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cuddlyreader · 1 year

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Hi friend! What are your top ten favorite OTPs of all time - in order, if possible. You're allowed to select more than one ship from the same fandom :) And I always love to hear the reasons why you love a given ship if you're up for including them! I'd love to hear your top ten female TV characters as well but don't want to be greedy :)

Oh, my. Well, I'm old enough that I can remember rooting for Kevin and Winnie on the Wonder Years. Lol. So, this is going to be fun and all over the place.

P.S. This is in chronological order and not by favorite because there's no way I could put them in that kind of order.

P.P.S. This is super long, so it's under the cut.

Top 10 OTPs:

Brenda and Dylan (Beverly Hills 90210) - As I have said before, I love Shannen Doherty. This show is the reason why. Brenda was my favorite character from day one, and her romance with Dylan was so intense and epic. This one has to be the first time an emotionally damaged character stole my heart. He needed her screaming and crying at him to understand that someone loves him because no one did until then. She needed his recklessness to temper her own. They grounded each other with their love.

Buffy and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - Watching these two fall in love and be unable to resist it was so much fun. They were actually doomed from the start. I mean...a vampire and a vampire slayer...that has tragedy written all over it. She literally killed him, and he came back from a Hell world (sounds familiar). Then, they fell right back in love (hmm, also familiar). They loved so hard, and their world was always in peril, which kept the angst level pretty high. For years, Angel wallowed in the torment of guilt that his soul provided. She gave him a purpose...her purpose. Her entire reason for being was to save people. She made him want to do that, too. He made her realize that not all monsters are evil and not all "good" guys are good. In my mind, they found their way back to each other and lived happily ever after.

Willow and Tara (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - These two had the most beautiful and sweet love, and I am bitter that the idiot writer killed off Tara. Shy, bookish Willow really grew into a powerful and strong witch because of this relationship. She could fully be herself, and it was amazing. Tara, sweet Tara, was so kind and compassionate. She held Willow accountable in her magic, which turned out to be pretty important. I won't even get into the fact that at this time, there was very little LGBTQ representation on television. Yep, I'm still angry.

Pacey and Joey (Dawson's Creek) - Dawson's Creek is my comfort show. I watch it all the way through several times a year. There is nothing that soothes me like it does. When this show aired, there was nothing more enjoyable than watching Pacey and Joey fall for each other against their own wishes. Pacey knew first, and he tried not to act on it for the sake of their friend Dawson (I won't go into how annoyed that makes me given that Dawson didn't want her.). Joey fought it with everything she had for the same reason and also because it was so real that it scared the hell out of her. He pushed her to grow and become the person she was meant to be, and she accepted him as is without any expectations other than they would do it together. They had the best dynamic. They bickered and laughed and cried, but they worked at their relationship like you do in grown-up relationships. Even when they broke up, they cared about each other consistently. My favorite episode is when they get stuck in K-Mart overnight. Joyously, they were also endgame.

Max and Liz (OG Roswell and Roswell, New Mexico) - By now, I have established that I love intense love. That's exactly what og Max and Liz had. Liz was very structured and academically driven. Max was very closed off from everyone including Michael and Isabel. He opened her mind and heart to possibility. She made him feel and be open about it. They loved so intensely that even supposed alien fate couldn't keep them apart. I was so sad the show was canceled so soon, but I am eternally grateful that they were endgame and that I got to see it. They sort of switched the emotional roles of new Max and Liz, which I like. They would still do anything for each other, so they are still my OTP. Admittedly, I haven't watched the last season because I'm sad about it being the last.

Peyton and Lucas (One Tree Hill) - Look, they were always drawn to each other, but their timing was awful. I loved how no matter what, they were there for each other, even if it was just as friends. Peyton was the broken one in this relationship. She lost too much at too young an age. Feeling so deeply terrified her. And let's face it, Lucas was intense. He felt everything and didn't shy away from it. It was immensely gratifying to see them finally be happy together.

Logan and Veronica (Veronica Mars) - Logan was a real ass at the beginning of this show, and they were full-on enemies. So, I can honestly say I did not ship them at first. The metamorphosis that Logan goes through to be a better man is truly remarkable. To be fair, they both have emotional damage in this one. Veronica copes with her losses by saving others, but her love for Logan scares her. They both had to work out their own stuff before they could successfully be together. Thankfully, we got to see that they made it. I have no comment about the killing of my beloved Logan.

Damon and Elena (The Vampire Diaries) - Anyone that follows me knows that these two are my current obsession. Damon has literally spent over a century and a half being abandoned and rejected by his father, mother, brother, and love. To say that I love him is the understatement of the century. He had no intention of falling in love with Elena. He wanted to save Katherine, and her rejection nearly killed him. He feels everything so much that he can't cope, and then he snaps. Elena saves him. Period. She makes him feel human because she treats him like one. She expects him to care and makes him want to do better. And he does, starting with her. He loves her so much that it is palpable. Damon makes her look at herself and the world differently. He pushes her to be and accept her true self no matter who that is or who she is with. I am elated that they got their long and happy human life together.

Clary and Jace (Shadowhunters) - I love Jace with every fiber of my being. I just want him to have love and happiness. He did not get that deserved love from his parents, and he never felt like he deserved it after that. Clary brought him to life. She was caring and compassionate for everyone: mundane, shadowhunter, or downworlder. Loving her opened Jace's heart to everything. I choose to believe that the ending we got means they find their way back to each other and live happily ever after. I know I could finish the books, but I honestly cannot read Cassandra Clare's writing anymore. Besides, where they are in my mind is good for me.

Magnus and Alec (Shadowhunters) - Magnus is one of my favorite characters ever. He's loved many times over the centuries he's lived, but what he has with Alec is so much more. Like all shadowhunters, Alec doesn't trust downworlders, but for him, it's more than that. He believes he has a duty to his family, and being with Magnus flies in the face of that duty. Magnus not so subtly or easily pushes past Alec's defenses. Once they get together, they make each other better, and it's literally magical. Their wedding was everything I could have hoped for as far as endgame goes.

Honorable mentions:

Isak and Even (Skam)

Michael and Alex (Roswell, New Mexico)

Nancy and Ace (Nancy Drew)

Top 10 Female TV Characters (not in any specific order):

Brenda (Beverly Hills 90210) - I was and still am the "rebel" in my family, so Brenda was me. She fought for herself and to be herself and to live life on her own terms, and I think that is wonderful.

Buffy (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - Buffy was destined to be the hero, but she faced death and loss and came out stronger on the other end. Plus, I love the wit.

Willow (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - I was the shy, bookish girl in school. Willow's adorable geekiness was so endearing, and then she grew into this powerful, strong woman. Fantastic.

Joey (Dawson's Creek) - I probably relate to Joey because my mom died when I was four, and my brother died when I was twelve. Joey experienced terrible loss, and she understandably clung to Dawson as a lifeline. Her journey to adulthood is still my favorite thing to watch. She grew into herself and became a self-sufficient woman.

Veronica (Veronica Mars) - Veronica lost her best friend, and her mother left. Everyone that was supposed to be her friend abandoned her. So, she puts on emotional armor and finds a killer. This girl just doesn't stop fighting. She's ridiculously smart and intuitive. Also, I love her wit.

Emily (Revenge) - Emily had bad things happen to her, and she deserved to exact revenge. I love that she is intelligent and cunning and playing the long game.

Blair (Gossip Girl) - Blair put on a good front, I guess, but my girl was broken. Her mom was not nice to her. Her dad pretty much abandoned her. Her best friend slept with her boyfriend and then abandoned her as well. The guy she loves is too damaged to love her back properly. Blair just keeps on doing her best and loving those people that don't love her enough.

Callie (The Fosters and Good Trouble) - I'll probably get hate for this one, but I love Callie. She lost her mom and didn't know her dad. She went to juvie because she was protecting her little brother from the abuse she suffered in the foster care system. How could I not love this girl? Because the Fosters took her in and showed her what family is, she grew into a strong and successful woman. The whole journey was beautiful to me, and I'm not sorry.

Elena (The Vampire Diaries) - Elena lost both her parents, her aunt, her bio parents, her guardian, her own life, her brother (temporarily), and the love of her life (also temporarily). That's a lot for one person to endure even without all the supernatural happenings. She manages to hang on to her kindness and compassion. Through it all, she perseveres. I love her a lot.

Bonnie (The Vampire Diaries) - Bonnie is a badass hero. She saved all their butts so many times, and I'm here to give her the credit she deserves. Bonnie also suffered greatly, and I think that's why she and Elena are bonded. Bonnie struggled to get ahold of everything at first, but she literally became the woman who saved them all in the end.

#my asks #dr-alexandra-caroline-sloan #my favorites #beverly hills 90210 #dawson's creek #buffy the vampire slayer #roswell #roswell new mexico #veronica mars #the vampire diaries #shadowhunters #one tree hill #skam #nancy drew #the fosters #good trouble #revenge #gossip girl

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kdramasforever97 · 2 years

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Most people’s favourite enemies to lovers:

My favorite enemies to lovers:

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laufire · 2 years

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GIF CHALLENGE - before & after coloring

I was tagged by the lovely @chiara-mastroianni! I’m a bit loss on who is and isn’t a gifmaker rn lol, but feel free to jump in even if I haven’t tagged you. To the rest, no pressure: @archivistsammy @angelfishofthelord @findsilver @lukearnold @nicoleanell @idontwikeit @isbelevans @habibialkaysani @lady-eleanor-vane @ishenwulf @elizabeth-forbes @elloras @lexihoward @ladyculebras @magalimoons

(descriptions and links to the ones that come from an old set under the cut)

1. The Vampire Diaries. Caroline Forbes smiles as Elena puts on a fluffy purple crown on her head. A diagonal line parts the gif from the top left corner to the bottom right one, and the lower left half is edited and enhanced, while the other remains as it was originally. Link to the set. 2. Batman Returns. Catwoman, lying on top of Batman, licks the lower half of his face seductively. The same diagonal line as in the one above parts the gif, with the top right half being the one edited and enhanced. 3. Supernatural. Meg smiles up adoringly at Lucifer while he craddles her face, illuminated by firelight. The image is separated by a circle in the centre, where the gif is edited and enhanced, while the rest remains as it was originally. Link to the set. 4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy sleeps in bed, in the dark, when a hand caresses her face. The camera steps back to show Angelus looming ominously over her bed, and keeps stepping back until they’re both in frame. It includes the same circle effect. 5. The Umbrella Academy. Allison stands in front of a mirror and rumors herself, her eyes going white with the effort. The set is edited so an amost straight line separtes the left and right halfs, with the left one edited and enhanced and the other remaining as it was originally. Link to the set. 6. Black Sails. Max looks back for a moment with her hair in the wind and continues galloping on a horse on the beach in search for Eleanor. It has the reverse effect of the above one: the right half of the gif is the one edited and enhanced. 7. The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Cameron dances ballet in a poorly lit room, wearing sports clothes and a messy bun to the base of her neck. She descends on the floor, kneeling down, with her hands mirroring a dove’s wings. The image is separated by a circle in the centre, where the gif is edited and enhanced, while the rest remains as it was originally. 8. Supernatural. Amara stands on a garden, with colourful flowers, statues and a fountain surrounding her. It includes the same circle effect. Link to the set. 9. Jupiter Ascending. Jupiter dressed in a white wedding dress with blood red diamond details and a huge head set glides on a platform towards the altar. A diagonal line parts the gif from the bottom left corner to the top right one, and the lower right half is edited and enhanced, while the other remains as it was originally. 10. Practical Magic. As kids, Sally and Gillian sit on the stairs, dressed as angels, looking upon her aunts performing a spell with trepidation (Sally) and curiosity (Gillian). The same diagonal line as in the one above parts the gif, with the top left half being the one edited and enhanced. Link to the set.]

#tag game #the vampire diaries #caroline forbes #batman returns #batcat #supernatural #meg masters #spn amara #buffy the vampire slayer #bangel #the umbrella academy #allison hargreeves #black sails #bsmax #the sarah connor chronicles #cameron phillips #jupiter ascending #practical magic #captioned

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thenaglateam · 1 year

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writervblavender · 10 months

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Chapter 1. Part 1. William Lamb

"...Brocket Hall was dark and lonely that night, even the silent shadows seemed menacing. The Lambs still weren’t used to the darkness of the countryside and it would take some adjustment. Their family had recently moved their household back to their country estate, Brocket Hall, to quiet the suggestions of an affair between Lady Caroline Lamb and the upstart poet, Lord Byron..."

-V. B. Lavender, To Be The Hunter or the Hunted via Youtube (it's an audiobook)

There are subtitles available too on the videos. This will be an ongoing project posting to YouTube every so often.

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klausysworld · 7 months

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would u be down to write Klaus x vampire hunter? I need that forbidden love angst and all that goodness!! I also may have seen a Buffy the vampire slayer post and couldn’t stop thinking about a Klaus x slayer relationship 🤔

Plot twist? She ends up getting pregnant!?!? I just need the juicy stuff loool

(this is gonna be a multiple part story FOR SURE! I can't lie I've had a very similar idea/scenario running through my head for the past few weeks so i'm really glad someone really wanted this too! The only reason it'll be multiple parts is so that it's easier to read and so that i'm able to add the build up how i imagined :))

Love is never simple

(Part 2 here)

Y/n was the first born daughter to Grayson and Miranda Gilbert.

When Y/n was born they had only very recently claimed Elena as their own, passing the two babies off as twins to those they knew. Fraternal of course for they were definitely not similar not for their looks nor their behaviour.

Elena was a mommy’s girl, she wanted to dress up and be the princess: have her hair and nails done, go shopping with her friends Caroline and Bonnie.

Meanwhile Y/n was more curious. She liked to follow her father, learn from his actions. She still spent time with the girls but given the choice to run around a field and swing a bat then she wouldn’t say no.

One day Miranda was unable to pick up the two girls from school, they were only young and couldn’t get a lift home. Grayson came straight from work and took the girls back there with him. Elena did as she was told, stayed in the designated room and wrote in her diary. Y/n decided to sneak after her father, wondering down a cold staircase to a dungeon of sorts. Men were walking with purpose in lab coats and barking orders at weak, pale beings in cells.

She could see card shot glasses filled with a deep red liquid laid out in rows on a tray. She held onto the railing of the stairs and watched as, who she assumed to be sick people, begged for the cups. Eventually they were given the small dosage, dark veins travelled down their eyes to their cheeks and sharp teeth poked into their lower lips.

A hint of fear swirled within her eyes, confusion and fascination. Something was wrong with these people. She peered closer, accidentally drawing the attention of one of the patients. His eyes narrowed before a small, cruel smile formed on his lips. It barely lasted a second before Y/n was harshly grabbed by the upper arm, causing a shriek to leave her as her head whipped round to see her fathers alarmed face staring back at her

“Y/n!” He yelled “you do not come down here!” Grayson hurriedly lifted her up the stairs and slammed the door shut behind him. “Where’s Elena? Is she still in the office?” He questioned in a panic and Y/n nodded quickly

“She stayed- I’m sorry Daddy- i just wanted to see” she whispered and he sighed, placing her down onto her feet and kissed her forehead.

“It’s not safe for you there” he warned

“What was wrong with those people?” She asked quietly and he clenched his jaw

“They’re not people Y/n…” he murmured “they’re…monsters…they just dress up as people”

They both looked at each-other trying to figure out what the other was thinking

“Dressed up?” She questioned curiously and he clicked his tongue

“Yes…see y/n, they aren’t humans. They just want you to believe that they are, they’re dangerous and it’s part of my job to stop them…to help real people be safe” he explained and she nodded

“You cure them?” She tilted her head, she knew her father was a doctor. Perhaps by stopping them he would make them people instead of monsters.

“If only that were a thing my little y/n….these beasts cannot be cured. Do you remember last summer when there was that…mountain lion on the loose?” He asked her and she nodded with a puzzled smile. “Well that creature hurt people, sent them to heaven…and because of that, the lion had to be put to rest” he told her and she nodded, viscous animals were put down, she knew that. “These beasts, they’re just like that lion. They’re viscous and they won’t ever be tame…they won’t ever feel love. They just want to hurt people.” He whispered, his eyes conveying passion as he spoke of the monsters.

“So you put them down?” She murmurs and he nods

“That’s right” he confirmed and she nodded back at him.

“Because they deserve it?” She utters and he smiled

“Exactly y/n, exactly”

And that was the start of a very twisted childhood.

Miranda was furious when she found out that Y/n had seen the Augustine vampires. They yelled all through the night, their angry voices sounding through the house which resulted in a frightened Elena and a crying Jeremy to climb into Y/n’s bed, all huddling together, looking to y/n for protection.

The next morning nobody spoke a word of the previous day. They ate breakfast, Grayson kissed the heads of each of his children and went of to work. Miranda got them all ready for school and dropped them off before going to work.

The system repeated itself until Y/n stepped out of line again. Tyler Lockwood had shoved Jeremy into a wall and called him names, Y/n wasn’t nearly as big as Tyler but threw punches just as hard. By the time the teacher had separated the two, both Grayson and Miranda were at the school beyond worried.

The school recommended Y/n went to a child’s psychologist to catch her anger management issues earlier rather than later. The same message was passed onto the Lockwoods.

But Grayson didn’t see a troubled little girl when he looked at his daughter, he saw someone strong, a fighter, a hunter.

With many disagreements and arguments, Miranda demanded that neither Y/n or Elena and Jeremy would ever be faced with the supernatural life as long as they were alive.

Grayson however didn’t listen. When Miranda took Elena out and Jeremy was at a friends, he would bring Y/n back to the vampires.

He showed her brain scans of a vampires brain vs a humans brain. He showed her a sociopaths and a psychopaths. He taught her what they had learnt, how a vampire thinks. How it behaves and why. He had her taking multiple self defence classes a week as well as personal training where she was allowed to used weapons, stakes.

On her 14th birthday, when everyone was getting ready for bed, Grayson came back into her room and gave her a box. Inside the box was a dagger, a very special dagger. One she had seen drawings of, heard stories of. And with it came the promise that one day she would get to use it.

Y/n was given weekly lessons on vampire history, all the way back to the originals.

By the age of 16 she was searching for them. For him. She wanted to see the one and only Niklaus Mikaelson. Supposedly the most ruthless, most dangerous and most powerful creature to walk the planet? The one who was supposed to kill her very very own sister.

Grayson didn’t approve of her wanting to seek him. He agreed with almost everything she did but not that. He couldn’t risk Klaus. Y/n could fight off a vampire, she was even able to kill a ripper while it was in a frenzy, but an original hybrid? At 16? He couldn’t guarantee that.

So she left in the night. She was gone four full days and nights before she returned. Miranda was in tears and begged her to never leave them again. Elena was angry and Jeremy felt betrayed. But Grayson could tell that Y/n had exactly what she wanted. She knew what Klaus Mikaelson looked like.

And when she placed a photograph of the beasts face on the table beside his glass, he knew he had successfully created a true vampire hunter.

Y/n had boards drawn, hidden from her siblings and mother and only accessible to herself. They held the locations of vampire nests, werewolf packs and witch covens all over the US. She began to form connections with witches. Shiela Bennet, Grams, was aware of Y/n’s involvement and although she wanted nothing more than to stay out of vampire business, she knew Y/n was in too deep to back out and she would protect that girl. She helped her get in touch with other witches, warned her of the witch trials that took place, where a hundred spirits would support her. In return Y/n promised to protect Bonnie, to never take advantage of her and to try her best to keep her away from vampires.

Everything was smooth for a while until that tragic night. One slip in the road and the car was in the water. Y/n had kicked and punched with everything in her to break the windows open, to save Elena, her mother and her father. But she watched as the life drained from their eyes, she watched as Elena tried to tell her how much she loved her. And then, in what she thought would be her last moment, she saw a figure force the door open with a supernatural strength. A vampire, Stefan Salvatore, saved both girls that night.

Y/n didn’t know what to think.

She understood that maybe he saved Elena because of the doppelgänger history that she had learnt of over the years. But she never understood why he would save her too.

Y/n had searched on Stefan before, the ripper. To say she was disgusted was an understatement, but now he was acting as though he was nothing more than a bunny muncher? Lies. There was darkness within him, waiting to be let free. He would kill them all. She was sure of it.

So sure that she broke into his house, only to find his brother Damon already there nursing a glass of bourbon. She observed the two brothers as they through each other from the window and hissed like feral cats. Like a mountain lion.

Damon didn’t even bother to hide his darkness, he was a monster in her eyes. Clear as the moon amongst the stars.

But before she could get her hands on the right stake, Grams was at her door

“Y/n, child, you mustn’t” she warned and Y/n frowned

“I will not have two vampires in our town, ruining my family.” She snapped back and Shiela shook her head

“Child, please” she begged “you have to trust me, trust me that you will need them” she whispered urgently

“Why would anyone need a vampire?” She sneered and Grams grabbed her hand

“Just believe” she uttered “they will not touch you, I can guarantee that not a hair on your head-“

“I don’t care if they hurt me, they will hurt Elena- Jeremy- Jenna-“ she listed, taking a pause before looking Grams in the eye “they will destroy Bonnie”

“You know I wouldn’t put her in danger, they will come and go. The older one of here for one thing, once he has it he will leave and the younger is nothing more than a nuisance” she tried to encourage but Y/n only shook her head

“You know that would be the easiest thing to believe. But they are not made to make friends, they are not here because they feel anything other than hunger. Hunger for blood and hunger for power. Your power, Bonnie’s power.” She threatened

“Y/n, you must trust me just this once. We will rid ourselves of these demons but we must do it right so that we do not become the monsters we fear”

And so with much reluctance, Y/n waited and watched.

She didn’t reveal any of her intentions, she just stayed quiet.

Even when the vampires escaped the tomb, she didn’t make herself known. When Grams died it broke something inside Y/n but it also made her stronger, she knew she had to protect her family, the Gilbert’s, the Bennett’s.

Not even the council knew she was in on it all. Grayson never told a soul outside of the Augustine community so that Miranda never found out. She helped of course, but at the end of the day when she watched Stefan and Elena beg for Bonnie to let them save Damon…Y/n just couldn’t decide where she stood. In that moment she froze, she watched Bonnie Bennet help a vampire and it confused her beyond belief.

And she witnessed it time and time again.

How could this happen? How could everyone in that godforsaken town so easily submit to those animals?

It was Damon who finally caught onto Y/n, noticing the pure disgust on her face when a vampire entered the room. The way she looked at Caroline after she turned, the inner battle she faced when Caroline cried like a child and begged Y/n to tell her everything would be okay.

He eavesdropped on Y/n’s conversation with Caroline’s mother, Liz. It was after Mason had outed the Salvatores and they were waiting for the vervain to leave her system.

“She isn’t my daughter anymore Y/n” she whispered and Y/n just stared back at the wall

“No?” She questioned slightly

“She’s a monster- my little girl is…my little girl is gone” she uttered, tears brimming in her eyes and Y/n’s thoughts stirred

“Gone” she repeated “it’s just a monster…dressed as Caroline?” She mused and Liz let out a sob

“How could this happen? They killed my baby” she cried over and over but Y/n remained emotionless. She wasn’t expecting Damon to be back yet, she wasn’t aware of the way he looked at her. The tilt of his head and the narrowing of his eyes. The shock he felt when he heard the question slip from her mouth

“Will you kill her?”

Liz looked up at Y/n, horrified to an extent as she slowly shook her head “I couldn’t…” she breathed and Y/n nodded in understanding

“Would you…would you have someone else kill her?” She asked quietly and Liz sat up a little straighter, looking at Y/n almost quizzically

“I…don’t know” she whispered “should I?”

That was the biggest question Y/n had. Where was the line drawn? The line between right and wrong, the line between human and monster.

Silence hung over them and Damon watched as Y/n pondered the idea, he could see the way her eyes glistened as she thought over the idea of tearing Caroline’s heart out and then he saw the guilt settle in and the confusion take over again.

“Maybe” she mumbled “maybe Caroline is truly gone. Maybe now she is just a hollow shell of who she is supposed to be and a violent, vicious animal” she stated unfazed “but then what if she’s still your baby girl? What if she’s everything she was and more? What if she’s…better” she whispered, a glint in her eye.

Liz couldn’t give and answer, neither of them could. Neither of them ever would.

By the time Y/n left, Liz was almost asleep.

Damon seized Y/n’s arm as she walked toward the front door and attempted to pin her to the wall only to be knocked off his feet and kicked straight in the gut. His hand automatically grabbed ahold of her ankle and twisted but nothing more than a grunt left her as she grabbed something, a glass, and smashed it against the side of his head. He let out a growl and lunged for her throat but her hand was in his chest in seconds. They both stayed completely still as she held is heart still inside his body, his fangs on display and pain clear in his expression.

A silent stare down happened before Y/n squeezed at his heart and forced a surrender out of him. Once she let go they both crawled away from the other and sat on the floor, facing the other with a contemplating look.

Eventually he spoke, “what are you?” He questioned and she scoffed

“Human” she stated as though he were stupid

“It isn’t human instinct to rip someone’s heart out” he raised a brow and she sighed

“Well maybe not every human but when we have things like you living in our town-“

“Things like me?” He laughed “oh you really aren’t who I thought you were” he grinned a grin of disbelief and stared up at the ceiling. “You think all vampires are monsters?” He murmured, glancing to her

“I’m not sure anymore” she mumbled and he hummed, his brows furrowing

“So…me…Stefan and Caroline are the demons and you? You’re a little angel?” He mocks and she rolls her eyes

“Nobody said or implied that” she sighed and he squinted his eyes

“So then what?”

“I don’t know.” She stated, angrier.

The both went quiet for a moment until Stefan walked in. His eyes were wide and confused. Both Damon and Y/n looked to each other, a look that said they needed to keep this quiet.

“What the-“

“Caroline thought I was gonna hurt Liz, she threatened me by grabbing my heart” Damon lied, a sarcastic smirk on his face which made the situation much more believable. “Y/n stayed to watch Liz, didn’t you?” He glared and she nodded

“Yeah, course, anything to help” she smiled and Stefan slowly nodded. Something wasn’t right but he knew he shouldn’t ask.

And from there stemmed an odd and twisted friendship.

Damon liked to purposefully annoy Y/n, see what made her angry enough to the point where she would hurt him. He wanted to know why she was so strongly against vampires. He wanted to know where she went when she disappeared.

Because disappearing wasn’t uncommon for Y/n, since those days when she hunted down Klaus Mikaelson. The beast who was supposed to be impossible to find but clearly wasn’t trying very hard to hide. Since then she would disappear for a week every couple of months, release her built up anger and hatred for the supernatural by going to a vampire nest and seeing how many she could take on at a time.

Between stakes, wooden bullets and enchanted blades she did very well.

She would return, any wounds wrapped in bandages and nobody would ask, Elena and Jeremy had come accustomed to it. They would hug her, thank her for coming back in one piece and she would promise to never leave without coming back.

Damon however would dance circles around her: “where were you?” “Why do you smell of blood” “what did you do?”

One day she snapped at him and told him she killing of leeches like him. She proceeded to stake him through the stomach and leave him on floor before going up to bed.

That was how Stefan found out. He witnessed the scene and very cautiously raised his hands in surrender when she stomped past him on the stairs.

Damon and Stefan had many conversations on it but nothing ever came of them.

Actually a sort of alliance was formed between the three, nobody tells Elena or anyone for that matter that Y/n is a vampire hunter and Y/n will help behind the scenes when needed.

It worked well.

When Elena and Caroline were taken by the wolves, Y/n killed more of those dogs than Stefan Damon combined.

When Elena was kidnapped by Rose and Trevor for Elijah, she had seen it happen and tracked them before anyone else realised they were missing. She waited patiently in the shadows for Elijah to arrive. She already knew so much about him and it was a dream of sorts to see him so close. She had the dagger of course but she wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do. Looking at the situation, his tone and the look in his eyes, he didn’t seem to carry any untoward intentions with Elena and if Y/n were honest she wanted to take Elijah down to Augustine. She wanted to scan the originals brain, test his blood to see if he were different to the others.

But when Elijah continued to smack Trevors head clean off and grab Elena in a painful hold, she couldn’t just stand by. A stake was thrown strain into the top of his spine, temporarily paralysing the original and causing him to let out a sharp cry of pain and anger. Elena turned to face Y/n in shock, confusion and relief. Damon and Stefan moved as soon as Y/n did and tackled Elijah unto the others presumed him dead. Y/n however collected a small sample of his blood before they left.

She returned home with the others, explaining to Elena the best she could about how she got to be who she was. About their father’s secret vampire hunting job, leaving out the Augustine side to the story as she knew Elena would not approve and Damon, Stefan and Caroline would be appalled.

Everything was different from then, Elena seeked more support in Y/n like she used to do when they were younger and Y/n guarded Elena with her life. Even when Elena was determined to sacrifice herself, hand herself over to Klaus, Y/n was there.

Y/n could feel her heart in her throat when Elijah stood in-front of her, two hearts in his hands from the vampires that were here for the doppelgänger. He gave a her a strange looked, confused as to who she was before he noticed the way Elena hid behind her and Damon grabbed at her wrist. He vanished into thin air and Y/n went on edge.

She slept in Elena’s room or had Elena in her own. She dug back through her original’s knowledge and information, pages and pages worth of history and myths. Sketches of Klaus’s face and the daggers. A small figure, hand carved by Klaus himself and made of white oak which she had stolen and kept hidden away. But then she remembered what she had learnt from the witches she had conversed with.

Killing one original would wipe out every vampire of that sireline.

She wasn’t sure what to do. Kill Klaus and the Salvatores, kill Caroline? Her childhood friend? Destroy her bond with her sister and be left alone?

She hid the white oak away and decided on presenting Damon with the mystical dagger and white oak ash. He immediately took to the idea while Stefan was hesitant but after another week of Elijah proving to be nothing but a threat in their eyes, he found himself as close to death as he could be in the cellar of the Salvatore’s.

But then Klaus showed up, we’ll sort of.

He had taken over Alaric and assumed they would all be too stupid to notice.

But Y/n could sense something. And he didn’t like the way she was looking at him, a calculated and curious look. She knew he couldn’t question her, that would be confirming her theory. So she just waited and watched. Klaus couldn’t help but feel a little nervous when she narrowed her eyes and glanced toward Elena.

When he finally revealed himself and attacked the girls in the school, Y/n was already in the cellar and forcing Elijah up the stairs.

“You’re fucked up brother is here, wake the fuck up” she yelled as his fingers slowly twitched to life. She threw blood bags at him, watching him drain them in seconds through coughing and groaning.

Once he came to he tried to have her by the throat only to be smacked back by the invisible force of the doorway. She held the dagger threateningly at him until he calmed down and took a step back to compose himself.

They grabbed Elena ASAP and got to talking.

It was another couple days before she actually saw Klaus in his true form. Y/n had just stepped into the grill, ready to yell at Damon for force feeding her his blood when she noticed the dirty blonde, blue eyed vampire stood with a glass of scotch in his hand and a cruel smirk on his face. She swiftly weaved her way through the grill and to a booth in the corner to watch the interaction.

Klaus finished threatening Damon, walked all the way to the door and paused. He could feel himself being watched, his head turned in her direction, his eyes locked onto hers and his brows pulled together with a hint of confusion. He watched as Damon noticed Y/n and called her name, drawing her attention and beckoning her over. Klaus left with her on his mind.

She was soon forgotten when he completed his ritual, was faced with his brothers betrayal and then set free.

He then left with Stefan, unaware that Y/n knew exactly where they were all of the time. Following them, tracking them, hunting them.

She watched as they moved from the road to motels, to diners to hotels to dodgy alleyways to drain helpless humans, to houses to slaughter petrified people.

And while they slept she would break into their hotel rooms, seeing how long it would take to wake the beast. She rummaged through his duffle bag of clothes and papers. She flipped through his sketch books, seeing what new things he had added since the last time she looked. She made her own copies of his maps, marking the same places as he had to know where he would be going next to find the werewolves. It was amusing to her that the reason he struggled to find them was because she had helped kill a proportion of them over the past few years.

Klaus could always feel like someone was watching him but he wasn’t sure if it was actually there or just his paranoia so he never thought too much of it. She was always hidden when he looked over his shoulder anyway.

What he didn’t know was that sometimes she would slip a concentrated doses of ketamine into his and Stefan’s drinks when he wasn’t looking to ensure he would sleep through the night. What she wasn’t expecting was for him to have a nightmare.

She had been in Klaus’s room, transferring all the data from his phone over to her laptop so she could track is messaged and phone calls when he began muttering. She ignored him and waited for it to load but he began to get louder so she stood up, a little worried he would wake. But when his breathing turned rapid and his mumbled became cries for help in fear she started to understand. He was in the middle of a nightmare and the ketamine refused to let him wake.

Hesitantly she came over to his sleeping form, placing a hand on his shoulder which his shook off.

“Shhh” she hushed quietly, not wanting anyone else in the motel to wake. “It’s okay” she whispered but he wouldn’t shut up. He just wouldn’t stop screaming, begging for the wolves to let go of someone- Henrik.

Y/n pulled the covers off him, leaving him in only his boxers. His skin was covered in sweat as he struggled against his own mind. She gently rubbed her hands over his chest, trying to soothe him with physical touch. She whispered kind words to him as she smoothed her fingers over his skin to his face, petting him gently and calming him back to a more settled sleep. His face turned to press his cheek into her palm and she sighed, relieved.

Carefully she pulled away and grabbed her laptop which now had all of his information. She placed everything back when she found it and left, locking the door and moving into Stefan’s room.

Klaus could faintly remember the feel of hands on his body, such soft skin on his. He could remember her soothing voice as she told him to breath and relax. He could still feel her fingers in his hair when he closed his eyes.

Stefan almost always knew that Y/n had been there, he could always smell her perfume. Plus sometimes she would leave him little notes to let him know she was with him.

What wasn’t planned was for Klaus to actually find Ray. She was torn between staying with Klaus or following Stefan when Stefan promised to get rid of Damon, who was searching for him as he assumed Y/n was glad to be rid of the two monsters.

Y/n only stayed because Stefan had spotted her in the bar and mouthed for her to stay, that he would be back.

So she stayed and observed. Watched as Klaus threw vervain-dipped-darts into the man’s body with a smirk on his face. It was creatures like him that she reminded her of why she killed. Why she was apart of Augustine.

So she ordered a drink for him, had the waiter tell him a girl had gotten payed for it and watched as he grinned, flattered and looked around for her. He didn’t spot her as she hid herself behind the bar, he shrugged anyways and took the drink in one gulp. His eyes went wide instantly as the liquid quite literally burned through his throat, a mixture of vervain and wolvesbane in his system. He angrily looked around for the culprit but she was out the door in seconds and in her car.

Once he came back outside, Stefan was back and Ray was unconscious.

She followed them to the mountains and followed at a safe distance, stakes and wolvesbane grenades ready. She stayed low and far enough away, occasionally climbing into trees to watch as he snapped each wolves neck.

She watched in boredom as he failed, she already knew why he wasn’t successful. The witches had already told her Esther’s plan. The double curse.

Cruel but necessary.

She watched his tantrum and then she watched as they both dragged themselves back down to the car.

Following them to Chicago was a low point for her. She had dozens of cans of red bulls and protein bars in her car and had been listening to the same list of songs for months. Klaus’s messages were dryer than a dessert and Stefan was losing his spark. He was losing what made him special, the reason she began to trust a vampire. He was proving that all vampires were beasts.

Thankfully for Y/n, she had already met Gloria in the past. So when Y/n came into the bar after Klaus and Stefan had left and explained the situation, Gloria was happy to let Y/n stay with her in the apartment above the bar for a few days. Without Klaus’s knowledge of course.

She was also happy to let Y/n sit and watch the security cameras whilst Klaus and Stefan were downstairs. In return Y/n offered Gloria a favour, whether it be an ingredient to a spell or the death of another supernatural. Either way it didn't bother Y/n, she was just as happy to do either. if anything she craved to kill a vampire, it was her release and this trip was nothing but a bore for her so far.

It became slightly more interesting when Klaus woke his sister; Rebekah. watching them whine at each other was somewhat amusing but it also reminded her of Elena and Jeremy. She had never been away from home for more than two weeks and these past few months had been isolating and lonely.

What definitely sparked her attention however was when they began talking of Elena's necklace. She bit at her finger tips as she watched Stefan's dreadful attempt at behaving oblivious and the way Gloria's eyes darkened when she glanced toward him. y/n knew this would not end well. she was 100% certain that Klaus or Rebekah would figure out what was wrong and so she left with a head start.

She had Damon on the phone in minutes, bag packed and on the road.

"They know Elena's alive and by they i mean Klaus and his wacko sister, that's right another crazy original bloodsucker is coming to town! Get Elena, get Bonnie and get out!" she yelled down the phone as she drove way past the limit.

"woah woah woah, what? Y/n is this a joke? I'm not in town!" Damon whisper shouted back, clearly frustrated

"where the fuck are you?" she borderline growled

"I'm.... I'm with Katherine" he sighed, knowing the pissed off expression she would have on her face in that moment

"Well I'm in traffic! So get home, get Elena back ALIVE and then say goodbye to you dick because I'm gonna chop it off!" she screamed down the phone at him before abruptly ending the call and coming to a standstill as dozens of cars in front of her come to a halt. She clicked the radio on only to be told that a crash had happened a few miles ahead of her. Y/n smacked her head against the horn of her car and groaned loudly.

Klaus must've taken a diversion because she returned late into the night, Stefan was home with zero humanity and an angry blonde bitch. klaus was missing again and Elena was crying in her bed. Y/n laid with her until they both fell asleep.

The next morning Y/n, Elena, Jeremy, Caroline and Damon were piled into the Gilbert's kitchen. They figured out Tyler was sired/Y/n told them that it was obvious. Together they agreed that getting Mikael would be a good idea. Y/n didn't want him to kill Klaus, although it would have probably been the best thing for her. However she did want him to scare Klaus away at least for a while.

The problem was getting Rebekah to agree but Y/n already knew just the secret to spill to get her attention. It was pure luck that the creatures from 'the other side' were able to cross the barrier and that mason revealed the symbols. Y/n decided it would be better if Damon thought that Klaus killing his own mother was discovered by him instead of Y/n. And she thought it would be better if Elena spoke to Rebekah over herself. Y/n didn't really want to form any kind of relationship with the originals if they were going to be here any longer. Especially not Rebekah, she was too girly and obnoxious for Y/n.

So she let the plan fall out. She played her part, even let Caroline dress her up for homecoming just to make her happy. Afterall if Mikael did end up killing Klaus then Caroline would die too and Y/n would rather she went out on a high.

Everything was going fine, she even had a conversation with Mikael himself. He was rather impressed with her actually, he could recognise a vampire hunter within miles.

They then went to the gym, got redirected to the Tyler's, weird but whatever. And then Klaus made his appearance, reclaimed homecoming as a wake and effectively ruined everyone's night.

Y/n tried to cruise through the evening, keeping to herself and drinking shitty punch. She was pretty happy with just waiting until Katherine, posing as Elena pulled Y/n aside and let her in on what she and Stefan were gonna do. Well not everything they would do but that they planned to save Klaus because the hybrids would kill Damon. Y/n reluctantly agreed, much to Katherine's surprise if she were honest but she took the win.

Y/n then returned to the 'part' in annoyance and relief, that familiar confusion settling over her as she grabbed a real drink and stood to the side of the crowds.

Unfortunately for her, Klaus had spotted her and taken her loneliness as an invitation to approach her. and what was even more unfortunate was that Stefan was glaring straight at her, warning her not to fuck this up.

So she looked back to Klaus with an awkward smile. She knew her body was tense and she could feel her fingers twitch with the urge to defend herself. His power radiated like heat. She just knew Augustine would kill to have him in their facilities.

"Y/n, isn't it?" Klaus questioned knowingly.

"mhm" she mumbled, unsure how to behave.

"why are you all alone?" he asked, his eyes flicking up and down the length of her body, lingering on her cleavage without shame.

"I don't like people" she stated simply and he let out a chuckle.

"Ah I understand that" he smiled but she shifted a step away from him which he noticed but didn't comment on though his smile did drop, it was common for people to distance themselves from him. "you know things aren't going to end well tonight" he warned, his voice quiet but clear

"I'm aware" she mumbled, glancing to where Tyler was dragging an annoyed Caroline toward the house

"Then you should really make better decisions about who you side with, sweetheart. You're strong, and smart. I could tell that from the first time seeing you, it didn't take you 5 minutes to figure out that I wasn't Alaric" he murmured to her, his tone changing from threatening to proud though his face remained neutral.

She said nothing in response, she didn't know what he wanted her to do so she just stared back at him, watching his jaw clench and unclench as he watched and waited for her to come to some sort of answer. He knew that realistically he wouldn't received one but he hoped that she would be intelligent enough to at least take his words into consideration. Klaus liked her, he liked that she was observant and that she had the common sense that everyone else in the town didn't have, to stay out the way. If he were honest, he would have liked her to have been on his 'team', he imagined that she probably had a lot of untold knowledge just waiting to be put to use.

If he only knew the half of it.

Klaus was too buried in his thoughts to notice how Y/n's eyes focused on someone behind him, Damon, who mouthed that he needed 10 minutes before Mikael to get there and that Klaus needed to be occupied.

Y/n could have smacked him when she gave him a look as if to ask what to do and he acted out a dance scene. Her eyes flicked between Klaus and past his shoulder, and then just as Klaus let out a sigh and took a step back she cleared her throat and mentally stabbed herself

"Dance with me?" she offered, her hand very unwillingly lifting out for him to take. His brows shot up but he accepted with little hesitation.

She bit at her own tongue to keep her expressions at bay. Almost everything in her wanted to shove him off, stab him, stake him, behead him. She could feel the vervain syringe she had brought with her in the hidden pockets of her dress, she so desperately wanted to weaken him, kill him.

But no, instead she had a half vampire/half werewolf with his hand on her waist and the other holding her own. His werewolf side made his touch warm, almost like a human's. Slowly her hand went to his shoulder, lightly touching the expensive material of his suit jacket.

Her eyes found his awaiting blue ones, she didn't like how they seemed so deep, they reminded her of Damons. They were those obvious blue eyes, they could be beautiful some of the time and terrifying other times. They were the sort of eyes you could fall into, the kind you could swim in, the ones you would lose yourself in and never find a way out.

It was for that reason that she looked away from them and instead glanced around, taking in the music and the people. There were so many people, it didn't take a genius to guess that most of them were with Klaus, hybrids. She hoped this would be the last time she would touch him, be this close to him but deep down she knew better.

She could feel him pull her a little closer so that his cologne engulfed her, the scent was rich and her inhale for a second too long. She could sense Klaus's smirk in response but refused to acknowledge it. Hopefully someone would come get him soon.

Until then, however, she was to stay in the arms of the beast.

He wirled and twirled her around, doing whatever he could to entice a smile or a laugh from her. Klaus knew many dances from over the centuries, some slow and some fast. Some much more erotic than others and he took great pleasure and amusement in changing between them until a melodic laugh was buzzing through the air. His arms held her close as he brought them low and high, round and round. He spun her one last time before dipping her. Her breathing calmed and her laughs faded as she because aware of how his body pressed to hers, how his arms supported her and how close his face was to hers. The warm air from his mouth fanned over her face and the words she needed to say got trapped in her throat.

Thankfully a women cleared her throat which gained Klaus's attention.

"What is it, I'm busy?" he huffed as he lifted Y/n to stand by herself. He frowned when her touch left him and she moved away, a look of self disgust scrunching up her pretty face.

"Someone's here for you... he says his names Mikael" She told him, unbothered by his angry tone.

His demeanour changed in a second . That familiar coldness returning, it reminded Y/n of the vampires she'd seen with no humanity though it was a little different. She wasn't sure what was different about it but something was.

Either way she didn't like it.

And so by the time Klaus had turned around to apologise to Y/n for the interruption, she was out of sight. He sighed and shook his head before going to end his father.

Y/n proceeded to go sit in Katherine's car, turning the engine on and the radio as she waited for the inside to heat up. She was patiently waiting for the doppelgänger and Stefan to arrive and as soon as they were in the car, her foot was down and they were speeding into the night.

Ripper Stefan and Katherine Pierce were the two worst vampires for Y/n to be around. She wanted them dead, they deserved to die. She wished Klaus had died to his sireline went too. She really did...until she remembered that Elena would be broken. Family would always be more important than anything else.

So when Katherine and Stefan started talking about a way to get revenge on Klaus, she left. She went home and to bed so that she wasn't on 'the wrong side'.

Y/n didn't want to be on any of their sides. She didn't want to be in support of any supernaturals.

Which is why she hated to admit that she had some sort of weird friendship to Damon Salvatore who had been relentlessly teasing her on what he witnessed at the homecoming.

"Oh you should have seen them Elena, for a moment it was like I was in Spain watching salsa dancing and the next I was back in the 1800s" He laughed and Y/n lobbed a dart at him

"You wanted him distracted" she grumbled and he grinned while Elena rolled her eyes

"There's distracting and there's seducing" Damon chuckled

"Hey! He started the whole-"

"The whole what love?" Klaus's voice sounded from behind the trio. It was cold and sharp like the icy wind of the winter. He didn't appreciate being played with let alone mocked, especially when she had asked him too dance. Whether it were apart of a plan or not, she could have done something else for his attention. Throwing a drink on his would have taken him a good few minutes to rage about before changing his outfit but she chose a dance.

"Nothing" she answered, standing and walking away from them all, over to the farthest point of the bar so that she couldn't here what they were saying. 'No involvement' she would warm herself.

She knew they were talking about Stefan from the defensive stances the pair were taking but she didn't want to know why, not even for a second.

And she hoped and hoped that Klaus would just leave after his little threats but of course he had to hover.

A drink was placed infront of her and a hand spun her round on the bar stool forcing her to face the beast once again. "Afternoon sweetheart, lovely to see you again after our little moment. You could even call it a date" the sarcasm was clear but the words alone made her nose wrinkle up.

"I'd prefer you didn't" she mumbled and he hummed

"well I'd prefer a lot of things so I suppose we're all unhappy. Now, where's Stefan hm? I know you had something to do with last night, I witnessed you talking suspiciously quietly with Katerina." He placed a threatening hand on her upper arm and both Damon and Elena stood from their places, worry on their faces as they saw a darkness swirl inside Y/n's eyes. "Where is Stefan, and where had he put my family?"

Y/n let out a laugh, she couldn't help it.

"He took the originals?" she questioned, covering her mouth as hiccups of laughter threatened to escape. Damon headed over fast, muttering to Elena to get it the car. He quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and let out a nervous chuckle, looking to Y/n with wide eyes but she couldn't stop giggling.

"She's just...going through something right now" He smiled fakely and pulled her out of her seat, holding his own hand over her mouth making her shove him off out of reflex, her voice aggressive as she began to yell

"Get the fuck off you filthy-" she cut herself off when she noticed multiple people staring at her with surprised expressions. Damon simply chuckled and grabbed her elbow, pulling her toward the door

"don't hit me" he whispered quietly as he pushed her through the door and toward the car.

Klaus watched the two in confusion and interest. He certainly hadn't expected her to switch up so fast and he definitely wanted to know what the end of her insult was supposed to be.

His curiosity grew when he went to the Salvatore's to try and see if maybe Stefan was there only to find Damon and Y/n with a supernatural board, pictures and names written with strings running from the to different information.

"God if you and your fucked up brother just pissed off instead of following Elena around like the hungry mosquitoes you are then everything would be sunshine and daisies" Y/n complained and Damon rolled his eyes as he linked Stefan to the originals via some red wool.

"What and you would have carried on hunting and slaughtering vampires while Jeremy, Elena and Jenna would obliviously move on with their lives and eventually Elena would have settled down with good ol' Matt Donovon?" he mocked and Klaus's brows furrowed.

"Sounds better than my life right now" she mumbled and Damon rolled his eyes

"Surely this is every crazy vampire hunters dream?" he questioned "cmon think about it, you're surrounded by the oldest vampires, a famous ripper, hybrids and best of all...you got me?" he grinned and she groaned, dropping onto the couch.

"I know and it just makes me feel murderous all the time" she whined "and gross and contaminated" she gagged and he dramatically huffed.

"Come on, you can attack me" he offered with a playful glint and she let out a mocking 'ha ha'. "hey no come on, how about you get to stab me a few times and I get a shot of your blood?"

"Damon?"

"yes?"

"I would rather rip my own heart out then let a soulless , leech anywhere near my blood" she sneered and he laughed with a clap.

"How did it take me so long to realise you undying hatred for what was it?-my kind?" he raised his brows and she glared at him

"These past few months have done nothing but confirm my every belief. You and everyone like you are monsters" she whispered, enjoying how his expression faltered "unsavable, unloveable-"

"shut up" he uttered, veins appearing under his eyes making her lips curve up

"see? you can't even control yourself"

"says the girl who nearly lost it in the middle of the grill" he quipped before walking out and leaving her alone.

Klaus's mind was spinning with new knowledge. It made sense to him but he still wasn't exactly expecting it. Either way, he would find a way to put this to his advantage.

(Okay I'm going to make this part one and then from here Klaus and Y/n will have more time together and start to fall for one-another. I know this is a little different to my usual stories as I never usually give so much build up/back story but I had a lot of ideas and wanted to share those with you. So thanks for reading and I hope you loo forward to the next part/parts)

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the-babygirl-polls · 4 months

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Babygirl Polls Lineup: Week Three

Hi everyone! Here is the lineup for the third week of the Babygirl Polls! Thanks to everyone for your submissions!

Chris McLean (Total Drama)

Diego Brando (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Benjamin/Hokma (Lobotomy Incorporation)

Sir Crocodile (One Piece)

Leone Abbacchio (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Getou Suguru (Jujustsu Kaizen)

Yami Bajura (Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters)

Troy Barnes (Community)

Cahara (Fear and Hunger)

Zuke (No Straight Roads)

Five Pebbles (Rain World)

Obito Uchiha (Naruto)

Matt (Eddsworld)

Spamton G. Spamton (Deltarune)

Luo Binghe (Scum Villain Self Saving System)

Raphael (Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Death (Discworld)

Kimimaro (Naruto)

Cronus Ampora (Homestuck)

Lorenz Hellman Gloucester (Fire Emblem)

The Doctor (Doctor Who)

Riddle Rosehearts (Twisted Wonderland)

Klaus (The Vampire Diaries)

Caroline (The Vampire Diaries)

Jammie Tartt (Ted Lasso)

Catra (She-Ra)

Adora (She-Ra)

Natalie (Yellowjackets)

Prince Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Caesar Flickerman (The Hunger Games)

Sasha Nein (Psychonauts)

Scott Pilgrim (Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off)

Vergil Sparda (Devil May Cry)

Aran Ryan (Punch Out!!!)

Raymond (Animal Crossing)

Randall Ascot (Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask)

Peter B. Parker (Into the Spiderverse)

DJ Octavio (Splatoon)

Tape (Paper Mario: Original King)

Tangent (I Was A Teenage Exocolonist)

Gargamel (The Smurfs)

Tobari Durandal Kumohira (Nabari no Ou)

Emil Castagnier (Tales of Symphonie: Dawn of a New World)

Israel "Izzy" Hands (Our Flag Means Death)

Deadpool (Marvel)

Viago (What We Do In The Shadows)

Julian Devorak (The Arcana)

Grimer Wormtongue (Fleetway Sonic Comics)

Will Turner (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Sea Hawk (She-Ra)

Muriel (Good Omens)

Axel (Kingdom Hearts)

Crowley (Good Omens)

Castiel (Supernatural)

Crowley (Supernatural)

Jack Skellington (Nightmare Before Christmas)

Bow (She-Ra)

Scorpia (She-Ra)

Frenchie (Our Flag Means Death)

Oluwande Boodhari (Our Flag Means Death)

Dr. James Wilson MD (House MD)

Seeley Booth (Bones)

Will Graham (Hannibal)

Niklaus Hendrix (Just Roll With It: Riptide)

Ambrosius Goldenloin (Nimona (2023))

Hawkeye Pierce (M*A*S*H*)

Sandalphon (Granblue Fantasy)

Kai (Kung Fu Panda)

Tai Lung (Kung Fu Panda)

Mikoko Mikoshiba/Mikorin (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun)

Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill (Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul)

Doctor Starline (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Adam Stanheight (Saw (2004))

Infinite the Jackal (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Xenk Yendar (Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves)

Espio the Chameleon (Sonic the Hedgehog)

Neo (The Matrix)

Morgana Pendragon (BBC Merlin)

John Reese (Person of Interest)

Dr. Cameron (House MD)

Anthony "Anton" Herzen (Professor Layton and the Elysian Mask)

Drumbot Brian (The Mechanisms)

Ivan (Shadow and Bone)

Holland Vosjik (Shades of Magic)

Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal)

Jesus (The Bible)

Edgward/Nygma (Batman)

Gabriel Reyes/Reaper (Overwatch)

Big Boss (Metal Gear Solid)

Gunpowder Tim (The Mechanisms)

Gaueko (Nasty Dogs)

Hancock (Fallout)

Mothman (American Folklore)

Harry Wilson (Leverage: Redemption)

Kiyoka Kudou (My Happy Marriage)

Rand al'Thor (Wheel of Time)

Nam Seon-ho (My Country: The New Age)

Steven Grant (Marvel)

Howl Jenkins Pendragon (Howl's Moving Castle)

Redos (cuz i messed up in one way or another)

Jason Todd (DC Comics)

#poll lineup #the babygirl polls

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discovisiondreams · 1 year

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Prophecy Girl

This is where the series starts to feel real, in my opinion. We get more Jenny Calendar. Cordelia unofficially joins the scoobies. And through it all, we can always rely on Xander to pout!

No matter how old I get, I will always love her dress.

Diving into season 2 next week! When I was in my teens, this one was my least favourite so I'm interested to see how I feel about it 20 years on.

#btvs #caroline rewatches buffy #buffy the vampire slayer

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sophie1973 · 1 month

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Bloodstream (tell me when it kicks in)- Chapter 2

Well this was a labor of love (emphasis on labor) and it took forever but on the other end it is a whopping 7k so hopefully it makes up for it.

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. Manhattan, Astor’s residence - January 1891

Alex walks into the ballroom, humming softly. The string quartet is playing a piece he always enjoyed, even if he can’t remember for the undead life of him if it’s Schubert or Mozart.

He’s stopped by his hostess, Caroline Astor, and they exchange pleasantries. Her receptions are the most sought-after events in New York, not only for the fine dining and excellent champagne but it is also where you can be seen. Business transactions or illicit affairs are often concluded during those lavish soirees. Alex sometimes took that opportunity to find new clients - the fact he’d been hired to look after the Vanderbilts and Astor’s best interests rendered him a coveted lawyer in Manhattan and its surroundings.

He notices Benjamin Harrison, but the President is not the reason for his presence tonight. In the 87 years since he was turned, he has entertained the thought several times of dabbling in politics, but that is a subject for another day.

His interest for tonight stands on the side of the dancefloor, looking rather regal in a black tailcoat over a grey silk waistcoat and assorted cravat. He is holding a glass of champagne. The gaslit chandeliers cast a pretty, golden reflection on his blond hair.

Lord Henry Fox Mountchristen-Windsor. Slayer Extraordinaire.

The youngest Hearst daughter seems to have cornered him, and if his face is all smiles and polite nods, Alex can sense his discomfort across the opulent ballroom.

Alex smiles and makes a beeline toward his supposedly mortal enemy.

This is going to be fun.

Since they met in that dark alley, he has thought of the slayer quite a bit over the past few weeks. If Alex is fully honest with himself, he has thought of Henry Fox for an unreasonable amount of time. Especially the way his body had been pliant and willing against his for a few minutes, and Alex didn’t even have to use any kind of compulsion. The way he smelled heavenly - not only the sweet aroma of his slayer's blood but also the clean linen, citrusy fragrance of his skin. It was only when he had pulled out that little pistol of his - a nice trick, Alex had been sloppy for a second and had forgotten he was dealing with a slayer after all - and took a step back that the vampire had recognized him. A distant memory of a cherished moment in his life, a photograph in a Drury Lane dressing room.

Alex has never met a slayer before—he doesn’t seek them out, for obvious reasons—except for Beatrice Fox. They met a couple of times and exchanged a few words, but he didn’t know her much. Of course, they both know what the other is, but they don’t seek each other’s company.

He knows he’s not the kind she’s hunting and is grateful for that. Word on the street (‘the street’ being mostly Percy since the others are not there to tell the tales anymore) is that she’s highly competent in her field.

And if he has a thing for competency, he doesn’t, however, have a (terminally) death wish. He does not doubt if they met in a back alley, she would kick his ass into the afterlife - and not the fun one. The one reserved for vampires and demons, where everything is bleak and depressing, and there’s a lot of screaming. That Special Hell also reserved for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.

Alex can tell Henry sees him arrive as his eyes widen slightly, but he schools his features just as quickly.

Alex greets Miss Hearst just before another young man comes to claim his dance, and Alex finally finds himself alone with Henry.

“Lord Mountchristen-Windsor,” he says with a pleasant smile.

“Mr Claremont Diaz.” The tone is a bit dry, but that doesn’t deter the vampire.

“You can call me Alex, you know.”

“I’m certain we’re not sufficiently acquainted for such familiarities.”

Alex grins.

Oh yes. The British accent and posh inflections are really working for him, and so is raising the younger man’s hackles.

“Nice tie. A bit boring, though. You have something against colors?”

Henry scoffs. “Grey is a color, thank you.”

“You wore a green one at the Morgan’s last Saturday.”

“How would you know? You weren’t there,” Henry replies before pinching his lips.

Alex grins. Busted. “Oh, you noticed? Well, I must have read it in the Home Journal.”

“No, you did not.”

Beatrice arrives, all smiles and lovely, in a pale green taffeta dress complimenting her pale skin and ginger hair.

“Mr Claremont-Diaz. How nice to see you again.”

“Lady Beatrice,” he bows, “You look stunning as always. Would you do me the honor of a dance? Unless your card is already full?” He ignores Henry’s eye rolling as Bea lets out a little laugh.

Her smile turns impish. “I’m a 27-year-old spinster, Mr Claremont-Diaz. My card is never full.”

“Well, their loss is my gain then. Can I claim the next one ?”

“Of course. Excuse me, I just noticed one of our acquaintances. I will be right back.”

Henry takes a sip of his glass. “Your eagerness to dance with my sister is quite surprising, considering how terrified you were the last time she was in your vicinity. I remember you were rather anxious to flee with your tail between your legs.”

Alex frowns.

“First, I don’t think you and I should discuss my tail in such a public environment,” he says, his tone slightly suggestive. He feels immense satisfaction when a lovely shade of pink invades Henry’s cheeks.

“Second, your sister might be an expert in the field, but when it comes to the dance floor, I’m the Slayer.”

Henry opens his eyes wide, his eyebrows reaching his hairline.

“That was…terrible,” he says, and Alex winces.

“Admittedly, not my best work, I agree,” he concurs, and he’s pretty sure he hears a soft snort from the blond beside him. Henry’s not looking at him, his eyes are on the crowd, but Alex can see the corners of his lips lift slightly from behind his glass as he takes another sip, and there’s a twinkle in his hazel eyes that was not there a few minutes ago.

Alex takes the opportunity to observe him. His nose is finely aquiline, with a dusting of freckles on his alabaster skin. He has a strong jawbone and lips…

Lips that are made for sin.

After 115 years of existence, Alex is comfortable enough with his sexuality to admit when another man is attractive. It took him some time (and one big crisis) to recognize he was attracted to both genders. In his defense, such inclinations would likely have had him thrown in jail (or worse) for sodomy, so he had to keep that under wraps (only June and Nora knew) and had only been able to indulge a few times in closeted establishments disguised as Gentleman’s clubs. And while it had been an exciting and satisfying experience, those quick, meaningless trysts were not really his cup of tea, especially since coffee was more his drug of choice.

So yes, he finds Henry Fox Mountchristen-Windsor attractive. Pretty is actually the adjective that comes to mind.

There’s a mole on the corner of his right upper lip, and Alex fights the sudden urge to lean and put his mouth there and see for himself if these plush lips are as soft as they look.

Henry notices his gaze and frowns. “What? Is there something on my face?”

Alex clears his throat, shaking himself out of the stupor induced by the other man’s handsome face.

“No.”

“Then stop staring. It is annoying.”

To this day, Alex doesn’t know what prompted him to answer like this. “Your face is annoying.”

Henry throws him an incredulous look. “Oh my God. Are you five?”

Beatrice returns at that moment, saving Alex from responding and making an even bigger fool of himself.

He came here to push Henry’s buttons, but his conversation with Henry left him the most bemused.

He turns and smiles at Bea, so thankful for her interruption that he thinks of sending her flowers the next day. This will undoubtedly be an unprecedented event in the history of vampire/slayer relationships.

And vampires and slayers should not have any kind of relationship.

He would do well to remind himself of that.

****

As Alex and Bea make their way to the dance floor, Henry lets out a breath. Is he relieved or disappointed that the vampire put some distance between them? He’s not really sure.

What he’s sure of is that he’s perplexed.

The man is deeply unnerving.

He’s also deeply, deeply attractive. He’s one of the most - alright, let’s be honest, the most gorgeous man Henry has ever seen.

Which is the crux of the problem.

When in doubt, Henry tends to turn to his best mate, who, conveniently, is also a vampire. So there is that.

He spots Percy amidst a group of young heiresses and a few gentlemen, a likely place for him to be. His buoyant mood, cheerfulness, and eccentric clothing - tonight he’s wearing a fuschia cravat which is clashing with his ruby red waistcoat, but somehow he makes it work- makes him the center of attention, and he thrives on it. The fact that he is wealthy doesn’t hurt either, obviously. And that nobody knows he is a vampire, and that one of his most significant accomplishments has been opening shelters first in London, then now in New York, which welcome newly turned vampires and werewolves and help them adjust and adapt to their new life so they don’t become soulless monsters roaming the streets at night in search of human preys.

To his great despair, he can’t save them all, and some don’t want to be saved, so that’s where Bea and Henry come in by trying to keep the streets as safe as possible.

Percy notices him hovering and excuses himself to his little gaggle of admirers.

“Fancy meeting you here, poppet. How are you?”

Henry doesn’t bother with idle chat. “Can we talk?”

Percy smiles, curiosity and mirth lightening his dark eyes. “So serious. What’s going on?”

“Shall we go on the terrace?”

“Hazza, dearest, it is January in New York. Do you know what the cold does to my complexion? We are absolutely not going outside. I’m sure we can find a nice, empty room in this big-ass mansion.”

A few minutes later, they are sitting in a small drawing room with a glass of brandy.

“So? I’m all ears. Spill.”

Henry sees no reason to beat around the bush, so he asks, “What do you know about Alexander Claremont-Diaz?”

Percy’s eyes widen in interest. “Why do you think I know anything about him?”

“Bea told me you did. And well, you’re both vampires with ties to the High Society.”

Percy rolls his eyes at that. “That doesn’t mean we gather every Monday afternoon and gossip over blood and crumpets. This reminds me, I ordered a box of Twinings Earl Grey for you. It should arrive any day now, assuming the ship hasn’t sunk.”

Henry perks up at that because he loves his cup of Earl Grey in the morning (and in the afternoon, and at night), and the concoction they sell here pretending it’s tea is simply dreadful.

“That’s very sweet of you, Percy. Thank you. Now answer my question.”

A sigh, and then, “He’s a lawyer, but I’m sure you already know that. He was turned at the very beginning of the century. He has a sister, June, who was turned along with him. She lives in Washington with her partner. From what I heard, he’s a decent bloke. He doesn’t kill to feed.” He takes a sip of his brandy. “That is it.”

Henry has known his best friend long enough to know that Percy is not completely honest with him, but he probably has his reasons, so he doesn’t push. He also braces for the inevitable following inquiry.

A sly grin lifts the corner of Percy’s lips. “Why do you ask?”

And the thing is, Henry doesn’t know why he asked. He doesn’t know what it is about Alex Claremont-Diaz that is so appealing - outside of the obvious- that he has been at the center of Henry’s thoughts all these weeks. He knows it’s not compulsion - slayers can’t be compelled - so his interest (for lack of a better word) in Alex is of his own volition.

It also goes against every belief his grandmother tried to ingrain in his brain. His duty was to kill every creature that was not human indiscriminately, not caring that some of them didn’t ask for their life to be turned upside down and were victims in their own rights.

Thanks to his parents, these beliefs never took root. If they had, Alex would be dust scattered in the wind, either at his hand or Bea’s. So would Percy, for that matter.

Thankfully, Percy is still here, and so is Alex, with glossy dark curls, whisky eyes, and a wicked, gorgeous smile, and Henry doesn’t know what to do with himself.

What to do with these feelings. He’s only met the man twice, for bloody sake. Henry’s not a blushing virgin. He’s had a few discreet and short-lived relationships, although never really anything coming close to what he read in his beloved books. He knows these are not precisely reasonable, realistic expectations, but he won’t settle for anything less. By loving men, he had already restricted himself to a life of secrets and clandestine meetings, so if he had to do it, he would do it with someone he could give his whole heart and soul to.

Until his grandmother found out one day and called him some terrible slurs he had been too ashamed to repeat to anyone.

After that, he had not dared entertain any idea of seeing someone, either in London or since they had arrived in New York. And after everything that had happened, it was much safer for everyone if he forwent any foolish notion of romance anyway.

He focuses back on Percy’s friendly face and answers honestly, “I’m not sure.”

“Well, let me know when you are. In the meantime, I must mingle and persuade some billionaires to divest themselves of a few dollars. Are you coming by the shelter tomorrow?” In addition to the shelters, Percy also has an orphanage and a few other charities, and he splits the generous donations he gets between those and the shelters.

“Yes. I promised Eloise I would bring her a copy of Sense and Sensibility. And you asked me to look over that document for the notary?”

Percy rises from his chair with a fond smile. “Dear Haz, what would I do without you? I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He presses Henry's shoulder as he walks to the door before turning around. “You know, I’m not sure what goes on exactly in your pretty head regarding Alex Claremont-Diaz, but…maybe he’s worth getting out of that solitary tower you like to lock yourself in. I know the odds are stacked against you, considering the circumstances and the whole slayer/vampire situation, but when you think about it…you two could be making History. Even if nobody ever hears about it.”

Henry rolls his eyes. If he let Percy take charge, he would plan his and Alex’s secret wedding within the next 48 hours. “I don’t even know if he’s into men,” he points out.

Percy winks. “Only one way to find out, darling.”

*****

Manhattan, Hearst’s Residence - March 1891

“Oh, for God’s sake, Henry, go home.”

Henry blinks at Bea, surprised at her snapping even though he knows he deserves it.

But today is the worst day of the year. So he can be in a sour mood. He’s allowed.

He’s allowed to miss his dad and feel angry about the circumstances and how they unfolded. How they had to upend their lives because of his bigoted, evil grandmother and knowing she would get away with it because they couldn’t prove anything. They had to leave Martha and Philip behind to face her wrath, and there was no straightforward way to contact them afterward. The telegraph was still unreliable for transatlantic communication, and they could not use the telephone to call England.

He should have stood his ground and stayed home tonight, but Bea had insisted, and he foolishly thought it would help, especially if it meant coming across a certain someone—who, unfortunately, was not there.

So yes, Henry has good reasons to be mopey.

“I’m not leaving you alone. What about your reputation?” he replies, sarcasm tainting his voice.

“I don’t give a fuck about my reputation,” Bea mutters, a bit too loudly though, as it earns her a scandalized look from a matron nearby. At least it makes Henry genuinely smile for the first time that day. “Give or take a few years, we’ll move elsewhere, and nobody will remember us.”

“Or Gran will find a way to dispose of us.”

Bea let out a small chuckle. “Cynicism doesn’t become you, brother, dear.”

“Yes, because I’m generally such a ray of sunshine. Oh hello! Lovely to see you,” he greets an older couple who stays and chats with them for a few minutes. Once they are gone, Bea turns to him.

“Just go to the library; take some time.” She puts her hand on his arm, her face softening. “I thought this would be a good idea. A distraction of sorts from this dreadful day. I don’t think Dad would want us to stay sulking at home every year.”

He kisses her forehead, uncaring if the display of affection doesn’t follow ballroom etiquette.

“You are right, and I’m the annoying git here. I’ll go to the library. Let me know when you’re ready to leave, alright?”

Bea nods. “What do you want me to tell Mr Claremont-Diaz if he arrives?”

He frowns. “Why would you tell him anything? He’s not going to ask anyway. We are mere acquaintances.”

“I saw you talk a few times over the past few weeks.”

“Small talk. We barely exchanged a few words. Mostly because he was his usual insufferable self. We’re not best mates, and we also tried to kill each other, remember?”

“Well, that was that one time, and it didn’t seem like you tried very hard, but alright. It was just a question.”

Henry shakes his head at his sister, wondering if she’s in cahoots with Percy to bring him and Alex together for frankly incomprehensible reasons.

“He won’t ask,” he repeats, wondering if he’s trying to convince Bea or himself.

***

Alex spots Beatrice Fox as soon as he enters the ballroom. He grabs a glass of champagne from a passing servant and gulps it. He had worked late tonight and almost didn’t come, but the vision of blond hair gleaming under crystal chandeliers and smooth pale skin made him change his mind. Nothing of this was reasonable, and he had made a list the other day about the pros and cons of Pursuing an Actual Vampire Slayer When You are a Vampire. The pros list was an ode to Henry’s physical attributes - he doesn’t know him enough to judge his character, although he seems like a kind man if a little uptight. Then again, he’s English, which probably explains it.

The cons list has, so far, remained empty.

To his dismay, he doesn’t see anyone fitting that description. However, if Beatrice is there, Henry must be around unless she came with a chaperone.

There is only one way to find out.

It’s not like he wouldn’t have approached her anyway. He had the opportunity to talk more with her over the last few weeks, and she’s truly lovely.

Outside of his tiny family circle, he doesn’t really care for many people, especially non-vampires. It is complicated to form an attachment to people who will start to wonder after a few years why you don’t age or will die on you after a few decades, leaving you alone once again. He knows it’s not a popular opinion, but he doesn’t see the whole ‘eternal life’ thing as an upside.

But he genuinely likes Beatrice. Even though she’s one year younger than him, she gives off that big sister feeling he has missed since June moved to Washington. So out of all the young ladies in attendance, she’s the one he will always ask to dance - never more than once, though, lest people start to talk.

She welcomes him with a warm smile, and they share some idle conversation before he finally finds the courage to ask in what he hopes is a rather inconspicuous manner.

“Is your brother in attendance tonight?”

Beatrice looks at him with a mischievous smile as if she expected the question.

“Do we need to have a conversation about my brother, Mr Claremont-Diaz?”

And if there’s no actual warning in her voice, Alex is smart enough to know he must be careful about what he’ll say next.

“Please call me Alex,” he drawls with his most charming smile. Of course, she doesn’t fall for it, so he continues, “Not if it involves a pointy stick of some kind.”

She laughs.” Oh, Alex,” and he can’t help but grin. “If I wanted you dead, make no mistake, you would not be here dancing with me tonight. Which would be a shame as you are quite an accomplished dancer.”

To his utter embarrassment, he feels a traitorous blush invade his cheeks at the praise.

“And yes, Henry’s here. I believe he’s in the library. Today is the anniversary of our father’s death, and I dragged him here thinking the distraction would do us some good, but I’m afraid it was a mistake.”

Alex remembers quite well the day he learned about Arthur Fox's death three years ago and the sorrow he had felt at the news, especially considering the circumstances. He could only imagine how hard it must be for his children.

“In that case, maybe I should leave him alone.”

Beatrice stays silent for a minute, a pensive look on her face. “You know, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…You might be the distraction he needs.”

Alex chooses not to dwell on the feelings these words elicit in his chest. “What about you?”

“I will be perfectly fine, but I appreciate your concern.”

As the dance ends, he lets go of her and wishes her a good evening, to which she replies with a knowing smile.

Alex is left wondering what to do. Yes, he had come tonight hoping to see Henry and exchange a few words, even some teasing, because he loves nothing more than to see the other man squirm a little bit (and also the lovely pink shade tainting his cheeks.)

The library door is ajar, so he pushes it lightly, finding it mostly dark except for the golden glow created by the flames dancing in the fireplace. The occasional pop and hisses of the burning wood are the only sound in the room, giving it a comfortable and intimate atmosphere. Henry is sitting in front of the fire in a wingback chair with a contemplative look.

“Good evening,” Alex says softly, trying not to startle the man as he leans against the doorframe.

Henry blinks and looks towards the door. “Claremont-Diaz. Good evening.”

“Your sister told me you’d be here. And the door wasn’t closed, so…”

“You asked her?”

“Yes? Did I overstep ?”

“Damn, I’m never going to hear the end of it,” Henry mutters, and Alex pulls himself from the doorframe. This was a mistake.

“She told me about today. So if you wish to remain alone, just say the word, and I’ll be out of your hair.”

Henry looks at Alex again, really looking at him this time as a fleeting emotion Alex can’t decipher crosses his face.

“I can be alone with you here,” he answers, and Alex is not sure how to take it, but it is not a dismissal, so he walks into the room and settles himself in the chair next to the young man before standing up again and pouring two glasses of brandy. He can’t speak for Henry, but he needs something to occupy his hands.

He sits back down, handing the glass to the other man, who takes it with a small ‘thank you’ before Alex takes a sip of his own and leans back in the chair.

“You know what I said that first night about seeing your father in London and admiring him. It was true. I met him in person once and got his signature on a photograph. It was one of the best days of my life. He was really exceptional.”

“Yes, he was,” Henry breathes out, his eyes not leaving the fireplace. Moisture lingers on the corner of his eyes, and he blinks a few times as if trying to ward off the unwanted tears. Alex doesn’t say anything more, letting him set the pace of the conversation.

Which is why he’s surprised by Henry’s following words.

“How did you become a vampire?”

“Really? You want to talk about me?”

“Was my question not clear?”

“Ok, but please remember you asked for it. I’m a lawyer, so I need to talk for a living, especially in a courtroom, but outside of it, I’m often encouraged to tone it down. I have some sort of mental instability, not exactly my fault then, and you would think that when you become a vampire, that shit would disappear, but well, it doesn’t. So here we are.”

Henry’s mask of grief is replaced with one of interest, and warmth fills Alex’s chest. “I’ll take my chances.”

“Alright then. 1803, we were living in Texas with my family. My father was a politician. Fighting for his people’s rights, especially slavery and education. That did not sit well with a lot of people. One night, we were all at home, having dinner, when people barged in and shot us all. My parents died instantly, but June - my sister- and I were shot in the shoulder for her and the arm for me, so we remained alive for a while.” He stops at the complete look of horror on Henry’s face.

“Your parents died in front of you?”

“I…I didn’t see them die because I was unconscious myself, but I saw them both being shot in the chest just before I was, so I knew that there was no chance of them surviving that. But then I was sure I would follow them anyway.”

“That is…That is terrible. I only heard about what happened to my father, and it’s been haunting me for three years, so I can only imagine…”

“It was 88 years ago. Or it will be in June. So, I had some time to grieve. I still have nightmares sometimes, though.”

Alex shivers because nightmare is putting it mildly. It has been years of waking up with his heart thundering in his chest, its erratic rhythm reverberating through his entire body, his every nerve electrified with the remnants of terror that refuse to dissipate, and trying to catch his breath, feeling like he was drowning. Sweat coating his skin, leaving it clammy against the sheets. For the longest time, June had been there, then Nora as well, to help him through the residual panic and for reality to settle around him again.

But now June was in another city, and he had to navigate the nocturnal terrors alone. He was grateful they had receded slightly over the past few years but couldn’t sleep without a light on.

The irony of being a vampire afraid of the dark was not lost on him.

“Anyway, one of my dad’s close friends was there with us that night. His name was Rafael Luna. He was a vampire. When he saw that June and I were still alive, he turned us and took care of us while we were adjusting.”

He remembers the first time he woke up, the hunger and cravings, the brutal reminder of his parent’s death but no time to dwell on it because they had to learn how to feed -on people - and control the urge just to rip the throats they were feeding on before mastering compulsion and let people go. Needless to say, if June caught on to it relatively quickly, his own experience was a bit more complicated, as his vampire-heightened senses paired with his mentally challenged brain definitely made his undead life incredibly difficult.

It took him more than a year to find his footing, but he did it, making his enhanced hyperfocused mind work to his advantage for once. Also, failing both June and Raf was not even an option.

He stops talking then, taking a sip of the glass he had forgotten in his hand. He expects Henry to look bored, disgusted, or worse, with a pitiful look on his face for the intellectually deficient vampire.

Except he’s not. He’s looking at Alex with undivided attention as if Alex had just told him the most captivating story he had ever heard, like those swashbuckling novels Alex used to read when he was younger.

Alex’s stomach flutters in quite an unusual way.

“And you’ve been a lawyer all this time? You’ve never wanted to try something else?”

“No. I’m good at it. But I never stopped and thought of what else I could do.”

“It’s not too late. You kind of have eternity in front of you.”

“Yeah…Eternity is a fucking long time, though,” he says with a laugh tainted with some bitterness. Upon seeing Henry’s surprised look, he deflects the conversation. “So, Henry…I assume you won’t use my vampire sob story against me ?”

Henry's lips twitch softly for the first time since Alex entered the room.

“I don’t know if you ever heard this,” the young slayer responds soothingly, “but firelight is magic. It makes time stand still. When you put out the lamps and sit by the glow of the firelight, there are no more rules. You can say what you want, do what you want, and be what you want. When the lamps are lit again, time starts again. Everything you said or did is forgotten. More than forgotten, it never happened.”

Silence falls around them comfortably, and for once, Alex doesn’t feel the need to talk to break it. That being said, he disagrees partly with Henry. He doesn’t want to pretend that their time together never happened.

“You have a way with words, your Majesty,” he finally says, his smile half playful, half admiring.

The slight twitch of Henry's mouth melts into a full smile. “We’re not even related to the Queen, Alex.”

His breath catches in his throat as a swarm of butterflies invade his stomach, and he grins. “Wait, did you just…”

Henry rolls his eyes.“Don’t make it a thing. Claremont-Diaz is kind of a mouthful.”

“Oh, sweetheart…You have no idea.”

The ‘yet’ is left unsaid but hangs heavily between them if Henry’s pink cheeks are any indication.

There is a knock on the door, and Bea appears with two coats hanging from her arm.

“Well, you too look cozy,” she remarks as she walks toward Henry, pushing back a lock of blond hair from his forehead. “And you certainly look less mopey.”

Henry huffs but gives her a fond look. As Alex watches their interaction, he’s reminded of the vacancy in his heart.

He really misses June.

“You’re ready to go?” Henry asks his sister.

“Ready if you are,” she answers with a questioning look towards Alex, who gets up.

“I suppose it’s time for me to go home as well. Lady Beatrice, Henry.”

“Good night, Alex,” Beatrice replies.

“Thank you,” Henry adds with a genuine smile, and Alex’s heart beats a little faster as he realizes something has definitely shifted between them.

Fuck.

****

They wait outside the mansion for their carriage, and Henry shivers slightly in the crisp April evening. Even though he’s glad to go home, he regrets the warmth of the library fire. But most of all, he regrets the warmth of golden brown eyes and heartfelt conversation.

Bea takes his arm. “So it wasn’t such a bad evening after all,” she says softly.

He smiles. “No, it wasn’t.”

“I miss him,” she whispers suddenly, and Henry presses a kiss on her forehead.

“I think he would be proud of us,” Bea continues, her tone wistful.

“He has always been proud of us.”

“Yes, but of what we have accomplished since we got here—with Percy, the shelters, and our life.”

The carriage arrives, and the groom hands the reins to Henry. He helps Bea climb into the vehicle. “I think he would be especially proud of you and the way you’re taking care of me.” He certainly wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Bea’s maternal ways and sisterly affection. She had always been the lighthouse driving him home, helping him navigate the pitfalls, and bringing him safe on the other side.

“Oh, that’s not exactly a chore. You’re low-maintenance.”

Henry shakes his head with a smile as he sits beside her. He clicks his tongue to get the horses walking and bumps his shoulder with hers.

“I love you, you know.”

She grins. “I love you too. It’s not that late, though. Want to go kick some vampire’s ass?”

Henry’s laugh resonates in the dark street.

****

Paris, France - Champ de Mars - April 1900

“Are you seriously telling me that you hunt vampires and other night creatures on a semi-regular basis, but you’re scared of getting into an elevator?”

The iron structure stands proudly against the Parisian sky, but Henry eyes it with a wary look. It is a construction wonder, and Henry heard that its A-shaped form was an homage to a woman named Adrienne Gustave Eiffel had been in love with. He had no idea if that rumor was true, but the fairy-tale dreamer in him liked the idea.

That doesn't mean he wants to climb on the damn thing.

“Not scared, it’s just…It’s very high.”

Alex grins. “300 meters to be exact, but we’re only going to the second floor, which is 115 meters high.”

Henry frowns, trying to stall a bit more. Not that he has any chance of succeeding. Once Alex has set his mind on something, it is an impossible task to distract him. Henry doesn’t even try. “But isn’t it closed at this time?”

Alex smiled smugly. “I have an arrangement with Gustave.”

“Darling, I’m pretty sure you’ve never met Gustave Eiffel.”

“Ok, no. But I know the next best person - the guy in charge of the visits. With a little convincing and a good wad of French money, he was extremely cooperative. I heard the sunset is lovely from up there. You’re coming, baby?”

Henry sighs, unable to deny him anything, least of all a little elevator ride, especially if it is to watch the sunset together from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. And the excitement on Alex’s face is impossible to deny.

His vampire is nothing if not a big romantic at heart, and Henry loves him and his sometimes crazy ideas all the more for it.

They have been visiting the Paris Universal Exhibition all day, so finishing it like this is tempting.

He follows Alex to the entrance. Right now, people are leaving, and they are the only ones going upstairs. When the doors are closed, and the elevator ascends, Alex grabs Henry by the waist and pushes him against the wall. They haven’t had the opportunity to be alone all day, and Henry misses his touch.

The vampire kisses him first before letting his mouth wander along his jaw and neck, and Henry lets out a breathy sigh when he feels Alex’s fangs grazing his neck right where it is the most sensitive. His cock twitches with interest as he brings his hand to the nape of Alex’s neck, burying his fingers in the soft curls.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, darling,” he warns, panting softly.

The suggestive smirk on Alex’s face doesn’t help to calm him down. “Oh, but I intend to finish it, if not now, within the next two hours at least.”

Henry shivers at the delicious promise, and his other hand rests on his cheek. He softly kisses the corners of Alex’s mouth, where his canines are still apparent. Alex retracts his fangs, and they exchange another searing kiss, a prelude to more engaging activities in the sanctity of their hotel room.

When they step out on the second floor, they are alone. Henry spots a round table with a bucket holding a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

“What are you up to?” he asks Alex, melting at his partner’s charming antics.

Alex shrugs. “I just wanted a romantic interlude with my favorite slayer.”

Henry leans and gives him a soft kiss on the cheek before Alex pulls him to the rail, and they take in the stunning view in front of them.

It has been a sunny, cloudless day, and as dusk settles, they can still see all the way to the Sacré-Coeur, behind which the sun is slowly descending, illuminating the city in hues of reds and oranges, blending seamlessly with the fading blue of daylight. Much closer is the Orsay train station and the Seine and its tranquil waters, and it fills Henry with a plenitude he only experiences when close to the wonderful man next to him.

Henry takes Alex’s hand and brings it to his mouth, kissing his knuckles and trying to convey his love and gratitude.

“So, was it worth it?” Alex asks with a knowing smile.

“Absolutely worth it, my love.”

Alex opens the bottle of champagne and pours two glasses, handing one to Henry.

“To us,” Alex says, and they clink their glasses. He takes a deep breath and puts his glass back on the table. He bites his lower lip and straightens his waistcoat.

Henry raises his eyebrow at his apparent and sudden nervousness. “Something on your mind, dear?”

Alex chuckles and nods. “Actually, I had an ulterior motive for bringing you here.”

“Oh?”

He takes one of Henry’s hands, and Henry looks down. He always loved the contrast of his smaller, pale hands against his companion’s larger, brown ones.

Alex clears his throat. “So. We are both men.”

Henry lets out a chuckle. Not what he was expecting. “An astute observation, darling.”

Alex scoffs. “Yes, not my best introduction.”

“But still better than ‘On the dancefloor, I’m the slayer,” Henry teases him.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Hen,” he groans, even though his eyes flicker with amusement. “That was nine years ago. You’ll never let me live this down, will you?”

“No,” Henry says, sipping his champagne, enjoying the effervescence and fruity taste on his tongue. It doesn’t provide the same euphoria as Alex’s kisses, but it is a close second.

“So, as I was trying to say before being rudely interrupted,” Alex continues, and Henry giggles, “It’s been nine years of pure, unadulterated happiness with you.”

Alex’s features become more serious, his gaze determined as his eyes cling to Henry’s, and Henry sobers up, feeling the atmosphere around them changing, a sudden apprehension and anticipation building at the bottom of his stomach.

Alex entwines their fingers together, and the touch makes Henry’s blood thrum through his veins. Alex picks up on this as his eyes darken with both lust and hunger.

“I’m not as good with words as you are. I can tell you that I love you like I have done every single day over the past nine years, but those words don’t even begin to cover the magnitude of my feelings for you. It kills me that I can’t tell the world that you’re mine. Fuck, I can’t tell anyone,” he laughs brokenly. “But I need you to know that I’m yours. You can have it all.”

He fishes into his pocket and opens his hand, revealing two simple gold bands, and Henry gasps as a rushing noise fills his ears, and his heart jolts with elation.

“This ring,” Alex continues with a watery smile, “is a promise that you’ll always be loved and you’ll never have to face the world alone.”

He shows the ring to Henry, and through blurry tears, Henry can see the word ‘Alex’ engraved inside. The exhilarating feeling of Alex slipping the ring on his finger is unparalleled to anything he’s experienced. His heart hammers so hard in his chest that he’s afraid it is going to burst out and bleed all over the iron floor of the Eiffel Tower.

“I give you my love, I give you myself, the good, the bad, and what’s yet to come,” Alex says reverently. And if this is the closest to wedding vows they will ever get, Henry considers himself the luckiest man in the world.

With trembling fingers, he takes the other ring, engraved with ‘Henry,’ and gathers his thoughts, as Alex deserves nothing less than words as heartfelt as his own.

“You are a menace,” he starts, and they both laugh at the familiar barb, which has become more of a term of endearment over the years.“I should have known you would pull something like this when you insisted on coming up here because your heart is so huge and giving, and I don’t know what I did to deserve a wonderful man like you. But I will do everything I can to be worthy of that love. I promise to support you during our shining moments and weakest hours. I’ll be listening to you for however long it takes for you to be heard. You are my forever.”

He slips the band on Alex’s finger. “I give you my love, I give you myself, the good, the bad, and what’s yet to come,” his voice cracking as he echoes Alex’s vows.

Alex takes his head between his hands, sealing their vows with a kiss as the sun disappears on the horizon, enveloping them in a comforting penumbra auspicious for exchanging tender words and promises of forever.

Henry loves this man. He loves him with all his heart and soul, and he will fight anything and anyone to ensure this precious, priceless bond between them remains unspoiled and intact. And if he loves to use his words, he’s also eager to show Alex how deep his devotion runs.

It’s in the way his fingers map Alex’s body as they are back in their hotel room, perusing it like a familiar ground he knows by heart but never tires of exploring over and over again.

It’s in every gasp, moan, and laugh escaping Alex’s throat as Henry makes it his duty to find every sensitive spot, every nerve-ending lighting his body on fire before crashing together in mind-shattering pleasure.

It’s in the way that, once the passion slows down and the afterglow settles, Henry lingers above Alex, their hips still connected, and as Alex grabs his side softly to pull out, Henry makes a protesting noise, unwilling to let go yet.

“No. Stay.”

He leans down to pepper kisses on Alex’s jaw and cheeks, blowing softly at his eyelashes and combing his fingers in his sweat-damp curls, eliciting an appreciative growl from a fucked-out, blissful Alex underneath him.

“I just want to worship my big bad vampire husband,” Henry whispers in his ear and a bright smile blooms on Alex’s face. Henry chuckles softly as he feels the cock inside him stir with renewed interest at his words. He wriggles a bit, enjoying the feeling of Alex still nestled deep.

Alex’s arms wrap around his body, pressing their chest together, uncaring of the mess on their stomachs.

“I love you, baby,” he whispers against Henry’s lips, and they lose each other in another soft, slow kiss.

If it all ends tomorrow, Henry thinks dazedly, the look in Alex’s adoring eyes, when he gazes up at him will make everything he’s ever done worth it.

Credit where credit is due :

1. I'm a Whedonverse girl through and through, so the Special Hell quote is from Firefly (You can't stop the signal)

2. The firelight quote is from the movie 'Firelight' with Sophie Marceau (which would make a great FP AU)

3. A special thanks to my beloved Robs @magentarivers whose lovely art inspire me (again!) for the very last scene of this chapter. It can be found here

#red white and royal blue #firstprince #rwrb fic #alex claremont diaz #henry fox mountchristen windsor #Henry the Reluctant Slayer #Sophie1973

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