#this was supposed to be short reactional stuff ijbol

[elijahsteele]

Eli was already feeling antsy before Adrian had even entered the scene. He hadn't siphoned in longer than usual, and his body was desperate for the energy conversion, like a feeder waiting for their next fix. Luckily, it was a feeling he'd become accustomed to, and Eli was managing to keep the irritability in check with the management tactics he and Benji had spent years perfecting. That was, until, Adrian started talking. As soon as his older brother's relationship was mentioned, Eli switched from a controlled demeanour to something more panicked, his back tensing up. He was desperate to rise up in Benji's defence, but the conversation was carried by voices much louder than his own.

It only continued to worsen with further involvement, and Eli felt the power in the room charge up. He was drawn directly to Adrian, and he could practically see the hum of magic filter back in as the effects of the Moroi's cigarette wore off. This was spirit. Most of it, anyway; Eli imagined the resentment would've been there regardless, considering how it'd ended at Barcelo. Unsure of his next move, of whether or not he should call it out, the dhampir remained still and silent, but prepared. If this became physical, he'd be beside Benji in an instant. Confrontation was a trigger from him, but he was still trained in dealing with it, and could swallow down the intensity of his own emotion temporarily if it meant protecting his family. Nothing was more important.

For a moment, Eli considered taking Isabelle's hand to regain stability, his stress rising as the back and forth played out, hating how targeted Benji had become. The comments about himself stung, but were easily dismissible. The ones aimed at the person he loved the most were not, and as the anger pressed at him in retaliation, he dismissed the idea of falling in line with his charge. He didn't want to drain some of her power by mistake, or prove Adrian right. It was already blindingly obvious without the magical aura confirmation that he was in love with her, and Adrian hardly needed be reminded of further ammunition.

As soon as the words genetic mistake were uttered, Eli knew he finally had to step in. He himself wasn't overly bothered, Adrian had already made it apparent he saw Eli as an equal, but it was certain to make Benji furious; and that was the point. He'd already noticed the way Eddie was staring his brother out, ready for the first space closure in case he needed to defend. Which is why he had to be fast. Benji could handle any altercation with ease, deeming fighting even more pointless. They shouldn't even be arguing when all they had was eachother. Eli darted forward, his hand gently grasping Benji's shoulder from behind. "Don't. It's not his fault. Well, kind of. The spirit's all over him. He feels like a fucking magnet to me," he was itching to drain it, and that was obvious by the desperation in his tone. "Whatever it is, don't react to it. It's making him worse. And you know how you'll feel after, if you do this," Eli muttered, gesturing to Benji's still clenched fists. "It's not worth it."

Adrian continued to ramble, and Eli glanced at him in confusion, no longer understanding his point. He was also interfering, purposely or not. "Stop being a prick! I'm trying to help you." He now spoke to more than just his brother, voice carrying across the room. He'd certainly been heard, now, because the Moroi paused in his surprise. "You've been using spirit. Too much. I can feel it. Let me take some of it from you, then maybe you'll stop picking fights you need Eddie to finish." Eli sighed, and softened his tone. "It's obviously hurting you. If I drain some of it, it won't be so bad. You won't need to act like this, and this doesn't need to get any worse." Eli's gaze then flickered between Eddie and Benji, as if asking for permission. "I can handle it."

It wasn't unusual for Adrian to be late to training, nor skip it entirely. It was, however, unusual for Eddie to not do a thing about it. When the Moroi wasn't in his direct sight, he was typically wracked with anxiety, but ever since Mason's frank conversation with him a week or so earlier, he'd been desperately trying to work on boundaries. He realised now that boundaries would protect them both, but most importantly, protect Adrian, and Eddie couldn't be guilty of crossing that professional line again or they'd both suffer the consequences. He thought he'd been doing the right thing, but he'd only gotten lost in the intensity. Misguided, lead by only instinct and no formal training, Eddie had put Adrian at risk. Now that he'd had some distance, some time alone, he saw it for the failure that it was. And he refused to do it again. Without any conversation, he'd put space between them, and so far, had maintained that distance successfully. It was just better that way.

Which was why, when Adrian showed up to training after all, Eddie didn't immediately relax, like he might have before. Instead, his body tensed up entirely, jaw clamped with the sheer effort made to not look back in the Moroi's direction again. He'd clocked the cigarette, seen the irritated expressions on everybody else's faces, and had immediately been flooded with guilt. Adrian didn't deserve this reception, and he was itching to intervene, to de-escalate. But he kept reminding himself that it wasn't his place anymore to interrupt. Boundaries. Boundaries meant letting Adrian fight his own battles, from time to time. To deal with his own fallout. He could handle it.

It all seemed to be going relatively smoothly, Eddie letting out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding when the cigarette was put out. There was certainly awkward tension, an obvious shift in mood that made Eddie feel like shit, but thankfully, Adrian had decided to play along. Or so he'd thought. Eddie's eyes widened at the remark, not having expected it. He'd thought the hard part had been over, but tensions had been flared once more, now bordering on aggression. Worriedly, Eddie's eyes flicked over to Benjamin, scoping out the reaction. Unfortunately, he'd been right to be concerned. Benji's expression had gone from one of annoyance to sheer rage, his fists curling dangerously, and with the verbal confirmation that Adrian was harboring very real resentment toward Eddie himself, he realised silence was no longer an option. Not if he was to keep the peace, keep Adrian safe and the rest of the group placated.

Seeing Benji turn, Eddie shoved his guilt aside and quickly intervened, snapping. "— That's enough, Adrian. Leave her alone." Thankfully, this stopped Benji in his tracks. He was still obviously rigid with anger, but Eddie didn't want to see him pushed any further. He was their mentor for a reason, he was known as a god for a reason. He didn't want to see him anywhere near Adrian when he was like this. Continuing on, desperate to defuse the situation, Eddie tried his best to ignore the deep sting Adrian's final words had caused and made his tone soft this time, keeping his gaze focused on Benji despite addressing Adrian. The more tension he noticed in the mentor's body, the more his own muscles responded accordingly, feeling protective. "You don't have to do this, okay? Just - go."