YOUNG VOLCANOS;;

“ … midnight stroll? ” come on, maxwell. even your lies are better than that. and even she’s better than that. safer, brighter, smarter. she’d always been better than him, perhaps this is a mere reflection of his personality. steadfast for once in his life, taking one of the qualities he admired most in her, and watching it blow up in his face. “ i just looked in the kitchen so you’re  probably right. ” on his way in. he hates the way it sounds; like she’s an afterthought and not the sole motivation for the fact he was able to keep himself going. the question lays unanswered, but he can make up the pattern of the jersey from where he stands in the dark. it comforts him to know she needs him, in a way. not dependency and definitely not necessity, in his mind, but at least preference. “ somethin’ did happen. ”  he opts to take a seat next to her, shrugging off his jacket along the way and laying it by the chair near his bed. one of his arms moving to stretch out across the mattress behind her. not yet touching her but a suggestion that he was there, barely skimming the edge of the fabric of the jersey. “ i know. i’m sorry. ”  he was worried about himself, but mostly daisy. ( always daisy. ) 

  “ i missed you like hell. especially, ” with what happened; his lips press together, and then he exhales as he starts. the previous sentence left floating in the air. “ i walked in on a robbery, tried to fight the guy. i know it was dumb as hell but i didn’t want you to come home and think we couldn’t handle this and start thinkin’ that i needed protection. ” he did, he can see that now. but hindsight never did anyone any good. “ turns out, robbers don’t really like bein’ walked in on. ” lips press together, fingers shifting so his hand is outstretching over the mattress, grounding himself. “ he uh — he shot me. ” it feels biting with the speed it leaves his lips, not casual but objective. “ and i thought that was it but … i woke up. and i remembered that there was this woman when i fell off the balcony, ” now he’s getting worked up, “ and now i guess i’m just like you. ” with a few differences, minor and major as he could see. all at the same time. “ except i can’t walk in the sun. ” it’s the easiest way to tell her without telling her.

There’s a pang of something deep within her chest, something she hasn’t felt in a while, not since she discovered the secret her mother had kept from her her entire life --- hurt. And it remains there, swelling and festering in the darkness, reflected in her orbs only momentarily before her gaze drops his and returns to the floor, beneath her dangling feet. “I see.” So he hadn’t been looking for her, was she surprised no, whatever had happened had clearly taken precedence, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. Think lashes settled upon rosy cheeks as her gaze remained settled upon the floor, and it isn’t until he moves to take his place beside her that she can smell it. The difference, he didn’t smell normal, nor like himself, not like her Max usually did. Yet she didn’t move an inch, nor give an indication of the discovery instead remaining still as her dug her hands under her thighs in search of warmth. His apology leaves a bitter taste in her mouth and for a long moment she ponders as to whether it’s genuine or somewhat mechanical. 

  “ daisy! ” his breath falters as her grip on his old hockey stick had, head tipping forward and then up to catch his breath. “ i thought you were out. ” he catches his breath, regains control of his senses, and starts to recognise his figure. “ i was lookin’ for you but i thought – is that my  jersey? ” he’s relieved she’s taken him up on his offer, even in his absence, and by the looks of her sleepwear, much more. starting to kick off his shoes by the door where he is, his socks touching the floorboards and willing himself to feel relief - calm. he was home, everything could go back to … except it couldn’t. not by a long shot. “ things kind of went … ” exceptionally wrong? monumentally badly? a little south after he’d murdered the first person who’d broken into his apartment? all of the above? “ things happened. ” that he would have to disclose to her, surely, and with the limited time he’s guessing he has before the sun comes up. he almost speaks thrice, but his hands just come out in an awkward gesture towards the bed. “ i think you should be sittin’ down for this. ” can’t pour it all out in a letter this time.

  pros of the vampire experience included hopping between his apartment and the magical school he had to attend to avoid killing people, only being able to go back to said apartment in the middle of the night lest he wanted to be burnt to a crisp in the sun and … the fact he was pretty sure  daisy was going to kill him. again. ( which, by the way, he would’ve entirely deserved. ) his keys setting in the door lock, feeling foreign as he stepped back into the apartment, the tip of his sneakers touching the tip of the blood stain by the door. shutting the door behind him, trying to silence it as it set on the latch. making his way over through the living room, and then the kitchen, looking for any sign of well daisy. it looked clean, or as clean as he’d left it, and so he ventured back into the bedroom. an exhausted sigh passing his lips before his hands stretched up over his head, “ it’s ME! ” called out when there’s suddenly a figure in the darkness, his jacket caught over his arms where he put his hands up.

  “ take two steps closer, and i will gut you with this knife. ” that’s a normal olivia raymond greeting; she’s more than capable and more than than pretty enough for people to believe she’s not. it’s a good balance to her. turning around, deadly weapon still clutched between her fingers. “ what do you want? ” 

           “if you’re about to pull out a gun, i REALLY wouldn’t recommend it.” a swipe back and then swipe bellow the knees and he was DOWN. she turned to who he’d been attempting to mug ( who he FAILED to mug because s c r e w muggers. ( be more SOPHISTICATED on your crime or don’t do it at all. ) ) and euterpe spoke. “ you okay?”

Daisy had started retreating, wary of the curb behind her as the male approached. She didn’t know who he was nor what he was capable of for that matter, nor did she want to hurt him should her anger get out of control. Nevertheless his demand for her wallet and phone didn’t go without response. “You don’t need to do this..” She answered, stumbling backward as her good connected with the dip in the gutter. Only instead of the other advancing, a woman stepped in between, and before she knew it her pursuer was on the ground. “How did you --- I --- thank you.” She breathed, genuinely grateful for the others interference. 

“Alright, so first we all go to a ball, some crazy shit happens and now everyone is acting like it didn’t happen? Am I missing something because . I am totally confused”

“Your guess is as good as mine, perhaps it’s just their way of processing it, as screwed up as that may well be to those of us that know better than to play pretend.“

        “Yeah I know this place well enough,” He’d been attending since he was 13 actually. “You looking for somewhere?”

“No ---- more exploring rather, kinda hard to come to terms with the fact a place like this even exists.” Because it certainly wasn’t a thing back in Canada, least not where she had grown up anyway. “It’s like the world of Buffy the vampire slayer come to life, creepy as all hell but kind of intriguing..”

grace wasn’t used to this, events like these? she never went to. mystic falls had the founders ball but she was never able to go, she didn’t find out she was a founding family until she was sixteen and by then she was more interested in finding her family. the blonde straightened her dress and let out a breath, walking into the ballroom and her eyes darted around the room for anyone she knew.

Daisy hadn’t planned on attending such an event, nevertheless she had donned the red dress she had spent the last of her savings on and took her entrance with confidence. Even if the anxiety of being around so many people was slowly eating her alive, she was quick to swallow her nerves as she came to a standstill beside the tentative blonde. “Nice dress.” She mused, offering a small smile in greeting as she stole a glance in the others direction. “Little word of advice, fake it to you make it --- works a treat every time.”

        “ oh, SHIT, man. ” he shrugs, but the glee is visibly webbed in his features. “ i have no idea what i’m drinkin’, but i’m pretty sure it’s two shots in and i’m already wasted. good in my book. ”

“I do believe, people call that being a light weight these days?“ Daisy remarked, rather amused at the other’s behavior, as she pulled a flash from her pursed, taking a long swig of the bottle before returning it to it’s rightful place. The werewolf was still enamored by the extravagantly decorated school. “Who knew the headmasters of this place also specialized in such elaborate parties.”

          “ among several other things. ” she’s a flawed individual. she gets it. arms stretch slightly, an attempt to soothe a bit of soreness and she’s quick to have her interest latch on to daisy’s words. because this whole backstory to her and max is actually news to lizzie. “ nothing like some cursed dead trees to get you to make the bold leap of faith, huh? ” a jesting smile reaches her lips and she finds herself properly aww’d by this concept. it’s the complete opposite of her and will, seeing how they’re only now getting to know each other, long after these uncanny sentiments took bloom. “ i’m sure you do. he needs all the help in keeping himself alive, after all. did i mention he tripped and stabbed himself? ” she did mention it. and she knows it. it’s only to further hammer in the point. but it’s spoken with just enough fondness to make it clear she’s not seeing it as a nuisance or anything of the sort. even though she normally would. the redhead’s admission draws a simple nod of her head. it’s not an extraordinary revelation. the supernatural is her literal life. “ my parents are the headteachers of the salvatore school. and if it isn’t obvious by now, that place is the charles xavier institute, except it’s the twilight equivalent. there are plenty of werewolves there and— let’s just say complications and issues are part of the norm, so… ”

Hephaethus still bowed his head regardless. “I promise I would never do that without anyone’s consent.” He finally took off his glasses. “I just felt something in my chest.” He smiled at the other. “That’s my fault.” He gave a curt bow. “Hello, Daisy. I am Hephaestus.” He said without much thought. It was the few times he revealed himself to a human. 

“It’s okay, I get it --- there’s nothing wrong with being emotive, especially not after all you’ve endured over the past few weeks.“ Daisy reassured, offering a smile of her own in return. “Anyone ever tell you, you apologize too much?” She teased, brows raising in realization of the other’s true name, though she quickly covered her surprise with a grin somewhat flattered that he had trusted her with his true identity given how easy it would have been to lie. ”Hephaestus, it’s a pleasure, even with the whole fire show.”

  “ brief? ” teased back, word easily laced with the same tone she has. “ maybe you need more reasons. ” longer, more expansive reasons. her hand traces over the details of his jersey, and the subtle movements of her hand are the only driving force in remembering he’s wearing one. because of course he is, because he’s never seen without one. it’s heavy on his shoulders suddenly, ironic because everything else seems lifted at present. it’ll come down again. probably when he wakes up; when he’s not by daisy anymore, when the day sets in. but for now, he feels as light as he can. ( sans the jersey. ) “ i’ll keep it off. more money for those. ” gesturing to the now empty vodka and lime that lay near them. and more time for this; an implication that matched hers as hers as a clear attempt. his gaze meets hers, legs still touching hers, lips only parted for a moment. “ there’s this thing called biology. i always sucked at it? ” the shirt comes off, and he throws it back further over the couch. “ but i passed it eventually. ” he reaches down for the edge of his own jersey and, barely clumsily, pulls it off. throws it off to the other end of the couch. “ with extra credit. ” his hands come back to meet at the small of her back. ( leave it to maxwell harvey to turn tension to tension and idiocy. ) 

He shook his head, raising a hand to flick Daisy on the forehead.  “If he ain’t your boyfriend I don’t know what the hell he’d be.  What do ya’ll call it now a-days then?  Fuck buddies?”  A large grin, loving to see the flush on her cheeks.  

As she got serious the grin dropped. Daisy had never mentioned this before.  Warmth spread in his heart by her sincere words.  “You’re like a daughter to me Daisy.  I’d do anything for ya.”  Between her and Kayla, James had his hands full of strong willed, hot headed women.  He never thought at this point in his life he’d have two daughters, even if they weren’t by blood.

That was a hard question to answer.  He didn’t want to get her hopes up, but it was important to stay positive.  She needed this.  “I think he can at least point us in the right direction.  I’ll do everything I can to find a way to make this better.  There’s gotta be something.”

Daisy couldn’t help the burst of laughter that escaped her as the other spoke, ”I don’t ever want to hear the word fuck-buddies from your mouth again.“ She laughter, clutching at her stomach before her amusement subsided and her flustered cheeks remained in place. “Alright, you win --- we’re more than friends, but as for a bonafide label we haven’t quite had that conversation yet.” She added, lips twitching into a small smile.Which only increased as the conversation shifted, instinctively she shifted, arms wrapping around the other in a tight embrace. The red head had never been accustomed to having a father, but she imagined this was what it was like if she had known her real one. “Ditto.” She remarked, feigning a playful punch to his shoulder as she pulled back. “So there’s hope --- you’re right, it’s a start at least.”