I rinse off the washcloth for the fifth time with lukewarm water, walking back into my room with the semi-wet rag. Tears gather in my eyes once more as Remington comes into view again. He looks so heartbroken, so devastated, that it physically pains me. My love sits on my bed with Emerson asleep on the couch next to Andy, whose gaze follows me wherever I go. "You could've gotten hurt." He states with no intention of hiding his discontentment.

"But I didn't." I murmur, glancing over at him briefly before returning my heterochromatic gaze to Remington.

"He could've hurt you, or worse. Their dark sides are not to be trifled with."

"You could hurt me at any time if you so wished it, and yet here we are. Both of you are seen as monsters, that doesn't make you one. Neither of you would ever hurt me, I have complete faith in the both of you."

Sitting down next to the conscious but silent Remington, I continue wiping at the blood on his body. He remains still, gaze distant and downcast with white-knuckled hands that tremble in his lap. Finishing cleaning his arms and hands, I move onto his slender neck, the red liquid having trailed down in thick rivulets over his tanned skin. A brief glance at Emerson shows that he is in a deep sleep, and one would think that being a vampire, he would wake up easily, but he's the heaviest sleeper I've ever seen. He is pale and before he'd fallen asleep, his movement were very stiff. He nearly couldn't move properly. Sebastian and Remington weren't in that bad of a state, but Emerson had used his magic more recently.

"C-can you take- take Emerson back to his roo-room please?" I direct my request at Andy, not turning back to look at him, continuing what I'm doing.

I hear him sigh and within the millisecond, the shuffling of feet. It pauses for a moment before heading towards the door. "Thank you." I state softly, getting a light hum in response.

I feel terrible for just sending Andy out of the room so suddenly, but Remington isn't entirely comfortable in his presence yet, shown in the way Rem's tense form relaxes just slightly once Andy is gone. I think being this vulnerable around someone he was unsure of for so long is difficult. I wipe the last bit of blood off of my lovers neck before moving to his face. The scarlet liquid is mostly on his cheeks and around his mouth but there is slight splatter above his eyebrow that I get off first, gently scrubbing at the soft skin. "I'm so sorry my sweetness. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." He murmurs for the tenth time since I found him, misery making it's home in his heart, his soul, and his voice.

"It's okay Rem, I've told you, it's o-okay. I know you couldn't control yourself."

The intense self-loathing and despair emanating from my promised makes me want to cry, to comfort him in any way possible, to rid him of those thoughts and feelings. But I don't know how. Physical affection is something I'd seen at a young age, the only good memories of my parents when I was a child of was them together, kissing or cuddling. I've been on the streets and witnessed acts of affection; of couples gently caressing the nape of their significant others neck, of happy teenagers gazing into each others eyes with such love. I've seen affection when both people are happy. I... I don't know how to comfort a lover in pain, how to console the ones I love the most when his actions are tearing him apart. I don't know how to help him and it's breaking my heart.

"But I should have been able to control myself better! I've been alive for nearly six hundred years, I should have learned self-control by now! Every time we run low on blood it always ends like this. People always die because of what we are!" He exclaims, rubbing at his makeup-free eyelids as tears threaten to fall once more.

I struggle to find some way to reply as I clean the blood off of his lips, softly rubbing at the skin at the corner of his mouth. Placing the rag down on the nearby nightstand, I move my hand to his cheek before trailing it down to rest on his back.

"T-take off your shirt hun, it's co-covered in blood." I murmur, already lightly tugging at the stained fabric.

He lifts it over his head with ease and simply tosses it away. "Stay here." I order, getting up to grab a brush from the bathroom.

I come back, brush in hand, moving to sit on my knees at his side. I begin to brush his hair back away from his face, trying to get it to lay back. Its a mess of dark strands that fall every time I try to get them to remain in one spot while other pieces stick up no matter what I do. The repetitive action comforting and Remington doesn't seem to mind either, leaning into the hand I have placed on his waist to keep in contact.

I don't know how to help him, but I'm going to fucking try. This idea is probably stupid, it probably isn't even working. Why did I think it would help? Is it because I always feel so calm when he does the same thing for me?

He stares ahead at the door after Andy, a slight downward tilt to his lips, puffy from my attempts to scrub off the blood. Setting the brush down on the bedside table, I reach around him, wrapping my arms around his torso and leaning my head against his shoulder. Remington turns his head towards mine, leaning it back and to the side a bit to rest against my own.

After a moment, he turns to wrap his arms around me, leaning his head in the crook of my neck as he usually does and placing a hand over my heart. The slight pressure on my chest causes me to be able to feel my own heartbeat, steady and strong, so different compared to his slow, corpse-like pulse. "I love you Remington. No matter what you do, or what you've done, I will always love you. It took me a bit to figure out if this was truly what I was feeling but I'm so sure of it it. My heart is unwavering."

It's silent for a moment, the only sound being our different breathing patterns. Then, his sobs can be heard, muffled but gut-wrenching nonetheless. I simply hold him tighter in my arms, not intending to ever let go.

Andy comes back, takes one glance at Remington and I, and moves closer. Crawling to the open space at Remingtons other side, he runs his hand gently through his hair as a hand rests against my thigh. When Remington's breathing slows hours later, when I'm tired as all hell and ready to succumb to the heaviness clawing at my eyelids, Andy finally pulls us to him, laying us down and wrapping an arm over us. I hold Remington to me as I fall asleep too, one leg draped over his, and the soft tufts of his hair tickling my throat as his head lays gently above my chest. Andy's hand rests against my back, warmth radiating from him even now. Despite the terrible situation, I wish every day to wake up like this, with Remington and Andy by my side.

::

The next day, later in the evening, I finally decide to get out of bed after reading about a quarter of one of Emerson's many philosophy books. Unwrapping my arms from around Remington and slowly shimmying off the bed, I stand and stretch.

The tan palor to his skin was still prominent, and he looked rather healthy at least, though dark bags hung heavy under his eyes.

I'd held him all night till now, even when my arms had gone numb and felt like tiny pinpricks all throughout the limbs, as he trembled in my tender embrace and all I could see through his eyes was the experience of ripping into people and draining them of their blood. Nightmares, his reality, so vivid I could feel the crunch of cartilage and muscle under my teeth as if I was biting into them myself. It was all he could think about, haunting him like a ghost and being able to taste their blood in my teeth was an experience I'd rather forget.

Andy had stayed awake, speaking with me quietly about anything and everything, trying desperately to distract me from the images and sensations I knew he could see and feel too. It was terrible, and the ordeal brought tears to my own eyes. I had cried as silently as possible, turning my head into the pillow to muffle any noises I might have made so Remington wouldn't wake up. He needed the rest. Andy did his best, petting my head with an expression of despair upon his visage. Nothing he could do would stop my tears, would stop Remington's nightmares.

Eventually, we'd all fallen asleep in the wee hours of the morning, my body finally giving in to the exhaustion the situation of the past few days had caused.

Andy doesn't wake up as I walk into the bathroom to do my business and brush through my hair. When I come back out, I kiss his head, caressing his cheek briefly, sweat gathered on his already hot skin. He leans into my touch even in sleep, the buzzing of our touch pleasant. Frowning briefly, I worry for Andy, wondering if being on this plain was causing this, hm, sickness perhaps? Moving over to Remington, I lean over the king sized bed with a bit of a struggle as I'm terribly short and trying not to wake Andy up, and kiss Remingtons hair as I did Andy's. As I pull away, Remington stirs, a soft yawn escaping rose lips, dark eyelashes fluttering. His raven hair is a mess atop his head, and he squints up at me with tired chocolate eyes, a silent question in his gaze.

"Go- Go back to sleep love, I'm just going to find Em and Seb." I murmur, running a hand through his messy hair once and leaving it there until I get some sort of confirmation.

He gives me a half smile with already closed eyes and barely nods his head before his head drops back down to the pillow. Immediately, his sleep deepens. It's a wonder he had woken up at all. I glance from Remington to Andy, a small grin adorning my lips as I head out of our room. They need the rest, and I'm happy to let them have it. Its usually me sleeping the days away.

Panic fills me as the empty hallway comes into view, my smile faltering then disappearing, and I have to remind myself that I'm not alone. Remington and Andy are in our room, and I'm going to search for Emerson and Sebastian right now. I can feel Remingtons slow heartbeat as if it were my own, I'm not alone anymore.

I'm not alone anymore, I don't need to be so afraid.

With this thought in mind, I push away some of the panic and make my way through the house. Isolation really does things to a person. It hits me at random, on days where my past haunts me in vivid detail, in those rare instances that I can't see nor hear any of the boys near me. It all comes clawing back from the recesses of my mind where I'd banished it as best as I was able.

I find Sebastian in his room, his guitar in hand, playing a slow tune. "Was there something you needed?" Sebastian inquires kindly, looking away from his guitar to meet my still frazzled gaze as a low, open chord rings out through the room.

"I've... g-got some questions for you-you and Emerson." I mutter, glancing down the hallway at my room, one hand resting lightly on the doorframe.

Sebastian nods, a look of understanding crossing his features briefly, before he stands and carefully sets his guitar on its stand. "Come on then. Emerson should be in his room, as usual." He smiles, his hand brushing my shoulder affectionately before he leaves his room with me in tow.

Walking through the hallways with company is much better than doing so alone. Emerson is in his room, like Sebastian thought he would be, sitting at his desk drawing. He doesn't look up as we knock and enter, his door having been left open, though he says a quiet 'hello' as greeting.

Sebastian motions for me to wait in silence with a raise of a single slender finger to plump pink lips. We wait in silence for only a few moments, and I try to watch subtly as Emerson pens careful lines onto parchment, the piece seeming to be of some sort of cathedral. His fingers are stiff so his movements are even slower than usual, his coordination almost off.

After a moment, he places his marker down and takes a brief, scrutinizing glance at his work. A small smile tilts one side of his lips upwards, almost like a smirk, and he nods to himself. Emerson stands, moving over towards us gracefully, and smirks fully, accentuating his nearly impish features. His light eyes sadden, caught on the space beside his bed as though something was there aside from empty air before he shakes his head sadly and walks over to us. I look to Sebastian in confusion, but he merely shakes his head grievously.

"I make it a point to create every day, even though I can barely move my fingers right now." He says as we move towards the stairs.

"Kitchen first." I'm quick to lead us in that direction.

"What are you doing Eliza?" Sebastian asks, suspicion clouding his eyes as he watches me grab two glasses and a knife.

"You'd better not be doing what I think you are." Emerson states with a mild glare.

"I'm giving you my blood. Just a little, I promise. Only so you guys can retain some movement and your sanity." I reassure, already moving the knife closer to my arm as I hold it above one of the glasses.

"You don't need to do this!" Sebastian assures firmly, moving as quickly as he's able to take the knife from my hand.

I move away from him, easily gliding away from his reach. My eyes narrow, inspecting them both. There is no way in hell they should be moving that slow. They're vampires and right now they're moving around slower than an elder human. "I do need to do this. You need my blood, and I have a lot of magic right now."

"Sebastian, I think we should let her. I want to drink from her about as much as you do, which is not at all, but I'm starving. We're starving. I can barely move any of my limbs now and you're slower than molasses. We need this or we'll slip into Oblivion." Emerson reasons tiredly.

After a moment of a silent stare down, there is the barest nod of Sebastian's head. "Fine. But you're explaining this to Remington. Give me that knife, there is an easier way. I think I have a needled syringe around here somewhere."

"No!" I exclaim, immediately fearful, "No needles. Please. This is fine, I promise. No needles."

At my suddenly terrified expression, Sebastian and Emerson share a considering, concerned look before agreeing. I hope with everything in me I cut off my bond with Remington and Andy quick enough that they wouldn't come down to see what was wrong.

"Once I've drank some of your blood, I should be able to heal whatever wound you make, and I will be healing it." Emerson states firmly, no room for argument.

The smile I give him is wobbly, but agreeable. "Remington and Andy will smell this immediately. Do you think it will wake them up? I can help explain later, but I want them to rest longer."

"When Remington falls to his dark side, he tends to sleep deeply afterwards. It should be alright. The demon, on the other hand, I'm not sure." Sebastian replies and I wonder for a moment what he means.

"His name is Andy." I emphasize pointedly.

"Yes, sorry, my mistake." Sebastians apologizes, almost sheepish.

'Where did you go?' Speaking of Andy, he awakes.

'I'm in the kitchen. You won't be pleased but I'm giving Sebastian and Emerson some of my blood, a small amount I promise. They don't even want it, though they know they need it. I'm willing to give it to them.' I respond.

There's an instant wave of reluctant displeasure that is purposefully sent down our bond and I merely take in the emotion passively as he relents to my decision. This is my choice, and I'm pleased he hasn't tried to stop me.

The men watch, displeased, as I bring the knife up to my already injured arm. It... hasn't healed fast like they usually do. That is- odd. No matter. The knife glides across the healing wound easily, reopening the injury only halfway up. It. Hurts. But I'm no stranger to pain. Blood immediately wells up and I'm quick to let it slide a little down my arm and into one of the waiting glasses. "While I hope there isn't a next time, we're not letting you do this with the knife again." Emerson frowns, gaze glued to the blood seeping out of my arm, "We'll just bite you, if that's alright. Less damage, less pain."

My thoughts immediately slip into every other instance I've been bitten by a vampire. It was always agony. Then again, every vampire I had come across was nothing like my three boys. I do not think they would ever hurt me like that. I nod, getting the other glass as soon as that one was almost half full. Emerson takes it first, downing the whole thing quickly. He pauses, an expression of wonder on his face. "You- You taste-" He is quick to shut his mouth, but he licks off every bit of blood that remains on his lips.

Something about my blood is delicious to vampires and I wonder why. It is my human blood mixed with magic?

By that point, the other glass was about half full as well, so I hand it over to Sebastian. His fingers, having only been able to play a very slow tune on his guitar earlier, can barely grip the glass properly. Emerson is quicker now, movements a little more lively and fingers less stiff as he takes my arm and seals up the bleeding wound with a green glow. The pain is gone in an instant.

Sebastian takes the glasses to clean them in the sink and while he does so, Emerson pulls me into a tight hug. "Thank you. You didn't have to do this for us."

"Yes, we appreciate it greatly and I'm glad you trust us enough to offer up your blood willingly." Sebastian adds on, drying his hands with a nearby towel that he sets down to pull me into a hug once Emerson lets go.

Their cheeks are a little more flushed, movements already just that little bit less stiff. They'll need more to come back from this, but for now, I've done what I can. Emerson gives me a few granola bars to snack on as Sebastian hands over a glass of water.

We make our way to the living room, all perching on the various furniture surrounding the coffee table. Andy sits there as though he was waiting for us, and I lay my head in his lap after placing my glass on the coffee table, growing increasingly more bold, swinging my legs over the armrest on the other end of the couch. I hold back a smile as he begins to card a gentle hand through my hair, the strands splayed around my head like an aging gold halo.

'Remington was beginning to stir when I left.' He informs me, gazing down at me with such a tender look in his eyes my lips curl into that smile I was trying to hold back.

The questions ransacking my mind cause a restlessness to settle in my soul, building up as the day goes by.

"What happened to Remington? He wasn't... himself." The question had to be asked, it's been burning the tip of my tongue since I first thought of it.

That wasn't Remington or Andy. That was something else. It sounded like Remington, but... darker... more violent, aggressive, though he didn't try to hurt me. Unless you count the attempts at drinking my blood. And... what language was he speaking?

"Every vampire has a sort of... dark side... if you will. They're easier to succumb to when we haven't fed in a while or our emotions are particularly strong." Sebastian starts, taking a swig out of his gin bottle as if to prepare himself for this conversation.

"We've taken to giving ours names. Mine's Dr. Strangebomb." Emerson continues, "I can heal, but he inflicts wounds. Sebastian's is Malevolence. He can command people to do whatever he wishes and his dark side uses that negatively, violently. He's who broucht you to us. Remington's-"

"-His name is Mr. Doctor Man. He has this thing for using medical knowledge as a form of torture, and uses my power to..." Remington states with a false air of nonchalance, trailing off as though he doesn't wish to say more, but his shoulders are tense and his emotions are all over the place with self-loathing and nervousness.

He moves from his place leaning against the doorway to stand next to the couch, my feet still dangling off the armrest. Andy continues running a hand through my hair, and I cast him a small smile when our eyes meet before it falls as I glance back to Remington. My love is so very ashamed of himself, and that hurts me as it does him.

"Most vampires usually only succumb to their dark sides when they're starving, or some let them take over completely. Those are usually dealt with quickly. Our are- they're a little bit worse than that. When I first fell to my dark side, I was stuck in it for a full century. Another of my lovers had passed recently and the country was wracked with the sickness that took her. Back then, there was no way to get blood except from the source, we were all starving. When I fell into my dark side, I ended up in France and stayed there for about thirty years after I woke up from Dr. Strangebomb. Its the language he speaks, and I find I favor it as well." Emerson explains.

"Malevolence favors Italian. We had lived in Italy for, oh how long was it? Somewhere between fifteen to twenty three years, Remington? Something like that. Malevolence made sure to learn many languages is those ten years he'd taken the reigns. Its easier for us to slip into our dark sides than it is most other vampires, and we're quite feared because of what we and they have done. Remington was under longest, and we searched for him. Followed the trail of murders from Japan, to Malaysia, to Italy where we had ended up staying. We've all done terrible things. Traveled the world, be it together or separately, made connections with people and places only for them to die and us to live on. We've stayed here in America longest, I fought in the Revolutionary War even when I came over from Britain myself after Remington and Emerson stayed for another decade or so We have no intention of leaving anytime soon."

Despite this heartbreaking information about their dark sides, I find all of this so very intriguing. This is the most I've really learned about their pasts and I want nothing more than to know whatever they'll tell me.

"You've always had the least control out of all of us." Sebastian comments lightly at Remington, not intending any true harm, but causing it anyway.

"Shut the fuck up Sebastian! Remember what you did out of revenge for Larisa? That was nearly the entire town. I didn't connect the dots until recently that it was you." Remington growls out, his eyes flashing red, anger suddenly fizzling through our bond.

I wince at the sudden emotion, its intensity overwhelming me for only a moment. Andy is quick to take Remington's hand, and he gives a grateful squeeze in return. "That was a low blow brother." Sebastians gaze goes cold, a darkness falling over them like a light going off, "You fed on and killed the entire mob that was after us. Or has that incident slipped your mind with time?"

"They killed Emerson! They'd found out what we were and were going to kill us! I had to do it, I had no choice! I was starving, I was so hungry. It was us or them and you weren't there to protect us!" A snarl leaves Rem's throat but it quiets down as I sit up and lay my hand over his, fingers brushing Andy's.

I don't know anything about their pasts so I do my best to remain silent, but it's a surprise when the quietest brother speaks up. "Stop it Sebastian, Remington! We were young! It had only been a few months since we'd lost our mother! When we died and came back, none of us had very good control! I killed... I killed Shy, remember? We were young, too young." Emerson trails off, looking close to tears.

These boys had been through so much, more than I'll probably ever know about. But they have each other, someone to lean on if they need to. I had no one.

"Calm down, p-please. You shouldn't fight like this." I murmur with a desperation I didn't know I felt.

I'd never seen them like this. Sure, Sebastian and Emerson will fight every once in a while, usually over Emerson screwing around and breaking something, with Remington trying to make sure no one gets hurt, being the mediator. But this, I've never seen this before.

"You're b-brothers, all each other has. You've lived a long time, so why do you let the past still t-tear you apart like this?" I state, gripping Andy's hand like it's a lifeline.

The much taller man has remained silent, knowing it wasn't his place to say anything, beads of sweat trailing down his skin as a flash of worry crosses my mind. Gosh, he's not looking good.

The brothers glance at each other, looking awfully guilty but still kinda pissed so I stand up. "I'll- I'll be in our ro-room until you can get along." I comment, standing up, intending to go to Remington's room.

"Andy, maybe you should go back into Rem's, uh, wherever, you're not looking too good." I brush my hand across his forehead, his already warm skin feeling like it's on fire.

I frown, brushing his dark hair behind his ear as he smiles at me, giving a small nod and ruffling my hair, a single ember trailing to the ground as he disappears with a small flash of red light. I head up to Rem and I's shared room after Andy's confirmation, hurrying along the hallways to get to our room quickly. The room is like my safe space and I dont mind being alone in there as much as I would anywhere else. I get that the vampires have been with each other practically since they were born. Spending that much time with people must make you sick of their presence at some point but saying stuff like that to each other? I don't understand it. I'll never understand it. At least they have actual blood family, family that doesn't despise their very existence.

So what if I'm slightly bitter? It doesn't matter. It won't change anything. My parents... they had another child anyway, a normal human without powers, and they're happy. So very happy without me in their lives. They kept him because he was normal. They love him. I went to see them once. Turns out, they still lived in the same town, just down the street in a bigger house. I just barely remembered what the yard looked like, and as soon as I was healthy enough, I shadow traveled there. I was weak, sick for days afterwards but I didn't care. They'd had a son, a young boy with such lovely green eyes. He was playing in their yard across from a luscious, well cared for community park. He'd seen her, standing there across the way. She must've looked like a creep, standing in the shadows of a tree. Her mother had called him into the house and she seemed so happym so happy with her new child, without her there. She'd left, then, tears in her eyes, and she never went back. They didn't want her.

(Eliza never did see that little boy look back after she left, forest eyes so curious, wondering who the girl was. He thought that she looked a lot like him.)

It was sudden and unexpected when I began to cry, the salty tears leaking down my cheeks without permission. Why'd they have to say those things to each other? Why was I born like this? The sadness and disappointment at my families bickering causes the insecurities from my parents betrayal to claw it's way back to the surface of my mind. And to think I'd done so well ignoring it. It was so much easier to ignore the pain of my past when I wasn't surrounded by a loving family, reminding me of what I could have had.

After a moment, I make a decision. Remington isn't allowed in until he has made up with his brothers. I control when this door locks, everything is fine. Everything is fine. Locking the door, I move over to the dresser and grab one of Remington's hoodies, his black playboy bunny one. As I shove the clothing item over my head angrily, I mutter the spell Rem has been trying to teach me.

"Derexi heisei... no... der... derexi h-hense. Derexi Hense!" I stammer, not entirely used to the spell yet.

As I speak the incantation, I also try to focus on what the spell is supposed to do. I need a layer of magic around the room intended to block sound from escaping or entering the room. Carefully opening one eye from its previously scrunched position, I see the thin layer of translucent black vines on the walls and ceiling, the door being the only thing uncovered. Smiling slightly through the tears still trailing down my face, a minuscule sense of accomplishment ebbing away some of the sadness, I turn on Remingtons CD player. The opening track of the CD plays, an instrumental called 'Romance.' I close my eyes, letting the tune be taken in by as many of my senses as possible. Its a beautiful song, maybe even my favorite on the album. As the track moves on into the next, one with a long title, I settle in to listen to the album on repeat for as long as I wish.

I shuffle under the covers of the bed seeking warmth, though the sheets are cold.

The entirety of the comforter wrapped around me, finally warm and comfortable as Our Lady of Sorrows plays throughout the room is the cause of the serenity I'm feeling now that my anger had abated. It's weird that Remy or Andy isn't beside me but I can feel the ever so steady and would-be-alarmingly-slow beat of Rem's heart like it's my own, as Andy has no heartbeat but his presence still lurks.

There is still mild anger as I think back to their argument but as my mind dulls into the nothingness of sleep, it begins to dwindle.

::

'Get it together you fucking idiot. You've all upset her.'

'I didn't do it on purpose. You know we're more susceptible to emotional outbursts after our alter egos make an appearance.'

We stew in our emotions for a solid two hours. I read while Emerson drew and Sebastian busied himself with trimming up his hair in one of our many fancy wall mirrors. After caving in and apologizing to my brothers for being a douche, and Sebastian doing the same, I give them both a lengthy hug and make my way up the stairs. About halfway up, I feel my loves heartbeat slow, the strong thump! thump! thump! becoming steady and even. She must've fallen asleep. She has been sleeping a lot lately outside of resting her injuries. It's actually quite concerning. I didn't know humans slept so much.

It upset me that she went to bed so upset, so bitter and sad. Elizabeth did say her parents hated her and gave her up to the government, so it makes sense that she wouldn't want us to fight when she didn't have a family at all. Just the thought of someone doing that to my sweetness makes me -us- sick and feel even more guilty for that pointless squabble with my brothers. We have each other, we've always had each other, and she grew up with no one. No one to love her like she deserved to be loved. It's affected her more than she would like to admit. I know she is unsure of how to comfort people when they're emotionally distraught, but she tries. She tries so hard, and that in itself is enough, but she doesn't realize it. How could she, when she has had no positive influences in her life to show her. My sweetness has noticeably gotten better with physical affection, just being here and interacting with us brothers has helped tremendously, to which I'm thankful. She's getting better. Mostly gone is the stutter that plagued her in the beginning of her stay here, her words coming out more confident, though never loud or overbearing. She still hates being alone, hates the dark, but she is learning to manage it as we are learning how to help her.

Jiggling the door handle in attempts to open it, I find it locked. With a tired sigh, an undertone of surprise lacing the action, I knock. After a moment of no answer, I take a glance at the walls. Upon closer inspection, I find my loves magic encasing the room. The spell is weak but formed correctly and a swell of pride overcomes me. I'm not entirely sure why she put it up, though I suppose it doesn't matter. I do the same thing out of habit every time I enter my room with the intention to stay awhile.

With an exhausted frown, I sit down in front of my door for only a few moments and then get up once more to head to Emerson's room. I'll try the door again in a little while. Give my love some space and rest. She's still not too pleased with any of us. I just want to go to sleep. When our dark sides make a full appearance, it always drains us of our energy, making us exhausted for a few days. All thanks to that fucking curse. It makes everything worse. So much worse. Every slip into our dark side is harder to come out of than it would be for that of a normal vampire. It seems only a promised can counter the effects of the curse, making our dark side a bit easier to control, almost normal.

'You'll have to apologize to her in a little while. I'd have stayed with her but I could barely hold my physical form any longer.'

'I know. Are you doing alright? You weren't looking very well.'

'I'll be fine in a few days.' Andy replies, voice gentle and touched at my genuine concern.

After a moment, as I'm knocking on Emerson's open door, asking if I can stay awhile, he speaks up again. 'Being able to hold her, to hold you. To apologize for the miscommunication. It means a lot to me.'

'I am... glad we were able to resolve our issues. I was afraid of you at first, but I'm not now. I am not even jealous over our shared love of Elizabeth. Dare I say, I might even feel similarly with you as I do her.' After careful deliberation, I finally tell him that I may or may not be romantically interested in him.

'You're- You-' Andy pauses, voice full of surprise.

When there is no continued response, I make to ask him what was wrong. Did he- not feel the same way? Did I just ruin the relationship I thought we were finally building?

There's a flash of light, and I'm staring straight into Andy's crystal blue eyes for only a moment before his lips are on mine, his hands on my cheeks. He's gone within the next moment and I'm left stunned into silence, face red with a heavy blush. Tingles still linger on my lips and face from where he touched.

Emerson whistles and I startle, having forgotten I was in his room. "You went from no lovers, ever, in your six hundred or so years, to two at the same time. You're doing great brother." He laughs, smirking as he goes back to drawing.

I pick up a pillow from his bed and throw it at him. He dodges, easily moving his head to the side as he continues drawing.

"Asshole." I mutter, a grin settling onto my face.

::

A/N: periods are a nightmare and not relevant here cause I say so. Will not be addressing it outside of this note here, probably. Cause of the malnutrition Eliza suffered pretty much her entire life, her period is out of wack when she gets one again but I don't care enough to talk about it or write it in as any sort of plot point so. Yeah. If this wasn't a fic with real people and I was bolder, maybe I'd write something in to do with vampirism and periods but you know. I'm not that bold 🥴