A big desire is not enough to meet the expectations of lost dreams.

For our first date- -fuck I can't even believe we got to this point- -Jasper waited until the week break we got for the school.

Apparently, one of our stops includes his house. I don't mind this, if it looks like a castle I'm completely down to get a tour of it and he said there's a lot to do there.

But he won't tell me what we're actually doing for our date.

Whatever it is, is about an hour and half away but so close to his house that we're staying there for the week we have off.

The only thing I'm remotely anxious about is the money.

Jasper's rich, very very rich, and though my family has enough money that it's not something I've ever had to seriously worry about, we're not rich by any means.

Hell, I got into school on scholarships. It's unbelievably expensive to send eight kids to college, where even Selene went for a bit, which is something my parents can testify to.

I made my intentions with him pretty clear before I found out he's an 'Astoria' which honestly isn't something I really care about, so I'm sure I'm anxious about someone thinking I'm a gold digger for no reason, but it's not something I want to be called.

So I find myself asking, "Are you sure I don't have to bring money, Jasper?"

"It's not that type of place, Star, and even if it was, you wouldn't need to bring money because we agreed that I'll be paying for things."

Sending Jasper a dirty look mixed with a glare, for making me a bit flustered at the nickname and for the false 'we agreed' statement.

"First off, Jitterbug, it wasn't an agreement, you just won the fucking bet." A bet I didn't expect to lose. "I still don't think this is fair."

The bet was that if I could guess within 100,000 dollars of what's in Jasper's private bank account then we'd share payments of any dates in the future but apparently, I was laughably off. The giant is oddly smug about this whole thing like he knew I would lose before we even played.

It's ridiculous how many places know the Astoria name around here.

"It doesn't have to be fair, you just have to accept it." The musician says, eyes focused on the road enough that I know he doesn't catch the angry way I'm smiling at him.

Angry because this isn't fair and smiling because he's him and then angry again but I can't fucking stop smiling around him.

I just huff at him.

He's the only guy that could do that -steal my heart and change my life all while frustrating me.

Jasper's the guy that anyone would feel lucky to have- -that anyone could have because he gives pieces of himself away all the time without even realizing it- -and the fucker doesn't even know it.

How unfair is that?

"Come on, Castor." Jasper laughs my name out, making my face feel a bit too hot.

Why, why, why does he have to say my name?

Like that nonetheless.

"Don't be grumpy." But grumpiness suits me. "You're always really nice to me and I'm really awkward about a lot of things, not including how oblivious I am. Not that I know what I'm oblivious about, b-because you always refuse to tell me, but I know I'm missing something. It's only fair that I get to do something for you too."

Crossing my arms I scowl at him, "But-"

"Until you're taller than me, I get to pay from things." He teases me, making my grumble at him, more than annoyed. I'm not gonna get taller than him, I'm done growing. But I have a feeling he knows that.

"You know, you don't act like you're tall." I say, glancing over his body.

Jasper glances at me, turning back to the road but obviously confused, "How do I act then?"

Smirking victoriously, I shrug and say, "Like a puppy."

"I do not!" The musician gasps, getting flustered enough to blush and hold the wheel tighter -actions that just amuse me.

"Yes you do, you get so excited to see me," I chuckle, remembering his all the small 'Castor!' moment's I've gotten just by walking into the room. "Even if you just did five minutes ago or if I left the room to grab something. You're just like, really adorable, Love."

Frowning slightly, the goof has the audacity to ask "I... I'm adorable?" like there's a possibility the guy who bought me Twizzlers to ask me out on a date couldn't be.

"This is why I call you oblivious." I deadpan.

"Castor," Jasper's voice comes out like a whine, which is distracting in itself but mixed with my name is a more distracting combination. "How am I supposed to learn how not to be oblivious if you don't tell me why it's oblivious."

Grinning I just shrug and say, "Only people under six feet tall are allowed access to that information."

"At least you can grow. I can't shrink unless someone chops off my legs." He pouts.

I can't help but to laugh. "Is that really where your mind went?"

"Yes, sir, it is."

Sir...hmm.

"Why do you call me that?"

"Sir?" I nod and hum in reply, so he can see my answer without getting distracted from the road. "I dunno. It's just a thing. Do y-you not like it?"

My smirk grows and I give him a thoughtful look, "I wouldn't say that."

The car slides to a stop and Jasper doesn't get to answer before someone over a comms system coming out the side of the gate, a massive gate, asks why he's here.

Though I can't take my eyes off the giant, literally giant house- -is this a mansion- -or should I say castle, I don't fucking know, I catch a woman call him "Young Master" and if that wasn't weird enough, the musician clearly acts like this is normal.

Woah.

Rich people are weird.

The house-castle-mansion thing is about seven stories high, looking pristine but old and genuinely really cool.

Very rarely do I put my ability to sketch things to use, I didn't even bring any of my sketchbooks to college, but I would definitely draw this place if given the chance.

Even the windows look fancy.

"C'mon, Star," Jasper laughs, breaking me from my thoughts. "We'll just hand them our bags and I'll show you up to my private floor and the wing we'll be staying in for the most part."

Oh god, now I'm afraid to break something.

Wait, private floor?

The wing?

Looking up at the building- -I'm just going to call it this from now on- -then to the musician I tic a few times before managing to ask "How high will we be?" as he leads us out of the car.

"Mine's the seventh floor, I have the entire thing but any other floor besides the third, that's my parent's suite and I refuse to enter." Probably for good reason. "We can go in. So really high up. I have a balcony and a hot tub up there that we can just chill in."

'Chill' is not the word I'd use.

"Seventh floor. Hot tub." I nod, trying not to think about how good he looks shirtless until the real thing is standing in front of me. "Got it."

Turning back to the building, I awkwardly watch the servants- -workers? Maids? I don't know what to call them either- -take our bags and disappear into the building.

Eyes scanning the seventh floor and finding the tower coming out the back of the building I turn to Jasper with an amused grin, trying to make myself more comfortable in such an intimidating place.

"So..." I glance up to the sky then back to his minty eyes. "Where-" I squeak. "-do you guys keep your dragon?"

"I'll show you." Jasper smiles at me, arm coming around my waist and hand squeezing my side lightly as he starts to lead me inside.

There's an elevator that we ride instead of taking the stairs, that being in someone's house is weird in itself, but as soon as we're off that the turns and doorways we go through get lost on me.

He had to go through at least three keypads and passcode locked doors for every new section, including extra boundaries on the gates.

It's almost overwhelming.

But then we walk through this one space that has pale, mint colored wallpapers and smells like Jasper, the trinkets and music notes scribbled on the papers on tables are a clear sign that if my nose was wrong, my mind isn't.

So this entire apartment, suite, styled space is Jasper's wing.

Damn.

Keeping me against his side, since I keep stumbling while looking at everything, Jasper whispers a small, "I'll show you everything soon."

Grateful, I just nod and let him lead me right up to the tower I saw.

And in the tower, are two owls.

One's white and the other's a brown one with a white face, I like the brown one more even though it stays silent with a small glare as the friendly white one wiggles it's wings and dances on the peg next to the brown one, chirping excitedly.

Smirking, I look up at Jasper, who dunks under the doorway to stand next to me.

"Do they just-" I growl. "-have to evolve more or are they food for the dragon?" I ask, watching as Jasper scoffs, seemingly offended at the question before he smiles at me, walking right over to the two owls and letting them climb onto his arm.

"Dragon," He calls the white one, petting her with his free hand. "Meet Castor, he's a disbelieving god and disbelieving god meet Dragon and Archimedes, who are definitely not food."

Due to the god comment alone I just shrug, pretending to look at Dragon thoughtfully. "I'm sure with the right recipe they could be."

"He didn't mean that." Jasper coos, helping Dragon climb up to his shoulder before cuddling his head against hers. "See? You hurt her feelings. Archimedes is a grump too, though."

Too?

I guess I am grumpy, but that's just because people exist and I happen to hate them. And the world is annoying.

"My apologies, I should know better than to make a Dragon mad." My sardonic reply makes Dragon chirp at me and the slight glaring, orange-eyed look I'm getting from Archimedes doesn't change. "And is my 'fellow grump' at least soft?"

Jasper blinks at me with nearly the same blinking expression Dragon has.

It's cute.

"Very. You can pet him, if you want, Star. He's calm right now and most likely wouldn't attack you?"

I'm more worried about the other way around, and doing something when I tic that offends the bird.

Still, I ask, "Most likely?"

"He doesn't do it in front of Dragon, she scolds him in her birdy language." I have to admit, that's funny but not very terrifying. " Literally, he bit Axel's nose once, the jerk was being really annoying and bothering me, I guess he got protective, and for the next hour she chased him around and just shrieked."

Love that.

Looking down at Archie, I extend my hand towards his beak, either he'll bite me, ignore me or give me a wing-five. All of which I'll accept.

"Me and you," I say. "We understand each other."

I like this bird purely based on the fact that I too, like to beat up Axel for touching Jasper.

Archie blinks at me before chittering a weird greeting, beak gnawing on the tips of my fingers- -it doesn't hurt- -before the owl dips down, letting me pet him.

Happy that the owl now apparently trusts me, I do so with one finger, still half-scared to accidentally hurt him.

I have a pet at home, one I didn't take with me to the dorm because I didn't know who Jasper was at the time and didn't know if my roommate could handle me, let alone a three foot long python.

Buttered-Noodle, Noodle and Del, is a Banana Ball python and the only kind of pet I've really felt comfortable with.

She stays wrapped around me even when I tic, she's thick skinned and likes to cuddle in my pocket. She's always calm and easy to take care of.

And she's the most adorable snake I've ever met.

Maybe Jasper will let me bring her home...

"He likes you but I'm not surprised." Jasper's voice breaks me out of my thoughts, making me turn up to him to find Dragon rubbing her face against his. "Yes, Dragon, I know you missed me. It's good to see you too girl. Haven't been too much trouble for Acrhie, have you? No?"

The owl chirps back at him a couple times as if she was carrying on the conversation, reminding me of the way I taught Noodle to hiss back at me when she was little by giving her crickets for every noise she makes.

Noodle talks more than I do.

"You're right," The giant continues, not thinking twice about Dragon replying to him. "Archie is the one who causes trouble. He likes to fight people who pet you too long, doesn't he?"

"At this point I'm not even surprised that you just had a conversation with an owl." I sigh, patting the more-normal barn owl on the head. "You're too fucking cute for even animals to ignore."

Blushing a light pink, Jasper's eyes widen as he looks at me. "I don't know how to reply to that but it made me happy."

I smile back at him, "That's good enough." Pausing, I pet Archie again before looking back up at Jasper. "Dragon better be able to breathe fire, or I'll be sorely disappointed?"

"You don't need Dragon to get fire," Jasper laughs. "We have Nyx for that."

Archie doesn't bite me the more I pet him, and even looks to be enjoying it but I'm not good with most animals, so I really don't know if this is his happy face or not.

"Castor." Jasper says my name and before I even looked up, I could hear his smile in his voice. "We have to get you a passkey and I want to show you to Nymph's Creek, if -if that's okay with you?"

"Part of our date?"

"The first part, yes. We'll probably have to do part two tomorrow?"

A two part date...what kind of date is he planning. I know with this dork it's definitely going to be a good one but it's long.

It's not that I'm complaining, I'm mostly just surprised.

Grumbling, I have to ask, "And I don't get to know what it is?"

"You get to know that I already want a second date," I could tell that already, who is he kidding? The giant gets so excited for things, it's adorable and it lets me plan again. "But nope, it's going to be a surprise because I messed up with the smoothies a-and I practiced not blurting things out to you! I didn't want to ruin anything again."

Ruin anything?

What is there to ruin so far -besides the coffee table he knocked over earlier because he walked into it.

"You didn't ruin anything in the first place, Jitterbug." I tell him, arms crossing.

Jasper tilts his head at me but doesn't question me.

He puts Dragon back which makes Archimedes fly over to be with her as the musician offers them some treats.

Next he points out the tower window, me having to go on my toes to see out of- -something I don't think he notices- -and shows me where Nymph's Creek is.

When we go back to get the passcodes, which I don't know why we need to have them, I take a few moments to realize that I'm getting a tour later and everything would still be here.

So, following behind Jasper, I take the time to check him out because he's him, and why would I waste an opportunity to do that?

The giant bristles the second the elevator doors close on us, shoulders tensing, something I noticed on the way up too.

Silently, not going to say anything, I stand on the other side and pointedly look at the changing numbers instead of him.

Though he doesn't say anything, the slight squeeze he gives my side when leading me to the security office is thanks enough.

Knocking on the glass is soon followed by an older guy with a scruffy beard, blonde hair, and a scratching voice saying, "Enter."

"Mister K, this is my butterfly, Cas." Jasper tells him, smiling. "And he needs a keypass for the castle."

A sentence I never thought I'd hear.

"Nice to meet you, young man." Mister K nods at me.

With that he starts to work on the pass, asking Jasper where I'm allowed, which is apparently everywhere besides his parent's floor and Nyx's wing.

Looking me over, Mister K turns back to the screen before asking, "It says here your last name is Rex, correct?"

How does he know my name?

"Uh..." I freeze, looking between him and Jasper, not really knowing what to do.

Jasper pulls me closer to him. "Sorry, my security team updates whenever someone enters the property and since I needed to set things up for our date, they know who you are."

I narrow my eyes at Mister K, "You did a background check on me?"

Does that also mean they now have my medical records?

Because that could definitely start some conversations I'm not ready for.

"You're dating one of the godlings," The older man says, rolling his eyes without looking away from the screen. "It's my job to know who is in his life and well as all the other young masters. My team deems whether they're a threat or not and continue from there. You are a good one, Mr. Rex. I just needed the conformation for your passkey. It's a large responsibility and I don't want to hand that over to you if you aren't ready for it."

Large responsibility?

Like, buddy the only place I'd need the passkey to leave to go in the giant building is the bathroom, how much responsibility does it take to do that.

"Yeah," I say, not about to argue on this issue. "It's Rex."

"All you had to say, kid."

Mister K is a guy I like, he's snarky and straight forward, but those are also the reasons I also don't like him.

"Mr. Kennedy," Jasper's voice when he says this is kind of surprising, he's talking like he's this guy's authority figure, and it takes me a moment to realize that he is. "Thank you for doing the keypass. After, double security around the left sector of the side yard and make sure no one needs to pass the east gate to Nymph's Creek again."

Here I am in my musician's castle that has sectors and east gates and private creeks while my house just has a backyard.

Ah, diversity at it's finest.

Kennedy, which is easier for me to remember than just Mister K, hands me a pass.

"Don't be afraid to ask for help over the intercoms if you get lost. Maids and butlers as well as Mrs. Patty, my wife, should be around to help. I doubt your boy will let that happen, but it's regardless. First aid kits are in every bathroom and every kitchen, as well as fire extinguishers. Alarms for intruders or fires you can't put out yourself are by the intercoms, don't worry about hitting them by accident, we ask over the intercom if it was an accident and if there isn't a response, then we get the help you need based on the situation. Libraries cut out the oxygen if there's a fire but you will have time to evacuate if that's the case. Any questions?"

I'm a cook, so of course I ask, "There's multiple kitchens?"

Which, between asking how many people have set fires around this place for him to tell me that and seeing how many spatulas they have, is probably the wrong thing to question first.

"Oh," The giant leans over, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my head, making me flush slightly. "You're gonna love this."

Don't doubt that.

The first thing Jasper does is show me to his private kitchen and let me bake a cake for later.

This kitchen is about four times bigger than the one I have at home, and way better than the space I have to work in at college.