𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 • 𝙅𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙚

33; a mocking laugh in the woods

Just to Clarify; the inside of the Cameron home is exactly how Elias remembers it. Small, homely, smelling of baked goods that makes his mouth water as soon as he steps in.

It's only when he and Jace walk into the kitchen this time, there's a shift in how Eli remembers it. Nina, Jace's mother, Cassandra's much loved best friend, doesn't get up from the table to welcome him. It's small and it's a signal straight away that somethings wrong.

"Elias," Nina says his name with difficulty. She's as Eli remembers from his families trips to her house for Sunday breakfast- the ones he doesn't join- all long ink hair, native copper skin and don't forget the poorly hidden hostility behind her dark eyes. "I wasn't expecting you."

Eli's poker face is much better, despite the way his fingers twitch with the need to trace his neck scar. "Jace convinced me to ditch school," he jokes with put on lightness, even going as far as to place his arm over Jace's wide shoulder.

Jace is either oblivious to the tension or is going along with Eli perfectly. "I saved him from the pale faces," he grins, wide and real and oh, he can't see it.

Nina laughs lightly, awkwardly. Or it seems that way to Elias as he watches her. "Are you sure it's ok for you to be here, with the whole..." her words tremble under the weight of Eli's grey eyes.

The human boys cocks his head, testing his theory. "A tumour isn't going to slow me down," he hums, and just like he expects, she shows her true intentions- she flinches. Next to him, Jace starts to realise her obvious discomfort too.

"I wasn't talking about that," she mumbles, her dark eyes solely on Jace, asking a question that Elias wants to hear out loud.

Jace- lovely Jace- answers it for him. "Sam doesn't mind Elias being here mom. He's fine," he emphasises the last part, sounding embarrassed. He glances at Eli, only to see his face carefully composed.

"Ok," Nina sighs, getting up to her feet. She tucks the chair under the table quickly, her eyes nowhere near where Elias stands. "I've got a mile long list of things to do at the bakery, so I'll see you later Jace."

Elias doesn't mean to watch her like a hawk as she leaves, but he can't seem to look away, waiting for her to break and look at him properly. She doesn't- she slides past him and Jace with only her orange scented perfume wafting after her as any indication she was here in the first place.

Jace's turns to Eli as soon as she's gone, causing the Sherwood's boys arm to fall back to his side. "I'm sorry, I know that was awkward and I don't understand why she acted-" he starts.

"Don't worry," Elias puts both hands up in effort to stop him, a waxy smile on his lips, "a unwelcome, uncomfortable vibe is basically my new normal now."

Jace's brows furrow. "Are the Cullen's-"

"-it's actually the humans in my life who are the ones causing me most trouble right now," Eli interrupts, a heat in his words as he defends them. Jace looks taken aback, so Eli forces himself to loosen up, to exhale. "or so I thought until you told me Victoria came back."

Jace winces. "Sit," he mumbles, taking a few steps across the small kitchen to pull out a chair for Elias at the table. The human listens, eager yet apprehensive to hear what the stories going to tell. Jace sits across from him, in the same place Nina sat, only he looks less like her in hostility. "Look, I'm sorry about how Jake came over and told you and Bella. I tried to stop him, but he was hell bent on it."