#And I'm not going to continue revisiting it because I can spend another two weeks on finessing it and that's not going to happen

[thenovelartist]

Fickle Things Called Emotions

I was going to take this week off. But then... this episode and the Gabriel/Nathalie!!!!!And I just can’t not write for this couple holy cow!!!

Only she knew what a lie her last name was.  

And honestly, she hated that fact.

Nathalie shut the door to her apartment, thankful the day was over. But mostly, that she was away from him.

Her chest felt tight. She tried in vain to breathe deeply, but she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. Having your hope smashed hurt immensely. Having your heart broken on top of that was twice as painful. But the worst part of it all was knowing she shouldn’t have let her heart get where it was in the first place.

Nathalie prided herself in keeping a level head. In letting rationality guide her. Yet, here she was, trapped in a predicament she knew full well she could have avoided. Like a fool, she hadn’t.

She took a shuttering breath, feeling the strong walls that held back her emotions crumble. She had trained herself well on how to school her outward emotions, but here in the safety of her apartment, she let herself sink to the floor. And sob.

With the tears pouring from her eyes, she lifted her head to tug off her glasses. She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand, then dabbed at her nose with the back of it. That’s when she saw it.

The little, white butterfly.

It rested before her, wings slowly opening and closing. She placed her glasses on and stared, a new, dreadful realization coming to her. With such rampant emotions, he would know them.

All of them. Even the shamefully intimate ones.

She couldn’t help but start up crying again.

…

“Nathalie.”

“There is nothing to talk about, sir.”

“Nathalie.”

She turned to face him.

Only to be surprised at just how close he was.

She was silent, unwilling to speak unless spoken to. She knew anything she said could and would be used against her. He was talented that way. She admired it when dealing with less than cooperative people. She admired it when dealing with entitled socialites. She especially admired it when used on the Mayor of Paris or his wonderful wife.

She did not admire it when she was facing him off.

“Your last name betrays you.”

She shrugged.

He waited for her to speak. She was certain he would realize she wasn’t about to.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” she said.

“You don’t believe that.”

No, she didn’t. But then again, they were talking about her and her emotions, not the fact that Gabriel was clinging to a wisp of a chance that he could get Emilie back.

Sadly, his capacity to love so deeply, to be so loyal to his love, was one of the many things she admired about him.

“Spit it out,” he said.

“Spit what out?”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed.

Nathalie knew she couldn’t play dumb with him. He knew she was far too smart for that. “You need to let her go.”

“But there’s a chance—”

“Gabriel,” she said, her voice now stern and hard. “You have to let her go. This is not healthy for anyone. Adrien himself is learning to let go and move on. It’s been over a year. This… this is not the way to handle a loss.”

“Emilie is not lost.”

“Gabriel.”

There was a silence for a moment.

“I’m not saying any of this because of my emotions.”

“I would never discredit you so.”

She quirked a brow at him.

He quirked a brow back. “You are far too level-headed for that.”

She was. Hence why it was such a shame she let her emotions run so rampant. Especially around this man. “Gabriel, I will say it again: this is not healthy. You are clinging to a woman who would have been dead had you not had the money to preserve her. You are destroying your relationship with your son. Your obsession with gaining the miraculous is all-consuming.”

“It will be worth it when I get her back.”

“When?” Nathalie challenged, raising her voice enough to gain a reaction from Gabriel. “How long does this have to go on before you realize that there is no end to this? You are not going to win this fight.”

“You don’t know that, Nathalie.”

“I know that if you continue this behavior, you will see my two-week’s notice and destroy your relationship with your son. Is that worth getting Emilie back?”

This forced Gabriel to pause.

“You’re so focused on getting your wife back for your son that you are missing spending time with your son. You’re missing the fact he has friends. You are missing the fact he has a crush on the young designer, and that she has a crush on him.”

Gabriel’s eyes opened wide at that.

Nathalie nodded. “It’s clear as day if you watch their interactions. And you aren’t there for him to help him through.” Not that you would be much help. Your son had to get his obliviousness somewhere.

They stood there silently, the words hanging in the air.

“Emilie would be better at—”

“She is not here, Gabriel,” Nathalie snapped, her emotions getting the better of her. “Nor will she be for the foreseeable future. You are. Do not let this time you have with your son disappear.”

“Why do you think I’m so anxious­ to capture those miraculous? I need her back.”

“No, you don’t,” Nathalie said, her voice suddenly weak and her heart hurting more than she could have possibly imagined. “What you need is to learn to let go.”

“I can’t.”

Nathalie stared at him hard. “You mean you won’t.”

“Are you so adverse to having her back?”

“I am adverse to letting you destroy yourself and your relationships to do so.”

Gabriel stared at her long and hard.

Nathalie took a breath to fortify herself. “You said you admire me for being level-headed,” she finally answered. “So let me be the voice of reason, Gabriel. And please heed it: Emilie is gone. Do not try chasing after what you’ve lost only to lose all you have in the process.” And with that, she spun on her heel and marched to the door. She’d said all she could say, and she was worn weary.

“Don’t think I can’t feel your emotions,” he said just as she grabbed the door handle, ready to pull it open and walk out.

“I know you can,” she countered. “But I’m adept to overriding them.”

“You care very deeply,” he observed.

She shrugged.

“I won’t do you the disservice of accusing you of jealousy.”

“I would hope you knew me better than that.”

He held her gaze a long while longer. She didn’t back down.

“I’m sorry that I cannot equal those feelings.”

“I understand why,” she replied. “Just as much as I understand I have no right to feel such things.”

“Emotions are fickle things,” Gabriel said.

Nathalie sighed. “Unfortunately.” And with that, she walked out the door, letting it shut softly behind her.

[katatonicimpression]

Thoughts about the Iceman mini series a few weeks on:

I'm surprised by how positive I still feel about it. I was expecting my enthusiasm to be at least 70% "new content finally omg" and fade a lot over time, but actually I still feel really good about it.

Thinking about what other people have said:

A lot of the backlash I've seen is from people who just really don't vibe with the art style which is a) completely valid but b) not really a complaint I care about. Like, for instance, I can't watch Rick and Morty - the animation makes me feel physically ill idk it's so off-putting - but I couldn't use that as an argument for or against the overall quality of the show. It's not bad necessarily - it's just a style I don't like. It's just one of those things.

I've seen some people complain about the Romeo thing, and tbh I really don't care. Some people have made it out to be problematic, but I don't buy into that, which I've talked about elsewhere. And I've also seen some people complain that Romeo isn't really an independent character and it's bad for that reason. This is funny to me because Bobby's last love interest was Christian and that was the biggest non-event let's be real.

It's fine if Bobby goes on dates with a side character. Like, I cannot stress enough how much it is not a problem that he has a random love interest that isn't a pre-existing major character. And it's weird to see people suggesting "fixes" to this that are just ludicrous ideas narrative-wise? Maybe people need to stop viewing characters' relationships as their assigned endgame ship, and instead see this storylines as what they are. i.e. stories.

Some negatives:

I think my biggest worry about this in general has nothing to do with the mini-series itself, and has more to do with Duggan, and Bobby's writing outside of his solo appearences.

I can't imagine anything from this series being revisited or continued by Duggan in a way that isn't just plain awful. I think Vecchio's done a good job of filling in the void left by Marauders, but what good does that do if he spends another few years in limbo? I can appreciate the series as its own, standalone thing. But still - I have very low expectations going forward.

The global warming thing is a funny thing to bring up, but idk maybe it would be funnier as a tweet. I do like the ever present implication that 616 earth just has way worse pollution and eco damage than the real world, and that's why the Storm and Bobby can't fix everything. Maybe whatever Tony Stark is up to is just environmental poison. Maybe the human torch's carbon footprint really is that bad.

Another thing I've thought of is that there are aspects of Bobby's character that didn't get explored here and maybe could have been. Bobby's dad is Catholic, and his mum is Jewish. This didn't get brought up in this comic at all, and it's not like it had to be, but like. Ok, so the way I interpret it is that the mixed nature of Bobby's heritage is less about his own beliefs and lifestyle (you never get the impression he's particularly religious in the first place, or that he has any angst about fusing the two different cultural traditions), but more about the way he feels inadequate and out-of-place. Like, he's got all these insecurities and imposter syndrome, and his childhood experience of "I don't belong anywhere" is a part of that. I bring it up because THIS IS TOTALLY RELEVANT to the themes of this series and could have fit in seamlessly.

Some positives:

Related to the last thing, I did really appreciate how the series directly confronts the "living up to your potential" thing and calls it out as a false and harmful way of understanding his life. Yes, this was the original unsubtle theme of the 90s storyline, but seeing as Duggan seems to not understand it, it's worth repeating it. Bobby does belong, he's not an imposter. I really appreciate this.

I also think Vecchio is good at handling the omega mutant thing. Like, ok so if you're writing Storm or Magneto or whoever, you know that it's never a question of whether or not they can do The Impressive Thing with their powers. It's a matter of when and how, and what their internal journey is like. This is not super complicated by hey, Duggan struggles with it so I guess it's worth spelling out. It's not inherently impressive or interesting for Bobby to get really big, or survive an injury, or freeze a lot of stuff. And it's weird for him to brag about it when he does. It's about putting something creative on the page, and about feeling feelings.

I loved the bit about being distant from humanity. That was on point for the character.

He should get to keep the facial hair.

He's being drawn too blue in other comics. Vecchio goes for mostly white with blue accents and that's fine, but not the only way of doing things. There are tons of good blue Icemen out there. But he shouldn't be looking like Dr. Manhattan. Just move that cursor up a little bit on the old colour diamond. Please. For me.

[hea1ingprocess]

my notes on nell's album moments in between (2021) ✨

did i really spend an hour listening to this album while playing at being music critic? yes! just my humble opinions...i know nothing about music except what i like and don't like

note: i knew about crash and duet being pre-release singles and wasn't impressed by them when they came out at the time, so i already did not have the greatest opinions of those songs

crash: felt like filler...i am so sorry

파랑 주의보 calling: this song was not what I expected it to be but in a good way..the opening bit kept me guessing what the chorus was going to sound like but this was a very solid no-frills nell song which i'm sure some people would call boring but i personally dig

don't say you love me: i thought this was going to belong to the fillers gang based on the opening but no…when the beat drops after the first chorus it gets better and I love that little twinkly piano thing near the end of the song..lyrics are very sad and on-brand for kim jongwan ("you probably can't imagine/they only keep growing uncontrollably/the waves of longing/in a wildly raging sea" like ok..who hurt you)

유희 u-hee: i wasn’t sure if they were doing double title tracks but between this and beautiful jeopardy, i liked this a lot more because i just like their anthemic stuff more. and the guitar riffs in this are so catchy! i cannot get it out of my head..i also really like the lyrics and rhythm of the ending refrain also (they just seemed more interesting than your typical nell fare) i guess it's a little similar to their collab they did with groovyroom but only a little bit... also cannot believe their azit live session of this song has more videos than the actual music video…

don’t hurry up: i really like the lyrics of this but i want to skip this song every time it comes up on my playlist (the irony!) definitely reminiscent of their sound from their healing process album but i thought it just wasn't up there with limitation or yearning..sunggyu needs to do a cover of this tho because this seems like the kind of song he’d cover

위로 危路 beautiful jeopardy: cool that they got the actor from the day before to do this mv and i got really excited because i thought we would get a continuation of the story…all us nell fans played ourselves!! this song made me feel depressed but hopeful at the same time and i thought the mv matched the sound of it really well in that i couldn’t figure out what was happening..also another anthem instrumental moment after the second chorus!! what more could i ask for!

duet: another filler-sounding track but i am not ashamed to say i listened to this non-stop for a week when it was released two days before my birthday in 2020)

말해줘요 part of me: a sad love song..when kim jongwan sings the chorus line "oh please, don't leave don't leave/i want you to be a part of me" all i can think is "ok"

정야 wishful thinking: this wasn't my favourite at first but after several listens, i have decided it reigns supreme for me. the instrumental brings me back to when they’d just released the third instalment of the gravity trilogy..although i do want to say that i feel like the vibe of the song and the lyrics do clash because the melody is so like otherworldly and spacey but the lyrics are about such a grounded and simple love like “it’s really raining a lot, o worry whether you took an umbrella” etc. etc. but yes. still love this song

sober: honestly it might because this is the last song on the album and the one I’ve listened to the least but this left the weakest impression on me...love the rain sound in the background which is a very nell thing to do and this song just keeps getting better and better…it’s more interesting than crash and the guitar at 3:12 reminds me of something from 못 mot’s non-linear album (which is an album i need to revisit, wow!)

i think their colors in black was more interesting but moments in between has a lot of the things that made their songs popular to the mainstream audience..it’s also nice to see that there’s a lot more content around this album and i am enjoying watching their lives and interviews 🌝

[one-boring-person]

You're Back!

The Lost Boys x reader

Warnings: vague mentions of death

Context: This is supposed to be a kind of crossover between Top Gun and The Lost Boys (because they are my favourite films) but it is only minorly so. The reader is a naval fighter pilot who is good friends with the boys and spends most of her free time in Santa Carla with them.

A/N: This hasn't turned out too well, because I'm ridiculously sleep deprived tired, so I will revisit it at some point, whether to rewrite it completely or to add to it, I'm not sure, but I will improve it. For now, I hope this is acceptable.💛😊

**contains some spoilers for Top Gun, but only vague ones**

Masterlist

I roll my eyes as yet another person stares at me as they pass, keeping eye contact with them until they stop looking, turning their gaze away awkwardly, carrying on with their night without watching me for the entirety of it. By now, I've had to sit through about a score of curious people in the last two hours, my tolerance for them quickly wearing thin as they continue to eye the uniformed stranger leaning against a motorcycle. Chewing on my lip, a habit I've never managed to kick, I carefully roll up the sleeves of my military uniform shirt, careful not to crease it too much, even though I will likely iron it before I wear it again, the hard-learnt instincts reminding me to stay smart and neat, even if I'm currently not in the presence of any commanders I need to report to.

In the stifling heat, my shirt sticks to my skin a bit, sweat coating my brow as I watch the crowd, my hair starting to become less styled and more dishevelled with each passing minute, the journey from the aircraft carrier I was deployed at to the airport in Miramar, followed by the gruelling motorcycle ride down to Santa Carla having that effect in me. I didn't have time to stop off anywhere on the way to get changed into my own clothes, seeing as I wanted to get to the little seaside town before sundown, choosing instead to stay in my uncomfortable uniform, knowing it may well curry me some favours here and there along the way - bartenders are only too happy to serve a member of the naval air force, especially a Top Gun graduate. Absentmindedly I feel my lips quirk up into a smile, recalling the time my friend, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, used this fact to his advantage when in Miramar, charming a poor waitress into giving us all free food and drinks, though I'm pretty sure he promised her something in return, something which kept him out of the bunk rooms that night. Ironically, he never used that trick again.

Shaking my head, I cast my gaze over the crowd again, searching for a particular group of people, a sense of excitement rising in me when I hear the tell tale sound of their motorcycles cutting through the horde of people, my eyes swiftly finding the approaching people as they park their vehicles a little way away from me. Making a split second decision, I choose to stay by my own bike, waiting for them to either notice me, or walk past, a small smirk plastered across my lips, my eyes fixed on them: David, Dwayne, Paul and Marko.

Eventually, they push off their bikes and start making their way through the crowd, having missed my presence completely, the four of them easily moving amongst the people lining the Boardwalk, most sane locals knowing the group's notorious reputation. David and Dwayne walk ahead of Paul and Marko, who are pushing and shoving each other around, giggling and laughing to themselves as a band of girls squeals when the smaller of the two is thrown straight into their midst, drawing some attention from the people around them, though they have yet to notice me. Crossing my arms over my chest, I just watch as they move together, eyeing them as they come into range before looking around for something, quickly finding a discarded newspaper on the wall behind my motorbike. Smirking wider, I take it and tear off three pages, screwing them into a tight ball, my gaze returning to the approaching bikers, guaging the distance between me and them, knowing I have a very good aim, having practiced it a lot before and during training. Winding back my arm, I take aim and throw the ball, giving it some force so that the intended target will manage to feel it under his mess of hair, trying mg hardest to contain my laughter when the projectile connects with the back of his head.

Paul instantly looks around, irritation and confusion rife in his face as he searches the crowd for his assailant, still missing me, even as I throw another ball of paper, though this one is aimed for Marko, who also receives it as a blow to the back of the head. Disgruntled, the two vampires stop, looking around for the source, drawing David and Dwayne's attention as they realise their friends are no longer following them. Biting my lip, I throw another two, hitting both of the quieter boys square in the back, trying my hardest to hold back my laughter, though I am unsuccessful as they continue to search around, heads whipping to and fro as they try to work out where I am, the crowd of people around them starting to leave a berth around them, leaving their view of me unblocked and clear. Finally, I decide to put them put of their misery.

"Damn, I thought you guys were observant." I call out to them, tossing another ball of newspaper from hand to hand to show who the culprit was. Surprised, and somewhat shocked, the four of them spin around, their faces lighting up when they catch sight of me, Paul and Marko instantly racing over and engulfing me in a tight hug.

"(Y/n)! You're back!" The latter exclaims happily, pulling away briefly to look me in the eye before he buries his face into my clothes again.

"I am. It's good to see you all!" I respond, laughing as I wrap my arms around them, glad to finally get to see them again after so long. Over their heads, Dwayne and David shoot me equally glad smiles, the former ready to step in once the other two have released me.

"Not nearly as good as it is to see you again! I hate it when you leave!" Paul mumbles into my shirt, Marko agreeing with him as they continue to crush me.

"I hate leaving, too, but I always come back." I remind them, patting them on the back so that they'll release me, smiling at both of them as they grudgingly step away, allowing Dwayne to step in and pull me into a softer embrace, his long arms pressing me into his bare chest, his face burying itself into my hairline. Happily, I wrap my own arms around his waist, enjoying the sensation of his cool skin against my heated body, jealous of his pleasant temperature.

After a few minutes, I pull away again, looking to David, who just smiles (genuinely for once) at me, his intimidating reputation preventing him from showing any affection in public, though he isn't really one for hugs in private, either. Or, at least not with me. Instead, he gives my body a once over with his icy blue eyes, the gesture drawing a blush to my cheeks, especially when I feel the others do the same, some more discreetly than others - unfortunately, I'd managed to develop a crush on all four of them, so the idea of them blatantly checking me out is not one I dismiss too easily.

"It's good to see you again, (Y/n)." He greets, chuckling as he watches Marko and Paul fight over who gets to put their arm around my waist, only for the both of them to whine when Dwayne beats them to it, the taller brunette pulling me into his side with an intimacy he's never had before.

"Yeah, it's good to be back." I agree, smiling at them all, "What're we gonna do tonight? I have three weeks this time round."

"Three weeks? That's much longer than last time!" Paul comments, slipping in on my other side, slinging his arm around my shoulders so that I'm now sandwiched between two tall vampires.

"I don't have to stay that long." I point out, jokingly, sending Marko an apologetic look when he notices that Paul has managed to get his arm around me.

"That's not what I meant, it means that we can do so much more together!" The tall, blonde vampire explains, most likely already thinking up ways to spend the next three weeks, "We should go swimming in the sea, and go on all the rides on the Boardwalk, and go to concerts-"

"Take it easy, I only just got here!" I cut him off, grinning as David and Dwayne chuckle at their friend's antics.

"Speaking of which, have you eaten yet?" The platinum blonde interjects, lifting an eyebrow at me in curiosity.

"No, I don't have any money on me, actually. I think I left it back on the carrier, which is annoying." I frown, thinking for a minute before remembering something, "No, that's not true. I brought some of it with me. It's in the seat compartment of the bike, hang on."

Swiftly, I retrieve the money, returning to the two vampires who had their arms around me, both of them only to eager to repeat the gestures.

"You should know by now that you don't have to pay for food when you're with us." David reminds me, lifting an eyebrow at me as he watches me put the notes into a secure pocket under my belt.

"I know, but I like having it with me anyway." I supply, only too happy to start walking towards the food stalls of the Boardwalk, my stomach growling audibly as the scents of the different types reach me.

"Fair enough." Dwayne says, squeezing my waist gently.

In no time, we've bought some food and eaten it, continuing to roam the Boardwalk as the night goes on, the five of us having a good time together as we always do, falling straight back into our usual habits and patterns, the friendship as strong as ever, though I've noticed that their touches are often more lingering than before, and that they're stares are less innocent than they used to be. I try to ignore it, but it becomes increasingly harder as Paul and Marko continue to fight over who gets to wrap their arm around me, eventually just agreeing to swap every half and hour or so, Dwayne never leaving my side as David leads us around, the vampire smirking at me every now and then.

After a few hours or so, I feel myself starting to get tired, having had very little rest in the time between travelling and meeting the boys, so I ask them if I can join them at the cave, seeing as I have no other accommodation, to which they all wholeheartedly agree. Leading me back to the motorcycles, the four vampires quickly decide whether to take the road or the beach back to the sunken hotel, swiftly deciding on the road seeing as it is the most direct, and therefore the quickest, though David does promise that we'll ride along the beach at some point.

As we leave the Boardwalk, I ride towards the back, between Marko and Dwayne, easily keeping up as we thunder along one of the motorways, shrieks and whoops of exhilaration leaving us from the thrill, our speed dangerously high until we hit the dirt paths leading up to the Bluff, at which point I slow my bike down so that it can grip the dusty surface better. Ahead of me, Paul tries to goad me on, encouraging me to live a little, though my heightened survival instincts are telling me to be careful along the steep cliff edge. Coming to a halt at the top, we dismount and hide the motorbikes, the four of them swiftly taking me down into their abode, though I do collect a bag from the compartment under my seat before following, sitting it down on the sofa beside me as I collapse onto one, routing around in it briefly.

I pull out a slightly scuffed book, throwing it to David as he comes to sit opposite me on his wheelchair, the others crowding around him to look at it in curiosity.

"Got you guys a little something." I tell them, gesturing to him to open it.

Upon doing so, their eyes widen, Marko's breath hitching as he sees what it is, the young vampire obviously fascinated by it.

"When did you get these?" Dwayne finally manages, unable to tear his eyes from the photo album in David's hands, admiring the Polaroids I stuck into it, thinking they'd be happy to look at them.

"Well, I had my RIO* bring a camera up with him one time when we were on patrol, but I took the pictures. I thought you'd like to have some pictures of the sky in the daytime and at sunset and sunrise to look at, seeing as you can't see them in person anymore." I explain nervously, hoping they like it, suddenly feeling a bit unsure of whether they'd like to be reminded of this fact.

For near enough ten minutes, the four vampires are silent, flicking through the book with wide eyes, David tracing a finger over one in particular.

"How the hell are we supposed to thank you for this, kitten?" He finally says, the nickname making me blush a little, though I'm not entirely sure how to respond.

"You don't have to thank me for that, it's not that great of a gift, on the scale of things-" I start, only to be cut off by Marko.

""Not that great of a gift"? Are you serious? This is the best thing we've ever gotten!" He exclaims, tearing his eyes away from the photos so that he can come over and drown me in a hug again, crushing me into his chest. Laughing, I wrap my arms around him, holding him tightly, inhaling the comforting scent of his jacket as I do so.

Across from us, Paul also manages to look away from the Polaroids, coming over and joining us on the sofa, a grin on his face as he plonks himself on top of Marko, a grunt escaping me from the sudden weight.

"You're the best, (Y/n), you really are!" He praises me, leaning down to press a swift kiss on my cheek, smirking when I blush in response.

"I'm not sure about that, but thank you anyway." I wheeze out, their weight starting to become a bit too much for be to bear. Tapping on Marko's back, I wait for him to throw Paul off before pushing him off of my lap, taking a deep breath as I look over at Dwayne and David, who are still enraptured by the photo album.

"Who's that?" The latter suddenly asks, pointing to a certain picture.

Frowning, I get up and come over, looking down at the picture in question, smiling as I recognise it immediately, the image holding a lot of sad and happy memories for me.

"Those are my friends Maverick and Goose before..." My voice trails off, an old surge of grief gnawing at my heart as I recall the exact moment that photo was taken, remembering the aviators as they joked around with me and my RIO, Hawk, all four of us only staying still for that one photo.

"Before?" Dwayne pushes gently, dark eyes boring into mine with curiosity.

Clenching my jaw, I let out a sigh before I reply.

"Before the accident. The accident where Goose...died..." I manage to get out, my eyes now fixed on the miniature version of my friend's face, still wishing he were still alive and kicking.

"I'm sorry, (Y/n), I didn't mean to bring it up. If I had known, I wouldn't have said anything." David apologises, placing a gloved hand on mine in comfort, blue eyes sympathetic.

"No, don't worry about it. It's what happens in the military, and it just so happens to be that my friend got it in the neck. There's nothing that can be done." I tell him, grateful that they haven't pursued the subject, though the reminder has made me feel a lot more tired than before, for whatever reason, "I think I'm gonna go get some sleep now, if you don't mind. It's been a long day."

The four of them agree, Paul, Marko and Dwayne all pressing quick kisses on my cheek as I pass them, David following me to the little nest that they provided for me the last time I was here, the vampire watching as I settle in. I only take off my boots, socks and belt, unpinning my Wings from my chest as I go, briefly debating with myself about whether or not to unbutton my shirt and just sleep in my underwear, until I remember that David is still there, his blue eyes tracing my form as I move around.

Finally slipping into the makeshift bed, I notice that the vampire still hasn't moved away, watching me as if asking for permission to do something, my mind struggling to comprehend what he means until I see him look at the blankets questioningly.

"Do you want to join me?" I ask, surprise lacing my voice.

"If you don't mind."

I can't refuse him, so I simply move over and let him slide in beside me, feeling even more surprised when he pulls me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me and rubbing circles into my skin with one thumb. A small gasp escapes me when I feel his hand slip under my shirt, his skin icy cold against mine, the sensation pleasant as starts to trace patterns into my sides, his eyes boring into mine as I watch him, still confused.

"What's gotten into you?" I question him, laying my head on his chest, my hands coming up to rest just on his collarbone, my fingers running over the line of the bone.

"Nothing, I just need to tell you something which might not be the greatest news you've ever heard." He tries to reassure me, his deep voice resonating though his chest and into me as he watches my facial expressions change.

"What is it?" I ask him hesitantly, dread biting at the back of my throat.

"Well, I don't suppose you remember us telling you about the whole idea of vampires having a mate?"

"...Yeah?" I frown slightly, briefly remembering the conversation.

"It turns out that the four of us have a mate, and it's taken us far too long to feel the connection." David confirms, swallowing at the confession.

"Oh really? Who is it?' I can't help but feel a bit disappointed, knowing that the mating bond makes the four of them off-limits to anyone else.

"You. You're our mate."

*RIO = Radar Intercept Officer

Part Two