#w:reza

[nevensato-blog]

[pm] Wish I could do this in person but... I'm leaving for Pakistan. Like right now, to take care of my mom because she and my sister they need me so as much as I wanna stay here with you... not sure how long I'll be, either but... I don't want to lose contact so if you want, you can add me on [skype] but if not, that's cool, too. Either way, thanks for being the way you are and... hopefully I'll see you again? Yeah. [user has logged off]

[user immediately sends him an email]

[taylor-rockwell]

Melt With You | Taylor, Izel & Reza

Snowed in at MLC, @openbook-izel, @rezathevamp, and Taylor decide to get some fresh and and have a snowball fight. That was not a good idea...

Izel shivered and pulled another hoodie on. The heating was way up, for all chilly parties involved, but the house was so old hat cold leaked n at every corner, and more than once she' been caught snuggling up right against the radiators, a book in hand. The blizzard had calmed down, but the snow was so thick it could swallow you whole. But she also knew she wasn't the only one starting to bounce off the wall, getting antsy caught up in a house with three other people. She glanced through one of the windows at the sun and the unmelting snow, and announced. "We should go outside. We're not gonna get blown way an it actually looks pretty pretty. There are a few snowmen about and I am ​so​ sick of being inside." Reece looked unconvinced and turned back to his newspaper, so she turned her eyes to Taylor and Reza instead. "Please? I've got snowboots you can borrow and Being outside for a little bit can't possible o too much harm, can it?"

Reza was actually fairly appreciative of the snow and the fact that it made it completely acceptable to stay inside and avoid any and all interaction with people that weren't Izel or Taylor. Gave him time to work through Ricky's books, too. The sudden announcement that they should go outside brought Reza's eyes momentarily from the page, the 'no thanks' already forming on his lips -- until he saw the look in Izel's eyes. Honestly, she could make him do just about anything with the right expression on her face, Reza thought as he trudged very slowly through the mountain of snow outside their front door. Completely bundled up in clothes Izel had lent him, he half walked, half crawled out into the vast area of snow. The town actually looked kinda nice like this... "I don't think we're gonna do much walking out here, Iz," he called over his shoulder, already feeling his nose getting cold.

Taylor used to hate being outside. She’d rather be in a dark, empty bar with no windows, or on her houseboat by herself. She’d hated being around other people. But lately she was antsy when she was alone, or cooped up somewhere. These last 2 years had really changed her in a lot of surprising ways that she was honestly still discovering. She pulled her coat on and pulled on a beanie and some gloves, happy to join Reza and Izel outside. Reza started to complain, but Taylor had just the remedy for that. She balled up some snow and tossed it at him, nailing him in the face. “Who said anything about walking, kid?"

Izel shivered harder as she tugged on her gloves, being blasted by the cold air outside. Her mouth pulled into a grin as she stepped outside, although Reza was right, they weren't going to get far. Izel saw too late what Taylor was planning, and scrabbled behind a bush to hide from the snowball, but it wasn't aimed at her. "Oh, I'm not sure you want to go there, Tay," Izel quipped hurling two straight at the back of Taylor's head. Growing up with four siblings was definitely and advantage here,

Reza tried to move away from the incoming ball but it still smacked him in the side of his face, cheek burning. "​Taylor!"​ he shouted indignantly, brushing snow off his face just in time to see Izel throw a couple of snowballs of her own. "Is this ​really​ what we're doing guys?" he complained, still ducking for cover to avoid getting hit, curling up a ball of his own just in case.

Taylor gasped when a snowball hit the back of her head, scooping up some snow and sending a shot at Izel in retaliation. Totally missed. Her aim was total shit now. She was surprised she'd even hit Reza with that first one. "Oh yeah, we're doing this!" She scooped up two snowballs and sent them flying at both Izel and Reza in turn, ducking behind a snowdrift for cover.

"Ha!" ​Izel​ barked as she dodged the first of Taylor's snowballs, careful behind her bush. "Come on Reza, you can't possibly say you're too old for this!" She threw a ball deliberately just to him side, trying to agitate him into retaliating, not willing to go full on until he threw one himself. She squeaked as she barely dodged Taylor's next and it clipped her on the shoulder. She started scooping quick loose balls, stockpiling a few by her feet before reappearing from her hiding spot and waiting for Taylor to poke her head out before chucking another. "Come on Reza!"

Reza deflected Taylor's second shot with his hand, shivering as some of the remains slipped under his coat and down his back. "Fucking hell," he muttered, even as he couldn't help but smile at the squeaking coming from Izel. His mitten covered fingers still held the perfectly round ball and when Izel called his name again, he sighed in defeat. "Fine, but you'll only have yourselves to blame if I accidentally hit someone in the eye." Using the fact that Izel was focused on Taylor, Reza threw the ball with some precision at her jaw before quickly ducking for cover once more behind the trash cans, almost completely covered in snow.

Izel spotted Reza's smile and stuck her tongue out at him, could see him acquiescing. She laughed as her snowball clipped Taylor on the back of her head, but didn't see Reza until it was much to late to duck. The snowball smacked hard into her jaw, and while the cold was the first thing she felt, the next was a harsh burn. She winced and cupped her hand over the cheek as the pain grew sharper and hotter. Her hand came away red. A small piece of ice or something. "I'm fine!" She called, and as if to prove it quickly retaliated with another snowball.

Taylor ran forward as she saw Izel cover her face, blood dripping from her cheekbone. "Shit Izel! You okay?" She answered, but Taylor didn't believe her. Snowballs didn't make you bleed. But before Taylor could get over to her, Izel lobbed a snowball at Taylor. She brought her arm up to block it, but instead of feeling the dull impact of the snowball smashing on her jacket, she felt a sharp pain shoot up her arm. She twisted it to look at her arm, and to her horror, the snowball had grown a ​mouth​ of razor sharp teeth and had latched itself onto her arm, digging through the leather jacket and sinking deep into her skin. "What the fuck?!"

The fun was instantly over when ​Reza​ spotted the blood on Izel's face, the pre-made ball in has hand completely forgotten. "Fucking hell... Sorry, Izel!" he shouted but Izel, true to nature, didn't exactly let the blood on her face stop her. He was halfway towards Izel, slowly trudging through the snow, when Taylor's exclamation whipped his head around. The snowball was... stuck? "Taylor?" he called over, unsure of who exactly to proceed to or what exactly was going on. Didn't seem like it was anything good. "Shit!" Tearing the mitten off his hand, along with the sharp-toothed snowball that had made an attempt to chew off his finger. "Guys, what the hell is going on?!" He kicked at the mobile snowball trying to roll towards his feet, breaking it into tiny pieces.

Izel was too slow in processing the horror on Reza's face, on Taylor's, couldn't work out how bad it was until she felt warm trickles of blood rolling down her neck and chilling as they fell into her scarf. A small cut wouldn't do that. But before she could investigate her face much further, Taylor was yelling and Izel startled, staggering away from her hiding spot towards the pair of them. Three of the snowballs she'd premade were chasing after her, terrifying little things with jagged icicles. She scrabbled in her pockets for the pocket knife and lighter she always carried with her, trying to stab the little things with no effect before getting to Taylor's side and flicking the lighter at it. The fire didn't catch, not until the fourth attempt, and only then for a second long enough to force the thing to let go. "You okay?" The icy cold was starting to burn the cuts on her face now, and she looked at Reza, waiting for him to get over here already. "We should get back insi- Oh." Three medium sized snowmen with scarves, hats, carrots and razor sharp teeth, grinning at them with red stained icy mouths. That definitely wasn't food colouring.

Taylor continued to cry out at the teeth plunged into her arm, trying to pry it off but the thing was solid ice and her hands kept sliding off, not able to get a good enough grip to tug it. She hadn't even thought about her lighter until Izel came over with one, burning the little icy bastard until he let go. When what remained of the snowball hit the ground, Taylor stomped her boot on it, grinding it until her sole hit dirt and started to tear into it. She let out a huff and turned to Izel and Reza. "Thanks. I'm good." She nodded as Izel started to suggest they go inside, turning to the same horrifying sight as the other two. She wasn't going to hesitate this time. "Run!" She yelled to them, shoving them in the other direction as she ran forward, dodging the snowmen trying to grab her with their wooden arms. She burst inside and started digging through the drawers. One of the snowmen chased her toward the door, and the others went after Izel and Reza. Fuck. She finally find what she was looking for, a can of air freshener, and pulled her lighter out of her pocket. She set up her makeshift flamethrower in front of her and kicked the door back open, knocking over the snowman banging on it. As it struggled to get back upright, she melted that sucker where it laid, waiting until it was nothing but a puddle in a melted out hole before turning her attention to the other two.

Reza was tempted to let the snowmen take him, just for a moment because of the absurdity of this all. Of course, he didn't, making a break for it with Izel, away from the sharp teeth and outstretched hands (sticks?). Running in the snow was nowhere near easy and Reza's legs were beginning to burn from exertion and the cold. Two snowmen were still on their trail, baring their teeth maniacally -- an odd sight even for this town-- but definitely gaining on them. They needed to get inside somewhere, someplace safe. He didn't want Izel getting hurt. "Where the hell did Taylor-" Something that sounded like it could have been screams came from the entrance of MLC and fire was visible behind the two snowman pursuing them.

Izel stumbled back, catching herself as Taylor ran right at the nightmarish snowmen. And people said she was crazy. She watched just long enough to see Taylor get through before gasping and starting their slow, laborious sprint away from th snow men. Instinctively she grabbed Reza's hand, pulling him even closer as he started to slip behind. If they could get around the house to the other doors, or to any of the neighbours. If they it the road they'd have to brave the black ice that had melted under cars and frozen into a deceptive sheen. Something which those abominable snowmen would have an advantage on. A twig tangled itself in her coat, pulling her backwards and towards those gnashing teeth. Instead of fighting, Izel did the only thing that occurred to her adrenaline burning mind, and undid her zip and scrambled out of her coat. "There's a door around the other side, come on!" She squeaked, hoping that whatever Taylor had grabbed as her weapon of choice would catch up to them soon. The screams of angry snowmen did seem to be getting closer, but that could just mean that all the snowmen were getting better. This wasn't what she'd had in mind when she'd suggested going outside.

Once ​Taylor​ was satisfied with the destruction of the snowman in front of her, she started forward. She heard Izel yelling something to Reza, and saw the skinny arm of a snowman throw Izel's coat over its shoulder and continue forward. Those fuckers were gaining on her friends. She had to move faster. Her legs were burning as she was practically bringing her knees to her chest with each step through the deep snow. "Hey!" She called out, trying to get the snowmen's attention. They both stopped for a moment and turned, but just as quickly were after Izel and Reza again. She heard Izel squeak out they were going to the front doors, so Taylor changed direction. She was closer to the building. She swung her path around and sure enough, she basically cut them off, appearing in front of Izel and Reza just as another snowman was reaching to tangle branches into Reza's hair. "Get behind me," she screamed, and when they did, she opened up her fresh smelling flamethrower on their pursuers. She ran out of propellant before finishing off the second snowman. All that was left was a chomping head trying to worm it's way to them. Taylor simply stomped it out with her boot as it let out a little whimper. "You guys okay?" she asked, turning to them and dropping the empty can into the snow. She was panting just as hard as they were, and she felt like her body was on fire.

Reza was clutching onto Izel just as hard as she was holding onto him, the two of them either dragging or being dragged by the other in exchange. Seeing Taylor appear in front of them, holding hairspray and a lighter made Reza's chest bubble with relief. Thank fuck. He didn't need to be told twice to take cover behind the siren, practically tumbling into a somersault through the snow to avoid his hair getting torn out by prickly branches. As the chomping head attempted to roll at them before getting itself completely crushed by Taylor's foot, Reza's muscles finally relaxed. He was sprawled unceremoniously in the snow, shivering from the adrenaline and the snow that seemed to have squeezed itself under every layer of his clothes. "Fantastic," he replied sarcastically, teeth starting to chatter as he willed his aching muscles to move to his command and actually get him to his feet. "Guess we should have just stayed inside with our books..."

Izel felt the heat of the flames as she stumbled past Taylor, doing one better than Reza and just about managing to stay on her feet. She spun and watched as Taylor obliterated the last snowmen, but that didn't mean there weren't more coming. Why were there so many evil ice things? It was almost as if the cold was deadly or something. "Yeah. I, wow, um. Good thinking with the, uh, febreze." She offered Reza her hand and pulled him, giving him a solid look over, to see if he'd gained any more bite marks over the last fifteen minutes. "Geez, it's not my fault that this town is out to kill everyone, okay? I promise I'll never ever drag you outside every again," she replied snarkily, but the relief that he wasn't hurt was evident. Taylor and her, on the other hand. "Let's get inside, in dry clothes and patched up, okay? Hot chocolate's on me." Despite herself and the rasping pain of her cheek, Izel chuckled. The adrenaline probably made her do it. "We just almost got eaten by frozen water. That's Ashkent welcoming you back, Taylor." She gave Reza's shoulder a squeeze, then turned back to the front door to let them in. At least, this time, it was nothing too bad. But, Izel remember was a sudden sick feeling, that meant that next time could only be worse.

[protective-detective]

Get Off My Lawn | Seamus & Reza

@rezathevamp

There was nothing like cereal for dinner, honestly. Seamus was acutely aware of just how little he let himself enjoy in his own life nowadays. He was always worried about a case, research, or making sure Maeve wasn’t getting herself into trouble. This was a perfect step. He got a bowl, poured himself some chex mix (unfortunately, the most exciting cereal they had currently), and grabbed the milk, eager to dig in.

But as he heard the plopping, and then the smell hit his nose, he suddenly lost his appetite. The milk was sour. Curdling into blobs of grossness. He quickly poured it all down the garage disposal, then looked at the date on the jug. It wasn’t supposed to go bad for another week and a half. He’d just bought it two days ago. Looks like he was making another trip to Took’s tomorrow then. Great. Just the sort of thing he needed to shove into his already busy schedule. So much for enjoying the little things. 

He chucked the empty jug on the counter and headed for the living room. Playing some Fifa is just as much of a little thing he could enjoy, right? He hadn’t made the time to play video games in a while. But as he sat down and picked up the controller, he noticed something missing next to the TV. Where there was once a picture of family, back from when both of his parents were still alive--a picture that had a very valuable locket hanging from the frame--there was now just an empty wall. He sprang up and looked behind the entertainment center to see if it fell. Nothing. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Seamus saw something moving outside the front windows. He peered out, spotting a figure by the tree line near the mouth of the driveway. If he was thinking, he might have approached the situation differently, but with all the fuck ups that had just slapped him in the face, his patience was wearing thin. So he yanked the front door open, seeing a young face through the haze of the setting sun. 

“Hey, kid! What are you doing?” He took a few steps down off the porch. He motioned to the kid. “Come here.” 

[owen-faulkner]

@rezathevamp replied to your post “Who's your favorite The Walking Dead character?”

Don't like the show?

A million times no.

[nevensato-blog]

Take Two | Neven & Reza

@rezathevamp​ has something to tell Neven, and soon secrets are spilling out of the both of them.

It felt weird, being on the other side of the door. Reza had been the one on the inside before, feeling hurt and pretty fucking shitty -- at least that’s how he imagined that Neven was feeling right now. But Reza wasn’t Heath. He wasn’t here to manipulate Neven into forgiving him, didn’t even fully expect Neven to want him back in any sort of way, not even as friends. He wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t but he at least had to explain himself, tell Neven the truth about everything. Opening the messages to Neven for the first time since he’d gone completely AWOL, Reza tried to ease the suffocating nerves in his stomach with a deep breath before texting a ‘come outside. please?’ to Neven. Shivering in the freezing cold, the night made a little bit brighter by the snow, he waited with hands stuffed into pockets. He prayed that Neven would actually come outside to meet Reza where he stood on the curb outside his house, ears and nose tinted red from the cold, to get the explanation he deserved.

When Neven got the text to come outside, he really didn’t know what to think. It was random, that was for sure. No lead up. No online conversation preceding it. He’d just showed up, and Neven could see him on the curb when he looked out the window. Reza. Why was he here? Why wasn’t he trying to stay as far away from Neven as possible like any sane person probably should? He pulled on a jacket and some boots, heading for the front door. But before he opened it, he stood there for a moment, just staring at the door. What was waiting for him out there? Another argument? An apology he didn’t deserve? A continuation? An ending? He didn’t know what to expect and it terrified him. With a deep breath, he yanked the door open and headed for the curb where Reza stood, his breath hitching in his throat when Neven saw him. It was too late to turn back now, no matter how much the uncertainty of the situation was screaming at him to do just that. He didn’t even know how to greet Reza, so what he did say probably came off colder than it should have. “I’m outside.”

Reza was sure he stopped breathing for a moment when the front door opened, indescribably thankful to see that it was Neven and not someone else. Nervously, shifting on his feet to resist the urge to meet the other halfway, Reza waited until Neven was standing in front of him. “Thanks,” he replied quietly, stomach twisting, blinking at Neven’s shoes before finally meeting his gaze. “I have no idea where to start or how the fuck to get this out properly so just… listen and then you can leave or whatever and I won’t bother you again. Cause I’ve been keeping secrets, too.” Reza sighed deeply, feeling stubborn tears threaten to push their way to his cheeks, and swallowing them down. “I’m a mess. Like an actual mess, inside and out -- my mind’s a mess, my heart’s a fucking train wreck and I’m still on this fucking edge of rocking between an inactive addict and someone who might wake up in an… an abandoned apartment with a needle sticking out of his arm because my shitty, disgusting ex of a boyfriend was a drug dealer and a vampire and I thought it was okay. I thought it was okay that he was just… evil. To everyone, including me most of the time and he just got me hooked on everything and cheated and treated me like… and I thought it was okay. I was so delusional and so stupid and now I have this voice in my head convincing me that you’re going to hurt me because of what you are but I know you won’t because you’re not… you’re not like that, at all. And I don’t want to bring… this and my fears and this whole fucking shitstorm into your already shitstormy life so that’s all why I didn’t answer you but I wanted to. So fucking bad and I…” The words caught in his throat, threatening to choke him while making him realize just how fast he’d been speaking, and breathing. No, no panic attacks now. He needed to finish this. The lightheadedness made his knees weak as he struggled to stay on his feet, his steely but teary eyes meeting Neven’s as he managed to stutter out the rest of his insane speech. “And I’m sorry.”

Neven didn’t really know how to process what he was hearing, so he just stared. He couldn’t bring himself to do much else at that moment. He hadn’t know what to expect, but on his list of options, this hadn’t been one of them. He could tell when he first met Reza that the boy had baggage, but he hadn’t imagined damage that rivaled his own. He met Reza’s eyes as he spoke. He wanted him to know that what he was saying might be scary, but it wasn’t scaring him. And there was a difference. Reza breathed out a final apology, and hesitantly, Neven took a step forward, putting a hand on Reza’s frozen cheek. “It’s….okay.” There was so much to say, but the words escaped him. “It’s okay,” he repeated, not really talking about the apology anymore. He brought his hand down from Reza’s face to grab hold of his hand. “I want to show you something.” He pulled Reza along through the snow, rounding the house until they got to the shed out back, gargoyle on top feeling more like a weird comfort now than anything to be scared of. He let go of Reza’s hand when they got to the doors and tugged them open, motioning him to follow into the thankfully heated space. He left the door cracked so Reza wouldn’t feel trapped, and flipped the lights on. “This is where I turn, when it happens. The walls are solid and magic’s keeping me from hurting anyone in here. There’s no way I’m getting out.” He knocked on the wall, then approached Reza. “I understand, Reza. I do. I’m scared of me and I haven’t been through what you have.” He looked Reza in the eye, but it pained him. He hadn’t thought about how this had all started, who’s fault it all really was for a while...not until he’d talked to Molly about it. His wounds were fresh and seeing Reza, no matter how happy he wanted to be about it, felt like burning salt. He turned away. “You deserve better.”

The silence was destructive, slowly tearing Reza to pieces until Neven finally spoke and gently touched his cheek, fingers somehow warm against Reza’s numb face. This wasn’t what he’d been expecting, maybe something he’d been hoping but… a part was still braced for the rejection. For Neven to say that this was too much, that he couldn’t deal with something like this but the blow didn’t come. Reza was still pulled taut, like an anxious bowstring, and Neven insisted that it was okay again but it still didn’t feel okay. It still felt painful and nervewracking and wrong and that was just the turmoil inside Reza’s head at the moment. Curling his fingers around Neven’s, latching on like a man about to drown, he followed complacently, even as the whispers in his head returned to taunt him. ‘Just adorable. This is clearly all heading for a happily ever after, right Rez? With no deaths-’ Clenching his teeth, Reza shook out the thoughts, instead focusing on Neven and entering the ominous shed. He looked around, the faint scratch marks on the walls, and felt a shiver running down his spine. They were standing close again and Reza found himself basking in the warmth coming from the other boy, wishing for a moment that things were normal and they were just two human teenagers with normal human problems. “I deserve… Seriously?” Reza laughed, slightly maniacally because this situation was just… no. “We can’t both be the fuck ups in this… whatever this is. Because if I’m allowed to choose, I’d choose this but that’s not… I don’t think you know what you’re signing up for. I can deal with almost getting mauled or eaten or whatever, that happens to me all the fucking time whether I hang out with monsters -- sorry, or not. I don’t care that you might be dangerous, I really don’t.” Raking back his hair, tugging almost painfully on the roots, he let out a shuddering breath. “Because honestly, I’m pretty sure I might be addicted to the whole almost-dying thing, too.”

Neven almost smiled when Reza was done talking. Almost. Only a little tug at the corner of his mouth, that quickly faded, showed up on his face. He wanted to be relieved that Reza was okay with all this. Neven was fine with Reza’s past in return. He was a good person and both addictions and abusive relationships were hard things to kick. He could never blame someone struggling to make themselves better. But Neven couldn’t be relieved, because there was still more secrets hanging in the air between them. “Fair enough,” Neven said. He shoved his hands in his pockets, deciding to ignore Reza admitting he might literally have a death wish. It was surprisingly low on the spectrum at the moment. “But I think it’s you that doesn’t know what he’s signing up for.” Neven let out a sigh to steady himself. It felt like he’d been holding his breath this entire time, and the sigh did nothing to help the tightness that felt like drowning in his chest. “I don’t want any more secrets, so I need to lay this all out for you. Especially given your past...I might not be evil like your ex, that much I know, but I’m not innocent either. My origin story doesn’t start with some attack in the woods where I was forced into becoming a monster. I was so... I was selfish. I wanted to be special, like the rest of my family. So when I moved here and got talking to this guy, he told me his dad turned into a monster some nights. He brought me over to see his dad in a cage one day...and in a reckless, selfish move, I stuck my arm in there and let myself get bitten. I did this to myself, Reza.” He hadn’t realized he’d started crying. This was so much harder than telling Molly. Not only was this face to face, but he somehow knew Molly would still accept him. Reza had baggage that was all laid out between them now, and Neven was just waiting for the moment that it was all too much for him. “People tell me I’m not a monster, but I beg to fucking differ…”

The faint smile on Neven was gone as soon as it appeared, sending Reza into a frenzied train of thought because maybe, just maybe he’d been allowing himself to think this was going… not well but not awful? But the lack of a smile, as it turned out, wasn’t because of anything Reza had said. Watching Neven talk as tears began to roll down his face was hard and Reza still wasn’t very skilled at handling other people’s pain but the reason for Neven’s despair was… relatable, for lack of a better word, and Reza couldn’t help but smile, just a little. There was a moment after Neven trailed off where it was completely silent, any noise getting swallowed up by the snow outside and the thick walls of the shed, until Reza finally grabbed Neven’s hands and pulled him down to sit on the ground with him because he was tired and this was overwhelming, to put it gently. Legs crossed, hands still holding Neven’s because it was an odd comfort in this fucked up situation they had in the monster shed, Reza leaned his forehead to rest against Neven’s for a brief second. “You think that’s going to… scare me off, or whatever? I dated a vampire, Neven. I pretty much lived at Dance Macabre because I wanted so fucking bad to get turned, and my family’s completely human so you...” His hands squeezed Neven’s tighter, gaze moving from their interlocked fingers to Neven’s eyes. “I get it. Like… completely. Whether you think you’re a monster or not. So unless you got something else to confess…”

Neven was so thankful when Reza grabbed his hands and pulled him to sit on the ground. He hadn’t realized how unstable he’d felt, how lost on rough waters, until he had Reza there to anchor him. They were two ships caught in a storm, but they had each other to stay topside. Another tear rolled down his cheek, but a different emotion was behind it this time. Relief. He closed his eyes and just got wrapped up in the feeling of Reza’s hands in his and their foreheads touching, their heavy minds leaning on each other for support. “I got nothing,” he said with a dark chuckle. He opened his eyes to see Reza’s so close to his own and locked onto them. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Reza, pressing his tear soaked cheek to Reza’s as they hugged. He gripped onto the fabric of Reza’s jacket as if for dear life. As if the boy would fade away if he let go. “Thank you.” It was all he could think to say. There were no other words. He was speechless in the best way, finding someone who understood him and his fucked up motivations. “Thank you.”

The hugging was… different. Reza wasn’t a stranger to kissing and the likes, and barely to holding hands but hugs… there hadn’t been a lot of them and those few he’d shared with Izel were probably the only reason for Reza actually embracing Neven back. His shaky arms held onto the other just as tight, eyes closing to avoid looking at the scratched up walls in case his snarky train of thought decided to comment on them, and for a second everything was almost calm. “Thank you,” he repeated back, even though he still worried that Neven would realize just what he was signing up for and would back out eventually. “Do you, uhm... “ He cleared his throat as he pulled away, wiping at his damp face and Neven’s cheek as well with his thumb. “Do you wanna do something… normal? Like… I don’t fucking know, play video games or go have hot chocolate or something? You said you were going to teach me.”

Neven leaned into Reza’s hand when the boy’s thumb reached to wipe his tears away. He sniffled as he nodded. “Yeah, let’s...let’s do something normal. Get back to normal.” He got to his feet and held a hand out to help Reza to his. “Come on,” he said, still holding on to Reza’s hand as they left the shed and made their way to the back door of the house. It was pretty late, and he doubted anyone in the house would be up, especially his replicant dad. That guy went to sleep on the most rigid schedule he’d ever seen. But as he popped the door open and walked quietly into the kitchen with Reza behind him, he was surprised to find a silhouette sitting at the table in the dark, sipping orange juice. He couldn’t see her face very well, but he could tell it was his mom and she was giving him a look. He was busted anyway, so he flipped the light on. “Hey, Mom,” he started, but she cut him off. “The light was on in the shed and I was worried sick, young man. And who is that behind you?” Made sense. He’d randomly transformed during the day last week. She had right to worry. He nodded, hanging his head a little, then stepped out of the way to so his mom could get a full look at Reza. “This is Reza.” Her face lit up a little, getting up from her seat. “Reza as in...? Well, it’s nice to finally meet you. Wait...you two weren’t…?” Neven let out a nervous chuckle, waving his hands in front of him dismissively. “Oh my God, no Mom.” She laughed in turn, closing the gap between them and gasping when she saw the tear stains on their faces. “Oh my, have you boys been crying? Is everything okay?”

Reza wouldn’t have suggested going inside Neven’s house at any other time of the day, but from the looks of it, everyone would be asleep. At least he sincerely hoped so. Trailing behind Neven, he actually considered turning around and leaving when they found that there was actually someone awake. That option, although ridiculous, vanished as soon as the light was turned on and the woman, presumably Neven’s mom, started to worry at him. Reza inched forward just barely as he was introduced, offering a small smile that turned into pure horror at the implication of her following words. “No!” he objected, drawing back into himself when Neven, obviously, did the same. Right. Parents blatantly asking about sex. That was… new. He wasn’t sure which was more cripplingly embarrassing, that or the fact that yeah, their eyes were still totally puffy and red. “We’re… okay. I think?” he replied hesitantly, glancing over at Neven to confirm his answer, hand hovering close to the other boy’s, not quite daring to grab it.

“Yeah, we’re okay Mom.” Neven felt Reza’s hand close to his own, so he grabbed it to steady the other boy, who looked anxious to say the very least. “We had a fight, I guess you could call it. He knows now...about me.” He’d leave off the fact that Reza also knew about the entire family. That could wait. “Oh,” his mother replied. She looked concerned, but seemed to read Neven’s face and his confidence on the matter. “Well, that’s great. I’ll tell you from experience that a good relationship never stems from secrets. Just ask your fa--” But she cut herself off, obviously pained by the mention. It was easy to forget he wasn’t here, still seeing his face on a man too similar and at the same time too different all at once. Ken had suggested that they should ask him to leave, but their mother’s heart was too big to kick out a man with nowhere to go who was just as confused as them about the situation. “We were going upstairs to play some video games.” His mom nodded, obviously out of it as she’d rattled herself with her last comment. “That’s fine.” She stepped out of their way and let them pass, Neven giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling Reza along to the stairs. “But no funny business!”

The mood in the room shifted back to the tense atmosphere from before, in the shed, and Reza found himself physically cringing. Shit, yeah, Neven’s dad. The guy from AR who’d actually hurt Neven. Reza’s hand squeezed his tightly, the only comfort he could offer right now. Thankfully, Neven broke the mood and dragged Reza to the relative safety of Neven’s room. Face flushing, he couldn’t help but glance at the woman over his shoulder as the two of them ascended, hoping that the look he shot her was at least somewhat trustworthy. Sorta hoped that she was joking, too. It was a relief to finally enter Neven’s room, as intimate as it felt, and Reza found himself hovering by the closed door, uncertain of where to place himself. Sitting on the bed without Neven suggesting it felt weird and forward and just… no. So instead, he looked around. “I like your room.  Pretty… you.”

Neven chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He noticed that Reza was hovering by the closed door, so after quickly turning on his TV and PS4, he sat on the bed himself and motioned for Reza to join him, patting the spot next to him. When the boy did, he handed him a controller and planted a soft kiss on Reza’s cheek before pulling away. “To a new beginning,” he said, bringing up the controller slightly as if to propose a toast with it. “Or a continuation, I guess.”

Reza held the controller in the unpracticed manner of someone who hadn’t played many, or any, video games in his life. It almost fell from his hand when Neven’s lips pressed against his cheek, eyes closing for a moment as his stomach fluttered. In that exact moment, Reza wanted nothing more than to lean in again, kiss him like they’d been kissing back in the alley before things went to shit but after everything, he knew it wasn’t the time. Not to mention that Neven’s mom downstairs kinda freaked him out. “I… yeah. Yeah, I like that.” Gently poking Neven’s controller with his own, scooting just that bit closer because the warmth was helping to warm both the physical cold and the icy claws inside his chest, Reza stared at the screen. “So… what the fuck do I do with this?”

[nevensato-blog]

@rezathevamp replied to your post “[pm] Hey, how was the birthday weekend?[d: :)]”

[pm] What happened? Is everything okay? Do you need anyth

[pm] It was kinda crazy. I really don’t know how to explain it. I...

Have you ever heard of a place called Ashford River?

[nevensato-blog]

[pm] So I got completely wasted and the only thing I could think about was calling you but I wouldn't be surprised if you don't want to talk to me right now because you obviously have enough trouble in your life right now [message deleted]

[no message received]

[nevensato-blog]

Thank You For Smoking | Neven & Reza

Neven was surprised with how well the night was going. They'd just had good food, good conversation, and a good view, if Neven was to be so bold. Neven had made a point to clean up for this date, ditching the beanie and slicking his hair back, wearing a button up shirt, tie and suit vest. He'd went for black jeans and sneakers still though. He didn't want to look too stuffy. Reza had just told a joke, and Neven let out an unflattering laugh, surprisingly not caring just how unflattering it was. He felt much more comfortable this time. It felt less like a 'getting to know you' session and more of a 'reconnecting with an old friend' sort of feel. It was nice. The waiter approached in the middle of Neven's laughter, and he cut himself off quickly as the man started to speak. The guy had been giving Neven weird vibes all night. It was like he ​knew​ the guy, but he was sure he'd never seen him before. But something was so familiar. He almost felt a solidarity of sorts toward him. It was like an itch in his brain he couldn't scratch. ​"Have you gentlemen left any room for dessert?"​ he asked. Neven didn't want to seem like a pig, since he had just ate a lot of food and definitely still had room for dessert (he always had room for dessert), so he looked to Reza for him to decide. He may have flashed an unintentional puppy dog eye at him though. Totally accidental.

It was a nice surprise, not feeling like an insecure bag of nervous energy and paranoia; ​Reza​ could feel the way he was lapping up Neven's contagious energy, slipping into some comfortable and enjoyable with him. The only real problem he was having was trying to keep his eyes from drifting too often to Neven's lips. In the dapper attire, Reza's date for the night looked even more charming, especially when his face lit up with laughter -- the sound just so damn pure and uncaring. Reza's dark shirt, tucked into pants that had once rested a bit tighter around his legs, was spruced up by the light suspenders, which he'd spent a bit too long choosing at the store. A single ring adorned his fingers, matching the piercings in his ear, and he'd forgone the eyeliner for the evening, as well as trying to get his unruly hair under control. Stifling his own snicker when Neven swallowed his loud guffaw, Reza looked from the waiter to his date. He'd eaten way more than he usually did, despite the leftovers on his plate, but the look on Neven's face... Reza had always been shitty at denying any and all pleading eyes. "Ah... yeah." He flashed Neven a small smile, his filled to brim stomach fluttering just so, and not because of the food. "Just bring something you can stick a candle into. It's sort of a late birthday thing." The waiter nodded with a plastered on smile, shot Neven an odd look, and vanished. "Speaking of, I kinda, maybe have a... present? Hanging back there with my coat. If you want it."

Neven felt himself blush uncontrollably when Reza mentioned his birthday. He was hoping this wouldn't happen, and it was one of the reasons he'd wanted to wait until this week instead of the week of his actual birthday. Then Reza mentioned a present and he felt himself turn even redder. “Of course I want it.” He turned in his chair to look at the hooks on the wall nearby with their coats on them. "Want me to go ge—?“ but he was cut off by the whole of the kitchen and wait staff coming out to sign happy birthday to him holding a cupcake with a candle in it. “Fuck.” He hid his face as they approached, shaking his head and letting out an almost manic laugh out of embarrassment.

Reza hadn't been expecting... well, ​that​ but he didn't regret his decision at all. Neven blushing was a newfound guilty pleasure of his. By the time the singing and candle blowing had wrapped up, Reza was shaking with silent laughter, cheeks aching from the giant grin on his face. "Are you okay? You looked like you were going to pass out?" he chuckled, fiddling with the ring on his finger distractedly. "Sorry 'bout that, though. Wasn't trying to make a scene or anything." Smile turning a bit sheepish, he nodded towards the cupcake, eyes glinting. "Well, enjoy." For a second, the smell of smoke and something burning reached his nose, wafting out of the kitchen, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. Reza had more important things to focus his attention on.

Neven, despite all of his embarrassment, couldn't help but smile at Reza's amusement. "I'm fine," he muttered, feeling his cheeks with his fingers and feeling them burning up. "It's okay." He picked up the cupcake with the smoldering candle and lifted it like a drink he was about to toast. "It's the thought that counts, right?" He set it back down and cut it in half, scraping one half onto the plate to give to Reza and eating the other half out of the wrapper. He saw that the waiter had left the check when they'd brought the cupcake, so before Reza could object, he took his wallet out and put cash down to cover the bill. "How about we get outta here?"

Reza picked at the cupcake with his spoon, eating a few crumbs before he started to feel nauseous, leaving the pieced up cake on the plate. Neven's hand darted for something on the table and Reza kicked himself when he realized what it had been. With the bill paid and Reza having no way to object it, his cheeks flushed to rival Neven's. 'You don't need to pay for me,' he'd almost mumbled, feeling instinctively like he should apologize for making Neven pay for him. Shoving down that instinct, hard, Reza nodded with enthusiasm. "Sounds good. And thanks." He nodded towards the bill as they left the table, hovering closer to the other man. All the talking and laughing had made him giddy and he was filled with nervous excitement as they exited the restaurant with their coats, and the present. "It's not much, but..." Handing over the bag, watching Neven out from under his lashes, Reza smiled. "Happy late birthday."

Neven took the present as they walked out of the restaurant. He was happy to get away from the weird feeling the waiter had been giving him. He had a clearer head in the crisp January air outside the doors. "Thank you," he chuckled. "You really didn't have to get me anything." He'd be lying if he wasn't happy about it though. He was a sucker for presents. Tearing into the wrapping paper, he unveiled a folded up hoodie the same color and style as the one he'd been wearing when they met, and on top of that was a book titled ​'1001 Video Games to Play Before You Die'​. He already had the book, but he wasn't going to tell Reza that, and still appreciated the gesture. "This is really sweet, Reza. I love it." He balled up the wrapping paper and looked for a trash can, not seeing one but seeing an alley close by. "Let me just throw this away I'll be right back."

"Yeah?" ​Reza​ was grinning, glad that the present had been a success. The hoodie had been bought as a second thought, as he hadn't been sure if it was weirdly forward and insinuating that this was serious or whatever, but eventually he'd decided to hell with it. Just as well, too. "Sure." Watching Neven vanish around the corner, Reza found that his legs were carrying him forward without a hint of hesitation. His brain took a moment to catch up with them, reeling into the situation right about the time Reza sidled into the alley as well, hands in his pockets. Neven's face was cast by shadows, lit up by the stray light over the restaurant's service entrance and for the umpteenth time this evening, Reza's eyes drifted over the handsome face. With no discouraging glances of the other restaurant goers, Reza felt something that almost could have been labeled as confidence. Maybe. "Can I-" He hesitated, mulling the question over for a second. "Can I kiss you? Maybe not right now or in this alley but..."

Neven was startled when he saw that Reza had followed him into the alleyway. He'd already thrown the trash away and was heading back from the dumpster. He put a hand over his chest when he looked up and saw Reza coming at him with determination, letting out a small gasp. But the fear quickly dissipated when he saw how nervous Reza suddenly was. "You're adorable" he whispered, getting closer to Reza as he spoke. He moved mere inches from his lips, but didn't move in just yet. Instead, he grabbed Reza's shoulders and pushed him up against the brick wall next to them, only then kissing him.

Reza wasn't completely sure how he felt about being called adorable in a ​non-mocking​ way but there was little time to think about it with Neven so damn ​close​. Breath hitching in his throat when his shoulders were grabbed, Reza was quick to respond to the touch. Hand sliding onto Neven's waist, head spinning, Reza tilted his head into the kiss; craving it. After a brief moment that stretched out into a million, his hand travelled to the small of Neven's back, pulling him even closer. It felt like electricity was crackling in his fingertips, his lips, as he took charge of the kiss for a moment, more passionately than before.

Neven could feel how tightly Reza was holding onto him, pulling him closer, and it made him smile into the kiss. It was nice to be wanted, and to feel this way about someone in return. It had been a long time for him. He brought his hands up and cradled Reza's face in them, answering Reza's passion with his own. He laid his body against Reza's, almost pinning him to the wall. Finally, he came up for air. "We just keep coming back to this, don't we?" he whispered breathlessly with a sly grin.

The body pressed so tightly against his own was overwhelming in every sense of the word and ​Reza​ reluctantly (but thankfully) drew in a shuddering breath when the kiss broke. The sly grin made Reza weak in the knees, a smirk of his own tinting the numb lips. "I'm not complaining," he replied, just as breathless, trying to ignore the nagging in the back of his mind as he watched Neven's face for a moment. Thoughts of whether or not he should invite him back to the apartment surprised Reza, so instead he ducked back in for a kiss, content in his position trapped against the wall, but it didn't last long. With a loud squeak, the door a few feet down the alley swung open, revealing two arms and half a face lighting a cigarette. Face warm, Reza realized that in their position so close to the wall, they were invisible to they eyes of their waiter for the evening. "Maybe we should..." Quiet voice trailing off, dark eyes peered at the edge of the alley. Looked like... dark fog. "Do you see that?" he asked Neven, not waiting for an answer as he twisted his head and body away from the other boy. Looked like dark fog with eyes.

Neven glanced over when the employee door swung open. It was that weird waiter again. Normally, this sort of situation would have led to them amscraying as to not get caught, but he wasn't going to let weird vibes from some ​guy​ ruin his good time. Plus, and this was a new feeling for Neven, it was almost more exciting if they might get caught. Reza started to suggest they should leave, but Neven gently grabbed his face to face his own and planted a gentle kiss on his lips, shaking his head with a devilish grin. "He can't see us..." he said, his voice traveling off breathlessly as he kissed Reza's jawline. But he went in for another kiss on the lips and got Reza's cheek instead as the boy turned to look down the alley again, his voice much more alarmed when he spoke. Neven glanced over again and recoiled a little when he saw what Reza was talking about. "What is that?" Black, billowing smoke with a mind of its own, it seemed. Its movements seemed to be searching in nature, and it wasn't long before the smoke found what it was looking for. The waiter was now fully out of the employee door, smoking his cigarette. But a different kind of smoke quickly filled his lungs as the smoke forced is way down his throat and he started to choke. "What the fuck?!"

The desperate choking sounds now coming from the waiter were like a sharp slice through the atmosphere the two of them had started to build and ​Reza​ watched the man in horror. "We have to do something!" His panicked voice bounced off the walls of the alley, legs taking him carelessly towards the waiter, turning blue in the face. Wheezing and coughing, the older man fell to his knees, fingers scratching helplessly at the ground. Except... not fingers but claws, tearing out through the skin where fingers had previously been. "Uh... Neven?" Eyes wide, Reza found himself unable to tear them away from the man's body as it started to contort, breath stuck in his throat in a far less pleasant manner than it had just a few minutes ago. "I... I think we need to warn people," he added quietly, the waiter slowly growing in size, bones cracking.

Neven started to run toward the waiter with Reza to help, but when he saw the contortion start, he froze. He wanted to tell himself he didn't know what he was looking at, but he did. Intimately. He'd been on the other side of it before. Too many times. He realized now why the guy had been giving him weird vibes all night. Whatever he was, he could sense others like him. And now that the man had death knocking at his door, the beast took over to defend itself. Reza looked at him with pleading eyes. Warn others? It's what he wanted to do, but..."There's no time, Reza. We have to run."

Reza stepped closer to Neven, watched as bones rearranged themselves into something that had to be deadly. Whisps of black floated from the thing's... mouth, or whatever remained of it as a giant snout shoved its way out of the skin. "No time? Neven, there are people in the restaurant that could-" Something that had probably been an arm lashed out at the pair of them, inches away from knocking them over into the wall, and Reza stumbled back. His eyes shifted to the still open service door. Just had to sprint through and clear the restaurant, maybe a pull the fire alarm or something. Fuck, why didn't he have any hunters on speed-dial.

Neven shook his head. "I know, but..." Then the beast lashed out at them. Its antlers were starting to form, it's grotesque, rotting appearance making his stomach turn in more ways than one. He felt something boiling up inside of him, threatening to boil over the edges. He was in danger with this creature so near, and the one inside of him knew that. He felt territorial suddenly. This side of the river was his....He willed the feelings away. Swallowed them down deep. He was so distracted he almost missed it as Reza lunged for the employee door, Neven grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him away. "No!" he shouted, the sound almost guttural. He kept himself recoiled inward slightly, as if holding himself in. "We have to run!" They didn't take off at much of a run as Reza resisted. They had the beast's full attention now with all the noise they were making. "Reza! Please!" Suddenly a voice joined the fray as a chef came out of the employee door. ​"What's all the commotion out...HOLY SHIT!"​ Before the chef could react, the beast had him between his massive hands, ripping the man to shreds. Before he could make the killing blow, however, more smoke billowed out of his mouth, and the chest of the beast started to glow white-hot. It convulsed violently, dropping the chef and thrashing around the alleyway, crying out in pain. Its chest was so hot that as the beast blindly stumbled toward them, Neven could feel the heat coming from it as he tugged Reza out of the way. More cries and howls, until the beast finally fell to the pavement. The smoke that had caused all this flew out of the beast's mouth, dissipating just as quickly as it had appeared. Neven wanted to move, but couldn't get himself to budge. He sat on the pavement where they'd landed and just stared at the brick wall in front of him. Reza was saying something, but he couldn't quite hear it. Everything was muffled. Too far away. Incomprehensible.

Reza felt his arm snap almost painfully as Neven grabbed his wrist, whipping back from the door and towards Neven. Any argument caught in his throat at Neven's shout, sounding like it couldn't possibly have come from the other boy's mouth. The situation was becoming, worse, escalating out of hand and Reza probably would have been able to go inside to warn people but it was too late now so maybe running with Neven was- ​'What's all the commotion out...HOLY SHIT!'​. Arm flailing to the side, bracing itself against Neven to make sure that he was actually there, Reza slowly backed away from the ear-piercing screams. If not for Neven, he probably would have gotten hit by the monster in its death throes, trashing about and burning hot before finally, thankfully, going still. Neven looked stunned beside him, but alright, which couldn't be said for the chef, convulsing just a few feet away. "Neven? Neven! Come on!" Giving him a shake that did absolutely nothing, Reza scrambled off the ground on his own, jeans soaking up blood as he dropped on his knees next to the chef. Blood bubbled from his chest and throat and Reza looked at the wounds in panic before his hands finally reached for his phone for a hasty 911 call. "Hang in there, just don't die, the ambulance is coming," he pleaded, watching the blown out pupils stare back at him in horror before, slowly, the life seemed to fade from them. Slumping back on his heels, bloody hands at his sides, Reza heaved in a deep breath and immediately regretted it. The air smelled of blood and decay, the huge carcass next to him still smoking from the heat. "Fuck..."

[nevensato-blog]

[pm] Sorta lost track of you last night after all the... yeah. [d: You o]

[pm] ...yeah.

Sorry.

[nevensato-blog]

[pm] Hey, how was the birthday weekend?[d: :)]

[pm] It...could have been better.

@rezathevamp

[nevensato-blog]

Second Time’s A Charm | Neven & Reza

This was nerve-wracking. If ​Reza​ had thought that the bagel meet up had been worth stressing over then this was absolutely horrifying. It was surprising, but driving actually helped clear his mind. Somehow, he'd convinced Izel to lend him the car without her chaperoning, despite being an anxious and sweaty mess. It was disgusting and he'd had to change shirts twice, from one of his comfortable favorites (a black tee with the ironic quote 'bite me') to a dark red tee and finally to a black, slim shirt. Yes, it kinda made him look like a try hard but he hoped the skinny jeans would make it less formal. Even though he'd also gelled his hair a bit, too, but only to fluff it up a bit. Some of the eyeliner got to stay, after much consideration, but only a touch. Hands wrapped tight around the wheel, Reza pulled up at the given address, heart pounding out of his chest as the situation suddenly got a little too real. A date. An actual date. Where there might be actual human contact with someone that wasn't Izel or a cat and he was getting ahead of himself. ​'Parked outside'​ he texted quickly, hands shaking as he attempted to pull himself together. This almost felt more stressful than any deal with any ravenous monster he'd ever made.

Neven tried to snake away from his mother as she fussed with his shirt and face. "Mom stop," but she grabbed him by the face squished his cheeks, looking him right in the eye. "Your aura is glowing," she hummed. This made Neven blush a bit. To say he was nervous was an understatement. Though, weirdly, he was more relaxed at the same time. He initial nerves of just being ​around​ Reza had worn off, and now he was simply worried about the next steps. If there would be any, that is. His phone buzzed to pull him out of his thoughts. "He's here. I gotta go." He headed for the door but his mom interrupted. "You should invite him in!" Neven let out a nervous chuckle, pulling his mom toward him for a peck on the cheek. "Maybe next time, Mom." If he'd picked up on anything, it was that Reza was probably just as nervous as he was right now. He wasn't going to subject him to his family on the first date. That was just cruel and unusual punishment. He waved goodbye and slipped out the door as quickly as he could. He saw the car and started to cross the large front lawn to get to it, each step knotting up his stomach more. He started to tug at his clothing as he walked. He wasn't sure if the he should have dressed up more. He tried to keep it casual with black jeans, high-tops, a Mass Effect shirt, a jean jacket and a beanie to top it all off. The closer he got to the car the more he was regretting his choices. Reza was going to think he was a douchey hipster. He should turn around and change. But it was too late and his legs had already carried him to the car. He pulled the door open and plopped down in the seat. "Hey," he said warmly. Reza looked really nice. Neven probably looked like a bum in comparison. "You look great. I like the eyeliner." Ugh. Stupid.

Reza had to fight his instinct to startle when the door opened, instead mustering a smile that turned from forced to genuine when he saw Neven dropping into the seat. He liked the beanie, a lot, even though he definitely had an appreciation for Neven's hair being visible, too. And Reza was way too dressed up for this, wasn't he? The casual greeting made his stomach churn, almost pleasantly, cheeks warming inconspicuously in the dark. "Hey," he replied, eyes still on the other boy because he was allowed to stare a little bit now, right? That was sort of the point of this all. The door closed, trapping the two of them together in the small space, with nothing but the quiet hum of the radio and Neven's compliment floating between them. Or maybe it had been sarcasm. No... compliment. Probably? "Thanks." As his cheeks got even warmer, he turned his eyes to the road. "And, uh... you too. Really. I like the beanie." Clearing his throat, Reza gently pulled away from the curb, bumping up the radio volume just a bit as he cleared his throat. So, not as bad as he'd imagined. Maybe even the opposite of bad. And Neven thought he looked nice. Reza hadn't been told he looked great in... well, never. At least not in the way Neven had meant it. It was... nice. Really nice. "I'm glad we're doing this. Excited, I mean. Not like weirdly so but... uhm..." Shut up, please.

Neven couldn't help but smile as Reza stumbled over his words. "Me too," he said. He wanted to reach out and give the boy's shoulder a reassuring touch, but he wasn't quite sure they were there yet. Neven was thankful that Reza had turned up the radio a bit. It made the silence between them a little more bearable. A little. The one nice thing about a small town is, in a car, it didn't take long to get across it. They pulled through the ticket booth, purchased their tickets, and parked in no time. There was still a bit of a gap before the movie started, and as Reza shut the car off and the radio's filler was suddenly gone. "Oh, so I brought snacks!" Neven said suddenly, reaching down to the messenger bag he'd set on the passenger side floor. "I have pretzels, sliced apples, chips...oh, and oreos. Did you know they're vegan? I mean, I'm not vegan but it's an interesting fact." He cleared his throat as he picked the food out of the bag one by one until he got to the item at the bottom. "I brought a blanket too. In case it gets really cold in here during the movie."

Arriving at the drive-in made things a little less tense, as ​Reza​ could busy himself with finding a nice spot. The noise of the car engine died and Reza drummed his fingers on his thigh, making furtive glances at Neven. It was a relief when the other boy spoke up and started mentioning snacks, because Reza had completely blanked on bringing anything. "That's great. Really smart." Smiling endearingly as Neven cleared his throat, Reza felt something flutter in his stomach at the mention of a blanket. Just the one. "Guess there's no hoodie for me steal now, huh?" Biting his lower lip, Reza surveyed the surrounding cars, noticing that not everyone was sitting in the front seats of the car. Adults and siblings, friends laughing casually -- those were all planted in the front seats. The rest? Cuddled up in the back seats. "Do we..." Was that too forward? Neven had brought a blanket which sort of assumed... "I mean, are you comfortable here?" Teeth returned to his lower lip, gnawing as his nerves bundled up in his stomach.

Neven watched Reza’s eyes as he searched the cars around them. Neven was thinking the same thing since he brought out the blanket, but didn’t know how to bring it up. Then Reza did it for him, and he felt himself starting to blush. “I mean, we can move to the back…if you want.” He watched Reza biting his lower lip and unconsciously mirrored him. “It might be more comfortable."

Nodding, maybe a little too vigorously, ​Reza​ swallowed his nerves. "It does sound more comfortable, yeah." Then began the shuffling out of the car and Reza stood outside it on shaky legs, warm breath puffing out in front of his face. This would be fine. And was fine. Nice. The thought of the backseat and Neven filled him with excitement and fear because here, under the blanket, was the closest Reza had been to someone since... yeah. ​'Trading me in for ​this​guy? Pathetic.'​ the phantom voice taunted in his mind and Reza shook his head, clambering into the back seat, allowing Neven's presence to distract him from everything once again. Even though he'd started scratching at his scars again. The door shut and he smiled at Neven, sitting rigid in the seat. "I'll, uhm... take an oreo?" he asked quietly, pulling barely a corner of the blanket over his legs.

Neven already felt warmer in the back seat with half the blanket draped over him. It was a big blanket. He didn’t want to be that forward and bring a little towel sized one. Still, Reza was barely covering himself with it. Neven had been on dates before, but none he’d been on were filled with this much tension. He’d never wanted so bad for a date to go smooth before. He reached into the package of oreos and handed Reza one, their fingers touching when he did. He made a point not to pull away immediately. “So who’s car is this?” he asked, reaching into the bag for his own oreo and taking a bite of it.

The warmth from Neven's hand sent a ghost of a shiver down ​Reza's​ back and he tensed further before actually relaxing. Some more of the blanket was pulled over his legs and after some consideration, he actually slid a few inches closer to the middle. "Izel's. I'm living with her at the moment so... She owns Mystery Loves Company? It was one of my favorite stores when I was growing up so living there is kinda bizarre but nice." Nibbling at the oreo, Reza glanced to the giant screen in front of them. "So... horror movie, huh? Sorry in advance if I... I don't know, freak out at the jumpscares a bit?" He grinned sheepishly. "I love them but they still get me. Every fucking time."

Neven nodded. “I’ve passed that store a few times but never went in. I’ve been meaning to.” He gave Reza a nudge and a smile. “Now I have even more of an excuse. Are you guys related or just roommates?” He probably thought Neven was pretty lame for still living with his parents. But it was convenient. And cheap. He got his phone out and used a radio app to tune to the station for the movie and set it in the cup holder upside down. Announcements poured from it that the movie would be starting shortly. He let out an somewhat unflattering laugh at Reza’s comments on the film choice. “Well I’m here if you get too scared,” he said playfully. He was honestly surprised at himself for how flirty it sounded.

Reza chuckled, coiling into himself at the nudge before returning it with his own elbow. "The excuse better be that you want to read more," came the reply, in a playful tone that Reza liked. He liked using it and hated how rarely he did. "It's... complicated. But she took me in when I needed a place to stay." Smiling, the expression tinted with sadness, Reza was quick to brush it off. It was easy not to think about it when Neven laughed, the sound genuine and contagious. Snickering at the comment, Reza found his lips turning into something of a smirk. "You're going to protect me?" he replied in the same tone, eyes crinkling as he watched Neven. The phone announced the start of the movie but Reza's eyes didn't leave Neven's until a few moments later, turning to the screen.

Neven would have normally asked any other person to elaborate on statements that started with ‘it’s complicated’, but he purposely kept his trap shut in this case. It would have probably put a huge damper on the mood, or worse, might offend Reza if he tried to ask. Better to save it for another time. He was surprised when Reza matched his flirty tone, and before his brain even had the chance to hesitate, he scooted over and put his arm behind Reza’s shoulders on the car seat. “I sure am.” His arm wasn’t quit touching Reza’s shoulder except for his fingers on the other side, but he liked to imagine the move was a lot smoother than the old yawn trick. The screen flared to life and the logos started. He remembered in high school when he would go on dates to the movies and other people would try to make out with him during. Neven hated that. He’d paid to see the movie, so he wanted to actually watch it……which was why he’d picked a movie he’d seen before...

Reza didn't register Neven moving over until something warm and sturdy wrapped over his shoulders, barely touching them but just lingering on the seat. The light touch of his fingers wasn't too overbearing, but it still made Reza's face burn as he struggled not to grin like an idiot. "My hero," he replied, mimicking Neven's words to him online just a few days ago. As the movie rolled to a start, the proximity of Neven's arm became uncomfortable in the way it lingered between touching and not, making Reza stretch out in the seat so that he became enveloped in the comforting embrace. And it was still nice. More than nice, even; the nice that made him feel light headed because his stomach was filled with flutters and he had no idea what would happen next. As the movie progressed and the music became more ominous, Reza's eyes continued to widen, his body curling closer and closer to Neven with every jumpscare. The fact that he startled at practically every jump was... a bit embarrassing but he might have been slightly grateful for the excuse to let Neven 'protect him.'

Neven gladly wrapped his arm fully around Reza's shoulder when his movement sort of forced it to happen. He couldn't help but smile to himself every time a jumpscare got to his date and he curled a little more into Neven's embrace. He might have needed advice on the date, but he'd known enough to know that a scary movie is always first date material. He felt like a creeper though, as he was probably watching Reza’s face for reactions more than he was watching the movie.

"Fuck," ​Reza​ muttered, heart pounding as the horrors on the screen continue to unfold, completely engrossed in the story. It wasn't until the tension of a scene actually forced his wide eyes away from the screen that he looked at Neven, meeting the warm, brown eyes. His cheeks rushed with blood as he realized that Neven had been watching him without Reza noticing. It meant he'd seen all of his dumb expressions over the movie. "Uhm..." His gaze was still glued to Neven's, to the shadows changing across his face as the movie continued to roll, with neither of them paying attention. "Why are you staring?" he whispered, very aware of the proximity of their noses.

Neven had been caught. Most of the time, he’d look away right about then. Avert his gaze and probably break away completely. But he didn’t. He just smirked at Reza’s question. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Did that sound creepy? Probably. But he didn’t let the words hang in the air for long, because he took the plunge and leaned in, crashing their lips together.

Reza had opened his mouth to respond but the words caught in his throat, turning into a lump as Neven's warm lips pressed against his own. His body tensed, even as his hand automatically slid to Neven's thigh, and guilt pierced his stomach like a knife. Because he was kissing someone, a person that wasn't Heath and he was liking it. More than he should have. Even though Heath was dead and never coming back, even though Heath had cheated on him with someone else and tried to kill Izel and... he shouldn't have been feeling guilty. At all. The sudden realisation eased the knot of worry in his stomach; eased his bunched up muscles as he let Neven just hold him. Reza pushed further into the kiss because he was enjoying it and fuck everything else, hand tightening around Neven's thigh, almost as if he was grasping it to keep himself steady, which wasn't too far from the truth.

Neven brought a hand up and placed it on Reza’s cheek as they kissed. Gingerly. He felt a shiver as Reza’s hand gripped his thigh under the blanket. Obviously he hadn’t made a mistake in going with his gut, because despite the initial hesitation, Reza seemed to have new vigor for what they were doing. Still, he separated, but still kept his face close. “Sorry, I...This isn’t too fast, right?” He brought his hand from Reza’s cheek down to his shoulder.

Reza leaned his face into the soft touch, feeling the way his body craved for the affection. Neven broke away and he found himself panting slightly, warm breaths mixing between them. Reza's cheek felt cold where the hand had previously rested and he shook his head vigorously, kissing Neven again briefly, savouring the feeling. "No, this is fine. More than that, I uhm... Yeah. This is definitely fine. Just this is... great." Hesitantly, Reza moved one hand to Neven's neck, messing with the stray hairs peaking out from the beanie. "Is this too fast for you? Because we can totally slow it down," he added, even though he wanted to do nothing of that sorts.

Neven smiled after the second kiss that Reza initiated. "Good. Great..." he panted. Reza questioned him in return, and for a moment he thought about going for it. Contrary to what most would think, when he was comfortable he could be quite a 'go-getter' when it came to that. He looked around the car. This was someone else's car. And even though he liked Reza, he liked him a lot more than a casual encounter. "Just this is nice." He leaned in for other kiss, a little more aggressive this time. But only a little.

Reza was slowly starting to grin like an idiot, and his stomach was starting to flutter in a way that was a bit different than before. Just this was nice. Just this eased the craving for contact he hadn't even realized he'd had, the craving for feeling appreciated and... wanted. The second kiss made him feel slightly faint, hand bunching up in Neven's hair as he kissed him back with just as much vigour, movie completely forgotten. Yeah. Just this was more than fine.

[nevensato-blog]

Call It Karma | Neven & Reza

Neven and @rezathevamp meet up at Jay’s Bagels so Reza can return Neven’s hoodie...and they receive some uninvited company.

So what if this sort of felt like a date. Honestly, ​Reza​ was being delusional because it wasn't really like he knew ​anything​ about dates. At all. Heath hadn't actually taken him out on a proper ​date​-date during their whole... relationship, so his experience was far from vast. His knowledge, however, definitely was, even though all of it came from books and the occasional movie. But he was getting ahead of himself and working himself up into a stressed frenzy of sorts, so he simply clutched the bag containing Neven's sweater tighter and walked faster. Jay's Bagels was a comfortable enough place and Reza was actually early for once, which he was thankful for. Inconspicuously making his way towards a corner table, Reza fixed the lapels of his new bomber jacket and focused on breathing. This was no problem. Just because Reza's only friends were girls which meant he'd never really encountered the strangeness of meeting up with someone he actually found cute and nice... Oh, for fuck's sake, he was going to make this whole thing really awkward, wasn't he?

Neven was running late and he hated himself for it. He'd set the time and then he'd missed it like a complete dumbass. He probably wouldn't have been riding himself so hard for it if he'd been meeting anyone else, but this was...different. It probably shouldn't have been different. He was just getting his hoodie back. No big deal. It wasn't like this was a date or anything. He showed up at Jay's Bagels about 10 minutes late, cursing himself the entire walk up to the door as he abandoned his bike by the rack outside, not bothering to lock it up. He spotted Reza in the back, and he waved like a doofus when he saw him. Ugh. Already embarrassing himself. He approached, trying to act as casual as possible. "Hey," he started, staying standing in front of the table instead of taking a seat. He shifted awkwardly on his feet. "What's up?"

Reza 's head whipped up when he heard the door open, heart beginning to pound in his chest. It was ridiculous, but he still slid his hands under the table so it wouldn't be noticeable just how clammy they were. The wave tugged Reza's lips up into a soft smile, fingers curling up into the material of his pants. See, a wave. Nice and friendly. Nothing to stress about, he told himself as he clutched at his pants that much tighter. When Neven didn't take a seat, however, Reza wondered if he was just grabbing the hoodie and jogging off. It made much more sense than Neven actually sitting down for a late lunch with him. "Hey." The reply was shaky and Reza cleared his throat. "I'm cool. Uh, hungry." A small huff of a chuckle and Neven was still standing, looming over him, making his already agitated nerves go berserk. With the way his stomach was flopping around, he definitely wasn't hungry. "Oh, uh... here!" The hoodie-bag was held out in an outstretched hand as Reza forced a smile.

Neven reached out to take the bag from Reza, and felt a shiver shoot up his arm as their hands touched for a moment. He clutched the bag for dear life as he pulled back, feeling as though he'd pass out if he let it go. "You're hungry? Me too! This place has awesome...bagels." Ugh. "Do you like coffee? I can buy you some coffee." He sat down at the table, then got back up just as quickly. "What do you want? I can go order."

Reza retracted his hand quickly, once again clutching onto his pants because it was kinda weird, touching actual warm skin and feeling... "Oh, you're..." ​staying?​. "Great! Not that you're hungry, obviously, but, uhm... I drink tea?" All the bustling Neven was doing was actually making Reza feel slightly more at ease, if that made any sense. Was Neven nervous too? Why? That didn't even make sense. "You don't have to!" Reza was on his feet now, too, blinking a few times before sitting down again. "But, you can? Just... whatever you're having. And tea. Green. Thanks?" Fuck.

Neven gave a determined nod. "Green tea. Got it." He turned on his heel and headed for the counter, not realizing he still had the hoodie bag in his hand. He turned again and set the bag on the hair, giving Reza a nervous little wave and a small smile as he went back up to the counter again. He ordered a green tea, a latte, two blueberry muffins, and two plain bagels with cream cheese. God, he hoped Reza liked blueberry. Once he got the order, he came back to the table with it, his hands shaking a little as he set the plates and drinks down. “I hope you like blueberry. And muffins…” He played with the handle of his mug absent-mindedly as he sat across from Reza. “So what happened in the cell after I left? I hope you didn’t have to spend the night with any drunks.”

Reza fiddled with his fingers, trying to refrain from looking ​too​ often up at Neven where he waited in line. This was going... well, not horribly. At least Reza guessed that it was, he didn't really have any comparisons to whatever this was. As the rattling cup of steaming tea was placed in front of him, Reza couldn't help but smile through his nerves. "Oh, yeah, definitely!" A little overenthusiastic but whatever, he distracted himself from the fact by sipping at the tasty tea, burning his tongue. "No, my, uh... friend came to get me. There was one shifty looking guy thrown in the cell with me before I left but he just kept muttering stuff under his breath about monster so... no harm done, I guess." Picking at the top of his muffin, Reza quickly glanced up at Neven. Yeah, this was... nice. "How's your head, by the way?"

Neven instinctively reached up to his forehead when Reza asked about it. "Mostly healed." He continued to fiddle with the handle of his mug, finally bringing it up for a sip to fill the awkward silence. "I probably looked like a nutjob that night, huh?"

Reza tried, and failed, to hide a small smile. "Little bit. Not the craziest thing I've seen, though, so you're good." The smile grew just so before disappearing behind the cup of tea. It was tempting to ask why exactly Neven had decided to maim himself in the cell but he figured it was an inappropriate question for now. Despite that, his mouth opened, words muttered out behind the cup. "You're not like a masochist or something, are you?"

Neven almost dropped his coffee cup at the question, but luckily he caught it with his other hand. "What? No! I was just...protecting you." That came out a little weirder and vaguer than he'd wanted it to. Still, he knew explaining the real reason was going to sound even weirder and probably chase Reza right out of the shop, so he just took a big gulp of coffee before changing the subject. "So did you grow up here in Ashkent?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, ​Reza​ opened his mouth to further question Neven but decided against it. He didn't want to scare the guy off. Not yet, at least... The change of topic was painfully obvious but Reza still accepted it. "Yup. My parents are from Pakistan, though. How about you?" Casual small talk. Yeah, Reza could do this... probably. If he just stopped staring too much and too obviously, he scolded himself, tearing his eyes off Neven and back to the slightly mangled blueberry muffin he was still picking at.

Neven was genuinely interested in what Reza had to say, and not just because he was thankful he wasn't questioned more about the night they'd met. Reza was an interesting person, to say the least. He was visibly nervous, that much was clear. Much less standoffish than he was when bars were separating them instead of a table. He was a nice guy, and it led Neven to wonder how he ended up being in the bad shape he broadcasted to the world. "Just moved here a few months ago. From a small town in New York. Smaller than here, even." He started to subconsciously mirror Reza, picking at his own muffin and putting little bits of it in his mouth. ​"Oh, isn't that cute? Two fags on a date."​ The voice was unmistakable. It was Chad Young...the head of the frat Neven had been pledging to. He'd been so respectful before, even telling Neven he would have his back if anyone tried to mess with him. Too bad it had all been an act. He approached their table with two cronies following close behind. Neven instinctively flinched as they approached. "I don't want any trouble, Chad. Please leave."

"New York? For real? I've always wanted to--" ​Reza​ was silenced by the painful interruption, stomach twisting up into knots at the harsh words and look on Neven's face. Great. Just what this non-date had needed. Frat members. As the three broad shouldered boneheads approached the table, Reza's eyes stayed on Neven, waiting for a reaction. The one he witnessed was far from what he'd wanted, even though it was very reminiscent of what Reza himself did time and time agan under the same situation in high school. "What the fuck is your problem, man?" Reza muttered under his breath, almost like huff of laughter, words slipping out before he could stop them. The close-to-suffocating fear that this guy would beat him to a pulp was very much present but ​anger​ was also present. Neven looked like he wanted nothing less than to be right here, seconds after Reza had thought that this... meeting was going to go alright, and it pissed him off.

Neven stared down into his coffee, not wanting to look up at Reza or the guys hover over them. He winced when Reza spoke, knowing it wouldn't lead to anything good...not that he didn't want to say the same exact thing. ​"You're my problem, faggot."​ Chad reached for Reza, but Neven stood up quickly, getting inbetween them. "Step off, Chad." He tried his best to wipe the fear off of his face and set it in an determined expression. Neven wasn't going to let someone get hurt because of him.

That fucking word again. ​Reza​ flinched visibly at the big paw heading his way, indescribably thankful that Neven stepped in. Not that it would help the situation much but Reza was pretty sure that his heart was going to pound out of his chest any second now, a phantom pain in his wrist, throat, thigh and cheek starting to throb, like a memory of what it would feel like to get hit. "Neven, let's just go..." Before Reza could move from his seat, Neven was shouldered out of the way. ​"You're doing great at protecting your boyfriend, Nev."​ Dragged to his feet by the lapels of his jacket, Reza stood for a brief second before the room shifted as he fell backwards, jaw aching. Tumbling over the table, drinks spilling over the floor, Reza heard the surrounding commotion as he blinked back the pain blocking his vision.

"Chad, don't!" But ​Neven​ was too late, and Reza was already laid out on the floor. He took a step toward Chad, but one of his cronies grabbed Neven from behind, restraining him. He tried to fight from the grasp, but he felt something familiar bubbling up in his throat. It was the same feeling, though less intense, that he'd had when the fortune teller had him by the throat. It made him stop dead in his captor's arms. But he couldn't do absolutely nothing. Not with Chad and the leftover bully starting to kick Reza while he was down. "Stop it! Get off of him!" Chad stopped for a moment and scoffed at Neven, before landing a punch square on his face. He felt his lip split and blood filled his mouth. He felt that same bubbling feeling threatening his head now. Clouding it. But the piercing sound of sirens broke through just as quickly. A police cruiser pulled up and two officers stormed in. One of them had been Neven's arresting officer. He never thought he'd be glad to see this guy.

Reza was pretty sure that he could hear Neven's voice but the sound was replaced by ringing in his head when something hard collided with the back of his head. With no other options, Reza wrapped his arms around his head and curled up, wincing everytime a foot made contact with his body. He felt nauseous, less from the pain and more because of the situation, feeling so ridiculously helpless, like a sack of worthless potatoes on the ground. For a brief second, he toyed with the idea of Heath being here, tearing these guys a new one, but idea quickly turned into the more rational memory of Heath treating him... well, not much better than this. It took Reza a few moments to realize that the piercing shocks of each kick were gone and the dull bruise-forming pain was all that remained. There were new, unfamiliar voices and despite wanting to, Reza found that he couldn't really tear himself from his position of safety. Preferably, he would have liked for someone to throw a blanket over him and just leave him for a few hours or so... "Son? Are you alright? Everything is fine now. Can you stand up?" Completely ignoring the voice and the burning stares of the surrounding crowd that Reza could ​feel​, he stayed put despite the embarrassment mixing with the anxiety in his stomach.

Neven couldn't express how thankful he was when the police showed up. Just as quick, another cruiser pulled in. Someone must have called the cops when this all started. He watched as Chad and his buddies were handcuffed and read their rights, loaded into the back of the cruiser. He kept trying to get to Reza, but people were crowding around the both of them, an older woman trying to clean up Neven's lip despite him pulling away, and one of the officers trying to take a statement from him at the same time. He finally waved the woman off and told the cop what happened as briefly as he could. He saw another officer hovering over Reza, who was still curled up and showed no sign of unfurling himself. Neven excused himself from the man taking his statement and separated the crowd that was weighing down on the action. "Everybody back up....please." He said, his voice a lot stronger than he'd realized. He placed a hand on Reza's hands, which were wrapped around the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Reza," he said. He could hear Reza's panicked breathing, so at least he was hopefully physically okay. He leaned a little closer down toward Reza. "Hey, it's over. Those idiots are going to jail. Come on. You have to get up and appreciate this poetic justice with me." He let out a small, broken chuckle. Smiling made his lip hurt.

Warm hands rested on ​Reza's​ all of a sudden and he was about to shove them off when Neven's voice reached his ears. Reassuring. The second time he spoke, Reza could feel hot breath on his skin, the proximity comforting and unnerving at the same time. It was the light chuckle that finally eased everything a little bit and Reza's grip on his own head loosened enough so that he could be gently coaxed out of the tight curl. Slowly, he sat up, his whole body protesting every moment. As he finally managed, leaning against Neven for more of the strange comfort, Reza didn't regret sitting up one bit. Angry shouts were fading out the door as Reza caught the tail of the parade leading those three stupid fuckers out of the store. Once they were gone, he simply wanted to curl closer to Neven and have all those people stop staring and chattering, but he instead allowed Neven to help him to his feet. He could feel blood tricking from the cut on his cheek, looking dejectedly towards what remained of their muffins and hot drinks. "You okay?" he mumbled, side eying the cops.

Neven was almost overwhelmed by all the contact with Reza in the process of standing the two of them up. Neven couldn't help but let out an exasperated scoff when Reza asked if he was okay. "Me? I should be the one asking you." He instinctively reached out and cupped Reza's face between his hands, moving it around to get a better look at the cut on his cheek. He was always the one that helped patch his little brother Jon up if he hurt himself at practice, so when he saw the cut and bruising, muscle memory kicked in. He wasn't as quick to retract his hands as he might have been before. At least for Neven, this whole thing had sort of sliced through some of the tension between them. But only some of it. "I'm sorry I brought this on you, Reza," he said, rubbing the back of his own neck and licking some of the blood bubbling up on his lip. "I should have known something like this would happen. It's just my luck." He turned his head a little and looked at the table they'd been sitting at. Coffee and tea was mixing together on the table top and soaking through the muffins and bagels, everything on the surface overturned in the struggle. He reached for the bag containing his hoodie and felt it was soaking wet, his coffee having seeped down onto it. "Of course," he muttered, setting it back down again and rubbing his hands on his jeans.

Reza tensed up when Neven's hands touched his face, anticipating... well, something bad, but it seemed like Neven was only checking out the injuries. Which was... nice. Oh, no, what would Izel say when she saw him? Shit. "I'm fine," he croaked, clearing his throat and wincing. "Breathing kinda hurts, though." Mustering a tiny smile that made his jaw ache, Reza found himself disappointed when Neven's hands vanished from his face. "Not your fault," he reassured, voice low but determined, eyes flicking once again to Neven's busted lip. Seeing the soaked hoodie being raised, Reza sighed. "I just washed it." His voice was joking, as amused as it could be in this situation. One of the police officers offered a ride to the hospital and when Reza refused, a ride home. "Only if he can tag along." Reza jerked his head towards Neven, eyes pleading for the other boy to join him on the ride home.

[nevensato-blog]

Jailhouse Rock | Neven & Reza

Neven couldn’t believe this was happening. It felt like bad dream. As he sat in the back of the police car, his hands cuffed behind his back, he kept blinking. He was all a bad dream. Just a bad dream. He had to keep telling himself that. He tried to blink away this awful situation and wake up in his bed. Or in the shed, even. He’d give anything to wake up anywhere else. But no, this was reality. As the thought sunk in, he felt like his chest and stomach weighed as much as the car he was sitting in. It weighed him down and he felt like he couldn’t move. His breathing picked up. Shallow, quick breaths. His vision blurred. 

“Hey! Snap out of it.”

The voice tugged him back into reality. It was one of the two cops up front. Her voice was stern, but her face had a twinge of sympathy that was hard to fake. The cop in the driver’s seat had a smirk on his face. Neven could tell that most of the authority in her voice, that uncaring tone she was trying to front with, was to impress her partner. It seemed to be working.

“You okay, kid?” she asked, her voice much lower this time. 

Neven nodded, making himself take deep breaths. He tried to forget where he was and just focus on the breathing. In and out. He’d gotten himself out of panic attacks before. He’d never been in this sort of situation, but he knew if he was going to get out of this with any sort of dignity, he’d need to keep his head on his shoulders....at least partially. 

They arrived at the police station and went through the procedures that the movies usually montage through. Mugshots. Paperwork. The one phone call. The movies definitely made the process look a hell of a lot faster. He wished it had been, because all he had time to do was fume internally during the long ass process. Fume about exactly how he’d gotten here. 

He’d been trying to pledge a Frat for a while, even though the whole thing brought up memories of Johnny, he knew that in order to work past it he couldn’t let the guilt take over his life. But it turned out the other pledges hadn’t received the same instructions as Neven, and their’s was more along the lines of ‘hang Nev out to dry’. So here he was, being walked down to a holding cell, his heart beating a mile a minute. He’d never been in this much trouble. He was a good kid! He was the kid that moms bragged to other moms about. But not anymore.

The cop from the driver’s seat was the one taking him to the holding cell, and he was being a little rough with his grip. When they got there, his cuffs were taken off and he was almost literally thrown into the cell, the door slammed behind him. Neven took a second to get his legs back, and when he glanced up, he saw the clock. It was almost 10pm. Right around when he’d be locking himself into the shed. Well, at least he was on his own in here, in case something happened. He felt the bars. If the wooden shack was holding him, these bars probably would. He breathed a small sigh of relief and finally took a moment to look around the cell, taking in the surroundings. And that’s when he spotted what he’d failed to see before, with his head down in shame the entire way in. Someone else was in here. A guy with a copious amount of eyeliner was seated in the corner of the cell, staring at him.

Neven rushed forward to the bars, yelling down the hall. “YOU HAVE TO LET ME OUT OF HERE!” he screamed. “I CAN’T BE IN HERE RIGHT NOW! LET ME OUT!”

@rezathevamp

[taylor-rockwell]

@rezathevamp replied to your post:[pm] Rumor has it people are back to normal?

[pm] Definitely. When are you free?

[pm] Whenever. We can use my yard, unless you got a place?

[taylor-rockwell]

[pm] Rumor has it people are back to normal?

[pm] Yup. Just happened the other day. Been kinda readjust but I was gonna message you soon. 

You ready for that lesson? @rezathevamp

[taylor-rockwell]

[pm] So you want me to teach you how to fight off....people like me? About time you came to your damn senses, kid. Well, been in my fair share of bar fights and I know a couple things about the different species, but I’ll warn you I’m no expert.

[pm] I want to learn how to get my own ass out of the danger without someone else always having to intervene. Something tells me you might be able to help? [d: I don’t know who else to talk t]