#* . ⊹ 𝕃.ℝ. › ft. hope

[hellonexrth]

004. laurie & hope @hntershunted

Stepping onto the streets of Rome with his beautiful girlfriend in tow was all the nearly ancient vampire could have asked for. This seemed an impossible moment they were living in together, halfway across the globe while New Orleans struggled. But they were together, and that was the only thing that ever mattered for the pair anymore. And Laurie, well, he couldn't find it in himself to care about New Orleans, hometown or not, home was with the girl before him. And he knew, more than anything else, that she deserved a vacation. Lawrence Rutherford was in the business of giving her what she wanted and deserved. For the rest of his immortal existence.

So, after receiving the keys from a lockbox just outside the property, he guided Hope toward the front door of their rented apartment for the next few days. A luxurious space spitting distance from the Trevi Fountain, with views he couldn't believe. Upon opening the door to the apartment, they were greeted with a room that could have been pulled straight from a museum. Statuesque columns, dark romantic colors, and masterpieces in gilded frames.

Tempted to pick her up and carry her across the threshold, he steeled himself—hopefully saving that for later in the trip. Instead, he set their luggage down in the entry way and wrapped his arms around her midsection from behind, taking in the sight along side her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "So, what do you think?" he said, eyes on her despite the sight before them. Before she could respond, he unwound himself from her and grabbed her hand, leading her deeper into the apartment as the listing had called it, though it was more like their own personal castle for the next few days.

[hellishmuse]

001. laurie & hope @tribridcrsed

Since waking up nearly two years ago, life had been a whirlwind for the vampire who now stood inside an empty bar with a glass in his hand. Falling in love a second time had never been on his bingo card, and letting her slip through his fingers after a devastating incident certainly wasn't either. With the glass in his hand, he flipped through a folder of records with the other. All the places they'd been, the people they'd killed. He should have stopped keeping track months ago, but he couldn't. There had to be someone keeping tabs, someone checking in on them. Things were already well past alright, but keeping tabs was all he was capable of by this point.

He'd tried, god had he tried, to reel her back in from the beginning. He'd tried to be there for her when her family died, tried to be supportive when she turned her humanity off. For months he tried and tried, doing everything he could think of to bring her back down to earth. Despite her killing his one friend, he couldn't not try.

Even as his thoughts told him maybe it was time to give up, he just white-knuckled the glass of bourbon and closed the case files, dragging his hand through his hair before downing the rest of the glass. This nightmare had gone on for far too long. He'd thought by now, after a year that she'd find her way home, find a way to turn her humanity back on. But still, he stood alone, hope dwindling. Turning off his own humanity certainly would have solved the problem a lot sooner, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd been lost in that world for far longer than Hope, and he could still remember the guilt that came with turning it back on. He couldn't go through it again, but he could stand by and wait for her, wait to help her through it. Because despite her absence, everything he did was still for her.

He lifted his head, eyes finding hers immediately, barely recognizing them. They felt so different. Cold. He cleared his throat, looked away. "Missed stealing your old friend's liquor, huh?"

[cxrsedmuse]

closed — @tribidscrsed location: french quarter

Worrying about Hope hadn't been on his bucket list of the day. He'd gotten it in his head that she was smart and independent, and didn't need someone like Laurie to worry about her. Now, as he sat in his own apartment, waiting for her to show up, something ticked in his brain. The worry set in and he began to stress. What if someone hurt her, what if she needed him and hadn't been able to reach out because he had a fucking beeper instead of a phone?

His feet took him over to the French Quarter before he could stop himself. About to turn the corner onto the street where one set of her parents lived, he heard a loud crash and the panic set in even deeper. You're not there, you're not there and she's in trouble and you're not there. Sweat dripped from his brow, not from exertion from anxiety.

At the look on her face, when he was close enough to see it, he pushed himself even further. He grabbed her shoulders, unafraid of being hurt by her. "Hope," he said, looking into her eyes. "Hope, look at me."

[cxrsedmuse]

closed — @tribidscrsed event 001: masquerade, enchanted evening

Laurie, normally a picture of stoicism, was a bundle nerves. Not only had it been ages since he'd put on a suit on gone to a dance, but it had been even longer since he'd had a crush, if one could even call it that. Did people really give crushes expensive earrings? Not that he'd paid for them exactly, but that was beside the point.

Of course, Laurie strolled in fashionably late. Many were coupled up in the center of the room, dancing. He spotted her immediately, and felt frozen in place at first. He'd never seen anyone as stunning, as angelic. He cleared his throat, summoned his courage and moved in her direction.

He tapped her dance partner on the shoulder and said, "Mind if I cut in?" The other man stepped away and Laurie took his place, looking down at Hope. He noticed the earrings immediately and a small smile graced his features. Laurie took one of her hands in his, and placed his other on her waist. He leaned in slightly as they started to move. "I see you got my note."