Chapter Text
Gavin's head was spinning. She wiped off a mix of blood and his own puke off of his face, mouth aching as much as his own throwing head. She knelt by the body in front of him. "What have you done?", a voice pounded in her mind with all the force of a hammer beating down on him. His memories flushed his mind as well as his face face, blurry yet crystal clear as she stared at the blood dripping from his hands, and *their* neck. She felt for a pulse, begging pleading, finding one weak, like a lightbulb just about to burn out. It was him to blame.
No! Nope! No blaming anyone. Gavin felt her teeth, the ones that sprouted from him, turning him into a monster. Monsters don’t feel remorse? Right? The living room felt cold, Altair was getting home in 2 hours and he couldn’t get the words out of his mind.
He has killed his father....
-
Gavin Looked out the car door, waiting impatiently for the two to arrive.
Phil, Gavin's parent, took care of him during the school months, while Caleb and his aunties Lilith and occasionally Auntie Lily were with him the summer. Phil hummed to some country song on the radio.
"Are we there yet?? It feels like you've been driving for hours!"
Phil grimaced, "Well, ya are right there sun' it's been, say about 5 hours? Y'know, My Pa usedta take me ohn trips twice as long and beat me if Ah'd object one bit."
Gav groaned, "Pops' you're going to infect me with your southern-y-ness at this rate."
"If my horse Jackie was still 'er, we'd be there in an hour tops, kiddo, but ol' Henrietta," Phil named all their possessions (Henrietta was Phil's truck, older then both his siblings in their 20s), "has got some rust ohn 'er so be patient, ya hear?"
"Whatever pops."Gavin didn't hate Phil, they were incredibly kind and always helped their kids wherever they could and at least in Gavins opinion, they were a good parent. But as much as she didn't want to say it, she much preferred Caleb. Caleb's home wasn't cramped and he had a nice big room where he could paint without hearing Phil working from home or Altair giggling with his boyfriend about college. He loved his family, but his dad Caleb's side was much cooler. Sure Phil was a scientist and fought an alien plant, but were they an immortal beast of the night? He didn't think so. Auntie Lilith was the best too, both of them could talk about sports, books, whatever for hours! Things Caleb and Phil weren't interested in. As he saw the sky darken, earbuds blaring music into her ears. When she was younger she enjoyed these roadtrips with Phil much more, but with age he realized being friends with your pops, no matter how cool they are, is lame. Andromeda, before him, had the same feelings, moving out as a teen to become the second prodigy of the family. Both her and Altair were aliens, leaving Phil and himself painfully human. His father was a vampire, a powerful yet sheepish one at that. As if a wolf who believed himself wholeheartedly to be as cowardly and good as a sheep. He never understood that. Out of all his siblings, he was the hot head. Andromeda was the problem child as well as the smart one, Altair was the cheerful romantic, and, in her words. She was the wildcard. No one expects the half vampire (of which he insists he be called, his eyes are white and everything) he muses. He scowls at the dumb “Strange Tunes” radio station when Phil changes the station to, it screams Strangerville, possibly the lamest place to live on earth. Apparently, while Andie and Altair were 9, Phil, Caleb, some lady they were friends with, and Auntie Adalynn had fought off the mother plant, an evil alien plant that seemed to be from Sixam, that was taking over people's bodies and shit. But now, it was just a middle of nowhere town with one elementary school, one secondary school, and one high school. An absolute desert town where everyone knew everyone, and his pops’ was a celebrity. Celebrity in air quotes.
As he lost himself in his thoughts, Phil looked at him, a concerned smile on their face. They wanted their kids to have the best life possible and he didn’t want to drift away from Gavin. They were old now. They didn’t have much left for him, just their kids and their partner. They parked their car in front of the Vatore household and was immediately greeted by one of the twins, Lilith, in front of them,. Damn super speed.
“Greetings…your name was Phil right?” she mumbled.
Caleb ran to stand beside her, evidently late to this party. “She’s joking,” he lied through his fangs before placing a chaste kiss on Phils cheek. They’d been partners a good thirty odd years, and Caleb was still every bit infatuated with his partner. Their brown hair toned with streaks of gray did not dissuade him. Gavin finally greeted his father with a hug, having been fishing out his luggage from the car as they talked. Lilith giggled about how Gavin had grown taller than him, the 3 laughing, yet regarding her with pride. It was nice, almost. The statue behind them, the town plaza was illuminated by the moon, hovered above it all. And it gave him the creeps.
-
Phil didn’t stay long, having a double shift the next day. They kissed him and Caleb goodbye, waved bye to Lilith (she was still seething after brutally losing to them in chess) and drove off. Leaving Gavin alone.
Lilith hummed, “So how was your school year Gavin? As horrible as you droned last year was?”
He groaned, giving her all the answers she needed. He elaborated anyway, “I got Mr McCullough’s art class again.”
“Hm, the one you hate, right?” she said as she stirred her plasma fruit tea. Of Phil’s kids, Gavin was definitely her favorite. They were both athletic, both big readers and both had a passion for vampire history. It helped that she was the more powerful vampire between her and her sibling. She was older too, and made that point known whenever she could.
“Yep, he’s always a stickler for “the rules of art” and it’s no fun.”
“Mmm, I understand. I was an art critic in the 50s, y’know.”
“Really?” his eyes lit up. Caleb came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food and a plasma infused cup of tea for himself. He didn’t need to eat anymore, but he still loved food. Especially to make food, it was one of the things he and Phil had done as a bonding activity, sharing recipes with each other. Gavin was a picky eater however, finding the bean bread and gazpacho Phil put on the table gross! So Caleb offered a simple bowl of mac and cheese.
“You two talking about anything interesting?”
“Just the 50s. I was an art critic, no one ever took my seriously cus I was a woman.”
Gavin’s white eyes perked up, “Dad what did you do in the 50s?”
Lilith snorted, “Mourn. I’m pretty sure that’s all he did..”
“HEY-” he snapped, his voice, though without malice, “I was mourning my lover. Joseph Acker, he was a Jewish man in Italy, and…his life did not end peacefully.” His voice shook a bit as he spoke. His mortal lovers never lived long, but Joseph’s life was the shortest. He sighed.
“.....Auntie Lilith, did you have anyone you lost?”
Lilith felt a pang of emotion flood back to her, and she took a weary breath. There was the good and the bad. And she really didn’t want to talk about the bad. There was an unspoken rule between the siblings. Don’t bring up Miss Hell and don’t bring up-
“Well, I’ve really only had one, and she already came back, so it doesn't matter."
Gavin tilted his head, "Didn't you mention someone else in the past?" he knew he was right, Lilith mentioned two people once in a conversation he overheard while Phil was over. Something secret. Something he wasn't supposed to hear.
"I wouldn't remember," she cursed herself in her head. She knew this kid was too smart for his own good.
"I swear you've mentioned someone else before, right Dad?"
Lilith glared at her brother, to which he nodded, "Not to my knowledge?" Good save.
Gavin frowned, storing that note away for later. He knew something was up. And he was going to connect the dots even if it killed him.