Chapter Text
After leaving Oakhurst, Scott, Shelby, and Drift managed to settle into a large country house using the money from his 600 year old off-shore accounts. It had been a few miles away from a fairly big city but travel had never really been an issue for them. It had plenty of space. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen and living room, and a basement for their more... unsavoury hobbies. Scott was comfortable there, though it wasn't nearly as big as the castle. The entire house could fit in the ballroom but it was enough and everyone had their personal space. They'd have stayed there. It was peaceful. Shelby could write her books in peace, though some days she preferred to sit under the tree in the back yard instead. Scott joined her a few times. Drift was close enough to the city that she could continue her job, now unafraid and twice as efficiently with her heightened senses. Scott was content as well, free to wander where he pleased. Things even improved for a while after he met Jimmy. Though, their first meeting was... unusual. Shelby had called it a 'meet cute'. Scott, on the other hand, did not find it very cute, no matter how often he thought back to it.
Jimmy had heard terrible stories about a group of ghosts haunting the abandoned house outside the city. Out of curiosity, he decided to check it out, convinced that ghosts weren't real. Of course, he wasn't proud of breaking the window on the front door with a rock. It didn't help when he got inside, he learned that the real inhabitants of the 'abandoned' house were just three albinos, though he wouldn't be aware of exactly why they looked that way until later, now a mix of frightened and pissed off. The man of the three, moving with inhuman speed, immediately leaped from the couch, grabbed Jimmy by the lapels, and shoved him against the wall so hard that he was sure his back would ache for days. The strength was unnatural for someone of this man's size. He wasn't short by any means, only a couple of inches shorter than himself, but he absolutely did not look strong enough to throw a man around like a sack of flour. Yet here he was, pressed against the wall, his feet unable to touch the ground.
"What are you doing!?" The white haired man demanded, his voice deep enough to make Jimmy shiver, his eyes such a deep red that, at the time, Jimmy thought these people might be demons instead of ghosts.
"I-I'm uuuh... I'm J-Jimmy!" A simple stuttered response that only seemed to upset him even more, he could swear his pupil's grew sharper. After a breath, the man spoke again, his two companions now flanking him from each side.
"I asked what exactly you think you're doing?" His voice was smooth and composed, a sharp contrast from the way he'd spoken before. His crimson eyes seemed to sweep over Jimmy, studying him like an oddity, making him uneasy.
"I-I thought this place was abandoned. I am s-so sorry! I-I'll help replace the door, I swear. I just thought-"
"You thought this place was abandoned. So you broke in?" And then the man seemed amused and condescending, like he was talking to an idiot. How in the world could someone's mood change so damn fast?
"Well- uh... yeah?" The response earned a bark of laughter, which he didn't even bother hiding.
"You aren't very smart, are you?" The comment pulled an indignant gasp from Jimmy, as well as some laughter from the women behind him.
"HEY! I'm perfectly smart and logical!"
"Did your mommy tell you that?"
"You're an asshole!"
"You broke into my house!" Jimmy opened his mouth to make a quick, witty retort, coming up empty. The man had a point. He had done that. All he could really say was, "I... I know. I'm sorry about that, again. Really.
The shorter woman gave him a sympathetic smile and put a hand on the man's shoulder. His crimson eyes roll and finally, Jimmy's feet are allowed to touch the ground again. "I think he's learned his lesson, Scott. Don't hurt him, alright?"
The man, Scott, wrinkles his nose at her, his eyes shifting to the other woman, who has much duller hair and eyes than the other two. She simply nodded and he huffed out a breath, taking a step back, glaring down his nose at Jimmy.
"You're replacing the door." Scott practically commanded it and Jimmy had just nodded. He's offered after all. He reached for the door handle when he heard a voice. Not Scott or the woman from before.
"Would you like some tea? Scones? Something to make up for the... Physical assault? When Jimmy turned around, the woman with the monocle was smiling politely with an apologetic look in her eyes, ignoring the look Scott was giving her. Jimmy nodded before he could even think about it.
Things with Jimmy had escalated more than Scott wanted. It started simple. He kept stopping by to get specifics on the door, asking about preferences and checking the dimensions. Scott wasn't actually that upset about the door, it was an eyesore anyway, but it was the principle of the thing. Jimmy had given him a reason to replace the door and he was good company when he wasn't breaking into their house. Talking to Jimmy gave Scott some extra context for the way the world had changed over the centuries. As much as he enjoyed going into the city with his roommates, it was nice to learn these things at home. Jimmy never even questioned why he didn't know any current events and he always made things seem so simple. Once the door was replaced, Jimmy had no reason to keep coming around... Except Scott invited him to come back anytime he wanted. You know. like a fool. he blamed Shelby for encouraging him so socialize. Jimmy visited often, even inviting Scott over for tea and dinner almost every time he came over. And then Scott started noticing things. Like how making Jimmy smile or laugh always made Scott feel a bit warmer inside. Or the way that Jimmy would always grin before even finishing his joke. And the way that some anxiety inside him always spiked when Jimmy left town for something. After about a year, it happened.
Scott and Jimmy had been talking about current events, a particularly scathing remark from the vampire and a joke from Jimmy had made them have to take a moment to recover from a fit of laughter. A moment of comfortable silence as Scott took a sip of his drink. Then he felt it. The warmth of a lips against his cheek, gentle and hesitant. He tried to ignore the way he initially jolted at the action, a memory invading his mind against his will. That moment on the tower at the lake, a warm peck that had momentarily pulled his focus away from the beacon. When he returned to the present, he turned to Jimmy. he looked... worried. Almost scared of how Scott might react. Scott studied that reaction for a moment, only speaking when Jimmy open his mouth.
"I've never thought of you as shy~" He teased, shifting closer to make it clear that the action wasn't unwanted. Jimmy sputtered for a moment.
"I'm not shy! I just-... I didn't think before I..." He forced a breath. "I didn't think you'd actually be receptive?"
"Well, I thought it was..." Crimson eyes drifted to the left as he tried to think of the right word. "I thought it was cute. In a good way."
"Well... I'm glad." Scott rolled his eyes, leaning over and copying the action. He feels Jimmy jolt a bit, though he wasn't sure if it was because of the action itself or from Scott's low body temperature. He never asked.
"Now we're even." They shared a look. And Scott decided to let himself be content for a bit.
Jimmy started bringing him flowers, even attaching little notes to them. It was sweet. And Scott was happy. He was brought back to reality when Jimmy broke his leg. All at once, Scott was reminded of how fragile he really was. Jimmy could die so easily. Jimmy would grow old. Jimmy was mortal. Scott had seventy years at most before Jimmy was gone forever.
It wasn't long enough.
It wasn't fair.
But he could fix it. He could make sure Jimmy would live forever. They could be together. Forever. Drift and Shelby didn't see it the way he did. They begged him to think about it first, to consider what it could do to Jimmy. He didn't listen. He just stormed out, flying to Jimmy's place. He reached his door in a matter of minutes but froze in front of it. He tried to think of what to say to him. How was he supposed to tell him everything? How would he react? What would he think? Turning him would be worse. Jimmy had living family. What if he didn't want it? What if he hated him after it? What if he was scared of him? Years ago, he wouldn't have cared.
A knock on the door startled Jimmy out of his focus and he set down the knife he'd been using to cut his vegetables, making his way to the door. He checked the window, spotting a familiar pale figure and opening the door.
"Scott? What are you doing here?" Jimmy questioned, his head tilting a bit before he noticed the look on his face. Something was wrong. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah... Jimmy, we-... we have to talk."
"About what? Did something happen?"
"No, Jimmy. Nothing happened, I just-..." He forces himself to look past Jimmy's face at the wall behind him, unable to look him in the eyes. This would hurt him. It would hurt them both.
Shelby was pacing the living room, frantically trying to figure out how to deal with what was about to happen. Meanwhile, Drift tried to reassure her that Scott wasn't relapsing. He would do the right thing. When the front door opened, Shelby spun around, looking for a newly turned Jimmy or maybe Scott with blood on his fangs. But instead she just saw Scott. No blood. No Jimmy. His expression was blank, but Shelby could see the exhaustion in his eyes.
"Scott? What happened?" She probed, cautious.
"Its over." He looked at his roommates, his eyes meeting Shelby's. The question must've been obvious on her face because he didn't wait for her to speak. "I broke it off."
"You... You what?" the question was short, almost disbelieving. She felt bad for that, but Scott rarely acted selflessly. He'd wanted Jimmy to be around forever. There was nothing to gain from not turning him.
"I didn't do it."
"What happened?" Drift cut in, standing from the couch, seemingly just as curious as Shelby was.
"... It's best to let some things be."
Neither of them pressed it. Each of them knew there must be more, but they both decided that it wasn't the time to ask. Shelby put on smile.
"How about we read one of those trashy romance books?"
"Maybe break out some wine?" Drift added, trying to tempt Scott into the girl's night. He sighs, his face relaxing a bit.
"You know me so well."
"Of course you do. We're your roommates."
A few months later, they moved out of that country home. Shelby had claimed that she was too used to the city and wanted to be closer to local businesses. Scott didn't think that was all it was but he never bothered to check her on it.