#* . ⊹ 𝕂.𝕃. › ft. theo

[hellonexrth]

001. kaya & theo event: welcome home party @hntershunted

A party was exactly what the hellhound needed to clear her mind. Returning home had clearly been a mistake. Just after a few days, she already felt cracks forming in the walls she'd spent months building up around herself. When she stepped into Laurie's house fashionably late, a quiet rage bubbled under her skin. She'd failed. If she'd had her way, she'd be dead. Her mother instead walking the earth once more. Asher would have his mom, and he'd be free of her. The ever-heavy burden of a murderous younger sister.

In a red matching set that clung to her body and a pair of heels that clicked loudly as she walked, she made her way through the throng of bodies with a red solo cup in her hand that she'd definitely poured way too much tequila into.

When she spotted the brunette across the room, she nearly crushed the red solo cup in her hand. So she was still around then? The girl she'd seen Theo kissing that night months ago. Kaya tried, more than anything, not to think about Theo. Not to think about the kisses they'd shared the year prior, the things he'd admitted, and her own rejection. She tried not to think about the feeling that had twisted her gut when she'd seen him with someone else and the way that feeling twisted into a rage she still didn't understand when she saw the girl now.

She would never admit it to anyone out loud and especially not to herself, but she missed Theo more than anything in the world. And the fact that he'd lost interest in her, stopped caring about her, resented her even, devastated her. She missed the way he used to look at her, the way they used to laugh, their friendship and the times it slipped into more accidentally. And she felt like an idiot for leaving when he would have been there for her if she'd stayed.

And maybe that was why she walked across the room and stopped in front of that girl. So pretty, but all Kaya could see was their kiss replaying over and over and the rage in her chest became a fire that couldn't be stopped, and before she realized what she was doing, her hand was around the girl's neck, slamming her into the wall.

She was much shorter than this other girl, so she stood on her toes to lean in and speak. "Nice to meet you, new girl," as the flame roiled in her free hand. Uncertain of the plan but knowing she wanted this girl to hurt like she hurt. Because she had what Kaya wanted, and that wasn't fair.

[cxrsedmuse]

closed — @rumblcs, @tribidscrsed location: paradigm gardens event 002: lighting of the solstice

It didn't take long for the duo to find one another. Kaya had pretty much been attached to Ingrid's hip since returning from hell. Being alone was, well, off the table, lest she go completely mad with anger. Being in the company of her friend made her feel leaps and bounds better. As soon as Kaya found Ingrid, she handed her a drink. "I need to tell you something," she said urgently, pulling her away from the other people she'd been talking to.

Once they were a good distance away from anyone with normal hearing capabilities, Kaya took a long sip of her beer, holding up a finger that said one moment. She wiped the back of her hand across her lips and looked at Ingrid once more. "It's bad, Ing. It's so bad. Theo and I kissed." She chewed on her bottom lip. "I don't know what I was thinking, I was just sad and he was being so nice and he was there."

[hellonexrth]

feat. kaya & theo location: the collective warehouse @hntershunted

Maybe she should have stopped to think about any of her actions, but she couldn't find it within herself to care. In previous days, when the darkness had ceased control, it had relinquished it just as easily hours later. But now, she walked next to Katherine down a long corridor, and nothing seemed to matter at all. She didn't feel the same hunger that she'd felt tearing apart campers in the woods, but she didn't feel the sadness that threatened to tear her apart, either. She just felt numb. And god, was it so much better than how she'd been feeling in recent days. She didn't have to think about the people she'd lost or the killed, her disappointment of a boyfriend, or what either of the Mikaelson's would think about her disappearance. Because truly none of it mattered. After ripping open a few necks with her new babysitter, the vampire guided her into a lab-like room.

If she did care, she could have looked around, remembered the layout of things, remembered what halls led where, which rooms contained which people, but again, her mind was so void of anything that didn't serve her current self. If it didn't involve feeding or following orders, she really wasn't interested. Katherine had been right, it was time to take things into her own hands, and as it turned out, disconnecting her soul and flipping off that pesky humanity switch was the best solution out there. Especially now that she was faced with the sleeping form of her boyfriend laying on a slab looking more peaceful than she'd seen him in quite sometime.

Katherine hovered in the corner, but Kaya didn't care what the ancient vampire had to say. She hadn't even really been given a set of instructions in the matter. Katherine had only asked her if she wanted to toy with their most recent catch, and Kaya had jumped on the matter. She certainly didn't regret it now. If anything, she wanted to plunge her hand into his chest and rip of his cold, dead heart and maybe set him on fire for a second or two. Her humanity was off, sure, but she still felt anger, and spite. Everything she would have felt channeled hard into the demonic, into the aggressive, and begged for an outlet. Well, here he was. She pulled up a stool next to the table, near his head, and took a seat. She trailed one finger down his cheek and pouted, poking his cheekbone when he didn't immediately wake up to interact with her. Her annoyance with him was like a child's annoyance with a broken toy. Bored, and feeling a desire to rouse him as fast as possible to get on with the more interesting torture, she lifted his wrist to her lips and bit him hard and without care, letting the blood spill down her throat and dribble down the corners of her mouth.

[hellonexrth]

002. kaya & theo event: laurie & hope's wedding reception @hntershunted

Putting on a brave face ended up being much easier than the hellhound, now tribrid, thought. After Ingrid turned her, she'd thrown herself into party planning, making sure that the wedding reception was absolutely perfect for her best friend and her new husband. She still couldn't believe that Hope was actually married. Meanwhile, she and Theo hadn't even had the talk yet, despite having spent an astounding amount of time together. But despite her confident exterior, her nerves often got to her, and she didn't want to assume anything about her relationship to him.

Especially since she'd yet to tell him the big news. It just felt odd to have to come out and say it. How would she even go about that? Like, hey, sorry, forgot to mention, but I'm a vampire now because my best friend force-fed me her blood and then killed me. No, that was ridiculous, and it sounded crazy to even think, she couldn't imagine how it would sound said out loud. Despite trying her best not to think about it, some of the negative thoughts still nagged at the base of her skull, and she spent a good deal of effort trying to push them back down. Trying not to feel anything. Especially since she didn't want to ruin this moment for her friends.

So, she flitted around the party in a tight red dress with a corset top and puffy off the shoulder sleeves, looking hot but feeling more stressed than ever. Channeling all of those negative emotions into making sure the space looked perfect. When people started to arrive, she moved like a blur to the entrance, looking over the shoulder of the vampire they'd paid to check invites, making certain he was doing his job. There, she spotted Theo, specifically uninvited from party setup as a way to distance herself, to keep from having to tell him anything. But there he was, looking as handsome as ever, and Kaya couldn't help but step in his direction, pulling him toward her so she could throw her arms over his shoulders. She offered him a wide smile, "Long time no see. So nice of you to make an appearance, Mr. Salvatore." She paused, then said "How was that? Very professional welcoming party of me, right?" with a wiggle of her brows.

[cxrsedmuse]

closed — @tribidscrsed location: ingrid's bedroom

Curled up in the soft blankets of Ingrid's bed, Kaya tried hard not to let her mind wander. It would have been so much nicer if everything had been a blur, but she could remember the time she'd spent away in frightening clarity. She could remember every attempt to save Mariana in the hellish simulation, and she could remember how the fire felt on her skin. And worst of all, she could remember the feeling of killing. That moment replayed over and over again in her brain no matter what she thought about, no matter how she attempted to distract herself.

When Ingrid suggested to call Theo, she'd been uncertain at first. They'd only recently started hanging out again, and she hadn't shared a ton about her recent struggles. What would he think of her, like this? She'd gotten cleaned up, changed into a large t-shirt and a loose pair of shorts, but the stains were still written across her face. She was a murderer. A demon and a wolf. She already felt she didn't deserve Ingrid's apt attention and care, but Theo's? He felt too good for her in those dark moments. But she'd caved, craving his company and dreading the idea of being alone.

When she heard the front door open in the distance, she sat up in bed, hugging her knees to her chest, anxiety racing through her veins, making her heart beat faster than ever. What would he think of her? She hated how much it mattered and how much it worried her that he would think badly.

[cxrsedmuse]

closed — @tribidscrsed (theo) location: downtown

Breaking the law wasn't exactly Kaya's usual forte, but in the name of art, some rules had to be broken. New Orleans had a lot of good graffiti, of which Kaya had always taken inspiration from. But to put her piece amongst them? It was a daunting and compelling challenge. First, she'd ordered a few cans of spray paint and some protective gear, just in case she decided to act on her plans. Then, she found the perfect downtown building. A spot with some cover so she wouldn't immediately get arrested but still with a good viewing angle from the street. A place with convenient construction nearby so she could perhaps steal a ladder without anyone noticing. She didn't let her thing about the consequences too much from there, and once she stood in front of the clean brick wall, there was certainly no turning back.

Out of her backpack, she took several cans of spray-paint, lining them up along the base of the wall. She pulled her hair back into a messy bun and tied a bandana around her neck. After staring at the wall for a long time, she picked up the first can of spray paint, pulled the bandana up over her nose and mouth, and started in on the outline.

Nearly two hours in, her work was almost complete. She climbed down the ladder to admire her work. Staring back at her was a large hound, half aflame with glowing red eyes. For a moment, she was transfixed by her own creation, her self looking back at her. Or, how she thought she might end up, somewhere down the road.

[hellonexrth]

feat. kaya & theo location: various locations, theo's house @hntershunted

The moment the cake exploded from across the room, and she saw the look on Hope's face, she knew it could only mean one thing. The secret her and Ingrid had tried to keep had gotten out. As Hope ran out of the building, Kaya ducked out the back door, leaning against the wall and catching her breath, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it could explode completely. Shouldn't that have gone away? Did vampires really need to experience panic? The night had gone so perfectly up until that moment, but now her tight dress felt suffocating, and she couldn't stomach the idea of anyone looking at her for even a second, couldn't handle the thought of someone seeing through the facade. The next are you okay? would end with her in tears, and she couldn't deal with that that right now, couldn't even think about the idea of having to explain everything to anyone.

So she couldn't go back inside. She couldn't go to Theo's hose, or Hope's, or Ingrid's. Where did that leave her? Home? The apartment she'd rented with Ingrid was no longer an option, her old studio probably had some new poor artist occupying it, and the idea of going to the Lockwood house made her stomach turn. The last time she'd been truly home, both her parents were alive. That thought alone could have, should have, brought her to her knees. But she stayed upright, arms wrapped tight around her mid section, trying to breathe steadily.

The darkness inside her, twisting and turning, demonic and predatory, seized on her moment of weakness and took over, in a way, latched onto the switch that controlled her humanity and flipped it off, without giving her a moment to think, a say in the matter. And then her eyes were black and she was standing up straight with more confidence. In a flash, with newfound speed that came more naturally, she was on the outskirts of town, preying upon a group of campers. The first kill was easy, like butter. Her fangs sank into their neck and it only took seconds to drain them completely. Other campers looked at her, 5'4" in a cocktail dress with blood on her neck and chin, fully black eyes, and wild smile like something out of a horror movie. They ran, and she chased. The second kill made her feel alive, but the third, well. With her fangs deep in the third person's neck, that blackness released its grasp on her, full.

She dropped the body stumbled backward. It felt like waking up from a haze, a nightmare. "Oh god," she said, looking at the blood on her hands, her dress, her favorite dress, for that matter. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, but she couldn't help but keep going, couldn't help but kill the remaining two campers who screamed and fled, couldn't help but engage in the chase. It didn't make her feel better. Once they were all dead, she shifted into her wolf form and disappeared into the night, running so she didn't have to think.

She slept curled up against a tree, her wolf form a comfort she felt she didn't deserve. In the light of day, she only felt tired, only felt completely drained of energy, of tears, of ability to do anything. Shifting out of her wolf form, she snuck into Hope and Laurie's house and washed the blood from her face, her neck, her hands, and changed into clothes she'd borrowed from Theo. They were warm, and they smelled like him, which made her feel only slightly better. Thinking that he likely worried about her, since she'd disappeared completely without word to anyone, she went to him. He was easier to face than anyone else, than Hope or Ingrid. He would understand.

What she didn't expect was to show up at his house and see a misplaced door and the love of her life unconscious on the couch. She dropped to her knees next to him, reaching out to grab his hand, all of her own problems melting away when someone else's need arose. "Teddy?" she said, shaking him gently, unable to keep the fear out of her voice, sounding entirely vulnerable.

[hellonexrth]

As she wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand, she quickly recovered from the slip of her mask and all of the feelings she'd been working so hard to keep out flooding back in. For only a split second, it felt like drowning, waves crashing into her at full force, trying to pull her underneath the surf and suffocate her. But once the blood touched her lips and she was able to start rebuilding that stone wall around her heart and body, it was easier to breathe again, especially as she met Theo's gaze and found an equally cold vampire looking back at her.

Now this would be fun. His arms wrapped around her waist and she stepped forward, her body crashing into his as she reached up to place her hands on his shoulders. Despite her own callousness and the body that lay on the floor only a few steps away, she was happy, proud even, to have won him over. And something, far below the surface, stirred in delight, for they were together, even in madness. Something small and weak in her chest smiled and felt less alone.

She looked up at him with a smile spreading across her lips, devious and delighted as she angled her head, stood on her toes and waited for a kiss. "I'll make sure you do," she said teasingly, her fingers twirling in the hair at the nape of his neck. "Now that you've finally moved on from that mega boring girl you tried to replace me with, why don't we grab a bite to eat?"

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT WAS not what he’d wanted or something that be could even guess, call it hubris in his ability to ‘ logically ‘ read a situation and find the glaring reality of things vs the fact that nothing about his life since he’d comeback to new orleans was NORMAL ⸺ too fast, everything had gone downhill so fast. from the moment he’d been turned to now, everything in his life felt tainted and like he shouldn’t had been enjoying it, but kaya? his girlfriend, his best friend and the girl he LOVED had been been the only thing untouched… or at least he’s fooled himself into thinking as such because now as he watched her drain the life from someone, who’s only fault had been to care for him ⸺ reality set in further, darkness encroaching everything he could immediately see and what he couldn’t and then he felt it…

RESIGNATION to uselessness, to pointlessness, nothing mattered, maybe it never did. but the tears that formed in his eyes, did not come down, no they were frozen in place as proof of the person he’d been before he realized that fighting was pointless, laurie was indeed WRONG ‘ fighting for the girl ‘ would not be doing him any favors and he couldn’t bear to look at his parents, his mother especially, not without breaking down and admitting how absolutely miserable he was. how could he tell them that despite LOVING them all, because he did, elena, stefan, alexia, kaya, ingrid, laurie, caroline… even hope, underneath his contempt, he hated what he WAS, what they all were? that he would have preferred hope put him in the ground instead?

he wasn’t suicidal, or at least he hadn’t been until this moment that everything became clear, his arms wrapped around his ex-girlfriend’s lifeless body and all he could do was stare down at her, still FROZEN, still a coward, but now he was aware of it and that stung like nothing he’s ever felt before. finally he allowed himself to breathe, his eyes closing as he pressed his back against the wall, and then it came.

the thud of a cold body falling to the ground, his eyes flipped opened, the warm hazel now reflecting coldness, the spark that so often gave away his excitement was gone and it’s place a VOID of nothing. he took two steps forward both legs stepping over the once lively brunette on the ground, and he approached the hellhound, now newly made tribrid, and finally a smile, not his signature ‘ teddy smile ‘ as she’d once called it, but something else, something more ⸺ sinister and devoid of light, she’d finally WON. he’d done what she wanted and finally he spoke. “ you know you’re right.. blood does go well with everything. “ he eyed her up and down, before wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulling her towards him, with a cheshire grin. “i’ll remember that. “

[hellonexrth]

Seeing the way he looked at his ex-girlfriend broke something inside her well beyond repair. It cemented everything she'd felt before flipping that switch. Being unloved by him was maybe the worst thing she'd ever experienced, but watching him care about someone else made the cage around her heart grow even smaller, squeezing her chest tight. And for a moment, a brief second, her steel resolve flickered and her eyes stung with tears as she watched them, unable to move or act. What did this girl have that she didn't? She certainly hadn't been Theo's friend for ages, hadn't been his first kiss, hadn't been his crush, hadn't been the girl he said embarrassing (and yet, still charming) things about to his sister. So why did he care for her now, why did he look at her in a way that he could not even bear to look at Kaya?

Katherine words echoed in her mind, reminding her that she would always be cast aside, that she would always be on the outside looking in. The flickering moment passed and she built her walls up even higher, added another lock on the cage that she'd shoved all her feelings into, and let the darkness encroach even further. Devastation disappeared from her eyes, replaced by a cold callousness that could only be rivaled by the hellhound's mentor on her worst days.

Kaya wasn't herself, probably would never be herself ever again. The girl she'd been had died, and a monster stood in her clothes instead. Reaching out, whip fast, her hand wrapped around Gianna's neck. Shadows gathered at her feet, crawling up her legs, wrapping around her arms. She looked at Theo, only wanting to hurt him as much as he'd hurt her. Only wanting him to feel as empty as she did. She would bring him to her level, if it was the last thing she did. She would make him see her, even now. She disappeared within the mist, a new power she hadn't known herself capable of, and reappeared in front of Gianna, crouched on the floor, looking down at her.

She wrenched Giana up off the ground by her arm, holding her awkwardly in front of her body. Her dark eyes met Theo's from across the room, and she tilted her head to the side, shadowy tendrils snaking across the floor to root his feet to the ground, forcing him to watch as she reached up with her other hand and grabbed Gianna's face. "Sorry, he's taken," she said, looking up at woman she hated only for receiving Theo's attention. In a flash, she brought Gigi across the room, standing just out of reach of Theo as she craned her neck, let her fangs extend and smiled. "You can't save everyone," she said. Then she shrugged and buried her fangs into the girl's neck, thrashing violently. Fresh blood coated her face, covering her last meal anew. The second she'd drank enough, felt the force of Gianna's life leave her body, she released the tendrils of shadow from around Theo's ankles and shoved the dead girl's body into his arms.

A SILENT WINCE LEFT him the second his hand reached for the scalpel buried into his shoulder, pulling up and out, the boy made sure to keep his hazel eyes locked into pitch blacks. “ what even is this place? your new spaceship…” the question was sardonic in nature but there was curiosity in his words, a feeling that stopped the second her finger trailed across his chest. his breath hitched and his back, pressed itself into the wall in a CLEAR attempt to place distance between them.

he may feel mostly dead inside, but there was NOTHING that had ever felt like her hands on him. and that much had been made evident in his reaction to her just now. still he held out, head shaking, as mouth opened to argue, but instead of his voice being heard ⸺ it was someone else’s, the melodious call of his NAME was something he hadn’t heard in a while, but there his ex was rushing towards him. and all he could do was stare for a moment. “ gi… “ his voice trailed and he shook his head, a silent plead for her to leave.

she’d heard father and grant discuss the new ‘ subject ‘ they has acquired through a door she wasn’t supposed to be listening through ⸺ but it was that very lack of decorum that lead the young girl to where she was now. “ oh theo.. “ she mumbled with a shake of her head, her like of sight glued on her ex ( who’d hurt her, because of a lack of returned feelings, but still she did not wish him this )

“ gi, get out…” he managed to squeak out, his previously HARSH gaze softened as he looked at a girl through a confused expression but still regarding her as fragile ( something he hadn’t done for his.. ex? or was it girlfriend still? he’d lost track ) she’d approached him quickly, and her hand went up to touch his face, his rested on the back of her neck, as he searched her eyes for answers that he knew he had no time to retrieve. “ listen, you have to GO okay? i’m fine.. “ confused, drained and exhausted but otherwise he was okay ⸺ no real damage had been done yet. “ leave, i’ll follow.. “ somehow… eventually but that was a REALITY for him to contend with. “ i’m sorry, you weren’t supposed to end up.. “ and then she looked up, the girl he’d dumped her for was staring right at her… and her words died, her hand dropping from his face, but the vampire’s rested on her shoulder in an unspoken and weak protective stance. “ run, gianna now. “

[hellonexrth]

"Good," she murmured. With every touch, every kiss, she felt all the pain begin to wash away. The arguments, the guilt, the physical pain of watching him crumple under the stake, being with him, touched by him, it made none of that stuff matter anymore. And for the first time since her parents died, her future stretched out in front of her. Instead of being trapped by grief and guilt, she could see potential, light, love. She could see a future with him, and her hands wrapped around it so tight, refusing to let it go anywhere. Because she would get her happiness, after everything, she would seize it for herself, for them, no matter what.

Kissing him now, it brought her back to that first kiss, the one that set everything in motion. It felt so long ago now, though the memory swirled with clarity. They'd been just kids then, hell, they were just kids now. But if someone had told that girl that she'd fall in love with Theo Salvatore, she probably would have believed them, would have jumped for joy at the thought of them being together for eternity. She'd practiced her fake wedding vows to him more than enough times back then. Where had that energy gone in all the years that separated them?

Regardless, those feelings came flooding back, and all she could think about was him. Everything he'd ever done for her, all the times he'd been there, and even the times he hadn't. It all clicked into place, and she felt like an idiot for not having realized it sooner. Calling him at midnight, kissing him after a few drinks, needing him in her worst of times. How had she not realized sooner?

Kaya followed his lead, following him toward the shower with a glee that someone who'd just come back from the brink probably shouldn't have been experiencing. Once they were in the bathroom together, she took another step toward him, walking him into the wall and throwing her arms around his shoulders again, pressing herself against him as close as she possibly could. "I like being stuck with you," she said, leaning up to kiss him gently, slowly. "and in love with you. And I think," she said, her honey eyes flicking up to meet his, soft as ever, free from any spec of the demonic black that threatened to consume her even just hours prior. "We have lost time to make up for." And she kissed him again, never wanting to let go, never wanting to be too far from him, never again wanting to even consider going anywhere without him.

HIS FOREHEAD WAS GLUED to hers, hazel eyes lost in that sweet honey brown of her gaze as an arm, loosely wrapped itself around her waist. a grin was present on his features as his nose nuzzled against hers. this had been EVERYTHING he had wanted to hear for the longest time and now that it was happening, the boy wasn’t entirely sure that he could believe it. maybe if he pinched himself? that was certainly possibility.

“ good, because i won’t be letting you. “ not ever again, she’d slipped away so easily the first time and call it s bruised ego, but he wouldn’t let his pride stop him from fighting for her. not when he finally knew that she loved him. pressing his lips against hers, he guided her towards his bed, realizing that they probably should change first ⸺ but he was all too consumed with the feeling of her on his fingertips. it was hard to think straight, to remember anything outside of what was happening now.

“ you’re here, with me, that’s all that matters. “ he still had one more thing to fix and it was what kept him from kissing her the way he wanted to. pulling back, his hands were still on her cheeks, he looked her over for a moment and god was she BEAUTIFUL, she was everything and more. he’d never get tired of it. “ i love you more. “ he insisted with a boop to her nose. “ always have. “ even as kids, he’d known that she was the ONE. maybe that’s why he’d spent so much time rejecting every girl he met, all of them paled in comparison even more so now, because now he finally had what he always wanted, above all things it was her, it would always be her.

“ you’ve always been stuck with me, you’re s little late. “ he teased with a nervous laugh the adrenaline of the night barely started to settle but even the mere thought of what happened made him panic. he never wanted to see her hurt like that again, even if what came out of it was this. her feelings and her light would always be above anything he could possibly need. stealing a quick kiss from her again, he turned to pull fresh pairs of clothes from his drawers before gesturing towards the shower. they had all the time in the world now and that? that felt amazing, exciting and everything in between.

[hellonexrth]

Watching the scalpel sink into his shoulder probably shouldn't have brought her the sick satisfaction it did. Something about hurting him, making him bleed, brought a smile to her face. If she couldn't hurt him with her words, at least she could cut into his skin and wound him the old fashioned way. Such a pity for it heal so fast, though. If only she could bring herself to grab him by the neck and slip her fangs into him. Maybe it was the blood-frenzy talking, but she could really go for a drink.

Exhausted and annoyed by this back and forth, she dropped her shoulders and sighed. "It's not an act." Then, she lifted her hands at her sides again, like she was a child who'd just spun in a circle and was waiting for her parents to tell her how good of a job she'd just done. "I'm just like this now. Guess you're going to have to get used to it." She couldn't help but smile at the nickname he clearly meant maliciously. She could ignore that small aspect and revel in the satisfaction that someone finally saw her as the princess she was. Now if he could just listen to her like a good little subject, than everything would be easy peasy.

Standing in front of him, her fingers trailed along his sharp jawline. With batted lashes and an innocent smile, she spoke. "No objections, hm?" She liked the sound of that. The hellhound walked her fingers down the front of his chest and pouted at the love of her life—who barely felt like a friend anymore. "You know you'd be much happier if you just gave in. Turned off that little switch. It's so much more fun to be a vampire. Don't let your big brain get in the way of all your fun, Teddy." Still pouting, she looked up at him with big puppy dog eyes. "For me?"

THE SCALPEL HE WAS too slow to dodge, sunk into his shoulder with ease, but if he felt pain would be something he’d leave for the brunette to guess. instead he lifted a defiant chin, in a silent challenge for her to do it again.

he managed to push out a LAUGH if she was allowed mocking privileges then why should he hold back? call it hurt pride and a guilty conscience plus the lack of acknowledgement for what HE felt were valid emotions. “ and this isn’t? “ he questioned with a quirk of his a fake and exaggerated yawn slipping past his lips as a blank stare was thrown her way. “ sorry to say, but your act grew old like three whole minutes ago, babe. “ what he would get out of testing her, he didn’t know but anything was better than being a PASSIVE play thing. his ego, refused to give her the satisfaction. “ we all have something we need to get over.. “ and there it was again the idea of simply throwing caution to the wind and joining her. it would be far simpler than putting up with this. because despite the FRONT he played, he could feel his heart shatter in his chest. he didn’t want this for her, she deserved a better hand than the one she’d been played but he couldn’t change it.

all the knowledge in the world and he still couldn’t keep the ONE person he loved, safe and out of harms way. and on top of that he wasn’t sure he knew how to be there for her, so maybe he did DESERVE her coldness now, but the knowledge of that, didn’t make her ire hurt any less. “ knock yourself out, princess. you’ll get no objections from me. “

[hellonexrth]

The moments of silence between her words and his felt like they lasted a lifetime. She hadn't even meant to say the words, but they'd slipped out. That's what loving him was, a second nature, something she felt without thinking, without meaning to. But then he said the words and she felt her cheeks reddening. Never in a million years did she think this night would end with this moment, would end with her blushing at her best friend.

"I'm not going anywhere without you," she said, leaning up to kiss him once more. Now that she'd realized her feelings, saw him and their relationship for what it was, there was no going back. These feelings were all-encompassing, consuming, the type of epic love their parents all spoke about. And she'd only wished that she could have seen it sooner, that it hadn't taken his near-death for her to realize that he meant everything and more to her.

Walking home hand in hand felt electric, a certain buzzing in the air despite the stress they'd just been through together. She felt nervous and alive, neither things she'd experienced in at least a year. And though she'd had relationships before—in fact was kind of still in one—she'd never gotten the nervous around her crush feeling that she was experiencing now. Like everything was glowing and fragile and she just wanted to hold onto it so tight, wanting to keep his hand in hers forever and not let the real world come crashing down around them ever again.

Looking up into his eyes, her honey-brown irises with a warmth that hadn't been present in months, she placed a hand on each side of his face. "I've loved you for ten years, Teddy," she said, her words soft and genuine, full of all of the feelings for him she'd pushed away. "And I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. But I won't forget, and I won't run, not ever. I hate to break it to you, but you're kind of stuck with me."

‘ I LOVE YOU ‘ SHE’D finally said the words he’d wanted to hear from the second she turned him down. and maybe that’s what had caused him to practically go mute, a million thoughts raced in his head, as they walked towards his mother’s house. pulling her close, his hands came to rest on the sides of her waist. “ me too by the way.. “ he finally answered her, hazel eyes looking into her dark ones directly.

“ love you, i mean ⸺ NEVER stopped. “ and with that he pulled her into another kiss, this one was gentle, slow given with all the care in the world. it was as if every emotion he’d suppressed when it came to her, had come running back like a literal giant wave he found herself once again wrapped around the ‘ wonder ‘ that was kaya lockwood.

and it was that very sensation that strengthened his resolve to KEEP her. “ how about this, next time you decide that you need to go… let catch you. “ he’d done enough chasing, so much of it, with her slipping out of his hands like smoke, but she was here with him now and despite what he’d said before in moments of anger, he wanted her to STAY. she was by all means the definition of forever, if the concept of always was a person ⸺ he was sure she was that personified.

walking towards his room, he pulled the door open, to walk on inside. his mother was going to kill him and alexia as well, but surely that was worth it, now that he had his girl in his arms. and then he felt the nerves hit, the last time they had been this close, she had been drinking and the next morning had shattered him when she didn’t remember.

the thought made him wonder, pressing his forehead against hers, hazel looked deeply into brown. “tell me, you’ll still love me in the morning, promise me that you’ll stay.. “ his voice died as he gathered his thoughts. “ god kay ⸺ i can’t watch you LEAVE, not again. “ and then his voice went low. “ so please, for my sake.. don’t. “

[hellonexrth]

There was only so much faking it she could get away with before it felt like the world was going to come down around her shoulders. But if she could just make it to the end of the night, just make it home—whatever that even meant anymore, then maybe everything would be alright. If she could just wait for the night to end before letting tears slip out silently while asleep next to Theo, she would at least find some relief, at least lessen the weight a little bit, right?

Because the truth was, she didn't want to kill. Her first and only death had been someone she'd loved, and taking someone else's loved one away seemed like the worst possible fate. When discussing the idea of being turned with Ingrid, she'd been overjoyed, excited even. But now that it had happened, it felt like an omen. Asher had always been the better sibling at sensing bad vibes, she'd never been in touch with that side of her hellhound nature. In some ways, it felt like a fatal flaw. If she'd only been better, maybe she could have prevented all of this. for both her and Theo. And then they would have been able to grow old together. Now, they wouldn't. That realization hit her like a truck, but she stayed clear-headed, not letting tears flow. She only leaned into Theo's hold, wrapped her arms around him tighter—deciding right then and there that she would never let go.

And she smiled, pulling away from him a sliver to catch his eyes. "I love you," she said, standing on her toes to kiss him quick. "And you're right. We can figure this out, together. I wouldn't want to be immortal with anyone else." At least they were in it together, the three of them. Live together, die together, and this together, too.

END.

WHATEVER IT WAS THAT she had to tell him, was nothing like he imagined ⸺ so many things had crossed his mind, but not this. so it took him a moment to gather his thoughts, he felt his heart contract in his chest and his lighthearted gaze darkened. mind raced for a moment, before he looked away and found the PERSON she’d named as responsible. their best friend, someone who they both trusted blindly, and then that name again ‘ the collective ‘ it made him see red.

he already harbored resentment towards ONE mikaelson, the last thing he wanted was to feel that way about the red head and he wouldn’t, not when he knew that she’d need him too. so he threw his arms around his girlfriend instead and pulled her towards him, his chin resting on her head before kissing the top of it. his hands cupped her face and he nodded. “ hey… “ he gently whispered as he did his best to give her a smile. “ we’ll figure it out. “ and they would, they were TOGETHER now right? that had to mean something at least he wanted to believe that it did. “ the three of us. “ because it would always be, that way now lore than ever. “ i promise. “ he kissed her forehead and tucked her into an embrace again, holding her against his chest tightly as if that would hide her from a world hell bent on HURTING her, as if he had any power to keep her safe. “ i love you. “ he whispered the words for her to hear, because he wanted to remind her, he needed to remind her and he also needed it for himself. he needed to find a way to hold on to the GOOD less he let himself drown in bitterness. “ and hey… an eternity together? that can’t be bad yeah? “

[hellonexrth]

As a hellhound, she should have been used to feeling completely engulfed in flame. But the way he kissed her back, touched her, tangled his hand in her hair, it was a different kind of fire. One she never wanted to stop feeling. Because it felt so right. Just like all of the kisses they'd shared before, they melted together in a way she didn't understand. But at least now, after missing him for months and months, for watching him hurt before her, she'd figured it out. It was love. That feeling that had scared her, overwhelmed her, made her want to run away every other time, it was an all-consuming, would destroy everything for him, disaster and solution kind of love.

And maybe she wasn't a hundred percent certain that she deserved it, deserved him, and yeah, maybe she was still terrified of the way that he made her feel. But she was sick of running away, and admitting it to herself, that love, was its own kind of freeing.

His words, no matter how good they felt, she just couldn't find it in herself to agree with him. She'd seen the hurt written across his face only an hour ago, and she wouldn't let herself get away with such a quick apology. And maybe she just wanted to feel bad, wanted to let the guilt of leaving him eat at her, at least for a few days, to remind her of all the reasons to stay.

"No, Teddy," she said, her hands settling on his face as she looked at him with all the love that she'd been refusing to feel for the past few years. "There's everything to apologize for, but I'll make it up to you, okay?" she kissed him in between sentences, never detaching from him fully, both hands clinging to him over his shoulders, on her toes and nearly off the ground completely. "I'll spend forever making it up to you, I don't care. I love you, and I left. I should never have left," she mumbled the last words against his lips. Now that she'd really kissed him, she never wanted to stop.

Though she did not want to, she slowly untangled herself from him, taking his hand and intertwining her fingers with his as she nodded. Home. What an unfamiliar concept. It didn't feel like she had one anymore, but maybe it was with him.

THE CRASH OF HER lips against him, took him by complete surprise, but an arm had come to wrap itself around her waist, pulling her towards him as he eagerly returned the kiss. one of his hands cane up to tangle in her hair, and he almost stumbled backwards before finding his footing.

this had been exactly what he’d spent so many nights thinking about, all of the kisses they had previously shared ⸺ the amount of times, they’d found themselves wrapped up in each other did not hold a candle to this exact moment. it as as if he was finally releasing all of that pent up energy, all of those feelings he’d so carefully locked away the ones he CLAIMED not to want to remember.

they were all there, intense and all consuming that her pulling away from him, had left him breathless. a gentle hand came to rest on the side of her face and he shook his head ⸺ they had almost died, and here she was thinking that he cared about anything outside of the fact that he had her back, that they’d made it out TOGETHER, just like it was supposed to be.

pressing his lips to her forehead, he pulled her close, his chin resting on top of her head, as he squeezed tightly, before pulling back and using a finger to lift her chin up, so she’d look at him. hazel eyes were soft, loving just like they had always been whenever he looked at her. and it was then when he realized, the ass he’d been. “ there’s NOTHING to forgive kay. “ he nudged her lightly. a soft smile present on his features, he should have been the one to see, should have been there no matter what. “ i let you push me away, i’m… “ his voice died and he hugged once more. “ i won’t let it happen again.” and he meant that, he’d fight harder for her now, he couldn’t afford not to. “ i’m sorry i.. “ he bumped his nose against hers, before pressing his lips to hers once again.

“ let’s go home, okay? “ because there was no way that he wanted to be without her, not tonight. another quick kiss was given and be laced a hand through hers, squeezing tight. “ you’re here now, and we’re TOGETHER that’s all that matters. “ and that’s all he needed, no matter what, she needed to be in his life, always in whatever way she deemed fit, he understood that now and it was that knowledge that strengthened his resolve, and what made this promise different than all the others that had come before it.

[hellonexrth]

What the hell is it all for? A question the tribrid had a difficult time answering. It was so much easier to avoid thinking about reasons entirely and only focus on how good she felt. After spending a year and a half hating herself underneath a layer of bubbly personality, it was finally time to relish the fact that she didn't have to feel anything anymore. Though, it would have been a lot more fun if Theo wasn't being such a brat about the whole thing. She'd hoped to get him on her side, but if they had to be opposed, she could figure out how to have fun with that, too.

"Oh my god, not this again." Kaya rolled her eyes. "Your grudge against her is so boring, Teddy. Like for real, get over yourself already. Boo hoo, I'm a vampire and I have a loving family to support me, woe is me!" She stomped her foot in a show of false dramatics. "You sound like such an idiot."

The Hope narrative was so tired. If anyone held her in a high regard, it was Theo. To Kaya, she was just another girl capable of making mistakes just like she was—and boy had they both made them. She barked out a laugh. "Good, I don't want to be Hope." Kaya picked up a scalpel off a tray of surgical tools placed next to the hospital bed Theo had been sleeping on. She twisted the blade around in her fingers. She placed her free hand to her chest, the place where her heart should have been if it hadn't been caked in a thick layer of darkness. "My daddy is Klaus Mikaelson and that means everyone hates me and I have to kill all the bad guys all by myself even if I die because of it, the weight on my shoulders is so heavy. Her whole thing is just as tired as yours, babe."

She looked at him and then the small knife in her hand, a cool smile spreading across her lips. "Don't worry, you'll have a front row seat." Then, she flung the scalpel in his direction.

COMFORT WAS NOT his forte, at least not when it had required him to say something more than an ‘ i love you ‘ or a hug. his emotions had never been something he was openly connected to and maybe that’s why it had taken him so long to catch on to the fact that he had a CRUSH on his best friend, let alone that be was in love with her.

ouch, that hurt and granted maybe it was his fault but he wasn’t up to date with social cues, he’d spent weekends building ROBOTS for fun, for the best part of his younger years. still his eyes narrowed in slight annoyance. “ then what the hell is all this for? “ he gestured between them, and she mentioned hope and the flash of red he saw was overpowering. “ so what just because she’s acting exactly like that FAMILY she’s a part of, means you get a free pass? “ he shook his head. “ news flash, not everyone has FORGIVEN her. “

he hadn’t and his mother while more understanding still kept the tribrid at arms length. silence fell between them and he averted his line of sight from hers. she wasn’t a disappointment, she was just ⸺ he didn’t know what she was exactly and he didn’t have any answers for her, hell had none for himself. “ you aren’t hope, kaya. “ in fact in his eyes she had always been better and not expressing that more had been his mistake clearly. “ and no amount of ‘ murder ‘ is going to take you any closer to the pedestal everyone places her on. “ advice he should be taking himself clearly, but he was so TIRED. just tired of fighting his own head, maybe she was right, they were all doomed anyway so what did it matter if he cared or not? he could feel it, that urge to simply accept that he was no better than what he saw in her now, maybe then he’d understand damon too. which was another underlying issue he hadn’t addressed. “ go ahead terrorize everyone we know.. i’ll watch. “

[hellonexrth]

Once the hunter was distracted, Kaya ran full speed out of the house, keeping Theo in her sight at all times. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, and it wasn't until she stopped in front of him that she found herself catching her breath, feeling a little bit like she was going to vomit from all the excitement, from the fear and the anger, and the other feelings that swirled around in her stomach.

Because despite how much she wanted to ignore those feelings, they wouldn't go away. And yes, she'd rejected him a year ago, but it wasn't out of dislike. Again, that pesky fear had gotten ahold of her. What if she wasn't everything he thought she was? What if she wasn't enough? There wasn't enough time to think, to figure out what her feelings actually meant. But now that a year had gone by, a year without him, she saw everything so clearly.

And even after all of the words they'd thrown back and forth at each other, she still looked at him, eyes blackened but watering, fading slowly back to their warm-honey brown, she looked at him and saw everything she'd been missing. And then he spoke, called her incredible, and everything she'd been pushing down, all the love she'd been trying not to feel for him, it all bubbled up at once and she couldn't help herself.

She closed the distance between them fast, but getting there felt like an eternity. Like those two steps contained all their previous kisses, all her drunken phone calls and I need yous, all the times he'd shown up for her, all the times she'd chosen him without realizing. And for just a second, a mere moment, her eyes met his. Her tongue ran across her lips, and as her body nearly crashed into his, her hands clumsily settled on the sides of his neck and she kissed him. It was all passion, her teeth bumping into his, her hands touching his shoulders and his chest and his hair as her lips moved against his in a hunger she didn't know she contained.

And then she broke away, pressed her lips together and shook her head, a few tears falling soundlessly from her eyes as she held him so tight, feeling absolutely undeserving of him, of this. "I'm so sorry, Teddy," she said, voice soft and brows drawn together. "I never should have left you." Her lower lip trembled. "I'm selfish and I'm an idiot, and please can you please forgive me?"

THAT HAD BEEN A CLEAR mistake, that much had been clarified the second the ' hunter ' wrapped a tight arm around his neck, and for a guy who usually knew ' EVERYTHING ' theodore had to admit that he was a loss ⸺ his only thought had been on giving kaya a chance to get out of there, to be safe. after the things he'd said to her, seeing her get hurt would finish bringing him to his knees, but it was in that fear that he felt the squeeze of her hands, his eyes locked with hers. watching in awe as she shifted from the girl he knew to something fearsome but even then he still looked at her like he had many times before, this was the GIRL that despite what he told himself, he LOVED. the one he'd wanted to see home so badly, during all of her time away and now that she was here... why had he been pushing her in the opposite direction? why couldn't he bring himself to tell her the truth? not that any of that mattered now, no what was important was that she'd bought them time to get away, as the hunter retreated, despite his drawing of what appeared to be some kind of blade, and the haunting chuckle that slipped his lips, as he got a demonstration of what he wanted. it was only when the man fell, and stayed down that he did what he could to get the hellhound's attention. " hey.... " his voice died, stuck in his throat but it was still as soft as ever and maybe it should have been louder given their surroundings, but as he stood on the sidelines, he made his way in front of her to catch her eye, the darkened gaze met his and he nodded, dashing off in the opposite direction of the very viable threat, with the silent agreement that she'd follow him too. they'd made it out of laurie's and he found himself leaning against a tree, doing his best to catch his breath. his eyes closed tight for a second, hearing the sound of her appearing next to him, they popped open. " you are.... " his voice faded as he drew in another sharp breath. " incredible... " and he meant it, there really was no other way to describe her, not in his mind anyway and for now at least until they were completely out of danger and he could wrap her in his arms and not let go, that was enough.