35; fighting is the answer

Just to Clarify; the inside of Carlisles car is all black leather, smooth and Elias is sure he's burning a hole into the frame because he keeps nervously rubbing it.

"I still think this is a waste of your time, especially considering all what's happening. I can do this alone," the grey eyed boy offers with a shaky laugh, looking over at the blond man.

Carlisle drives with as much ease as he shows. "When it concerns one of my kids, there is no matter more important," he assures, giving Elias a soft smile.

Warmth floods Eli's heart... but is quickly flushed by the adrenaline lining his veins. "That's sweet and all... but you don't know David and Cassandra."

Carlisle almost looks amused at the humans worrying. "No matter the outcome, I'll come and explain your reasoning, your wants and outline how I encourage and am happy to help."

Elias switches rubbing the interior of the door and traces the scar lining his throat. "See, that would work like a year ago, when my parents were reasonable to most people. But right now, me and them aren't really civilised," he says the last part with a wince.

Carlisle already knows this. Elias has already said this as soon as the whole plan had been formed. His answer doesn't change from the calm, "It will be fine."

Elias wants to groan. "I really wish I had your optimism," he mumbles, looking out the windshield. They're getting closer to his street now and a tight knot of anxiety is forming in his stomach. Jesus, he's sure facing fucking James wasn't this terrifying.

"Not too late to change your mind," Eli almost shouts once they do actually turn onto his street. He's eyeing Carlisles side profile, trying to find any weakness for him to poke and prod at so they can turn the car around. "Run for the hills, or even decline my offer?"

That does make Carlisle laugh. "I am a man of my word," he announces, as if it's a whole new trait of his. Elias gulps down his worry and tries believing things will work out like Carlisle thinks they will.

I wish Jasper was here, the human thinks glumly as they get out of the car and head towards the front door. At least Jasper could influence the situation, calm things down when this -no doubt- blows up.

"This has to be their decision Elias, they have to agree with you by their own terms. It's the only way." Carlisle had said when Elias suggested the blond come.

The house is clean, bright and quiet when they enter it. The vibe is off, even before Carlisle steps into the scene. He's never been in Eli's house before, and he looks just as out of place as the human feels. This is gonna go to shit, Elias thinks, his palms warming at how he can instantly see Cassandra and David sat at the dining table.

"Elias, is everything ok?" His dad calls as soon as they're aware of the twos presence. He doesn't make a move to get up from the table, allowing Carlisle and Elias to enter the room. "Why did you tell us to take Easton to Nina's?"

Because I don't want him to be around arguing. "I just thought it'd be best having a neutral ground for this conversation, you know, just us." His words are calmer than he thought they'd be, he's almost proud as he takes a seat across from Cassandra. Carlisle sits to his left, across from David, and he looks perfectly calm in the situation too.

"Doctor Cullen, what's the meaning of this," David says in a tight voice. It wasn't a question, more of an accusation.

Elias remembers, looking back before it went to shit, that Carlisle had smiled, not showing teeth- because those pearly sharp things scare humans apparently, Eli never got that part; Then again his responses to vampires were out of whack- and started talking. His calm voice and kind eyes almost did it- his gentle argument that his house was best suited for Elias in his last month of life was smooth.

Maybe it was Elias who ruined it when he spoke up, his voice was lower and rougher and he kept tracing the fucking scar on his neck in nerves.

Either way, the whole speech, the whole negotiation- because looking back it was always a negotiation- his parents are silent. Deadly silent- at one point Casandra moves to grab David's hands on the table and she squeezes it so hard her knuckles turn white. Her gaze however, never leaves the side of Eli's face.

After they finish speaking, it's silent. One moment, two, three, then in a seething tone Cassandra hisses, "Get out."

Elias feels his hands curl into fists. "Mom come on," he tries, but she gives him a firm glare.

"You do not speak," she says monotonously, looking back at the blond man. "Doctor Cullen, I'd like you to leave now."

Carlisle says he understands, he says he'll give them time as a family to think over Eli's decision. He gives Elias a secret look of what the grey eyed boy likes to imagine is "good luck" then he briskly leaves the house.

As soon as the front door shuts, Elias speaks- trying to diffuse the obvious tension- "Well that was rude, I thought both of us had more manners than tha-"

"-are you fucking crazy?" His mom screams, literally screams. Elias flinches back, not entirely expecting it

"Cass," David calls, trying to calm her, his eyes switching from his furious wife and shocked son. "Calm down-" he too gets cut off.

"If you think you're leaving this family you're deluded," his mom says harshly, standing up from the table in a erratic manner. The chair falls behind her.

Elias feels irritation prickle warmth all over his skin. "I'm not leaving the family. Did you fucking listen to anything I said, that Carlisle said?" He scoffs.

"No!" His mom shouts, pacing in circles, her sight set on Elias. "Because it was nonsense! You're not going anywhere, you're not going to his house t-to-"

"To finish the rest of my life. To die," Elias finishes for her, his tone almost bored despite the seriousness of the words. He doesn't mean it, he's just desensitised to the thought of him dying.

Cassandra runs her pale hands through the tight curls of hair. Her next words are spewed out manically, desperately, "You aren't leaving. You're not. I won't allow you, you're staying here," her voice lightens as she becomes glee, "I'll ground you Elias."

"For how long, huh?" He questions, brows rising as his irritation builds. She hasn't listened. Again, she hasn't listened to what I want. What I need.

His voice rises to a shout. "No go ahead, ground me. It's not like I'm running out of time!"

"I need a drink," David sighs, pushing away from the table and going towards the locked alcohols cabinet.

Elias isn't sure who's losing more sanity at this point, him or his mom. "Now we've pushed dad to alcoholism," he announces, waving a hand as David walks to the far right side of the kitchen.

Cassandra marches to where he's sat, towering over him like it creates extra authority. Elias glares up at her, especially as she whispers. "You're not leaving home. I won't allow you."

Eli stands up now, following her tactic. He's taller, so she has to crane her head back to see how serious he's being when he says, "I'm not your property. I asked out of courtesy, not for permission."

He goes to walk away. He needs to cool down, it's not getting them anywhere. He's trying to be the god damn adult and he's two steps away from his mother when she shouts, "Why do you even want to go there? What do they have Elias? What there, what about them, do they have that we don't?"

Elias stops in his track and feels his eyes close momentarily. She didn't listen, he thinks, she didn't listen again. The tension in his body goes haywire as his exasperation accedes new bounds, Fine, he thinks sourly, I'll repeat it. I'll fucking write it out for her.

He turns back to her, his voice cold."Nothing. I just don't want you to watch me die. You don't deserve to see your son rot away into a unidentifiable corpse, a shell of a person he used to be." He winces, imagining how it'd be near the end. When the cancer took every bit of life out of him. His words hit, because tears rise in Cassandra's eyes. Elias can't stop narrating, making her imagine it, making her think of how it'll be from his point of view. "What, tell me you want that? You want to see me struggle for breath, to cry in pain and rot away and feel even worse because I can see it all reflected back in your eyes-"

"-I am your mother!" She cries, lips wobbling and all. "It's my job to look after you!"

The irritation in Elias leaves, like a overfilled balloon, it pops and leaves Eli empty. He walks to her, wraps his arms around her, trying to squeeze away the pain in the form of a hug. Trying to explain his words through touch. I'm sorry, it says, I'm sorry. But this is the only way. If you knew what I had planned, you'd know this is the only way. I'm sorry mom.

"You have to let me go at some point mom," the teen whispers, regret tracing the words, but he knows he has to get it off his chest.

His mom stiffens in his grip. "Why Elias?" She says quietly. He thinks for a moment they're understanding each other. They're getting somewhere. But she steps away from him, his arms fall to his side, limp. Anger replaces any of the sadness on his mothers face. Not anger. Something worse, something nasty and makes his defences rise.

"You're starting to feel like a stranger to me. To us. Why won't you let us in?" She spits the words out like a battery acid. Is it from anger or is it a real? He doesn't know, but what is real is the pain that forms in his chest, it's like a hot iron poking straight through his heart.

For the first time in ten years, Elias finds himself answering them truthfully. "Because the person you'll see isn't the son you love. I'm not the person you think I am."

I am the boy made of fire, and I'm not afraid to use it.

He exhales, the words leaving a weight off his chest but hurting non the less. His moms face drops. Eli has to look away. "I'm going, no matter what. I won't let you watch me die," he declares.

He turns, grabs the bottle of whiskey his dads holding in a slack grip- to stop him drinking or to drink it himself he isn't quite sure of. Maybe both. But the bottles in his hands, his head hurts and he's sure he's just broke his mothers heart. His dads still non responsive, watching the whole thing go down with detached eyes. It's bad.

"But you'll let Jasper watch you die?" She hisses, spits, his name in disgust.

Elias isn't sure what happens. One second he's walking, the bottles in his hands. The next he's so furious he's sure he's going to burst into flames. He almost does, expect there isn't flames. His skin sizzles within a second, hot like a blow torch, and the bottle explodes in his hands. Liquid and glass goes everywhere. There's no pain, only the smell of alcohol drenching him and broken glass raining around the kitchen.

"Fuck!" The teen screams out loud, looking down at his palms. They're drenched, smoking as the liquid cant settle on his skin, but they look unharmed. He looks around quickly, scared he's hurt his parents, scared he's let out his secret.

They're looking back at him in shock, his heart drops. Oh no.

"You want to smash things Elias?" Cassandra calls in a humourless laugh, Eli's heart lightens. They thought he dropped the glass. They didn't see him explode it- relief finds its way to him. Good.

"Cassandra," David says in warning, but she's already moving. Opening cupboards, grabbing glasses. Elias watches with wide eyes, the guilt in his throat hard to swallow- he caused this, he caused this- as his mom starts to throw the cups. It's a parade of broken glass and noise- Elias shields his eyes with his hands. David is shouting at her, trying to pull her away, but she's fighting him, hellbent on breaking things too.

"Mom stop-" Eli shouts, but she's too far gone, sweeping her whole arm in the cupboard now- the glasses rain out in multiple directions and shatter around the room. He sees the last cup out the corner of his half covered eye, heading into his direction and he has to jump out of the way. He misses the cup, but slips on glass and whiskey.

Elias catches himself on the countertop with one hand before he can fall properly, but a sting courses up his palm. He hisses and quickly pulls his hand back.

"Look at the both of you!" David shouts, finally shaking his wife out of her episode. He looks to Elias, the blood coming from his palm, then back to his wife, where her hands and arms are scraped up and bleeding.

"Elias," Cassandra gasps, looking from her own wounds to where Elias cradles his hand. Red leaks between his fingers and onto the floor. The realisation of her actions comes to her like a slap in the face, "...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry son."

She goes to step forward to him, but he moves backwards. "Don't," he whispers, freezing her to her spot. He looks towards his dad, "take her to get her hands cleaned. I'll tidy up."

David shakes his head. "But your hand-" he argues.

"I'm fine, leave me, It's just a scrape, I promise," he orders in a timeless voice, bunching the bottom of his shirt into his palm, "get mom to the hospital. Some of those look deep, she'll need stitches."

They go, his mom cradled in his dads arms, crying and bleeding and looking sorry. Elias watches her go, no emotion on his face.

•••

"Wow, there's so much glass," Bella eludes sat on the table, watching the two boys sweep the a pile of glass to the middle of the kitchen.

"I've never seen my mom shout so much," Elias reveals, knuckles white over the wooden broom as he stares at the growing pile of glass. Well, one set of knuckles are white. The others wrapped in gauze- a precaution for the small cut on his palm. He's already showered, changed and been checked over by Carlisle. He can still smell a hint of whisky from himself no matter how hard he scrubbed. "She was way passed furious. I thought I was gonna have to ring Carlisle to sedate her."

"He almost did come back, especially when he smelt all the blood. He thought she'd..." Edward stops, as if carried away with himself. The two humans stare at him in expectancy, but he continues to sweep the glass.

"What?" Elias asks, curious, "what did Carlisle think she'd done to me?"

"Something bad," he sighs, stopping moving and looking at Elias with a grimace. "Jasper noticed her protectiveness of you goes over the normal bounds of mothers."

Eli made a motion of the kitchen- the dried blood on the floor. The glass. "I never would have guessed," he remarks dryly.

Edward shakes his head, correcting the boy. "He says it's borders on possessive."

Oh, that's disturbing... but not entirely surprising. She's always been a little too motherly, scared of anything hurting him. Again, at least. He's been hurt plenty over the years

Bella must be on the same wavelength as him- she often is. "I think she still sees you as that little scarred kid, hiding in the corner of the room so no one notices him."

Elias thinks back to the look in her eyes everytime he's near her. "I already knew that," he whispers, shaking his head to clear the image. He tries to go back to sweeping, but Bella kicks her leg out, her toe skimming his thigh to grab his attention. It works. He's looks into her comforting brown eyes.

"You did the right thing by asking. You didn't want all this to happen, it isn't your fault," she speaks carefully, knowing how he thinks. How deeply routed his guilt is.

Elias looks away, not being able to see how much she believes herself. Sometimes Bella likes seeing the best in people. "Feels like it," he mumbled, sweeping again, clearing the evidence of the bad day. "I should have just said my reasoning and walked away. Given them time to be angry by themselves, to talk. I knew they weren't themselves when my dad refused to talk and when my mom started to get angry. But I had to keep talking, keep trying to make them understand."

"Because you felt as if time was running out," Edward realises, catching a glimpse of Elias' mind. Of the panic he felt in the moments he spoke.

Elias points the broom at him like a weapon. "Stay out of my head," he warns, only half serious. Edwards lips uptick.

"You still have time Elias," Bella says with force, nudging him again. This time as he looks at her, she's glaring with force, "you do."

He waves her off. "I still should have left," he shrugs.

Edward frowns, replaying the snippet of memory in Eli's mind. "But you did walk away?" He echoes.

Elis shoulder stiffen. So much for stay out of my head. He coughs, clears his head of the memory and focuses more on cleaning. "I tried."

Bella looks at her brother for a long while, reading him. There's a shine in his eyes that comes only in certain emotions, certain people. She understands. "She mentioned Jasper, didn't she?"

Elis cheeks warm. "I don't wanna talk about it," he mumbles, feeling like a school child with a silly crush.

A horn blares from outside the Sherwood home. Edward and Elias both scowl at the same time, their heads spinning to the kitchen windows. Jakes red rabbit car is outside.

"I should go," Bella jumps off the table, tiptoeing over the remaining glass so she can press a kiss to her best friends cheek.

"Don't stress over this," she orders him because she can see he already is. She turns to her boyfriend next, pressing a short kiss to his lips, "and you don't stress either."

Both boys watch as she leaves the house and gets into the werewolf's car, their burning gaze not lifting from Jake as he drive away.

"Theoretically," Edward starts, tongue clicking against his teeth, "Would you be able to kill a werewolf before they could harm you?"

Elias grin is as dark as Edwards. "Theoretically," he copies his tone, "if you hold him down so I can burn. A coroners office wouldn't be able to pull a identification from a body that burnt."

"I'll remember that," the vampire notes, continuing to sweep the floor.

After the kitchens cleaned from any evidence of Eli and his moms screaming match. The two boys retreat into the his bedroom to start packing.

Whilst Cassandra said no to letting Elias go, it isn't stopping him.

So despite the guilt chewing his stomach, they spends the day sorting through Eli's belongings, placing items in one large cardboard box on Eli's messy bed. It's only the essentials, things his mom won't notice is missing.

It takes a few hours of them sorting his belongings, only speaking when Eli tells Edward to do something or when Edward questions him of the things he finds- explaining why Eli has a Mona Lisa smoking a parsnip painting is a weird one. If Edward knew his cousins, he wouldn't find it odd.

Elias is just placing a favourite hoodie in the box, mind filtering tasks he needs to do, when Edward speaks up.

"What are all these?" He sounds astonished, it makes Eli turn with his brows raised.

Edward pulls out a large plastic box from behind the curtains. It's packed to the top with varying sizes of black books, all leather bound, all written in.

"Memory journals," Eli supplies, getting up off his knees so he can take the box off him. Edwards black eyes are wide and Eli understands his expression quickly.

"Don't worry," the boy laughs, lightly smacking the bronze boys arm, "I don't specifically mention the words vampire, werewolf or anything incriminating."

He picks up one of the journals, long fingers flipping over the pages. Despite the fact they all look the same Elias knows what is in each book. "I just write my memories down, and how I felt. I've recently been organising them, re-writing the entry's in specific books."

He digs into the box, producing a particularly worn book. There's silver words scratched into the corner of its front- Edwards interest peaks instantly. "Bella?" He reads.

"Some my memories of Bella, our times together," Elias holds the book close to his chest when Edward makes a move to grab it, "I wouldn't read it, that ones heavily based on when you and your family left town."

Edwards face scrunches and he diverts his eyes, as if not looking at the book will make the pain in his eyes go.

"Who else do you have? There's so many in here," he mumbles, looking like he's holding back the urge to rummage through them.

Elias laughs to himself, already knowing he really means how many books does he have of Bella. "Here," he mocks, picking another up and flipping it open, "You can read this one, nice memories of Bella."

Edward takes his time to go over the pages, a odd snort and chuckle leaving his lips. In return Eli starts picking through certain books and placing them in the box heading for the Cullen house. Most of them have Jaspers name on them and Eli makes sure to face the title down so Edward can't mock him. Not that he ever dare.

"Your brain is amusing," Edward announces as he flips the last page close, holding out the journal to him as his eyes churn oddly soft. "Thank you for letting me read through your memories Elias."

Elias isn't in the mood for softness or touched feelings, so he snorts, pointing to the pile of clothing folded on the bed. "Come on ginger, you're lagging behind and we're on a schedule," Eli looks down at his watch, the one he got for his last birthday, "Bella is supposed to be back any minute now and I want this box gone before my mom gets home with Easton."

Edward perks up at that. In no time he and Elias are bringing the box downstairs. Well, Edward carries it, Elias goes out first to make sure his parents aren't pulling up.

Elias is shutting the Volvo door after successfully shoving the box in there when a low hissing sound lodges in Edwards throat. A second later Elias hears Jakes car come down the road.

"I'm going to kill him," Edward, sounding more vampire than human, snarls. The genuine malice in his tone causes all of Eli stand to attention.

Elias spins to Bella as she gets out of the car, the same time Jake does. Edwards next to Elias one second and the next he's inches from Jake, both of them foaming at the mouth in anger.

Elias catches a blip of the argument - "if you ever touch her against her will again-" and Eli's vision goes red.

Elias doesn't mean too- that's a lie, he does mean it. He doesn't even make the conscious decision to attack when suddenly he's in front of Jake, hands burning the werewolf's skin as they clench around his throat.

Jakes snarl gets lost in the waves of pain, especially when Elias pulls him closer so he can shove his knee up between the boys legs.

"Guys stop it now!" Charlie orders, steps behind David as they run from the parked police cruised. Eli didn't hear them coming.

David yanks Elias off Jake by the back of his shirt. "Elias! Come on break it up! Fighting isn't the answer!"

His arms wrap under his arms, pulling him back a few paces, away from where Jake is- one hand is clutching his already healing throat and another hovering over his manhood. The daze finally disappears, leaving Elias in control- yet still angry.

Charlie's looks just as distressed as Bella as he holds his hands up- as if it's going to stop Edward and Elias from lunging at Jake. "What's happened?" He demands, looking at all of them.

It's silent for a few heartbeats as Jake breath deeply through his pain.

"I kissed Bella," he winces guiltily as all males starts to glare at him- some a little more deadly than others. "She broke her hand... punching my face."

A beat of dead and incredulous silence. Then David mutters, "I was wrong, fighting is the answer," before he lets go of his son.

Elias is a little too far away for a knee, so he settles on promptly swinging his foot up into Jakes baby maker again.

Bella makes a distressed sound as she pulls Elias away from Jake, genuinely concerned he might kill him. The human ends up behind shoved back next to a smug looking Edward.

"Leave," David commands, stepping up to Jacob before anyone else can do anything. He's as tall as the werewolf, even bulkier. The threat of his presence is clear even before he says, "leave before I arrest you for assault."

"I'm sorry Bella," Jake whispers, dark eyes shining. He takes one last look at the everyone before turning back to his car- walking to it with a little limp. Elias feels his lips rise in a grin at the result.

"Seriously?" Charlie breaths out as soon as the teen has gone. He's angry- but not exactly at them. Elias has a suspicion it's because his role as protector over Bella is threatened.

"What?" David scoffs to his best friend in the same tone. "I knew you couldn't punch him, you're the sheriff," he smiles proudly, jerking a thumb to his son, "so I had to let him do it."

Charlie sighs the same time Bella does.

•••

Elias goes to sleep the minute his head hits the pillow.

He floats in unconscious with a uncomfortable feeling, as if the quilts are too heavy and the bed is a little too soft. He tosses and turns, the blankness of his dreams flashing every now and then with pictures he doesn't want to see.

A curly haired vampire as she lunges for him, blood splattering a ballet studio floor, sitting against his porch steps with the feeling of his heart breaking in his chest. They skip and twist, the same three settings but different angles, almost like his brain can't or doesn't want to remember the full details.

Then his dream finally settles on one image. All his family members surrounding a mahogany coffin placed in the deep woods. They're all dressed head to toe in black, eyes pouring with tears... the atmosphere is depressing, but there's one person not crying- someone who can't.

He's dressed in all white- the definition of a glowing angel, as if he's there personally to guide the murdered boy to the afterlife.

He's perfect with honey hair to his jaw and his beautiful features torn somewhere between agony and numbness, as if he feels everything and nothing at the same time. Like he realises he might as well be in that coffin.

That image is worse than any real life monster that could come for him.

Someone knocks on his door the same time he gasps awake. He's panting, looking around his surroundings in panic- he's still wearing his clothes from the day, not even under the covers. His bedrooms dark, only lit by the dim lamp on his nightstand. Everything seems in place, but nothing does at the same time.

"Elias," Cassandra whispers his name from the door again, her knock lighter now, "are you awake?"

Elias shuffles up to his headboard, shaky hands pressing against his throat scar- a defence, a habit to realise I'm here, I'm still breathing.

"Come in," he calls through a steady voice, the opposite of how his heart beats.

His door creaks slightly before her body slips through. She looks as rough as Eli feels, dark hair pulled into a loose braid and eyes too wrinkled for someone so usually happy. There's bandages on her wrists and hands from the glass, matching Eli's on his hand. She doesn't say a word when perching on the end of the bed, long nails picking at her fluffy and worn pink robe.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you," she settles on, looking at the boy, "I really am. I don't know what came over me, I was in shock and I couldn't stop myself. Its no excuse, I know-"

"-It's understandable mom," Elias nods, because he's put her through enough hell recently that she doesn't need the added guilt. "I probably shouldn't have kept pushing."

Cassandra looks away, the skin of her throat stretching as her jaw clenches. Elias thinks he's said something wrong- made her angry at the memeory of this morning. But when she turns back, she's not angry, she's crying.

"Carlisle loves you like any other of his sons, doesn't he?" She realises out loud, "I saw it when you were speaking. You looked at him in full trust, and he placed his hand on your back and you didn't shy away. You feel comfortable with him, the Cullens."

Oh, Eli's deflects, oh. Maybe Charlie wasn't the only parent that felt threatened of their responsibilities, or their rights.

"He's a great person mom, and he only wants to the best for me," he ends up telling her, because he can't think of anything else that will make her feel better. "I meant what I said earlier mom. I don't want you to watch me die."

Cassandra swallows once, a tear dropping down her cheek. "What do I tell people Elias?" she cries, clutching her chest.

Elias shuffles forward, wiping his warm thumb over the tear on her cheek. "Nothing," he sighs, "because I learnt from you a long time ago that people don't deserve explanations just because they're curious," he laughs a little, "it's probably why I'm such a dickhead now."

Cassandra laughs too, her tears still falling. "You are a dickhead," she agrees, softening, "but you're a great son. Even if I can't understand you most of the time."

"You have to say that, you're my mom," he points out, looking into her eyes, ignoring the last part of her words, "but I guess the good parts of me were shaped from your caring hands."

"Shaped?" She chokes, the sadness she sports lessening, "I had to forge the nice parts of you with a blowtorch and welding mask on. I never thought you'd stop glaring at people!"

"Hey," he jests with a pout, "I only glare, like, fifty percent of the time now."

She laughs, light and not as emotionally heavy as she was moments ago. "I'm sorry for waking you. I couldn't sleep after we'd argued," she confesses, standing off his bed, delicate hands running over her robe.

"I'll see you in the morning," she looks at the yellow robe hanging from his bathroom door, "For the big day," she winks.

"See you in the morning mom," he affirms, smiling at her as she goes.

"Elias?" She calls, pausing at the door, still looking forward. She sounds nervous. "Jasper understands you in a way we've never been able to. In a way you've never let us."

It's a realisation, not a question. Not angry, either. Just... acceptance. Finally.

"You don't need to understand me mom. Not all of me," Elias promises.

He watches his door close and listens to the footsteps trace around the hall and to her own room before he turns his window.

"Jasper?" He calls out under his breath. A full second doesn't go by before the blond boy is graciously ducking into the room through the open window.

Eli's heart stutters at the sight of him. He smiles, the only time that it feels real, saying sincerely, "Thank you."

Jaspers sighs, lean shoulders bunching under his thin red shirt as he shrugs. "It's nothing," he brushes off, as if he'd hadn't used his gift to calm his mom down from a panic attack.

Elias rolls his eyes. "Shut up being noble," he barks, lying down in the bed. Jasper comes over, resting uneasily on the end of the bed- the lines of their relationship blurred.

"I've had a hard day today," Elias realises, his words sad as they enter the atmosphere.

"Do you need anything?" Jasper asks, his voice caring and willing to do anything.

Elias feels the sides of his lips upturn."You," he whispers, turning on his side, patting the space in his bed that's empty, that's reserved for one person. "Just you."

Jaspers face shifts into a almost nervous one as he comes to settle next to the human. Elias rolls his eyes again at the boys skittish actions before moving over to him, resting against his cold stone chest- ignoring the way his body lights up.

"This ok?" He asks, always aware of the boys needs as well as his own.

Jasper shifts them, grabbing Eli's hips and rotating them until Eli's partially covering the vampire. A warmth strikes against Eli's skin as his heart goes faster, making more warmth swim around him and into Jasper.

"This is perfect," the vampire swears with a smile. "What are you feeling?" Jasper murmurs, relaxing now as he wraps his arms around his mate. One hand slides to the boys back and the other threads through his dark hair.

The electric touch, the scent of Jaspers, it burns him in all the ways Eli enjoys. "Everything," he utters, eyes closing as he takes in the feelings of Jaspers protection, "I feel everything."

Both he and his moms in the wrong here, I'm aware. Keep in mind Elias is panicking about running out of time, he's stressed about people coming after him and he's also kind of a hot head in general.

Don't be a silent reader!