#cnmhasks

Vere had brought something nice. You had brought something cheap. After two hours, they both tasted the same. You don't know how drunk you had been when you decided Vere wasn't annoyed enough, but once the thought occurred, you acted quickly. You grabbed a handful of peanuts and began haphazardly tossing them at all 3 of him. 

Vere looked over, unimpressed.

“Remind me, what the fuck are you doing? And why haven't I killed you for it?”

“Rude.” you scoffed. 

“You are literally throwing shit at me, stop that.”

You looked down at the peanut in your hand, and back up at Vere. There was no question about what you had to do next.

As soon as the peanut left your hand, Vere stood up, stumbling a bit as he locked his blurred vision on you and began to prowl over, still wobbly from the alcohol. 

You stood up, trying to use part of the chair as cover.

“Now Vere,” you put your hands up in a mollifying gesture. “Let's not be rash, it was a joke”

You watched as Vere eyed you like a cat eyed a mouse that had just unknowingly entered the territory of its predator. His tail swished slightly underneath him as his irises dilated. 

You only had one option. Booking it.

You ran out the door as fast as you could while heavily intoxicated, which is to say, not very fast. 

You had gotten a decent head start, or so you had thought. Unfortunately Vere was a cheater, and your shadow began to shift and undulate under the amber glow of the streetlights. 

It was just like the first day you met, Vere using shadows to pull you in. But unlike the first time, you felt no fear. Now those shadows were a familiar grasp, almost comforting in a way. Without thinking you leaned into the shadows, expecting their envelope. 

A clawed hand reached out from the darkness, pulling you in.

“I ought to dump you in the canal for trying to escape.” Vere chucked, his red hair ticking your nose as he leaned in closer. 

His grip wasn't harsh, if you actually wanted to escape you probably could. What you really wanted though, was not to lose.

If you had any common sense left, you probably would have just slipped out from under him. Instead, you reared your head back and took a bite out of Vere's arm. 

You weren't trying to hurt him, just shock him, but the laugh Vere let out when your distinctly blunt human teeth met his flesh was more than a little insulting. 

He leaned in even closer, his fangs brushing the shell of your ear as he began to speak.

“Oh, we're giving out love bites now are we? Isn't that fascinating. My turn.”

One second you were standing under the lamplight, and the next you had found yourself trapped between a cobblestone wall and a very drunk fox.

You didn't have a chance to say a word as vere leaned into the nape of your neck and gave it a firm bite. Not enough to draw blood, but enough that it would probably leave a mark. 

Without meaning too, you melted into the contact, leaning your head back and exposing your neck fully while your hand rested on the back of vere's neck. 

“Looks like I caught you.” vere singsonged, snapping you out of your stupor.

“Well-” you began, trying to compose yourself as quickly as possible “using your powers like that feels a little like cheating, let's ask the judges shall we?”

Vere chuckled, still dangerously close to your neck.

“Forget that, your bite was so soft it didn't leave a mark. I didn't need to cheat if that's the best you can do.” he scoffed.

“Oh, you really want to see my best?” you smirked wide, showing off your teeth.

To your surprise, Vere's face began to turn red. Something shone in his eyes, anticipation. He didn't move away nor bite back with some smart comment, just kept his eyes on you, so intensely it could have burnt a hole in your skull.

If you were less drunk, you might have seen the opportunity. Unfortunately, you were still seeing double as you reached into your back pocket and threw the last handful of peanuts right in Vere's face. 

The way he scrunched his nose in shock made you let out another wild bark of laughter. 

You tried to slip out of his grasp, but vere was quick to grab your waist and hoist you up above his shoulders. 

“Alright, we're going home," he declared as he began to carry you back to the wick with shocking stability. A party of you wondered if maybe he wasn't as drunk as he seemed.

“The second you're sober, you will be regretting this.” he said.

You twisted yourself in his arms and looked up at the stars in the sky while your bandaged fingers gently brushed the bite mark vere had left behind. 

Vere stared at you through half lidded eyes, the alcohol clouding his judgement more than he would like to admit.

Vere never considered himself unnecessarily dramatic. Theatrical and sarcastic? Absolutely. But despite the flippant front he put up, he knew when it was best to let things go. As much as he loved solving all his problems with violence, he knew that wasn't always the response people would enjoy. And by people, he meant you. Everyone else could fuck off and choke for all he cared.

But the last thing he wanted was to cage you. To make you feel like you couldn't talk to other men or always had to tell him where you were. No, he understood very well how important freedom was. And he had always prided himself on being secure in his relationship with you. Clingy yes, but you never gave him any reason to be insecure.

But tonight, he was pretty sure he was going to have to kill a man. Specifically the man at the bar who would not stop fucking talking to you.

You were humoring him, barely. Showing vague interest in whatever bullshit he was yapping your ear off about, just being polite really. This guy simply couldn't take the hint though. And worse, he was inching closer with each of your acknowledging nods. 

The whiskey glass began to splinter and crack where his claws grazed the cup. Each second he watched caused his chest to tie itself in more knots. 

Please leave. He thought to himself. Please leave and get eaten by a soulless. 

He continued to glare daggers at the man you were speaking with. How long had the two of you been talking? Had you told him anything about yourself? What did he know? Did he-

His train of thought was cut off by you grabbing his attention from the corner of his eye.

It was nothing really, just a knowing glance in his direction, an acknowledgement that you were looking at him. That's all it took for Vere to notice you. 

You mimicked his glare and chuckled to yourself, then raised an eyebrow. A silent question just for him. 

You had wanted to know what had him so pissy, he'd bet money you'd phrase it just like that too. 

Vere flashed his fangs in a tight smile. The message was clear. “If you want to know, ask me.”

He knew it was just a little petty, but he wanted your attention.

You simply shook your head with a smile and began to walk over to him. He had to plant one of his heeled boots firmly on his tail to keep it from wagging.

You took one step, and the man from the bar wrapped his arm around your waist, stopping you from leaving his personal space.

The glass in his hand shattered into a thousand pieces. 

You had given the man a look of unadulterated disgust, and was contemplating hitting him or just slipping out of his grasp.

You didn't have time to choose an option before Vere got to him.

One second the man's hands were around your waist, and the next all you heard was a scream and the sound of gushing blood.

He held his face as he crumpled to the ground, blood spurting from the 4 deep claw marks that now graces the right side of his face. Vere stood over him, the tips of his fingers covered in blood. Despite that, he was perfectly clean.

Vere turned away from the man and towards you, a smile full of charm, as if he thought if he acted suave enough you wouldn't notice the screaming man holding what was left of his eye in his socket. His clean hand wrapped around your shoulder as he took the now occupied seat next to you. He threw his long legs over your lap, very clearly claiming you as his own. 

Everyone in the bar seemed to get the message loud and clear, and decided to politely ignore the man's screams. 

“So, what are we drinking tonight darling?” Vere cheerfully asked.

“Well I was going to try one of Leanders concoctions, but let's step outside instead.’’ you responded.

Vere’s smile faltered for just a second. Shit, were you mad? 

You reached for veres bloody hand and interlaced his fingers with yours, the blood oozing between your connected palms as you lightly tugged him away from the bar and back outside. 

You gave him a smile over your shoulder that could only be described as smitten, and Vere knew he wasn't in trouble. 

You both found your way to the alley you had spoken in on your first night in Erida. You hopped up to sit on a few wooden crates, and Vere moved to stand in between your legs, letting his head fall to rest on your shoulders.

You lightly tugged him in closer, your hands wrapping around his back as he nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck.

The two of you stayed like this for a few minutes, Vere melting into your touch till he was almost laying on top of you. 

“Feeling better?” you asked.

“I should have killed him.” Vere scoffed, more annoyed than actually upset at this point. 

“You did a very good job at restraining yourself.” you cooed, an edge of teasing in your voice.

“Oh fuck off.” Vere scoffed. “He was pissing you off two, I could tell.”

“You should've come over, we could have made him really uncomfortable and left. Something really creative, like we're both in a clown cult.” 

Vere said something in response, his voice muffled by your neck.

“What??”

“I didn't want you to think I was jealous,” he repeated.

“Ok, but you were jealous.”

Yeah, but you don't need to know that.” 

“Vere,” you started, as you grabbed his bloodied hand and moved it to your cheek, nuzzling slightly into his palm. The man's blood streaked against your skin. “Next time just tell me. We can kick his ass together.”

Vere felt the knots in his chest completely disappear at your words. Despite his looks, Vere hadn't always been lucky in finding partners who felt as deeply as he did. There was a time he had wanted more than casual with Ais, and the feelings definitely weren't reciprocal. 

But you? You always matched him, like two puzzle pieces meant to go together. When he wrapped his arm around your waist, you leaned in closer. When he held your hand, you laced your fingers with his. When he spoke, he always had you undivided attention. When Vere made a move to kiss your cheek, you turned to capture his lips, your hands moving to the back of his head to hold him there for as long as he would allow.

You cocked the rifle in your hands, so the sound wouldn't alert the soulless when you got closer. With that done, you began to follow the sound as quietly as possible, hopping from rooftop to rooftop until you saw the creature.

It was roaming through the backroads, only the occasional light of a personal lantern or dim candlelight from a window illuminating its silhouette as it continued to prowl. No doubt looking for some unlucky soul stuck out in this weather.

You aimed your gun, a clear line of sight through the scope. One shot straight through its skull ought to finish it off.

The brim of your hat kept the water from your eyes as your fingers moved towards the trigger. You braced the gun on your shoulder, fully prepared for the recoil-

The ear splitting screech of the monster cut through the sound of rain. But it wasn't your bullet that had finished the beast off.

Your eye twitched as crimson hair peaked out from behind the monster's now fallen corpse.Vere. Again.

“Damn fox.” you mutter to yourself. 

You watch from your scope as Vere’s smirk only widens, an indication he had heard your quip. Because of course he had. How could he not with those big ass ears? 

He stood in the alley, perfectly poised and examining his bloodied nails, as if you were the rude one for not coming down to meet him.

You let out a long suffering sigh, but it wasn't lost on either party how you immediately did as requested and climbed down to confront the fox.

“You know,” you began, “If you stop killing the soulless I'm about to shoot, we’d get double the body count.” 

“Yes but I can't have you winning now, can I?” Vere smiled. “Thats seven for me tonight, and yourself?”

“Five.” you responded, knowing damn well he already knew that. 

Vere's tail began to swish at your admittance.

“Oh dear, you better climb back up and get to work then. wouldn't want to be too close to a big bad scary soulless. I'll even be kind and let you get the next one.” 

You raised one eyebrow at vere’s obvious attempt to bait you. 

You raised your hands to the brims of your hat and stared at Vere. He tilted his head in confusion at your motion, rose colored eyes staring back in genuine curiosity on what you were doing.

“I'm making fun of your big ass ears.” you clarified. 

Vere picked up a rock off the ground and hurled it at you.

You laughed as you caught the stone, the toss not nearly hard enough to do any damage if it had hit you. Though you knew if Vere wanted he could have thrown it hard enough to blow out your skull, the same way your bullets could. 

“You need to get more creative with your jabs, you've overused that one dearie.” vere hissed

“If it still works, then why fix what's not broken?” you shrugged. “Besides-”

You reached for the pistol at your hip, your hand on the trigger and weapon drawn. Within half a second, you fired 2 of the 6 rounds, each one whizzing past Vere's face, inches away from his left cheek. 

Vere didn't even flinch as the bullets flew, and there was not a hint of shock on his face as the sound of a soulless corpse hitting the stones once again disturbed the falling rain. 

“See?” He smiled, “I told you I'd let you get the next one.” 

“As much as I'd love to stay and chat” you bit back, eye twitch returning, "I've actually got work to do.”

“Drinks and debrief at the Wick later? Loser pays.” Vere asked as you began to scale another building. 

You couldn't help but smile to yourself as he asked. You may always come, but only because he always calls. 

This is how you found yourself in your current situation: in the most well-known brothel in Eridia, surrounded by people who looked as beautiful as they did dangerous. It seems like their work at the brothel wasn't the only work these people did for Elyon. You felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. The woman to the left of you had some sort of electric-based magic coursing through her fingertips and gave you a dangerous smile when you glanced her way.

The entire room smelled strongly of incense, and the black marble tiles gleamed under the candlelight. The scent of blood would easily be covered up. And those sheer red curtains wouldn't even need to be cleaned. There were 8 people in the room with you, each one looked like they could kill you. The two exits were blocked, and there wasn't a window for you to jump out of.

Fuck. 

You reclined on the red velvet couch, you were sitting on, trying to act as casual as possible. Fighting them all was useless, but maybe if you surprised them, you could slip out one of the doors. Killing one of them as soon as they approach might cause some pause in the others you could utilize to escape, but it could backfire if they all charge instead. You could-

Your train of thought was interrupted as you felt an arm rest around your shoulders. You kept completely still, only moving your eyes to see who the fuck had snuck up on you. 

To your surprise, the face next to yours was a familiar one. Vere. You could practically feel yourself untense in relief. Not only because you had an ally here, but because your pride didn't feel as injured as it did a second ago. Having one of the other people in the room sneak up on you so completely would have been embarrassing. Oh, and they would have probably killed you. But you already knew how powerful Vere was. If he didn't want to be detected, there was no point in looking. 

“Well, well, well.” Vere smirked, “I didn't think you were the type to frequent these establishments. Color me surprised.” 

You flashed a sarcastic smile, and Vere returned it with one of his own. 

Honestly, Vere could make as many jabs as he wanted at you, because his presence had shifted the power dynamic in the room. You could see the confidence drain out of the other people in the room, all of them now weighing whether they could fight Vere and live. It seemed all of them came to the logical conclusion that they couldn't, as you watched them physically shrink back while fake smiles graced their faces. 

“What are you doing here?” you questioned.

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?” Vere responded. “Of all the people I’d expect to be stupid enough to get trapped in a place like this, you'd be last on my list.”

“Oh, can I take that to mean you think I'm smart?” You teased.

“Hardly. But the first time we met, you walked right past me, yet you get entraped by this little place? Ridiculous. They didnt even steal your key.”

Vere paused for a moment.

“…did one of these people steal your key?” 

You let out a defeated sigh and explained the situation to Vere. How you had been trying to corner Elyon for weeks and consistently failed. And that failure had made you desperate enough to walk right into his trap. As you recalled your tale, you could see Veres' eyes begin to narrow, the polite smile never leaving his face. You knew him well enough to know he was getting annoyed.

“Well, since we're here, and Elyon did offer this room to you, might as well utilize it.” Vere smiled.

You, on the other hand, made a sour face. 

“I do not have any interest in partaking in any of these services,” you snipped.

You had just told Vere how you had lost an important lead, and that's where his mind went? The cavalierness of it all annoyed you. 

“Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, I meant drinking all of Elyon’s expensive wine.” Vere laughed. 

Alright, maybe you didnt mind the idea.

One of the people working here had already grabbed two glasses and a nice bottle, a smile plastered on her beautiful face. Technically, none of them had attacked you, she was probably trying to play this off as a misunderstanding now that you had Vere sitting next to you.

The woman began to sit down right next to you, so close that her silken dress lightly grazed your knee. Before she could fully sit, the hand Vere had around your shoulders shot out, grabbing her arm harshly. You knew the grip all too well from when you first met Vere, light, but with enough force to know that if he wanted, he could shatter her bones.

The polite smile faltered just slightly, but she quickly recovered.

“Allow me to pour you both a glass from here,” she said, smoothly attempting to stand and pour you a glass.

“Amellia,” Veres' silken voice cooed. “If their glass is rimmed with poison, I will kill you and your brother.” 

Vere finished his sentence with a large, fanged smile, and the woman's pale skin turned about three shades paler. 

“If you're worried,” the muscular man spoke up, “allow me to get you some fresh glasses.”

Vere lightly waved his hand, signifying to the man to do so. 

“You know her?” you questioned.

“I know everyone,” Vere responded. “Though apparently it does not go both ways. She nearly did something quite stupid.” 

In one quick motion, Vere shifted to lie his legs across your lap so he could lounge on the couch, using a pillow to prop his back up so he could still look at you while he used you as his personal rest. 

The mood in the room changed once again. Before, the tension in the room could be cut with a knife, everyone waiting with bated breath to see what Vere would do. He was your friend one day and could slit your throat the next, it wasn’t shocking to you that nobody in the room made a move till they knew exactly what he was doing here. And that motion seemed to solidify to everyone here that you were off limits. You even heard a few whispers between them, wondering if “Elyon knew about this”. Within 10 minutes, the room had been nearly completely vacated, only the man with the fresh wine glasses entered, and he left promptly, the beautifully polite smile never leaving his face. 

“Hey,” you started, “thank you for helping.” 

Vere gave you a sly smile. 

“How will you ever repay me?” he questioned, tone slightly mocking.

“What do you want?” You shrugged.

You knew Vere well enough that he would probably ask for something stupid, or something that puffs up his ego. You had already allied yourself with him, helping him get free of the Sinobium in exchange for his help in lifting your curse. He already had what he really wanted from you.

After a short pause, Vere spoke up again.

“I want you to answer me a question.” 

“If it's about my curse, I will dump this wine over your head,” you warned.

“It's not that.”

“Then sure.”

Another pause from Vere, as if he was taking time to word the question. After a few seconds, he turned to you to ask.

“Does all this,” he gestured to the room and himself, “really not entice you? Even a little?”

Clearly he was referring to this type of establishment and the offer he made you the first day you met.

“It doesn't really matter how I feel about it, I have more important things to do. I'm not going to throw away my chances at being free or my life for a moment of fun with a stranger.”

“I'm not a stranger.” Vere huffed. 

“You were when you offered,” you replied.

“So, would your response be different now?” he smirked, clearly back to making bad jokes to get a rise out of you.

“So sorry, you already got your one question. Too bad.” You smiled.

Vere rolled his eyes, but you could tell he wasn't actually annoyed. 

“Hey, I'll talk to Elyon. Make him speak with you,” Vere promised, his tone finally having a hint of seriousness to it. 

You couldn’t help but feel a tug at your heart. It had been such a long week, and you were so frustrated, and angry, and tired. And here Vere was, not only keeping you alive, but helping you fix your curse. Just like he promised. People could say whatever they wanted about Vere, he was a damn good ally. Nothing could convince you otherwise, no matter how cagey he could be about the circumstances of his imprisonment. Which you found understandable, it wasn't any of your business. 

“Thank you.” You lightly squeezed his thigh as you spoke. “Really, that means everything.” 

“Whatever mysterious curse you have, I'm sure you'll be free of it soon. Then you can focus on other endeavors,” he smirked. 

You chose to politely ignore his attempt to bait you with another lecherous joke, and instead topped off his cup with more wine. 

“We’ll both be free.”You assured him. 

A moment of softness in Veres' eyes. A silent understanding between you both.

“I can't protect you from the Sinobium,” he admitted, through gritted teeth. “But everyone else? I can protect you from everyone else.” 

“Well, if I can protect you from the Sinobium, and you've got everyone else, it seems like we have all of our bases covered,” you joked.

“Nobody can protect me from the Sinobium,” Vere barked, his laugh bitter.

“Has anyone tried?” 

The silence after that question stretched uncomfortably long. 

“Well,” you began, trying to lighten the conversation, “I actually do have a plan on accessing the enchanted items records kept by the Abbess, if you'd care to hear my pitch.”

You took a deep breath and let the anger on your face melt away, schooling it into an easygoing smile of perfect indifference. 

No matter. You'd solve this situation on your own.

You approached at a slow pace, allowing the rhythmic click of your boots to center you and calm your mind. 

With one swift movement you unclasped your cloak and placed it around Vere's shoulders, then  gently pulled the hood over his tufted ears.

“Appologies for the interruption, it's just you were getting absolutely drenched.” you smiled and turned to face the man attempting to flirt with Vere. “absolutely delighted to meet you, what's your name?” 

The disappointment in the man's face when Vere's exposed thigh was engulfed by fabric made you want to punch him. 

As you smiled down on him waiting for an answer, you laid your hand on the small of Vere's back and moved closer, your shoulders brushing. 

Vere looked at you perplexed. Just a little while ago you were laughing at him for forgetting his cloak and gloating about how you were staying dry. Now your hair was plastered to your face as you stood in the rain fully unprotected. He raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but you were too busy staring down the man.

He had yet to give his name, and was eyeing you up and down wondering if this was a fight he really wanted to get into. You raised your eyebrow, the slightest indication of a challenge.

The man looked you up and down, observed the way you almost coiled yourself around vere in a protective manner. He wasn't going to win this. 

To your immense satisfaction, the man grumbled something under his breath and shuffled away. 

Fucking finally. 

Vere slid out of your grasp and turned to face you, leaning his weight on one hip as he crossed his arms and stared you down.

“What was that all about?” he questioned. 

You gave a shrug and an easygoing laugh.

“I was just introducing myself. I don't know why he decided to scurry away. Maybe he just didn't like me. How unfortunate.”

“And this? What about earlier when you said I should suffer in silence?” 

he gestured to the cloak, its weight making his ears look slightly downturned. How cute. 

You put your hand over your heart in mock sincerity. 

“I was simply looking out for you darling, I couldn't stand to see you shiver anymore.”

Vere's shoulders shook with laughter at your little performance. The two of you were no strangers to poking fun at each other as acts of affection. 

“Oh how chivalrous.” vere teased.  What's next, are you going to pull out another cloak and drape it over a puddle so i dont get my shoes wet?

He gestured towards one of his boots, already soaked. 

“Oh most certainly, right after I heroically save you from the next soulless we run into.”

Vere gave a bark of laughter. If anyone was doing the saving in a fight it was most certainly him. You both knew that. Although a part of him did believe that if he was actually in danger you would try to save him. After all, that's almost what you were doing by joining the Sinobium in order to find a way to free him. 

A slight blush formed on his cheeks as he attempted to steal a glance at you from the side, his vision slightly obscured by the cloak.   

You leaned in so he could see you over the cloak and gave him a sly grin, your eyes meeting with his.

It was impossible not to fall into his charm. But it was also impossible to forget just why he was so charming. Vere needed you. He needed someone outside of the sinobium’s control who could act as his agent. And you, the newcomer with something to hide, and maybe even something to prove, was the most natural choice.

You had no idea how much of Vere’s longing glances and honeyed words were real, and how much was part of his act to keep you loyal. Even knowing that, you were determined to win him over. Determined to make him trust you. 

Looking at the way Vere laughed at your little maneuver, a genuine high pitched squeaking laugh, you'd say you were on the right track.

At that exact moment, you heard the lock on your door being picked with an ease so smooth it practically begged the intruder to open it. Even with your state, you could recognize the basic features of the man that slinked into your room, his claws gently clicking on the metal of the doorknob. 

Vere was here. And the universe had a sick sense of humor. 

“No,” you managed to croak out.

Vere cackled at your visceral response to his presence. And the fact that the biggest defense you could muster was a simple “no”. 

‘I'm here to help,” he purred, opening the window in your room to air out the smell of sickness and get you some fresh air. 

“I don't believe you,” you grumbled halfheartedly. Despite being sick, you still felt the need to waste energy bantering with Vere. He truly brought out the worst in you, yet you couldn't help but feel a twinge of gratitude at his presence. 

After all, he didn't have to spend his limited free time looking after you, yet here he was. Of course, him just showing up didn't mean he'd actually be helpful. You were 99% sure he'd throw a lukewarm towel on your head and call it a day. You'd bet your last copper on it.

And as you would soon find out, you would lose that copper. 

To your shock, Vere helped you out of bed and moved you into the bathroom, where a bath had been prepared. It was shallow water (Vere was probably trying to minimize the risk of you drowning), and the temperature was lukewarm, which felt cleansing considering the high fever you were running. Vere made sure you weren't going to pass out anytime soon, then left you in the bathroom with a fresh set of clothes and a towel. 

You were in there for a while, running the cool water over your feverish skin and trying to wipe away the thin layer of sweat on your brow. After over an hour, you finally worked up the energy to crawl out of the tub and dry yourself off, then slowly but surely you put on the new clothes.

You could feel your eyelids burning from exhaustion, and your face still burning. But at least you felt refreshed. To your surprise, vere had changed the sheets on your bed and opened the windows, letting the fresh air in.

The room looked significantly better than how you had left it, which was unfortunate, because Vere looked very pleased with himself. 

“Now that you look less like a corpse,” Vere began, “let's get you something to eat. I'll cook.”

At that line, your blood ran cold. Flashbacks to the last time Vere had cooked came rushing in. the pots boiling over. How he would put random spices and sweeteners in a dish without reading what they were. Him trying to sneak some strange looking piece of meat into a stew. How he delighted in the horrors he created in any kitchen.

This was his plan all along. Wait till you were sick then finish you off with his god forsaken awful cooking. 

“You're trying to kill me.” you accused.

“Oh relax, I can actually cook when I try.” he shrugged.

“No. No you cannot. Nobody who can ruin scrambled eggs can cook.”  you countered.

Vere gave you a smirk so devious that even with a fever it sent shivers down your spine.

“If you're wrong, what will you give me?” he questioned. 

“...”

You were sure he couldn't actually cook, but his confidence was making you question yourself. 

“Something within reason?” you offered.

“Your reason or my reason?” Vere questioned 

“My reason”

“Bore.” 

He held out a clawed hand for you to shake, and you reluctantly reached out to shake it. Despite his confidence, you truly believed Vere could not cook. And even if he could, his pension towards mischief would screw him over. You didnt think he could resist fucking with you by adding chocolate to a piece of beef or something stupid. 

You wrapped yourself up in a clean blanket, and shuffled off behind Vere to the kitchen that the Wet Wick had reserved for long term renters. It was a very small setup separate from the main kitchen, and more importantly, there was a couch in the corner next to a table you could lay down on. 

You were there for a total of 2 hours. On the bright side, the bath and fresh air had made you feel a bit better. Your throat had started to hurt less every time you swallowed, and Vere was even kind enough to get you some peppermint tea, which really helped. 

On the downside, you absolutely lost the bet. You stared in shock as Vere started kneading dough to make noodles, heat up some chicken stock he had brought, cut up three chicken breasts, some carrots, garlic, and celery, and cooked them in a mix of spices on the stovetop before shredding the chicken and adding the mix to the broth. He was making chicken noodle soup. With handmade noodles. 

Were you being fucked with? Every single time you had cooked with Vere, it ended in a minimum of one stovetop fire. Why was he suddenly competent? Could he do this the entire time? 

Vere saw your incredulous expression and laughed. 

“I told you so~” he teased while setting down a bowl of soup in front of you. 

You reached for the spoon and took a bite. It was good. The chicken was well seasoned and the vegetables still had a solid crunch to them, while the broth soothed your throat even more. 

“Gods dammit.” you laughed.

Vere snickered along with you. 

“Looks like someone lost the bet. About my reward though-”

“Can this wait till I feel better?” you asked.

“Nope!”

You sighed. “Let's have it then.”

“I want to taste the soup.” Vere stated.

You raised an eyebrow.

“That's it?”

“That's it.” He confirmed. 

“Of course you can.” you replied. “You made it. And for the record, thank you for making this for me.”

You took another spoonful of soup to your mouth, savoring the warmth it brought.

And then Vere kissed you. 

Your eyes went wide, you were so shocked you hadn't even noticed how he had slipped his tongue into your mouth and stolen. a. carrot. From inside your mouth. 

He pulled back, licking his lips as he reclined on the chair on the opposite side of the table you were seated across.

“Wow, I am an incredible cook,” Vere preened. “And your lucky Mhin had some chicken stock I could steal from them.”

What… what had just happened? Had you started hallucinating? Was it the fever?

No, you could still feel the sensation of his tongue in your mouth. 

You opened your mouth to speak, forgetting you needed to swallow the rest of the soup, and proceeded to spit it out as you tried to speak.

“Fuck!” you exclaimed, soup all over your nice clean blanket.

Vere was already laughing hysterically, halfway to falling out of his chair. 

“What the FUCK was that??” you questioned, your tone one of shock, not anger

A prank like this wasn't exactly out of character for Vere, but you were still reeling. 

“You SAID I could have some!” he laughed.

“I didnt- I didnt say- well I didn't-” You attempted to sputter out a coherent sentence, but the feeling of Veres mouth on yours had made your brain entirely reset. His loud cackling didn't help either. 

“You could catch my cold!” you finally exclaimed, finding your words again.

“Didn’t you get sick because you were out in the rain in November? I don't think stupidity is contagious.” Vere stated. 

…

You threw a spoonful of soup at Veres' head. 

Of course he dodged easily enough, a bark of laughter starting up again at your attempt at revenge. 

You spent the next 20 minutes trying to swat Vere with your soup stained blanket, and him effortlessly dodging. 

Eventually you both calmed down, both laughing slightly as Vere turned away to reheat your soup on the stove which had gotten cold as the two of you “fought”.

What you didn't see while Veres' back was turned to you as he heated up the soup was how he lightly brushed his lips with his fingers, as if trying to remember a certain feeling.  

You were glad not to see this though, because if he was turned away from you, he couldn't see the redness in your cheeks as you stared at his back. 

Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Vere is an extremely affectionate partner, both in public and in private 

In public it's definitely a bit of a performance for multiple reasons. First, to make it clear you are off limits. The amount of weirdos hitting on you in bars nearly drops to zero when they realize the end result will most likely be ending up a bloody pulp at veres feet. Second is to present a united front to the Sinobium. If your going to be in a known relationship with vere, you're essentially making yourself a permanent enemy of one of the most powerful organizations still around. 

 If you do decide to have a more private relationship because of the Sinobium for safety or scheming reasons, vere will play along. But even when he's acting like you're nothing to him, the observant eye would notice a slight twitch in his fingers; unconsciously, he always wants to reach out to you. 

In private, it's constant casual physical contact. It's less like he's constantly sitting on your lap 24/7 and more always a casual hand around your waist or him fiddling with your hair while you cook. For vere one of the most valuable things in a relationship is those special small intimate moments that you only do with each other. Expect to be able to pet his ears and tail whenever you want. 

Best friends (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

I feel like before you're in a relationship with vere, you at the bare minimum have to have the potential for friendship. 

You have to be someone he wants to hang out with, who can throw his humor back at him and isn't going to let him push you around. 

There's also something to be said for being able to treat him as a person outside of any romantic intentions when you first meet. The fact that you can see him as a person outside of his looks and his situation is essential to building any type of relationship with him. As much as he pretends not to let it affect him and tries to hide it, he wants someone to see his situation and help him. Not because they can win him as some beautiful prize, but because you simply want to see him free.

The one thing vere loves more than bullying his friends is bullying with his friends. Is someone harassing women at the bar? Destroying his confidence with Vere is peak bff bonding activities. You could even send ais end to beat them up after.

Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

I think there's a lot more physical affection vere likes more before cuddles, but when does it happen it means a lot to him. There's so few moments when he truly needs to be held, he's thousands of years old after all, he can handle most of what life could throw at him, so it's a big sign of trust when he wants to be held by you/hold you. 

He's the type to bury his head into your chest and just stay there till you pet his ears. He'd probably fall asleep on you, so prepare to be stuck for a while.

On the flip side I think he'd also like pulling you close and letting you put your face in his neck. He'd run his claws through your hair and gently run his nails up and down your arms. Hed even use his tail as a blanket to cover you.

Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

We already know vere loves to cook poorly, but I believe he can actually cook well when he wants. It's just that he never wants to.

Vere is the type to play dumb and put on an act about how he can't cook, but when he sees you've had a hard day, he’ll make you dinner without a word. With the understanding that you know the next time he cooks, he's going to burn water and set something on fire. 

I think he feels pretty neutral about marriage; the bond you have is deeper than any ring or ceremony. If you want to though, he won't deny you. As for settling down? I honestly don’t see vere as the type to be able to do that long term. He's been trapped with the sinobium for so long, I think he needs a bit of freedom. If you were the type to want to settle down, though you'd be able to reach a happy middle. Maybe a home in Erida, you can always go back to after an adventure. 

If you're also down to never really settle down and just experience the world though? Yall will become a myth very soon. Stories of a fox god and his mysterious partner traveling the land will spread far and wide. Sometimes you bring fortune. Sometimes disaster. But always mischief. 

Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

HEAR ME OUT NOW YALL. The vibes of a breakup with vere is SO silver spring by Fleetwood Mac coded. “You'll never get away from the sound of the woman who loves you?” EXACTLY THAT 

Honestly I feel like vere is willing to put up with a lot of shit before breaking up with someone, he seems like a bit of a hopeless romantic. Nothing short of betraying him for the sinobium would cause him to break up with you. 

Lets just say you would never do that, which means in this hypothetical you would have to break up with him. 

If you break up with vere, leave. Leave the city. Not because your in danger but because he will make you feel like your heart is being stabbed every day. He would not let you live in peace. Hence the Silver Spring song reference.

If you did leave him and maybe years down the road ran into him again, its a different story.