Two months Later
Ben's back his the hard floor making a large thud as he groaned gripping his knife tighter before launching himself back up and at me again.
"Not so fast" Jason intercepted his attack grabbing his wrist and twisting it so he dropped it.
"Fuck, thought I had it" Ben huffed.
I relaxed my shoulder standing back up straight.
"You were close, if it were just her you never know" Jason shrugged picking up the knife.
"I feel like you're still taking out your anger at me some times ya know" Ben admitted brushing off his clothes.
"No. . . I told you we're good just bad time" Jason said as he looked Ben over.
"Since you don't look like you had a weapon you want a hug to prove it?" Jason smirked opening his arms.
"Suddenly I'm the one nervous" Ben nervously walked towards Jason.
Jason quickly grabbed him pulling him into a bear hug patting him on the back.
"Come on, can't stab ya like that anyway, can't guarantee you'll heal"
Ben coughed patting Jason's back.
"Luna. . . you're husband I think wants to kill me still" he struggled with his words as he was squeezed.
I giggled to myself shaking my head.
"No, that's just how he hugs, swear they're firmer than his handshakes"
Jason released him finally and Ben let out a breath.
"Jesus. . . you intimidate them right off the rip huh?"
Jason gave him a smug grin.
"I may have cracked a few knuckles or so before"
"All hail the mighty King. . ."Ben mumbled going over to one of the brown leather chairs plopping down.
"Most composed out of the two of them though-"
"Excuse you" I interrupted Alexander.
He laughed a little.
"What, he's just a bit more passive aggressive compared sometimes you must admit"
I mean, he wasn't wrong, I was usually the one to react first, the one to react with violence.
Jason was usually the one to talk it out and be more passive aggressive about it, but at the end of the day he wasn't shy of getting his hands dirty either.
"Can I ask you something Alexander?" Ben sunk into the chair more getting comfortable.
He simply nodded in response.
"You've been with them since the beginning right? you were here before. . . why did you change sides?"
I started to clean up the weapons around the room as they carried on their conversation and Jason and Alexander went to go sit in the other chairs across from Ben.
"Well . . . if I were to be honest, I wasn't fully devoted to them; I knew the so called story of Luna- to me such a thing like forcing someone to be with you. . . and exist in a story that was supposedly made for them seemed unfair. . ."
He paused for a moment.
"They painted them both like they were villains. . . for what? Because they were in love? They were maybe young and dumb in his eyes?"
I finished walking over to the chair and plopping myself onto Jason's lap and his arm quickly snaked around my waist.
I stayed quiet listening to Alexander explain.
He never really fully explained this to either of us.
"If the supposed King of Crimson is allowed to have his way then so should his other half, and if it turns out that it isn't the same view well. . . then it is their right as well, there are other people to fill the role."
He shrugged.
Ben's face suddenly looked very confused.
"So that's all Lillian and John were?"
Alexander nodded.
"It was. . . risky of course, Zadicus filling the role with just an easy of a target as anyone else, but the fact that he appointed them was enough"
"Zadicus was so focused on us it was too difficult for him to teach, control and everything else for the others, so thus the ladder was created"
Jason continued.
"Unfortunately for him, by the time everything settled in we were already planning the take over"
"And when he had caught up. . . we had already killed them, which in all fairness gave him the original plan he wanted back too, he took care of me and he'd have her right there"
"He still couldn't force her could he? So then what?" Ben shook his head still not understanding.
"With me gone, what was she going to do? She had no one, it would only make sense."
Jason shrugged.
Ben looked over to me.
"Is that true?"
The truth was. . . I could try running forever, but I didn't have a purpose. . . So I suppose he wouldn't be wrong, no one else would be hurt.
"Luna?. . ." Ben asked again softer.
"He's- I'll admit selfishly the main reason I ran, the main reason I do everything, without him I suppose I'd surrender so no one else ever got harmed. . . I mean until I found a way to kill him"
I gave a small smile.
Ben's face suddenly frowned.
"But wouldn't that mean. . . "
"That I would have a weakness? Yes, and I would use it."
Jason grip suddenly squeezed me.
In the corner of my eye I saw Alexander's head lower.
"Then as I said before. . . the role would be filled as needed. . ."
"As brutal as Alexander's words are. . . there's a reason why he's been around all years, he would be the one to know what to do best" Joshua said as I heard the door close behind him.
He bowed his head towards Jason and I.
"Ben you must understand something. . . most of us in this house know the dark reality of what we are doing, but we feel it is somehow right- whether or not it is we don't know until if and when the real problem happens."
"What is that?" Ben looked over to Joshua who was leaning against the wall.
"Death."
He cleared his throat.
"Jarred's back."
Alexander raised his eyebrow.
"How'd the teamwork go with you and his group?"
He shrugged.
If I were to be honest with myself, I tried not to think about either of us dying. I didn't like that we had to run and hide and everything by any means. I also didn't want to accept that I could die perhaps just as easy. Our victory was close now though with Kaidan . . . I would have to figure that out.
"So how is it going Luna?" Ben's voice ragged me out of my thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"You know, your boyfriend?"
Well we haven't really talked or hung out that much. . . As of recently anyways.
"Fine, a girl couldn't be happier" I gave a fake smile.
"Well, that being said I suppose I should take my leave and take care of my own date tonight" Ben smiled getting up out of the chair
"Be safe" Jason yelled as Ben exited the room.
"He's right, where is Rickey?" Jason turned me around on his lap.
I shrugged.
"Busy with Jarred usually, you know other things"
"You guys can hangout at the house tonight if you want or out;
I'm going out with Jarred tonight" he offered.
"Who are you taking with you tonight?"
He tilted his head back thinking for a moment then looked at Alexander then to Joshua.
"Hmm. . . who to choose"
Joshua tapped his finger against his crossed arms as he looked at Jason and Alexander quietly chuckled.
"The suspense"
"Alright, I'll take Alexander" Jason reached up to peck me on the lips shifting me off his lap onto the arm of the chair.
"Well I guess we'll go get ready then hmm?"
Jason and Alexander started talking about their plans for the night as they got up and headed for the door.
Joshua stepped away from the door approaching me.
"So what are our plans tonight then?"
Joshua's light blonde hair was slightly swept across his forehead almost long enough to cover his soft darkened blue eyes. He was wearing something slightly more comfortable today I'm assuming because of his duties to watch Jarred and Rickey he wanted to blend in more. So he was wearing a brown leather jacket and a pair of dark washed jeans and a black tshirt.
"I'll have to call Rickey, if not- is there something you'd like to do tonight? You can go if so."
I said as I stood up.
"I was just going to watch some tv tonight so doesn't really matter too much, running around today was. . . tiring."
"I'm sorry you got stuck with them again. . . you know Jarred prefers you though so-"
"You don't need to apologize, I mean he's fun to be around- I just don't get along with some of the others" he shook his head.
Joshua was cocky and usually quite stubborn, but when he wanted to be he was a sweetheart.
I pulled out my phone and started texting Rickey.
"Forgive me if I'm intruding but- why him?" his brows scrunched in confusion.
"Everyone always asks that. . . " I muttered going towards the door and I motioned for him to follow.
"It sounds harsh I know- but you also know you could have anyone you fucking wanted with who you are"
"Which is why it's so hard. . . something either to do with status or power within that. . . I just want something real." I admitted as we walked to the great room and I sat on the dark leather couch.
"You read the file too I'm guessing. . . seems everyone has but me. . ." I grumbled turning on the tv and tossing him the remote as he sat at the other head of the couch.
"It was required by Alexander. . . didn't have a choice. . . to be fair I knew a fair amount before that anyway."
He shrugged and started looking for a movie.
"You did?"
I mean I knew he had spent a lot of time with Jarred so he usually was around his friends and what not, but I guess it never occurred to me.
"Mhm, I really don't know what I'm in the mood for. . . something old something new-oh!" he stopped searching through channels when he landed on The Golden Girls.
I tried to hide my smile and giggle as I bit my laugh and he looked over at me.
"Please don't mention this to the guys" his eyes pleaded as he looked over to me before turning up the volume a bit and sitting back into the couch.
"Our secret.' I simply said smiling and looked at the tv.
☾☾☾
We had spent a couple hours watching the show and I laughed at how glued to the tv Joshua was, I had never seen him so docile.
"Honestly, I never thought you would watch such a show" I chuckled when Joshua had explained who I reminded him of from the show.
He had said it was a hard choice between Dorothy or Sophia because of how strong and difficult I could be, but he settled with Sophia because I was too short to be Dorothy he thought.
"Remember when I dated that girl a few years back? Trixie? She would insist on watching it almost every night, I don't know I just eventually started to love it" he shrugged.
"What ever happened to her anyway?" Joshua like most of the guards didn't date much for one reason or another but unlike Alexander they didn't all stay single.
"She just wanted things that didn't work for us, to move, get normal jobs you know. . ." he shrugged.
I felt bad. . . Sometimes I felt I had dragged so many people into this life of somewhat solitude. Some of them felt like they couldn't truly live their lives probably.
"Don't be, trust me I never dream of leaving- what I said at the meeting. . . listen this is all I really know anymore- Alexander could forge whatever resume I could dream of, but what place would need me or give me purpose like here?" he paused the show and turned to me.
I stayed quiet as he explained.
"I remember when I first came here. . . you and Jason just got settled in, Alexander was pretty much telling you every step to take, you two were so young just trying to control the world almost. . . in some ways I guess that was true." He grinned.
"I wasn't sure if I'd last or for how long- and when you brought Jarred home god I was fucking scared out of my mind- Alexander made me pretty much kept me with him until he seemed mentally stable enough to be back around you both and that he wasn't plotting anything."
"I remember. . . you were there day and night with him."
"I remember when we celebrated your big birthdays like your eighteenth, twenty first, thirtieth- well you know and I wouldn't know what to do without this family."
I smiled.
"Well, I'm glad we have you."
He nodded.
"Luna!"
Suddenly Rickey's voice was heard as he was yelling down the hallway and Joshua quickly changed the channel.
"Thought you said he didn't answer?" Joshua looked at me confused.
"He didn't. . ." Rickey suddenly walked through the large oak archway.
"There you are love"
Rickey looked at Joshua on the couch with me and raised his eyebrow.
"Working you to the bone huh?"
Joshua shrugged not breaking his eyes away from the tv.
"You didn't answer- didn't think you were coming over"
He frowned walking over to me.
"I know. . . I was busy, but I'm here now aren't I?"
I nodded.
I could smell the scent of smoke and vanilla coming off of him. He was wearing a simple black hoodie and a pair of tight jeans.
"Joshua can you leave us alone?" Rickey asked.
Joshua quickly got up and headed for the door.
"Don't need to ask me twice"
Rickey sighed as he plopped down beside me pulling my legs over his.
"So how are you, love?" he asked as he leaned his head back on the couch looking over at me.
"Fine, you haven't really been wanting to hangout lately- everything okay?" I asked trying to read his face for answers.
"Yeah, just been busy and I knew you were- which meant Jason was and I just didn't know when would be a good choice for either of us"
I could see his point, but still I was used to him spending a lot of time with me and with Jason and I in the beginning. We'd stay out in bars and dance half the night, we'd go for crazy long hikes in the woods, watch movies- everything it seemed.
Lately it had just turned into doing one thing that eventually made us end of having some form of sex (and on some fun occasions almost getting caught) and usually left after that.
"I'm sorry. . ." he whispered giving me a puppy dog look.
"No, I'm sorry too it's been a little hectic around here"
"It's fine, I saw everyone is out- they coming back? Do you want to come back to my place or-"
"I don't really know when to be honest, we can go back to your place if things get to crazy here, but can we just stay here and talk till then?"
He nodded pulling me into his arms on his lap.
"Actually I wanted to ask you something. . . you're umm older technically so I figured you'd be best to ask"
"Mhm?" I laid my head back on his shoulder looking at him with a raised brow.
"You almost sound like you may insult me-"
"No,no" he quickly said.
" Just want to know if my facts are straight- can you explain how blood bonds work?"
My brain froze on his words as they echoed.
Why would he want to know such a thing?
"Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious. . . I overheard about it and didn't want to be dumb and ask. . . can you have multiple? Like what does it do?"
"Well they aren't jokes most importantly, and they aren't to be taken lightly- you're bound to that person forever in some ways you become part of that person too, some say in lives after this you're bound in some way too."
I paused as I watched his face for any expression.
"You can feel everything, share everything, thoughts, moods, and in some ways damage."
He stayed quiet and you can tell he wasn't sure what else to ask or say.
"You talk about it like you know from experience. . ."
I swallowed and nodded.
"I do, I have one."
"Right with Jason- dumb of me to even assume otherwise-"
I shook my head.
"That's not who it's with."
His face turned into confusion.
"Then who. . .?"
"Well I share one with Zadicus of course."
I shrugged.
I thought it was obvious honestly. . .
His eyes widened.
"You what? That guy's heart you ripped out?"
"Mhm, you didn't know that him and I-"
"You two dated?! No one said that!"
My face turned into discussed and my lips twitched.
"We didn't- you really don't know the story? How is that possible"
"I hang out with way different vamps than you other than your brother, does it happen to do with that crimson thing?"
"I guess. . . I just didn't really realize" I blinked trying to still understand how he had no idea.
I cleared my throat.
"Well I blew off your first question so I'll start there, I suppose you can have multiple but it would be splitting your soul even more, I don't know anyone who has, but in theory it's not impossible but risky I'm sure."
He sat up more stretching out as he listened.
"I know you're not completely out of the loop, yo know that the power rank falls first with him, Jason and I and that is because well he's the first, then there was me and then Jason."
"I'm definitely gonna have to tell you the stories I've heard then"
I smiled shaking my head barely able to imagine what people have changed it to.
"Can you tell me about the whole Queen of Crimson thing? Everyone talks about it and I really just feel dumb. . ."
We never really talked too much about these kinds of things. . . I don't want to say we avoided it, but I guess we did.
"To be honest, Joshua or someone else would be better at explaining it then myself"
He looked at me puzzled, but I called for Joshua first.
"I was only told most things, I don't experience them. . ."
"What's up?" Joshua said before taking a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
"She said you can explain the whole Queen of Crimson thing?"
He choked on his cereal trying to contain a laugh.
"Uhm, yeah sure- what about it?"
Rickey only shrugged before putting his chin on the top of my head.
"I just know she's the Queen and we're supposed to do whatever she says to be honest."
Joshua's eyes widened as if he were offended and he placed his cereal bowl down shaking his head.
"So. . . from what we know the true King and Queen of Crimson is herself and Zadicus, technically speaking Jason somewhat holds that title as well-"
"Technically?" Rickey picked his head up interested.
"Well, Luna and Zadicus are the first of our kind- they are what makes us, what destroys us even- I mean you were there in that room that night, but she was her first turned and Jason was hers so. . . in theory that would make it so, but her alone being married with him it also so to an extent."
"Isn't she like half his age or something crazy though?" he looked down at me suddenly.
"Mhm. . . now again on those details and as far as we have been informed he never met anyone else before him, they dreamed of each other though and that's I guess how they found each other. . ."
I wrapped my arm more around Rickey as they spoke, but suddenly their eyes were on me as if they wanted more answers.
"He found me when I was coming home. . . He had the same power over me as I do you. The rest well, it's in the history books about all the chaos I've made with him and others."
For a moment it looked like he was going to bring up the fact that I didn't have that control over him, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Yeah that night was. . . weird." He tried to play it off.
Joshua simply shrugged before grabbing his bowl of cereal.
"I mean hey, I thought I was bringing you to your death and now look at you" he chuckled.
Rickey let out a small laugh before looking back down at me his blue eyes sparkling.
"Mhm, here I am. Sorry to interrupt your cereal man."
Joshua shrugged giving a smile.
"Nah, you're good I'm just lounging around not much to do with everyone important out."
"So how do you like the guys?" Rickey asked leaning back into the couch relaxing.
"I mean, their alright I guess- you know how I am" he continued eating his cereal between their talks,
"Some of them are obnoxious I get it, makes me nervous sometimes"
"Why we aren't dying, but they will" Joshua tried to hold in his laughter.
"I don't want to fucking go to jail though either like shit"
"Oh trust me, now that you're with us that's not a thing either- I mean Jarred could have got you out too but us? You won't even go in."
"It's true, because you're with me they won't let you be in such a position unless they're asking for a punishment."
"And by punishment you mean death?" Rickey snorted.
"No! I mean perhaps- but not for sure-"
Joshua's phone started ringing and he reached into his pocket grabbing his phone.
"Yes Alexander?"
He held the phone with his shoulder as he shoveled the rest of his cereal into his mouth quickly.
"I mean, I'm here in front of them right now. . . pretty good over here"
I hated trying to focus on a phone call conversation, sometimes the static noise would be too loud for me to make out the words properly or then there were times like this where Alexander was in a loud club with blaring music as he yelled into the phone.
I giggled to myself listening.
"It's so loud, Joshua I'm begging you please tap in for me" Alexander pleaded his voice sounded strained.
Was he drinking?
As if Joshua were listening to my thoughts he spoke.
"You drinking? Shit is it that bad?"
Suddenly Rickey was laughing with me quietly.
"Luna don't eavesdrop on me! this is your fault!" he yelled louder into the phone.
"You can still fucking hear them? My god you need to relax" Joshua started to chuckle now and Alexander grew more frustrated.
"Yes, Joshua I do my job also you say that but you guys are at home where nothing should really happen I'm in the city with so many people" he groaned.
Joshua put the phone on speaker as Alexander continued to vent and Joshua must've hit the mute button because we were laughing like crazy and he had no comment until he noticed it was too quiet.
"Are you there? Did you hang up on me?!"
He quickly fumbled on his phone as we quieted our laughter.
"No, no I'm here sorry- listen you'll be alright just enjoy yourself for fucks sake that was your job tonight"
Alexander grumbled a few things I couldn't make out and Joshua shook his head before ending the phone call.
"Maybe I should have gone" Joshua admitted.
"Oh, but then we wouldn't have this great moment" I quipped.
He rolled his eyes.
"Well, I will scurry off and let you both be" he said before bowing his head down and flashing out of the room.
A/N I tweaked a chunk of this because I liked how I originally wrote it more.
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ns 15.158.61.39da2
