#sm sam

James opens his mouth, not sure how he was going to respond before she directed her gaze back to him.

Kait started again, trying to somewhat quell his confusion. “A friend of mine is a succubus, and her girlfriend is a witch. Granted I don’t know much at all about succubi, incubi, or uh, demons. But again, you could have been something worse. Like devils.”

She’s unable to hold his gaze for long before she has to look away. It only takes a moment for her thoughts to turn back to what had caused her to evacuate the previous room. However, she didn’t have a chance to think too deeply about it before Damien returned his hand to its soothing circles on her back. “Please don’t think like that.”

“Huh?” She glanced back at Damien, thoroughly confused. But then her breath hitched as he repeated every thought that had been going through her head before she reached the kitchen. Her eyes widened in fear as her jaw dropped. “How?”

The taller male let out a sigh, curling in on himself slightly. “It’s a part of my powers. I can hear other people’s thoughts as if they were said out loud.” He couldn’t look at her, afraid of seeing her reaction. “It–It’s not something I can really control; I haven’t figured out how to yet.”

When she turns to face him fully he pulls his hand away, grasping at his shirt instead, wringing the fabric between his fingers. “You’ve been able to hear my thoughts? The entire time you’ve been here?” He nodded his head slightly. “I’m sorry.”

His head shot up, eyes wide. ‘Had she just... Why was she apologizing?’ “What?”

“You’ve had to hear every thought going through my head. I know… my mind is not the... best place. Especially right now. So, I'm sorry.” He didn’t know what to say to that. Picking up on his speechlessness, she turned her attention back towards James. The eldest quickly schooled his surprise, as he met her gaze. “Can you all do that? Or is it a specific ability?”

James cleared his throat before speaking. “No Miss, only Damien can hear others' thoughts. We each have our unique powers along with our incubi abilities.” She nodded in understanding. He wasn't entirely sure how to handle this conversation. She was clearly trying to understand but was visibly unnerved by all this new information. “Could I ask you some questions, Miss?”

As she opened her mouth to respond, there was a knock on the doorway of the kitchen. Three sets of eyes turned to find Erik standing there with his hand still resting against the wood. His face was masked in a neutral expression, yet his eyes held concern. “I don’t mean to interrupt, however, I think it’d be best to move the discussion to the living room.”

James looked like he was about to protest but Kait was quick to interject. “I think that’s for the best. Besides, I have questions for all of you too.”

James’ mouth pursed into a thin line however he nodded in agreement, gesturing with his hand for her to take the lead. The four silently made their way across the house and entered the living room where the final two brothers waited.

Matthew was sitting on the couch, hands wringing the material of his pants while his right leg shook. With anxiety, fear, or something else she wasn’t quite sure. And then there was Sam, who was leaning against the furthest wall, arms crossed over his chest and eyes locked on her every move. She couldn’t maintain his gaze, quickly shifting her sights to the floor while her body twitched in discomfort.

Damien took a seat beside Matthew on the couch. He gave his brother’s arm a comforting squeeze before curling his hands back in his lap. Erik moved to lean on the back of the couch, his gaze still locked on her. However, unlike Sam, it didn’t unnerve her. Probably because he hadn't forced himself on her.

James had placed himself in the chair furthest from the couch his brothers were on. This left her with the options of the chair between James and the boys on the couch, or the couch across from them. She hesitated for another second before moving towards the empty chair. She’d have to turn her back towards Sam’s direction and doing so set off many warning signs in her head.

She ended up perching herself closer to the edge of the chair. Her eyes stayed locked on her hands as they curled into the wrinkled fabric of her shirt. Taking in a slow breath to calm her nerves before turning her gaze towards James. “So… you have questions?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind answering them.”

She nodded her head. “As long as it’s something I’m comfortable talking about, sure. Besides, I have some questions for you guys too.”

“That seems fair enough.” The small woman made a gesture with her hand, so James continued. “Well Miss, I’ve wanted to ask, why do you live alone?”

Honestly, she saw that question coming. Yet she still couldn’t stop her body from tensing. “Ah…. Well, I actually just moved in last night. Or, uh, more like this morning if you want to be technical.” The last part was more mumbled to herself.

“That would explain the luggage.”

Her lips twitch in a small smile before falling back into a thin line. “I, um, my grandfather…” She forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat as her eyes locked on the small statue on the coffee table. “My grandfather just passed away and left me his home.”

“My condolences, Miss. Moving here must be very hard for you”

“Thank you.” She spoke with a hushed breath. “I, um, I don’t really know how to, uh…. I don’t think I’ve fully processed it yet.”

“That’s understandable. You just lost a family member, it’s never easy.”

She let out a dry laugh as she thought back to yesterday. “You’d be surprised that not everyone thinks that way.” ‘No, as an Anderson, I’m supposed to be perfect. Act as though I don’t have a single damn emotion in my damn body. Just like David.’

The way Damien tenses in his seat almost goes unnoticed. Erik catches the movement from the corner of his eye, placing a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. He hopes the contact helps with whatever thoughts are going through his mind.

“How are you feeling?”

Slowly she turned her head and re-met James’ gaze. Tired eyes blinking slowly. “How… am I feeling?” Her brows furrow.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Though sometimes it can help to talk about how you’re feeling aloud.”

“I…” How was she feeling right now? A better question would be what was she not feeling right now? So much had happened in the last forty-eight hours, everything was mixing together inside her head. “Sad… angry and confused. But mostly I’m just… I’m just sad.” She placed a hand over her chest, slightly rubbing at the spot that felt empty. “It feels like a part of my heart went with him and now there's just this hole left behind.” ‘Left behind.’ Why is she always left behind? She didn’t even realize she was crying until Matthew passed her a tissue. “Thank you.” She wiped her face, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Desperately trying to reign in her emotions, she decides to turn the questions back toward them.

“So um… I know this is kind of a sudden question but do you guys have a place to stay tonight?” Kait tugs at a strand of hair as she mumbles the next part. “I still think you guys should visit a hospital or something.”

“We’ll be fine Miss. We should be okay after a night of sleep.”

That’s not completely reassuring. She’s also emotionally torn. These guys are still strangers to her but she feels drawn to them. She wants to help them. Damn, she truly wasn’t ready to start making decisions like this on her own. “Okay, but do you guys have somewhere to rest? A hotel or something?”

She watches as they all share a look. Erik hesitates before explaining, “Well to be honest we’ve run out of money. It was one of the reasons why we came back to Chicago.”

Her mind teeters back and forth before she makes the suggestion, “You guys could stay here for the night.” They all looked at her surprised. “Just for tonight at least! I don’t know you guys but I feel shitty for just…. kicking you out if you have nowhere to safely stay." She makes gestures with her hands as she talks. "Especially after losing so much blood…” ‘Why? Why was she doing this? They are literally strangers!’

“Thank you, Miss. That is very kind of you.”

Her eyes darted behind her toward Sam before she finally stood and moved to sit on the couch opposite Matthew and Damien. She sighs rubbing at her tense shoulders. “Listen I know we haven’t talked much but, dude. I don't feel comfortable leaving my back open to you and having you glaring a hole through my head.”

The brunette huffs, eyes narrowing further on her. “Well excuse me if I’m a little wary of a stranger.”

Her gaze hardens and she sits up straighter. Any other moment, any other day, she would have tightened the lid on her emotions. However, the cap of the metaphorical coke bottle snapped off and an entire stack of mentos was poured in. She was not dealing with this jerk’s attitude. Not after all the bullshit she’d been through these last forty-eight hours. Especially not after what he'd done to her just hours ago.

“Oh? Well, I didn’t expect to be bull-rushed by a half-dead predator the second I walked through my door.”

Sam pushes himself off the wall and the rest of the boys are quick to their feet. “The fuck–”

“Do you have any fucking idea what it feels like?? To be used emotionally... physically? To have no fucking control while someone else takes advantage of you!?”

His expression kept shifting between anger and shock. “I wouldn’t–I wasn’t–”

“But you did!” By this point, she was also standing. Her whole body began to shake as angry tears welled in her eyes.

Damien moved in front of her, blocking Sam from her view in hopes of defusing the situation. “I know my brother didn’t mean to hurt you… I know I apologized for him, but if you need an apology from him then–”

“Shut up! You don’t get to talk!” His eyes widened, flinching away from her. “You also used your abilities on me! What… whatever that thing you guys do, your eyes change, and then I don’t feel like me! You force these feelings on me and I can’t–!” Her breathing is labored, tears rushing down her face as she knots her fingers in her hair.

“Princess...” A soft voice calls out and her eyes open to find Erik kneeling in front of her, a few paces away to give her space. When had her eyes closed? “You’re going through a lot right now and our presence is causing you more distress. I think we need to give you space to breathe. We are going to leave you alone for the night and maybe tomorrow we can talk? Unless you would rather us leave now. We will if you want us to.”

“I… no… I–shit… No you guys can stay the night I just…” She buried her face in her hands trying to regain her breath. Her mind was a fucking mess right now.

“Okay. So long as you're sure. If you want us gone in the morning, we will be. But for now, we need to give you space.”

Kait can't even form a response before Erik is standing and herding his brothers out of the room. It was unnerving how quiet the house suddenly became. And then the dam broke. Her body curled up on the floor, face buried in her knees as she sobbed.

Sobbed for the loss of her grandfather. The years of verbal and physical abuse. The inability to be honest with her friends. Suddenly moving into a new house and being alone. Someone once again forced themselves on her. Lack of control over her own emotions. Years and years of different memories and emotions flooded her at once. The cracks in her heart became deeper, more jagged.

Never has she wished so desperately for her parents to still be here, than at this moment.

.

.

.

She’s not sure when she fell asleep but, when she woke up the next morning she’d been moved to the couch with a blanket draped over her.

A/N: This chapter was originally supposed to be longer. And originally it was supposed to end on a more neutral/happier note. However, I had been working on this chapter while on a call with two of my friends. I paused when I got to Sam and Kait finally talking and was like:

Kay: "Oh…. I could be mean."

Cia: "You definitely could."

Kello: "Obliterate that twink." He couldn't even see what I was writing!

Then I mentioned that Kait had been having a really shitty last 48 hours and Kello was immediately like "Oh then absolutely go off!". And then he proceeded to yell "Obliterate that twink!" and "I want these twinks OBLITERATED!" for the rest of the time I spent working on this chapter. He's also the one to suggest the "half-dead predator" line.

I also want to make one thing clear before the Sam stans come after me. Both Sam and Kait are in the wrong. Sam never should have forced her to kiss him; Kait never should have verbally lashed out at him or Damien. Sam bared his fangs and Kait went straight for the jugular.

Things will eventually get better between them, it’s just gonna take time and work.

Before her mind could spiral any darker, her phone started ringing causing her to jump in her seat. She frantically searched for her phone as the opening beats to the song started up. The song cut short as she frantically answered her phone. “Hello?”

“Hey, Kait.”

“Kris?” She pulled the phone away from her face to double-check “You’re still up?” Her eyes glanced at the time on her car's radio. “It’s one in the morning.”

“Hey, you’re still up!” Kris countered. “Besides you know Cia and I have horrible sleep schedules.”

Kait cracked a small smile at that. “True.”

“So how are you holding up? Were you in bed?”

“Well… not exactly.” She let out a sigh before retelling the events of the evening. Though she decided it would be best to leave out the fact that her uncle had hit her. She knew Kris would be mad, and if Cia were to find out… she’d rather not think about it. It was clear out of the two, Cia could never be around her family. Not again. The girl was fiercely protective.

“I’m so sorry you have to go through all of this Kait. You know Cia and I are here for you.”

“I know.” She mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as she smoothed a hand down her face. “And I am so grateful to have both of you in my life. I just… this is just so much all at once.”

“I know honey, I know.” Kris sighed. “Look, since we don’t have classes tomorrow and it’s Friday, why don’t we go do something? Maybe see a movie or hell we can just drive, whatever to get your mind off things.”

The blonde thought about it for a moment before nodding her head. Realizing that the movement couldn’t be seen, she spoke up. “Thanks, Kris, sounds great.”

“No problem Kait.” She could hear the smile in her friend's voice. “Okay hun it’s super late, and you need to get some rest.”

Kait’s head dropped down and she rolled her shoulders back. “Yeah… I’m so…” She trailed off with a sigh. “Sorry if I kept you up. I should… head inside now I guess.”

“Hey I told you it’s no problem and you didn’t keep me up. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you as you go inside? ” Kris questioned.

“No, no, you and I both know that if we don’t end the conversation now we’ll talk all night.” This caused both girls to laugh. “Besides I… need to do this and get a hold of myself,” Kait said as she peered up at the house.

“Okay honey I hope you get some sleep.”

“Thanks, I hope you and Cia sleep as well.” The blonde snickered quietly before a small smile tugged at her lips. “And Kris… Thank you for calling me.”

“Anytime. Talk to you tomorrow.” With that Kris hung up and Kait sighed as she dumped her phone in her lap.

Taking in a deep breath, she gently slapped her non-bruised cheek and began collecting her bags. She struggled a bit trying to get all of her luggage up the front steps in one go but she eventually got there. Stealing her nerves, she unlocked the door and moved inside.

The house was dark aside from the little amount of moonlight shimmering in from the windows, but everything still looked exactly as it had the last time she had visited. She ran her hand lightly along the wall until she found the light switch and flipped it on. The chandelier quickly expelled the shadows away to reveal the beautiful entry room. Two identical wooden staircases led her eyes to the second floor where she knew the many bedrooms were located. The hall below the stairs led to an array of different rooms. To her right was the entry to the dining room as well as the kitchen. To her left was the entrance to the family room.

The young girl worried her lip out of habit before turning towards the living room. It was already late, and she didn’t have the strength nor the wish to search for a bedroom. The couch would do just fine for tonight.

Or maybe forever. That works too.

Feeling the weight of everything finally catching up to her, she flopped onto the couch face first. Letting out a long breath she turned on her side to pull out one of her pillows and a blanket. Once she was comfortable, it took merely a few seconds for her body to fall into a deep sleep.

.

.

.

All that surrounded her was darkness. She had no sense of direction within this void; unable to tell which way was up or down. Taking a step forward, she stretched out her hand, hoping maybe she’d find something that could tell her where she was. She sucked in a startled breath when something warm, a pair of hands she quickly recognized, grasped onto her outstretched hand. Her head shot up, at least in the direction she believes is up, but the only thing she could see within the inky darkness was a pair of whiskey-brown eyes.

"I swear I’ll give my life to you." The voice seemed to echo around the dark void. She tried to open her mouth to respond but the words couldn’t seem to come out. But just as quickly as the figure appeared, he vanished back into the darkness. But just as she felt the warmth vanish from her hand, she felt arms wrap around her from behind as a voice whispered in her ear.

"Please let me love you." Once again, when she looked over her shoulder, the only thing she could see was a singular violet eye staring at her. She could faintly make out hair that seemed to be covering the figure’s right eye. But like before, the figure quickly melted back into the void.

This time she felt a large hand being gently placed on the top of her head. "I’ll be by your side. Always." She quickly glanced in the direction she heard the voice from, but only caught a glimpse of green before it faded.

She flinched slightly as she felt a body embrace her, pulling her into a warm chest. "I can’t imagine living without you." As she felt the body pull away, she caught a flash of blue before they were gone as well.

When the next one appeared, for the first time, it did not physically touch her. But even with the distance, she could still feel some warmth radiating from the being. Hazel orbs locked onto a beautiful pair of eyes, blue and violet swirling within them.

"I want to be with you." The voice echoed softly and she could faintly see the being raising a hand toward her. As if stuck in some sort of trance, she reached her hand out, moving to take a step forward. But in that second her body fell and suddenly she was held beneath freezing water. Her hands flew to her mouth; she could no longer breathe.

"Did you think it would be that simple?" A voice mocked before falling into manic laughter. She couldn’t breathe. She needed to breathe. "You will die by my hands!" Her nails clawed at her throat in vain.

"Why would they ever want to stay with you?" Another voice jeered. "You're nothing but a lowly human. And I will take them back. One way. Or another." Her body trembled as the voice whispered into her ear "Even if that means I have to get rid of you first."

Gasping as she was thrust from the water, her body toppled to the floor, quivering from shock. Her chest was heaving as she reached her hands up, grasping her throat. "This is not how the story was supposed to go." Her body screamed in protest as she forced herself to look up at the new being in front of her.

A… person(?) stood before her, cloaked in a long black coat. Their skin resembled that of a porcelain doll; pale without a blemish in sight. Their blond hair is a contrast against their skin and dark clothes. Though what stood out was the black fabric concealing their eyes. When the person finally spoke, their voice was soft yet seemed to echo within Kait’s head. "Something was tampered with, in this world. This was not meant to be your story."

None of this made any sense, what was happening? Her face was scrunched up in confusion, and pain. The cloth over their eyes didn’t seem to hinder the person's vision in any way, feeling as if they were gazing straight into her soul. She opened her mouth to try and say something, anything, but all that came out was a pained noise. The person smiled softly down at her in acknowledgment. "No matter; we shall reap what has been sown."

They swiftly turned on their heels and began walking away.

"Wait!" Kait cried, trying to reach after them.

"Many trials await you, and I can not guarantee you will find a happy ending…" They halted in their steps, glancing back over their shoulder. "It will depend on the choices you make, whether or not you find the end you're looking for. My only job is to make sure this story reaches an ending."

She was abruptly woken by sunlight glaring into her face. Squinting her eyes against the harsh light, she slowly sat up while rubbing a hand down her face. Had she… dreamt about something? She couldn’t remember anything yet voices, ones she had never heard before, quietly echoed through her mind. Just loud enough to be there, yet faint enough to be unable to make out what they were saying. Her body felt uncomfortably stiff; maybe sleeping on the couch hadn’t been the best idea. She ran a hand through her hair, grimacing slightly as she felt a thin layer of sweat clinging to her skin.

Turning on her phone told her it was only 6:45. Unlocking it she noticed an unread message; a text from Kris. 

     From: Kris 🦆🎨

     || We’ll be picking you up by 8 okay?

She sent a quick response before standing from the couch and stretching. She let out a sigh before pulling out everything she needed to take a shower from her suitcase. Once her things were together the blonde made her way towards the downstairs shower; she needed to prepare for her day out, and hopefully wash away the strange feelings she had from a dream she couldn’t even recall.

—

Once she bathed and dressed, she returned to the living room. Still, a good fifteen minutes before Kris and Cia would be here. Rolling back her shoulders, she knew it was time to take her luggage up to one of the bedrooms. Gathering the bags she began hauling everything up the staircase leading to the third floor. She made her way slowly down one of the hallways in search of the master bedroom. She wasn’t sure if she honestly wanted to take that room, considering it had belonged to her grandfather only yesterday morning. Soon enough she came upon the room and slowly laid her hand on the doorknob.

In the moment of hesitation, she began to second guess herself. Maybe sleeping on the couch forever wouldn’t be so bad? Her back may get sore, sure, but nothing she couldn't get used to. Right?

She was saved from these thoughts by her phone ringing in her pocket. Answering the call she said, “Hello?”

“Hey Bitch, we’re here. Hurry up and get your ass out here.” Cia’s voice came through the other end before the call dropped.

The blonde’s face scrunched up as she pulled the phone away from her ear. ‘She hung up on me. Wow. Should have expected that honestly.’ She rolled her eyes with an amused smile before pocketing her phone and grabbing her bag. She glanced at her luggage sitting in front of the room and eventually decided that she’d just deal with it once she got back.

When she finally reached the car, she opened the back door and jumped inside. “Hey, Kait!” Kris beamed at her from the driver's seat.

“Hey, fucker.” Cia threw a quick look at her over her shoulder.

“Cia be nice.” Kris lightly scolded the younger girl.

“Okay fine. Good morning fucker.” Kait laughed while Kris shook her head in response.

“Morning guys. So what are we doing?”

“Well… should we get some coffee first?” Kris suggested.

“Coffee sounds so good right now.” Cia happily agreed.

Kait chimed in with, “I need sustenance.” Kris openly laughed while Cia rolled her eyes at the response.

When everyone was seatbelted in, Kris pulled out of the driveway and drove back towards town. The car ride was silent for the most part, but it was a comfortable silence. When they finally arrived at the coffee shop, the girls hopped out of the car. “Coffee, coffee, coffee!” Kait chanted under her breath.

Cia’s face twisted slightly before she shook her head. “You seriously get way too excited when we get coffee.”

“This coming from the person who drinks soda like water.”

“Listen fucker!” Cia’s voice raised an octave causing the blonde to snicker to herself.

“I’m listening?” Kait taunted as she leaned closer to the raven-haired girl. Cia huffed, eye twitching slightly, before raising a hand and pushing the blonde's face away from her.

“Okay you two, you gonna keep screwing around, or are we getting coffee?” Kris quirked an eyebrow at the pair.

“Coffee!” Kait chirped before rushing into the shop and finding a place in line. The shop wasn’t packed, for it being early in the morning, but still a decent amount of people sitting around the shop enjoying their drinks. Kris caught up to her in line while Cia went off to find them a table. Once they ordered their drinks they went to claim their seats beside Cia.

There was a monument of silence between the trio. Each of them enjoyed their different drinks. Eventually, Cia placed her drink back on the table and turned to face her. "Do you… want to talk about it?"

She took a deep breath, parting her lips to respond before Kris beat her to it. "You don't have to. We just want you to know that we're here for you no matter what. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. If you want to talk about it later, that's also fine!" Her body sagged slightly, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She kept her eyes locked on the table as her fingers traced the condensation on her drink.

"I… don't think I want to talk about it right now. I still haven't fully processed it all. My thoughts are a mess."

Cia lightly placed her hand on her arm, giving a reassuring squeeze. "And that's fine Kait, try not to over-stress about it. As Kris said, we're here for you." Kait sent both girls a thankful smile.

“So how have your classes been?” Kris asked after taking a sip of her vanilla bean frap.

“Meh.” Kait shrugged her shoulders. “Like, I don’t mind my Theater class, and I like my Photography and Art class but…” She paused to sip her hazelnut ice blend. “I already know there's no way I’m going to pass biology. Unless I can somehow keep my C. And my Astronomy class is not what I thought it’d be. Way too much math involved.”

“I get you, dude.” The older girl agreed before pointing it out. “Bright side, we only have a couple more weeks and then we’re done for the summer.”

“Thank god,” Cia grumbled. “I still fucking hate school.”

“Girl I feel you.” Kait raised her drink towards Cia, before looking over to Kris. “This is your last year at the Community right? To get your Associates?”

“Yep!” Kris nodded her head.

“Are you going to transfer to the University right after?” Kris nodded her head once more. “So you’re doing all that and working a full-time job at the same time? How?” The blonde inquired, making gestures with her hands.

“I ask her that question every day. Just going to school exhausts me.”

“Well Cia, I don’t have a choice if we want to continue living on our own.” Kris raised an eyebrow at the raven-haired girl. “We don’t have much choice other than to go to school and work to basically stay alive.”

Kait shook her head as she leaned back in her seat. “It’s still crazy to think you two have been roommates for almost two years now.”

“It’s still crazy to you? I still wonder how the fuck she and Noe put up with me.” Cia laughed at her own words before laughing louder as Kait slammed her hand down on the table.

“I swear, you better shut the fuck up or I will punch you in the face with friendship!” The blonde cursed.

“Okay, let's try not to make a scene,” Kris advised as multiple people around the cafe turned to look towards the uproar.

“Sorry.” Kait apologized, ducking her head down in embarrassment, hiding behind her golden strands. The younger girl continued to giggle to herself. “Shut the fuck up Cia.” And that was a mistake as it caused the girl's laughter to continue. The blonde sulked before poking Cia’s arm. In retaliation, Cia lightly poked the blonde’s cheek.

At the sudden feeling of pressure on her bruised cheek, she flinched away, grimacing slightly. Seeing this, Cia’s laughter died down, now looking at the girl with slight concern.

“Uh… you okay Kait?” Cia asked.

“Y–yeah! Sorry just… wasn’t expecting you to touch me, or uh, my face.” She explained, forcing a smile.

“Wait…” Cia leaned a little closer to the blonde face causing her to freeze. Had she noticed the bruise? She could feel her hands starting to get a little clammy as Cia’s eyes squinted at her. “Are you wearing make-up?” She almost let out a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, I am actually. Does it look bad? I know I don’t wear makeup too often.” She turned her face slightly to the side as she brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear.

“No, it looks pretty natural.” Kris pitched in as Cia nodded in agreement.

“Thanks. I always try to keep it light.” She smiled before taking another sip of her coffee. “Are you guys hungry?” She abruptly asked.

“Well, we weren’t sure if you’d want to pick something up,” Kris responded. Kait grinned as a thought popped into her head.

“Well, you know what goes best with coffee?”

“Death?”

“........Yes, Cia, you're absolutely right. The sweet release of death is the only thing that can complement coffee.”

“Exactly.”

“I’m going to hurt you–” The blonde deadpanned “–but no! I’m talking about donuts! We can go pick up some from the bakery down the street.”

“Sure I don't see why not.” The trio was in agreement, grabbing their drinks and heading back out to the car.

Time seemed to fly by as the trio spent time together. The time spent with her friends had cheered her up. As morning bleeds into the afternoon; Kait decides it was probably for the best that she heads back home.

Home.

That word still felt strange to her. Hopefully, she’d get used to it as time went by. Considering the weekend was here, she could most likely invite the girls over to make the large house feel a little less empty. Once they finally parked in the driveway of the mansion, she grudgingly exited the car. Cia’s window rolled down as both she and Kris leaned down to see her.

“Okay, so we’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah! Come over sometime in the morning. I’ll treat y’all to my pancakes~.”

“Will there be coffee?”

“Cia, would you expect any less from me?”

“Maybe.”

Kait rolled her eyes fondly before bending down slightly to get a better look at Kris sitting in the driver's seat. “Let Noe know he’s welcome to come too if he fancies.”

“He has work in the morning, but I’ll tell him you put the invitation out there.” She said as she gave a thumbs up.

“M’kay. Drive safe. Love you guys, see you tomorrow.” Kait waved. Cia rolled up her window and the car began making its way back down the driveway. With a tired sigh, she turned towards the mansion and began walking up the steps. ‘The fridge is still stocked so I shouldn’t need to buy any food for a while. Though I should sort through everything.’ She fished her keys out of her purse and turned the lock. ‘I should figure out what I should do for dinner too.’ Turning the door handle and stepping inside. ‘Maybe I’ll just microwave someth–’ Red.

She froze mid-step into the entrance. Red covered the beige tiled floor beneath her feet. Then the smell hit her.

Blood.

Stumbling back, she covered her mouth before the startled shriek could bubble free. Feeling nauseated from the mere sight, and overpowering smell, her eyes trailed to the source. Five men. Five men lay unmoving in the middle of her foyer. Immersed in what could only be their blood. ‘Oh god… Oh god oh god ohgodohgodohgod.’ The edges of her vision turned black as her mind fell into a panic. ‘Are they dead? Ohmygod please tell me they're not dead! How did they even–When–I–How–oh lord please don't let them be dead!’ Her mind raced faster than she could comprehend. She wanted to say something, anything, see if any of them were coherent; but her voice wouldn't come. She blinked and in an instant, one of the men was before her. She squealed as he grabbed a hold of her wrist and yanked her back inside the mansion, the door slamming shut behind her.

A hand took hold of her chin forcing her to look up into forest-green eyes. “Woman.” His voice was strong and demanding. His eyes flashed from green to gold. “You’re going to let me kiss you.”

A soft, yet warm, laugh echoed in her ears. Her attention slowly drew to the source; A woman standing a few feet away, wrapped snugly in the arms of a man. The sight filled her with a warmth she could only describe as a feeling of home. She almost felt as if she was intruding on this intimate moment between the couple. She looked on in curiosity as a man approached the couple, opening his arms as the couple released their hold on each other to embrace him. Their forms expressed their joy as their faces were unclear to her. She knew these people… did she? Her mind was in a fog, enchanted with the sight before her.

Her body twitched, a small ache in her chest. She wished she could feel the love these people shared with such an embrace. As if hearing her thoughts, the man turned towards her and held out a hand. He was inviting her to join them. Slowly she stood. The couple turned in her direction, the warmth returning and blossoming in her chest. The couple opened their arms to her.

Wanting to feel their warmth, their acceptance, she raced towards them. But the second she was within a foot of the couple, they slowly began turning into dandelion seeds taken with the breeze. She opened her mouth to let out a scream but no sound was made. Fear drove her, racing faster towards the only man left, his hand still held out to her. Thrusting her hand out, fingertips brushing his before his body erupted into similar dandelion seeds. She collapsed on her knees, unable to do anything but watch as the seeds were carried away.

She opened her mouth, tears running down her cheeks, but still, no sound came out. She sat alone, where the couple and the man once stood. The warmth had disappeared from her as if taken with the breeze that carried the strangers away. That ache returned, a frigid emptiness filling her chest, a feeling she could not compare to anything she had experienced before. More tears ran down her face yet not a single sound left her as she clenched her fists on her lap.

The meadow was silent.

Another brush of wind creased her face, coaxing her to look up. She did her best to blink back tears as her unfocused eyes landed on blurry figures standing in the distance.

With a silent gasp, she rubbed her hands over her eyes. Looking back, the figures were still there. Standing quickly to her feet, she hardly noticed the pain leaving, and the warmth returning. Yet it was stronger this time.

Five figures. Not close enough to make out clearly. Yet close enough. Five men. The warmth they gave her was so foreign, yet so familiar. Clutching her chest as she let these emotions wash over her.

Acceptance, trust, hope, happiness…

Love.

The gentle tapping of rain against the window broke Kait out of her dream. “Huh?” Blinking the haze from her eyes as she glanced out the window. She suddenly felt as if she hadn't slept in weeks. “When did it start raining?” She mumbled to herself. It hasn’t rained in a while. ‘Hopefully, it doesn’t get worse, I don’t have an umbrella on me.’ Turning her attention back to the lesson, she propped her head upon her hand. As much as she loved space and the galaxies, taking Astronomy was nothing like she thought it’d be.

“While we cannot measure the full luminosity of the Milky Way's center, due to excess dust blocking our view, we can use the total central luminosity of a galaxy whose luminosity we can measure the Andromeda Galaxy–”

‘I think taking this course was a mistake.’ Kait turned her attention back to the window, once again losing interest in the lecture, watching as the rain fell outside. Her eyes followed a few droplets sticking to the window as they slid down the glass. She let out a soft sigh, brushing her fingers through her long strands of hair before turning her attention back to the professor's lecture again.

Sadly she just couldn't stay focused. Every word seemed to go in one ear and out the other. She found it hard to spark an interest in this class. Besides, it didn’t help that she had an odd sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.

Something felt off today, she just couldn’t tell what.

Before she knew it, the professor announced the end of the lecture, and everyone began to pack up. With a sigh, she quickly packed her things, pulling out her phone in the process. She would have to ask to copy someone’s notes since she hadn’t paid enough attention to take any herself. As she sent a quick text to one of her classmates she received a different notification.

     From: Kris 🦆🎨

     || Just as a heads up we’re waiting at the cafe just off-campus.

She sent a quick response before shifting her bag on her shoulder and making her way toward the Pink Lady Cafe.

It was the end of March and the days were normally hot. So the dark clouds releasing cool droplets onto her pale skin was warmly welcomed. She always enjoyed it when it rained, finding peace in the droplets shed by the sky above. But today… something just felt off. But what? It was truly frustrating when she couldn’t pinpoint what was bothering her.

She was still deep in thought as she entered the cafe. Slowly making her way over to the place where her friends usually sat. She smiled subconsciously as she watched the pair interact. Cia raised a hand to push locks of raven-black hair behind her ears as she talked. Though her attempt to keep the dark locks out of her eyes didn't last as her bangs fell back ever so slightly in front of her right eye.

Taking a glance at Kris, she watched as the older woman raised her cup to her lips, smiling at something Cia must have said. As she set the cup down, she pushed her black-rimmed glasses back up the bridge of her nose. Her dark hair was pulled up into a bun; which was full of her new blue-dyed tips. As she approached the table, pairs of brown and lilac eyes locked onto her. Both girls instantly smiled and gave the blonde small waves of their hands.

“Guess who's back, back again~!” Kris greeted, smiling brightly as Kait finally sat down beside her. The older woman slid a white chocolate ice blend in front of her seat. Though the pair shared a glance when the pale girl continued to sit there without responding to them, completely lost in thought. “Kaity cakes? You with us girl?”

“How could this happen to her,” Cia sang before Kris joined her laughing “she's made her mistakes!”

Kait blinked owlishly as she was brought back to the present before joining them. “All around me are familiar faces, worn-out places.” She smirked slightly as the other girls laughed once more. “We have a horrible sense of humor.” The blonde chuckled slightly under her breath.

“Naw it's fiiiinnee.” Kris shrugged. “But what’s up? You seem pretty out of it.”

Kait sighed, picking up her drink and taking a sip. “I’m not sure but something just… seems off today.”

“What do you mean?” Cia questioned with a slight tilt of her head, causing more of her hair to fall back into her face.

“I don’t know. Just... you know that.. that feeling you get when you know something is going to happen but you– uh, you’re not sure if it's going to be good or bad?” Both girls made sounds of acknowledgment. “Well, that’s just how I feel.” She shrugged, eyebrows furrowed together. “I don’t know what but I just… I know something's going to happen today.”

“Well… did you remember to study for the exam in Biology?” Kris questioned. Kait and Cia instantly paled.

“Shit!”

Kris erupted into laughter, shaking her head at the pair.

—

The girls spent the next hour and a half in the cafe. Struggling to cram in as much studying as they possibly could before class. Kait ended up buying another ice blend; seeing as it was becoming one of those days where even coffee needed coffee. Kris and Cia, on the other hand, ordered a couple of sweet pink lemonades.

At some point, Cia remarked how all the caffeine the blonde drank would end up giving her a heart attack someday. Kait’s only response was flipping her the bird.

When it was time to head to their Biology class, Kait and Cia reluctantly packed their books and notes away. The trio laughed and joked on the way back to campus, trying to psych themselves up before their test. The earlier drizzle had started to fall a little heavier; Kris doing her best to shield her glasses from the droplets. Rolling her eyes as the younger girls snickered at her attempts.

As they continued to walk the young blonde felt an unease ball up in her stomach. Dread filled her chest. She could feel her heartbeat starting to pick up, her breathing starting to catch ever so slightly in her throat. Her fingers twitched as the feeling of pins and needles crept slowly up her arms. ‘Am I having a panic attack? This feels different though…’ She questioned herself, trying to calm her breathing. In through the nose… out through the mouth. She continued to repeat this, hoping the other girls wouldn’t notice. Subtly raising her right hand to her left one, digging her nails into the inside of her wrist. Grounding herself. ‘Breathe in… breathe out. Why am I panicking? Is it over the biology test? No. Could… could something have–’

“Kait?”

Her head shot up, strands of hair falling in her face, eyes opening wide, and she panicked. When had she closed them? “Wow, hey it’s okay it’s just me,” Cia spoke slowly and calmly “are you alright? You look pale... well paler than normal anyway, and you're breathing fast.” Cia’s brows were furrowed in concern, a hand raised unsure what to do with it.

“Anxiety kicking in?” Kris asked softly from the other side of her. Standing close but making sure the younger girl didn’t feel crowded in. She paused for a minute. This wasn’t her anxiety but how do you explain panic attacks? Finally catching her breath, she slowly nodded her head, deciding to just agree with the older girl. “Is it about the exam?” She took another moment to think about it. What she was experiencing was different from her normal anxiety and panic attacks, but she couldn’t explain why. And again, how do you even go about explaining the cause of a panic attack? There's not always a cause. They just happen.

In the end, she kept it to herself. ‘No need to cause them to worry right before the test.’ She just nodded her head. “Oh, honey it’s gonna be okay!” Kris comforted her. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. And hey, if you don’t end up passing this class,” Kris shrugged her shoulders “oh well. Worse comes to worst, you can take the course over again next term. No worries.”

“My uncle would beg to differ…”

“Yeah well, he can fuck off,” Kris responded. “The dude’s such a dick.”

Cia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Yeah, it’s like he’s got his own dick up his ass.”

The blonde recoiled from the thought. “Eww!! How could that even be–you know what, never mind someone's probably done it.” Kait quickly cuts herself off. “Okay, I don’t need these images in my head, let's just go!” Cia and Kris both laughed before quickly following their young friend. Kait smiled, the feeling of unease still dwelled inside her but for the time being, she pushed it to the back of her mind. For now, she would just appreciate the company of her dear friends and try to relax before her test.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“London Bridge is falling down,

             falling down, falling down,

London Bridge is falling down,

            My Fair Lady.”

The being hummed softly to themself, sitting atop a building. Their feet dangling over the edge, kicking softly against the light rain. Their long black coat sheltered the rest of their clothes from the rain. The corner of their lips quirked up ever so slightly as they watched the trio of girls disappear into the college building.

Her gaze quickly shifted from him to the floor as her arms came to wrap around her body. Her voice was quiet, yet it seemed to echo within the spacious dining room. “You’re not the one who startled me.” Her eyes glossed over as her mind flashed back to the memories. The men around her could feel the fear and sadness rolling off of her in waves. However, the eldest son could tell that not all of these emotions were brought on by them. This type of deep fear and sadness was caused by long-term events. Though he'd only just met the girl, part of his heart ached for her. The smaller woman was brought back to the present when he spoke again.

“Still, you have my sincerest apologies, Miss.”

“I…. thank you.” She was unsure what else to say as she shifted in her spot. However, she froze when he suddenly offered his arm out to her.

“May I escort you to your seat?” She could feel the heat returning to her face. She hesitated before lightly grasping his arm. “Ah, where are my manners? My name is James. I wish we could have met on more… pleasant terms.” She introduced herself quietly, still unable to look him in the eyes. This, however, gave James the chance to notice a bit of discoloration on her cheek. He felt his concern for this young woman rise within him. However, he decided to remain quiet for now to keep her from feeling any further discomfort. James led her to the seat placed at the head of the table, where another ginger-haired man stood holding the chair out.

Her eyes subconsciously trailed over him, noting that he was just about as aesthetically attractive as James. When her eyes moved back to his face, she found his violet eye already locked on her. His lips curled into a smirk as his eye danced with amusement causing her face to flush once more and return her gaze to the floor.

As they approached, the man, whose name was the only one she was unaware of, spoke up. “Let me get your chair for you lovely lady.” His voice had a smoky tone to it. Very much fits his aesthetic. She let out a small thank you as she placed herself in the seat. Her small frame swayed slightly as the chair was pushed in, but her eyes stayed locked on the table.

“And it seems I’m one of the last to introduce myself.” Her gaze finally shifted up to the man still standing behind her chair. “My name is Erik, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess.”

She didn’t have a chance to respond before Matthew re-entered the dining room with a plate in hand. He turned his body in her direction and bowed exaggeratedly, sweeping his hand over the table. “All set! Dinners all served.” There were several different dishes placed before her. A mixture of Italian and Asian dishes, with a handful of desserts mixed in. Honestly, she was pretty impressed. Good to know there had been a decent amount of food in the kitchen. Though she might need to restock after all this.

Erik stepped closer to the table, smiling proudly as he also gestured to a variety of foods. “I certainly hope you enjoy it, I made almost all of the dishes myself!” The look of absolute betrayal that appeared on Matthew’s face almost made her laugh. His brow furrowed as he crossed his arms.

“Bullshit!” Kait quickly slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her surprised laughter. Erik however, didn’t seem at all amused.

“Language Matthew.”

Matthew ignored his comment and continued. “Me, you, and James did all the work together, dummy.”

“It’s ‘You, James, and I’ Matthew.” James quickly chastised the smaller male.

“Little boys will always make mistakes.” Erik chuckled.

The blonde’s face scrunched up at that, feeling offended in Matthew’s steed. The aforementioned boy’s head swiveled to James as he shot the taller male a look of disbelief. Clear annoyance tugged at his face as he turned back to Erik, ready to confront him. “I’m not a little boy! I’m barely a year younger than you!”

“Well, you certainly don’t act like it.”

Having quite enough of this conversation, Kait quickly cut in. “Matthew, how old are you?” The men all turned their attention back to her, somewhat startled by the new intervention.

“Uhhh…” His blue eyes blinked as he reached a hand up to tug at his hoodie. “twenty-one?” He said with slight uncertainty, glancing at James who gave a slight nod of his head before looking back at her.

“You're already older than me. I won't be twenty-one for another two months.” She leaned back in her seat, eyeing the taller boys. “I’ve only known y’all for a short amount of time. Though I’d say I’ve probably interacted with Matthew and Damien the most so far, and I haven’t seen anything wrong with the way he’s acting. Just because someone doesn’t use proper English, doesn’t mean they're immature.” She huffed, sitting back up in her seat and turning to the raven-haired boy. “Matthew, would you like to have a seat,” She gestured to the seat on her left “I haven’t had an actual meal today, and I’d like to try some of these.”

Matthew couldn’t help but gape at her for a moment. He couldn’t recall the last time someone had stood up for him, well aside from his brothers themselves. And the way she just stood up to Erik AND James? Holy shit. His smile is bright as he swiftly takes the seat offered to him.

To say Erik and James were shocked was an understatement. James cleared his throat before taking the seat to the young woman's right. It took yet another second before Erik claimed the final seat. She continued to ignore them however and began to sever herself, asking for some of Matthew's recommendations to try. James cleared his throat once more before addressing her.

"I apologize if we've upset you, miss."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." Kait responded, still refusing to look over at him.

The eldest two shared a look before turning toward their younger brother. "We apologize Matthew."

The younger man couldn't contain his shit-eating grin. “I accept your apology.”

“Can we eat already? I'm fuckin starving over here.” James’ eye twitches at the swear but he chose to ignore it, addressing Sam as well as the rest of the group.

“We will but first,” he shifts his attention back to the head of the table “I know we have a lot to explain.” Before he could continue she raised a hand.

“Can we have this talk after dinner? I would rather not lose my appetite halfway through.” She sighed, keeping her eyes locked on the table. James hummed in understanding and finally, they dug into their meals. It was relatively silent aside from the boisterous way Matthew and Sam dug into their food. From the corner of her eye, she could tell James was restraining himself from scolding them. She had to hide her smirk behind her drink as the sight of his eye twitching and his grip tightening on his silverware amused her greatly.

Shifting her gaze around the table, pausing when she noticed Damien seemed to be talking to the empty space beside him. She could have written this off as him just speaking aloud to himself but something told her that wasn’t accurate. Though as she was about to question him her phone began ringing in her pocket. Flinching at the sudden blast of music ringing through the large room, she slid the device from her pocket. At the sight of the caller id, she pursed her lips, her face becoming a blank mask.

She was at a crossroads. She didn’t hate her aunt, however, she wasn’t in the mood to talk to her. Her shoulders sagged in relief when her phone finally stopped ringing, though short-lived as it quickly began ringing again.

“Aren’t you going to answer that, Miss?”

The phone nearly fell from her grasp with how started she was. How had she forgotten they were still there? With an unhappy sigh and a small apology, she answered the phone. “Hello, Aunt Laura.”

“Kait there you are! I was worried when you didn’t answer.”

“Sorry…” she wasn’t.

“It’s fine. Though I really wish you wouldn’t have left the other night, we would have liked to have seen you off!” ‘no they wouldn’t have.’

“I didn’t want to be any more of a burden than I already was.”

Her aunt gasped on the other end. “You were never a burden!” more lies.

“Was there a reason for your call? Today’s been a long day and I’m really tired.” She sighed, rubbing a hand over her temple. She could feel the dull aches of a headache beginning to knock at her skull.

“Oh, right! Well, your uncle wanted me to call and talk to you about arranging a house party tomorrow night. To celebrate the new house and all.”

Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. Her vision lost focus and everything became white noise around her. However, her aunt continued even without a response.

“Your uncle insists. You know how he is with events.”

Oh, she knew. She’d lived with the man long enough to see how heartless he could truly be. But this? This took the fucking cake.

"I wish I could come over and help you set up but I have to head into work early tomorrow, and your Uncle–"

"No."

"...Huh?"

"I said no. It hasn't even been a full twenty-four hours but he wants me to host a fucking party? Absolutely not." She swore, slamming her eyes shut as her empty hand wound its way into her hair. Angry tears were already forming in her eyes. “And if he has anything to say in response to that he can call me himself.” With more aggression than needed, she yanked the phone away from her ear and ended the call. She kept her eyes pinched shut, taking in deep breaths to calm the headache now pounding away at her skull. Her phone once again lit up with a call from her aunt but she quickly dismissed it. However, it didn’t seem to dissuade her aunt as she continued to try and reach her. After the third dismissal, she quickly turned her phone off before tossing it away from her on the table.

The sounds of chairs shifting across the floor were what reminded her once more that she wasn’t alone in the room. Stupid. How does she keep forgetting they're here? ‘Stupid.’ Frustrated and embarrassed she stood and pushed her chair away, unable to look at any of them, hunching over to seem even shorter as she meandered her way toward the kitchen. She needs to get away. Away from their judgment. Away from their disappointment. ‘Disappointment.’ That’s what she is. ‘A disappointment. Always a disappointment. Stupid. Can’t ever do anything right.’

The thoughts continued downward, darker, and harsher as they went before they fell silent. Becoming disconnected from her thoughts and surroundings.

When she was finally able to refocus on her surroundings, she realized she’d already made it into the kitchen and was bracing herself against one of the counters. She could feel a hand rubbing light circles over her back as a soothing feeling washed over her. Looking over her right shoulder to find Damien behind her. His expression pinched in concern however she became more focused on his eyes. No longer were they the blue-violet pools she had originally found herself entranced with. Now they were a warm gold color; magic swirling within them.

“It’s okay. You are going to be okay.” His words were firm yet comforting. If only the comfort she felt was natural.

Her voice was quiet and breathy, yet it seemed to echo in the large room.“What are you guys?”

The question seemed to cause Damien’s expression to become more pained than concerned. He looked to his left causing her to do the same only to realize James had also been in the room with them. He stood a foot away, arms crossed over his chest, while he tried to keep his face as blank as possible. Though his eyes betrayed him, concern was etched deep in those whiskey colored eyes.

He let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes. Damien’s hand stilled on her back. It was almost uncomfortably silent now. After another beat, the eldest finally spoke. “Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes.”

His eyes reopened, gaze locking with hers.

“We’re incubi, Miss.”

“So? How was it?” The shorter woman immediately asked as they walked a bit away from the room to not disturb anyone still taking the test.

“Honestly? Not as bad as I thought it was going to be.”

“See! I told you! I knew you had this down! You need to be more confident in yourself.” Kris praised causing Kait’s cheeks to turn a soft pink.

“I’m working on it.” Before the girls could continue their conversation, they were interrupted by the blonde's phone ringing. Checking the contact, she quickly mumbled an apology before answering her phone. “Hi Aunt Laura, did you need…” She quickly trailed off as she heard her Aunt quietly sniffling on the other end. “Auntie? Is… everything okay?” She asked worriedly.

“Kait… Honey, it… it's your grandfather…” She could hear her aunt stuttering over her words, doing her best to be coherent over her quiet sobs. Suddenly, that feeling of dread she had tried to push aside earlier reared its ugly head. “He… he passed away.”

The phone clattered to the ground as time slowed. Her body was on edge as if she had been forced into an ice bath. All sounds were muffled except for the blood pounding in her ears. She hardly stirred as hands were placed on her arms, holding her up, unable to hear Kris’ voice frantically calling out to her.

And then the emotions rushed her. Her body was violently pulled from the frigid water. Her breath came so suddenly her lungs couldn’t get enough air in them. Her knees buckled under her causing her full weight to fall into the other girl. “He’s…” Her voice was foreign to her own ears. “Gone…” Warmth encircled her form, tears keeping her from seeing the source. But it didn’t matter. “He’s gone!”

And there in the middle of the hallway floor, she sobs into her friend's shoulder. Everything inside of her is caving in all at once. The pain spilled out with every tear, with no end in sight.

‘This was all a dream. This wasn't happening. It couldn't. How could he? No this was all a lie. A nightmare. This wasn't real. The world wouldn't be this cruel to her. She'd wake up any second. 

This was all a nightmare.

This wasn't happening.

Just a dream.

None of this is real.

A nightmare.

But… it isn't is it?’

Oh, how cruel reality is.

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.

 Cold.

It was really cold.

The light peaceful rain became heavier that afternoon, accompanied by rolling thunder now and then. The sky had become much darker since that morning, though Kait didn't notice the dark skies and heavy rain beneath the black umbrella.

Not that she noticed that either since her eyes were glued to the grass beneath her feet. She couldn't bear to look at the people weeping around her. She couldn't even acknowledge her cousin beside her; hardly feeling the tight grip the younger girl had on her hand. Only the monotone eulogies that softly echoed in her ears bore the truth that this was all real. It was only when the speeches finally came to an end, that she found the courage to lift her head.

A small gathering – made mostly of relatives she had never met before – huddled around a small, simple grave. For a while, all she could hear was the sound of heavy raindrops falling upon umbrellas and the slow chime of the church's bell that echoed around the cemetery. And she knew if it weren't for those sounds, they would have been standing in heavy silence.

She finally glanced over at her cousin, who held her umbrella over them. Mika stared down at the grave in front of them, lips pursed and eyes blinking back tears. She knew the navy blue-haired girl would refuse to shed a tear so long as her father was in proximity. The blonde glanced behind her to where the said man held up a large umbrella for her aunt and himself. Her eyes locked on her uncle's face, which stayed emotionless as her aunt weeps beside him. She wonders what could be going through his head at that moment. After all, etched into the smooth gray tombstone before them was his father's name.

Her grandfather, the man who practically raised her as a daughter, had passed away.

The ceremony was small. Only close family had been allowed to attend. Slowly, though, people began to leave. The only ones left standing before the grave were her uncle, aunt, Mika, and herself. A man dressed in a clean black suit under the uniform black umbrella of the funeral attendees walked towards them, introducing himself as her grandfather's lawyer. He pulled out a few documents from his suitcase and began to read aloud its contents.

“And now, I shall read Harold Anderson’s last will and testament…” Only the four of them that remained were allowed to be present for her grandfather's will. Which had been under the strict request of his lawyer. And now she understood why. “...And to my dearest granddaughter Kait, I give my estate. All the furniture and decor that resides within the house shall also be given to her.”

Her hazel eyes opened wide with shock as she looked up at her grandfather's lawyer. “...wha...what?” She couldn't believe her ears. ‘Grandpa… left me the family estate? I… there's no way.’ And yet those exact words were written down in her grandfather's handwriting.

“He passed the family estate to her? Why am I not surprised.” She heard her uncle mutter.

“Dear…” Her aunt sighed.

“Well, did he say anything about what will become of the CEO and Chairman position of the Anderson Toys Company?” Her uncle inquired.

“No. It is presumed that the Vice-Chairman will succeed the position.” The lawyer stated.

“Heh… even to the bitter end, he wouldn't give in. What a stubborn old man.” Her uncle sneered. Kait’s hands clenched in anger at her uncle's words. Biting her tongue, she watched as her uncle shook his head before turning to face her aunt with a serious expression on his face. 

“About the estate… Should we send her there to get used to the building?”

“Are you sure we should?” Her aunt pondered, a look of concern furrowed her brow.

Her eyes twitched. ‘They speak as if I'm not even here…’

“Why not? This would be a good experience for her.” He argued with narrowed eyes. Kait’s jaw clenched in anger at her uncle's tone. For as long as she has lived with her uncle's family, he had never cared to hide his dislike for her.

“Kait, what do you think?” Even though her aunt finally asked for her opinion on this, she stayed silent. She knew if she opened her mouth she would blow up on her uncle. But this was neither the time nor place to do so; so she kept her mouth shut.

“Well, that seems to be it. We'll be taking our leave now. I'm sure the little heiress needs some time to adjust.” Her uncle announced, not even sparing the young blonde a glance as he started to make his way back to his car.

“David!” Her aunt objected in shock. Even though her aunt raised her voice, her uncle wordlessly made his way back to the car, disinterested. “Don't mind him, honey. I think that your grandfather's passing really affected him. Why don't we get back home for now?” Kait couldn’t even raise her head as the older woman tried to comfort her.

“I'm sure dad didn't mean it like that.” Mika softly chimed in, wrapping her arms around the blonde's slim waist.

“You both can go on ahead home.” Her words were no louder than a whisper. “I need some time alone with grandpa…”

“Oh, of course! Take all the time you need. Come along now Mika.” Her aunt gently pulled her cousin away from her, and the pair made their way back to their car.

Kait let out a shuddering breath before taking a look around the funeral grounds, which were empty, save for the sullen-looking grave before her. ‘I know that if grandpa had been in charge of arranging this, it would have been much different…’ She thought bitterly as she finally let the tears she had held back begin to fall.

It was so blatantly obvious that her uncle had been in charge of the whole event. Who else would bury their own family the same day they passed away? Everyone knew of her grandfather's love for toys, and yet the grave was a mere stone slab on the ground, void of any children's toys. Her uncle hadn't even bothered to place any flowers. ‘His disdain for grandpa is obvious and almost pitiful…’

“I'm sorry Grandpa…” She forced the words to come out, but they were overlapped by a choked sob. “You told me to stay strong… but, right now, I'm the farthest from it.” She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep it together. The rain caused her hair and clothes to cling to her small frame. “First I lost mom and dad and now... I’ve lost you too… Why are you all leaving me behind?” She wailed, her legs buckling, causing her to kneel on the ground before her grandfather’s grave. “Why!?”

In the back of her mind, she could still hear the words her grandfather had told her the day her parents had passed. The day he lost his eldest son.

—

“I know it hurts sweetheart. I know.” He whispers as he hugged her tightly “However, no matter what, you have to stay strong. You're a big girl already, and, well, there'll be days like this when it seems like it's you against the world. But just remember that your family and friends will be here with you. Daddy and Mommy might not be here anymore, but you still have your uncle, aunt, Mika, your friends, me… we'll stand together to get through it.”

“...How can you be so sure of that Grandpa?”

“Because we’ll be right here… and here.” He pointed his finger to her head, first, and then pointed at her chest over her heart. “So stay strong… promise?” For a split second, she could see the sadness on his face, almost pleading with her. But as quickly as it had come, the expression disappeared from his face, and he was giving her a small smile once again.

“I promise.”

—

“You willed me the very house you basically raised me in… Why?” Her fists clenched her soaked shirt as a surge of anger bubbled up within her. Though she quickly pushed that feeling back down. Getting upset was pointless, especially when the person in question was no longer around. “Why would you think I would be ready to take it? Especially after this…”

“I–I'm… I’m sorry grandpa.” Her hands scrubbed over her face. “I can’t stay calm when you've left me here with so many questions…” Her hands drop back into her lap listlessly. “Why did Uncle not want anything to do with you… Why does he hate me?” She sighed before looking sadly back at the grave. “But even if you can hear me, you'd never be able to give me an answer.” She could no longer tell whether she was crying or if it was just the rain sliding down her face. “I'll bring you flowers soon. I… I–fuck, I miss you, grandpa.” She rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes. “I'll do my best to keep the promise I gave you, even though it already feels like the world's turned its back on me.” Slowly she stood up and left the grave as she made her way back to her car.

—

Once she finally pulled up to her uncle's home, she parked her car in the driveway and turned off the engine. She released a long breath as she leaned back against the seat. She could feel her hands tremble within her lap from the overwhelming emotions coursing through her. She already knew that once she stepped inside the house things were more than likely not going to end well.

Kait took another deep breath before releasing her seatbelt, opening her car door, and stepping back out into the rain. She slowly made her way up the front steps before lightly knocking on the front door. She stood there a few seconds before the door was opened by Mika. The blonde took notice that the younger girl had already changed clothes as she held the door open so she could step inside.

“Good, your home.” Kait looked up to meet her uncle’s icy stare. “Hurry up and change out of those dreary black clothes.” Her gaze drops to the floor as she starts to make her way toward the staircase. Except something’s different this time. She pauses at the base of the stairs, thoughts racing through her head. ‘No. I am twenty years old. He has no power over me.’ Rolling her shoulders back, she turned to face the taller man. She owes him nothing. She won’t run from him. Not anymore.

“Uncle, I want to know something.”

The older man turned to face her, a brow quirked in interest, arms crossed over his chest. “Go ahead.”

“Why do you want me to move out so soon?” That's not what she wanted to know but it was an easier place to start.

“I thought I made that rather clear. The college near your grandfather's house is well–known for its business program, more so than that community one you're attending. You are planning to major in business, yes?”

She was not majoring in business, nor had she any plans to do so. She is currently majoring in photography. Though she wasn't even sure if she wanted to continue college. Pursuing her lips, she remained silent. Her uncle, however, just continued as though she had agreed with him.

“After you graduate from there, you'll just live in that house and can easily commute to and from school. It's perfect for you.” He concluded.

“But…” She had to pause to take a deep breath. She could already feel her anger begin to bubble inside her. “It's all happening so fast. You just decided it right there at the funeral. It hasn’t even been a day yet.”

“Don't be so sensitive!” He growled, eyes rolling, clearly becoming fed up with this conversation. “If you're like that in the real world, you'll be crushed.”

Her jaw clenched, forcing her next words out with a slight hiss. “I'm just saying that maybe we could talk a bit more about this before deciding this at the drop of a dime.” In response, her uncle raised a hand to rub his temples, releasing a sigh.

“After you graduate from college, you'll work at Anderson Family Toys. I have connections since I am a part of the board of directors, so you will be guaranteed a spot. That is what we talked about before, yes?” With every word, she could hear his voice start to pick up in volume. And the way he spoke to her. His tone was scolding as if talking down to a small child who couldn't understand.

She took deep breaths, trying to keep her cool. “But… what if…”

“Stop. Mumbling.” He barked at her.

Jutting her chin up, her eyes narrowed as she held his gaze. “What if I don't want to work there?”

“Don't be stupid! It's the family company. Our company. I refuse to hand it over to some incompetent Vice-Chairman!” By this point, he was nearly yelling in her face.

The sound of quiet shuffling reminded the pair that Mika was still standing by the front door. Kait’s anger simmered down ever so slightly at the discomfort written on the young girl's face. Though her attention snapped back to her uncle as she noticed him approaching her, his face softened slightly. Yet his eyes were still cold.

“Look, this is all for the best, okay? You may not know it right now, but you'll appreciate it later.” As his words processed, something inside her finally snapped. All her anger rushed back at full force.

“Do you even care that Grandpa passed away?” She hissed as he stared back at her in shock. Though that look faded as quickly as it appeared.

“Of course I do.”

There it was. That cold expression. As if he didn’t have a single damn emotion inside his body.

A humorless laugh escaped her. She ran a hand through her hair, a twisted smile pulled at her lips. “Well, everything seems just fine and dandy to you. Things couldn't be better.” She jeered, shrugging her shoulders before her hands balled at her sides.

“Excuse me?” His eyes narrowed down at her, face flushed red. “I don't like your tone, young lady.”

“It's like nothing even happened at all. Like you're just ignoring the fact that he's no longer here!” She snarled, fists shaking at her sides.

“Do not raise your voice at me!” Her uncle growled, a vein visibly pulsing from the straining of his neck.

“What did he ever do to you to deserve this!?” She yelled back. Her uncle's face hardened, arms crossed over his chest, and erupted in angry laughter.

“You sure place him upon a pedestal. Like he's some kind of venerated god or something. It makes me sick.” He jeered back at her.

“Is that it? Are you happy seeing Grandpa dead!” She was fuming, tears forming in her eyes from the flux of emotions. “While everyone is grieving, are you holding yourself back from laughing in everyone's faces? Did you feel just a bit happier seeing him lying in a fucking graveyard!?”

A harsh smack resonated around the room. Her breathing accelerated, eyes wide with unshed tears. The force of the blow caused her to stumble back, gripping the railing of the stairs to keep herself standing. Her free hand cautiously hovered over the place he struck. Biting down harshly on her quivering lip to keep the tears at bay.

“You don't know anything! Running your mouth like somehow you know everything that went on when you're just a little girl that doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut!” Her uncle roared. “You did not know my father! You did not know what he was capable of!”

“Is everything alright? What happened?” Her aunt inquired as she raced into the room. Kait completely ignored her aunt, swiftly turning on her heels, and bolting up the stairs to get to her room. “Kait? Wait!” Her aunt stuttered after her.

Once she reached her room, she slammed the door behind her and locked it. Her breathing was ragged as she leaned back against the door, tears finally sliding down her face. Her cheek throbbed, bringing her to step away from the door and towards a mirror to check the damage.

The area of the mark was a fiery red, contrasting with her normally pale skin. She had no doubt the mark would bruise. Her skin has always bruised so easily. Something she remembered her mother always dealing with. She did her best to blink away the tears as she heard her aunt knocking on her door.

“Are you alright? David told me nothing happened, but you know your uncle...” Kait quietly scoffed to herself.

“I'm fine Aunty.” She responded, clearing her throat when her voice wavered. “I'm just tired. I'll be packing and going to bed.”

“Dinners done though! I don’t want you skipping any meals. Are you sure?”

“I’ll go down later and eat. I lost my appetite for now…” Kait sighed.

“...you’re not telling me the whole story.” Kait appreciated her aunt's concern, but she stayed quiet. Even if she told her aunt about the event, she wouldn’t be able to change what had happened. Not as if this had been the first time this had happened. ‘But it sure as hell was going to be the last.’

Besides, she’d be gone before morning.“Please, dear… Tell me what’s going on…”

“I’m not hungry right now.”

“Well… I’ll leave your food on the counter if you want to eat it later.” Her aunt finally gave in. There was a lapse of silence before she heard her aunt make her way back downstairs. When her footsteps faded, Kait released a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She took one more glance in the mirror, already starting to notice the bruising appearing, before turning away. She took in the sight of her room as a new feeling of determination filled her. No matter what the current circumstances were. She was moving out. That was something that wouldn’t change.

So she would leave on her terms. Uncle be damned.

Quickly she moved around her room pulling out two large suitcases and two carry-on bags before she began emptying her dressers. She made quick work of packing all of her clothes away before moving on to her books and electronics. Her toiletries were the easiest to pack before she moved on deciding to pack her favorite blankets and pillow as well. She was determined to not leave anything of importance to her behind. She never wanted to step foot in this house again.

As she finished packing her things she finally pulled out her camera. Her most prized possession was a red Nikon b500. Her grandfather had given her it as a gift for her eighteenth birthday. Turning it on, she took a moment to glance at a few different pictures she had taken. At the moment she had taken a little over three hundred pictures, and almost all of them were scenic shots with a few candid pictures of her friends and classmates. With a sigh, she turned the device back off and made sure it was packed away safely. Double-checking, she was positive she had packed everything she’d need. Now she just needed to wait until everyone went to bed.

A couple of hours passed and finally, it was time. As quietly as possible she exited her room and made her way toward the first floor. As carefully as possible she carried all of her bags down the stairs at once, pausing anxiously when one of the stairs creaked under the pressure of her foot. She strained her ears, hoping she hadn’t made anyone aware of her sudden departure. The house was completely silent aside from the soft hum of the air conditioner. Letting out a quiet breath she continued downstairs and out the front door towards her car.

Once she put her bags away she hesitantly headed back inside. It was late at night and she didn’t want to disturb her Aunt or Mika as she headed toward the kitchen to reheat the food left for her. Once she had finished her plate she wrote a short note for her Aunt, thanking her for the meal and letting her know that she had left. Once finished; she set the note on the counter, grabbed the key to her grandfather's house, and walked out the door. She knew her Aunt would be a bit upset that she didn't wait to leave in the morning, but she wouldn't apologize. For the first time in her life, she was making a decision that would be best for herself.

So as the door of her uncle's home shut behind her, she knew this chapter of her life had come to an end, and a new one was beginning.

“Good.” His green eyes fell closed as he leaned into her. ‘No no nonono!’ She didn’t want this! Why was this stranger kissing her? Why couldn't she refuse? ‘Push him away! Do something! Anything! Stop him!’ The man hummed into the kiss causing her eyes to flutter closed. As he continued to kiss her, she could feel her body getting weaker. As if the kiss itself was draining her energy. She didn’t want this but she couldn't stop him. Her body felt strange and tingly, yet every nerve in her body danced and sang. She has no control over her body. And that realization terrified her. ‘Please, please stop.’ She begged within her thoughts.

“Sam. Stop it.”

“Mmm!” The man – Sam? – glanced behind him, not breaking the kiss.

“I said stop. Now.” The new voice commanded.

“Mmm… Fine!” He finally pulled back. She was released from his hold and she could finally breathe.

“Please forgive my brother… He’s a bit reckless.” She couldn’t open her eyes to see who was talking to her. She knew the second her eyes open there would be no holding back her tears.

“At least I feel a hell of a lot better than you right now.” Sam snarked back.

“Because you used your abilities on her.”

“Nn… Sam, you’re such a reckless brute, taking advantage of a beautiful young woman like her.” A new voice chimed in. She could feel her bottom lip quivering, digging her teeth into it as she tried to keep her emotions back.

“Shut that pretty boy mouth of yours before I rip it off your pretty-boy face.” A small whimper escaped her throat, unheard by the men in front of her.

“Guys, can we not fight right now? Not all of us are in the best state…” Another voice chimed in.

“You're right Matthew.”

“I agree.”

A small sound came from what she assumed was the last man in the room. She tried her best to remain calm. Her mind was blank. Her body trembled ever so slightly as she gnawed her lower lip. She couldn’t contain the sound that left her this time; catching the attention of the men in the room. “Miss?” Her eyes fluttered open and were greeted with the sight of five bloodied men. As she predicted, the tears she held back began trailing down her cheeks.

She watched as their expressions shifted to shock. She raised shaking hands to her mouth, a pitiful attempt at keeping her crying to herself. The overpowering smell, and sight, of the blood. The crimson liquid covered the floors. Covering the men in front of her. The sudden loss of control over her body. An unknown man kissed her. It was all too sudden; too much for her to handle all at once. Her vision swam, tripping back until she was pressed against the front door.

One of the men, the tallest of the five, moved closer with his hands raised in what seemed to be a calming motion. His mouth moved in words she couldn't hear over the blood pounding in her ears. Feeling nauseous and light-headed at the same time as her knees finally buckled under her. Unconscious before she could even register, a warm body caught her.

—

The transition from passing out to waking up was quite disorienting. Her mind was foggy and her body sluggish. She twisted around, trying to piece together where she was. Her eyelids fluttered, trying to clear the black from her vision. A small whine pulled from her throat. Her hands fisted into a soft silky fabric. Sheets? One hand trailed up to the softness beneath her head. Pillows. So she was in bed. Her body relaxed instantly.

She flipped onto her stomach, wrapping her arms around her pillow as she snuggled into it. It's a bit strange. She couldn't quite recall her bed ever being this comfortable before. Hell, she couldn't even recall her bed being big enough for her to sprawl out like this. Taking in a deep breath she noted the pillow beneath her smelled of lavender and oakwood. Her brain connects the scent to a feeling of home, putting her at ease. Something she recalled her grandfather always distinctively smelling of.

Slowly the memories came back. Her class ended. Receiving a call from her aunt. Freezing rain. The slap. Spending a restless night on the couch. The morning out with Kris and Cia.

The blood.

Her eyes shot open, scrambling out of the bed. She tumbled to the floor tangled in the silk sheets. Her eyes darted around the room. Piecing together that this had to be her grandfather's bedroom. Now her bedroom. A whine slipped past her lips, another panic attack creeping in.

Shuffling behind her caught her attention. Her head tipped back locking eyes with a ginger-haired man. Time seemed to halt; her body and breathing stilled. She could see the concern in his eyes. Brow furrowed and lips parted on lost words.

She should have been terrified. Yet, she wasn't. She eyed him as he slowly raised his hands; showing he was unarmed. “I mean you no harm, miss.” His voice was low and comforting. “I know you're scared, you have every right to be, but you need to breathe.” As his words sank in, her body released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. Her lungs burned as they tried to take in the necessary amount of air her body needed. She took deep breaths through her nose, holding them for a few seconds before releasing them through pursed lips.

Her thoughts wandered as she tried to relax her body. ‘Just how long has he been standing there? I never heard the door open so he must have been there a while.’ Then she recalled the fact that she'd fallen from the bed in her panic, tangling her body pretty tightly in the sheets. ‘Well, that’s embarrassing…’ As if hearing her thoughts, the ginger-haired man took a small step closer.

“Do you want some help untangling yourself?” His head dipped the side ever so slightly, a small yet kind smile on his face.

“I… would appreciate it.” Her voice was a tad raspy from sleep; briefly closed her eyes as she sighed in defeat. The man let out a small chuckle before moving to crouch beside her. Once she was untangled from her cocoon she sat up and faced the stranger properly. Though now that she was face to face with this man she didn’t know what to say. ‘Since I passed out I don’t remember how many of them there are. Not to mention the fact that they did break into my house and bleed over the lobby floor.’ She cringed at that thought; not wanting to recall the sight or smell for fear of bringing on yet another panic attack.

“I know you have questions, and we promise to answer them if you let us.” The look in his eyes was so sincere. She had never met this man before yet… she felt as though she could trust him. Releasing a small puff of air she nodded her head.

“Okay, but first,” Her brows furrowed in concern, “all of you are injured right? Shouldn't we get you to a hospital?”

“Thank you but we’ll be okay.” She didn’t quite believe him but it was not like she could force any of them to go if they didn’t want to. Much like the saying; You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force it to drink.

“Was I out for long?” She wondered aloud, glancing over her shoulder to see the sun setting through the window.

“A couple of hours. We didn’t want you to be uncomfortable so we brought you up here. We assumed this was your room since there was luggage sitting by the door.” He explained.

Kait nodded her head in understanding, turning her gaze back to his. For the first time, she got a good look into his eyes. She had never seen eyes the same color as his. Blue and purple tangled in an intimate dance. ‘They're beautiful.’

He suddenly broke eye contact with her, glancing to the side as heat spread across his cheeks. She couldn’t help but smile to herself. ‘How cute.’ He let out a small cough, trying to cover his flushed face. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable because of her staring, she asked him another question. “I, uh, I just realized I never asked for your name?”

Still slightly flustered he turned back to her and flashed her a small smile. “My name is Damien. May I ask yours?”

“Kait.” She introduced herself, running a hand through her mussed hair. She would need to run a brush through it and get a change of clothes since she had spent most of the day out. Funny. Of all things to be worried about at this moment, she was concerned about her hygiene. She should be more concerned about the fact that there was a group of strange men in her house. Broke into her house for that matter. Yet as Damien swore they meant her no harm, she somehow believed him. She just met this man but somehow wholeheartedly trusted him. You truly can't explain some things. “Where are the others?”

“My brothers are downstairs cleaning up the blood from the lobby floor… and, uh, making you dinner as an apology.”

Surprised, she stumbled over her response. “Oh… uh, I, that’s… that’s nice of you all.”

“Oh, it’s the least we could do after invading your home and one of us–” Damien trailed off, a look of regret crossing his face. “I… I’m truly sorry about my brother.” She was confused for a moment before the memory filtered back through her thoughts. ‘Oh… right, that happened…’ “I–I knew you were panicking but I couldn’t get up to stop him…” Kait quickly shook her head.

“Damien, please don’t blame yourself. I’m not gonna lie and say it’s fine, but, I mean, one of your brothers got him to stop right?” The taller male nodded his head slowly. Swallowing thickly she continued. “Let’s just go downstairs with the others so I can fully understand what’s going on.” He nodded in understanding and stood up.

“Do you feel well enough to stand?”

“I think so…” Placing a hand on the bed, she pushed herself to her feet. The world spun slightly as the blood rushed to her head. “Or maybe no–!?” She let out a squeal as she was suddenly swept off her feet. “D–Damien?” Said man letting out a small chuckle as she securely wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Trust me. I won’t let you fall.” And she did believe him. ‘I already trust him way more than I should…’

“You don’t have to do this!” Her voice was an octave higher than normal, causing her to curse herself. Her face flushed in embarrassment.

“Please, I promise nothing will happen.” He smiled softly down at her and any objection died in her throat. She gave a small nod in recognition, not trusting her voice, turning her face into his shoulder to hide her blush. ‘I know I don't weigh much but He seems very strong.’

His arms tightened around her slightly. “Thank you.”

“Huh?” She glanced back at him in confusion. His only response was another small smile. Her arms tightened around his shoulders as he proceeded to carry her down the first flight of stairs. ‘Well, I’ll never have to worry about not getting enough exercise with two flights of stairs in this place.’ As they approached the final set of stairs she pulled away from him slightly. “Damien, could you set me down here? I feel bad about you carrying me down all these stairs.”

“It’s not a problem.” Slowly he set her back on her feet. He kept one hand gently placed below her shoulders to ensure she kept her balance. Slowly they descended the stairs and, to her amazement, the lobby was completely clean. If the young man beside her wasn’t here she’d honestly believe she had dreamed all of this up. “Dinner should be just about done, so come to the dining room whenever you're ready.” She nodded her head as she watched the ginger-haired male disappear into the dining room.

Slowly her eyes trailed back to the lobby floor. It was spotless. She couldn’t spot a single drop of blood. Yet the image of it was still fresh in her mind. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t hear the padding of bare feet drawing near.

“Oh! You're awake!”

Her body flinched before her gaze flickered to the new person in the room. A young man with short fluffy ink-black hair had just exited the dining room. He looked to be about the same age as her. The softness of his face made him appear more boyish, three maybe four inches taller than her. And barefoot. His voice sounded vaguely familiar but she didn't recall seeing him before she passed out. “Oh, um, ….hi.” He flashed her a bright smile, her nerves deflating slightly.

“I'm glad you're okay! You scared us when you passed out!” He smiled, yet his eyes gave way to his concern.

Once more her brows ceased together. “I feel like I should be the one afraid; you all were unconscious and bleeding out on my lobby floor.” He chuckled at that; raising a hand to scratch at the back of his head as he shuffled slightly in place.

“That's honestly fair. But, uh, for real though are you okay? You’re looking kinda pale…”

“I know I'm really fuckin white.” Oof, she didn’t mean to let that slip. She usually tried to hold back her sarcastic and salty remarks around people she didn’t know. Not everyone responded well to sarcasm. ‘Not to mention that wasn’t even a good joke.’ This man, however, was shocked for a second before he laughed loudly in response. “Sorry, I’m still kinda tired so my filter is a bit shot.”

“It's not a problem! I’m Matthew by the way.” With a small smile, she introduced herself as well. “But, uh, do you want me to get you anything? Some water? I don’t know if Damien told you, but we have dinner just about done…”

“Yeah, he told me. I'm alright though thank you. And, uh, thank you for cleaning up…” She made a vague gesture to the lobby floor. Matthew tilted his head for a second before realizing what she was indicating.

“Oh! Of course! I mean, that was entirely our fault! We would have been real assholes if we didn’t clean it up.” He chuckled, flashing her another smile. An idea seemed to hit him at that moment as he let out a small gasp before moving closer to her. “I just had a great idea!” He announced, shoving his hands into one of the pockets of his jacket. Now it was her turn to tilt her head curiously. “Wait for it… wait for it…” She was very unsure of what exactly she was waiting for. Before she could open her mouth to ask, he brought his hands back out of his pocket. “Tada!” She let out a shocked breath, sitting in one palm was a white creature that looked to be like some sort of plush squirrel. Except that it had red eyes and its ears were more like that of rabbits. It has somewhat of a crazed smile on its face and a miniature – hopefully dulled – knife in its paw.

“What… is it exactly?” She wondered aloud; raising one of her hands to gently brush her fingers along its fur. She was pleasantly surprised by how soft it was. Matthew smiled at her before his eyes opened and fell upon the thing in his hands. The color drained from his face, his eyes wide with fear.

“Wait a second... What did I just make?! T–this is...” She couldn’t help but wonder what he meant to say. “AAAAH!! WHAT IS THAT?!”

‘He doesn’t know? And what did he mean by make? Did he make this? How in the world–’ Both were startled when the thing suddenly let out a  mischievous laugh. Matthew yelped, quickly jerking his hands away from it and letting it fall to the floor. He twisted his body in front of her, an arm held out as if to shield her, as he scooted them back and away from the thing now laying on the floor.

“Ugh, we need to get rid of that thing! It might be possessed by a demon or something!” She wasn’t sure if she should laugh or be concerned. “That’s not what I wanted to make!! I just wanted to surprise you with a stuffed animal or just something to cheer you up... But that looks like it came straight out of a horror movie...”  His shoulders slumped in front of her and his gaze locked on his bare feet. She felt bad for him. It seemed like he meant well, and she didn’t know how this could be his fault.

“But how did, where did??” There’s no way that thing had originally fit inside his pocket. “Do you have, like, Mary Poppins-styled magic pockets or something?” She couldn’t help but lean slightly towards him, peering into his empty jacket pocket.

“What? Mary Poppins?” His face scrunched up in confusion as he looked down at her.

“Uh, never mind,” She mumbled before turning back towards the doll on the floor. The… doll? We’ll stick with a doll. For now. The doll was odd-looking, no point in lying about that. However, she wouldn’t say it was terrifying enough to run out of the room screaming bloody murder. She paused before moving close enough to squat beside it, raising a finger to gently poke at one of its ears. In all honesty, it was one of the softest things she had ever touched. Gently wrapping her fingers around the doll she picked it off the ground and stood back up. Her thumbs ran up and down the plush round stomach, completely transfixed before letting out a small squeal and rubbing her cheek against the doll’s face. Matthew on the other hand, stared at her completely dumbfounded.

“Wha… what are you–” The words died on his tongue as she turned towards him, a bright smile donning her face.

“I’m gonna keep him.” 

Matthew stuttered, heat crawling up his face. “B–but it’s so creepy looking!” Her head tipped to the side ever so slightly as she continued to hold the doll close to her.

“You said it yourself that you made this for me right?” Matthew hesitated before nodding his head in silent confirmation. “You’ve only just met me. But you could tell I wasn’t feeling well so you did something to try and make me feel better. That’s more than enough reason for me to want to keep it.” To emphasize her point she squeezed the doll tightly to her chest, flashing him a small appreciative smile. “Thank you.”

Matthew stared at her with wide eyes before his lips tugged into a bright smile, a cheerful laugh leaving him. “You’re welcome! It’s great to see you smiling.” Kait couldn’t help but duck her head to hide her blush, however, the small smile never left her face. She heard him laugh again as he moved closer to her. “Anyway, we should head into the dining room! Dinner’s just about finished.” He hovered a hand around her shoulder, giving her a chance to pull away if she wasn’t comfortable with him touching her. When she didn’t pull away he gently rested his hand on her. “I don’t mean to brag, but we’re pretty decent chefs.” He flashed her a wink. A small rumble from the blonde's stomach caught their attention, and when their eyes met they both erupted into giggles.

“Food sounds wonderful right now, please lead the way!”

With his hand still resting on her shoulder, he directed them toward the dining room. The aroma that filled the air caused her eyes to flutter shut. She didn’t doubt for a second that whatever they were preparing she would thoroughly enjoy. Her eyes snapped back open, however, when a voice she recognized chimed in.

 “Oh, the girls awake.”