an interest in paraphilias."

"What are paraphilias?"

"Sexual arousal to atypical objects, situations or individuals."

"Sounds like something I'm going to have to google," Claudia said. "But out of curiosity, how does someone even gain an interest in such a thing?"

"I don't know. I've just always liked reading about bizarre stuff."

"Oh."

"You think I'm really weird, don't you?" Tristan asked.

"Yes."

Both of his brows lifted in surprise.

"But I like weird guys," Claudia said with a smile. "So as far as I'm concerned, it only increases my attraction for you."

"Wow." An incredulous look crossed Tristan's face. "I've never a girl who's so accepting and totally laid back. But then again, I never met anyone who made me feel like I could truly open up."

"Well then I guess It's good we found each other, huh?"

"Definitely." His lips came to nestle against her ear, and with a gentleness that caused her skin to prickle, Tristan brushed his lips along the crook of her neck.

"Mmmm, that feels nice," she said through a heated breath, but as a playful hoot and a loud whistle broke through the air, both she and Tristan quickly pulled apart.

Floating in the hot spring a few yards away, both Kimi and Ethan were watching on with wide grins. Both seemed to be enjoying the show that Tristan and Claudia had been unknowingly giving, and with gazes that seemed eager for them to continue on, they shouted out some encouragement.