cursed with touch ∆ Jasper Hale

nine| lost without you

Finding a suitable personal guard for Stephanos had come to be a huge challenge.

Stephanos was a complicated vampire. It was hard to find someone who could put up with his many traits. The prince tended to have many mood swings and difficulty in expressing what he felt from the environment he lived in during his human years.

There was always something new when it came to him. You never knew which Stephanos you would be dealing with. Angry, sad, scared, overwhelmed, cautious, etc. When it came to the prince you had to be able to deal with all sides of him and help him through it all.

But all the previous guards were unsuccessful in most of not all aspects of that. They never knew how to react to his mood swings. They never knew how to calm him when he had his bad days. They never understood what to do when he was overwhelmed and in need of comfort.

They were practically useless even when it came to protecting him.

And then there was Alec who had no problem understanding the prince. Had no issue reacting to his mood swings, calming him on a bad day, knowing just what to do when he was overwhelmed. Even when touch was a problem, Alec still had no difficulty.

From the moment they met it seemed to be a perfect fit.

°

It had been two weeks since Alec was appointed Stephanos's personal guard, and in those two weeks the prince had been very closed off.

Stephanos struggled meeting new people even after hundreds of years living with the Volturi. He was still getting used to being free and having free will. His human life was still fresh on his mind as the trauma was hard to forget and it made his vampire life hard.

During those two weeks all Alec knew I'd the prince was what his kings told him and that wasn't much. Stephanos only knew Alec's name.

Even though they had to be near each other at every moment, they had yet to communicate because of Stephanos's nerves and Alec refused to push the prince's boundaries.

Though one day changed their dynamic forever

[Centuries Ago]

Stephanos was sitting in his maze garden, a maze he created himself and because of it happened to be the only person who knew each exit. He could walk through with his eyes closed. It was his special place where he could actually be alone without 'protection' from his guard or cautious eyes of his fathers.

In the garden he could find a corner or sit in the center, like now, and relax while he avoided any conflict or questions he'd rather not answer. No one ever entered the maze because no one knew their way around, so in a way it was his safe space. Just him, the sculptures he created, the flowers he planted, the fountains and water which flowed through them, his books, and on occasion small birds that lightened his day as they chirped and flew by him. Landing by him, sitting on his book and sometimes even landing on his hand, keeping him company.