A blood moon over calm waters
Pairing/s: Avid & Scott, Avid & Shelby & Drift (can be read as platonic or romantic, it’s up to you really. In my mind they’re in love)
Summery: A quiet talk at the lake leads to new understandings and a strengthened bond.
Word count: 2,320
(Im not sure what to say about this really. It’s just a fluffy fic to help me cope with ep 7, and it’s hella self indulgent so you’ve been warned. )
The sun sets over the horizon, the moon shining above in all its glory. Avid smiles as he leaves the castle, finally safe to head outside; he runs through the forest, no longer cutting himself on the trees like he used to, back when he was a newly turned fledgling and inexperienced with his newfound speed. The air is cool and the night silent as he runs, a blanket of calmness washing over him at the serenity surrounding him.
Soon, he glimpses his destination: a strip of sand stretching out further into the lake. He makes his way to the end of the naturally-formed pier, the sand chill as he sits amongst it. He isn’t worried about getting his clothes dirty, not when he could experience this moment to its fullest.
A soft sigh leaves his lips and he finds himself leaning back against his palms, eyelids closing to the beautiful sight of a starry sky overhead, the few clouds dotting it light and wispy.
Life as a vampire wasn’t something he had expected to enjoy quite this much – it wasn’t something he’d ever thought he could like, but he does. His friends are safe, Drift and Shelby are both happy, and he is finally free. Free from the curse that was placed on him so long ago, free from the pain and the fear that he would one day destroy everyone he loved, the fear that lived inside him always. His shackles were broken now, and he could allow himself to feel whole once more, to mend the parts of him that were withering away before.
His eyes open, and he startles as he sees Scott’s face directly above him. The other vampire looks down at him, somewhat amused. “And what are you doing out here?” he drawls.
Avid scrambles for an excuse. “I– uhm– What were you doing?” He tries to deflect the question, shrinking a bit under the gaze of the other. Regardless of his haphazard question, he knows he’ll have to answer first. “I just wanted to sit here,” he murmurs, turning back to look out at the water. “It’s nice here, calm and peaceful. Strange, almost. This really isn’t something I’m used to experiencing, but I’ve always wished I could.”
Scott hums in what sounds like contemplation, quietly taking a seat next to Avid on the sand. “This place does have a magic about it at night, doesn’t it?”
Avid looks over at him. “You’ve been here before?”
Scott’s gaze drifts over the water. “Many times,” he replies. “Even before I was put into my slumber, I came here.”
Avid’s face contorts in surprise. “That long ago? I hadn’t thought this existed back then.”
Scott chuckles. “Yeah, I honestly didn’t expect to see it when I woke up either.” He drags his fingers through the sand, a small smile on his face. “This lake is the only thing mostly untouched by time. I sometimes wonder if it’s magic itself.”
Avid tilts his head before mirroring Scott, looking over the water. “Well, it sure seems that way,” he agrees. There’s a certain calmness in this conversation that relaxes him more than just the scenery did.
“Yeah, it sure does.”
A silence falls over them like a blanket of silk, soft and soothing. In this moment they share a bit of peace, a break from everything that’s happening and a chance to simply exist next to each other.
Avid starts humming a song, quickly drawing Scott’s attention. The melody is soft but carries on the air, wafting over the quiet landscape. He’s able to easily catch the words once he focuses on it.
“Don’t fret about the consequences, they’re begging you to come to your senses…”
There’s something about Avid’s quiet singing– a memory lodged in the core of the song, a clear past behind it that makes Scott feel a twinge of something he can’t place.
“They’re tearing you apart, but this is just the start. It’ll be worth it in the end.”
And perhaps it will be, Scott thinks. After all this battling is over, they can finally live their life anew.
“We’ll be fine, just so long as we don’t cross the line.”
Everything will be okay, as long as they don’t lose sight of what they’re working for. And maybe, just maybe, Scott’s starting to understand what he wants from the future.
“Take my hand, understand the kinetic design… Keep your eyes open wide, and look out for the sign…”
The sign. Is this the sign? Avid has a sad smile on his face that Scott doesn’t think belongs. This fledgling shouldn’t have to be carrying such misery, though he knows it’s always been there – but Avid’s not always been here. They’ve not always been on the same side.
“Something’s not right,” Avid finishes. And Scott agrees – certain pieces don’t fall into place, and he’s determined to figure out how they fit.
“Something’s not right,” Scott repeats, just as Avid sings it. It startles Avid, bringing him back to the present moment.
“I– uhm– wait, what?” His face scrunches up in confusion after registering the elder vampire’s words.
Scott’s eyes meet his. “Something’s not right here,” he says, moving closer.
Avid clearly struggles to understand his cryptic words, so Scott continues. “You’ve hated me since day one. You hated all vampires since the beginning. But now, you are one, and you’re siding with us. Why?” His gaze is narrowed, the question sharp, a razor that would cut if answered wrong.
Avid frowns, breaking eye contact. “It’s not that simple–”
“Just try,” Scott interrupts, raising an eyebrow as he stares pointedly at Avid, clearly not going to let this go.
A sigh leaves Avid’s lips, and he brings his knees to his chest. “Well, this place is my home now. At least… I hope it can be.” He looks hesitant, and the silence pushes him to continue, to fill it. “When I came here, I hadn’t left anything behind; I had no one to go back to.”
There’s a distant experience in his gaze as he looks over the water again. “It was just me. But it didn’t stay like that.” A small smile tugs at his face. “I met Shelby, and Drift, and they were kind to me. Even if they didn’t believe in vampires at first, they still treated me like a friend. I knew I could count on them, no matter what happened.”
His smile widens, eyes crinkling at the corners. “They became the family I never had. The support I never knew I needed. And so, when they were turned, I realized there was nothing left for me if I sided with the humans. The others–” Avid’s smile falters. He doesn’t finish that sentence, changing his mind as he speaks again. “The castle became the only logical place to be. Everyone I care about is there.”
Scott, who was silent the whole time, speaks up. “Aww, you care about me,” he croons. His tone is teasing, nothing like the poison it used to be when he’d pick fun at the ‘crazy vampire hunter.’ Instead, it almost seems friendly, as strange as that sounds.
Avid blushes and ducks his head out of sight in an attempt to hide the redness of his face. “I– I… Well.” He huffs. “Don’t let it go to your head.” The retort is lame enough to make him flinch the second it leaves his mouth.
Scott pauses for a moment, not having expected that response, but he’s much quicker to compose himself. “If it’s any help, you’re not actually that bad… if you get over how annoying you are.” Scott has started to be more endeared by the other’s strange behavior and antics, but that’s nobody’s business except his to know.
Avid whips his head around to look at him, trying to form a response but coming up with nothing. Instead he just looks down and mutters a quiet, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” is all Scott says, tipped with that lightly taunting edge, before they lapse into silence once more. It doesn’t last long, however, as they hear an ‘aww’ from behind them.
Scott tenses before he recognizes the voice, and then relaxes immediately. “You can come out, Shelby.”
The energetic girl appears out of nowhere, clearly having used her invisibility to hide. But what isn’t expected is Drift appearing right next to them.
“I told you we’d get caught,” Drift complains, but it’s clear she isn’t upset.
“It’s fine,” Shelby waves her off, skipping over to the other two and sitting in the sand next to them. Drift follows suit.
Avid’s face flares up with the sudden realization that his previous antics could have had an audience. “How– how long have you guys been there?”
Drift hums in thought. “I don’t know, since the time you talked about meeting us?” She offers, with a smile.
Avid covers his face with his hands, silently begging the ground to open and swallow him up. Instead, he gets tackled into a hug. “Yeah! That was so sweet. I’m glad you know you can count on me! On us,” Shelby grins.
The hug is comforting and Avid feels his body relax slowly, before he gives into the urge and hugs back. A warm feeling spreads over him, the bond between fledgling and sire connecting them, offering a deeper comfort, a belonging that seems to emanate from his very soul. It thrums contentedly at the contact.
Scott has a look on his face that could be mistaken for fondness. “What are you two doing here anyway?” He asks Drift.
“We were out hunting for some animals, all of us were. Actually– I don’t know where Owen went, but Cleo and Pyro were with us. We split up, and then Shelby and I stumbled upon you two,” she explains.
The corner of Scott’s mouth twitches upwards. “Ah, so you were spying on your sire?”
Drift looks away, a guilty expression ghosting across her face, but Shelby pipes up before she can say anything. “No, I was spying on my fledgling! Huuge difference,” they say from where she and Avid are cuddled together.
Scott actually chuckles at that, which Avid is surprised by. “Ah, I see. That does make it different, then.” Shelby nods rapidly in agreement.
“Wait, why would you wanna spy on me? Do you do that often?” Avid asks, leaning back ever so slightly in order to make eye contact with them.
“’Cause it’s my job to make sure you’re safe. We both know you attract danger,” they say plainly, ignoring the second question asked.
Avidly brow furrows, defensive. “What– No, I–” The looks on everyone’s faces as they turn to him makes him trail off, and it’s clear there’s no use denying it. Regardless, Avid, in a typical stubborn fashion, continues anyways. “Name one time I attracted danger.” Five separate occasions come to his mind instantly, but he isn’t the one answering the question.
“Well, you went out in the woods at night by yourself, and yelled to ask if any vampires were there. I was, by the way, but I decided not to show myself,” Shelby points out.
“That time you got swarmed by mobs and had to climb up a tree to keep yourself safe!” Drift adds, pushing down her second finger.
“Every time you tried to provoke me and claim I was a vampire,” Scott says, tilting his head. “You’d think if someone was a vampire, you probably shouldn’t go around trying to get on their bad side, no? Especially not with how often you end up in the woods alone.” Scott grins with his teeth.
Avid looks away from them. “I– I said one, not three,” he mumbles annoyedly to himself, though of course everyone hears it.
“Case in point!” Shelby chirps, “You’re a hazard and require being watched.”
Avid pouts, but also makes no move to try and leave their side, so it’s clear his mood isn’t serious. Satisfied with his acceptance, Shelby makes grabby hands at the other two, a silent request for a coven cuddle pile. It’s not something that happens very often, at least not outside of the castle, but it’s hard not to give in to the excitement of the younger vampire.
Drift happily obliges, latching onto Shelby’s other side, arm slung over their shoulder to hold Avid’s hand. Scott is more hesitant to join, not as used to physical affection, having been without it for so long. “I’ll pass.”
Which was the wrong thing to say, because in an instant he faces three sets of wide fledgling eyes aimed his way. He may be a millennia-old vampire, but there are only so many things he has the willpower to say no to, and this, it turns out, isn’t one of them.
“Fine,” he sighs and drags the word out, tone almost petulant, or at least as close to petulant as his elegance will allow. He sits next to them and leans against Shelby and Avid’s sides, his hand resting on Drift’s leg.
The bond thrums with a sense of contentment, the feeling causing them to relax and even has Scott letting out a soft sigh. It’s not a complete link, since the others aren’t here, but it provides solace nonetheless.
Eyes close and muscles relax as the vampires lean against one another, a calm silence envelops them, only the sound of the water and wind providing their ears with a soft melody.
The younger three slowly lose the battle against sleep, dozing off one by one, but Scott stays awake. He lets himself relax, but keeps his senses alert for any danger that could potentially hurt his coven.
The soft, red glow of the blood moon reflects off the lake, an owl hoots off in the distance, and a sire lay content with his coven by his side, a bond forged by blood tying them together.
A huge thanks to my wonderful beta @completely-sane-scientist who always comes through with the beautiful edits
