#it's been a while! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

goforth-ladymidnight · 4 months

Text

A Second Chance

Ch. 7

Pairing: Tamlin x Lucien

Word Count: 4k (I know it's shorter than usual, but the next chapter will make up for it)

Summary: Tamlin is not the only one keeping secrets

Available to read on AO3, or below the cut:

A blanket of fresh snow crunched beneath the tires as Lucien slowly pulled through the wrought iron gate and into the circular drive.

Tamlin leaned forward in the passenger seat to get a better view of the large, three-story manor. “Where are we?”

“My brother’s house,” Lucien explained as he shifted the car into Park. “Eris. You’ve met him before, I think. When I brought you home for Christmas that first year.”

“Oh, yeah. I think so.” Tamlin sat back and stared at the tall stone steps leading up to the massive front door. “Doesn’t he have, like, a million dogs?”

Lucien chuckled as he pulled off his seat belt. “He has ten, the last time I counted. But it’s been a while since I’ve been here, so who knows anymore.”

As Tamlin handed him the extra takeout container, he asked, “Do you want me to come in with you?”

“No, I’ll just be a minute,” Lucien insisted, opening his car door. “I have to bribe him with some latkes, and then we’ll go pick out a Christmas tree, okay?”

“You have to bribe him? What for?”

Lucien pulled the door closed against the stream of cold air blowing in, and thought quickly. “Since Vassa’s been in town, I’ve been falling behind at work,” he lied. “So, Eris has been covering for me. This isn’t so much a bribe as it is a thank you, so…”

Tamlin nodded slowly. “Oh. Okay.”

On a whim, Lucien leaned in and brushed a kiss against his cheek. “See you in a minute,” he said with a reassuring smile, then slipped out of the car and left it running.

He could feel Tamlin’s eyes on him as he made his way up the steps, pretending nothing was amiss. His heart was beating like a drum as he pressed the buzzer.

The red light clicked on as a voice sounded through the subtle layer of static. “Yes?”

“It’s me,” Lucien replied evenly.

The red light turned off with a click, but thankfully Lucien didn’t have to wait long for a response.

Eris answered the door himself, wearing his favorite Sunday attire: an embroidered velvet smoking jacket over his black silk pajamas, complete with matching slippers. The only thing missing from his ensemble was a fez.

Making a mental note to add one to his shopping list, Lucien smiled and said, “Hey. Thanks for seeing me.”

“No problem,” Eris said with a sniff, crossing his arms against the cold.

While they had both inherited their mother’s slender build, Eris had pale skin that freckled in the sun, and short, gingery-red hair that he kept tucked behind his ears. Unlike most redheads he knew, including all six of his brothers, Lucien tanned in the sun, and his hair was more auburn than red. At least his mother’s hair was auburn too, or he might have wondered if his brothers were right about him being adopted all those years ago.

“So,” Eris continued. “You said something about ‘better than hash browns’?”

Before Lucien could answer, one of Eris’s adopted retired racing greyhounds appeared by his side as if summoned by the smell of still-warm latkes, wagging its tail and whining in hopes of a handout.

“Hey, there,” Lucien said sweetly, reaching out to fondle the dog’s silky ears. The dog sniffed at his hand, body wagging furiously, then circled his legs and nipped back inside with a yip to get out of the cold.

Eris chuckled and stepped onto the covered porch and shut the door behind him. “That was Lily. She’s new. She doesn’t know that much about snow yet.”

Lucien huffed a laugh that was visible in the frosty air. “How many dogs does that make now. Eleven?”

Eris smirked. “Twelve. I’ve got a mini grey that’s napping in my chair right now. Do you want to come inside and meet her?”

Lucien regretfully shook his head, then nodded at the car running behind him. “I can’t. Tam’s waiting in the car for me, so…”

As Eris accepted the takeout container, his amber eyes turned sharp as he stole a furtive glance over Lucien’s shoulder. “That him?” he said in a low voice.

“Yeah,” Lucien said quietly.

Eris let out a long, slow, frosty breath. “If half of what you told me is true, it’s going to get ugly. Without a rape kit, and without eyewitness testimony, his chances of winning this suit are next to nothing.”

Lucien’s heart sunk. “So, you’re saying we shouldn’t even try?”

Eris’s mouth pursed. “I didn’t say that,” he said more gently. “If anyone is willing to testify on his behalf, I might be able to scare the University into coughing up a settlement.”

“Is that all?” Lucien asked, disappointed.

“It’s better than having his name dragged through the mud. Especially if that dean is in bed with the police.”

Lucien felt a twinge of guilt for sharing Tamlin’s story without his permission, but he needed to know if there was a chance Tamlin could get his life back. If anyone could help him get a shred of justice, Eris could.

“Have you told him what you’re planning yet?” Eris asked.

Lucien shook his head and rubbed his gloved hands together. “Not yet.”

As Eris opened the takeout container, he said, “Before you say anything, let me look into it.” He paused to breathe in the fragrant steam. “Is that applesauce?”

Lucien smiled. “Does it count as a bribe if I say ‘Yes’?”

Eris smirked and waggled the container. “It depends on how good the goods are.”

Lucien grinned as he turned for the steps. “Trust me. They’re good.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“I thought you were a lawyer,” Lucien called over his shoulder.

“Not on Sundays,” Eris countered.

Lucien laughed as he walked down the steps. “So call me and tell me the verdict tomorrow, Your Honor,” he quipped. “I’ll be out most of the day.”

“Doing what?”

“Buying a Christmas tree.”

“Is that right?”

Lucien turned around at the bottom of the steps and gave his brother a friendly salute. “Dad can’t say no to me buying myself a tree and a few decorations now, can he?”

Eris frowned thoughtfully. “I guess not.”

“And what’s a Christmas tree without a few gifts to go underneath it, right?”

Eris’s lips pursed in disapproval as he shook the container at him. “You’re toeing the line there, little brother.”

Lucien grinned and reached for the car door handle. “Don’t I always?”

“Always,” Eris called out. “And I have the heartburn to prove it.”

“Try the applesauce,” Lucien called back, then got into the car to go shopping with Tamlin.

* * *

“This is where you live?”

Tamlin winced at Lucien’s question. Hybern Heights was not exactly the height of luxury, no matter what the brochures said. “I know it’s not that impressive,” he said, slipping off his seatbelt, “but it keeps the snow off my head.”

“I’m not judging you,” Lucien reassured him. “I’m just… surprised, that’s all.”

“Yeah,” Tamlin murmured. “Me, too.”

It was a far cry from the dorm room they had shared all those years ago. Even if the rooms were small, at least they were clean and well-kept.

He didn’t know how old these apartments were, but they were most certainly older than him. Angular cracks traced the gray brick facade, which had once been painted white, but what wasn’t peeling away was now the color of old bone. Overgrown ivy clung to the walls in summertime, but in winter, they were brown, spidery husks clinging to the bricks like skeleton fingers. At least the snow softened the worst of it, but it did nothing to hide the sins of the interior. Stained carpets, peeling wallpaper, rusty taps… It was a wonder how easily he had gotten used to living there, and thinking it was okay.

It wasn’t okay. It was pathetic. Especially because of the amount of money Mr. Hybern charged them in rent. If they finished this job for Koschei, maybe they wouldn’t have to put up with it anymore. But that was a big IF.

As Lucien unbuckled his own seatbelt, Tamlin stopped him.

“You should wait here,” he said quickly. “It’s a mess in there, and I’ll only be a minute. Really.”

Lucien quirked his mouth to one side. “If you’re sure,” he said, but he sounded reluctant to agree.

“I’m sure.” Tamlin smiled and reached for the door handle. “I’ll be right back.”

“Tam?”

He paused. “Yeah?”

Lucien slid his sunglasses up and into his hair. “You know,” he began slowly, “I have tinted windows, so… feel free to kiss me anytime you feel like it, all right?” He gave Tamlin a teasing smirk. I promise I won’t mind.”

Tamlin blushed. “How did you get to be so confident about all this?”

Lucien shrugged. “Practice.”

Tamlin considered this, then shyly glanced around to make sure no one else was hanging around the snowy parking lot. It was a Sunday morning, so the chances of anyone being up and around weren’t that high. Even with tinted windows, he felt better knowing no one else was there.

“It’s just us, Tam,” Lucien said gently.

Tamlin took a deep breath, “Okay,” he said softly, then leaned in. “Come here.”

Lucien grinned. “That’s more like it.”

One awkward nose-bump and affectionate kiss later, Tamlin pulled away, blushing madly. “I’m not very good at this,” he said, slumping back in his seat.

Lucien, however, was beaming. “That’s what practice is for,” he declared, then nodded at the apartment building. “Now go on. The sooner you get back, the sooner we can practice some more.”

Tamlin was still blushing when he made it up to the third floor apartment.

He was so distracted that when he walked in, he thought he had walked into the wrong unit. It was bitterly cold from all the windows that were cracked open, and there were piles of stuff everywhere. When he recognized the sagging, blue-checkered sofa, his next thought was that they had been robbed. Except he couldn’t tell what the would-be robbers might have taken. The nicest thing they owned was the television, and that wasn’t saying much. At least it was still there.

He was beginning to think that some kind of wild animal had gotten in and trashed the place, when Jurian walked out of the kitchen, carrying a roll of garbage bags and the old broom and dustpan.

“Hey, I’m glad you’re here,” Jurian said distractedly, gesturing to the piles. “Grab a bag. Pick a pile.”

Relived but not quite, Tamlin slowly closed the door behind him. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m cleaning.”

“I can see that, but… why?”

“Why?” Jurian gestured to the mess. “Because I just spent the night in one of the most luxurious hotels I’ve ever seen outside a magazine, and I realized we live in a trash compactor.”

A wry smirk touched Tamlin’s mouth as he stepped closer. “Took you long enough.”

Jurian shot him a look, then did a double take. “Where have you been, anyway?”

Tamlin blushed again. “Oh, you know. Out.”

Jurian raised his brows in silent inquiry.

Tamlin shrugged him off, then reluctantly admitted, “With Lucien.”

Jurian looked him over with a slow, thoughtful nod. “Are you just getting in?”

Tamlin wasn’t ready to admit that he had just spent the night in one of the most luxurious beds in the world with a guy who had just come out to him as gay, because he himself wasn’t ready to come out as anything. He wasn’t even sure what to call what they had done. Platonic cuddling? Sensual handholding? Sleeping together but not that way?

Since he owed Jurian an answer, he simply said, “Yeah. We just talked.”

“All night?”

“Yeah,” Tamlin squeaked, then cleared his throat. “Basically.”

Jurian shrugged. “Okay.”

As he looked away, Tamlin was grateful he had let it go, even though he might have already guessed. Jurian’s sloppiness did not apply to his detective work, after all. To keep his attention elsewhere, Tamlin decided to change the subject. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Jurian asked, shaking out an empty garbage bag.

“What about you and… you know. Vassa.”

“What about her?” Jurian said stiffly, keeping his gaze averted.

“How did it go last night?”

Jurian eyed him sidelong, strangely silent, until he suddenly sagged onto the couch, which creaked beneath his weight. “Oh, my god,” he moaned, then ran a hand through his hair. “She’s incredible. She’s absolutely incredible. She’s gorgeous; she’s funny; and she’s into me… Those are three things I never thought I’d string together in a sentence. Not to mention she’s bilingual in the best possible way…” He murmured something in Scythian. “My god…”

Tamlin looked at him askance. “What happened?”

Jurian sighed and dropped his hand to his lap as he stared at the ceiling. “Nothing I’d be willing to confess to a priest.”

Tamlin made a face as he thought it over. “Eugh.”

Jurian sat up and glared at him. “Hey. I don’t give you shit about your love life; you don’t shit on mine. Got it?”

Tamlin winced and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Yeah. Sorry.”

Jurian’s frown softened. “Yeah,” he muttered, running a hand over his stubble. “I know. Me, too.”

Tamlin shifted from one foot to the other as he glanced around at the half-cleaned apartment. “So… Did you invite her over?”

“No. Hell, no.” Jurian sat up. “I just realized that if I did invite anyone over, there wouldn’t be anywhere to put her coat, let alone her purse, even if she wanted to stay.” He gestured to the mess, no further explanation necessary.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Tamlin remarked, stepping towards the coat closet where his meager possessions were stored. “Lucien’s waiting for me outside. I just came up to change clothes and—and grab some stuff.”

As he draped a fresh shirt and clean-ish jeans over his arm, Jurian asked him, “What kind of stuff?”

Tamlin kept his gaze averted as he added more clothes to his pile. “Oh, you know… Clothes and—and stuff.”

“Uh-huh.”

Tamlin’s face flushed as he tried to hide three days worth of fresh socks and underwear under yet another sweater.

“I hope you’re not emptying that closet on account of what I said,” Jurian remarked. “Vassa’s not coming over, and even if she was, we could put her coat somewhere else.”

Tamlin shook his head without turning around. “No, that’s not—I’m not—I’m not doing that,” he stammered quietly.

“Are you moving out?”

“What? No!” Tamlin turned around and tried to squelch his panic. “Unless… unless you—Did you want me to move out, or…?”

Jurian gave him a sad, resigned kind of smile. “Are you kidding? Of course not.” He groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. “You’ve got a place with me as long as you need it, you know that.”

With a relieved sigh, Tamlin said quietly, “Thanks, Jurian.”

“No problem, kid.”

Tamlin watched as he bent and grabbed the first of many old takeout containers and shoved it into his garbage bag. “Did you want me to stay and help? I can let Lucien know…”

“Nah. I got myself into this mess. I can get myself out of it.”

As empty cans and bottles began to clink inside the plastic bag, one against the other, Tamlin somehow suspected he didn’t mean taking out the garbage. “What about Vassa?”

“Kid. We have already had this discussion,” Jurian said coolly.

“I don’t think we have.”

“Look. I just had the most amazing night of my life, with the most amazing woman I’ve ever met…” He threw another bottle into the bag with an especially loud clank. “…and I realized that you were right.”

“I was?”

“Yeah.” Jurian straightened and ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t—I can’t take my work home with me. No matter how incredible she is.”

“Isn’t it a little late for that?”

“Technically, we went to her place, not mine,” Jurian said with a wry, sad smile. “So, technically, it doesn’t count.”

“Are we talking legally, or biblically?”

“What’s the difference?”

Tamlin gave him a look, and Jurian looked away.

“Yeah, yeah. I know.” Jurian let out a weighty sigh. “It doesn’t matter anymore, because I’m done.”

Tamlin gawked. “You’re done?”

“Yeah, I’m done,” Jurian said, waving dismissively. “It’s over. I can’t see her anymore. It’s unprofessional. I should have known better.”

“But if you already slept with her, then—”

“Look. It doesn’t matter. I’m never going to see her again. That’s it. End of story.”

Tamlin stared as Jurian bent over to grab more garbage for his bag. “Never?” he asked. “Like… never ever…? Or…?”

Jurian looked up at him, half-bent over, still holding an empty bottle. “Why.”

Tamlin sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth. “Well…”

“Well, what.”

“You know, it’s just…” Tamlin took a deep breath. “Lucien invited you and Vassa to a tree decorating party at his place tonight at seven o’clock,” he said quickly, hoping his smile would be persuasive.

Jurian straightened up and stared at him. “Are you kidding me?” When Tamlin shook his head, Jurian groaned and dropped the bag and the bottle to the floor to grip his hair with both hands. “What are you doing to me, kid?” he moaned at the ceiling.

“Hey, you don’t have to come—”

“Oh, I’ll come,” Jurian said, pointing at him. “I’m just going to be a little bitch about it.”

“Hey,” Tamlin said sternly. “You’re the one who wanted to take her out last night. You’re the one who ignored your own goddamn code of ethics.”

Jurian’s face crumpled. “God. I know.”

As Jurian buried his face in his hands and moaned, Tamlin uncomfortably shifted his pile of clothes from one arm to the other. “Did you really sleep with her?” he asked quietly.

Jurian was silent for a long moment. “Do you really want to know?” he asked, muffled.

“No.” Tamlin shook his head for emphasis. “It’s bad enough knowing that she’s Lucien’s friend. I don’t need to know the particulars.”

“Yeah.” Jurian sighed and scrubbed at his face. “It’s for the best.”

Tamlin took a half-step toward the bathroom to change. “So… are you coming tonight?”

Jurian sighed without looking at him. “Yeah,” he murmured.

“Are you really going to end it with her?”

Jurian dropped his gaze to the floor and nudged the garbage bag with his foot. “I don’t know yet,” he murmured.

Tamlin sighed. “If… if you want, I can bring my camera. I’ve still got an old point-and-shoot, so we could get this job over with if you…” He trailed off when Jurian shook his head.

“Nah.” Jurian ran a hand through his hair. “It’s a party. And it’s still Sunday. We’re off the clock.”

“Oh. Okay, then.”

When Tamlin came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, Jurian was sitting on the couch arm, surveying the mess he had made. At least he’d finished tying up one garbage bag, but he wasn’t anywhere near done yet.

“Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

Jurian startled as Tamlin walked up to him. “Yeah. No. I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

“I’ll be fine,” Jurian said emphatically. “Just tell me where this party is, and I’ll be there at seven with a smile on my face and a poinsettia under my arm.”

Tamlin smiled a wry half-smile. “You don’t have to bring anything.”

“The hell I don’t,” Jurian said lightly, then gently punched his arm. “I’ve got a date tonight. I can’t just show up empty-handed.”

“It’s not a—a date…” Tamlin faltered when Jurian shot him a look.

“I don’t think you know what a date is, kid.”

Tamlin blushed and hoped it wasn’t obvious. “Fine,” he muttered, then told him the address.

Jurian whistled. “They don’t charge admission to get in, do they?”

“No, I think your wallet is safe,” Tamlin said with a smirk.

Jurian smirked back. “Good,” was all he said.

Tamlin turned to go, then paused and asked, “By the way… How was Swan Lake?”

Jurian looked thoughtful, and his smirk softened to a smile. “It was nice. Real nice.” He nodded at Tamlin. “Tell your friend I said ‘Thanks’. From both of us.”

#did somebody say update?#it's been a while!#hope you like #:)#my writing #my fanfiction #acotar fanfiction #acotar fanfic #tamlin x lucien #lucien x tamlin #tamcien

17 notes · View notes

alby-rei · 1 year

Text

The Shy & Clumsy Physicist (IkeVamp; Isaac Newton)

a/n: I haven’t opened the ikevamp app in months, and when I did revisit it the other day, I was hit with nostalgia from the music alone. Decided to tackle an old wip from a retrospective angle, thinking of doing the same to the rest of the bunch. Thus, I present to you a piece of my Memories of the Mansion, talking to Isaac Newton for the first time.

[Characters]: You & Isaac (ft. Napoleon)

[Word count]: ~1000 words

[Notes]: Pre-relationship, first meetings, can be read as platonic, gender-neutral reader

~*~

In a mansion full of accomplished and renowned historical figures, Isaac Newton was no slouch. If anything, he was among the most dedicated to continuing his previous life's work. He could work for hours on a single contraption without a care for the outside world, never losing patience and or focus. And yet, whenever you walked into the room he was working in or made your presence known to the hard-working scientist, something in him would switch.

He'd stumble on his words and bump his elbow or knee against the nearest furniture. It's like he'd lost all sense of spatial awareness, and his vision tunneled in on you and every shift of your facial expression.

Isaac's demeanor was endearing, to say the least. You may even call it cute. But the longer it persisted, the more you worried about him. He could seriously injure himself soon, if he hasn't already.

One time, you greeted him in the hall on your way to the kitchen as he came down the stairs from the second floor. His foot missed a step and nearly sent him tumbling down if it weren't for Napoleon's quick reflexes pulling his arm back to straighten him.

"You've been spacing out a lot lately, something on your mind?" Napoleon asked.

"No, no. I'm quite alright." You were already gone behind the swinging kitchen door when he looked back.

"I see. It is not something, but someone that is on your mind, hm?" Napoleon nudged.

Isaac whipped his head around. "How did you know?"

"You just told me, with your eyes." Napoleon tilted his head in the same direction as Isaac's gaze a second ago. He smirked. "And your reaction confirmed it."

"Nothing escapes you it seems." Isaac sighed. "But it really is nothing. I just feel so nervous around them."

"The new helper? Why’s that?"

Before Isaac could elaborate on his dilemma, you emerged again from the kitchen, looking much relieved to be empty-handed.

"And how do you do, gentlemen?" You greeted cordially, imitating a guest at a ball.

Napoleon played along, bowing in response. "All is well, et tu?"

"Much the same, thank you, Monsieur Bonaparte."

You shared a laugh, and Isaac looked between you two like you spoke some ancient tongue he was unaware of.

"Just 'Napoleon' will do, no need to be so formal."

"Right, still getting used to that," you said. You smiled at both of them. Isaac looked like he wanted to say something, but it remained caught in his throat. "I better get to my next task. Sebastian really isn't going easy on me, despite it being my second week! See ya!"

"Do let us know if you ever need help." Napoleon called out to your retreating figure.

"How did you do that?" Isaac asked.

"Do what?"

"Talk with them so...normally, casually."

"How to talk to MC?" Napoleon echoed. "Words are a good start."

"I'm serious!" Isaac's face warmed up, and his friend's laughter wasn't doing him any favors. "It's not that simple."

"But it is. Alright, how about this: talk about your day or your work. I'm sure they'd love to hear about it."

Isaac didn't understand the logic behind it. Would you really be willing to listen to him babble about equations and theories, that even he wasn't certain of yet? No, no. That won't do, he thought, shaking his head. Napoleon patted his shoulder and told him that you two will talk at some point, seeing as you'll be living in the same mansion for an undefined period of time.

Isaac thought it over when he returned to the library to continue his work. He even practiced some conversation starters on his pet hedgehog, Harry, when he fed him.

Later the same day, Isaac walked past the lounge on his way to get Rouge. From the corner of his eye, he spotted you in there, fiddling with a gramophone.

"Ah, that's—!"

"Wah!"

Isaac's outburst startled you, and you almost knocked the gramophone right off of its station. You held it in place while also holding your breath. Safe.

"I'm so sorry," Isaac said. "What were you doing with that?"

"Oh, this? I wanted to see if it played any music." You rubbed your arm sheepishly.

"I'm afraid it won't. I haven't fully reassembled it yet."

"Reassembled?" You echoed.

"I took it apart, yes. It's a hobby of mine, observing how it works and then putting it back together."

You looked at him stunned, and your silence worried him.

"W-what's wrong? Was it something I said?" Isaac’s shoulders tensed.

"I don't think...I've ever heard you talk so much before." You covered your mouth. "Oh no, that was rude. I meant, we haven't gotten a chance to really talk, you know..." You trailed.

"Q-quite right. Well, be sure, I'll have that gramophone fixed in no time," he said.

"Could I watch you while you do that?"

"Pardon?"

"Watch you work, I mean. If you're okay with it, of course."

Isaac wasn't used to having a willing audience. It made him nervous. He tugged at his hair in thought. What should he do? Napoleon's words came back to him. 'Words are a good start.' Yes, words! He passed that first obstacle. And he can do a little better than that. He left to get his tools from the library. When he returned, he found you with a tray of Rouge and sandwiches prepared.

"I'm no expert, but I believe it's not proper to work on an empty stomach," you said.

For the first time since you arrived at the mansion, Isaac smiled. It was a good look on him, you mused, gave him a boyish innocence.

The two of you sat on the floor, and Isaac went into focus-mode. He didn't mind your questions and even talked through his process with you. He sounded more confident, excited even. You helped organize his tools for him as he switched between them. As you looked at him working animatedly, you thought to yourself, he wasn’t so intimidating after all. He’s an introvert, like any other from your time period. But he was also brilliant, the way he carefully handled the project in front of him spoke of his meticulous nature. You looked forward to learning more about him.

Silently standing at the doorway was none other than Isaac’s friend and confidant smiling at the sight before him. Napoleon knew his friend had it in him, he just needed a little nudge in the right direction.

~*~

Back to Masterlist

#it's been a while!#happy to post again hehe #alby one-shots #memories of the mansion #ikevamp writing #ikevamp isaac #ikemen vampire isaac newton #isaac x reader #isaac x mc #isaac x you #pre-relationship #platonic #fluff #ikevamp fanfiction

73 notes · View notes