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Jasper dreams of torpor. Not his own, Eva’s.
They were in Anaheim, visiting the Baron, attempting to make allies and connections. They had ended up at Medieval Times watching a joust, of all things.
Jasper hadn’t wanted to come along. Eva was on this trip as well. The others noticed their tension. Annabelle called him “grumpy,” and she hadn’t been wrong. As a favour to him, Eva had recently been pushed into a deeply uncomfortable situation she normally would never have allowed herself. Jasper had made a total mess of things with Chloe and had dragged Eva into it as well. Any affection Eva may have had for him evaporated. The air between them seemed icy.
Still, this was just supposed to be a short trip. Victor could make his connections and Jasper assumed they would make it through this in one piece.
But then, in one terrible series of events, Eva had been attacked by the winner of the joust and she, him and Jasper had crashed several stories to the ground.
The mortal knight lay dead on the ground and Eva lay still and dead in Jasper’s arms. She had a huge hole in her chest from his lance. She had broken bones from her fall. Jasper was sore too, but he was ignoring that pain in favour for the phantom clenching in his chest. He carried her numbly back up to their viewing platform.
You never know how you’ll react when a loved one is in danger until it happens.
Jasper was a little surprised he didn’t fly into a fury Frenzy. In any case, there was no one to aim it at. The knight was dead, and they didn’t know who sent him. Whoever it was, they had been bold and foolish enough to attack in public. They had wanted to make a show of it.
Eva looked so broken in his arms. Fragile. A shattered doll.
The others were there. The whole coterie was around them. To Jasper, they all but blurred into the background.
He knew that Eva needed Vitae to wake her up, as all Kindred do. Jasper thought about offering his own but his wouldn't be strong enough. He didn’t believe that he was in any way good enough for her, and he never could be.
He felt wretched about feeding her someone else’s Vitae, because he knew in his gut that this wouldn't be what she wanted.
“She will hate me forever,” he thought, “but it’s the only way to see her eyes again, to hear her voice say my name…”
He still dreamed about it, months later.
These evenings, more often than not, when he woke up beside her it was with a sense of relief. He could still look into her eyes and hear her say his name.
He touched her face and kissed her.
“Hey.”
Eva dreams of torpor. Not her own, Jasper’s.
When Eva returned to LA, she had sought him out. He decided to show her some of his secrets and she ended up spending the day as a rare and honest guest in his sanctum. Time and distance had given her perspective and made her realise that despite what had happened with them and Chloe, her affection for Jasper was not fading in the least. The ice between them had melted for now.
Jasper had gone to help with the Maharani's grand opening. Eva knew things might be a little tense there with the invitations Victor had sent, but she had assumed everyone would make it out in one piece.
But then, in one terrible series of events, Jasper had been captured by the Camarilla, staked, strung up to the Hollywood sign and left to fry in the sun.
Annabelle sought Eva out as soon as she could after he was taken and told her what had happened.
You never know how you’ll react when a loved one is in danger until it happens.
Eva was terrified. She had grown used to living her Kindred life in solitude. Now, for the first time in over a decade, she had chosen to let someone in. She had made the choice to give love another chance, one lonely soul to another.
They not only tried to take him away from her, but they tried to make a show of it.
Eva found a bravery and a fury in herself she never knew she had.
It took a true team effort to save Jasper. It was a miracle, really. He never believed he was so loved. He didn’t think he deserved it.
Later, Eva looked at him as he lay still and dead on the table at the Maharani. He had been stabbed and beaten in the fight before his capture. He had a massive, dark piece of wood in his chest.
He looked so broken on that table. Fragile. A shattered doll.
The others were there. The whole coterie was around them. To Eva, they all but blurred into the background.
Jasper needed Vitae to wake him up, as all Kindred do. Any of the others would have done it, but none argued when Eva volunteered. She willed her blood to be stronger, strong enough and good enough to be what she believes he deserves.
She felt glad to be feeding him her Vitae, even though she knew in her gut that it might not be what he wanted.
“I won’t let him hate himself for this,” she thought. “It’s the only way to see his eyes again, to hear his voice say my name…”
She still dreamed about it, months later.
These evenings, more often than not, when she woke up beside him, it was with a sense of relief. She could still look into his eyes and hear him say her name.
She touched his face and kissed him.
“Hey.”