living with perfect regret.

DAVINA: 

After being picked up from the airport by Frankie and Hayley, Davina had gotten them to drop her off at Miles. He was the first person she wanted to see after her family and from the moment he’d answered the door to her, she’d barely moved away from him. It was crazy how much she’d missed him and she knew she was falling stupidly fast for him, he was the first person she’d felt like this since Claire and that had been years ago. They were currently curled up watching TV, or barely watching it since they were mostly talking, it was basically background noise. “I know I’ve said it a million times but I really missed you.” She smiled at him, hand gently brushing through his hair a little and she leaned up to peck his lips with her grin widening. “I think after that trip I never want to be away from you again.” She sounded cheesy as hell, she knew it but really she didn’t care. He had a way of turning her into such a sap, something she was usually far from in a relationship, well, any relationship between Claire and Miles that was.

MILES:

Miles was glad to have Davina back in his arms. It still scared him shitless how deeply he had fallen for her, and how quickly, but he wouldn't change a thing about it. "I really missed you too," Miles murmured lowly, his own smile growing as their lips met. "I would be more than happy if you absolutely never left," he half joked, fingers absentmindedly tracing shapes onto her skin.

DAVINA: 

At his words of her never leaving, her lips curled up into an even wider grin if it was at all possible. "Yeah?" She asked him happily as she pecked his lips again. She practically spent all her time here, she'd barely been at home since she'd finished staying with her brothers for a few days after being released from the hospital. "Also, technically you're the one leaving when you go to work without me." The brunette pouted, her bottom lip stick out. "I can't wait to come back, I miss it all. I mean mostly the rig, you're a close second." Davi teased him, her pout turning back into a grin.

MILES:

"Yeah," Miles echoed, his own grin matching hers as she kissed him again. As she pouted, laughter left his lips and he shook his head. "If I could stay here with you all day you know I would," he told her honestly, before more laughter spilled from his lips. "I can't wait for you to come back, it's not the same without you," he admitted.

DAVINA: 

"I wish you could..." She tilted her head with a little shrug. "I could just hold you hostage here from now on, I might be a little broken but I think I could still take you." She half joked as her fingers played with his hair a little. "It's weird not being at work...." She fell quiet for a moment, lips pressed together. "I mean I've been hurt before and been out, but with this-" Eyes flicking down to her cast briefly. "it's going to keep me out for the longest.... I'm sorry..." She whispered, she'd already said it to him a million times, times he'd heard and others whilst he'd been asleep and she'd been laid awake unable to.

MILES: 

 "Oh you could definitely still take me," Miles retorted with a laugh, "You're  a badass babe, even with your leg in a cast," He murmured, pressing a kiss to her lips. "I know," Miles' smile faded slightly as she spoke, wrapping his arms around her more tightly. "I get it, trust me, and you don't ever have to apologise to me. Okay? Ever."

DAVINA: 

His words made her chuckled with her lips still curled into a smile before his lips pressed against hers for a moment. Davina did what she could to move herself closer to him, his arms around her tightening and she scooted up to have her head level with his, her forehead moving to press against his. "Okay." She breathed out in a quiet sigh, leaning forward to capture his lips against hers but this time in a deeper kiss, fingers moving back into his hair their kiss continued. It was only when they parted a short while later that her forehead came back to rest against his, her breathing a little unsteady as she searched to meet his gaze. "I'm going to say something and I don't even know if you'll understand it but I need to say it because I want you to know how much you mean to me."

MILES: 

 Miles hummed in content as her lips moved against his, pulling her as close as could as he dare not break the kiss. It wasn't until she did, the man catching his breath as her forehead touched his. At her words, Miles' brows knit together in confusion. "Yeah, tell me," He murmured, matching her gaze.

DAVINA: 

Her gaze remained on him as she bit her lower lip briefly, lips curling into a soft smile as looked across at him. "Tienes todo mi corazón." She told him quietly, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as she spoke and as soon as she finished, she was chewing on her lower lip again. She knew he probably didn't understand a single thing of what she'd said but she waited a few seconds before she spoke again. "It translates to, you have all my heart." The brunette confessed, her gaze breaking from his as she watched herself playing with his hair, swallowing thickly.

MILES: 

 Miles' brows knitted together as she spoke, realizing just how rusty his high school Spanish was. It wasn't until she spoke the translation, that he realized exactly what she was telling him. "You have all of mine too," Miles admitted quietly, hand moving to cup her cheek. The idea of saying those three words terrified him, but if he'd learned everything over the years, it was that he should actually say them out loud, knowing he'd regret it otherwise. "I love you, Davina Maddox, so much it terrifies me, but I wouldn't change a damn thing." He murmured, leaning forwards and pressing his lips to hers.

DAVINA: 

It wasn't until Miles spoke that Davina let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, a soft smile tugging at her lips as he told her that she had his heart just like he had hers. His next words surprised, eyes widening a little but the smile on her lips grew even wider. "I lov-" Her words cut off as Miles' pressed his lips to hers and Davina scooted herself even closer as their kiss deepened briefly. A few moments later, Davina reluctantly pulled away but only so she could speak, eyes opening to find his as the smile she'd had before tugged at her lips again. "I love you too, Miles Stephens." She confessed, thumb stroking his cheek as she looked at him adoringly. "It scares me half to death too and I wouldn't change a damn thing either, mi amor." After everything that had happened, it felt so stupid now that she'd waited so long to tell Miles how she felt in the first place, knowing now they could've been together this whole time but instead she'd been an idiot and avoid her feelings out of fear for the unknown.

MILES: 

Miles grinned sheepishly against the other's lips as he realized he'd cut her off, but didn't pull away until she had. He leaned into her touch, looking at her with a doting smile. "I am always going to come back to you, you know that, right?" He told her softly, knowing he'd do everything he could to make sure he always came home to her. When he had first met the other, he'd never expected this was how things would go, and Miles was almost mad at himself for how long he'd wasted with her.

DAVINA:

"You better." She told him, knowing his job came with risks and she'd been there before when firefighters had lost their lives both in her own firehouse back in NYC and in other houses. A soft smile remained on her lips as she looked at him, leaning in to gently peck his lips once more before her head settled on his chest. At that moment Davina couldn't have felt more content laid at Miles' side and half watching whatever was playing on the TV in front of them and if someone had told her when she'd decided to move to Wakefield this would be her life so many months later, she definitely wouldn't have believed them but she was glad it wasn't any other way than how it was right now.

MILES: 

AVERY:

Avery hated the long time apart from Ana, but their work schedules often collided which sucked and sadly there wasn't much that either could do to fix it. Despite finishing at The Lot late, Avery had asked Ana to come stay the night, well a few actually. She'd take everything she could get even if it was just a few minutes before work and afterwards. Thankfully her girlfriend had been more than happy to come over late, meeting Avery just a few doors down and the pair walked the rest of the way before heading straight to relax on the couch for a short while. "Tell me about your day?" The brunette asked, pulling Ana's legs into lap and her thumb gently stroking across the other's knee.

ANA: 

Ana missed her girlfriend, despite the fact she understood why the girl worked so many hours. She was just happy to spend any time she could, however late it may be. Curled up with the other, Ana grinned as she spoke, shrugging her shoulders. "Pretty calm day, just working. Had dinner with mom, dad and Luc." She responded, reaching out to put her hand over Ave's. "Yours?"

AVERY:

"Sounds nice." Avery smiled, head lead back against the couch as she looked over at her girlfriend. "How are they?" She asked before her hand moved to play with Ana's fingers absentmindedly whilst they walked. "The dinner was busy and The Lot too, it's the holidays so-" Avery shrugged, it was to be expected that both places got more hectic this time of year. As she fell quiet, a widen smile tugged at her lips as she stared over at her girlfriend, fingers links with Ana's properly. "I don't tell you it enough but you're gorgeous."

ANA: 

"Well my parents are good as always, Lucas was pouting because Nick was at work," She admitted, laughing as she shook her head. "You're not overworking yourself are you, babe?" Ana asked, lips curbing into a slight frown. She worried about her girlfriend working three jobs, often wondering if she should take a second job of her own to try and help Avery cut back a little - they were in this together in Ana's eyes after all. A soft smile graced her lips as Avery linked their fingers, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "Not as gorgeous as you," She retorted with a grin, pressing her lips to Avery's in a quick peck.

AVERY: 

"I should come over and see them one day." Avery mentioned, knowing it had been a while since she'd seen Ana's parents and even Lucas properly who she passed on occasion but never had much time to talk outside of just the usual checking in with the other. With Ana's frown, Avery shook her head, hand gently rubbing Ana's knee softly. "I'm good." Though Avery wouldn't admit she was tired because that was nothing out of the usual. The kiss which Ana gave her made Avery's cheek flush as little, eyes adoring looking over her girlfriend as the other pulled away. "I love you." The words coming out with such ease until Avery realised what she'd said and her eyes widened a little, the panic clear on her face.

ANA: 

"You should, Lucas was actually talking about dinner with me, you, him and nick the other day," Ana beamed, recalling the conversation she'd had with her brother the other day. A small smile spread on her lips at the other's touch, "Promise?" She asked, looking at her girlfriend with sincerity. As those three words slipped from the other's lips, Ana's eyes widened. She'd been wanting to say them for a while, holding them back out of fear it was too soon. Noticing the panic on her girlfriend's face, Ana moved one hand to cup the girl's cheek. "I love you too," She told her, beaming.

AVERY: 

 "Really?" She asked with a beaming smile. "We definitely should, we can do it here?" The brunette offered before nodding at Ana's question. "I have you, of course I'm good." The girl smiled, thumb stroking back and forth against Ana's knee as she look over at her girlfriend. Even now she was still in shock that Ana had been feeling the same way about her this whole time, feeling incredibly lucky. At the sight of Ana's eyes widening, it only made Avery more worried that she'd said those three years before Ana was ready to hear them and she was about to say something before Ana's hand moved to cup her cheek. Hearing her girlfriend say it back to her, Avery instantly felt a sense of calm wash over her, head leaning into Ana's touch and her other hand moving to cup over hers as it rested on her cheek. "I love you so much."

ANA: 

"Yeah! You know Lucas adores you, and he's attached to Nick these days," Ana joked teasingly, but she was glad her brother was happy. "Here sounds good to me," Ana nodded, the smile not leaving her lips. I have you. Ana's smile widened, "Always will," She murmured in response. As Avery calmed down, Ana pecked a kiss to her girlfriend's lips. "So, so much."

AVERY: 

Avery simply smiled at Ana as she talked about Lucas and Nick, she'd seen the pair together a fair bit and they both looked the happiest they'd been in a long time. "I'm sure we can figure out an evening I'm free and Nick isn't on shift." Knowing hers and Nick's schedules were probably the hardest to work around. The brunette's smile widened at Ana's response, squeezing Ana's knee gently before Ana pecked her lips which Avery calmed even more. Her grin widened at Ana's words and she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend again, deepening it from just a small peck.

ANA: 

"Oh, it's me and Lucas, we'll find a way to make it work. We're both very stubbornly persistent," she chirped, shrugging her shoulders with a smile. She knew the second she mentioned the idea to Lucas, he'd find a date that worked. Her own smile mimicked Avery's as the other seemed to relax. As the kiss deepened, Ana shifted on the couch, practically pinning Avery against it as their lips moved together, before she finally broke away to catch her breath.

AVERY: 

Avery chuckled at her girlfriend's words, knowing full well that leaving anything up to Ana alone that it'd be done sharpish so having both Ana and Lucas on the case then the dinner would be planned in no time. Everything felt perfect right now, just sat here with Ana, chatting away about making plans together and finally getting those three little words off her chest which she'd been wanting to say for a while. As Ana shifted on the couch, Avery's hands moved in sync, one shifting into her hair and the other at her waist, pulling her closer. When their lips parted a few moments later, Avery felt breathless but the smile on her lips was as wide as ever. "I love you." She whispered, eyes looking up to her girlfriend as her hand moved from Ana's hair to stroke her cheek softly. "You have no idea how much you mean to me, Ana," Avery confessed quietly.

ANA: 

Ana hummed in content as the other pulled her closer, smiling against the other's lips. Smiling breathlessly down at her girlfriend, Ana found herself leaning into the other's touch. "I love you too," She whispered back, the words making her giddy. She was glad she'd finally been able to tell the other, one hand tenderly brushing her hair from her face. "Probably as much as you mean to me," She murmured softly. "You're my person, Avery Cohen, always will be."

AVERY: 

The moment couldn't have been more perfect as Avery looked up lovingly to Ana, smiling up at her as she told Avery everything which made her heart swell. "You're mine too, always have been and always will be, my love." Avery echoed in return, pulling the other closer if it was at all possible. "Stay tonight, please?" Even though Avery had an early start in the morning she wanted the chance to have as much of her free time with Ana as possible.

ANA: 

VERONICA:

Ronnie waited for Tobias, busying herself with tidying the house a little. Frankie had yet again stolen Diego to babysit, so the house was quiet and lonely. Her mind went back to the texts, she knew him well enough to know his past wouldn't be easy, but she wanted to be there for him. Hearing the door knock, Ronnie made her way over opening it to the sight of the other. "Hi," she murmured softly.

TOBIAS:

Tobias had written his text calling her baby without a second thought, it coming out so easily and he'd hit send without reread it over. Whilst he didn't regret it, it did bring up a lot of confusion between the pair now. He knew what he wanted with Ronnie but there was so much of him that he'd not shown her yet, parts which few people had seen even the majority of his family hadn't seen him at his worst moments. Making his way over to Ronnie, he thought a lot about what to say but whether it would come out or not he didn't know yet. "Hi," He offered her a small smile as she'd open the door. "Can I come in?" Tobias asked, hands wringing together in front of him.

VERONICA:

Ronnie matched his smile with one of her own, nodding slowly as she stepped aside to let him in. "Of course. Uh, Diego's out with Frankie again." She told him, letting him know they were completely alone. Ronnie made her way into the house, moving towards the kitchen. "Did you want a coffee or something?" She asked, teeth tugging on her bottom lip, before she realized how anxious the other seemed, and made her way over back towards him, taking his hands in her own. "Tobias, it's okay," She murmured softly.

TOBIAS:

All Tobias could do was nod at Ronnie letting him know Diego wasn't around as he tentatively stepped into her house, eyes casting over the place he'd walked into a hundred times before but this time was different. He was on edge, sure he'd been like this before but it had been easier to hide, now it was overwhelming him. He barely caught when she asked him if he wanted a drink, only registering her voice rather than her words and his gaze flickered to find her. "Hmmm?" His brows furring together wondering what she'd said before he watched as she came closer and his hands were suddenly encased by hers. "Yeah." He mused, chewing on his bottom lip as he looked down at her. "Sorry." Tobias mumbled out, looking down to her hands over his and trying to focus on that for a moment. "I'm sorry."

VERONICA:

"I asked if you wanted coffee or something," She repeated softly and slowly as she reached him, realizing he'd not registered what she'd said. Her concern grew, eyes tracing every inch of him, taking in his current state. "Hey," Ronnie began softly, taking one hand away from his to reach out and cup his face. "You don't have to apologise to me, okay?" She murmured, a small, reassuring smile on her lips. "We don't have to have this talk now, I can wait as long as you need, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

TOBIAS:

It caught him a little off guard as she reached up to cup his face and all he could do was nod at her words, eyes locking onto the smile on her lips. Her next words offered him comfort but equally he knew if they didn't talk about it now then he wasn't sure when they would get round to it. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been in a relationship and he knew he was a whole different person now than he was whenever that had been. "We should....We should talk...." He muttered, eyes finding hers as he held her hand. "I'm fucked, Ronnie." He admitted bluntly, eyebrows furring together as he carried on. "I have a lot of baggage and none of it is pretty, the shit I've seen out there in general and then what happened-." Tobias cut off, swallowing thickly and pausing for a moment. "The stuff that's happened with Sully and then with me, it's fucked my head."

VERONICA:

"Okay," Ronnie murmured as he said they should talk. Her expression remained unchanged at his blunt words. The woman listened to him talk, her thumb gently rubbing up and down his cheek as he spoke. "I know it's not going to be a walk in the park, I know you've been through a lot." She began, refusing to look anywhere but his eyes as she spoke. "But I want to be there for you, and I want to help in whatever way I can. If you want me, Tobias, then I'm not going anywhere and we can figure this out together, step by step."

TOBIAS: 

He knew he sounded harsh, the way he just came out with everything but it wasn't exactly a lighthearted conversation and Tobias truly did believe he was messed up. Ronnie did surprise him how she didn't even flinch what he said, how she just simply told him she was going to be there regardless, he was expecting a least a change in her expression but she remained the same from when she'd touched his face. "I-..." He begin, tongue clicking against his teeth as he tried to figure out how to say what he needed to say. "I want you Ronnie, of course I do." His hand squeezing hers gently as carried on. "Are you sure?" His brows still furred together at his asked in all seriousness. "If you want an out, there is one, no hard feelings, ever. Even later one down the line." Tobias was well aware it was such a strange thing to offer but he was only thinking of later on when she got to see sides of him that even he hated and that she could feel exactly the same.

VERONICA:

A soft smile graced Ronnie's lips as he admitted to wanting her. "Then you have me, Tobias." She reassured, gently squeezing his hand back. "I'm sure. I want you, and I want us." Ronnie listened to him speak again, brows knitting together as he offered her an out. "Okay, but I'm pretty sure I'm not ever going to need one. When I say I'm in, I mean it. I'm all in." While she knew things might get hard, Ronnie was certain nothing could actually change the way she felt about Tobias.

TOBIAS: 

He smiled, leaning into her touch for the first time since she'd cupped his face, turning his head just a little to kiss the inside of her palm as his free hand moved to cover hers on his cheek. He waited until she finished speaking before opening his mouth to speak, eyes still locked with hers as he remained smiling softly at her. "Okay." Tobias simply said with a nod, his hand slipping from hers as it moved to wrap around her waist, pulling himself closer as he leaned down, his lips softly pressing against hers, deepening the kiss for a moment before he pulled back. His forehead moving to rest against hers as he did, not going far. "We can talk if you want, I don't know how much I can say right now but if you want to ask stuff about me, I can try to answer." His words were quiet, his eyes still closed.

VERONICA:

Her own smile grew as he kissed the palm of her hand, and then feel of his hand against hers. When he said okay, Ronnie wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips moving against his as the smile never faded. It wasn't until he pulled back that she smiled breathlessly, her forehead resting against his. "It's okay, we don't have to talk about that right now," She told him honestly, "I'm just really happy to be with you right now, we've got time, Tobias, we don't have to rush things."

TOBIAS:

Tobias nodded a little as she said they didn't have to talk right this instant, feeling a hint of relief sweep over him and he let out a slow breath. "Okay." He murmured quietly, his eyes still closed with a smile tugging at his lips. "Okay." He echoed again at her words before he fell quiet, just staying in the moment with her for as long as he could. It was a little while later that his eyes opened, his forehead pulling back from hers as he searched to meet her gaze. "Can I stay awhile? Please?"

VERONICA:

JULIET:

Jules groaned as she blinked awake, frowning at the weight of another. It wasn't rare that she occasionally ended up crashing at the other's, but waking up in his bed with him in it? This was entirely new. Juliet blinked awake, adjusting to the light now flooding the room as she took in her current situation. Lip was sprawled practically on top of her, dead asleep, and Jules couldn't help the soft smile that spread across her lips, the fluttering in her chest --- oh fuck. Familar feelings stirred within her, one's she hadn't felt for a long while and had been rather determined to block out and yet here she was. She needed to leave, get out and clear her head before her mind spiralled and she did something stupid like tell him. "Lip," she spoke gently, nudging the sleeping boy. "Lip wake the fuck up, I gotta move,"

PHILIP:

Lip groaned as he felt someone nudge him, waking up enough that he could hear Jules' voice but that was about it and another groan slipped from his lips. "Not yet." He murmured into her back, arm shifting around her to pull her closer, burying himself in the warmth that radiated off her. "Go back to sleep, we don't have work," Lip stated as he fought sleep to stay awake to try to convince her to go back to sleep herself, he didn't want to move, he was comfortable spooning her right now.

JULIET:

Jules huffed at his response, opening her mouth to argue back before her response died on her lips as she felt him pull her closer. Her cheeks burned, and he was only making this mornings realizations so much worse with the domesticity of it all. "Lip," She mumbled half heartedly, "Get off me you lanky bastard." The girl shoved weakly at his arms, but made no attempt to actually move. Jules wasn't sure she'd ever get another moment with him like this, knew it couldn't happen again - she didn't need her feelings complicating things between the two of them.

PHILIP:

"Nooo." Lip groaned against her back, his hand moving from around her waist to grab her hands. The ones that had been shoving on him seconds ago, he quickly encased both her wrists and pinned them to her chest. "Go back to sleep for a bit." He muttered, pressing a kiss to her back. "I'll make it worth your while." His head tilting up to murmur in her ear and with his sentence finishing, Lip released his grip on her wrists, his hand returning back around her waist.

JULIET:

"Yesss," Juliet huffed out a laugh, eyes rolling fondly as Lip grabbed her hands and pinned them against her chest. "I have... things," She muttered half-heartedly. "Lip come-" His lips pressing against the bare skin of her back caused the words to die off in her throat, cheeks burning as she swallowed. Jules couldn't help the tiny smirk gracing her lips as murmured in her ear, breath catching slightly. "---Fine," She muttered, a sigh of defeat escaping her lips. She knew the other was stubborn enough and she didn't actually want to leave. "Half an hour more, that's all you get," She attempted to set the boundary, before rolling over so she was facing him, head resting against his chest as she shut her eyes, focusing on listening to his heartbeat in an effort to keep herself calm.

PHILIP:

He couldn't help but grin a little as she cut off mid-sentence knowing that he was going to get his way, the grin curling up wider at the way her breath caught in her throat before she told him fine. "Mhm." He mumbled into her back, at this point he had no concept of time and wasn't planning to set an alarm of any sort so he would just wait for her to try to wake him again or just naturally wake up himself. His arm lifted slightly as she rolled over before he looped it back around her, tugging her closer as his head tilted down and nestled into her hair a little. A quiet hum left his lips as he relaxed again, just listening to her heartbeat and her breathing. "You okay?" Lip asked sleepily, thumb stroking back and forth at the base of her back as he waited for sleep to find him again.

JULIET:

ADRIANNA:

"Are you sure about this?" Ade asked again, knowing she'd already asked him it a million times through text as well as a couple of times when they'd entered the supply cupboard in the first place. Her eyes fixed on Stefan across from her, lips pressed together as she tried to focus on anything other than the sound of his heartbeat right this second which was difficult, to say the least. She hated this, having to resort to feeding on him, especially here at work but she was desperate and knew she wouldn't make it through the rest of their shift if she didn't do this now. She closed the distance between them, letting out a slow breath as she did so, trying to settle herself somewhat. Her eyes scanned his face for a moment before she couldn't stop herself from letting her eyes trail down to his neck, unable to block out the sound of his pulse which was ringing in her ears at this point. "Last chance to back out, Stefan." She muttered quietly, her eyes still fixed on his pulse point.

STEFAN:

It didn't take long for Stefan to cast a spell around them so that the others in the firehouse, especially those with supernatural hearing, will not be able to hear them. He was aware that with her venom affecting him he could lose his concentration to keep the magic but this was the best he could do right then, considering he could see that Ade was not going to hold out for much longer and if she intended to keep it a secret that she was now a vampire, they had to act fast. When she asked him yet again if he was sure he nodded firmly. "I am sure, Adrianna, this is hardly my first time." Not something he talked about often but vampire venom was something which felt far too good for him not to indulge in now and again. "And I know how this goes, maybe even better than you. I don't want to back out, and I can stop you if you start to lose your control." he assured her before remembering how the last time he said that he would stop her when they were sparring, he didn't try too much simply because he hadn't wanted to hurt her. "And I don't mean it like last time." he added as he followed her gaze which had now rested at his neck, "I will stop you this time. You have my word." he insisted as he stepped closer to the other.

ADRIANNA:

She just nodded at his reply, hands shaking at her sides as she tried to calm herself, despite the fact she'd done this numerous times already, she hadn't fed on anyone she knew and it scared her. Her eyes briefly flickered up to him when he said he would stop her, giving her his word because for a second she doubted him, especially when only a few days ago he said he would do the same but never had. Though she soon found herself staring back at his neck again, especially when he closed the distance between them. "Okay." She whispered, inhaling deeply and for a second her eyes closed, everything about Stefan was intoxicating right now and one of her hands came up to cup the back of his neck. As her eyes opened, the veins around them began to show and she looked at Stefan briefly as her fangs began to appear. Her hand cupping his neck shifted a little, thumb moving to push his head back, showing her the point she wanted and within a second she dove in and sunk her teeth into his neck. Her free hand instantly moved to grip at his side, helping to steady him and support them both as she fed from him.

STEFAN:

Stefan hoped she would listen to him, stop overanalyzing and just take a bite because it was obvious that she was getting weaker by the second. A small part of his mind had already started working on a back up plan. Perhaps he could message Winnie and urgently ask for some blood to be brought over. It was bound to take a little more time, and evoke questions and keeping Ade's secret would get slightly harder but he knew if he told Winnie he would explain later she would understand. Before that plan fully formulated in his mind though, she had whispered an agreement and his attention went back to her, and he noticed that she was starting to look lesser like his best friend as the veins and fangs began to show. She looked scary, but he wasn't scared in the least -- always only fascinated when the true colours of the vampire showed. And now that it was Ade his fascination only spiked tenfold. He swallowed as she cupped his neck, showing no resistance as she pushed his head back, and he waited for her fangs to puncture into his skin, a gasp leaving his lips when he felt that shot of pain despite his trying to be in full control. "Fuck." It was seconds later that he could start to feel the effect of the venom, the second of pain was nothing to the pure ecstasy he felt as the venom entered his bloodstream. He stumbled a little, one hand gripping her waist to not lose his balance but then she was already holding him with the strength she had exhibited the other day and he knew she would only get stronger the more she drank from him. He let the feeling of her venom take over and while he vaguely had the remembrance of holding on to the spell as well as a reminder that she wasn't allowed to go too far, he let loose, beginning to enjoy the bliss of the moment rather than overthink it.

ADRIANNA:

She was grateful for how easily he complied with her pushing his head back especially when she was sure she'd been a little rough with him, her true desires taking over at that moment before she buried her fangs deep into Stefan's neck. The gasp he'd made was something which made her freeze for a brief second but then the way he felt under her fingers made her aware the venom had now entered his bloodstream and the ecstasy was masking his pain and she felt herself begin to relax. As he stumbled, Ade's grip on him tightened for a moment to make sure he didn't slip though she took that moment to move them both and push back until she felt him collide with the wall behind him. With her grip on him steady and practically pinning him between herself and the wall, Ade finally let herself be lost in the moment. Her attention shifted to feeding, pushing his head back against the wall as she drank from him, already feeling better even from just the small amount so far. The brunette quietly hummed against his neck as she drank more, letting herself enjoy this more than she knew she should considering she was drinking from Stefan but everything about him right now was pulling her in more than it already did especially with the way he tasted, the smell of him, the way his body felt under hers, all of it was just so inviting.

STEFAN:

He was elated when she stopped being stiff, relaxing against him, it could only mean that she was getting the hang of it and she was letting herself indulge rather than worry which in turn made it that much more fun for him. He could feel her grip tighten on him and before he realized what she was doing, she had pushed him back against the wall. He wasn't certain if she did it with her vampire speed or that his mind was so buzzed now that he simply didn't see it coming but he didn't care either way. As she drank from him, she also pushed herself against him which he welcomed as much as he did her fangs, his arm wrapped around her to pull her closer if possible, his free hand found her hair, twirling her ponytail in his fingers to get a grip and pushing her closer into himself. He was well aware that she was strong enough to resist him, his actions may not even move her by an inch, but he simply needed to be as close to her as possible when her feeding continued to send more of her venom into his blood. He knew it won't be long before he'd have to push her away from him if she didn't let go herself, but right now was far too perfect a moment to do anything but just let his body feel the pleasure rather than be wary of what was to come next.

ADRIANNA:

With every mouthful of his blood, Ade felt herself become more and more lost in the feeling of feeding on him, especially as he pulled her closer which she was more than happy to respond to. She went willingly as his arm wrapped around her and he pushed her against his neck, humming against his skin in content. Her body was practically flush against his, feeling the warmth radiating off him and she was sure there wasn't a single part of her that wasn't pressed against him. Ade knew she should be thinking about pulling away from him, she'd had enough to get her through the rest of their shift but she couldn't bring herself to move. Instead, the hand which had been pressed against his chest the moment she pushed him against the wall, trailed down towards his side and moved to grip at his side, nails digging into his skin as she held him tighter. At this point during previous feeds, she'd already pulled away and compelled the person to forget all about her but with Stefan, she found herself drinking heavier, her usual control slipping piece by piece. Ade was enjoying this far too much, there wasn't a single part of this moment that made her want to pull away. His body felt incredible against hers, something she'd had other thoughts about in the past, especially with his fingers entangled in her hair. Her other hand on him kept his head against the wall, fingernails beginning to dig into the back of his neck as she tried to pull herself closer, if it was at all possible whilst she continued to drink from him.

STEFAN:

The way she was gripping at him, with her nails digging into his skin, with her fangs sunk into his neck was making all of this all the more better for him. Vaguely Stefan tried to concentrate more on the way she felt against his body, because it was something he had wanted for a long time but this was probably the only time he could be this close with her physically. It made his mind swirl with far too many thoughts of what else they could be doing and it was with great difficulty that he stopped himself from letting his hands wander elsewhere onto her body. The was practically no space between them and she still pushed against him which led to a low moan escaping his lips. He was enjoying this far too much but with time passing he knew he had to stop her if she didn't herself. Except he really didn't want to. Not just because of how good it felt, but because it after he had found out she had turned, and he suspected since the time she had turned, this was about the first time she was letting go instead of overthinking and overanalyzing her every action. Stefan wanted her to stay in the moment of pleasure for as long as he could let her. His grip in her hair softened and he began stroking her as he he took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to think straight. His other hand caressed her back as he let her feed till he felt like he couldn't put it off any longer. "Adrianna," he breathed out, "I think that's enough." He spoke softly, breathlessly, not really attempting to pull back but simply letting her know that it was time to stop.

ADRIANNA:

The moan that left Stefan's lips was something Ade picked up on loud and clear, which only made her want to take this further, wanting to hear more of those moans fall from his lips because of her. It was something she'd wanted for so long, to pull those noises from him though originally she hadn't thought it would have anything to do with current circumstances but yet she couldn't seem to care at that moment about how it had happened, just that it had. It wasn't physically possible for her to be any closer to him at this point, a mixture of pining him between herself and the wall as her hands gripped at him, holding him close to her just as he did the same. With Stefan's low moan, a quiet moan slipped from Ade's lips against him, vibrating along his neck as she slipped further and further away from her hold on her control. Ade barely noticed how his grip on her loosened, too lost in the moment. But then he said her name, using her full name which always sounded so different on his lips compared to anyone else. As much as she didn't want to pull back at this moment, he was telling her too and she couldn't ignore it despite how badly she wanted to carry on. Gradually her vice grip on him loosened, nails removing themselves and replaced with the pads of her fingertips but still, she pressed against him. It took a few seconds before she withdrew herself from his neck however she didn't pull away yet and her forehead came to rest on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" The brunette question, not yet looking up to him as her features softened, all whilst her body was still against him, his arm around her. The hand that had once been on his neck slipped down to his chest, feeling as it rose and fell with his every breath but soon it moved to the caduceus necklace around his neck, fingers toying with the object. She turned it over as she stayed against him, her head turning to look at the caduceus before a soft smile pulled at her lips when she saw the A on the back of it.

STEFAN:

In a million years, this wasn't how he had pictured Ade to be moaning into his neck. And yet he reveled in every little thing she did, her breath on his skin, the sounds she made, the touch of her hands, her lips and her body against his because it was all something he had wanted for a very long time even though the circumstances now were nothing close to what he had hoped. When he told her that it was enough she didn't immediately stop, but he could feel her slowing down, her fangs pulling back, her nails which were digging into his skin loosening. He waited for her to take her time with him, a part of him wishing she took even more time and just stayed close for longer. It was several seconds later that she seemed to get a hold of herself and rested her forehead on his shoulder, shivering ever so slightly as her hands rested on his bare chest. Once he was sure she had gained control, he simply let himself loose again, enjoying how the venom still made him feel, nuzzling into her neck, wanting more than anything to simply press a trail of kisses to her skin. While he should probably be letting go of her, he didn't even try to. "I'm better than okay." he murmured lazily, a soft sigh leaving his lips and it was several long moments later that he pulled back to look at her. His gaze went down to her hand which was toying with the pendant he wore around his neck before it went to her lips for a moment but he stopped himself from thinking further, he knew this wasn't what she wanted despite how he had felt for years. "Are you feeling better?" he asked softly, forcing his gaze to meet her eyes, she was the one who had been weak after all and he was glad to see her look visibly better than she had been before she had fed on him.

ADRIANNA:

Ade shivered slightly as Stefan nuzzled into her neck, sighing softly as he did so, wanting him to carry on doing it. She nodded against his shoulder a little when he responded to her question, sure he was only feeling that way because of the venom and she even thought that he was only acting this way with her now because of it but she tried to forget that part. She wanted to believe it was more, hoped it was but she knew he didn't feel that way about her anymore, she'd missed her chance all those years ago but just as she'd felt then, she felt the same now, that she wasn't good enough for him and he deserved better. She remained toying with his necklace, fingers gently brushing against his chest as she rolled it between her fingers mindlessly. "Hmmm?" She murmured, gaze flickering up to meet Stefan's and she stopped messing around with the caduceus, letting it and her hand rest on his chest. "Yeah, loads." She smiled weakly, knowing she needed to pull away from him despite how badly she didn't want to. "Thank you." It took a few more seconds before Ade slowly and painfully withdrew herself from Stefan's embrace, already missing the way it'd felt being pressed against him as she went over to grab his shirt. She tried not to stare at him as he stood shirtless in front of her after she'd turned back around though her gaze did linger on his neck for a moment, much as it had before however this time admiring the mark she'd left on him before her gaze dropped lower to his chest, biting her lip for a moment. "Erm, here." She murmured, eyes lifting to meet his.

STEFAN:

His gaze went back down when her palm rested on his chest, and he swallowed, all he could think was how he wanted so much more than just simple touches with her. He always had wanted more than that and it hurt every time he had to remind himself that she didn't feel the same way about him. He smiled back when she thanked him, glad to learn that she was feeling better. "You don't have to thank me." he said softly and just as the words left his lips, she moved away from him and he hated that the moment was over. It was likely that she wouldn't let this happen again even though he wished she would. He would take any excuse to be close to her and this was something he hadn't ever expected to happen but he already wanted more of it. He felt like he was imagining it when he noticed that her gaze seemed to linger on his torso and then his neck, and his fingers went up for a moment to touch where she had bitten him. Usually, with any other vampire, this would be the time he would heal himself with a simple incantation but knowing she wouldn't ever touch him again this way made him decide to let the mark stay. His shirt would cover it and he would simply let it heal naturally. "You can leave if you want," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, as he took the shirt from her and began to put it on. His eyes fell on her lips as he began to do up the buttons, so many thoughts he's had before about her swarming his mind before he had to force himself to to look elsewhere, and to stop letting his mind go haywire. "I'll follow out a little later."

ADRIANNA:

ADRIANNA:

It was the day before Nora’s wedding and with taking the day off work, Ade was helping her best friend and others set the barn up ready for tomorrow. Since arriving late due to morning sickness hitting her in the morning on the rare occasion, the brunette had been distant despite the smile she had plastered across her lips. Upon arriving, she’d made herself busy helping hang up decorations, mostly keeping to herself. She knew today should be happy, setting up for Nora’s wedding but she’d just hit week nine of her pregnancy and with this being one of the weeks her mother had ended up having a miscarriage, Ade couldn’t help but worry. She knew the chances of her losing her child the same week her mother once had were a million in one but her brain still couldn’t stop thinking about it. She’d been in the middle of knocking a nail into the barn for the lights when she accidentally knocked the stool her supplies were on to the floor, a loud clatter echoing around the barn and Ade hastily stepped back. “Fuck.” She muttered under her breath, glancing around the barn and offering a meek smile to those around her. “It’s fine.” She tried to reassure them, bending down as she stood the stool back up, beginning to pick the nails up in a hurry, dumping it all into the box before she walked outside. She head around to the side of the barn, out of the view of everyone as she composed herself with shaking hands. It was stupid that this had set her off in tears, the stool and her pregnancy weren’t even related but still she leaned back against the barn, eyes closed as she steadied her breathing.

NORA:

Nora still couldn't quite believe she was getting married, something she hadn't realised she wanted until she'd gotten with Theo. She was on cloud nine, the smile never leaving her lips as she busied herself with preparations --- as much as anyone would let her being seven months pregnant. The sound of the nails clattering to the floor startled her, and her eyebrows furrowed together as she watched Ade scarper off. She knew her best friend had been acting odd lately, and while she had her suspicions, she was still concerned. She followed quickly, waving her fiancé off as she made her way towards Ade. "Hey," she called out softly, trying not to spook the other. "What's going on? You can talk to me,"

ADRIANNA:

Ade balled her hands up into fists as she tried to calm herself, it was so stupid for this to have made her crack like this and she mentally kicked herself for causing a scene. At the sound of Nora's voice, Ade's eyes opened and she quickly looked across to the other. "Hey, nothing... It's fine.." She lied, wiping the tears which threaten to fall away and trying to put a fake smile on her lips. "It's fine." She repeated, more for herself than Nora right now as she glanced at the floor. There was a few seconds of silence as Ade swallowed thickly and looked back up to Nora. "I'm sorry, come on, let's go back inside." Despite her words, Ade wasn't ready to go back into a room full of people right now but she was trying to put on a brave face regardless to not stress her best friend.

NORA:

"After all these years you really think I don't know that's bullshit?" Nora arched one eyebrow at her best friend, shaking her head. She moved closer towards Ade, reaching out to take the other's hands in her own. "Don't apologise," Nora told her softly. "Look, Ade, I know something is going on with you, and I think I know what it is." She admitted slowly.

ADRIANNA:

At Nora calling her out, Ade bit at her lower lip, eyes dropping to the floor. It was only as her friend took her hand that she found Nora's gaze once again and she held back more tears which threatened to fall. Ade simply nodded at the Nora's words, she knew the other knew, she hadn't needed to tell her but with the obvious telltale signs and the fact they spent 24 hours a day with each other whilst at work, Ade would've been surprised if Nora didn't already know. "I know-" A shaky sign left her lips, her hand squeezing at Nora's as she pressed her lips together. "I'm really scared."

NORA:

"I know your scared, trust me, I get it," Nora told her, glancing down at her own stomach. " I get this more than anyone," she squeezed her hands back in comfort. "I'm here for you, okay, no matter what you need. You're my family, Ade, okay?"

ADRIANNA:

All Ade could do was nod at Nora's words, her hand holding onto the other's tightly as she did so. "Okay." She finally said after a few moments of silence, words shaky and quiet. "You're my family too, even before Cam and Theo." Ade told her, letting out a slow breath to try and steady herself. "I'm 10 weeks-" The brunette said out loud, her hand squeezing Nora's even tighter and she had to move her gaze from the other's as she looked up to try and compose herself and say what she needed to say. "My mom miscarried at 10 weeks during her second pregnancy... The one before me.... And I know I'm being stupid, I know the chance of it being the same are stupid but it's all I can think about." With finishing her words, able to get them out through brief pauses and her voice cracking, a few tears had began to fall and the hand which had been on her stomach moved to wipe them from her cheeks.

NORA:

"You'll always be my family, just technically tomorrow it'll be official," Nora smiled softly, before her expression fell more serious as the other began to speak again.  "Oh Ade," She gasped softly, shaking her head. "It's not stupid, I get it's scary, and I can't even imagine what knowing that does to your head. "But I am here for you, whatever happens okay?"

ADRIANNA:

All Ade could do was nod at Nora's words, hand grasping her friend's tightly as she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from crying. She'd wanted to tell Nora for so long that she was pregnant and she knew her fears were stupid for holding her back on sharing this news with one of the woman she was closest too. There was so many people she wanted to tell, to share the news that her and Cam were going to finally have the family they'd talked about back when they were together the first time. It was a few seconds after Nora finished speaking that Ade moved forward, letting go of Nora's hand as she wrapped her arms around the other. "I'm sorry... I just.... Part of me feels if I talk about it, it's like I'm jinxing the whole thing by being too happy." She was well aware how crazy she sounded right now but she couldn't help it.

NORA:

Nora desperately wished she knew how to comfort her best friend,  she didn't entirely know what the other was going through. However, as the girl wrapped her arms around her, Nora returned the hug, holding her as close as she could. "You don't have to apologise to me, okay?" Nora spoke softly. "You're not going to jinx it, but this is something you can tell people at your own pace, okay? Your fears are perfectly valid, Ade, don't think that they're not."

ADRIANNA:

Ade clung to Nora for a moment, holding her close. She just wanted to get the next few weeks over with and least then she'd be able to calm down knowing she was out of the worry zone. As Nora spoke, Ade pulled back a little, her hands moving to gently hold Nora's arms as she kept the other woman close. "Okay." She nodded a little, letting out a shaky breath as she calm down a little. "A few more weeks and we have the first scan-" Ade confessed with a tiny smile. "Then I'll feel less anxious."

NORA:

Nora held her friendly tightly, remaining quiet. It wasn't until Ade pulled away that Nora smiled reassuringly at her friend. "You will?" Nora's eyes watered slightly, "Sorry, babies make me very emotional right now," She pulled a face, "Honestly, seeing the first scan is one of the best feelings. Settled my nerves a lot."

ADRIANNA:

She simply nodded at Nora's question, a small smile pulling at her lips at the thought that in a few weeks her and Cam would see their baby. "It's okay." She said quietly, understanding how her friend was at the moment, a lot made Nora emotional right now and Ade even chuckled a little bit. "Yeah, I think it'll help and probably hit me like a ton of bricks how me and Cam are having a baby." Somewhat Ade still couldn't believe it, getting pregnant on her wedding night, what were the chances? "We... We should get back inside." Ade glanced behind Nora towards the front of the barn, wondering if people had noticed how long they'd been missing for.

NORA:

"I hope you're less emotional that I am, or we're just going to be crying all the time," Nora teased gently, wiping at her eyes. "I can't believe you and Cam are having a baby, and our babies are going to be cousins," she mumbled, staring down at her stomach. "Oh my god, our babies will be cousins, we've married brothers!" The woman gushed excitedly, before nodding. "Very good point, my husband to be might send out a search party if we're gone too long," Nora linked her arm with Ade's. "But I've got you okay, anything you need, we're here."

ADRIANNA:

CAMERON:

The second the photo had popped up on his phone, Cam had felt his heart sink. He wasn't surprised, of course, but the fact they were engaged so soon, made him think the time he had caught them definitely hadn't been the first time like Charlie had tried to argue that night. He needed a distraction, slamming back tequila shot after tequila shot until his mind was hazy and he was no longer focusing on his phone. He was making his way back to Atty and Lance from the bathroom when he tripped, his arms going out to whoever was in front of him to steady himself before he landed flat on his face. As he steadied himself, Cam blinked several times, only to realise he was far too close to the face of Roman Martínez. "Oh, hello," Cam mumbled, words slurring together as his cheeks flushed bright red. Being this close to the other, Cam had only just realised how attractive the other actually was, causing his cheeks to colour even further.

ROMAN:

It was like most nights for Roman, grabbing a casual drink with one of his friends and tonight it happened to be Kyra tonight whilst the other member of the trio, Stefan was working his twenty-four-hour shift. They'd not been drinking long when Roman excused his self to go for a smoke, leaving Kyra at their table and headed for the main door. However, it was on the way there he bumped into Cameron, though it was more like Cam fell into him and Roman caught him cautiously with a chuckle. "Al'right." He grinned as he looked across to the other, licking his bottom lip before his teeth scraped across it before his lips curled up into a smirk. His hands remained on Cam's forearms, still holding the other with a cocked eyebrow. "You doin' alright there, Cammy? You're looking a little bit flustered." He teased, spotting the blush spread across the other's cheeks.

CAMERON:

Cam's gaze fell on Roman's lips, watching his tongue flit across his lip, teeth scraping and that smirk. He swallowed thickly, unable to tear his gaze away, not even noticing the other's hands remained on his forearms. As he spoke again, Cam finally tore his gaze away, feeling the heat radiating off of his face as the other called him out for being flustered. "I never noticed how hot you were before," He blurted out, eyes widening slightly as his hand slapped over his mouth as he registered his own words. He cleared his throat, slowly removing his hand as he took a step back, grinning sheepishly at the other. "I uh, mean, uh, I-" Cam stammered, hands flapping wildly as he tried to come up with an excuse. "I should - uh, I should probably go," He mumbled, looking over his shoulder to try and find Lance and Atty.

ROMAN:

Cam's blurted out words only made Roman's smirk grow if it was at all possible, chuckling a little at how the other soon reacted to his own words. "Thanks." Roman beamed at the other and as Cam removed his hand from Roman's arms, he simply crossed them over his chest. He watched in amusement at the way Cameron was acting, another chuckle slipping from between his lips. "You running off on me so soon? That's a shame." He pouted, brows coming together as well to pull off the whole fake upset look. "After I just saved you from faceplanting the floor too, something like that deserves a thank you at least." With those words, Roman looked Cam up and down before stepping closer to him, closing the distance he'd put between them seconds ago. "Aren't you going to say thank you, Cammy?" Roman murmured, only loud enough for the other to hear with how close they were again all whilst he looked rather smug.

CAMERON:

"What? No - I'm not, running - I-" Cam stuttered, shaking his head before staring at the other, clearly baffled. "You want to talk to me?" As the other mentioned a thank you, Cam's brows knitted together, trying to go over the conversation. Had he really not said thank you? When the other spoke again, Cam snapped back to reality, startling as he realised how close the other was, his gaze falling towards the smug smile on the other's lips. "I- uh- thank you," He mumbled, swallowing thickly. "That's - uh- that's what you meant, right?" Cam's gaze didn't flicker away, not realising he'd stepped even closer to the other, his lips inches away from the others. "Not, uh- anything else?"

ROMAN:

"Do you not want to talk to me?" Roman flipped the question around instantly, brows coming together as he frowned a little before his expression had shifted into a fake pout. "Well..." He trailed off at Cameron's question, gaze falling to Cam's lips and Roman licked his bottom lip once again, teeth scraping over it before his trademark smirk pulled across his lips. "Hmmm, I can think of plenty of other ways you could say thank you." The distance closed between them completely as Roman finished his sentence. "One of those ways involving you on your knees." Roman's arms uncrossed as he tested his luck with Cam, leaning in closer to the other, his lips practically brushing against Cam's as he spoke. "Or just simply you naked."

CAMERON:

"I mean, we uh, don't usually talk," Cam pointed out, swallowing as the other pouted. "Oh I didn't mean to offend you or anything, I just, we never really, I mean," He tried to explain before the words faltered and died from his lips. Cam's gaze watched as Roman's tongue once again licked his lips, all thoughts just coming to a halt. At the other's further words, Cam frowned. "Why would I be- OH," The meaning behind the other's words clicked, and Cam felt his cheeks flare again. His breathe caught in his throat as the other stepped forward once more, practically nothing between them. A tiny part of him in the back of his mind knew this was a terrible idea, and that he should step back and walk away but he was drunk, and desperate for a distraction and honestly? Cam was tired of thinking. "We could do that," He murmured, swallowing.

ROMAN:

Roman was enjoying winding Cameron up, unable to keep the smirk off his lips as the other went out of his way to explain things. He was about to make another comment but it seemed like Cam finally got what Roman was hinting at which only made Roman happier as he teased the other, watching his cheeks flush. Roman's arms that once swung at his sides after uncrossing them, moved up and Roman rested his forearms on the other's shoulders which took away any space that remained between them. As well as trapping Cam, not letting him escape as he agreed to Roman's proposal about them being naked. "Good." That was the last thing Roman said before he kissed Cam rather roughly as he grinned widely.

CAMERON:

Cam tore his gaze away from the other's lips for a split second, watching as the other rested his arms on his shoulders, the distance between them entirely gone. Cam barely had time to react to the other speaking before Roman's lips were on his. The roughness surprised Cam, it was far from what he was used to, but honestly? Cam found himself enjoying the difference, his lips moving against Roman's hungrily before he pulled back, breathing hard. "We should - get out of here," He mumbled, lips pressing to Roman's jaw, "If I'm getting naked."

ROMAN:

Roman was definitely surprised with Cam kissed him back or rather that Cam was kissing him back at all, fully having expected the other to pull away. But Roman took it, arms moving from Cam's shoulders and down to his waist to pull him closer. "Mmm." He grinned at the other's words when their lips broke. A few seconds later Roman pulled his head back with a hand coming up to take ahold of Cam's chin between his thumb and index finger. "You are definitely getting naked, but on your knees first." He chuckled with a wide grin, letting go of Cam's chin. "I'm just down the road, we'll go to mine."

CAMERON:

Cam hadn't realised his arms had slithered around the back of the other's neck as he kissed him back, only taking it in when they parted. He swallowed thickly as took hold of his chin, tilting his head back slightly. "I-uh, -yes," Cam he stammered out, cheeks still burning. "Right, yours, yep, definitely." Cam almost couldn't believe he was doing this, but before he could lose his nerve, his arms slipped from Roman's neck, one hand grabbing the other's before he tugged the other out of the bar; completely forgetting to tell Atticus or Lance he was leaving.

ROMAN:

ADRIANNA:

She knew her main intentions for seeking Stefan out at this time of night wasn't right, especially when they were suppose to be on shift tomorrow morning but she'd exhausted all options and she was desperate at this point, having nowhere else to turn. The past few weeks she'd been trying to find a witch to help her, outside of Lakebrook so not to draw attention to herself but no one was willing to help a vampire, especially a complete stranger too. It had been a few weeks since she'd turned and everyday Ade replayed it over and over in her head, feeling like an idiot how she'd been caught off guard to be fed on in the first place which ended up with certain events unfolding and her neck getting snapped all whilst having vampire blood in her system. The walk from her apartment to Stefan’s was longer than she remembered or maybe it was just her walking slow, her mind conflicted between carrying on to see him or turning back and going home. As she walked, she kept her head down, barely making eye contact with anyone as she tried to focus on her feet rather than the world going on around her. Even though she’d drunk a few hours ago, her throat felt dry and the urge to feed was growing with every step. “Hey Stef…” Her gaze dropping from the male in front of her once the door had opened as she shoved her hand back into her pocket and stared at the floor, barely able to look at him for more than a few seconds since her intentions for coming here weren't all that great. A part of her wanting to run but her feet remained planted on the floor at his doorstep.

STEFAN:

When the doorbell rung and he found Ade at his door, Stefan was a little surprised to see her. Them going to each other's place was not uncommon, it had been something they did since they were litle kids, but he knew something was going on with her recently. He didn't know what exactly but with her constant excuses to get off work and being late for several shifts now, Stefan was worried about her to say the least. But then the more he asked her what was going on, the more she avoided him and so he had stopped asking questions. So, her showing up at his place was the last thing he had expected. "Ade?" he said softly before he stepped back so she could come inside. She looked somewhat hesitant and nervous, which in turn was making him worry about why she was behaving this way. "What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

ADRIANNA:

At the sound of her name leaving his lips, the brunette looked back up just in time for him to step back a little, inviting her in like her always did whenever she turned up at his door but this time rather than step in as she would've, she sighed, looking up to meet his gaze as she did. She mentally cursed herself, feeling like an idiot for completely forgetting that he'd have to invite her in, she'd been so focused on just getting to his door that she'd forgotten that key part. For a moment she thought about walking away, telling him she realised she didn't need him and just going back home which would only make things even more awkward between them both. Opening her mouth to speak, her throat felt dry and she closed her eyes briefly for a second, another heavy sigh leaving her lips before she looked back across to him. "Not really..." Ade admitted, hands balling up in her pockets before she spoke again. "I... I need you to invite me in." The words coming out quiet, strained before she chewed at her bottom lip, shifting a little in her spot on his doorstep.

STEFAN:

When she didn't come inside, his brows furrowed and he looked at her in confusion, not entirely sure why she didn't want to come in. A part of him had started to wonder if perhaps he had done something to make her upset in the recent days but he had had racked his brain in the past few days and he couldn't think of anything he could have done to make her feel such a way. It wasn't long before she finally spoke though and his doubts turned into worry as soon as she said she wasn't okay, only intensifying when she mentioned that he had to invite her in and it clicked what had happened. He looked at her with a whole different light when he finally understood what was going on, her excuses to stay off work and her showing up only after it was dark making a lot more sense now. His gaze went to her hands which was still in her pockets and he couldn't see if she had a daylight ring but he guessed she didn't yet. "Yeah, of course, come inside, Adrianna." he told her quietly, shutting the door after she had stepped inside. "How did it happen?" he asked her, stepping close to the other and taking her hand. "How long ago?" he added having so many questions to ask her but stopping at these so as not to overwhelm her for now.

ADRIANNA:

Ade could tell he knew, just from her telling him she needed to be invited in, she knew he'd add it all up and figure it out. Finally she let out a breath she didn't realised she'd been holding when he invited her inside, the breath coming out shaky as she stepped over the threshold into his place. It had been weeks since she'd come by, eyes glancing around the hallway as she passed him, hands finally coming from her pockets and she shook them lightly as if she was shaking away her nerves. It didn't help much, she knew her hands were trembling as Stefan took one of them, turning to face him but her gaze didn't meet his. "A few weeks ago." Her eyes focused on his hand holding hers, thumb stroking over the top of his, trying to calm herself. "I was out running and someone attacked me." Still, she didn't look at him, she'd replayed that night over and over again, feeling more and more like an idiot for what had happened. "They healed me and tried to compel me-" Slowly she let out another shaky breath, lips pressing together for a moment. "I was pissed off and I hit them, it all happened-" Ade went quiet again, this time her eyes finding Stefan's. "I woke up down some alley."

STEFAN:

Stefan could only imagine how she was feeling now, and the thought that she had probably had herself locked up at home in the daytime in the few weeks she had turned made him feel terrible for her. He wished he had known so he could have helped her sooner with what she needed. He had considered the idea of turning into a vampire often, the idea of immortality had always been attractive to him but not this way. Stefan found himself growing furious as she told him how it had happened but he put on a calm façade, not wanting to upset her. "Come here." he said softly before he pulled the other in a hug, holding on to her for a long moment before he pulled back slowly. "Have you not been going out during the day?" he asked her. "And how have you been getting blood? If you need help with anything, you can tell me."

ADRIANNA:

There were more details to her story, how things had unfolded until everything went black and then exactly where she'd woke up, just vaguely saying down some alley was the nicer way of putting it. They were all details Ade remembered well, replayed them over in her head most days when she'd been sat alone waiting for dark to come or when she woke up in the middle of the night sometimes, with her appetite craving something that wasn't from her fridge.  With Stefan pulling her into a hug, the brunette moved to hold him tightly, sighing softly, feeling like a weight had been lifting just by telling Stefan the truth. At his question, Ade swallowed thickly, hands slipping from where they were rested on his shoulders as they'd pulled back from one another. "I haven't been able to get a daylight ring." She confessed quickly, pulling back from him completely, hands shoving back into her pockets once again. "I... That's why I came here." She hated having to ask him this as well as hoping he wasn't thinking she was just using him. "I tried asking out of town for someone to help but... No one was willing to help." Her words quiet, barely meeting his gaze as she spoke. "I've been feeding out of town, I wasn't going to risk it here."

STEFAN:

The more he thought about the angrier he became. Some vampire had managed to kill her and turn her and Stefan wanted nothing more than to get hold of them and make them pay but he knew right now was not the time to tell her what he was thinking. "You didn't have to go looking for help elsewhere, Adrianna, I can do this for you." he said softly. Perhaps, despite being close to her, he hadn't given her the impression that she could come to him with whatever she needed. "I'm sorry, I know this must be hard for you but I can help you figure this out." he promised. "Are you ready to talk to anyone about it? Winnie? or maybe Hugo?" he asked her hesitantly. While he had no intention of pushing her and could only imagine what she was going through, he knew things would get easier if she began to accept all the help that can be given to her.

ADRIANNA:

She was silent for a moment before she shook her head. "I didn't want to have to, I didn't want to burden you with this." She admitted quietly, sighing as she removed a hand from her pocket and ran it through her hair, pushing it away from her face. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell you like this, by asking for something in the process." She sighed again, gaze dropping to the floor. "I just didn't want it to be like this." Ade chewed on her bottom lip before she shook her head, gaze looking up and instantly locking with Stefan. "No. Not yet." She hadn't told anyone else, avoiding everyone as much as she could since that night and whilst she knew people were catching on, she kept telling them everything was okay despite the fact it wasn't at all. "I'm still trying to process this myself which I know is stupid, it's been weeks now." Adrianna let out a slow shaky breath. "I mean I'm dead, it shouldn't be that hard to process, right?" She half chuckled, shaking her head, feeling she had to laugh otherwise she'd cry.

STEFAN:

"I want you to understand that you are never ever going to burden me, Adrianna. With anything." Of course she thought about not wanting to be a burden to him, it wouldn't be like her if she didn't put other people first even in such gruesome circumstances. "You don't have to wait for the right moment to talk to me. And this -- you were struggling, Ade. I want to help. I want you to coming to me if there's anything you ever need." he pleaded with the other. "Promise me." he added softly. He nodded as the other said she wasn't ready to talk to anyone yet, he had expected nothing else. He was glad she came to him now, even though she had taken some time to. "It's not. It's not stupid. You should take your time to process this. This is a lot, a huge change." Stefan said, not a smile on his face when she laughed it off about her being undead. He knew her well enough to know how much pain she was trying to hide. "I am going to kill whoever hurt you." he said darkly, not just empty words said in the anger he was trying to hide from her, but a promise he knew he was going to keep someday.

ADRIANNA:

Ade knew she should've reached out to him sooner but she knew what Stefan was like and he'd have wanted to help her with everything, which she would've been grateful for but she knew it would've been a lot, even if he could handle it. From the moment she'd woken up, climbing out from behind bins and rubbish bags where her killer had thrown her body as if she was nothing, her first thought had been to go straight to Stefan. After she'd ended up just sitting alone in the alley for a while, Ade had begun to make her way to Stefan's, getting halfway before the newly turned vampire had stopped dead in her tracks. At that moment she'd thought she was being selfish, burdening him with her problem when he was already dealing with a lot because of his sister. Ade had instead headed straight out of town, completing her transition and then locked herself in her home for the next few days during the daytime, only leaving to get out of town to feed. "Next time, I promise." She nodded, knowing he wouldn't accept any other answer from her, she knew him well enough to not argue. All she could do was nod and chew at her lip when he disagreed with her because she was torn. She wanted to be past this, to move on from what had happened and just get on with her new life but it changed everything for her, absolutely everything, especially when her dad was alpha. "Stefan, it's fine." The words were followed with a shake of her head despite the fact it wasn't fine. "Just leave it." She knew he was serious and she knew right now she could tell him who had done it as well, she remembered their face as clear as day.

STEFAN:

"I really mean it, Ade." he insisted, unsure if she meant what she said or was simply saying it so he won't push it. It was harder to hide how angry he was about what had happened to her even without knowing all the details which he would one day ask her but he didn't know if he could handle it if he asked today, or even if she was ready to talk about it. "It's not Adrianna, its far from fine." he said but nodded a little when she told him to leave it. He wouldn't be leaving it for good but he would leave it for now, just so he didn't overwhelm her with his feelings about what had happened to her, when she already had so much going on. "The daylight amulet is a pretty straight forward process." he told her. He had forged many of these for several vampires over the years. "Do you have any piece of jewellery you would prefer to use, I can place the lapis lazuli onto it, or I can show you something which can work. Most people prefer a ring but it also maybe a little obvious, especially if you are still not ready to tell people about this. So you can use a necklace which you can tuck into your shirt? It's really up to you."

ADRIANNA:

"I will." She told him with a slight nod, meaning what she said because next time she would go to him if she needed help just like she'd wanted to do in the first place when waking up that night. Ade was glad when he nodded, even just a little even if she knew he wouldn't drop it and their conversation moved to why she was here, getting the daylight ring she needed so she could try to get back to normality. "A ring will work fine." She'd thought this through a lot over the past few days, a ring was the easiest to deal with and she often wore one that had a stone that looked similar to a lapis lazuli. "Thank you for doing this." Ade offered him a soft smile, still hating she was having to ask in the first place but grateful he was such a good friend and was willing to help her.

STEFAN: