CTS TIME: RE 250.05.24 – 2:00 AM (Silverstar Internal Time)
LOCATION: Aboard the Silverstar, Deep Space – Sleeping Quarters
The cold metal floor of the Silverstar wasn't ideal for sleeping, but Jasper had never been picky about comfort.
After all, he had grown up in orphanages, back alleys, and training grounds. He had slept on rough stone, damp floors, unstable spacecrafts—a soft mattress was a luxury he didn't need.
But what he hadn't expected tonight…
Was company.
Sienna lay beside him, not too close, not too far, her silver-white hair catching the soft glow of the overhead night lights.
She had stayed.
And she wasn't asleep.
Jasper could feel it—the way her breathing was too steady, too controlled.
She was thinking.
And when Sienna was thinking, it meant she was about to ask something.
Sure enough, her voice broke the quiet.
"Jasper."
He sighed, cracking one eye open. "Yeah?"
Sienna turned her head toward him, her silver eyes unreadable. "Do you believe love can grow over time?"
Jasper blinked, processing the question. "Uh… I guess?"
Sienna continued, her voice calm, patient. "Do you think love is something that happens instantly? Or something that builds naturally?"
Jasper rubbed his temple. "Ugh. Can we talk about something less… complicated?"
Sienna didn't let up. "I'm just curious."
Jasper groaned, rolling onto his side to face her. "Why do you keep bringing this up?"
Sienna met his gaze without hesitation. "Because I want to understand how you think."
Jasper huffed, running a hand through his messy blue hair. "Fine. If you really wanna know—I don't believe in all that 'love at first sight' nonsense. If love is real, it's probably something that takes time. A bond. A connection."
Sienna's lips curled slightly. "That's… a surprisingly thoughtful answer."
Jasper smirked. "Hey, just because I don't care about love doesn't mean I'm stupid."
Sienna tilted her head. "But you do care."
Jasper narrowed his eyes. "No, I don't."
Sienna's voice was gentle, yet firm. "You do. You just don't realize it yet."
Jasper sighed deeply. "Alright, Professor Sienna, if you're so smart, tell me this—what about the age gap?"
Sienna blinked. "What about it?"
Jasper sat up slightly, resting his elbow on the floor. "You're twenty-one. I'm seventeen. That's a four-year gap. It's kinda weird, isn't it?"
Sienna didn't react.
She simply listened.
Jasper continued, waving his hand. "I mean, isn't it supposed to be the other way around? The guy's usually the older one, right? Like, I don't know, it just feels kinda… off."
Sienna watched him carefully, as if analyzing every word.
Then, finally, she spoke.
"Jasper."
Her tone was quiet, steady—but there was a certain weight behind it.
He paused, noticing the slight shift in her expression.
Sienna wasn't teasing.
She was serious.
"Do you think love is measured by numbers?" she asked.
Jasper frowned slightly. "I mean, no, but—"
Sienna cut him off smoothly. "Then why does age matter?"
Jasper opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Sienna shifted onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow, mirroring his position. Her silver eyes softened, but her voice remained unwavering.
"Love isn't about statistics, Jasper. It's about connection. Understanding. Choice."
Jasper blinked. "But—"
Sienna continued, her gaze never leaving his. "Four years. That's all it is. Four years of time, nothing more. In the grand scale of life, four years is nothing."
Jasper hesitated. "But it's—"
Sienna leaned slightly closer, not enough to make him uncomfortable, but enough to make him pay attention.
"Tell me," she said quietly. "If I were nineteen and you were fifteen, would it matter?"
Jasper frowned. "I mean… not really, I guess."
Sienna nodded. "If I were twenty-five and you were twenty-one, would it matter?"
Jasper exhaled. "Probably not."
Sienna smiled faintly. "Then why does it matter now?"
Jasper froze.
Because he didn't have an answer.
Because, when she put it like that… it really didn't matter.
Sienna continued, her tone softer now. "Love isn't dictated by numbers, Jasper. It's dictated by how people feel about each other. How they choose each other."
Jasper rubbed the back of his neck, still processing everything.
"But… doesn't society kinda expect things to be a certain way?"
Sienna shook her head. "Society expects many things. That doesn't mean they're all right."
Jasper scoffed. "Okay, philosopher, what if it was reversed? What if I was older and you were younger?"
Sienna tilted her head slightly. "Would you still think it's strange?"
Jasper hesitated. "...No."
Sienna gave him a knowing smile. "Then why does it bother you now?"
Jasper stared at her.
His mind was turning, trying to find an argument, a reason—but every answer he came up with felt weak, meaningless.
And that realization annoyed him.
He sighed, lying back down. "...I hate that you make sense."
Sienna chuckled softly. "You'll get used to it."
Jasper exhaled, staring at the ceiling. "Still feels kinda weird, though."
Sienna let out a small breath. "That's because it's new to you."
Jasper muttered, "Or maybe I'm just too dumb to get it."
Sienna smiled, shaking her head. "No. You're not dumb, Jasper. You just never had the chance to think about these things."
Jasper closed his eyes for a moment.
Maybe she was right.
Maybe, after growing up alone, after never really knowing what love meant—it just never occurred to him to think about it deeply.
But now?
Now it was in his head.
A thought that wouldn't leave.
A possibility that he didn't know what to do with.
Sienna lay back down, her voice softer now.
"Love isn't about rules, Jasper. It's about who you choose. And if the person you choose happens to be older or younger… it doesn't change what love means."
Jasper let out a small chuckle. "I think you just like winning arguments."
Sienna smirked slightly. "Only when I'm right."
Jasper sighed, but this time, there was a small smile on his lips.
For once, he wasn't annoyed by the conversation.
Jasper lay sprawled out on the cold metallic floor, hands resting behind his head as he stared at the dimly glowing ceiling panels of the ship.
Sienna was still lying beside him, her silver hair cascading over the smooth floor, but she wasn't asleep.
Neither of them were.
They had been talking for a while now—longer than Jasper realized. Somehow, the silence of space made conversations last longer.
Jasper was relaxed, but Sienna was thinking. He could tell.
She always had that look—calm, composed, yet searching for something.
And sure enough, she finally spoke.
"Jasper."
He sighed, cracking one eye open. "Again? You sure talk a lot for someone who spends half the day quiet."
Sienna ignored his sarcasm, her voice smooth and even. "If you don't believe in love, what do you think when you see someone else fall in love?"
Jasper blinked.
That was… an interesting question.
He stretched his arms out lazily, thinking for a moment before laughing lightly. "Yeah, I know one guy."
Sienna turned her head toward him, tilting it slightly. "Oh? Who?"
Jasper smirked. "You know him too."
Sienna narrowed her eyes. "Are you talking about Blaze?"
Jasper grinned. "Yeah. That champion. The one who was supposed to be some big-shot legend but lost in the grand finals."
Sienna sighed, rolling onto her side. "Yeah… I feel bad for him. That's why he left. That's why he went away."
Jasper shrugged. "You could say that."
Sienna's expression turned thoughtful. "Blaze and Serena love each other very much… but why did he leave?"
Jasper exhaled slowly, thinking for a moment. "I don't really know. But you know, Blaze was kind of like you."
Sienna blinked, slightly surprised. "Oh? That's true, he was quiet like me, but… how?"
Jasper smirked. "Your friends, Blade and Lance, told us how you were obsessed with me. Watching my matches over and over. Practicing saying 'I love you' like a hundred times."
Sienna's face turned slightly red, but she kept her composure, answering softly, "And how does that make Blaze and me similar?"
Jasper smirked. "Because Blaze was like your male version. Just with crimson hair and crimson eyes."
Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Explain."
Jasper sighed, shifting slightly. "Blaze was a disaster when it came to Serena. The first day he saw her? Boom. He was gone. Totally smitten. Guy fell in love on sight."
Sienna listened closely, her expression unreadable.
Jasper chuckled. "But every time he met her, he turned into a statue. His face went red, he couldn't speak properly, he'd freeze up. Total wreck. Completely useless."
Sienna's lips twitched slightly. "...That does sound like me."
Jasper grinned. "And, like you, Blaze refused to admit it. He kept saying it wasn't love. Just 'admiration.' Just 'interest.' But it was obvious to everyone—he was gone."
Sienna chuckled softly. "So what happened?"
Jasper smirked. "That's where I came in."
Jasper turned onto his side, resting his head on his arm. "Blaze begged me to help him get Serena's attention. And, being the excellent friend I am, I said yes."
Sienna rolled her eyes. "You are many things, Jasper. Excellent is not one of them."
Jasper laughed. "Okay, fair, but listen—our plans were legendary."
Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Legendary?"
Jasper smirked. "Legendary… stupid."
Sienna sighed. "I had a feeling."
Jasper continued, waving his hand. "We tried everything. First, we went for the 'accidental meetings' approach. Blaze 'randomly' bumped into Serena sixteen times in one day."
Sienna's face remained calm, but her silver eyes held a hint of amusement. "And?"
Jasper grinned. "She punched him the sixteenth time."
Sienna chuckled. "That seems fair."
Jasper continued. "Then we upgraded our strategy. We made actual plans. Scripts. Practiced dialogue. Blaze literally rehearsed saying 'I love you' in front of a mirror for hours."
Sienna raised an eyebrow. "Hours?"
Jasper nodded. "And he still messed it up."
Sienna chuckled softly. "Go on."
Jasper grinned wider. "Eventually, we had to bring in technology. We used gadgets."
Sienna blinked. "What kind of gadgets?"
Jasper smirked. "One was a voice transmitter. The other was a body-movement controller."
Sienna sat up slightly, intrigued. "...You didn't."
Jasper nodded proudly. "Oh, we did. And it worked. Remember the day in the garden? When Blaze spoke to Serena perfectly?"
Sienna's silver eyes widened slightly. "...That was you?"
Jasper grinned like an idiot. "Yup. I was controlling his movements and talking for him."
Sienna stared at him in disbelief. "...And she never noticed?"
Jasper shrugged. "Everything was going fine… until I got distracted."
Sienna sighed deeply. "...What happened?"
Jasper coughed. "Uh. Well. I forgot to turn off the transmitter… and Blaze ended up saying—"
Sienna already knew.
She had heard the story.
The infamous line.
"'Your body is looking stunning, hot, and sexy,'" Sienna repeated, her voice completely neutral.
Jasper nodded slowly. "Yup. And then he accidentally touched her chest. And Serena slapped him into next week."
Sienna closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. "...You are the reason that happened?"
Jasper grinned. "Yeah. My bad."
Sienna shook her head, fighting a small laugh. "You're terrible."
Jasper shrugged. "It was hilarious. But for Blaze? It was traumatizing."
Jasper yawned, stretching again. "Anyway, long story short—Serena finally confronted him. That's when Blaze realized how much she actually liked him back."
Sienna hummed. "I see."
Jasper smirked. "Oh, by the way, I have their confession video on my watch. Wanna see?"
Sienna froze. "You recorded it?"
Jasper grinned. "Obviously."
Sienna's face flushed slightly, and she turned away. "No way. That's their private moment."
Jasper laughed. "Oh, so you're curious."
Sienna sighed. "No. It would be humiliating for them."
Jasper smirked. "Alright, alright. No video. But just know—I have evidence of Blaze being a nervous wreck."
Sienna shook her head, standing up. "You're impossible."
Jasper stretched lazily. "That's why people love me."
Sienna gave him a knowing look. "Or tolerate you."
Jasper grinned. "Same thing."
Sienna sighed and walked toward the control room, sitting in front of the holographic panel.
Jasper frowned. "You're studying again? It's almost 3 AM."
Sienna didn't look at him. "I was studying last night too."
Jasper sighed, getting up and standing behind her. "Alright, what's the topic today?"
He glanced at the floating holographic screen.
And…
He understood nothing.
Jasper stared at the screen, completely lost.
"...Are you reading the language of the gods?"
Sienna chuckled. "No. Just astrophysics."
Jasper blinked. "Same thing."
Sienna smiled softly. "I'll teach you."
Jasper groaned. "This is going to be painful."
Sienna grinned. "Oh, absolutely."