The Magic of a Touch Ch. 03

"Tall, black hair, looks like he's constantly smelling something nasty?" They all nodded. "He hissed? Was his tail fluffed?" Angel nodded. "Were his eyes glowing?" Darcy nodded. "Did he blink rapidly?" They both nodded. "Then it sounds like he might be. Those are signs Archie is pissed. Any one of them alone means nothing other than him being a pill."

Said pill popped up in Jeremy's lap and butted his head against his chest. "Speak of the monster." Darcy giggled at Grae's joke as the giant unerringly found the blink cat's head and gave it a gentle pat.

Archie bit him. Not hard, but it was their way of getting along. "Hey, Darcy, could you and Grae follow him? I know that's physically impossible, but the two of you have done some great work together so far."

"Sure. C'mon, handsome, lets go track an asshat druid, see what his bond animal is." He quickly gathered his stuff and shot Jeremy a grin. The half-giant knew he would have some time alone with her.

As they were leaving Angel sat. "So...what's with the divide and conquer?"

"Grae wants to ask her to the formal, so I gave him the chance." Angel grinned as Archie jumped into his lap.

"Nice. Speaking of...Would you go with me to the formal?"

Jeremy looked at him. "What about your Dad...or your team mates?"

"Well...seems someone told him what happened between us that day and he has made it very clear that I can forget about coming home for awhile." There was a small catch in his voice. "At least until I pass my masters and take another year for defense against charms."

Jeremy's eyes flashed red and Archie hissed. "Seriously?" Angel nodded, masking the hurt well. "Hmm, I think I don't like your father very much. Nope." Jeremy made a gesture and a pencil and paper appeared from his pocket spell Fred taught him. Scribbling a note, he looked at Archie. The blink cat stood and took the note in his mouth and vanished.

"Has he ever been so...manageable?" All the tales of the cat said he was hell.

"Not often and only when it was very important. I think he sensed this was important to me and he decided to be nice. That or the attack changed him a lot." Angel nodded. It was more likely the attack."And yes, I'll go to the formal with you."

Angel's smile was so bright. "Thanks. I know you said you would save me a dance..."

"I think a few more than one are in the cards." Jeremy smiled at the cleric who was fast becoming one of Jeremy's closest friends. "Of course, I'll have to dance with Darcy and Grae, and Fred if he shows up."

"You've mentioned him...a bit in the library."

"Ah. Well, Fred is...Fred." Jeremy told Angel all about him and by the end, the cleric was a bit jealous.

"If he has been all that, why haven't you asked him to the formal?"

"Because a certain cleric has turned out to be a sweetheart." That made him blush.

He was about to say something when Tarlac Gruffheart came running up. "Sorry to pull you away from your talk, Ang, but an emergency team meeting has been called."

"Okay. We'll continue this later, Jeremy." He nodded and the duo sped off to the gymnasium. It had been an honest answer, but Jeremy didn't want to say he hadn't asked Fred because he knew Fred would say no. He genuinely liked Angel and was fast seeing him more romantically than before. Better to omit something that might make him feel shitty.

As the sorcerer was finishing up his studies, Archie reappeared with a note:

Dear Jeremy, I know the man and he will be dealt with...my way.

He grinned and gave Archie a hug, transferring the cat to his shoulder. "You know, you're being far better to us now. I like it. So does Angel." Mentioning the cleric made Archie mewl. "You like him too, huh? He asked me to the formal."

Archie nuzzled under his chin.

"I know! I mean last semester we couldn't really stand each other. But he turns out to be this amazing person."

"Who does?" came a voice that made Jeremy stop and glare.

"The fuck do you want, Ivan?"

The eldest brother, Ivan was a strongly built and powerful geomancer. "Watch your tone, Germ," Ivan threatened.

"Sot off." Archie was hissing, and Jeremy looked at him. The cat was livid to see the eldest. "What do you want?"

"Nothing with you. I'm here to help redesign the arena for the upcoming Wizard Ball season. Being paid handsomely for it too."

Jeremy twirled his finger in the air. "Whoop-de-do. Go play in the dirt, Ivan." He walked past his brother without a backward glance.

"You never did answer my question."

"That's because it's none of your business." The ground rumbled beneath his feet, causing him to stumble and drop his books. Archie blinked away. Jeremy stood up and slowly turned to glare at his brother, his eyes red. "You want to have a go, Ivan? I'm not some push over any more."

But Ivan was smiling. "I'm happy to see that." The ground stopped trembling. "Mum said you grew a spine and I'm glad to see she was right." Jeremy was wondering what his game was. "Yeah, we picked on you, but I stopped if you recall. Even during the holidays." Jeremy relaxed a bit. It was true, Ivan had stopped tormenting him...mostly. Maybe a small joke here and there, but no magical tortures.

"Why is that?"

"I grew up, got out of the house, learned about life and how I was not going to get anywhere being a git. You are my youngest brother, I have to make your life difficult, but I don't have to be a dick about it." That put Jeremy more at ease. Ivan was nothing if not bluntly honest. If he said it, he meant it. "What were you planning on doing to me?"

Jeremy's grin was slightly evil as his eyes flashed black but settled back to green. "A hundred years of jock itch to start with." Ivan cringed and laughed. "There is no spell for that."

"Who said I only have teachers from the school? Be sure to plant some nasty traps on the field that don't hurt clerics."

"Ah, so he's a cleric?" Jeremy flipped him off with a smile and picked up his books to head to his last class for the day. So, one culprit being followed, I have a date for the formal and Ivan isn't all that much of a dick any more. Good day.

Jeremy was napping in the quad with Archie on his stomach when the cat woke him with a paw to the nose. "What?" He looked around to see people gathering at the message board. Curious, Jeremy stood and walked over. He stood taller than most there so he could see what everyone was looking at. A post said that due to personal reasons, the flanker from the varsity team was leaving school and tryouts for his spot were being held during the weekend. "That must be what the meeting was about," he said to himself.

"You're right," said Angel as he walked up. "You going to try out?"

Jeremy almost said no without thinking, but now...now he could actually be on the team. Angel would be there which was a bonus, and he could show everyone just how good he really was. Then he shrugged. "I might. I do have a lot of extra studies this semester."

"Yeah. About that." Angel was looking everywhere but at Jeremy. "I kinda already said something to your Master and he liked the idea, especially since I mentioned you were an excellent tutor."

"You did...what?"

"I know! It was kind of low, and I'm sorry," Angel dragged him away from the boards and out of ear shot, "but I want to spend more time with you. And if you're on the team, the guys can't mess with you else they will find that their defender isn't guarding them." Angel was the varsity defender.

"You went to all that trouble just to make me try out?" Angel nodded. Jeremy smiled an gave him a hug. "Then I guess I'll have to try out."

Angel grinned. "Making me squirm?"

"Yeah...I seem to be getting good at that." Jeremy walked right over and signed up, more than one person gasping as he did so. It was so out of character to do something that was not studious. A few acolytes signed up just in case they drafted from the JV team. Jogging back, he smiled. "There, all signed up." For better or worse, Jeremy was going to try out for the Wizard Ball team.