CRY LITTLE SISTER, the lost boys [book 02] ✓

viii. truth's bitter pill

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𝐂𝐑𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩'𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭

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𝙙𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: LilErin2303
𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙛: She's Different (The Lost Boys ff)

❝ 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳! (𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳) ❞

SANTA CARLA — AMERICA
1997

     "THERE WAS NO OTHER way to save him?" Michael asks beginning to yawn as it grows closer to sunrise, eyes squeezing shut and his nose scrunching as he involuntarily yawns, his hand moving up to rub his eyes. "Does that happen to many vampires, Lena?"

     Reaching down to where his head rests in her lap, Lena runs her fingers through his brown curls, twisting his hair lightly around her fingers and letting her currently dulled nails scratch his scalp. "I wish there had been another way to save Damyan, I really do, but there wasn't — not back then, and not even now. He became rabid, beautiful boy, and, for us vampires, there's no fixing it once you've become that way."

     "It's uncommon, but not overly rare," Nikolay says, picking at a thread on his jeans. "It happens more than you would think."

     David remains silent, unearthly blue eyes trained on the dirt floor below, gloveless hands resting in his lap even as they itch to pull both Lena and Michael to his body and never let them go again. He's been hardwired to protect everything he holds dear ever since he was a mortal child, and it hasn't gotten any easier for him — especially since he lost three of his Brothers, his Sired, ten years ago. Since then, he's been uneasy about letting Michael and Lena to wander around Santa Carla alone, wanting to be by their sides at all times.

     Lena's right hand reaches for the bleach-blond, but it jerks back to her body when the boy flinches away from her touch, his blue eyes unreadable as they stare over at her. Sighing, Lena nudges Michael off her lap and walks over to David, pulling the bleach-blond to her body, arms wrapping around his shoulders and hugging him. He overthinks for a second before almost throwing his arms around Lena's middle and pulling her even closer, bodies now flush as she stands between his legs, one of her hands moving up to run through his short hair.

     Nikolay watches them for a moment before wandering out of the sunken hotel, no doubt in search of food, leaving the triad to their own devices. Only when he's out of hearing range does the bleach-blond in Lena's arms let himself be vulnerable, his fingertips digging into her flesh as he clings to Lena as though she is his lifeline; the only thing preventing him from falling over the cliff's edge and into the chaotic ocean below.

     Michael shuffles closer to his Sire Brother, hesitating before hugging David the best he can from the awkward angle he's at. The bleach-blond releases Lena from one arm and drags the brunet into the hug, her right arm moving to allow Michael the closeness he desires, his forehead resting against both David's forehead and Lena's chest. Being vulnerable is not their forte, that's for sure, but they both have their moments.

     "What's worrying you, dear one?" Lena asks softly. "If it's me, you have no need to worry."

     David huffs a laugh. "There's no chance of that, doll. I'll always worry about you — especially after what you just told us."

     "This isn't something you can protect me from, David. No one can save me from my memories — not even myself. All I can do is accept them and move on, living with what I've done."

     "I'm glad you got your revenge," Michael murmurs, not thinking about his words until they've left his lips. "Uh, sorry, Lena. I didn't mean..."

     "It's alright, you meant well. I'm rather glad that I did too, and not just for my sake but for Nikolay and Damyan as well." Lena pauses for a second, knowing that her next words may well cause a completely unneeded argument to begin. "I would live through it all again if it meant I had the chance to save my brothers; to save Dwayne, Paul, and Marko; to save both of you."

     Much like she predicted, both David and Michael pull free of Lena's hug and glare up at her with bewitching eyes, not pleased that she would gladly go through the two hundred years worth of torture just so their brothers would be with them now. Behind her, having just returned from this night's hunt, Nikolay growls in irritation, slapping his open palm against his forehead at his little sister's stupidity.

     "Of all the things to say, Krasimira," her light-haired twin grumbles, walking down the haphazard path and jumping onto the floor. "They're not going to roll over and let you sacrifice yourself, and neither am I for that matter. I'm not a scared child anymore."

     Lena looks over at Nikolay and rolls her eyes, noting the blood still smeared on his face. "You certainly still feed like one. You've got blood on your face, big brother."

     Michael peers around Lena and snickers at Nikolay scrubbing away the blood, David raising an eyebrow at the other blond-haired male's idiocy. A smile softens Lena's exasperated expression, knowing that her boys will have little trouble accepting her brother into their little family now that they know the more important parts of Lena and Nikolay's story. The boys in question watch as Lena holds her right hand out towards her brother, her left resting on David's shoulder, and simply watches on as Nikolay accepts the hand.

     He steps into their bubble of personal space, hesitant, eyes flicking between both David's and Michael's watchful eyes that dare him to do something wrong. Smiling softly at their undeniable protectiveness, Lena pulls the three into a hug, the bleach-blond pulling Michael in when the curly-haired boy hesitates. 

     All the pieces are soon to be in play, the chessboard that represents life is slowly filling once again, and they're down two of the more important pieces. 

     The King and the Queen are sitting atop their thrones, one Knight directly at their side and the other scoping the perimeter; the Bishops yet to be found for another layer of protection for the Knights' beloved King and Queen. The Rooks have kept their distance for long enough, soon to be called into action, and their Queen will watch them run rampant across the board. The Pawns are always in place, the humans of Santa Carla set up in preparation to be used as distractions while the King and Queen ensure their plan comes to fruition.