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Heaving a sigh, I led the way up to my apartment with dread. I was a pretty private person, and even Rebecca and Tina hadn’t been invited over to my place in all the years I’ve lived in Wayhaven.
It was a testament to how ridiculous my life had become that my first guests would be vampires .
“So like,” I started to say, stalling just a bit more as I screwed up the courage to let them enter my jealously guarded sanctuary. “Do I have to physically invite you in or is that just another myth?”
Farah laughed as Morgan groaned, playing idly with the cigarette she was clearly just waiting to get to smoke. Ava was similarly unamused.
“I’m starting to think we should let you read some of the books in our library,” Nat offered with a soft smile. My usual reaction of a racing pulse whenever the woman so much as looked my way was tempered by my curiosity at learning more about this strange new world.
“Probably for the best. Wouldn’t want to be accidentally disrespect -“ A stray thought struck me like a bullet. “Oh wait. Sorry, pertinent question.” The team waited patiently as I hesitated with my key in the lock. “How are you guys with animals? Specifically, cats.”
Ava’s lips twisted in disgust as Morgan’s eyebrows raised.
“You got roommates?” I nodded. “It varies.”
“I love cats!” Farah bounced eagerly, clapping her hands in impatience. “I didn’t know you had a pet.”
“Two.” Judging by the hesitant look in Nat’s eyes, it would seem like there was a caveat to this. “Are you guys gonna freak them out or something?”
“Sometimes.” Nat tilted her head as if listening through the door. “Animals can sense our predator instincts.”
Idly wondering if they really could sustain themselves on animal blood, I nodded. “Okay. Well. They’re pretty… opiniated, so maybe I’ll put them in my bedroom first. Wait here.”
Ignoring Farah’s disappointment, I eased open the door a crack and slid through it best I could, not wanting to scare my cats off before I could catch them. Rebecca had assured me that they had been taken care of, her lips twitching in repressed amusement as she read the detailed list of things I’d written for their carer to bear in mind, but I wondered how they were doing. Not that I doubted the agent that had been assigned, but.
“Ari?” I called out, creeping into the living room when I didn't immediately see them. Normally they’d be sitting by the door, waiting for me. “Your Majesty?”
A loud yowl from the kitchen has me turning my head, a smile lifting my lips as the stress of the last few days melted away. Ari was perched on the kitchen counter, looking ready to leap down towards me, and I hurried to take him in my arms before he could jump. The blind tomcat purred, his entire form vibrating as he accepted my kisses and scratches, apparently as pleased about my return as I was.
“Hello, my baby boy,” I cooed, running my fingers over his soft grey fur. “Where’s your girlfriend hmm?” Looking around, I don’t immediately spot her. “We’ve got guests, so I need to get you out of the way first.”
A quick check of the laundry room and common spaces revealed nothing, and the usual hiding spots were similarly empty. Frowning, I headed down to check the bathroom and my office, before a bad feeling crept over me.
“Crap.” Just as I thought, the demanding tabby was sitting on the edge of my bed, her expression aloof amidst the chaos she’d made of my sheets. “Oh, come on! I wasn’t even gone that long!”
In a show of her displeasure, The Empress of All She Surveyed had decided my bed was an appropriate place to do her business instead of the litter box, and I groaned at having to change the sheets before getting any sleep that night. At least, I noted with relief, my childhood stuffed snake looked unharmed.
“You know what? We have guests.” I set Ari down and pointed my finger at her in scolding. “We shall have words later, Your Majesty. Don’t think you’ll get away with this.” The bastard just stared at me before turning her back, seemingly content to ignore me even in the face of my displeasure. I sighed.
“The hell were you doing?” Morgan groused as I finally let the team in, taking off her boots and placing them on the rack when I told them to. “You got royalty in here?”
“She likes to think so.” I let them take in my apartment, going through my ritual for shedding my work persona at home. Keys in the mouth of a frog figurine in the front hallway, jacket hung neatly behind the door, folding up the sleeves of my shirt halfway up my arms as I head to the kitchen to wash my hands and check off my list of to-dos for the day. I wince as I remembered that it was heavily outdated. It was strange to think that I’d only been gone for a week. It had definitely felt longer. I wiped off the whiteboard leaning against the microwave and simply stared at it for a moment.
“This place is amazing,” Farah complimented as she began to poke around the shelves and cabinets in the living room. “Is this what the inside of your head looks like?”
“Chaotic, yeah.” I much preferred to be left to my own devices instead of socialising, so I’d really set out to make this place work for me. Properties in Wayhaven were much more forgiving than the city, and I had taken full advantage of it to hold all my hobbies and projects. I notice Ava giving my modest home gym an interested look from her position by the window, pushing back the curtain to scan the surroundings. “I like to keep busy.”
“I’ll say.” The youngest agent finally noticed the ledges and little hidey holes I’d built for the cats to play with. “Did you build your cats an obstacle course ?”
“It was pretty straight forward. And I figured since I can’t take Ari outside,” I shrug as I begin to root through my fridge to begin clearing the food that had gone bad in my absence. “I’d give him something to play with in a controlled environment.”
“I didn’t know you needed to walk cats.” Morgan was pretending to not be eyeing the titles of books on my shelves and the game consoles set up under my television. “Aren’t they like, super lazy?”
“Well, Her Majesty gets bored easily. And when she gets bored, she lets me know.” I chuckle as I glanced to see all four of them look at me like I’m crazy. “I know. I spoil them rotten.”
“Is that her name? Her Majesty?” Nat tilted her head curiously. Ava looked like she was biting back a rude comment.
“Sort of.” I rub the back of my neck in embarrassment. “She didn’t have a name when I picked her up at the shelter, but the first time she came here she walked in like she owned the place.” I rolled my eyes as I recall how she had shredded my leather sofa to tatters with no hesitation those first few days. Stupid cat seemed to like me the more annoyed I got. Kinda like Morgan. “So her real name is The Empress of All She Surveys.”
There was a beat of silence. I had expected that. Kind of.
“I’m guessing she’s the tabby?” Farah asks, pointing at a framed photo I had on one of the shelves. When I nodded, Farah made a sagely noise of understanding. “I see that.”
“Well, at least the other one’s normal,” Morgan muttered, lighting her cigarette before stilling. “He is normal, right?”
“Ari’s a sweetheart, yeah. But it’s a nickname.” I bite back my smile at their suddenly wary looks.
It’s Ava that bites. “Dare we even ask?”
“Well, Her Majesty decided he was going to be her consort or whatever pretty quick, so I had to elevate him to some manner of nobility.” I could already see the serious leader bracing herself for whatever foolishness she knew was coming. I had no regrets about letting the pause linger for maximum effect.
“His name is Aristo Cat. First name Aristo, last name Cat.”
Farah starts to laugh so hard she bends over double, a stark contrast from the long suffering expression on the commander’s face. Even Morgan cracked a chuckle at the name, while Nat beamed so wide I worried for her cheeks.
“Oh man, can we meet them? Please, detective, please ?” Farah pleaded through her giggles. I grin at her.
“Maybe next time. They’re pretty stressed out from me being away for so long. Her Majesty’s already peed on my sheets as punishment so I don’t wanna piss her off any more.”
“I feel like we don’t even know you,” Farah said instead of begging. “We didn’t even know you had cats!”
I blush. “I like to keep business and my personal life separate.” It was something that had been sorely lacking during my childhood with Rebecca, and a promise I had made to myself the first time I ever held a job. The thought dampens my mood a little, and I sigh as I try to change the topic.
“I don’t have a spare bedroom, but I guess one of you can take the couch -“
Nat raised a hand to stop me. “No need, detective. We don’t need as much sleep as humans, so we’ll be fine.”
I raise an eyebrow in surprise. “That sounds… a little sad.” I very much enjoyed my sleep. “But I imagine you guys get up to all sorts of shenanigans in those hours.”
Morgan smirked, lazily blowing out smoke rings. “Oh, you have no idea.”
I shake my head at the very precise implications before excusing myself for a shower. It was well past time to deal with the rest of my routine. I had been quite anxious at losing it the past week.
Footsteps follow me into the hallway, and I turn to see Nat trailing behind me, smiling when I notice her.
“Do you mind if I help you with your sheets?” I blinked in surprise. “It just seems like you’re exhausted, and I would like to help. You deserve a good rest.” Truthfully, I had been halfway planning to simply strip my bed and fall asleep on top of the bare mattress. But this was so much better.
“You don’t have to.” Still, it was a matter of pride. Especially with Nat. “I can manage it.”
Nat doesn’t buy it for a minute. Curses. “But I want to.”
I hesitate a moment longer before giving in. “Be careful around Ari; he’s blind. And Her Majesty doesn’t like being picked up, so just shoo her off if you have to.” Nat brightened at the opportunity to meet my cats, and I find myself curious about their reactions to her despite myself. I push open my bedroom door before gesturing her in, and realise too late that this was an entirely different intrusion than the one of my home.
If the outside was a reflection of my mind, then my bedroom was the reflection of my heart. Everything in this room had been chosen for comfort, things that would make me smile. From the soft, cozy furnishings, to the expansive mural on the accent wall, my bedroom always felt like getting a warm hug after a long day. That I had invited Nat in so carelessly made me aware of some very inconvenient feelings.
“I have so many questions, detective,” Nat breathed as she took in the pamphlets and notes taped to the wall of art events I’d particularly enjoyed attending as well as excerpts from books I loved. “Farah’s right. It feels like we know nothing about you beyond our work.”
I ignored my mounting anxiety at having another person in my bedroom to begin rifling through my closet for some pyjamas. Ari meows as he winds between my feet, clearly hesitant about the other presence in the room; Her Majesty had migrated to the windowsill, balancing expertly on her three paws. I watch as the tabby stares unblinkingly at Nat, tail straight up in the air, but otherwise calm.
Honestly, this was probably the best reaction I was going to get from them.
I give Nat some quick instructions about where to find things and a stern warning to the cats to play nice before I take my leave, only mildly protesting as Nat shoves me towards the bathroom. They would be fine, I try to remind myself as I finally get out of the clothes that now remind me of the Facility with a sigh of relief. I would be fine.
Something falls in the living room, followed quickly by a muffled apology by Farah. I really hope it wasn’t something irreplaceable. But even that didn’t chase away the feeling that somehow, Unit Bravo being the first to see the inside of my apartment - my home - seemed right.
Like this was where they were supposed to be all along.
- - - - -
I bite back my annoyance as our discussion once again devolves into bickering and pointless speculation. We had all jumped back into work trying to get a lead on where Murphy was, especially after the nauseating discovery at the blood lab the other day, but so far all we had really uncovered were a variety of ways to make me feel restless and impatient. We really didn’t have anything to go on until the Agency scientists got back to us regarding what we’d found on Murphy’s computer, but I’d been toying with an idea that would help speed up the process.
Now to simply figure out how to get the rest to agree. Ava and Morgan might go for it because it was pragmatic and efficient, and Farah would definitely fall into the ‘nothing risked, nothing gained’ camp - but it was always Nat’s opinion that mattered most to me, and that was enough to really make me think about how to bring it up.
“Detective,” Nat caught my attention with a simple word. I looked up from the papers on my desk and pretended not to have been lost in thought for the past fifteen minutes. “What do you think?”
Crap. I must’ve missed something important. “About what?”
Ava’s lips twitched downwards in disapproval, and I pushed back a wince. “We were thinking of canvassing any more locations that might have matched those pictures you managed to take from Greenland’s phone.”
My mouth slackened in understanding, and my crazy idea seemed to leap onto my tongue.
“Sounds good. Let me pull up building licenses for you.” It was a long shot, but it was a lead. We were low on those. “I think I remember a view just outside the city limits…”
I don’t realise I’ve trailed off, battling the urge to share my idea. I miss the worried and confused looks the vampires share.
“Hello? Earth to Detective Wolfgang Lin.” I startled, instinctively smoothening out my expression because I was so used to deflecting attention away from myself that it still surprised me that I got addressed at all. “You keep drifting off.”
“Something on your mind?” Nat asked, already standing from her seat to stride towards me. I shook my head. Nat frowned. “You’re obviously thinking about something.”
I hesitate. Now or never. “Crazy idea. Hear me out at least.” The vampires all straighten, the attention fully on me - well, on me and her third cigarette of the day, in Morgan’s case.
“It has to be better than what we’re coming up with,” Farah grumbled, unphased by glare Ava shoots her for that. “I never thought I’d get bored of sitting around.”
“Save it,” Ava snapped, though she did soften the blow with a tired look. “Go on then.”
“So we’re hitting roadblocks because we don’t actually know why Murphy wants my blood, right?” A few confused looks. “As in, yeah, he wants to mix it with vampire blood, but I figure knowing his motivations will help us figure out what kind of equipment he would need to do his crazy ass experiment.” The fact that I am not his first target lingered heavily on my mind. “The Agency files show that he’s tried to mix the blood on at least five separate occasions, since they all died of shock. That leads me to believe that he’s got a distinct purpose in trying to do this.” The more I explain, the smoother the words come. I get the feeling I’m onto something here.
“Or maybe he’s just a sadistic psycho?” Morgan flicked her dead butt into the trash can from across the room. It finds its mark easily. “Ever think about that?”
“The process of having a vampire change you is excruciating,” Nat explained, her brows furrowed in worry. “I still don’t see why -“
“Maybe he is just some asshole who gets off torturing people.” I hold back a shiver at the thought. “But then he’d be doing it on just about anyone, right? He wouldn’t have to be picky and find people with the mutation. A kid like Garrett would have been an easy target.” Just the thought of the monster inflicting pain on the young teen made me want to punch something. “So there has to be a reason.”
“But the Agency is already looking into that.” Ava crossed her arms. “So what exactly are you proposing?”
I hold out my arm. “Someone bite me.”
For the first time since meeting them, I garner the vampires speechless. Even Farah, who always has something to say, just gaped.
At then, all at once, Unit Bravo comes back to life - all of them protesting and talking over one another as I hide my wince. I probably could’ve delivered that better.
“Absolutely not.” Nat’s gaze is intense on me as she raises her voice over the clamour. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Look,” I pleaded, leaning forward on my desk to show my sincerity. “I’m desperate. We’ve been running in circles, and I hate just waiting.”
“So you think to offer your blood ?” Ava is so angry, I think she’s going to throw her chair at me. “Just because we’re -“
I cut her off before she accidentally announces their secret to the whole station. “We have to do something .” I look at each one of them in turn. “Hell, extract some blood and mix some of your own - I don’t care.” I take a deep breath as I struggle to find the words to convince them. “I just - I can’t -“
“They have a point.” Surprisingly, it’s Morgan who agrees first. The rest of the team turn their glares on her instead. “The more we understand what this guy wants with them, the better we can face him.”
“If you think I’m going to -“ Nat is shifting to stand in front of me, wordlessly conveying her priorities to everyone in the room. I wince.
“He has a motive.” I tap at his case file with an urgent finger. “He impersonates blood technicians or medical staff to gain access to equipment and facilities. He’s done this enough times to betray a pattern. And he’s gotten desperate enough to get sloppy and send thralls to capture me alive.” I can almost hear the creepy chanting. The fact that it had occurred in this exact office didn’t lessen my nerves. “There’s clearly something he’s trying to gain here. We just have to follow the science.”
That statement silences them all, the tension thick enough to cut. Nat glances over her shoulder at me, and I plead with my eyes to get her to see, to understand -
For a moment, I think she’ll back me up.
But then she turns her gaze away and shakes her head. “It won’t lead us to him. Even if we do figure out his motive, it won’t help us narrow down a location. I vote we follow the other plan of canvassing likely locations.”
Her refusal stung me more than I liked to admit. Sure, I’d expected it - Nat could be just as stubborn as Ava. But she wasn’t thinking clearly. This… thing we had between us was influencing her decision, making her overprotective. I find myself snarling reflexively.
“Blood transfusions require logistics. Needles, saline, tubes. Those things can be tracked,” I try once again to get them to see.
“Those things can be bought on the black market.” Ava shook her head at the weak explanation. “It doesn’t matter why. What matters is where.”
The air becomes stifling as I realise I’m outnumbered. Farah doesn’t say anything, but the sympathetic look she shoots me is answer enough. I try to stay calm - it was worth a try after all - but it’s too hard. My breathing starts to become uneven, palms clammy with sweat in a terrifyingly familiar way.
“Fine,” I manage to choke out, pushing to stand and hurrying to get out of there before the panic attack fully sets in. “I need air. Don’t follow me.”
As I stumble out of the station, I grip my chest and try to make it to my car to at least break down in privacy. It’s difficult, because my lungs can’t seem to expand, my head is fuzzy and loud, and I just barely make it to my comfortingly familiar hatchback before my legs give out completely.
I sob, finally letting my fear overtake me. I was terrifying, I admitted, picturing Murphy the blood technician shaking my hand, wounding me for my blood. I’d stared my monster in the eye, and hadn’t even known.
Murphy was coming for me. Deep down I knew he would find me. He wouldn’t stop till he had me. There would be no escape. Just pain.
Terrible, terrible pain.
“Wolfgang?” I hear my name, but I can’t tell who. I feel like I’m going to die. There was no escape. “Oh no.”
“Go away.” The warning comes out strangled, difficult to push out of my mouth. “Can’t… breathe.”
“It’s okay.” Warm arms wrap around me and I stiffen. It was too much. It was going to trap me -
“Just breathe with me, okay?” I’m pressed up against a chest, the heartbeat fast and loud enough in my ears to cut through the white noise. “I know it’s hard, but we’ll do it together, okay?”
It’s not okay, I want to rage. How can it be okay when I have a psychopath chasing me down?
The person held firm against my weak attempts to fight free, keeping their voice gentle and steady, counting down breaths and murmuring encouragement. I latch onto it, onto the breathing, resisting against the dread, the fear with everything I had.
It’s just a panic attack, I repeated to myself, glad I still had the consciousness to remember. I’m not going to die. Not yet.
But the fear bleeds away only because of the strong arms holding me, the soft press of a nose against my temple.
I don’t know how long we sat there - me, a shivering, sobbing mess; her, smelling of books and tea. It’s Nat, because of course it is. As much as I don’t want to see her right now, I also don’t want to give up this comfort.
It takes me a while to calm down. To notice the warm circles rubbing into the tense muscles of my sweaty neck. I’m too worn out to even care that I must be absolutely disgusting at the moment.
“Sorry,” I sniffed when I began to feel awkward from being held too long. This time, Nat lets me go when I pull away. “I normally… handle this better.”
Nat doesn’t say anything, just tilts her head in compassion. Even that makes my stomach clench.
“I take medication for it. I know my triggers.” I don’t know why I’m saying these things, talking about something I doubt even Rebecca knows about me. “I just - overwhelmed, you know?”
I stop breathing when a gentle hand cups my cheek and pulls me to face Nat’s open expression. “There is nothing to be ashamed of.” Sincerity bleeds from the woman like an open wound. “Absolutely nothing to apologise for either.”
“I’m still mad at you,” I blurt out, wincing when a flash of hurt flickers across Nat’s beautiful features. “Mostly mad at myself, but.”
“I understand.” And the weird thing was that I believed her. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I just don’t want to be afraid anymore.” I never let problems fester - nothing couldn’t be tackled by throwing logic at it. That Murphy was proving to be the exception was… a lot. “I think I am going a little mad.”
Nat’s face crumbles into brutal empathy. It was an admission I wouldn’t have given to anyone else; a weakness that brought me shame, because really, what was there to complain about when Unit Bravo was obviously trying their best?
“Okay.” I wonder if Nat is going to say anything else, but instead she wraps me up in another hug. “Okay.”
And yeah, maybe in that moment I could believe her. Maybe that could be enough.
- - - - -
It’s not that I meant to miss every single one of Rebecca’s twenty-three calls - it’s simply that I didn’t notice.
It had been a month since capturing Murphy, during which I’d struggled to settle back in at work while Unit Bravo got busy with their new duties around town. That left me with very little time to myself, something that I sorely needed, so when I somehow manage to carve out a weekend? Of course I was going to take it.
Music blasting, Ari yowling in harmony, my fingers splattered in paint as I worked on painting some minis - it took me a bit too long to realise someone was at the door.
I huffed as my phone lit up with a notification from my security system, and my eyes widened when I finally took note of the many missed calls. There were some messages too - from both Rebecca and Unit Bravo - asking me to check in. Crap.
“Sorry, sorry,” I was already saying even as I opened the front door with silver stained fingers. “It’s my day off so I -“ I frowned as I realised exactly who it was. “Farah?”
“The one and only!” The cheeky vampire took in my state and grinned. “You been doing some sexy finger painting or something?”
I blink. “No?” Wiping my hands on my sweats, I gesture for her to come in. “Why are you here? Does the Agency need me -“
“Rebecca got weirded out because she couldn’t get in touch with you,” Farah explained as she toed off her shoes in the front hallway and set them aside haphazardly. “There was something we could’ve used your input on, but it’s sorted now.”
I wince. “You sure?” Guilt stabbed me. “I mean, I could still -“
“Relax, detective,” Farah cooed as she patted my shoulder. “I just came to hang out.”
That settled my nerves a lot. The youngest agent made herself comfortable on my couch, head tilted as she listened to the music I’d left running in my office.
“So whatcha up to?” Her eyes were wide and curious, clearly interested in what I was doing to occupy my downtime. I hesitate instinctively before rolling back my shoulders.
“Just painting.” I kept my face carefully blank as I anticipated her next question. “No, not on canvas. I was painting… minis.” When Farah didn’t look like she was going to laugh, I got more excited. “You wanna see them?”
“Yeah!” Farah leapt off the couch and followed me back to the office, striding into the room with wide eyes. “Whoa! This is…”
I rub the back of my neck awkwardly. “I know it’s super nerdy, but.” Posters from my favourite video games and comics hung framed on the wall; my collectors’ edition of minis and Funko Pops carefully arranged on glass shelves. Games and sourcebooks were neatly arranged, and my huge glass table with a map of Thedas took up most of the room. In the corner sat my Predator desktop setup, the LEDs on the fans glowing a vibrant pink. In the midst of all this controlled chaos was my workshop, paints and brushes scattered from where I’d abandoned them to answer the door.
“How do you drag yourself to work everyday?” Farah was inspecting my Red Dragon mini with interest, looking like she wanted to touch it. I carefully steered her attention away from it. “I’d never leave my house if this were mine.”
“It flexes a different part of my mind,” I explained, letting her roll some of my dice around. “But I enjoy my work as well.”
Farah kept up a steady stream of questions as she explored the room, more than happy to share in my interests as I grew more animated. A couple of times I caught her simply staring at me with an odd smile; it made me catch myself when I rambled a touch too long, and move on quick enough to continue holding her attention.
Her Majesty, apparently fed up with not being shown the proper amount of attention, leapt up and demanded petting - Farah obliged with a giggle, speaking to her like she was but a lowly servant; which, honestly, just seemed to endear Her Majesty to her even more.
It should have felt more odd, I supposed, reflecting on the image in front of me. I’d gone to never having had a visitor in almost ten years, to being open enough with vampires to let them come over when they were bored. If only my childhood self could see me now…
I think they would be very happy.
- - - - -
Out of everyone in Unit Bravo, Morgan mystified me the most. Standoffish and rude at the best of times, she could be downright cruel if she wanted to be. We’d somehow managed to find some middle ground, but I found myself gravitating towards Ava before I would consider Morgan.
Which meant that this stake out was particularly interesting.
“And you plan to just… sit here? All night?” I sighed as Morgan tried once again to change my mind. We were currently parked in front of a suspect’s house - a cat burglar who had already robbed three houses before slipping up and leaving a trail that the station could follow. It was a definite contrast to the high stakes mission of dealing with the maa-alused the week before, but it made for a nice change of pace. Normal detective work, even.
Except that the need for a vampire-shaped bodyguard was bizarre. With the Trappers becoming more active, Rebecca had insisted on having at least one member of Unit Bravo with me even on my usual detective missions. It rankled because it meant even less time alone, but at least I could rest assured that any criminals wouldn’t be able to slip past me in a chase. Any arguments against its necessity would die a quick death after all. I was fast learning that I needed to pick my battles.
Still, I was surprised that it was Morgan tonight. I’d been hoping that Nat or maybe even Farah would join me, because at least I would be able to have some fun while waiting around - but it seemed like the broody vampire had grown antsy with being stuck on routine patrols. I could understand that feeling at least, though I was still confused as to why Morgan had voluntarily agreed to being shut in my cramped ‘rust bucket’ with me for the foreseeable future.
“It’s not so bad,” I shrugged as I ignored her rolling down the passenger window to smoke. “At least Wayhaven’s quiet at night. Back when I lived in the city, there would be a 50/50 chance I’d get caught up in another crime in progress just because I’m parked on the wrong street.” The only sounds in the car were of the burning paper of her cigarette and the crinkle of plastic as I tore open a bag of gummy bears I’d found stashed in my center console. “Want some?”
Morgan’s face twisted into disgust. “No.” I shrugged again, having expected that reaction. The vampire looked at me oddly as I crammed a handful into my mouth. “That smells vile. How can you eat them?”
“They’re sweet.”
“They have artificial flavouring.” Morgan’s nose twitched as her mouth snarled. “I can smell the chemicals from here.”
I snorted. “Yeah, well. I think my body’s so used to crap by now that trying to be healthy will send it into shock.” I winced as I recalled that the only thing I’ve had to eat all day was a greasy burger for lunch. It was way past midnight now. “Any signs of movement?”
“No.” Morgan didn’t even turn her head to face the suspect’s house. “You used to live in the city?”
I blinked at her surprise. “Yeah, for a while. I got my degree in forensic science, but Verda’s transfer around the time I came back meant that I got a job as an officer instead. Now I’m here, I guess.” I had been gutted when I found out I wouldn’t be able to pursue my career close to home, but I was contractually bound to work off my tuition at Wayhaven PD. In time, I had grown to like it. The pangs of bittersweet longing when I’m down with Verda in the lab were further and fewer now.
“I did find it weird you ended up a detective.” Morgan didn’t try to hide her smirk. “You’re kinda useless at the whole ‘catching criminals’ thing.”
I gaped in indignation. “Excuse me. Might I remind you that I helped you all catch Murphy?” The memory of the metal piercing his thigh still haunted me in my dreams. “As a human , I might add.”
The agent just grinned, all teeth. “Lucky shot.”
I roll my eyes. There was just no pleasing some people. I was prepared to give her the silent treatment for a while, but Morgan surprised me again by continuing the conversation.
“You regret coming back?” I grabbed another fistful of gummy bears. “This town is hella boring.”
“It’s home.” The house I’d grown up in was still in town - empty and rarely visited even though I had the key. I could’ve easily lived there the first few years upon my return. But the ghosts of things unsaid and lonely years had seeped into the walls of the place. “It has its perks.”
“Name one.”
“Haley’s Bakery,” I immediately replied, trying to change the topic. “Best croissants I’ve ever had.”
Morgan scoffed. “Parisians everywhere are crying right now. I hope you know that.” I threw a piece of trash at her. The vampire scowled. “I’m just saying. You’re too big for this town.”
Now I was officially weirded out. This was the longest conversation we’ve ever had, and now Morgan was paying me a compliment? For a moment, I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Maybe I was more sleep-deprived than I thought?
Nope. My arm stung like hell, and Morgan was still looking at me like she was waiting for me to answer her. So this is really happening.
“I hope that’s not a comment on my weight,” I try, trying to suss out her motivations. But Morgan, as always, is unreadable. My anxiety began to thrum under my skin. “I don’t know. The people here are great. I like being able to see the direct impact of my actions on the community.”
My answer seemed to annoy the vampire. “So you have some sort of saviour complex?”
“No!” God, why was she such an asshole ? “I just mean that in the city, that doesn’t always happen, you know? Most cases go unsolved, and half the time it’s like people get condensed into case files.” My time at the police academy still gave me chills. “Here, I get to see the people I help. They thank me for it, but that’s not why I do it.” Morgan simply continues to stare at me, and I find myself being more honest than I normally would be.
“Besides,” I mutter, turning my gaze out the window so that I wouldn’t have to look at her. “This is where my dad was from. I never knew him, so.” I didn’t even know where he was buried. Rebecca never talked about it. “It makes me feel closer to him. Somehow.” I rub my face roughly. “What’s with the third degree, anyway? Why did you stay on with the Agency? Half the time you look like you hate it there.” It was true that Morgan often seemed supremely indifferent about her purpose in Unit Bravo; but there were moments that shone through of her commitment to their assignments. Commitment that came from a sincere place. Knowing what little I did about how she came to join the team just didn’t add up with her prickly personality.
The agent didn’t speak for a long moment, simply studying me like some sort of insect. I huff and root through my glove compartment for my anxiety medication. If ever there was a situation that called for it, this one came pretty damn close.
“I had nowhere else to go.” I freeze. Suddenly the air inside the car felt heavy; I don’t even dare to glance over in case I somehow break the moment we’re having. Morgan didn’t talk about her past - ever. She hid behind rude remarks and sass, oscillating between the two to keep herself safe. That much had been obvious from day one of working with her.
But here she was, saying the words like they weren’t the most open she had ever been in my presence. Like she didn’t know exactly what it meant for our friendship - if I could even call it that - to have her offer such information voluntarily. I swallow hard against the lump in my throat.
“You mentioned you don’t have many memories of being human,” I prompt carefully when the silence grows too long, too taut. Morgan makes an agreeable sort of noise. “Did you… do you mean that you don’t have any?”
Morgan flicked her stub out of the car and lit another cigarette. The hiss of the lighter is like a gunshot. “Morgan isn’t even my real name.” There was sorrow in that simple statement, something deep and unexplored. My heart clenched in sympathy. “That’s just what I ended up calling myself. I don’t even know who turned me, or if I had a family.” The derisive sound she makes sounded more lonely than anything. “My first memory is waking up in a barn on some farm. Tried to make it on my own for a while, but it’s tough to keep a low profile when you literally have no fucking idea what you are or what you’re supposed to do. The Agency found me easily, and I’ve been with them ever since.” I wonder what that must’ve been like. Horrifying, at the least. “So yeah. I guess I’m paying off a debt.”
“I see.” There didn’t seem to be any words suitable enough to say in response. Nat would have probably known what they were, though. “That sucks.”
That startled a snort out of her. “Yeah. It does.”
We both sat companionably for a bit, both of us seeming to need time to process what had just happened. A question refused to leave my mind.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” I begin, watching the embers from her cigarette fall through the air as she ashes it lazily out the window. In the dimness of the car, she looks like a Greek bust, strong features highlighted in shadows. Pretty apt, I would have to say. “But why are you telling me this?” An eyebrow raises upward. “I kinda figured you were allergic to touchy feely things.”
Morgan’s face scrunched up in distaste as she leaned away from me. “I never said anything about touching me. Unless you want to lose a hand.” I roll my eyes at the obvious deflection. “You brought up your dead dad. I couldn’t just leave you hanging.”
I scoffed at the explanation. “Uh huh.” Eyeing her discomfort, I try for the most nonchalant expression I can manage. “I guess your sad origin story balances it out nicely.”
Morgan’s eyes narrowed, but her words hold a touch of amusement. “Fuck you, asshole.”
“Right back at you.” The world tilts back on its axis as the moment finds its natural end, but I can’t help but feel touched by her willingness to share. Morgan was a wall of thorns and poison ivy, but for a moment - however unexpected it had been - she’d allowed me a glimpse to the heart she hid within. It didn’t even feel strange for me to chuck a gummy bear at her face. She threw it back with a little too much force.
We did end up catching the guy we were after that night, but I considered the step forward we’d taken to be the true win. And judging by the way she’d stuck around till I’d finished processing the guy’s file and eventually made it home just as the sun was beginning to rise - Morgan might have even felt the same.
She was still an asshole about it every step of the way though. Some things would never change.
- - - - -
Getting kidnapped from my apartment really wasn’t how I thought I would eventually get caught. Granted, if it were up to me, these crazy bigots would have no interest in me whatsoever - but like I said. Gotta pick your battles.
At least these idiots had bound my wrists in front of me with zip ties. All I needed was a moment of distraction to break free of them. It would have been a lot easier to accomplish if they hadn’t injected me with something that made my head go fuzzy.
“Ease up, will you? My butt’s sore from all the bouncing.” Tall Ginger Lad pounded on the window of the pickup’s cab, scowling angrily when the driver flipped him off instead.
“Forget it. We’re nearly there anyway.” In my dazed state, I could barely keep track of how many there were. Three, at least. Maybe five? I didn’t know where the other two were, but there were sounds of another vehicle behind us. “Can’t believe the boss sent so many of us out to get one woman.”
I blinked groggily as I rolled my head to see them watching me with judgemental sneers.
God. They were both so ugly.
At least, I think they were. Everything was still kinda blurry.
I tried to memorise their features for a line up, though my main concern was still on escape. Unit Bravo had to know I was missing by now - I’d managed to trip the silent alarm I had programmed into my phone for this very reason. I just needed to get away long enough for them to find me. These guys had brought some heavy equipment.
“Dude, what’s she doing?” Tall Ginger Lad gets Acne Scars’s attention. “Should we like, not gag her?”
“No. Boss said she’s mouthy. Probably try to cut some sort of deal.” Acne Scars grinned viciously at me. “But I doubt she’s got anything better to offer than the bounty. Daddy’s gonna get himself a hot tub.”
I wince at the idea. Seriously? With that much money, I’d pay off my mortgage.
“Shut up,” Acne Scars demands when I try to speak. “Or I’ll make you.”
Fucking electric prods. What did they think supernaturals were? Cattle?
I kick at him weakly, and then yelp when he follows through on his promise. The electricity shoots through me like fire, feeling much like the pain Murphy had inflicted on me. That thought leaves me whimpering.
“Hey man, we can’t damage her.” Tall Ginger Lad pulls his friend back roughly. The prod finally retreats. I felt even worse than I did before.
“Just teaching her what happens to troublemakers.” Acne Scars hacked up a glob of something gross and spat on me. I flinch because that was just unnecessary. “Shame she’s a vampire fucker.”
The reminder of Unit Bravo lifted my spirits some. They would find me, I told myself, planting my feet on the bed of the pickup in case I needed to move fast. My captors don’t seem to suspect anything. Ugly and stupid. My favourite kind of villains.
The truck suddenly does a huge lurch as it encounters a pothole that has my kidnappers swearing. I take the chance while they’re losing their shit and taking it out on the driver to snap the zip ties over my knee. No one hears me over the commotion. And no one notices when I heave myself over the side of the truck either.
The pothole had slowed the vehicle enough to ensure my fall tipped closer to the ‘this is gonna hurt ’ side of the spectrum as opposed to becoming road pancake. The breath is knocked out of me as I roll, hitting brambles and bush and oh my god, that was a stone in my mouth -
But eventually I slam into a tree with a muffled groan, my limbs nearly wrapped all the way around its trunk. The drugs were wearing off with the adrenaline, but I couldn’t rely on my brain anymore - not when the kidnappers shout in outrage and the first of the bullets come flying through the trees.
So much for taking me unharmed.
Scrabbling furiously, I get my feet under me and stagger through the woods, my vision spinning badly enough that I hit more obstacles than I dodge. Each time a branch smacks me across the face, or I stumble and clamber over an outcropping, I swear at the lost time and keep moving. Distance. I just needed to put some distance between me and them.
Up ahead, I hear the sound of a river gushing and strong. A bullet nearly takes my ear off and I know I have no choice - I jump over the edge of a low cliff into the waters below.
Nat and Ava are gonna kill me , I think in that moment of free fall. And then the water overwhelmed me.
I managed to be glad that I’m still gagged. It made it easier to resist the urge to scream.
- - - - -
When I come to, the first thing I see is a large waterfall ahead of me. Water cascades in great sheets, the steady sound of it hitting the pool below loud enough to overcome the ringing in my ears. I shiver as the rest of my nerves come back to life, and I realise I’d definitely bruised a couple of ribs, and yup - that was a broken collarbone, alright. I’m just barely aware enough to be grateful of the fact that I was still alive; even if the sensation of coughing up lungfuls of water was outrageously painful.
I ripped off the gag finally, almost about to toss the fabric aside before I realised I could probably fashion some sort of first aid with it. As I try to sit up, my back spasms, and I suddenly become aware of the burning sensation in my side.
I’d been shot before on the job - but it was always with the added protection of a bulletproof vest, which let me walk away with a nasty bruise at the worst. This though - this was deeper than a graze but not as bad as a through and through. I reached my good arm around myself awkwardly to try and figure out where it had entered. Just above the kidney. Good. Looks like it missed the lungs too.
“And I live again,” I cheered tiredly to myself, pressing the gag against the bullet wound. I dragged myself up against the closest boulder on the river bank and tilted my head back to catch my breath. I didn’t know where I was, or what I should be doing - but if the cavalry were to come, I hoped it would be soon.
The sun was already beginning to set, which meant I’d been knocked out for a couple of hours. Spring in Wayhaven was still pretty damned cold, but there was the oncoming mugginess of summer in the air, the sun taking longer to set over the horizon. My watch had been smashed in my escape, and I guessed that I would have maybe an hour left of sunlight. I tried not to think too much about my chances in the dark.
My phone is still somewhere at home, which makes my first thought of calling someone null. Not for the first time, I lament the ridiculousness of having all my safe spaces be intruded by supernatural forces. First, it was my office at the station. Now my home?
I was going to need to talk to the Agency about getting some supernatural defenses up.
I drifted between awake and sleeping, my thoughts a hectic jumble as my limbs grew numb. I should move, is the only rational thought I can muster. But I couldn’t feel anything down my right side, and every inhale brought with it a flare of pain from the bullet still lodged somewhere inside of me. They could smell the blood, right? They were vampires after all.
Time passed in foggy bursts, and the breaths between each blink grew harder to manage. I thought of Nat and how disappointed she would be.
But then I think no more.
- - - - -
If anyone had told me that being the human liaison for the Agency meant I’d be spending so much time in their medical facilities, I’d have seriously reconsidered my acceptance. Elidor was only too happy to tell me that Unit Bravo got to me in time, bringing me back to the Facility in a mess of limbs and semi-conscious babbling. I asked if I had said anything too strange. Elidor diplomatically refused to answer.
Rebecca was predictably distraught. As soon as I was allowed visitors she had marched into my room and scolded me for my recklessness, for jumping off a waterfall - I had to correct her at that one, because technically I jumped off a cliff; the waterfall was just icing - for not taking my phone with me when I was captured.
I bore the scolding with good humour, still trying to reconcile the woman in front of me with the idea of a mother, but eventually enough was enough and I had to ask her to leave. Rebecca didn’t seem happy about that, but she respected my wishes, warning me about Unit Bravo’s eventual visit.
At least they gave me the courtesy of a full day of uninterrupted rest.
“Wolfie!” Farah yelled as she - full on - kicked the door in. I choked on my apple slices at their sudden entrance, thumping my chest and coughing violently to dislodge the obstruction. The youngest agent showed no concern for my state as she raced into the room to jump onto my bed.
“Hey,” I managed to say through teary eyes. The others filed in more sedately, Nat grimacing as she inspected the door for any signs of damage. “What’s up?”
“‘What’s up’?” Surprisingly it’s Morgan that spoke up, finding the most shadow-filled corner of the room to post up in. “Way to undersell your near death.”
“I told you guys they’d be fine,” Farah announced and wrapped her arms delicately around me. I winced as she jostled my broken collarbone, but made no move to pull away. I had missed them very much.
“Thanks for the save, by the way.” I sip from my cup to lessen the ache in my throat. “Even if this one nearly put me right back into being dead.”
Farah is unmoved. “Humans are so fragile.”
“My broken bones are a testament to that.” I toast jokingly and greet the other two vampires in the room. “She has a point though. I’m still breathing, so why the serious faces?”
Ava scowled deeper as her arms crossed over her chest. I can only imagine the lecture I was going to get, but I’m not interested in hearing it.
Instead, my eyes go to Nat, who is being suspiciously quiet. Her brown eyes are wide and unblinking, lips pressed thinly together. I reach my good hand out for hers.
“We caught the Trappers that took you,” Ava announced plainly as Nat slowly made her way to my side. I blink, having nearly forgotten about them. Damn. My life must’ve been hella strange if being kidnapped could be taken for granted. “The Agency has dealt with them, and they will not be bothering you any further.”
“That’s a relief,” I sigh, thinking about their blasé attitude towards cruelty. “Maybe I should’ve waited till they got me to some sort of camp. We could have found their leader or something.”
Nat stiffened next to me, her hand in mine going still as I said that. None of the other vampires seemed happy with what I’d said either.
“You will do nothing of the sort.” Ava jabbed a finger pointedly at me. “Next time, you do exactly what you did this time. Get out as fast as you can.”
“I could do with not getting shot and falling off a waterfall though,” I intoned dryly, though none of them laughed. “And the fact that we’re certain they will try again just shows we need to get to them first.”
“No.” I glance up to see Nat looking at me with a stormy expression. The room instantly became chilly. “We’ll find a different way. One where you’re safe.”
Irritation flared. “Oh yes, because what we’ve been doing so far has been working so well.” Nat’s face shuttered with hurt, but I knew it needed to be said. “They broke into my home , Nat. They know where I live, and where I work. The longer we pretend this isn’t happening, the more danger we put ourselves and everyone else in.”
“Detective,” Ava’s voice held a tone of warning, and I turned to plead with Morgan instead. Surely the agent would understand.
“You know I’m right. This bounty has just upped the stakes even more.” I felt like tearing my hair out. “I’m sick and tired of being afraid. I never asked for any of this.”
“Boo hoo for you then.” Morgan’s ire matched my own. “You think any of us want to be here, protecting someone who clearly can’t see beyond their own dick?” I hissed at the underhanded blow, and Morgan scoffed. “You threw yourself out of a moving vehicle! And then you leapt into a river even a vampire would have struggled to swim through. And the waterfall?” She bared her teeth. “If you wanted to die so much, I’d do us all a favour and end you myself.”
“You think I haven’t tried ?” The words left my mouth before I could catch them. “If only you guys would just -“ I bite my lips so hard the bottom one split, but the damage had been done. The only sound in the room louder than my own heartbeat in my ears was the infernal beeping of the monitor. As if the vampires needed it to know how I was feeling.
“Wolfie?” Farah said softly, shifting away on the bed so she could face me. “What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. I didn’t mean - it was a slip of the tongue -“
“Hell of a slip.” Morgan was looking at me differently now, something knowing and haunted in her eyes. “Rather Freudian, don’t you think?”
I know she’s baiting me, but it still takes all my will to not bite. Instead I breathe out a long breath, trying to push away the anxiety building in my belly, trying to ignore the heat rising uncomfortably on my neck. Nat had pulled her hand away and I couldn’t even bring myself to look at her.
“It doesn’t matter. It didn’t happen.” I don’t want to linger on those thoughts anymore - the dark demons that hounded me in the immediate aftermath of Murphy’s capture. I was so low, and my usual coping strategies weren’t working. The only thing that kept me from falling over the edge was the knowledge that someone from Unit Bravo would be the most likely to find me.
I couldn’t do that to them. Any of them.
“I think it’s best if you leave,” I whisper when no one says anything for a long time. I felt too exposed, too vulnerable - peeled back until they could see the rawness of me. “I’d like to be alone now.”
“Wolfgang -“ Whatever Farah had to say died a quick death as I turned my head away. I tried not to feel guilty as she slid off the bed and left.
When the door closed behind them, I sigh and bury my face in my hands. Stupid .
“Way to go, asshole,” I muttered as I began to think of all the other ways it could have gone. Should have gone. “Just fucking fantastic.”
“I think it was for the best.” I startled, only to see Ava standing by the window. Watching me with eyes full of understanding. I glared.
“Which part of ‘I’d like to be alone’ did you not understand?”
“I don’t like lies and half-truths.” My jaw tightened. “Being alone will not solve your problems.” A flicker of regret? “I know that very well.”
For all our differences, I was glad that it was Ava that had stayed. There was something about the way she held herself that settled my nerves.
“You’re right.” The words pained me to say, and I managed a weak smile. “Thought I’d never say that to your face.”
The stern commander’s lips twitched. “I’d much rather it be in different circumstances, if I’m being honest.”
“Are you capable of being anything else?”
“Not if I can help it.” Ava’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “How long have you been struggling with these feelings?”
I rub at my eyes tiredly. “Honestly? My whole life.” I remember growing up in silent rooms, bearing the weight of whispering voices and the stares of my peers on sports days and parent-teacher meetings. The hazing at the police academy and the distance between myself and my classmates at college. Sometimes it felt like I was just a child all over again, bumbling through life by the tip of the nose and sheer luck.
“And Murphy?”
I snorted. “Murphy just brought it right back to the forefront. A little hard to talk to a therapist about my time spent in the clutches of a madman.”
Ava’s expression softened. “The Agency has people you can talk to. I had assumed Elidor had offered to put you in touch with them.” It had never occurred to me to ask, but it seemed obvious now. Surely not every human working at the Agency had an easy time accepting that the things that went bump in the night were real. Judging by the way Ava’s hands clenched into fists by her side, I should’ve known.
“I just thought…” I hesitated, finding it hard to admit to my pride. “I wanted to do it myself, for once. I didn’t want to be even more of a liability.” To the team went unsaid, but Ava heard it anyway.
“You are hardly a liability.” The commander takes a step closer. “You escaped Murphy’s lair before we could come get you. You brokered peace between us and the maa-alused.” The blonde looked bewildered by my perspective. “The last thing I would call you is a liability.”
I chuckle without mirth. “You don’t have to pander to me. I’m just a puny human, after all.”
Now Ava looks like she’s one step away from slapping me back to my senses. “I did not think you were a coward.” I don’t even have the energy to bristle at the insult. That, more than anything, alarms the commander further. “There is something else.”
“No.” I hang my head in shame. “I’m just not as useful as the rest of you.” Certainly not useful enough to keep around. “I probably make things harder.”
“Well, yes.” I raise my head and scoff. Ava shrugged. “Of course you do. You’re limited. You’re stubborn. If I say something thoughtlessly to provoke your anger, I have to face Nat’s wrath on top of yours. Not to mention your outlandish and reckless ideas. Our work would definitely go smoother without your interference.”
“This isn’t really making me feel better -“
“But it also wouldn’t be as fun.” It takes a moment for her words to sink in. I didn’t think she was capable of saying the f-word. Ava rolled her eyes. “Yes. I am aware of what I’ve just said.”
Stupidly, my mouth hangs open in shock. “You think I’m fun?”
Ava raised an eyebrow. “Would you rather I think you insufferable?” She sighed as if regretting this entire endeavour. “For better or for worse, meeting you has changed everyone. I do care for the rest, even if I do not show it well. They are different now. Happier.” Her gaze is full of meaning as she watches me process this. “Because of you.”
The voices in my head call her bluff, wail at me to ignore her, to push them away. She was lying, she had to be.
But Ava did not lie. And Ava would certainly not lie about this.
“I… uh.” Clearing my throat, my gaze darts around the room to try and hide how flustered she’d made me. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”
The vampire simply nodded. Very matter of fact. “So will you stop questioning your worth to this team? The sooner you resolve this problem, the better you’ll be. I will accept your physical limitations as a human, but I will not tolerate your lack of confidence in your own self-worth.” I narrow my eyes at the teasing light in her eyes.
“Yeah, uh, I don’t think it’ll happen anytime soon.” Ava raised an eyebrow. “But I’ll work on it. Probably talk to those people you mentioned.” I felt shy now, eager to move on and put this behind me. “So thanks.”
“Of course.” The commander tilted her head and made to leave, only stopping when I called her name one last time.
“Why did you choose to stay?” Nat would have been the likeliest person to comfort me, but it had been Ava who stayed. Ava, who was aloof and calm, who thought emotions only clouded a person’s ability to do the right thing. Surely, she must’ve volunteered herself. Surely, she’d had to make a conscious choice.
The commander frowned as if she didn’t understand the question. “Because you are a member of my team.” A warmth rises in my chest. “I would be a poor leader if I did not try to help.”
The carefully chosen words do nothing to cancel out the gentle expression on her face. I grin, finding it easy.
“Don’t worry Ava,” I tease, enjoying the way she scowled and stepped back as if I'd physically threatened her. “I won’t tell anybody you actually like me.”
Even the way she sighed as if she was some put-upon governess couldn’t dampen my good mood. I was part of the team.
I never realised how much I had wanted to hear that, before.
- - - - -
Being a hero was severely overrated. Especially if it meant being confined to bed rest for broken bones I never intended to break. The fracture in my collarbone was the worst of my injuries - even the bullet was less of an issue, since it had missed pretty much every important organ. They’d even elected to leave it inside of me, citing that it was safer than trying to dig it out. Good thing I hadn’t planned on going through airport security anytime soon.
Even with the Agency’s resources, I would be stuck with my arm in a sling for at least the next month. Elidor had done some funky magic with it, to speed up the process, but had been very insistent on letting my body heal on its own. We’d talked a lot about regaining full mobility with physical therapy in the future, but right now I’d be grateful to just be able to move my fingers.
“Sorry, could you -“ I wiggle the fingers on my good arm in a wordless request for my mug of tea. Nat looked up from her book and happily handed it to me. I sigh - both at the warmth of the drink in my hand, and at the soft look in the vampire’s face. Unit Bravo had unanimously agreed that I couldn’t be left alone at the moment, so they had decided upon a regular rotation for guard duty. Nat had jumped at the opportunity to be first, and I was grateful it wasn’t Farah because I had a feeling I wouldn’t be getting much rest with the youngest agent around.
“How’s the book?” Nat pulled her eyes away from me a beat too late, tapping her fingers against the book as if trying to remember its contents. I hide a smile behind my mug. “Not to your liking?”
“Oh, no. I’m actually enjoying it very much.” Nat clearly enjoyed the classics, and had never read a graphic novel before. Something I wished to correct immediately. Watchmen seemed like a good overlap of both of our interests. “I remember the Cold War. It was a hectic time for the Agency.”
“Oh?” Sometimes I forgot how old Nat was - how old they all were. Farah was the youngest, but since she was from the Echo World, trying to pin down an age was tricky. “Got up to any clandestine operations?”
“Between the psychotic supernaturals taking advantage of the chaos and the innocents caught in between?” She was unusually sombre. “There was a lot of work to be done.” I stretched out to tuck my toes under her crossed calves. The tension eased a little with the touch.
“Bet you looked hella good doing it.” I could already imagine her in the fashion of the time, when women were beginning to experiment with the things that looked best on them. “That leather jacket isn’t from this century, is it?”
Nat laughed and shook her head. “Very astute. Do you spend a lot of time looking at it?”
Now it was my turn to flush. “It’s a nice jacket. It fits very, uh… nicely on you.”
Thankfully, Her Majesty decided at that moment that she absolutely needed our attention, and jumped up into Nat’s lap even though she was fully aware she was not allowed on the couch. Ari, in his little hidey hut across the room, seemed grateful to be left alone to take a nap. What a mood.
“Guess it’s feeding time for Her Royal Highness,” I chuckled as Nat carefully held the book out of the cat’s reach. They eyed each other warily, still trying to figure out their relationship with each other. It was rather cute. Nat startled when I took a picture.
“She likes you more than she likes Ava,” I assure Nat as I make the picture my contact photo for the vampire. “You should’ve seen the way she hissed. I’ve never seen either get so worked up.” The commander and the tabby had an intense staring contest that lasted for so long the water I had set to boil came to temperature. Eventually Her Majesty deemed Ava’s presence as acceptable, and sauntered to my bedroom. I had a feeling both of them had come to an agreement of sorts; at least that would explain Her Majesty’s conspicuous absences when Ava came over, and the cat treats I definitely couldn’t afford popping up on my kitchen shelves.
“I suppose that counts for something.” Nat holds up a hand, eyeing the tabby with suspicion. “May I pet you?”
Her Majesty didn’t reply - because for all her imagined intelligence, she was still a cat. So I stifled my grin as Nat slowly lowered her hand, letting the back of her knuckles brush against Her Majesty’s soft fur. Amazingly, she begins to purr - the cat, not the vampire - nudging her head against Nat’s palm in search for more.
I huff in amusement. “Must you be so goddamned likeable? She didn’t even like me in the beginning.”
“Perhaps we understand each other.” Nat was looking at Her Majesty’s missing foreleg, amputated after being crushed under a car as a young juvenile. “Kindred spirits, she and I.”
I wiggled my toes that were still tucked under her to elicit a smile. “So you too, have a god complex. Noted.”
Nat’s smile turned coy. “I do like the idea of being worshipped.” Her eyes bore into mine, heavy with meaning. This time, when I flushed, it had nothing to do with anxiety.
“I bet lots of people would love to get on their knees for you.” Even I’m surprised by the boldness of my statement, and Nat laughs like it’s the best thing she’s ever heard. She lifted Her Majesty off her lap and put her down on the carpet, using the movement to get closer to me - and I totally let her. I may be an idiot, but I’m not stupid . I knew what she was asking for.
When we kissed, it felt like sparks dancing across my skin. Just like anxiety always does, except this time I want the feeling to stay.
This time, I wanted the feelings to overwhelm me completely.
“God, you are so unfair,” I whispered against her lips, smiling when she pouted in confusion. “You're hot, you’re smart, and you’re a hella good kisser.” That surprises another laugh out of Nat. I quickly pressed a last kiss to her jaw before she could get too far away. “If I wasn’t in so much pain, I’d give as good as I’m getting.”
“I can barely handle you as you are now.” I blinked to see her brown eyes taking me in softly. There was no trace of deceit in her eyes or voice. “I consider it a minor miracle that you are so shy with your affection. Otherwise I would barely know what to do with myself.”
I raised an eyebrow. “So you don’t think I’m good at showing affection?” Granted, I was a lot more reserved in public - even around the rest of Unit Bravo I second guessed my every interaction with Nat. But that was out of respect for the others - and also because it was embarrassing to be so demonstrative. Even the thought of kissing her on the cheek in front of others was enough to send a hot wave climbing up my neck.
Nat frowned. “Absolutely not. You are a very private person, and I respect that.” She gestured a hand towards the rest of the room with a small smile. “You’ve let me into your home. Your interests. Your life. I can see how much that means to you. And I feel the same.”
I pull her hand towards me to brush a kiss across her knuckles in gratitude. Somehow, Nat had understood. Even without me telling her.
“I’m adding mind reader to the list of things that are unfair about you,” I teased as I shot her a longing look. “It’s getting pretty long, you know?”
“I like that you’re paying attention to me,” she breathed as she crawled up my body till she’s hovering over me and I can lean back against the arm rest. “Because I’m certainly paying attention to you.”
I licked my lips unconsciously. She’s very, very close. “That’s, uh. Nice. Can you read my mind now?”
Nat smiles at how distracted I sound, and leans in to brush her lips tauntingly against mine. I whine a little at being denied, and her smile opens up against my mouth.
By the end of the night, I have to add ‘is a fucking tease’ to the list - which honestly hurt my pride a little. Nat just laughs and promises to kiss it better.
I’m ashamed to admit it worked.
- - - - -
“I’m starting to think you lot just don’t like the warehouse,” I muttered as I pushed open the door to my apartment to yet again invite the vampires into my home. Rebecca was here with them, in an attempt to get to know me better - and I appreciate the thought even though the awareness of the action made things a little awkward. “The station would kill for that lab setup you have.”
“But you’re just so welcoming,” Farah quips as she strode in like she owned the place. Thankfully, she remembered my rule about shoes, and kicked them off before running inside and calling for my cats. I think both of them are frightened by her exuberance, but I don’t have the heart to tell her that.
“Please. Make yourself at home,” I call out dryly as I go through my ritual of shedding my work persona. Keys in the mouth of the frog, checking off my to-do list on the whiteboard in the kitchen. Rebecca follows me into the space and opens my fridge to inspect its contents.
“This is rather empty,” she said, and I can hear the note of scolding in her voice. I rolled my eyes and gestured with my one good hand. My shoulder was healing well, but Elidor wanted me to wear the sling as much as possible until I finished my rounds of physio with him. Something about being safe.
“It’s not like I have much time to be at home anymore.” It was true that I spent most of my time nowadays shuttling between the warehouse and the station. If it weren’t for my cats, I’d probably never return home at all. “But I should still have some meals prepped in the freezer. Would you like some paella?”
Rebecca’s lips pursed like she was thinking about declining - but instead she nodded, draping her jacket over the back of one of my barstools.
The team had decided to have a get together at my place to celebrate the end of another successful mission - at Farah’s insistence, of course. Ava had tried to talk her out of it, but I supposed she didn’t try very hard, since she looked just as content to be here as Morgan did. Her Majesty was curled up in Nat’s lap, pleased with the opportunity to be on the couch again; Ari was sniffing at Morgan’s feet, something I was surprised the vampire let him do.
Farah was already setting up my console for a game of Mario Kart, having decided that a tournament would be the best way to unwind. I held up idle chatter with the rest as I got to work heating up dinner for Rebecca and I.
“I never got the chance to say this,” she began slowly, one eye on the pan as she crossed her legs in thought. “But this apartment is very… you.” I raised an eyebrow, unsure if it was a backhanded compliment. But Rebecca just shook her head in fond amusement. “Your bedroom at the house looked nothing like this. You didn’t even have a single poster up on the wall.”
“I never really felt comfortable there,” I admit, and turned just in time to see Rebecca’s face fall. “But I also wasn’t comfortable about a lot of things, back then.” My realisation about my gender identity and sexuality came about very late in life; late enough that by the time I truly got a chance to explore and embrace it, I had already moved out of the house I’d grown up in. “I guess I know myself better now. Having a space of my own really helped with that.”
“I see.” Rebecca didn’t bat an eyelid at the mention of my non-binaryhood. It was a part of me, just like my stubbornness and weird insistence on having things in my environment being just so. When I came out to her I had only been a little nervous - nerves that were for nothing, because Rebecca had simply nodded and moved on like we were simply discussing the weather. Most people would mistake it for denial; but I know she had to have read up on it after, and she had never gotten my pronouns incorrect. With her, actions always spoke louder than words.
Still, I didn’t like that I unintentionally made her sad, so I put on a teasing smile and tried to coax one out of her.
“Besides, you had weird taste.” Rebecca’s mouth dropped in indignation. “Remember the floral wallpaper in the guest room?”
“It’s classic,” she sniffed, and I roll my eyes.
“In the 50s. We’re hardly the image of Stepford wives.”
Rebecca snorted in disagreement, her frame loosening up as we continued to bicker over her more… questionable design choices. She even managed to slip in a tale or two about my dad, which was surprising. I lapped up every bit of information I could.
Eventually, we ate dinner side by side at the island as the vampires began their tournament in earnest. Poor Nat was struggling with the controls, while Ava was getting way too competitive. I wasn’t surprised to see Morgan in the lead; Farah had gone for style over substance in her kart and was suffering greatly for it.
When the competition began to heat up, I rolled my eyes and stepped in to diffuse the situation, gallantly offering to play on Nat’s behalf. Farah tried to protest that it was cheating, but Nat was so far down the leaderboard that Morgan and Ava allowed it. I ended up snuggled between my partner and Ari, who’d somehow managed to worm his way in the smallest gap between Morgan and I. Across the room, Rebecca was humouring Ava as the commander began to discuss tactics, her phone tucked away in her pocket instead of in her hand. By my legs, Farah sat, leaning back ever so often to trash talk everyone as she focused entirely on the game.
“Sorry I’m so terrible,” Nat murmured as I leant my head against her shoulder, content to simply be a part of things instead of winning. “I don’t think technology and I will ever get along.”
“I like that about you,” I grinned as I caught a fire flower and began to shoot down the track. Morgan swore as my aim hit true. “‘Sides, I think it’s about time I step up for the team. Can’t have you doing all the heavy lifting.”
“Oh, so we’re a team, now?” I glanced up to see her smiling ever so softly at me, and suddenly the game seemed more unimportant than ever. Reaching a hand to tilt her face down to mine, I pressed our lips gently together and sighed in happiness.
“If you’d have me.” Nat wrapped her arms tighter around my waist. The look in her eyes said it all.
“We wouldn’t want you anywhere else.”