I Would Like to Love You

I hate you.

Those were the first sentence that AJ thought of when she first saw Jerrick.

I can’t stand you. You are nothing more than a womanizing Beofang, and I hate womanizers.

She saw how everyone in the mansion was taking interest in him. They never seen a Beofang before, so of course dramens are excited (and wary) of new species.

Lex was trying to charm him, Alex said her ‘hi’ and left, everyone was just picking a conversation with him. Not AJ though. She was at a far distance from the group and wants to keep it that way.

AJ knows about his past, which includes him being with a lot of women, or females in anthro term. She did not like the thought of anyone, whether male or female, being with a lot of people without much thought into their action. She just hates the idea of screw and run.

If that wasn’t the only thing about Jerrick she hates was his over-violent past too. AJ may be violent herself, but at least she expresses it by beating fallen trees with her bat, punch her pillows, and throws tantrums. Not kill many people both innocent and not.

And yet, Jerrick always found a way to get close to her.

Every time she would try to go somewhere, he would be around the corner. When she wanted something from the fridge, he’s right by it. When somebody said they were going someplace and she wanted to come, he would volunteer too.

Literally, everything AJ wanted to do or tried to do, Jerrick would be right behind her. She had enough of it!

“Why can’t you just leave me the fuck alone?!” AJ had her standoff with Jerrick in the hallways of the mansion. She was going to get something out of the fridge when she saw him right by her door.
“Why princess, I only wanted to make sure you get to your destination safely,” the Beofang smirked and tried to pet one of AJ’s wolf ears.

She smacked his paw away, “Don’t you pet name me out of this! Now if you would excuse me, I would like to get my midnight snack.”

AJ pushed Jerrick aside and was heading towards the stairs when he called out to her.

“I can tell it’s chilly in this mansion by how hard your nipples are,” chuckle the male.

AJ covered them and blushed deeply before running down the stairs to the kitchen. She rarely forgot to put on her robe unless she was very tired and ignored it as she left her room.

The next day wasn’t great for her either. Jerrick seemed to pester her even more about what she like to do and what things she likes, and the list goes on.

Everyone was beginning to see the two having a connection even though AJ don’t see it. Lex was trying to give her a makeover, Amanda and Annie tried to give her some dresses, and Alex kept saying ‘SS’.

‘What the hell does that mean?!’ the hybrid screamed in her head. ‘And why is everyone acting like I have a boyfriend or something?!’

This went on for a month and the hybrid just want the madness to end, and it Jerrick wasn’t helping it. He was being more of a nuisance and everyone was giving them looks of that of a couple. AJ was at the tipping point.

“Go away!” she shouted at the Beofang one day.
“Hm? What’s wrong, princess?” Jerrick asked.
“Stop following me! Just stop! Why can’t you just get that I don’t like, no, hate you? You are nothing more but a womanizing alien that is trying to get in my pants! I’m not a whore, you know! I don’t give myself up when someone is being nice, or in your case a ‘prince’ figure. I’m just girl with a future that you’re not a part of! Can’t you just see that?!”

Jerrick stared at AJ. She doesn’t realize how much her words hurt him. Pierced him like a knife right in the heart, twisted around before being forcibly pulled out then stepped on by her.

Soon Alex came in to say they have a mission before seeing AJ stormed out and Jerrick staring at the spot where she was.

“You’re…aright?” the woman looked at the male. She wasn’t the type to ask people are they alright about something.
“Yeah…I guess I will be alright,” Jerrick left the room and Alex followed with a worried look on her face.

The van ride had to be the most awkwardness moment for everyone. Everyone, excluding Alex who was driving, was looking at Jerrick and AJ. Usually Jerrick would mess with AJ and in return she would shout at him with a blush look on her face. Now…they both don’t want to look at each other, and it worried everyone.

The group finally got to their destination. A supposedly haunted house that was filled with both ghosts and some mysterious creatures that the dramens had a few run-ins with, and someone wants them to exercise it.

“Ok, this maybe a stupid decision I’m making, but in order to cover more ground we need to split up. Though, we will be paired in large groups minus one. AJ and Jerrick will be the first group,” announced Alex.

AJ clenched her teeth and squeezed her arm. “Fine but let’s make this quick!” she hissed and started heading toward the house.

Jerrick was about to follow her when Annie stopped him and handed him a small glass that had some sort of clear liquid in it.

“You may need this,” she said quietly. Jerrick only nodded and headed after AJ.
“Alex, do you really think this is a good idea?” asked Max. “The mansion isn’t really that big, so we all could’ve just stuck together.”

The older sibling looked at him, “The rest of us will stay together. Sometimes, the stubborn lioness needs to past her stubbornness and see the good in what life has,” she answered.
“Oh I see, but what if this doesn’t work?”
“Then we are losing two people…”

Inside the house was darkness, broken objects, discolored pictures and rusted pipes. AJ and Jerrick decided to stick with the main level of the mansion.

The two were still quiet toward one another and was working their way deeper into the mansion. Of course they came across the creatures and slay them, but ghosts on the other hand none.

AJ has a deep fear of ghosts and rarely talked about that fear to anyone. Right now, she was at her wits end. She doesn’t want to counter any of them, and would bolt off screaming if she saw one.

AJ and Jerrick didn’t realize they were going in opposite directions until it was too late. The girl went left and the Beofang went right.

‘Tch, I got this job by myself. I don’t need Jerrick to help,’ AJ thought as she went in a room.

She turned around and noticed that Jerrick wasn’t anywhere in it.

‘He’s probably trying to scare me. Well, it won’t work.’ “Jerrick, you can come out now!”

Soon, a little girl with a missing eye appeared in front of the hybrid. “You found me,” she said.
“AAAAAAAAH!” AJ screamed and ran out of the room and deeper into the dark hall. ‘W-Was that a ghost?!’

The girl looked around her surroundings and doesn’t see anything that looked familiar to when she came to the hallway with Jerrick. She ran down the hallway, but was getting more lost in the small hallway maze.

AJ was panicking, crying out Jerrick’s name before breaking down in a dark hallway.

“Jerrick *hic* where are you *hic*?” she cried. ‘Why? Why is this happening? How can he just leave me by myself?’

Then, she remembered what she had said earlier to her, and started crying heavily.

“I didn’t mean all of that stuff… I was just frustrated! I didn’t really mean any of it… *sob* I just want…just want…*sob**hic*”

In reality, AJ doesn’t mind Jerrick lavishing her with his sweet talk; even though some of them were corny to her. She liked the fact that he was protective of her, and would do anything to keep her happy (despite her not showing it). In return, she would secretly do things in return like fix his wound on his paw when he claimed he doesn’t need it, and gave him her sweets sometimes before quickly walking away.

Why did she all of a sudden snap at him? Was it because she was scared of being used or was scared to love somebody that might love her back? Right now, AJ was just confused and scared, and her emotions are on ten.

“Someone…anyone…help me…” whispered the girl.

She started to hear whispers and they were getting closer and louder as if the whisperer, or whisperers, were right in front of her.

AJ’s vision was becoming blurry and everything was turning black. She didn’t know that the ghosts mixed with the creatures were engulfing her in darkness.

At first she tried fighting it off, but started to succumb to the darkness, and let take her soul.

‘No one will find me… I should just give up hope…’
“AJ!” a voice shouted at her.

Jerrick, after wandering around the hallways, finally found AJ, but in a dangerous state. She was covered in the dark mist, and wasn’t looking alive by how cloudy her eyes were.

“AJ!” Jerrick ran up to her, but stopped when the darkness started to get on him. ‘What is this?!”

As it slowly crawled up his body and nearly paralyzing him, the Beofang remembered the small case of clear liquid in his pocket. He doesn’t know why but an urge to open it and throw the water at the darkness came into mind.

Jerrick did so and the darkness disappeared off of him and some of the liquid got on AJ which made the ones on her disappeared too, and the girl cough and gasp for air.

“AJ, are you alright?” asked Jerrick as he picked her up bridal style.
The hybrid blinked and saw his face, “Jerrick! You came back!”
“I never left you. We must’ve split somehow an-GAH!” the male’s words were cut off by AJ’s arms hugging his neck tight.

She was crying hard, begging him to never leave her side again, and protect her. AJ didn’t want Jerrick out of her grip, but loosen her grip when she realized she was choking him. Jerrick looked at the girl and was about to say something until he heard more voices coming at them, and ran while still carrying.

They made it to the living room where they saw the rest of the gang. They all looked at Jerrick holding AJ bridal style, and were giving them the look.

“This…isn’t what you guys think?” stuttered Jerrick and set the hybrid down. “So are we done here?”
“Yeah, Amanda is getting the last place to do the full ritual,” answered Annie.
“Good because I’m sick of this place…” AJ quietly said and left the house to go to the van.

Jerrick, of course, followed her and saw her sitting in it with her head down.

“Hey, you’re alright?”AJ shook her head and turned away from Jerrick in silence.

The rest of the gang returned and left the place as it was lit in gold flames as the ritual was cleansing the mansion.

Back at home, AJ was in her room and Jerrick was making his way towards it when Max stopped him.

“Hey, I wanted to ask what happened at the mansion?” the boy asked.
“Well, we got split up and some black things were around her body. AJ almost looked dead and when I ran towards her, those things tried to get on me before I doused some clear liquid on them,” answered Jerrick.
“Clear liquid? Oh, that must be the holy water Annie gave you. She and Amanda always hold charms and stuff when facing the paranormal.”
“Right, anyway, after that I just picked her up and she held saying I shouldn’t leave her when earlier she didn’t want me around…”
“Yeah, I heard.”

Jerrick looked at Max who pointed at his ears. “Dragon ears: maximizes sound more than a dog’s.”
“I see.”
“Anway, she didn’t really mean it. She’s just under stressed. She’s not use to someone giving her that much attention and love, I guess, to her.”
“What do you mean? AJ seems pretty clear on not having me around…”
“Pfft, don’t tell me you lost interest in her because of that. Don’t lie about it either; I can sense that.”

The Beofang looked at Max, who had a smirk on his face, and sighed.

“Fine I’ll admit. I’m crazy about that wolf. I don’t know exactly why I like, love her. Maybe because she’s different, has a certain personality I like, knows how to hold her own, I don’t know for sure! I like it when she gets mad, happy, blushes and, hell, makes that pouty face, and I want to be the one that can cheer her up.”
“Hm, you have to points on this. Just know that AJ can be a real stubborn person, but she can be sweet,” added Max.
“I know, but do you really think she wants to talk to me?”
“I don’t know. You should ask her yourself,” Max pointed behind Jerrick where AJ was standing behind him, and he turned and walked away.

AJ had a small smile on her face before wiping it off to a stern look. “So, that’s what you think, eh?”
“Yes, that’s how I think, so you better take it or leave it.”
“Hm, what do you mean?”
“Please AJ, I want to know. Do you have any feelings towards me? At least something that doesn’t required you to hate me?”

AJ shuffled her feet and looked down, “Maybe…maybe not. I don’t know for sure. At first, I did hate you. I felt like I wanted to hit you with something when you came close to me, but now I’m not sure how I’m feeling. I don’t know if I’m infatuated with you, or I might actually…like you. You make me feel something that I can’t explain, that’s for sure. I don’t know, I’m only 14…”
“Well, at least give me time. I will show you how I can treat a girl or woman!” exclaimed Jerrick.
“Well, it will take some time maybe years,” AJ began to walk away, but looked back at him with a smirk, “but I’m sure you can manage to please me, wan?”

Jerrick watched the girl go downstairs to go to the kitchen before mentally cheering in his head and chased after her. The girl started yelling at him, and Max walked by them with Emily.

“Well, this will be an interesting couple,” the boy said.
“Aye, I wonder what will be going on with the two. In honesty, I find them a cute couple!”
“A stubborn hybrid and a cocky Beofang? I’ll see for myself, but I guess I find it cute.”

The twins watched Jerrick pestering the AJ, who was blushing, as she yelled remarks at him.

“Yeah, this will be an interesting couple to see,” the twins both said.