#t;sofiedupont

Time had never been something Sofie had really considered. 

Everyone seemed to appear on the universe’s timeline at their own pace, and left it in the same fashion. She’d never really wished to have been born at another time. She’d found contentment in her life, experiencing the things and people she’d met. 

They had been sipping coffee when a family had gone by. Two doting parents with a rambunctious little boy between the two of them. A smile tugged at the corners of Sofie’s mouth as the boy squealed with laughter as his parents swung him between the two of them. 

It was the kind of thing that always warmed Sofie’s heart to see. Except this time, the smile was a little sad. 

It wasn’t until hours later, curled up on her couch with Cassius that she even began to allow herself to consider it. “Do you ever wish,” she asked quietly. “That you had been born in another time?”

____

Cassius watched as the young family walked past the window, a strange tugging at his heart made him feel something he had repressed for years. He hadn’t had a family in so long that he had simply stopped allowing himself to feel anything for it. Sure, he had a makeshift family with Richard once upon a time, but that ship had sailed as well. Seeing a happy family, it reminded him that no matter what, he could never have it. He was dead. Dead things didn’t get a happily ever after. Willing himself to forget about it, he settled on the couch with his latest novel that he had picked up from the local book store.

Now halfway through the book he was reading, Sofie interrupted Cassius’s reading to ask him a simple but loaded question. He thought for a moment. “I find that if I wish for things that can never be, they only make me feel sad.” He answered, looking to her with a curious gaze. “I wish I was born after the creation of modern medicine.” He decided, putting his bookmark in the book and snapping it shut. “Where’s your mind at?” He then inquired, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

He had a point, of course. Wondering about what could have been only made what was sting. Even if what was, was good, and if she had to live all three hundred years again to get to this exact spot, there were few things, if any, that Sofie would change. She did manage a soft laugh. “Yes, you were quite lucky in that regard. Inoculation was only just starting to catch on when I was a young woman.”

She was not certain where this conversation might go. But she wouldn’t lie. She was far too old to be anything but honest. Especially about the complicated things. And yet, it wasn’t a particularly easy conversation to have. She closed her eyes a moment as gentle fingers brushed her hair back. “It’s silly.” Sofie started, trying to downplay it. “I just see families sometimes… like the one from earlier. And I wonder. That’s all.”

___________

Cassius frowned as she explained her woes, and it made him stop and think to his earlier thoughts. “Being what we are comes at a price,” he began, setting the book down on the end table beside him and turning to her. “When I was alive, I would picture myself with a family. When I woke up undead, that was one of the first things I had to learn to come to terms with.” He took her hand, a subtle look of sadness of in his face. 

“It’s hard not to wonder what could be if the situation was different.” He began, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. “There are a lot of things I wish I could do. Being able to bask in sunlight being the biggest one out of them. But the situation is as it is, and there is nothing that can be done to fix it.” Cassius shrugged, wishing he had a better solution. “We can’t change what is, we can only look to the future and hope for what will be.” His gaze was hard to read, most of it calm, but some of it as if a storm was brewing behind those words. “We are what we are. I’ve come to accept what that comes with.”

He had a point. Of course he did. He had been alive nearly as long as she had- a person didn’t come to be that old without a few pearls of wisdom. A few things that they had learned to accept. But when he said it was one of the first things he had to accept he had lost, something in her chest tightened. Some ache she couldn’t set aside. Maybe it was trying to picture him with someone in his own time. Little children with poet’s hearts like their father. He took her hand, and she held it tight. 

“I thought it was easy for so long… living without things. I was an old maid by the standards of my day. Six-and-twenty, and still unwed? I’d have to care for my parents in their old age, or work as a lady’s maid the rest of my days… I never gave much thought to having a family when I was young.” Her voice was quiet. As if it wasn’t a truth she admitted freely it often. Sofie closed her eyes as he mentioned the sun, pretending that if she wished hard enough, she might still feel warmth against her skin that wouldn’t spell out her demise. She looked back at him, and there was something about that expression… the calm before the storm, perhaps. She wanted to push. To ask what had the storm rolling in. She didn’t voice it aloud, but her eyes asked the simple question ‘what is it?’ 

______

Cassius hummed, giving a slight shake to of his head to shake away his thoughts. “It’s just hard to stay looking forward when little moments you know you can never have rear their head in front of your eyes.” He spoke in return the look she gave him with only her eyes. Of course he could read his face like an open book, for he only let himself speak true around her. The pain he felt in his chest was only emotional, but knowing that didn’t make it hurt any less. 

“I’ve come to accept things because if I don’t, it’ll make me feel miserable.” He spoke, shaking his head as he picked up his book. “I’m sorry, I don’t like talking about this.” He pulled his hand away and opened the book to the marked page he had left off on. Sometimes these things were just too hard to put into words, so he withdrew.

And once more, he had a point. And Sofie cared for him far too much to speak of things she knew would make him miserable. But that didn’t make the ache in her chest go away. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.” Her voice was a whisper. She tugged a blanket from the arm of the sofa onto her lap. She didn’t need the warmth, but there was something comforting about the weight of it. He withdrew into his book. She wouldn’t force his hand. Sofie wanted to say something more. She wasn’t sure what. Maybe just to know that if they had met in another time, under different circumstances, if they could have had that. 

_____

A few hours had past since they had spoken. But in the back of his head, there was a nagging that demanded him to face what he could never had. Cassius didn’t look up from his book as he spoke. “I lied.” He spoke simply, staring at the words at the page, but not taking them in. “I think about having a family all the time. I think about what it would be like to have children and a normal life and doing little things out in the sunshine because I can.” He finally looked over to Sofie, taking her hand. “I think about these things with you. And it hurts that it can never be.” He confessed, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand. 

Seeing happy families, as cute as they were, hurt him a bit. It reminded what he could never have and what had been ripped away from him. But at the same time, he woudln’t have had it either way. He wouldn’t have made it to see himself with a family. “Perhaps we should get a cat.” He suggested with a coy smile. “It’s not a child, but we could definitely treat it like it is.” He chuckled, thinking to how caring Sofie would be with a pet in the house. “Or even a dog, if you’re into that. But not being able to walk it when it needs to be walked sounds like a bit of a downside.”

She had slipped into silence easily enough. The only sound was the occasional turn of a page. It lulled her into her thoughts. So when after time had gone by, she was startled by the sudden sound of a voice. Sofie looked up at him, confused. Lied? He was talking to the book at first, but the words were clearly meant for her. The words were both a burn and a salve. The pain was the same, and there was some comfort in that. In knowing that they would both want the same thing. He took her hand, and she held onto it tightly. “I like to think,” she sighed “that somewhere in the multitudes of universes that have us in them, that in at least one of those we met before. And that we could have that. In some place and time.”

There was that smile. It tugged at her heart, and her face slowly warmed into one to match his. “A cat.” She contemplated the idea for a moment before nodding slowly. “I think a cat suits our personalities far better anyhow…” Sofie grinned. “And what would you name a cat, Cassius Hawthorne. This is an important, and entirely serious question.” Her tone and the delighted gleam in her eyes said anything but. 

_____

A faint smile took over Cassius’s lips, leaning in to press a kiss to her temple. “I have no doubt that in the multitude of universes, you and I are together in every one.” He murmured against her before pulling back. It was a hopeful thing to think about, the idea of different worlds, and in that world that he would be human and he would be happy. His mind flicked to Richard, what if in another world– no. No thinking about that. He blinked once, willing the thoughts out of his mind and back onto Sofie. 

He thought for a long moment about the idea of a cat. A living breathing thing that he would take care of. “I want a black cat,” he declared with a smug look. “I like the name Nocturne.” He mused, lost in thought of the idea of being a goth vampire with a black cat. It really tied all the stereotypes together in a neat little black bow. His eyes then lit up with all the possibilities. “Or something from Shakespeare,” he then suggested as he leaned forward, lost in thought as he cycled through the names of several characters that the playwright had created. “Desdamona, Ophelia, Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby…” he trailed off, quite amused with his last suggestion.

She relaxed as his lips pressed against her temple. Sliding her arms around him, she pulled herself closer, to the point where she was practically sat in his lap. Sofie noticed his gaze grow distant. She tipped her head up, placing a kiss just under his jaw. “I like the sound of that.”

Sofie laughed, nodding slowly. “A black cat, alright.” She liked that he leaned into the stereotype. The black clothes, the poetry… a black cat would be the cherry on top. “Black is the badge of hell, the hue of dungeons and the school of night.” She mused. “You could borrow one of their names. Kit instead of Christopher. After Marlowe.”

_____

Cassius kept thinking of names but all his brain wanted to do was come back to Lord Stanley, Earl of Derby. “I really like my last suggestion.” He murmured with a playful expression, eyes alight with excitement. It wasn’t a child, but it never would be. That was a dream that he had learned to give up long ago. But the idea of an animal that they could care for together sounded quite nice. “Whatever we name it, it shall be spoiled rotten.” He decided as he pulled out his phone, making straight-faced eye contact as he opened Amazon on his phone and began to search for various cat supplies they would need and adding it to his cart. “Spoiled.” He repeated as he added a cat tree to his cart.

“I suppose we’ll need a solid place to live first,” he suggested as he stopped adding things to his cart with wild abandon. “At least, me not living where I do. I feel like a cat wouldn’t like a windowless crypt to live in very much.” He thought for a moment, knowing he’d have to seriously start looking into it. “And as much as I hate the idea of helping the bastard, I’d like to have a basement where we can hide Richard. Last thing I need is him getting caught and killed by a bunch of hunters that realize he’s here.”

She snorted at the lengthy title. “His lordship. Derby for short.” It was ridiculous, and yet Sofie loved it. Peering over his shoulder at the screen, she pointed at little mouse shaped toys that the website claimed had catnip in them, as if to say add those to the cart for the lordling.

A new home and a cat. It was impossibly domestic. It was easy to forget all the chaos that had been the last few months. Slayers, disappearances, reappearances of elder vampire sires…. She had to admit she liked this better. It felt impossibly human. A basement for Richard though. The thought of the elder vampire lurking beneath the floorboards wasn’t a thrilling one, but he was still important to Cassius. “I can look for a house… find a realtor or something.”

_______

Cassius smiled at the nicknames, thinking of all the possibilities that his life had the option of going in, but he found himself with Sofie, someone he felt he would have never deserved if he gave himself the opportunity to truly think about it. He knew he was lucky, but he also knew that he had lived a very long life full of a lot of nothing. Sofie lived her life full of opulence with other people that she had seen as a family. He had lived running from place to place, only really knowing Richard. He never got the opportunity to truly live his life until he was finally on his own. And even then, it took him a long time to finally be okay with that.

'“I’ll be in touch,” Richard had said to Cassius before leaving him alone with his thoughts. It had spiraled him out of control enough to jump back into fight or flight. And knowing what Richard had become, all he could do was run. And running was something he had become rather good at over the years. He had called off work for the week, claiming a family emergency, and ran. He had driven as far as his car could take him, ending up in rural Kentucky. Nothing in Kentucky said he would go there, so it felt like a good place to stop. 

After taking a day to drive there, Cassius had lasted all but four days before it truly began to set in how bad of an idea it was. He kept thinking about everyone he was leaving behind. He thought of the people he could put in danger from his sire looking for him. Most of all, he thought of Sofie. So he turned back, hoping that something terrible hadn’t happened to her to get his attention.

Cassius’s hands gripped the steering wheel of his car as he drove back into town. His teeth were clenched and grinding as he pulled up before Sofie’s apartment. She was going to kill him. All he said was, “He found me,” before disappearing without a trace for a week. He had been foolish and selfish; every other word ended in ish. It was the middle of the night by the time he finally made it back to Maine, and all he could think about was how he had ruined everything, how Richard had ruined everything. He had to take responsibility for his actions, so he called her phone. It felt like an eternity as he waited for her to pick up if she picked up. He couldn’t blame her if she decided not to pick up. She had called him endlessly, texted him nonstop, and left messages on his social media. He felt stupid and deserved whatever was about to come his way.

_______

Three words. 

Three terrible little words. 

Three words that had been followed by seven interminable days of silence. Seven days of no answering texts or calls to explain a horribly cryptic message. Seven days of walking through town, going to all the usual spots. Seven days of stopping by the school checking to see if he had turned up. Seven days of walking through a god damned cemetery praying she wouldn’t find some horrible sign that something had befallen him. 

Seven days of jumping every time her phone rang, practically flying across the room only for her chest to ache when the face lighting up the screen wasn’t Cassius. Seven days of praying to a god who’s existence she questioned, and who even if they did exist, she entirely doubted would listen to the prayers of a vampire- praying that he was alright. 

Seven days. One hundred sixty eight hours that had felt more like one hundred sixty eight centuries. 

Needless to say, Sofie was beside herself. 

Had she done something wrong? Did he think he couldn’t trust her?

When her phone lit up and his face appeared she thought she was dreaming. Maybe some new fun side effect of hysterics. Then the phone kept ringing. Her hand shot out and she snatched up her phone, clicking the green button to accept the call. 

“Cassius?” She tried to keep the panic out of her voice. “Where are you?”

_______

As she picked up, she sounded bewildered, and he wasn’t surprised. “I’m uh. I’m outside,” he spoke inelegantly, almost mumbling into the phone instead of speaking. “I owe you an explanation of where I went and all that’s happening.” He began to explain, kicking at the pavement in front of him. He knew she needed to be informed because he didn’t know what his sire was planning if anything at all. 

He waited for something to happen, as if Richard would pop out behind him or compel him to do something against his will. But if Cassius had meant anything to him, he knew he wouldn’t be so brazen. His hand flew to his pocket, the ring that had been thrown at his feet that night. He’d have to explain that, too. It really did feel easier to run away from his problems than face them head-on. 

_______

He hadn’t even started his second sentence and she had dropped her phone. She went flying out the door, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She heard him distantly talking through the phone, but she wasn’t paying much attention. 

Seeing him outside, Sofie was convinced this either truly was a dream, or she’d been out in the sun too long and this was some sort of pre ash dream state she had entered. If either was the case, at least she’d let it be a good dream. Her arms flew around him, locking firmly around his waist in a tight hug. 

She didn’t say anything for what felt like a long time, content to breathe in the pine and lavender scent she’d come to associate with him. She didn’t realize she was crying until she felt tears sliding down her cheeks. “What happened?” Sofie mumbled against his chest, not willing to withdraw an inch. 

_______

Cassius frowned as she stopped responding, a loud thud on her end, and then suddenly, there she was. Standing right in front of him. Then, she hugged him. He wasn’t sure what he had done to deserve that. He was more expecting a smack and a firm talking to. This wasn’t at all what he had expected, and he was rather glad to be proved wrong. Wrong about how she would react, and wrong that Sofie could possibly be anything other than understanding. He knew better now.

He paused for a long moment after she asked what had happened, his mind whirling at where to start, his life had been flipped upside down, and all it took was just to see him again. Grotesque and monstrous. Was that truly the future that awaited his kind? He hated it. He didn’t know much about elder vampires. He wasn’t sure what was due to the transformation and what was just due to time. But to think he could waltz back into his life as if forty years hadn’t passed? No. That wasn’t something he could accept.

“My sire, he… he just showed up.” He said quietly, afraid of speaking too long and Richard somehow hearing. Everything came back to thinking about him lurking, waiting. All he wanted was his help. He had to keep reminding himself of that. He wasn’t here to strip him of his freedom. He just wanted his help. He had to keep reminding himself of that. “Not only that, but he’s an elder vampire.” He added, brows furrowing. He finally let Sofie go. Whether she let go was up to her, however. 

“Someone is hunting him, and it’s enough to scare him into needing my help.” He frowned, turning away. “What’s worse, he acted as if he had only left a week ago, not forty years ago.” He bit down on his lower lip, wanting to scream that nothing was fair, that none of it made any sense. “And he gave me this back.” He pulled out the gold wedding band, staring down at it as if it could burst into flames at any moment. “This meant something to me once. Now it just feels like deadweight.” He held it in the palm of his hand before slipping it back into his pocket. As dead of a weight as it felt, he couldn’t get himself to throw it away. 

________

Her fingers knotted into the fabric of his coat, as if if she held on tight enough, she could convince herself this wasn’t some dream. Sofie’s mind started to lurch back into motion like a creaky old machine as she pieced together pieces of information. At the words ‘elder vampire’, she pulled back her head just far enough to see his face, a flicker of fear crossing her tear streaked face. 

The more he spoke, the more her face tightened into a tight lipped frown. There were thousands of questions she wanted to ask, but she wasn’t even remotely sure if where to start. She didn’t let him go entirely, but she did loosen her hold on him. Sofie’s eyes shifted to the ring. His words regarding it were somewhat comforting. They’d probably have been more comforting if her mind was behaving rationally, which it wasn’t. Instead it was a loop of worries that ran through her mind as she watched the gold band slip back into his pocket. They were wed. Still wed?

But that still didn’t explain so much. “Seven days- this was week ago.”

___________

Cassius nodded his head slowly, his gaze a thousand miles away. He knew that Richard would come for him again, and he seemed different from the last time they were together. He seemed off, as if time alone had changed him. The more he rethought the interaction, the more it got under his skin, playing with his sense of stability and threatening to let it topple over. He closed his eyes for a long moment, willing himself to calm down. It didn’t help anyone to let him get this wound up over just a few words. 

Opening his eyes again, Cassius looked at Sofie, still a bit dazed and far away. “A week ago, I got scared, and I ran. I thought it would solve my problems.” He shook his head, wanting to pull himself away from her, feeling disgusting in his own skin. “Work thinks I had a family emergency. Which… I suppose isn’t entirely false.” He frowned. He felt bad leaving the kids he taught. Left with some substitute that didn’t know what to do with the notes he had left.

“I realize I can’t just run from these things anymore.” Cassius rubbed a hand over his face, letting out a groan. “If he can’t get me to help him, I know sooner or later, he’s going to go through you to get to me. And I can’t let that happen.” He picked at his nails, staring down at his hands. “I should have confided in you instead of running, and I’m sorry for doing so.” He looked back to Sofie, shaking his head. “I know you have questions. Go ahead. Ask them.” 

_________

Sofie let out a long, slow breath. She supposed it shouldn’t surprise her that he’d run. The situation was already complicated- the now elder vampire had been the one to instill that very instinct into Cassius. And while it wasn’t a bad instincts for creatures like them to have, it didn’t make the sting of being one of those left behind things hurt any less. The more he spoke, the more Sofie understood why he had placed her in that category. Leverage. He didn’t want her to be used as leverage. 

Her mind was still a jumble when Cassius offered to answer whatever questions she had. The harder she tried to form a coherent question, the more lost in her own mind she became. It took a mourning dove’s call down the street to pull her from her thoughts and remind her that they were still outside. “Come on,” she said softly, letting go of him to open the door to her apartment building back up. Once they were back in her second floor apartment, she sat down. Sofie tapped her foot, scowling in concentration at a spot in her carpet. 

“You didn’t answer me.” She said quietly. Not a question. Her mind, in its hellish revolving door of thoughts she’d had the past week, stopped on that fear that had bothered her the most. “I didn’t know what had happened, and I walked around for a week trying to find you, I thought-“ her mind caught on three people who had simply vanished from her life, and the fear that a fourth had joined them. Even though he’d said she didn’t have to be alone anymore.  Sofie straightened in her chair, forcing herself to stay objective. “Did he give you any specific instructions or information?”

___________

A nagging feeling clawed at the back of his mind as they walked up to the apartment. Something wasn’t right. Cassius frowned as she referred to the countless phone calls and messages. In truth, he hadn’t read them at all. He hadn’t brought his phone with him. What if he could be tracked through it? He knew the smartest thing to do was to leave it behind. “I didn’t bring my phone with me,” he confessed, looking down at his feet. The nagging feeling wouldn’t go away. It grew louder and louder, and he finally looked up to the corner of the apartment, where the light didn’t quite reach. He was terrified that if he looked hard enough, Richard would appear. 

Why was he so afraid? He couldn’t help but wonder, chewing on his lower lip as he tried to reason with himself. “I keep thinking I’ll see him somewhere.” He shook his head. He couldn’t shake off his paranoia. “I’m sorry, Sofie. I…” he trailed off, a sense of defeat washing over him. “I should have told you, but I feared he’d use you. The less you knew, the better.” His voice was quiet, as if afraid to speak too loud. “Truth is, I don’t know why I’m so scared of him.” He admitted, rubbing at his arm. “He did nothing but keep me safe through the years and care about me when no one else knew I was there.” He frowned. The words out loud tasted sour. “But at the same time, I could have been part of a group. I could have… I could have been let go of. Allowed to pass away when it was my time to go.” 

It was clear that Cassius was going through an identity crisis, unsure of what was true and what was distorted by his view of things. He pulled the ring out of his pocket, staring down at it with malice. “He’s been obsessed with me since the day we met all those years ago.” He finally concluded. “And I was too blind to see it until now.” He looked back up at Sofie, a confused and hurt expression on his face. “I hate what this thing represents.” He told her, treating the ring as if it burned him. “I want nothing more than to toss this into the water and be rid of it.” 

__________

Sofie sat perfectly still as he spoke, not breathing, not blinking. Just frozen in time, letting her mind work through all the information. The longer she sat still, the more she realized she didn’t like that she was sat alone. As he talked, she wordlessly held out a hand to him, gesturing to the seat next to her. He’d been far for seven days, and that was seven days too long. The more she sat and listened, the more she realized that Cassius needed support in this, even though she doubted he’d ask for help. She looked up at him, silently pleading that he take her hand.

“It will be harder for him to use me if I know what he’s playing at.” Her voice was the smooth calm before the storm. Sofie had plenty still to piece together in her mind, but the one corner of the puzzle she’d been piecing together over all their conversations was the same realization that Cassius had come to. The now elder vampire may not have started with ill intentions, but his feelings for Cassius had twisted over time into something dark.

Her eyes fixed on the gold band, a promise of something that spanned more than just one human lifetime. “Then why haven’t you, kochanie?” The question was barely a whisper, as if she was scared the words would send him running. But she’d barely asked the question when she realized she might have already answered it. It had been so many years, just the two of them. Only the two of them. Over a century. He’d only been apart from him a relatively short time in the grand scheme of things. What was forty years after well over one hundred years of commitment. Sofie folded her hands in her lap, her fingers wringing. “You don’t have to erase all that time and who you were. And you won’t be a new person overnight. Things take time. Perhaps longer for us, since we live longer. “And if you still care for him,” her gaze flickered down to her hands. “Then I understand. But only if that is what you want. And no one else is making that decision for you.” 

__________

Cassius thought for a long moment. He wasn’t sure what Richard was playing at. If it was just a hunter, surely that was something he could take care of, couldn’t he? Unless it was more than one. “He claims there’s a hunter after him, and he needs my help.” He shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know any more than that. The conversation between the two of them hadn’t been particularly long enough to gauge the true motive at play if there was one. “If there’s something more he wants, then I’m not sure what it is.” He frowned, shaking his head. “He’s not the same man I knew.” He started, hand fidgeting with the ring as he thought back to the interaction. “Time alone has changed him. He’s more…” he waved his hands, trying to think of the word to use. “Cunning?” He decided on, unsure if it were the word he’d use. “It feels like he’s hiding something, is all.” 

Finally, he snapped back to the present, Sofie’s words piercing through him like a tuning fork to his spine. Why hadn’t he? That was a good question. “Because he scares me now.” He finally spoke, looking over to Sofie. “I ran because he scares me. I hold onto this thing,” he waved the ring around, staring at it with malice. “Because I’m afraid of what will happen if he one day asks to know where it is and I don’t have it.” Cassius knew he was catastrophizing, but it was hard to stop his spiral once it began. 

Taking a deep breath, he finally shook his head, shoving the piece of metal back into his pocket. “I’m sorry that I left you without a word. It was foolish of me, and I should have known better than to do that to you.” He spoke, walking toward her and taking her hands into his own. “I know better than to run. I know better than to leave behind something that means so much to me.” He frowned, unsure what he could say to possibly ease her mind after leaving her for so long. “For the first time in my life, I finally feel what it’s like to have friends again. To have someone that truly matters to me, not something that feels like… like I have to be with them.” Cassius thought back to Richard. Their whole relationship had been one of convenience after those hundreds of years. “I finally have someone who lights up my world like the sun I can no longer cherish.” He placed a hand under Sofie’s chin, staring intently at her. “I understand if you cannot forgive me. But I am sorry.”

__________

The very word hunter made her skin prickle. Being stalked, hunted down like an animal- that wasn’t a fate she’d wish on anyone. If the man had a slayer one step behind him, it was only a matter of time before they connected him to Cassius. If it was the truth, then that was a bigger issue than anything. If helping someone who scared Cassius so much that he had decided to run was the cost Sofie had to pay to make certain no slayers came near the people she cared about again… Well it was unfortunately something she had to consider. 

After what felt like far too long, he took her hand. He tipped her chin up to look at her, and Sofie’s eyes softened. If she was the sun, then he was the stars she’d wished on every night- that intangible dream that she held so close until she’d manifested it into one life, and then once again in the form of him. She tipped her face dawn, pressing a kiss to his palm as he lifted her face. 

“I could forgive you for anything.” Sofie finally said, relief tinged with exhaustion tumbling out of her along with her words. She stood, carefully folding herself back in his arms. “Please, please don’t disappear again… I know you may want to run, but I can help.”

__________

Cassius held Sofie tightly, pressing his cheek to the top of her head as he hugged her. “I promise you I won’t do that again.” He vowed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. A word lingered in his head that was too soon to utter but rang true all the same. A word he would shout for everyone to hear if she asked it, a word that people had gone to war over. He loved her, but now wasn’t the time to say it aloud. He wasn’t sure that he would ever find such a time. It was too sacred, too real. It didn’t make it any less true. 

“I think it’s official that I can’t stay in that damn cemetery anymore,” he then spoke. He’d now had a very real reason for getting out of there. Someone else had moved in that he’d rather stay away from. “So I suppose my hunt starts, doesn’t it?” He grumbled to himself. The idea still felt sour on his tongue, but Cassius knew it would do him good in the long run. 

Shaking off the thoughts of moving from his mind, he felt he could hold her for an eternity. He’d never felt so safe, loved, and seen in all his life, yet here she was. All those poets proclaiming their love from the rooftops finally started to make sense to him. “Zofia I…” he stopped, almost afraid to speak it aloud. He almost looked pained, afraid. But then his features softened as Cassius stared into her eyes. “I love you.”

____________

“Good.” She murmured. She fully intended on holding him to that promise. He held her tight, and Sofie couldn’t quite fight the pained wince as the embrace tugged at healing wounds from the previous night’s encounter. She’d been operating solely on the urgency to be with him, to find out what had happened, that she hadn’t paid attention when her body had started to protest. Damned slayer… That was another good reason for him to move out of that cemetery. “Yes, I suppose you do. I can help with looking into realtors, if you’d like.” 

She looked up at the sound of her name. Relieved tears welled at the corners of her eyes. Sofie hadn’t been sure she’d ever hear him say that name again. Blinking the tears back, a curious smile tugged at her lips. It almost turned into a frown as she registered something akin to panic in his eyes, but the fear gave way to affection. And then he said three more words. Three words she knew she’d been thinking the whole damn time she’d been out trying to find him. Three words that she would have waited another three centuries for, so long as she heard them from him. 

She reached up, brushing a hand against his cheek. Pushing herself onto her toes, she towed him down into a deep kiss, tangling her hands in his hair. She kissed him like she was trying to disappear into this one moment, and simply exist there till the end of time. “I love you, too.” 

______

Cassius felt like he could stay there and kiss Sofie for hours. He composed a poem in his mind. 

Her lips were a drink of water 

in the desert heat. 

Her voice was siren song that 

brought sailors from their fleet.  

He wanted to put into words how she made him feel. He wanted nothing more than for her to be put into his poetry the way artists painted their muses. He found his art-laden mind quickly interrupted by the realization that she had winced earlier. He pulled away from her, looking her over with a worried expression.

“You winced. What’s wrong?” He placed his hands on her shoulders, worry still showing clearly on his face. He had been so caught up in his own world that he had failed to notice that she was hurting. He mentally kicked himself for not realizing sooner. He had been so worried about everything that had happened and how she would react to him coming back that he hadn’t paid attention to her. 

_________

Shit. 

Sofie was old, and one of the benefits of that was accelerated healing. But getting stabbed did not miraculously heal overnight. The surface damage had healed, yes, but the damage underneath was still fixing itself. She really ought to drink something. 

Sofie wanted to chase after his lips, and put the worrying to the side for a bit, but judging from the look on his face, he wasn’t about to let that happen. 

She shook her head, hoping to downplay it. The damage was practically invisible now, anyway. The only outward evidence was an angry pink mark on her side, which was hidden beneath her clothes. 

“I had a bit of an incident the other night, it’s nothing. I’m fine.” She was tempted to say it’s fine, but she knew better than that. Sofie didn’t know for sure that the slayer was dead. There was always a chance he turned up somewhere. 

__________

“A bit of an accident that’s still affecting you?” He raised a brow, clearly not buying it. “Love, if something happened while I was gone I-” He cut himself off. I wouldn’t forgive myself, I won’t ever leave your side again, I was a fool… the thoughts wrestled with him endlessly as he thought of all of the horrible things that could have happened to her because he wasn’t there. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to center himself back to reality a bit. So much had happened in such a short amount of time, and he was still trying to get his head back on his shoulders properly. 

“I see now that I can’t possibly leave you alone,” he mused aloud with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I should wrap you in bubble wrap and tuck you away.” He teased, poking at her cheek with a grin. It was easy to let things go with her. All he wanted was to see her smile. Still, if she was hurt and he could have been there… 

“You would tell me if you were in danger, too, correct?” He raised a brow at her again, forcing himself to make at least sure that everything would be alright. He couldn’t help but think of the hunter who hunted down her family. Every time something happened to her, it made him wonder if she was as unlucky as he felt at that moment.

________

A pang of guilt twinged in her chest. She didn’t want him to feel guilty. Truly, it was her own damn fault for letting her guard now. She should have grown out of that idea that she wouldn’t get hurt. Especially after her previous encounter. Especially after what had happened to her family. 

A smile propped up in the corner of her mouth as he poked at her cheek. “I’m positively cursed, kochanie, you’d need to lock me in a display case for me to not get into trouble. And that wouldn’t be fun for anyone.”

She sighed, relenting at last and keeping her eyes down. “I got into a bit of a pattern looking for you… I was at Eluria last evening walking around, and I was followed.” She swallowed. “I had your knife with me, thankfully, but they were very determined to do their job. They got distracted, I stabbed them, and I ran.”

________

Cassius knew that Sofie wasn’t telling him the whole truth. But if she decided she didn’t want to talk about it, he wouldn’t push it. After all, he was in no position to push anything at that moment. Clearly it was more than just her stabbing someone. And if she had been out at the cemetery looking for him, it made it even worse. Of course, hunters were lurking around there.  “I shouldn’t have left you.” He sighed, pulling her into a hug again. He already felt guilty enough leaving her. But knowing he was the reason she got hurt? It crushed him. Now he didn’t want to let her out of his sight. 

“This is the second slayer you’ve run into.” He noted, raising a brow at her. “Don’t tell me you’re going out at night seeking these people out for the thrill of the chase,” he jokingly accused. “I’m all for being with someone that’s a thrill seeker, but I need a warning.” he thought for a moment, then pulled away to look at her. “And maybe a leash. Keep you from running off and finding danger everywhere you go.” He playfully flicked her forehead, shaking his head. 

_______

Sofie snuggled back into the hug, nestling her head up under his chin. “It isn’t your fault, Cassius.” She really had no one to blame for not paying attention but herself. “I’ll be right as rain in a day or so. You can hardly see the mark any longer. It’s just a bit sore.” She began to babble, trying to put him at ease. 

She let out a groan of laughter. “Yes, I’m secretly so very fond of having people attempt to stab me to varying degrees of success.” Sofie raised an eyebrow, “Bubble wrap and a leash? You cannot possibly be serious. Maybe I will just go out and purchase one of those shirts that says something ridiculous like ‘definitely not a vampire.’”

_______

Cassius stared at her for a long moment, expression unreadable. “Meaning you were injured,” he accused with raised brows, pulling away from her completely, dropping his arms to his sides. “You got hurt looking for me, and now you’re trying to play it off to spare my feelings?” He rubbed his face in his hands, making a strained noise. “I truly was foolish to leave.” He groaned, taking her hands and staring at her intently. 

“I promise not to do anything stupid if you don’t do anything stupid.” He said, having half a mind to run off and smack Richard in the face just to feel better. After all, none of this would have happened if that stupid, good-for-nothing piece of – Cassius stopped his thoughts from spiraling further. There was nothing he could do to change the past. He could only look forward to the future and how he acted in the present. 

“Or a shirt that says ‘prone to accidents,’” he offered instead, wiggling his brows. “No matter, I’ll just have to do my level best to keep you as safe as possible. “He wrapped his arms around her, spinning her in a circle. “Starting by never letting you go!” He exclaimed before pressing a kiss to her temple. 

________

She winced, this time at her own stumbling through the explanation. “Well…” she sighed, crossing her arms a moment. It’s a bit of a long story, one where I probably did more damage to myself by making the wrong calls.” Sofie grimaced at the memory of slayer’s blood, pressing a hand to her mouth. “And one of the wrong calls left a window open for him to.. well.” 

She smoothed her clothing out instead of finishing the sentence. He didn’t need to know how close it had been. He didn’t need to know the stake had been in the slayer's hand, and he likely would have finished the job if a noise hadn’t pulled the hunter’s attention away. She wanted to spare him the pain that went with knowing if they’d only been present, maybe things would have gone differently. 

“I do not do stupid things, I just have a magnetic connection with unfortunate situations, it would seem.” Sofie protested, a smile sneaking through. He swung her around in a circle, and she let out a peal of laughter. “Never?” she giggled, resting her forehead against his as her feet touched back down in the ground.

_________

Cassius decided to drop the slayer discussion, at least for the time being. Right now, all he wanted was to revel in the fact that Sofie was alright, and they were together, no matter what would come their way. “A magnetic connection, oh joy.” He rolled his eyes at her, pressing another kiss to the top of her head. “Just promise me that you’ll try to be more careful, yes?” He tilted his head to the side to see if she would try anything. 

“Never!” He repeated in response, eyes wide with delight. “And you certainly can’t get rid of me now because you said you loved me too.” He nodded his head as if this solidified everything into law. He snuggled his head to hers, smiling to himself. She made him feel like everything in the world was as it should be. He’d never felt this way with anyone, and the fact that she made it so easy, it made him question if anything with Richard had ever been real. “If we ever need to run, we go together.” He decided aloud. “But for now, I think we’ve got enough people around us that we may be alright here. Enough weird shit happens around here. Saw some human get bit by the weirdest worm thing I’ve ever seen on the way out of town.” He shuddered at the memory, how it had almost gotten the better of him. 

“So, step one. We find a house.” He smiled at her. “If you want to be included in this, that is.” He added. It was always nice to have one’s own space. And if this is where Sofie wanted to be, he wouldn’t take that away from her. 

________

“I promise to do my level best to not get into trouble.” Sofie said, crossing her finger in a little ‘x’ over her heart. She hoped she stopped getting into situations so she wouldn’t have to break the promise. 

“I did.” She confirmed with a nod. “I do love you.” She repeated the magnificent little words for the second time as he leaned into her. She looped her arms over his neck, holding him close. Her eyebrows raised dramatically at the mention of his apparently very scenic trip out of town. “I-“ Sofie started before shaking her head. “I’m not even going to ask”

“Silly man,” she grinned at his offer. “As if I wouldn’t want to be included.” Sofie kissed him gently, pulling away with a grin. “I’d go anywhere with you. Happily.”

_______

Cassius rolled his eyes, but there was a loving expression behind it. If she could try her best, then that’s what he would take. He couldn’t ask for more than that. “I appreciate it,” he spoke in reply, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. “So I suppose that journey begins.” He made a face at her, waggling his brows. 

She had sprinted away the moment the slayer had let her go. Sofie was not a fan of being held hostage on the sidewalk with the sun creeping up onto the horizon. Ragged breaths wheezed out of her, as her bare feet pushed her forward. I need to stop wearing stilettos if hunters are going to keep finding me. The thought passed through her mind absently, as she drew in air that she didn’t need.  It was a comforting force of habit, and at that particular moment, she’d take all the comfort she could get. 

Especially since the sun had risen fifteen minutes ago. 

Sofie had taken a twisted path home, convinced that the slayer would follow her. Unless he already knew where she lived… The vampire cursed, the feeling of the sunlight against her skin causing her  to flinch.  Maybe even if they’d let her go, she was dead anyway. She could burn up in the sun, or they could be there waiting for her when she got home. Or maybe they had a friend to do their dirty work. Another few minutes that felt like ages, and her apartment was in view. 

Another five minutes, and she was running up the steps into her apartment, and tucking herself inside, locking the door tight behind her. She went through every inch of her apartment once, twice, three times. Sofie felt as though she were somewhere outside her body, watching herself walk about from somewhere on the ceiling. Sofie walked to the kitchen, snatching up a knife. Metzli was right about keeping a knife. Sofie dropped the cold metal onto her bedside table. She sat down on the edge of her bed, tugging a quilt up over her shoulders. Her lip wobbled as she let the tight control she had over herself go. A thump sounded as her upstairs neighbor began their day. Sofie nearly leapt out of her skin. She didn’t want to be alone right now. Frantic fingers dug through her purse until she found her phone in the depths of her bag. 

Her fingers flew over the screen as she typed in a message. She deleted and rewrote the last two words three times before she finally hit send. 

I know the sun is up, but can you come over? I’m scared. 

______

He didn’t do much of anything on the weekends. Sure, he went out to the club on Saturday nights, but other than that, he kept to himself. The four stone walls of the crypt had begun to prove uncomfortably quiet lately, as if something in him had changed. At that moment, Cassius found himself reading Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, a collection of poems he found himself enveloped in. So involved in his book, he almost didn’t hear his phone vibrate (he never kept the ringer on). 

I’m scared.

That’s all it took for Cassius to spring up from the stone bench he sat on, quickly pulling on his wide brim hat and black trench coat that he kept on hand specifically to go out in the daylight. Pulling on a pair of gloves to cover his hands, he quickly exited the crypt and into the cemetery. He parked his car close by, nothing he couldn’t get to quickly with his enhanced speed. Usually he was more careful than this, but he knew that she wouldn’t send him something without it being truly important. 

I’m on my way, he sent her in response.

Once he got into his car, the rest of it was a blur. Cursing every time he hit a red light, speeding a bit too fast to get where he needed to be. As soon as he reached her apartment building, he made quick work of parking and unfastening his seatbelt. He pulled out his phone and quickly sent another text, letting her know that he had made it. He lowered his head toward the sun, trying to get as much shade onto his face as possible. 

_____

Her phone had barely gone dark before it lit back up with a response. It was a strange mix of relief and guilt that washed over her. Relief that she wouldn’t be alone in her apartment when a hunter could very well have rethought his decision to let her know and be on his way to finish what he’d started. Guilt that she was putting him at risk. The sun was up. If the slayer had known who Sofie was, it was possible he’d kept tabs on anyone she’d been close to since coming to town. If something happened to Cassius on the way over, she’d never forgive herself. 

She paced back and forth as the minutes ticked by. What if he was too far away? What if something had happened. What if, what if, what if. Her phone lit up again, and she practically flew across her apartment to snatch it up. Her lip wobbled as relief flooded through her. She dropped the phone and ran out her apartment door and down the stairs to the entrance. She pushed open the door, and stopped for a moment, realizing she still didn’t have anything to protect her from the sun. Sofie realized she didn’t give a damn. She’d made it twenty minutes in the sun, one more wouldn’t kill her. She launched herself at Cassius, holding onto him as tightly as she could. 

_______

He may have only known her for a short period of time, but Cassius knew that Sofie didn’t scare easily. Anyone who lived for as long as they had, had seen things. They had seen horrible things and wonderful things. They may be vampires, but that didn’t mean they were heartless monsters. Quite the opposite, he had met vampires that had bleeding hearts. His sire had been one of them, not able to watch a friend die. That’s why he had been so quick to respond, he knew something had to have happened to warrant this response. 

He had no time to look her over as she opened the door open and threw herself at him, and he quickly wrapped his arms around her, worrying for her as she ignored the morning sun beating down on her. He took off his hat and placed it on her head. “Let’s get inside, you can tell me what’s happened.” He spoke in a soft voice, pulling himself away enough to look down at her, brows knitted together in worry. “You’ve been out in the sun enough, it seems.” He commented, finally noticing the sunburn on her cheeks, angry and red. 

_________

She felt a hat plop down on her head, a a sound burbled out of her that vaguely resembled a laugh. It was a bit too big for her head, and slipped down on her brow. Sofie tipped her head back to see his face crinkled in concern. His mentioning the sun brought her attention back to the warmth on her skin. A monster burning away in the sun. She thought absently. “Alright,” her voice was distant, but she unwrapped herself from around Cassius, picking up his hand as she drifted out of the sun and into the comfortable shade of the apartment. She led him back up the stairs, and locked the door behind them once the door was shut. 

It occurred to her that someone could have gotten into her home in the few minutes she’d been outside, so she quickly scanned the space to be certain nothing was out of place. Once she was sure, she deflated like a balloon that had made its acquaintance with a pin. “I know the sun is up, but thank you.” She looked at him with an attempt at a smile. “Do you want anything? Tea?” Sofie knew she was avoiding the topic, but she couldn’t bring herself to talk about what had happened with the slayer, and the things she hadn’t known.  Not yet. 

______

Cassius frowned at how absent-minded she seemed, which only increased his worry. Still, it was clear she didn’t want to talk about it. His worry only increased, but he knew better than to push someone on something that was clearly still very raw. As they walked up to her apartment, he noticed how she looked around as if waiting to find something… or rather someone. 

He was now certain that something had happened to her now that she was combing her apartment to make sure nothing was wrong, and he stood there, watching with that same worried expression. He had never seen her like this before, so paranoid and filled with worry. He wished he could do something to make it go away, but knew his presence alone would have to do for now. “Sofie,” he said softly, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” he murmured, continuing to hold her. “But you don’t have to pretend, not with me.”

______

Sofie stilled, allowing herself to feel the weight of his arms around her. She leaned into his chest, tucking her head under his chin. She let out a long shaky breath. “You deserve to know. If they tracked me down, they might track you down for being associated with me. And I won’t have you caught off guard.”

Another sigh, and she pulled back a little so she could talk. “A slayer tracked me down. A few years back I was in Mexico selling a piece, and I stayed with a clan there that I knew of for a few days while I sealed the deal. Apparently they-“ her voice was horse, and she shook her head, determined to get through it. “They killed the hunters family. All of them. And he wanted to see if I had anything to do with it. I don’t know how he tracked me down, but if you’re implicated by association I am so, so sorry.” Panic took Sofie’s voice up an octave as she looked up at him. “I promise, I didn’t know. I didn’t know that they were going to do that.”

_______

As she told him what had happened, Cassius found himself shaking his head as she spoke. How dare he. This hunter, accusing her of a horrible crime. But in the same breath, how could she be careless to stay with a whole clan of other vampires that she didn’t know that much about? This is why he stuck to himself, the whole idea of more vampires made it dangerous. How a group could go and kill an entire family, that was something else entirely. That was… that was evil. Any way he looked at the situation, it made him angry. 

He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, knowing there was nothing he could do about it, as much as he’d like to. “You have nothing to be sorry about. If he comes after me, so be it. I know I’m innocent.” Cassius replied, placing a hand under her chin. “It wasn’t… he’s not associated with the person who hunted down yours, is he?” He felt like he had to ask, if someone was on her tail that wanted her dead, he knew he’d have to find a way out, somewhere she could be safe. 

_______

His words were meant to calm but the panic still burned in her chest, and it stoked the fire. “I don’t want anyone after you.” Sofie’s eyes snapped up to his. She worried her lower lip between her teeth as she looked back down with a scowl and realized only then that her fangs were still out. Her eyes must have still been red as well. She hadn’t noticed they were still red. They had been since she’d let them shift colors during the confrontation, and her time in the sun hadn’t helped matters much. But she hadn’t seen her reflection in a mirror in over three hundred years- perhaps that was why. So the monsters couldn’t see how monstrous they’d become. 

She shook her head at his question. “No, I don’t think so.” Sofie thought back to the ‘conversation’, if standing on a street frozen with fear counted as that. He’d pointed out that he could have just killed her but he’d been looking for answers. He’d pointed out that her clan, no matter how civilized they pretended to be, still drank blood. “He’s too young to be the one who did it. And even if he was connected, he wouldn’t have let me go.” I wouldn’t have seen sunrise she thought to herself. Or Cassius. The thought made the frown on her face deepen, and she leaned her head back against his chest, letting the fabric of his shirt block out the world for a few moments. When she pulled back, she felt the whisper of his hand against her face and she leaned into the touch like a flower stretching to greet the sun.  “I think he’s someone different entirely.”

________

“I could try and tell you that you don’t need to worry, but we’re vampires. Unfortunately just existing is a red flag for hunters. But I can say that I know how to defend myself.” He patted his pocket where he always kept his switch blade, always a little bit prepared if the situation called for it. “He didn’t try to fight you, did he? The only injuries you have are from the sun,” he noted as he gave her another once over. He couldn’t help but wonder what the true purpose of this hunter was, usually they’re kill first and ask questions later, in his own experience. He’d only been seriously hunted once, and that was because he was young and a little too sloppy with his food. That was centuries ago, though. What Sofie was facing was fresh and raw, and Cassius wasn’t sure how to help. 

Cassius let out a sigh as she explained that the hunter was too young to be involved, feeling a little better. Surely if it were that hunter, she’d be in a lot rougher of shape than just being burned by the sun. “I’m sorry this happened to you, love.” His tone was gentle, he wasn’t really sure how to comfort her. “Whatever you want to do to distract yourself, I’m all for it.” In his experience, the best thing to do in situations such as these was a distraction. Wasn’t much to do if the hunter didn’t want her dead. Only to get over the fear, and that took time. “I wish I knew what to do,” he confessed, pressing his lips together.

_______

She watched as he patted his pocket. Maybe she should carry something… He was the second person she knew of who kept a knife on him, after Metzli. And knowing Metzli, Sofie wouldn’t have been surprised if the other vampire walked around with a veritable artillery strapped to them at all times. She supposed she’d have to start following both of their leads. Wicked’s Rest, while being full of people like them, was also full of people who wanted them gone. “He had a stake, but it was used for leverage… I wouldn’t run or attack him, and he wouldn’t use the stake.” Sofie shook her head. “Just a little sunburnt.” She shrugged. 

A shadow of a smile ghosted over her features for a moment. “You don’t have to do anything, you’ve already done enough.” Knowing that she had someone who would come if she called was a comfort Sofie hadn’t known in quite some time. She thought for a moment, her mind starting to work as it normally did. A distraction… She looked back up at him. “Tell me something. Anything. Tell me about something good.” Tell me about something that doesn’t remind me I’m the monster in someone else’s story.

______

Cassius’s brows furrowed as he thought of what he could possibly need from her. He didn’t attack her, nor did she attack him. The whole situation perplexed him, but he didn’t push any further, it was clear that Sofie wasn’t able to handle talking about it too much, not more than she already had, anyway. He took the folded switchblade out of his pocket, handing it to her. “Keep it on you. You never know when you’re going to need it.” His tone was serious, as if he wasn’t about to take ‘no’ for an answer. “I have another, so don’t worry about taking this one.” If not for herself, he hoped she would take it for his own piece of mind. 

Tell her something good, now there was something that he didn’t have an immediate answer to. He thought back to the book of poems he had been reading before coming to her apartment, remembering the poem that had stuck out to him, so he recited it

“I do not have you to fill the empty parts of me, I want to be full on my own. I want to be so complete, I could light a whole city and then I want to have you, cause the two of us combined could set it on fire.” He looked down to her, giving a soft smile. “Rupi Kaur, a poet I like.” He then explained, not wanting to take the credit for something he hadn’t written. “Poetry has always been soothing to me,” he explained with a shrug of his shoulder. “Something that helps me ground myself when I find life to be particularly difficult.”

______

The blade wasn’t very large, but it would definitely do the trick if she needed to use it. Sofie blinked, examining the knife in Cassius’s hand. Her eyes flicked up to his face a moment, and seeing that he was serious, Sofie slowly reached out and took the knife. She felt the weight of it in her hand a minute, before tucking it away. It would serve her better than the clunky kitchen knife sat on her bedside table, all but forgotten since Cassius had arrived. 

There was something soothing in the cadence of his voice as he recited the poem. She had been as tight as a bowstring since he’d gotten there, but the longer she stayed in his arms listening to the rise and fall of his voice, the more she allowed herself to let go. The safer she felt. A poem. She had asked for something good, and he had recited a poem. There was something terribly old fashioned about it, and she started to smile. It was a slow smile, like some part of her still worried the world would crash back down around her. But he’d just said the two of them together could set the city ablaze, and she wasn’t inclined to disagree with him. “I think it’s beautiful.” She wasn’t entirely sure of what else to say, so instead she rose on the tips of her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for coming when I called.”

________________

Cassius pressed a hand to Sofie’s cheek and looked down at her, expression one of earnest. “I will always come when you call, this I promise.” He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers, a gentle kiss, one that spoke of promise and care. He pulled away, hoping that he hadn’t made the wrong move, but didn’t let it show on his face. “And don’t you ever apologize for needing me. That’s what I’m here for. We help each other, lift each other up when needed.” He tilted his head, lost in thought for a brief moment, then voiced them aloud. “I suppose that’s what a relationship is.” He realized they hadn’t defined what they were to each other before that moment, but knew that someone would have to say it sooner or later. 

He knew that Sofie meant more to him than just a fling, that their connection had been deep and true from the moment they first met. And he knew he didn’t want that to leave either. He knew more than anything that she was meant for him, as he was meant for her. “I won’t ever leave you when things get tough. That I promise you.”

__________

Certain things had a miraculous simplicity to them. The stars twinkling in the night sky, or the feeling of seeing the ocean for the first time. A feeling of being so small  in the grand scheme of things, and yet so utterly whole and important enough to exist in that moment. Living for so long, it was so easy to forget that feeling, and yet Cassius leaning down to kiss her sent that feeling skittering through her. Sofie didn’t realize her eyes had closed until she opened them to see his face. Her eyes scanned over his every feature as he spoke, searching for confirmation. The more he spoke, the more she realized she didn’t need to look for answers in his eyes- it was written plainly on his face.