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George gulps before knocking on Oscar's door on his house in Monaco following his announcement that he is driving for Mclaren next year. He had been aware of the possibility for a couple of months as the team principals keep in contact around signing possible humans to the grid as they are aware they have to be turned by one of the 2 supernatural species that can make the human body morph into their forms. Those being his own species, vampires and werewolves. In most folklore and 'fantasy' films, vampires and werewolves are arch enemies but in actuality, as 2 creatures ruled by the moon, they are very co-operative and are the 2 supernaturals who get on the closest naturally. Both Toto Wolff, his coven leader and adopted father and Andrea Stella, the recently appointed team principal of Mclaren, who to his knowledge was a werewolf, had both agreed that George was the most friendly face to talk him through it all.
George and Oscar had been dating at this point for a little under a year, around the time Oscar had won the F2 championship. The media didn't know about it, nor did they have to. It was their own business and with a breath George knew he didn't have to take, he knocked on the door.
Oscar hears the knock as he is making breakfast and just shouts, "Come in!" as he is hands full with frying an egg. George opens the door himself and enters, walking towards the kitchen to congratulate his boyfriend.
"Oscar, you did it! You've made it to F1!"
Oscar smiles, something George likes seeing out of him as it never ceases to make him happy seeing his emotions plastered on his face.
"I know!" His voice radiates excitement and it warms George's soul a little as he can also hear the excitement in the way his heart changes rhythm. It would be the thing he missed the most if he got turned into a vampire, the way he can tell Oscar's emotions, especially happiness, from his heartbeat. "I got the call from Mclaren a couple days before but it didn't have the announcement date set yet but when Alpine said on social media that I was driving for them next year, it took a lot of restraint not to tell them right then that I was driving for Mclaren next year."
"I saw that tweet and was howling, mate. It was blunt but comedic and when the news dropped this morning, I knew I had to come see you in person and it made the tweet all the better."
Oscar plates up his plans for food, simple but fun as its just fried egg on toast and sits down at his small table. He offers George the second seat with a simple hand gesture.
"It's rare that I see you at mornings like these, you are up earlier than normal" Oscar remarks, taking a bite into his food.
"Yeah, typically I'm asleep at the moment but I have something to do this morning that I'm nervous for."
"You aren't typically a nervous person, George. At least not around the majority of people. Why are you nervous about this?"
"I'm nervous because I fear for the reaction I will get."
Oscar looks up and down George, his body language radiating to him that he is indeed nervous but Oscar has only seen George nervous around a handful of people. He thinks through these people: Toto, his team principal is not a very morning person either, Lewis, could be him as George did idolise his teammate, Oscar himself, George doesn't like springing news onto Oscar in terms of surprises or sudden information. From there, he struggles to think of others he is nervous around.
Oscar looks straight into his eyes, hoping for both sincerity and trust, after finishing his final bite, "George, is it something you have to tell me or is it Lewis related? I don't think you get very nervous around many other people."
George realizes that Oscar knows him way too well with that question so he decides to just jump into telling him the truth.
"It is something I have to tell you, dear." His voice shakes as he says it as he completely aware he doesn't want to jump this on him now but he knows he must.
Oscar's heart starts to race and George can sense it. The nervousness. The energy. The fight or flight instinct? He is confused about why he is feeling Oscar go into fight or flight. It makes no sense for him to be that nervous around news like this. This reaction isn't typical for when George tells him information at a time he isn't expecting. Oscar processes that this is going to be one of two things, something around their relationship as both would be drivers in different teams and so discussions about how that could affect their dynamic or linked to something he has suspected George has been hiding from him, his vampirism. A part of Oscar hates the idea that he could be a vampire but there are other parts of himself that understand that it isn't something he could change about George and still when he thinks about the idea of him being a vampire, he doesn't completely despise it as he would have during 2020. Over time, he had become less judgemental around the idea of 'supernatural monsters' ,which is what the clan had called them for the most part, as he on a week by week basis interacts with people he suspects or know are supernaturals as many are rivals of himself in his racing career; however, he does still understand that keeping his clan safe was of utmost importance and so still he thinks that supernaturals are always a threat to humans so remains on edge even if he trusted them before he knew. He hopes its the former and not the latter as if he is right about the second one, he is under strict orders to kill him as soon as possible if that is true. George has met clan members when he met his family and so poses a threat to his peers and those he spent his life wanting to protect and save from these creatures. His soul slowly begs that George is not the monster he has been taught to hunt and fear.
Oscar's hands visibly tense a little as George struggles to figure out the words to tell him the truth he needs to know before him becoming a fully fledged f1 driver. Both of them look towards the other trying to find signs the other is okay and ready but neither one of them do. It takes the 2 of them a couple minutes of silence to calm down at least a little before this conversation happens. George scared that Oscar will see him as a monster and no longer love the man he fell for and Oscar scared that his duty will be to kill the man he loves for loyalty to the clan above all.
George realizes that words cannot describe the first step very easily so he shows Oscar exactly what he is. He drops bits of glamour and physical changes his body instinctively makes towards humans to show Oscar exactly what he is. His eyes morph into lavender colour instead of his traditional bright blue that people find interesting as red gets mixed into his eye colour. His fangs extend from the small canines they typically appear to be and George looks paler and paler as he drops more and more glamour. Before he can open his mouth to explain what just happened, he can tell Oscar's reaction is exactly what he feared, at least on the surface.
Oscar watches this scene as his heart slows slightly now aware of which thing he was going to explain. A tear begins to fall from his eyes despite him attempting to hold it back. He had fallen for a vampire and now his duty was to kill him. The clan's safety relied on it but despite the changes he had just shown, despite the lies, the part of his soul that loved George Russell still does. Despite knowing the truth, his soul still loves the 'human' before him. His heart slows still. He gains his composure ,at least on the outside, around this revelation yet still he goes to reach for his crucifix he keeps on him and brings up to defend himself, standing up from the table and slowly edging away from George.
"George, explain. Slowly. I do not intend to go towards you with this. I do not want to hurt you but this is a very complicated matter." Oscar's voice is steady, more distant that it was moments earlier at their celebration of his promotion to a seat in F1.
Oscar's eyes and heartbeat shows George more than his words or voice do but his reaction to grab a crucifix was the most telling. He isn't a religious man or a very paranoid one so the crucifix only led George to one conclusion. He knows about vampires and is armed with a crucifix. He must come from a clan of monster hunters. He fell for a monster hunter, the mortal enemy of his kind and the kind of all of his loved ones that aren't Oscar. The rhythm of his heart being steady and slow like that is attempting to show that he is calm and ready to strike but he knows Oscar's heart well enough to know that his heart is only confused and conflicted because he knows when Oscar wants to take action truly, his heart is fast. He doesn't want to harm him. He can tell. His mind is at war. He has never seen Oscar react this defensively and not just instantly be aggressive when he feels attacked, on track or otherwise he always attempts to push forward unless it is necessary to defend. He doesn't want to make this decision and George knows it.
George's voice is calm, loving and full of conviction as he goes to speak.
"Oscar, my dear, attacking me would not solve anything for your clan. In fact, it would only jepordise them-"
The reply is quick and full of worry. "Why."
"My coven knows I was going to tell you today. In fact, my coven leader and adopted father asked me to do this. His connections and knowledge of you and your family would only endanger them. I would never attack them, you should know that but he would do anything to avenge his adopted son."
"Why tell me now, George? Why this day when we are supposed to be celebrating this announcement. This day was for celebrating, not for big news…" Oscar remembers slowly how most of his major rivals were all supernaturals to his knowledge for the most part in junior series'. The only one he couldn't prove was Logan Sargent. If he was a supernatural, all of his rivals were supernaturals, monsters hiding as humans. The feeling doesn't annoy him as much as it did when he originally found out each of their supernatural lineages originally but he asks the question his thoughts led him to. "George, is Formula 1 a world that is supernatural fully in nature? It would explain why my rivals were always supernaturals."
George nods to Oscar's statement, aware that he is slowly putting the pieces together of the way it all functions but aware that he won't learn the full extent of it all even if he investigated it himself over time as there are layers even he doesn't know as one of the heirs to the Wolff coven. "Yes, all the drivers in Formula 1 are supernaturals. That does include Mark Webber, your manager too. To my knowledge, he is a werewolf, most Red Bull drivers are actually. Different teams tend to favour one specific supernatural creature but there are some who take in anyone, Alpine and Mclaren are 2 of them." Oscar had never once suspected Mark was a werewolf, in fact, Mark knew in some ways of his links to the clan as over time he had spilled bits and pieces of his background to him with as little lying as humanly possible. He chose to keep Oscar safe over jeopardizing Oscar as a hunter. He knows Mark should have stopped them from taking Oscar as a driver as he was a threat to supernaturals but he allowed it. He chose him over safety.
"Oh. The clan's hypothesis was right as was mine but all of my idols in racing, all of them are supernaturals… as are my friends who already made it and is my manager, a man who has cared for me often. So, I've chased something that should have been most likely naturally impossible for a regular human being but I somehow made it…"
His mind has an internal tug of war around his realization of Mark protecting him and allowing his dreams to come true and the thing he was taught to be true that supernaturals are all threats to humans. Mark would not protect him if he was a threat. Neither would George have done this and showed him the truth despite knowing he was human for a long time. His friends that he gained that were already in Formula 1 did not ever cause him problems and neither did his rivals in his junior career. His face cannot hide the processing he is having as his face shows his puzzled internal dilemma all over his face. He isn't reliably in the room. If they saw him as a threat, which Mark certainly should have as he must have certainly known he was a hunter and the rivals he had certainly would have considered him a threat to their dream means he should be dead but he isn't. However, the clan's teaching and what they want clings to him as he knows that he could never return if he stepped foot in F1 and George had made a threat towards him with how his coven leader would react. If he didn't care, he would have never mentioned his coven leaders reaction tendencies. His supernatural friends and partner do care about him, genuinely and they are not threats to humans is the conclusion he has from this.
Oscar realizes, to his dismay that no matter what happens he has to let go of many people he cares about. He either falls to his knees and allows George to turn him or do whatever he must to allow him into Formula 1 as a full time driver as the goal had become what he truly wanted, the mission he had becomes something he forgets he ever did and becomes a monster and heretic to the eyes of the clan or he kills his lover, marking himself as a successful slayer and being seen as truly worthy of being a future chief to the clan but having to spend for the rest of his life protecting the clan for this kill. A kill he never really will forget or wanted to do.
Regardless of the decision, it is a life sentence for him. The question is which life sentence does he want?
"I understand if you want me to leave your home and never return, Oscar but know that Formula 1 is not a safe place for humans in the drivers seat, especially one which is in a monster hunting clan." George's face is clearly distressed around this idea and what has happened here today. Oscar can see that, even if he pretends that the man in front of him isn't the man he loves. "There is a 3rd option. I can leave and you don't have to kill me. We would all remain safe, especially if the seat announcement somehow can be revoked. I will care about you, regardless of what you choose. I would let you kill me, dear but I know that's not what you want The fact that you for the most part do not want to kill me is written all over your puzzled face and your hearts rhythm."
"I do not believe you understand that by leaving you alive with this information that if they discover I knew, I become a heretic. A fate arguably worse than death. Herecy in the clan is punished through isolation, permanently. I will never be able to see my family or anyone from there again but I don't think the 3rd option you propose here would ever be the correct one for me."
"Then what decision do you want to make because you don't look ready to make one."
Oscar gulps and swallows the doubts in his mind into the gutter. His heart speeds up a little as he drops the crucifix and walks towards George for a hug, which he gladly accepts. "I think, I genuinely want to become a Formula 1 driver with you and the friends I have made, George but please tell me what would have to happen. I know I'd probably never see my family truly again but I want to chase my dream." Oscar lets go of George on his end but George remains to hold onto him tight at the news he just gave him. His heart finds it comforting as his heart slowly begins to return to his regular rhythm.
"Well that depends, Oscar as you can become one of 2 species, I'm sure you are aware of this. You can be either turned by me or another vampire or be converted by a werewolf to become one of them. Which process would you mind going through least or do you know very little about the turning process?"
"What I know about the turning processes is around werewolf turning and how to avoid it in combat with them. There's a certain type of way about how they slash you which is how they can turn you. I do not know many specifics. Some very very spiteful werewolves do it on purpose I imagine but there are only a single digit number of cases of that happening that I am personally aware of. They are often told as scaring tactics for rogue hunters."
"So, you know nothing of traditional vampire turnings?"
"Very little, all I was aware of was that there is no way to be turned into a fully fledged vampire without the turned person's full consent, which was why it was never a threat."
"Well, they have that right, at least" George giggles to himself as he hears Oscar's heart has returned to its regular rhythm as he remains in his arms. "Vampire turnings are a very sacred part of the society as it differs in part dependent on coven. The way turnings occur in my coven is a very family orientated ritual as it requires the presence of the head of the coven and tradition has that supernatural friends of both or either of the human and vampire also attend. It relies on the vampire turning the human to have full consent within their soul; otherwise, the magic of it will not physically take hold and it will reject the body and disperse back into the ether."
"Would it make me and the vampire turning me technically family in the eyes of the coven?"
"No, it wouldn't. There are slight differences on how the incantations are around the turning depending on the relation between the vampire and the human. There are 3 main ones: one for a parent and a child, one for siblings and one for lovers."
"So, you can have the pleasure of turning me?" The way Oscar says is full of a soft and curious ask. His heart increases pace as processes George himself can turn him. This tone in Oscar makes George release his hug from Oscar after realising he was still hugging him.
"Yes, dear. I can. Do you have any other questions? I'm assuming you want to be turned by me and become a vampire."
"I do, am I correct in understanding that the way vampires eat is not fully what I was taught, drinking blood from humans necks and killing them? I'm assuming that is not true."
"We do not typically drink blood in such a way, there are certainly vampires that have gone feral that do so but that would never happen to you and I can guarantee that. We can just put blood within traditional food in exchange of small bits and pieces. We also eat more iron in general because the blood within a vampire is much more fragile and so needs much more care. Some drink blood as a drink with food but never a unwilling humans blood, typically, it is just an animals blood."
"George, I accept your offer to be turned by you and become a vampire." After Oscar says this, he pulls back and kisses George deeply of which he kisses back with just as much deepness. "I'm sorry for scaring you, earlier. It was a very stressful conversation."
"I can't blame you, my dear. I'm just happy you made this decision."