Opening the Can of Worms

Kurtis frowned as the hybrid disagreed. Maybe Kurtis was little too focused on the scales, weigh who did what and who would be at fault for the whole. But he was willing to listen to Damiano’s perspective on things. He could understand that Jeremy needed time. The question made him frown; Yeah. He had felt broken before, but yet it felt different. When she had been with Abel, he had spent a long time in denial trying not to think of her and it mostly worked. But he found that most of the heartbreaks he had felt with her had all been while they were together.
Kurtis sighed. He couldnt exactly whip out advice because it wasnt the same. There was no need for him to hide around and do things in private. “I would be selfish. Even with the risks. If anything would have happened, then we’d take it from there. But I’m not waiting around to get my heart broken.” He said. That was his take on it, as a male in a straight relationship.
The hushed explanation made Kurtis tense up. Jeremy was being blackmailed? He looked as clueless as he had seemed when Damiano had asked about the messages. “He was hurt today. Bleeding pretty bad. Like… someone bit him.” He confessed, tapping his wrist to show where. Did the two things relate? He frowned.

Of course he would be selfish, Damiano didn't doubt that, but this was different. Kurtis was straight and in a straight relationship. Damiano and Jeremy wasn't. If one of them had been female then they wouldn't have to snoop around, that was the whole point, wasn't it? However then the mention of the wrist made him grit his teeth a little, "yeah, I saw him earlier ... He was talking about helping Zaira, but ..." he frowned. No, this dumbass wasn't actually this dumb to become a blood bag, right? "Do you think she might've bit him?" he asked, it wouldn't surprise him, in fact he was surprised she had held back so long. "I mean, he didn't seem scared or anything when I talked to him," shaking his head a little. It couldn't have been an accident then, right? Most people were scared out of their minds when someone bit them, he could still remember the gut wrenching pain that Jeremy had felt when Damiano had bit him.

Helping Zaira? Kurtis frowned a little as well. Before Damiano asked, the question was crossing his mind. But it made no sense. She had gotten good vials off the vampyre his cousin was seeing, so there would be no need? And Kurtis always offered himself if she wanted something more source-based. Damiano pointed out that he wasnt scared but that just made Kurtis clench his fists. “Shit.” He uttered, turning his head a little to the side in annoyance, looking away from the hybrid. “She can do that. Calm whoever she bites. Almost making it feel so fucking good.” He explained, but then denial kicked in. “She would never do that to her best friend.”

"Wait, you've let her bite you?" he was quite surprised, especially as Kurtis had been rather angry at Damiano back when he had bitten Jeremy. Was it the smell of double standards he was sensing? Either way he shook his head, not needing to know, "besides that, isn't your blood toxic to her?" That had to be an even bigger concern. Lycan blood was notoriously poisonous towards vampyres. And even if Zaira wasn't a vampyre all the way, it had to count for something, right? He wasn't even sure what worried him most anymore; The fact that Zaira could potentially bite and drink from whoever she wanted or the fact that Jeremy might be going along with it. However the reminder that Zaira wouldn't ever do it to the nephilim made him sigh as he shrugged. "You know her better than I do," he gave in. Maybe it was all just a big misunderstanding, right?

“Yeah? But I offered it. It wasnt like she was claiming me. Stop sounding so fucking judgemental, you didnt need the blood” He snapped lightly, knowing exactly why Damiano had sounded so perplexed by the confession. He knew he hadnt been very fair to the hybrid and it was fine if he couldnt forgive Kurtis’ behaviour. “We spoke to the brother of the vampyre that changed her. Apparently she has everything a normal vampyre wish for.” He said, frowning a little. He was skipping lightly over the information as digging too much into it also meant that he had to think about everything Romeo had said.
Damiano gave in and Kurtis hummed. Though the seed of doubt had been planted in the lycan now. Even if he would be in denial till he saw it with his own eyes. She had just… no, he shook his head. “Fuck, it’s not as easy and simple as it was this summer huh?” He scoffed.

Damiano scoffed, but for now it wasn't the double morale that was the biggest concern. Kurtis however seemed to disclose that Zaira had indeed got vampyre in her, but apparently not all the way. It sounded rather crazy, if he was being honest. The following scoff made him sigh, shaking his head no. It wouldn't be as easy as the summer had been. "It's not," he sighed, because he longed for the summer already. How him and Jeremy had fooled around, laughed and had a good time. Spent time on the boat, making out, and generally feeling free to just fall in love. But now it wasn't so easy.
"I know you're still pissed at Jeremy, but maybe try and loosen up a bit for him ... Or at least for Zaira if she's going through something," he said, this time deciding to exit the smoking shed. He had talked enough. He needed to get to class.

Kurtis found himself thinking back. But not for long. He didnt dwindle too much on the past. Damiano spoke to him and he looked down. The hybrid was right. He couldnt just pet his stubborn head keep him in the circle of anger towards Jeremy. But it also had helped quite a lot that he had gotten to talk to Damiano and get some perspective. And yet… no, he remained set on not walk that path. She would never do that. He felt so sure. He was left alone, sticking around for a bit before he went to class as well.

After Zaira's last class she had checked up on Jeremy, made sure he got home safely before she headed home herself. She could feel her whole body filled with energy still from the fresh blood she had gotten from the nephilim earlier. It was strange. She felt almost a buzz, but she could also feel her throat starting to itch. As she got home, the first thing she did was reach for a new vial, emptying rather quickly. It helped, but it didn't have quite the same flair as fresh blood. However it could keep her need away for at least the rest of the night. Or so she hoped. Checking her supply she knew she didn't have a lot left, but besides that she wasn't sure she could dare bring any vials along with her to school anymore. She got started on the cooking, feeling a small boost of energy from the vial, but also still the slight buzz from Jeremy's blood that was still in her system.

Ever since that day her mood had just been in a steady decline. She would get agitated by the smallest of things, have trouble focusing on her homework. It was as if the vials didn't even sooth the itch in her neck anymore. It was hard keeping it a secret from Kurtis. She just didn't want him to think that she was a bad person. She had slipped up once, and since then her and Jeremy had talked it through.
One night Kurtis was out on the town with the boys, and she had invited Jeremy over to a nice dinner. To apologise, but also to talk this through. "I'm very happy you came," she said, flashing him a careful smile without the fangs showing. He still smelled good. Way too good. But she had decided to try and not ask what she had thought about asking this whole week.

"You're lucky that I'm with Kurtis or your parent might try and get the two of us spliced," she teased back. Zaira was perhaps one of the first people to know that Jeremy liked guys, but frankly for him she would do many things to keep him safe. She watched him carefully as he stepped in to the kitchen. He looked like he had seen better days. The question made her hum, looking towards the stove, "I seem to remember you really liking that paella we whipped up last summer so I thought I might give it a try," she said, the apartment filled with the warmness of the spices of the one pot dish. She however couldn't help herself, reaching out to take his hand. "Jeremy ... I'm worried about you," she said.

“That is terrifyingly true.” He chuckled. As much as he loved and cherished Zaira, he wouldnt want them both to live unhappy lives. Even if she would probably be the most understanding of all, it wasnt something he wanted to tangle her into. He looked over the stove, humming softly as she was quite spot on. Gods, just the mention of summer made his guts feel like someone had stabbed him. He felt her take his hand and sighed at her words. “I’m just going through stuff.” He brushed it off. His heart felt broken and it felt quite unfair solely because it hadnt seemed necessary and yet it had been. And because of what? His homophobic parents? He needed to get out of that mindset, pulling away. “I’m sorry. I just… I can only sit by and wait. Sign up for school abroad or somewhere where I can live freely without my parents breathing down my neck twenty four seven.”

Zaira knew he wasn't doing well. Why else was she going everything in her that wanted to keep her distance to keep him safe? Because she cared for him. And frankly there was very few things in this world she wouldn't do if he asked her to. However as he pulled away, his statement made her sigh. "I would miss you too much if you moved away," she said, just stating the obvious. She knew that what came after their time at Saint Jules would be them splitting off in to every corner of the world. But somehow she had a hard time coping with that thought.
Moving over she made sure to stir the pot, just hoping nothing would burn as she looked down into it. "Jere ... what happened with me-" she trailed off, frowning at her own words because she felt very much estranged to the thought of what she was now. "I mean; I didn't mean to bite you ... I don't want to be some mindless monster who just bites everyone," gripping a bit harder around the metal spoon she used to stir with, it even bending a little by her grip alone. "I just want to thank you, you know, for not telling on me or judging me."

“I wouldnt be able to live my life if I stayed here.” He argued and it was true enough. Sure, his parents may always have some sort of upper hand but he didnt really want to keep thinking about them. He watched her stir the pot, when she then began speaking rather cryptic at first. What had happened to her wasnt just some weird random thing, but it was maybe good that she adressed it. She spoke of the bite and just remembering it made his wrist where she had bitten start to itch. He didnt see the bite as a bad thing but he wasnt exactly a reliable source when he mostly just thought of how good it made him feel that once. And how bad he wanted that feeling again. “You know I never judge. Or try to..” because he was certain that there were a few instances, especially if any of them asked Damiano. “-Actually.. I have thought about it as well. And if you need more, then that’s fine. I really want to help you out in any way that I can.”

Zaira smiled a little as Jeremy said he tried to never judge him, but frankly could she really ask for more? Taking the pot off of the heat, she moved it over to the table that she had set up. However the next words made her stop in her tracks, unsure if she had heard him right. Placing the pot down on the table she tapped her fingers against the handle of the warm container before finally turning around to look at him. "Jere, you're .. You're like a brother to me," she frowned, feeling a bit sentimental, but she didn't let herself linger, "feeding on you wouldn't be right - when I taste blood I-I-". Stopping herself she looked down, shaking her head, "it's very connected to desires, sexual and intimate ones." Could he not see that it would be too taboo? Even if she wanted to taste his blood again, it would feel like cheating on Kurtis, wouldn't it?

His offer was as genuine as it was selfish. He did want to help her but that want was also strongly fuelled by wanting that oddly calming feeling once more. She seemed to stop for a moment to then continue. He didnt know if it was because he had overstepped or gone too far into what she had been saying to begin with. He hummed as she called him a brother. He did see her as family as well. At least the kind he liked. She then spoke of how it made her feel but cut off before she could reveal it, which left Jeremy a little confused. “Drinking blood?” He asked, frowning lightly. “But it’s what you need to live. And you’re not attracted to me… as well as I’m very much… uhm… into men” he muttered the last part. It wasnt very sexual, not between the two of them right? It just couldnt be.

"I know we aren't attracted to one another," she said, shaking her head. That wasn't the point. Drinking blood just made her aware of everything, it made her feel good and almost high. And in that high she often found herself more sexually active, at least when she was around Kurtis. Not that the lycan seemed to mind, in fact he seemed to want to prove himself, testing his stamina. "I've only ever done it with Kurtis, alright, and every time I go crazy," that was putting it lightly, wasn't it?

He seemed to be the voice of reason that she hoped he would be. Well, that was until he undid the sweatband, her jaw trembling as he moved closer. Her mouth suddenly felt dry, her throat itching like crazy because she could hear the blood rushing through his veins. "Jere," she almost pleaded, backing away as she was clearly scared of herself around him. She shook her head, looking down as she felt her eyes well up. It wasn't fair. Why was he being so cruel to her all of a sudden? "I don't want to hurt you," she pleaded.

He pulled her in and she wrapped her arms around him, holding herself close and breathing in his scent. She cared for him. Considered him family. But she had to admit that standing close like this was making her throat itch more. Her heart was beating a little more than ordinarily, wetting her lips as she pulled away. Safe to say she was thirsty for blood, and his blood had been the only thing to really soothe her needs. "No, I'm sorry," she said, but her eyes could barely focus on anything but his neck. Was he certain that it wasn't going to hurt him? Her hands moved up, pulling down lightly on his big hoodie, revealing the bitemarks that Damiano had left on him, scars that perhaps would never truly heal. "Did it hurt when he bit you?" was that taking it a step too far?

Jeremy and her had a very tight bond. It wasn't like the one she had with Kurtis, no this was a much different love. He spoke about what had happened and she hummed, because now she was curious. "Did it feel like that when I bit you?" she asked. Maybe hearing that it had hurt him would deter her mind from trying to convince her to just lean in and sink her teeth in to his neck. "I mean, you barely reacted - To me you looked like you were as shocked as I was?"