Artistic intuition [cw]

“You dont get it,” he just said in disbelief, shaking his head at her. He couldnt understand why she was chuckling, but it was probably something he was too old to get. He hadnt really done much for love, not in the sense she was talking about anyway. “You really dont get it... It doesnt matter if she doesnt come forward. If her parents or some guy from her street witness anything that indiciate a relationship between them, he goes to jail. It doesnt matter if she’ll soon be of legal age, because the fact is that she isnt now,” he explained, rolling his eyes a little as he wished she would just get it.

She felt like she was on the verge of crying, feeling him touch her hand before he grabbed it to hold it. She looked at him with tears running down her cheeks, her lower lip quivering with sadness. His question made her frown but she didnt know what to say. She had no idea if it was a way to tell if he lpved her, because he hadnt felt anything like this before, being so in love with someone and so fearful of having her heart broken.
Even if she had hoped for more than just hand holding, it was calming her down to feel his thumb caress her skin. She listened to his words and her expression seemed to soften up a little as the things he listed just made her remember how good it had felt back then. Even if it was just one night. But then the reality check came, he spoke of how life for him would be if they were found out. She hadnt really thought about it, because it hadnt even crossed her mind. She was too blinded by the love she felt for him to consider how dangerous it was for him. “I cant be happy without you,” she said a little hoarsely, looking at him with eyes that clearly showed how lost she felt. She didnt want him to go to jail, but she didnt want to just end it here.

“What? My ass is not....” he said with a confused expression but then he seemed to get it, sighing deeply as he looked ahead for a bit. “I dont have anyone else but him. If he’s gone, then I’m lost,” he just admitted with a displeased expression, looking shortly at her. “I met him when I was 5. He was 7, and ever since, we’ve never been apart. I’m sure you have a story like that with your friend. You would do anything to make them happy, even if it would hurt at first,” he said but he didnt know if she would understand. But she didnt seem like she would understand much of what it was like to have nothing but each other, he could tell that from the way she bore herself.

She frowned at the suggestion of friendship, not knowing if he was serious. Wouldnt it just hurt them more? To stay friends when they knew how they both felt about each other? It would feel cruel to be able to be so close to him but not being allowed to reach out and touch him, pull him in to kiss his lips whenever she felt the need to. Then he spoke of her parents and she looked down, her mother’s words ringing in her head. “They dont get to decide what I consent to and what I dont,” she argued, shaking her head. She just wasnt going to let her mother decide if she was allowed to see someone or not, Maddie had been right when she pointed out that her mother didnt always have the right judgement.
“I want to be your partner now,” she whispered with sad eyes, looking down at their hands. “What if we hang out one day and I feel like kissing you?” She argued, looking at him with serious eyes. “What if you feel like kissing me?” She added, thinking it couldnt ever work out.

“It’s not always like that on the street,” he said with a sour expression, he most definitely didnt feel like explaining that part with a vampyre he had barely met. Her talk of a promise made him look at her, nodding as he drew in a deep breath. “I appreaciate that. Despite this whole situation. I’ve seen how he is around most women. It’s different with her,” he said as he looked at them as well. He didnt really approve nor disapprove, he just wanted Gerard to be happy.

She hadnt expected him to have an answer but it was still something they had to consider. One thing could quickly lead to another and before they knew it they would probably end down a spiral that had no intention of preserving friendships or wait for birthdays. She let go of his hand but only to entangle their fingers, looking up at him while she resisted the urge to touch his face. She could tell he wasnt looking well, and she started feeling a little bad for yelling and shoving him like she did. His question made her frown and look down. “17 and 6 months. My birthday in is in February,” she explained, the corners of her mouth turning downwards a little. She then looked at him again. “Have you been eating?” She asked but it was because it was a little clear to her. Well the oncoming beard was hiding it well, but she remembered how he looked that night, how could she forget when she dreamt about it every night? “Let me take you to my apartment and cook you some food.... as friends...?” She suggested, a trying smile spreading on her lips.

“Always,” Xalvador assured her, a small smile spreading on his lips. He wasnt a cruel man and despite the scars, he wasnt really as rough as he could seem.

She wasnt really happy to hear that he hadnt really been eating and instead slept a lot more. It just seemed like a shift of scales that still made the outcome bad because of the lack of balance. The smile on his face made her expression soften up as she had missed that so much. Seeing him happy in her company once more. She chuckled with him and felt the happy emotion linger in a smile on her lips that wouldnt seem to go away. “Well it’s a bit of a mess right now. Maddie’s been with me the last couple of days to cheer me up. We hadnt really left if it wasnt because we had run out of food and blood,” she explained with a shrug.
She nodded at his suggestion, though she wanted to say no, it was just how it had to be. She wanted to do things right for his sake, so that he wouldnt end up in trouble because of her. She looked at Maddie and Xalvador as Gerard suggested bringing them too. “He can just have whatever Maddie’s having,” she said as she could only guess it was something in that alley, because her valkyrie side hadnt really seemed to be catching any daemonic vibe from the guy.

The night had gone well and it made Tessa believe that they could get through it. She had also realized that Xalvador was such a comedian once he seemed to have gotten used to whoever he was around. She had made Maddie bring Tyler too, mostly because she knew she had kept the vampyreress from him for quite some time. A few weeks had passed since that night and she had invited Gerard over after school. She wanted to show him some of her recent pictures and get some feedback. It was just a few snapshots of the busy city life in central, but there were also some pictures of willing strangers that seemed to want a good picture of themselves. She was lying on the couch as her feet were aching a little from walking all day, running a hand through her hair as she let him judge the pictures that were spread out on the coffee table. She lifted a foot and poked his shoulder with her toes when she thought he had been quiet for too long. “Are you judging them down to every little detail or something?” She asked in teasing, tilting her head a little to the side as she looked at him.

His answer made her chuckle but she liked how he stuck to calling her what he called her the first night they met whenever they were alone. She let him grab her foot but a soft strained groan left her lips as he started massaging it. It really really bad how tired her feet were and the light pressure from his hand was slowly warming up those sore muscles. She looked at the runner picture and smiled at his words. “I see what you mean. But I would have to blur her face out a little because it’s right there and everyone can see it. I dont want to get sued,” she remarked with a chuckle.
She lifted her hands and placed them behind her head as he started to use both hands on her foot, groaning a little softly whenever he hit a tough muscle. “I just couldnt stop, my brain kept seeing new frames and scenery all over the place,” she argued, smiling a little bit. It made her happy that her creativity seemed to have been boosted to insane levels when she finally got him back. Sure it was hard just being friends at times, but in the end she really did love him enough to see the point in waiting; at least for his sake.
His question made her pout as she looked up at the ceiling with annoyed eyes. “Yeah, as ready as I can be. My mom however, she thinks that after what happened last time it isnt that good of an idea,” she explained before she sighed deeply and frowned, “So doesnt know she’s sabotaging my chances of making a name for myself,” she said a little frustrated, removing her hands from behind her head to lift herself up on her elbows to look at him. “I dont know what to do to make her change her mind,” she admitted, gritting her teeth as the spot he seemed to be working now was very tender. “You’re really good at that,” she mumbled.

She could see the point of retouching the picture in the way he suggested, nodding as she made a mental note. Then the conversation went to the night they met and her mother’s protectiveness. His teasing words made her stretch her foot to place her toes on his mouth. “Are you sure you want a resume?” She chuckled but in a way she was also serious. She definitely felt like being with him had changed something inside of her, even if they hadnt done much. She had started experimenting with different things, while she kept imagining it would be his hands as he whispered sweet nothings against her temple. Though admitting any of that would put them in a compromising situation.
His suggestion made her raise an eyebrow and his addition made her chuckle. “But you are trying to steal away her little girl. You’re just waiting a few more months before you finish the job,” she shrugged, not really thinking of it as a big deal. “Okay, you can talk to her. But she’ll ask questions, a lot of them and they can also be very harsh. I’ve seen her make many grown men cry for less,” she warned him, switching her feet so he could work on the other.

His confession made her narrow her eyes at him before she sighed deeply. He was really good at making her want him when she knew they were better off waiting. She shook her head as he thought he was deserving, “No she’s just really strict and knows how to press buttons,” she sighed. A soft moan left her lips as he starting working the foot that was definitely worse than the other. She had a bad habit of leaning onto it. “You just cant show her weakness,” she chuckled, knowing that was how her mom eventually got people.
The thought of going already today made her frown a little. “I dont want her to scare you away right away,” she remarked before she carefully moved up to sit, to place a hand in his soft thick curls. “But okay. I’ll set something up tonight,” she smiled, touching his scalp gently.

She hadnt wanted him to go but it was their best option. She followed him out and hugged him close before she let him go, walking back in to call her mother and set it up. Of course Leona wasnt too happy with the suggestion but she agreed to it either way, because she wanted to know who it was that her daughter had gone home with that night.

Tessa was sitting on the couch in her family home, Connor sitting on the other side as he read a book as he always seemed to be. “You’re a nerd,” she told him, mostly because she was tense and nervous about what was about to happen, “Where’s this coming from?” Connor asked a little confused, looking at her with narrowed eyes. “I meant what I said,” she mumbled, chewing a little on her nails but not hard enough to break the nail.
Leona opened the door with a neutral expression, eyeing him up and down before a small welcoming smile spread on her lips, “Tessa didnt mention that you were part seraph. I had expected a full blooded daemon,” she remarked, opening the door for him. Even though her words could seem like a relief, if Tessa had been there she would have warned him. “I’m Leona,” she said, holding forward her hand once he had taken off his jacket and gotten out of his shoes. “So you’re the one she ran off with that night,” she said, studying him right from the features on his face to his posture and shine.

His agreement was making her raise her eyebrow slightly but she led him into the house instead of jumping straight to interrogation. “I see. But she is still too young to get mixed up with all those adults, including you,” Leona just casually said as Connor looked up at them. He looked a little confused at Gerard but nodded as he seemed to know. “Call me Connor,” he said with a smile, not really being that used to hearing his full name. He took the hand that he was offered, giving it a firm squeeze like the young man he was. He looked at the book that he was reading and smiled as Gerard seemed to know the author. “It’s a supplement to my exam, not that I need to read it, but I want good grades,” he explained, though he did like the book.
Tessa was trying to contain how happy she was to see him again even if it had only been a few hours since they last saw each other. She leaned into the hug as it was only brief, smiling softly at his question, “I think I have a picture that would amaze,” she said before she eyed her mom. Leona crossed her arms and tilted her head. “What picture is that?” She asked, despite how she had told Tessa she couldnt go, she wasnt heartless. Tessa got up to go get her bag, pulling out a folder with different pictures. She showed a few different pictures, some of Maddie and Tyler that were taken a few days ago in spme urban abandoned building but among the pictures was the one Gerard had said he liked earlier. Leona stopped at it and looked around it before she flipped through. “Well these are good Tessa,” she said before she looked at her daughter. “But I’m still not convinced that you should be going,” she said, handing back the folder. Connor had gotten up and took the folder to look at the pictures, though he seemed to study them a little closer. “They’re not just good, they’re amazing,” he said before he looked at the others. Leona looked at Gerard, crossing her arms again. “What kind of pictures do you do Gerard?” She asked with her head tilted to the side.

Connor nodded in agreement to Gerard’s words as he looked at his mother. Even he could tell that she was being unreasonable, but frankly he thought that if she had any idea what he was to Saoirse, his words would have held no value. “The last time she went, her art was peaking on social media,” he remarked, but Leona still didnt seem like she was budging. Instead she flipped the conversation to Gerard, wanting to hear more about him. He said models and she frowned subtly, “Are they fully clothed?” She asked like it mattered. Tessa groaned in annoyance, “It’s work mom, it’s nothing sexual,” she said but Leona kept her eyes on the nephilim.
She took his card and inspected it before slipping it in her pocket. Then he started speaking of the upcoming event and Leona sighed. “She shouldnt be taking all this money, we’ve given her more than enough to keep her going for a long while,” she said but Tessa shook her head, “I’ve donated most of the money to art related things,” she admitted even though it definitely wasnt what the sponsors would have thought she woild do. But Leona did like the notion that it was open for all, Tessa obviously didnt. “Could be that I should come see what’s happening. That way I’ll know if the enviroment is something that I’d want my daughter to participate in,” she pondered, clicking her teeth as she sighed shortly. “I’ll have time to stop by. But I still need to know more about you before I start thinking that you’ll be capable of keeping her safe. Sit,” she explained as she gestured towards the dinner table. She went to get some glasses and a soft drink of homemade lemonade. “How old are you Gerard?” She asked, pouring a glass that she offered him.

Leona wasnt sure if she believed that half naked pictures couldnt lead to anything sexual, but maybe that was just her being rather judgemental of the fact that it was a photographer and a model all alone, taking pictures. The mere thought that Tessa would do something in the likes with someone of the opposite gender made her skin crawl with worry.
She did notice how polite he was being, sitting down at the end of the table so she could face him with ease. Tessa sat down with Connor on the opposite side, she looked rather worried at the nephilim while Connor kept looking through the pictures, poking Tessa with an elbow to tell her something without disturbing the other conversation. He could tell she was worried, so he just wanted to be a good big brother and distract her so she wouldnt butt in and say something dumb out of annoyance or anger.
His answer made Leona frown as she definitely wondered what his intentions with her could have been on that night, seeing that Tessa had mentioned that she hadnt told him her age at the time. “Yes she is a beautiful girl,” Leona agreed, looking shortly at Tessa before looking back at him. But she didnt believe that that was all that had been to it. That he had taken her with him home just to be friends. The mention of the kiss made her frown but she did seem to like the honesty.
She let him speak and just listened as she barely touched her glass of lemonade. She wasnt really giving away what she was thinking but it was alwsys like that with her. Some could wonder how her hisband had managed to captivate her heart. “She is talented and I have seen the potential that she could have.... But. She is my pride and joy, blessed by Verity herself to become a valkyrie as she was meant to be always. That also means that she has a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, an image to upkeep. People look at her and want her to fail. Because they dont believe she’s desvering of what she has been given,” she explained, making Tessa look up with a frown as she hadnt heard her mom ever mention that before. Leona sighed. “I’m only this protective of her because if the right person gets the right information, it could seriously damage her name. So all this indecency with an older man? I cant allow it,” she clarified, looking at Gerard with serious eyes. “I’m not cruel. So if you can show me that your intentions with her is nothing more but a mere friendship, then I’ll believe you. But you have yet to prove yourself. Meeting me on a scheduled night is not allowing me to see the person you are,” she concluded, shifting between his eyes with eyes that Tessa believed could see right into the soul.

“Dont you think it would strike up rumors if a 17 year old went about with a 28 year old?” She choose to ask instead of answering his question. Surely it wasnt an absurd thought to have. She knew she hadnt really given him much of a chance, but she stood by her words, not believing she was seeing all there was to know about him. Maybe it was just the protective mother instinct in her but she just couldnt see the point in them having a friendship when the age difference was as big as it was.
“I dont know your intentions Gerard, that’s why we’re here after all, right?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. She took a sip of her lemonade before she leaned back into her chair and made a deep sigh, running a hand through her blonde hair. She listened to him as he spoke but she didnt know what to think of what she was hearing. To her it could sound like there was more than just a friendship in his eyes, but he was saying it wasnt romantic. She looked at Connor and Tessa, “Give us a moment, please,” she said in a stern voice that made both frown but they got up and left, Tessa stopping in the door as she looked at her mother with a warning look in her eyes.
Once Tessa was gone, Leona looked at Gerard, despite her being leaned back just a little her posture was just on point. “Can we agree on one thing. It is worrisome that a man of your age is interested in seeking a friendship with such a young girl?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “She’s still so young and it would only be cruel to make her mingle with adults when she is merely one herself,” she added and crossed her arms.