Archive of Our Own ^beta

They weren't sure how it started.

Let's be honest - Nova and Victor have fallen hard for each other since before they even met.

So it was completely natural when one night the stolen glimpses and the barely hidden feelings won and they finally kissed under the moonlight… Since then, they became attached at the hip, sharing meals, holding hands, and looking at each other as if the other person put the moon and stars in the sky.

Yes, they maybe didn't really kiss much in front of other people, but that was because it was something precious to them; they didn't have as many moments together as they wanted, so it was nice to not have something on display for the whole world to see. But still… it was obvious, right? They wore their hearts on their sleeves, how could anyone not see their connection? So yes, when they got together they did not make a public announcement or anything, but still, everybody was aware; their friends were just trying not to make a big deal out of this, they were sure of it.

…

Well, apparently it was not public knowledge, and Nova found that out in the worst possible way.

x

It was their third week back in camp. One year after Nova and Victor showed the world they didn't have to be enemies anymore, daywalkers and vampires were slowly learning to let go of the centuries-old rage. Things were improving, at their own pace.

So it was really not that surprising when this daywalker girl approached Victor just before lunchtime when he was waiting for Nova by the bonfire.

“Hi there!” The girl greeted him excitedly, "I've been meaning to talk to you.”

Victor had seen the girl around camp before, although he couldn't quite remember her name. “What's up! Something wrong?” He glanced around, just making sure no one was on fire or anything like that, it wouldn't be the first time. 

“No… no! Nothing wrong! Well, except if you count Cosmo’s terrible non-stop singing, he has been killing my ears.” She added with a grin, “Really, I have just been meaning to compliment you, camp is going so well this year. You are doing great as a leader!”

She was being kind, and Victor really appreciated that; still he couldn't stop noticing that Nova was supposed to be back five minutes ago… Another five and I'm going after her to check if everything is okay, he decided because he was a very caring boyfriend, okay? It was most certainly not because he already missed her like crazy even if they were only 30 minutes apart. He was not dependent, just very loving. Thank you very much.

Instead of spiraling, he tried to focus back on the conversation that was happening in front of him. 

“Thanks, it's really nice to see all the hard work Nova and I had is finally paying off,” no way he was not going to take every chance to hype up his very smart and competent girlfriend. “Mostly her, actually. I was kind of just following along and hoping to not make a fool of myself, happy to see I can pretend well enough,” he added lightheartedly. 

The girl laughed, resting a hand on his shoulder in the process. 

“I mean it, you have done such a great job bringing our people together. I am happy to be sharing this space with you… with all of you.”

Victor knew this feeling, every day he woke up feeling so… free. He still had many - if not more - responsibilities, but just the fact that he knew Nova was there, a few meters away, made him so happy that if he were a daywalker, he would start to shine (actually, could they even do that? He would have to ask his girl). 

Thinking of Nova, where was she?

Victor was so focused on that thought he almost missed the next thing the girl said:

“So… There is going to be a party tomorrow by the ruins, and it's kind of low profile since we don't want to mess this up yet… And I was wondering if you would like to come? There are going to be both species there, so you don't have to worry about that. It's a great chance for us to talk and... you know… bond.”

She was right, it was a great opportunity for vampires and daywalkers to get close. Nova was going to love that! 

“Yes! I would love to, we’ll be there!” he said with a genuine smile. 

In this moment he saw Nova finally leaving her cabin. He immediately excused himself and didn't even hear the slightly confused “we?” mumbled by the girl.

With a few quick steps he crossed the space between them and didn't even stop, he just pulled her hand to have her follow him. When they got inside the forest enough to be away from view, he pulled her against him.

His hand went across her back while he quickly kissed her. Just because he wanted to. Nova's hands slightly pulled his hair in the way that made him breathless (just looking at her already made that happen, but Nova doesn't need to know that. After all, he had his dangerous and cool facade to maintain) and moved her head slightly back, just enough so she could see his eyes.

“What was that for?” She questioned with a raised eyebrow, panting a little.

“Can’t a vampire miss his girlfriend?” He countered, moving his hands to rest against her waist.

“So I cannot stay away for two moments before you already go all ‘freaked out’ vampire mode?” Her words could be inquisitive, but Nova had a giddy shine in her eyes that only seemed to be there around Victor.

“Yes, in fact, I would rather you not leave my side ever again, doctor's orders.”

“I don't think my father and your aunt would be very happy with that.”

“Screw them,” there was a glimpse in his eyes that showed her that even though they were joking, what he was saying was true. And, if Nova was being honest to herself, they were true to her too. She decided long ago that Victor was more important to her than any half-baked expectations her father had of her. He was her future, and she would always fight for that.

They closed their eyes for a moment, foreheads resting together, just enjoying the feeling of being only the two of them, the peace they brought each other. Besides one or other official meeting, they have mostly been sneaking around to see each other, it was a gift finally being reunited again. Half of their time together this summer had already passed, so it was important to enjoy what they had left.

Nova's hand pressed against his chest as she sheepishly asked, looking up to stare into his eyes, “Was that Celeste I saw you talking with?” 

“That daywalker? Probably,” he shrugged, “I am not sure about her name, but she was complimenting our jobs as young leaders this last year.”

Nova saw how Celeste was touching Victor and the sweet smile the girl was giving him. She loved every single thing about him, however his charm and cluelessness would be the death of her. Nova couldn't help but feel her blood boiling just seeing another girl there batting her eyelashes at her boyfriend. She trusted Victor with all her heart; it was not about that. The daywalkers are supposed to be rational. To be like this, controlled by her emotions? It made Nova mad at herself, she knew it was stupid, pointless and irrational. She was supposed to be above that. So, why wasn't she?

Because it was Victor.

And Victor would always make her feel. It was her favorite thing about him (well… not right now), it was part of what made their connection so special - he understood her. Always.

Hence, it was no surprise that Victor clocked straight away that there was something slightly off when she responded with, “Oh, really? That's… nice of her.”

“Yeah,” he agreed slowly, before adding the interesting part, “She even invited us to a party that they’re hosting tomorrow,” Victor smiled at her, because how could he not when he was staring at Nova? “It's for both vampires and daywalkers, Nova! They are planning this together!”

His happiness was contagious, and there was no world out there that Nova could deny something that made Victor's eyes sparkle like that. Thus she smiled at him and made an effort to sound excited, “Really? That's great!” It truly was great, Nova was pleased to know their people were getting along. The problem was knowing that it was what Celeste said that made him grin like that. She wanted to be the person to make him smile.

Victor would be happiest wherever Nova was. He could sense something was a little wrong but didn't want to push her. She would open up to him when needed. Regardless, he offered a way out. “We don’t have to go, we can always just stay back and make sure the younger campers are not bothered by it.”

The daywalker's head was shaking even before he finished his sentence, “No, no, we can totally go. Besides, someone has to make sure no one does something stupid, right?”

Victor couldn't help but sigh, “I miss Addison and the others, they could keep the role of babysitters and we were more free to be the ones doing stupid shit.” He was glad to be trusted and earn more responsibility, but he also wished they had more time for themselves.

“Like sneaking out in the middle of the night and exploring ancient caves?” Nova’s hands held his face as she teased him. She loved every aspect of him, but there was no denying that his responsible version did things to her daywalker brain as much as - if not more - than his rule-breaking side (let's be clear, she was totally into that as well, but there was just something about him being confident enough to let himself lead that made her knees weak). “I miss them too but let's look at the bright side, they would totally crash the party.”

He laughed at his girlfriend’s antics but, before Victor could answer, he heard the bell that let them know it was lunchtime. Instead, he chose to use his last few moments to quickly kiss her again. He knew it was better to go now, otherwise there would be someone searching for both of them. Because of that, against his will, he took a step back and offered his hand to Nova, who readily accepted as both marched into the dining pavilion. 

x

Daywalkers and vampires had a lot of differences, everyone knew that. Sometimes it creates quite interesting situations.

Because of their morning tendencies, daywalkers valued breakfast more. It was an important moment for them to get ready and fueled for the day ahead of them but also a moment to connect with their family. Missing breakfast was like skipping an important ritual. 

Vampires, on the other hand, were creatures of the night. For them, dinner was a big ordeal since it was when they recharged their strength and amplified their connections with friends, families, and allies. 

In particular, this big difference between species proved to be a challenge in camp once no vampire was up at the time daywalkers ate and usually all daywalkers were fast asleep by the time vampires were finally ready to dine. These two contrasting habits made coliving more difficult than it should have been. So, quickly, they came to an agreement. Lunch was the time they would all come together as one. No one was allowed to miss it, and everyone was expected to mingle and interact since it was the only appointment of the day that every single camper had to attend at the same time.

Victor was strongly regretting that fact as both of them walked into the dining area. He didn't want to share Nova with anyone really, and he could already see some people trying to get her attention. She looked at him with apologetic eyes as she stepped away from his side and approached the young girl who he had seen talking to Nova many times before. He used to joke to her that the girl (Stella was her name) was Nova's biggest fan (only after him, of course), since she was always following Nova around and was always asking all kinds of questions to the older girl. 

He had to confess, Stella had a special place in his heart. Besides constantly bombarding him with silly questions about vampires, Victor would always appreciate someone that saw all the good in Nova.

Right now, however, that meant that Nova was too busy to sit next to him, which made him frown as he took a place next to Vargas and Vera. 

“Cheer up, loverboy, we still have a lot to do today. You can embarrass yourself for the future commander later.” Vera said with an annoyed look that he knew it was just her default setting and nothing personal to him specifically. 

“How could anyone ever be down with such caring words from a dear friend?” Victor replied sarcastically, although he was still following Nova with his peripheral vision. Now there were two more people surrounding her in the place that she stood. Seriously, would these people not let her eat? He took a deep breath. She was strong enough to deal with any issue by herself, he needed her to know that he thought that. He was not like her father, Victor would always believe she could do anything. Still, it was hard to sit back. He bit into the bloodfruit that his friends had put in front of him a little too hard, but he managed to focus back on what they were saying. 

“If you want nice, then adopt a puppy, Victor. We are having a dodgeball competition this afternoon, and I’m not planning on losing just because Sunshine over there batted her eyelashes at you at the right time, do you hear me?” Vera said, as gentle as a chainsaw, as usual. Victor chose to ignore his friend by just nodding mindlessly while he again focused back on his girlfriend, who unfortunately was not, as his friend lovely phrased, batting her eyelashes at him. In fact, she was talking to this guy, which made Victor’s skin crawl. She had a polite expression on her face but appeared to be giving short answers based on what he could see (there was too much noise for him to actually use his vampire-heightened senses and hear what they were saying). Since Nova was not looking like she was in any stage of true distress, he once again forced himself to look away from her and really engage in his friend’s conversation, hoping it would make time go faster. 

Spoiler alert: it did not work.

x

It didn't take long before Nova got annoyed at anyone who got in the way of her spending time with Victor. Don't get her wrong, she loved the fact that her people and even some vampires felt comfortable and confident enough to trust her with their issues. Nova was raised on the premise that her people should follow and not be befriended; even if she never quite agreed to that, she followed through because she thought it was the only way to lead. That was something that made her unhappy to even think about. But now? After everything they went through last summer? She knew that she had the right qualities to lead, and following her heart was one of her greatest strengths. Still… Nova hoped this summer would have been more about making memories with her friends than babysitting a bunch of preteens. Guess you cannot win every battle.

So, after the girl answered what felt like a million questions varying from the afternoon plans to ‘why does the night exist,’ she was ready to grab some bloodfruits - gods bless the abundance of food from all the orchards - and enjoy some time in the sun next to her favorite person. 

Of course things never can go according to plan.

In the moment she was going to turn around, Apollo, one of the daywalkers from her same age group, stopped her again (seriously, did everyone choose today as the let's annoy Nova day?). She took a deep breath and, with tight lips, smiled at him.

“Can I help you with something?” Her tone was pleasant enough, she guessed.

“Hey, Nova! I was wondering if you had a moment to talk.”

“Hmm, of course. What is it?” Nova swallowed any mean thing she had to say, after all it was not her people's fault she was in a mood today.

“I just wanted to clear the programs for next week's activities. You know the younger kids are about to throw a fit if they spend another week without any beach or lake time.” He said rather practically, which was something Nova appreciated; work was something she could deal easily with (definitely easier than explaining why vampires had fangs… and also why she blushed last time Victor’s showed up when using his powers - yes… that was truly a question she received, kids never can let anything slide, can they?). 

“Sure, can you drop them by at the counselor's office later? I will check and get them to you ASAP.” See? Simple, practical, and easily solved. Nova would tap herself on the back if she could, now she had an excuse to spend time with Victor later. After all, it was important that vampires also felt represented in the agenda, right? “If that's all, I'll be on my way. Nice talking to you!” Clearly there was no divinity on her side out there since Apollo kept speaking.

“Actually, I also wanted to know if you’re going to the party tomorrow. I happen to be looking for some company to pass the time…” he trailed off with a smile. She assumed it was supposed to be his charming one. However, Nova only grew more annoyed at the guy, is this really what was keeping her away from her vampire?

“Sorry, already have a date.” She responded to the unsaid question. Simply, shortly. She hoped this and the tone would shut down the conversation quicker. But boy, was she wrong. Can’t a guy take a hint? 

“Really?” His eyebrows shot up, “No way, who is it?” Did he really think that she was making this up? There was genuine surprise on his face.

“None of your business." On a different day she could have been nicer, it was hard to ask someone out, to put yourself out there. But also, he was kind of being an asshole about it, so she guessed her clipped answer was a little deserved.

Stepping away, she noticed the spot Ray saved for her and the other people there, expecting to talk to her (everyone was always expecting things from her, she wanted to scream), Nova only sighed and accepted her fate for this lunch as she sat there. Her eyes looked across the tables, immediately locking with Victor’s, she smiled sadly at him knowing they would both miss each other even if only a few feet apart.

His understanding smile, however, was a balm in her heart. He knew what she was feeling and gave all his strength to her with only an expression. He truly was her dream come true.

x

What Nova wasn't aware of was that she accidentally created the newest talk around camp with her little insolence.

Nova Bright, the future commander, the apparent heir to the daywalkers, the girl who was all business and never had time for a joke or even small talk, had a date?

It was not as if people disliked her, she was strong, obstinate and everything a leader should be. Yes, she was good-looking and had her name attached to a leadership position, which, of course, had attracted suitors over the years, but the catch is she never gave the time of day to any of them.

She didn't have many friends and usually just spent most of her days with the vampire young leader making plans not only for camp but also for the cities. She really had not much free time besides that. The girl definitely had not met anyone during the classes she gave to the younger ones, so truly, who could she ever be going out with?

Well, that was the million-dollar question. Naturally, the gossip and speculation started.

Maybe she finally let her father choose a suitor for her? Nah, she was way too decisive and stubborn to let that happen. Maybe she and Ray were finally a thing? Please, have you ever seen them interact? Maybe she met someone from the outside world? Like a human or something? No way, when would that have happened? Maybe it was a girl, and they were just afraid to come out? Honestly, that is one of the most believable theories out there. Maybe it was a vampire? Come on, most of them were still afraid the sun would suddenly burn them, no one would decide to go out with the most terrifying daywalker in camp. How about Victor? They are together all the time, right? Oh please! As if someone of her caliber would choose a screw-up like him. You know, the vampires tell us these things; besides, her father would kill them.

And so it went on and on. Of course neither of them actually heard any of that. Which was both a blessing and a train wreck about to happen.

On a completely and totally unrelated note, there were some rumors out there that Victor was going to the party with Celeste (yes, they all might be caring a little too much about dates for just a simple party; however, neither of these species had proms, they had to get this kind of entertainment from somewhere. Give them a break) which further confirmed the speculation that Nova and Victor were, in fact, not together.

And let's just say that there were a lot of girls out there who got a little sad with the news. While they thought Nova was too much sand for his truck, it didn't change the fact that he was cute… and nice… and had saved everyone from starvation. So yes, there were definitely some people out there interested in the vampire heir.

But it didn't matter since the boy was apparently already committed to someone (and he really was; committed for life, they just got the ‘who’ wrong).

x

Nova was aware something was off from the moment she stepped out of her cabin the next morning. It wasn't a problem like there was a fight or anything like that, but she could feel every eye staring at her, burning through her skull. The thing was: she was used to being a center of attention since she learned how to walk, however there was an undertone to their stares now, like they were actively talking about her, that made her skin crawl. Discreetly, she looked down at herself. Her clothes looked normal, the same white sweats and gold top as usual, there was not anything physically different about her, so why was everyone staring?

You know what? Yesterday she had a lovely evening with Victor - the best part? Just the two of them - and she was not going to let anyone or any stupid gossip ruin her day. Period.

That resolution stuck for about half an hour when two young girls finally approached her. “Sooo, Nova,” the first one said with a sweetly sick tone that made her want to roll her eyes, “we heard some information that we were hoping you could clear out for us.”

“What is it?” Her septic tone was obvious. Nova, in fact, did not want to talk to these girls, but it was her job. Well, maybe she could find out what all the fuss was about at least.

“You see… There is quite the strange story going around. People said you rejected Apollo because you already had a date to the party,” Oh? Is this what this is about? Thank goodness. She was starting to fear it was something more serious, Nova was definitely an anxious person, she had already started to create different possibilities in her head that were much worse. 

“And-“ the second girl continued, “we totally get it, he thinks way too much of himself!” Both girls nodded enthusiastically, “So, you can totally-“ 

“Totally!”

“Tell us the truth, you know? We would never tell anyone else.”

“Yes, our lips are sealed!"

If these girls weren't trying to get information to spread around, Nova would laugh at their antics. Honestly, she didn't care enough. If it was someone else in her place, they might say something crazy to make the stories even more funny. Nova, as usual, was practical.

“Well, sorry to disappoint," she noncommittally shrugged her shoulders, "I'm afraid it is true. Something else I can help you with?” The dismissal was clear in her tone, but they clearly wanted to get to the bottom of the story.

“Oh my god? Really?” They shrieked - Was Nova this annoying when she was their age? - “Who?”

“Victor.”

There. She said it. No big deal.

It is not as if they were hiding anything.

The girls stopped in their tracks, looked at each other with ‘can you believe this girl’ looks, and stared back at Nova with much more annoyance.

“Well, you didn't have to lie to us as well. You know, that is very rude of you.” This time it was Nova's eyebrows that shot up. They came to bother her and now claimed she was lying? Before she could say anything (and tell them to get out of her way) the second girl continued: “And besides that, everyone knows that he is going with Celeste, so maybe try to lie better next time.” They let out a loud “humpf’ and left before any reply from the daywalker leader.

Oh boy, Nova was fuming. She relied on all the self-control that she had to not burn these girls to a crisp. 

How dare they? 

They first waste her time, then act like entitled brats and then start spreading lies about her boyfriend.

There goes Nova’s peaceful day. 

She knew there was no way this story of Victor going out with anyone else had even one ounce of truth. She trusted him fully and knew he was just as obsessed with her as she was with him.

Still… Why would people think that? A small voice inside her brain said that it was because she was too much. Of course they would think someone else was more appropriate for Victor. He is so alive. He deserves someone just as carefree. Not all the baggage that I have…

She tried to shut up that voice as quickly as it came. Nova had talked to Victor before about her insecurities, he assured her that it was nothing but that, an insecurity, he would never leave her (not for all the bloodfruit in the world, he said).

Unfortunately, he was not here now, so there was no one to distract her from the fact that as she walked to the cafeteria, there were even more voices talking about her, pointing at her, laughing at her. If they thought she was lying, why was she the one getting all the backlash from it? Shouldn't they be making fun of the guy who was so pathetic (not that he was, but still, you get her point) that Nova had to make up a story to reject him? 

Sadly, she already knew the answer, she was the girl and the ‘boss’. It was easier to hate her. It was easier when people already were jealous of her position or mad that she had rejected them before. 

But it wasn't fair.

She always gave her all to everyone. All. the. damn. time.

Tears came to her eyes at the speed of light.

No, she was not going to cry. Not in front of these people. They didn't deserve that.

Deciding to skip breakfast entirely, she turned around and darted her way to her favorite place in camp, hopefully no one would look for her there.

x

Of course, the ‘no one’ did not include Victor.

The vampire was, in many aspects, different from the rest of his people. He, for instance, liked change, liked to meet new people, to be in new places, to challenge old rules, to question everything, and lately he even had a growing obsession with the sun (more specifically, how it made Nova more alive, how her eyes sparked in the sunlight…). None of those were traits the species was most known for. Unsurprisingly, there was one thing he was not proud of to be like their own: He despised waking up early. Which was a shame, since this made his time with Nova shorter. Usually, there had to be a hurricane happening for Victor to be up before ten, so when he got up and noticed that the sun had just shown up, an alarm started in his brain. He brushed it off for now, after all it was still way too early for him.

Well, since he was already up, he better go see if he could get some extra quality time with his girlfriend. After he got dressed and left most of his campmates still asleep in their cabin, that was when the second alarm rang.

Somehow in the moment he stepped in the common area, everything got quiet, like ‘the subject just arrived to the conversation’ kind of quiet. It was not the first time this has happened to Victor, so it was not a big deal to him. Being the heir when the current leader openly didn't like you meant that the boy already had his share of ostracization all his life. The part that was a little unusual is that the crowd was made up mostly of daywalkers, they usually did not act that way around him, but who knows, maybe some of the other vampires shared one of his past failures (there were a lot of them for his people to pick).

Anyway, the attitude did not bother Victor as much as it should, so he just went ahead trying to see Nova. There was no way she was not up already. So, where was she? Well, he would have to ask Ray. The vampire was still working on accepting the daywalker boy. He knew Ray regretted his past actions, but it was hard to forget his despair as he was keeping the wind together so Nova and he could climb the tower that ultimately saved their people. Ray was responsible for putting Nova in danger, this was something hard to forget. 

As Victor approached the boy he noticed his little disturbed expression and wondered what it was about. First, he needed to know something more important.

“Hey man, have you seen Nova today?” Ray flinched with the sound of Victor’s voice.

He. Flinched.

What the hell was wrong with Nova? His brain started to work overtime, what other reason would he have to react like that?

“Hey, Victor,” his slightly higher pitch did not help Victor's concern. “You see… she actually left a while ago…” Ray could clearly see the death glare forming in the vampire's eyes.

“To go where? Ray, what happened?" He was getting impatient with the daywalker and it was noticed since Ray took a deep breath and lowered the volume of his voice to make sure others wouldn't hear.

“Look, I’m not sure, but the other campers have been talking about her a lot since yesterday. When I got here two of ours were talking to her and she stormed off. She looked a little shaken up, but I couldn't see where she went to help… Sorry, that's all I know.” 

“And why didn't you want me to know that?” This was Victor's biggest question, why did he look so on edge? What else wasn't he telling him?

Ray looked around, as if he didn't want to be the one to break the news, that made Victor even more concerned.

“Humm, see… it’s just that-“

“Hey Vic, fancy seeing you here! Did you hear the latest?” A passing-by daywalker (Orion, if Victor wasn't mistaken) stopped Ray from having to answer. The vampire wanted to hiss at him, he did not have time for small talk.

Before Victor could brush the other guy off, he kept speaking without noticing Ray strongly gesturing for him to shut up. “You should tone down the charming attitude my man, you are getting some girls delusional out there!” The laugh that followed dug his grave without him even noticing. “Word in the streets that you and the future commander are going out together.”

What?

Was this related to what happened to Nova?

Somehow he was even more lost and Orion noticed. So he kept saying:

“Yeah, everyone is talking about it! She turned down Apollo with the excuse she was seeing someone and theories today appointed you. Truth be told, she is hot, way too much for you, as if you could ever pull that off.”

Victor was too stunned to speak. Right now he just could focus on the fact that this asshole in front of him was involved in some crazy gossiping that apparently made his girlfriend upset enough to leave and was even insulting him in the process. 

His eyes shone blood red and his fangs expanded, ready to at least punch the bastard.

Ray, surprisingly, stepped between them and mumbled to the other teen, “Man, learn to read the room!” And turned back to Victor to make sure the vampire wouldn't do anything stupid like reflame the war that he just stopped.

“Look, Victor. Take a deep breath. There are more important things for you to do right now, right?” Ray tried to appease the raging vampire.

Outstandingly, Victor did what he was told (ha! that's a first) and forced his chest to expand and compress until he could focus back on what was important. Something was wrong with Nova. He had to find her.

He once more glared at Orion with a slight show of his fangs and turned back around going to try to find where she may have run off to.

It didn't take long for Victor to find Nova, and the sight of her was so heartbreaking for him he wished he never had to experience that again.

She was sitting back against a tree, head between her knees, breathing heavily. She had been crying, there was no doubt of that, and Victor wanted to kill every single person responsible for making her feel this way.

He took slow steps, making sure to generate enough noise for her to notice he was arriving. She, regardless, didn't move an inch. So he got closer and lowered himself until they were face to face. Hã… face to hair, actually, since she had yet to move. 

“Hey supernova, what's wrong?” His voice was sweet, and he touched one of her knees, hoping it would inspire the girl to look at him.

“It's stupid.” She mumbled, voice barely hearable while her face was still covered.

“I highly doubt that,” he picked up one of her hands, kissing the back of it in a clear sight of affection, “and… even if it is, I would still like to know. Com’on, talk to me,” he pleaded. Victor hated to see Nova in pain.

She finally - finally - lifted her head slightly, allowing her beautiful eyes to be seen. They were red from crying but still just the sight of them took his breath away.

“I’m telling you, it's stupid,” her voice got more stern, “and I swear to god if you laugh about it…”

“Me? Never in a million years.” And just like that, the playful tone brought back some light into her eyes, she never could be that upset if Victor was around. 

It was on purpose, the way he said it, to ease the tension. It did not mean that the words were not the uttermost truth, he would never laugh at her, especially if it was something that made her upset. 

“It’s just… I'm so tired, Victor.” Her tone was so… defeated. It made him want to cry as well, so he just held her hand tighter and propelled her to continue. “I am never enough. Not to my father. Not to my people. Certainly not for a bunch of teenagers. And… I'm just tired of pretending that I am, of pretending that someday I will be. Gods, I am not enough even for you-

“Hey! That is not true-

“Yes, it is. You are the heir and you need to find some proper vampire with a magnificent family tree as important as yours to keep the centuries-old line. I'm not stupid Victor, I know I will never be that. I just like to pretend that it doesn't matter, that it doesn't affect me but everyone can see that I'm a failure.”

“Nova…”

“No, let me finish, please.” Her plea made Victor stay quiet for one more moment, he would never deny anything she asked for. “Everyone knows, you know why that is? Because no one wants to be my friend, no one wants to be in the first row to watch this train wreck. Because I am the talk of the week just because they found out we were together. Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, they did not because they just think I’m a crazy bitch that is lying just to get an ounce of attention!” Her tears came back strong. “They think that because they know I’m not good enough to be with someone as amazing and special as you, and it kills me. It kills me to know you are wasting your time on me.”

For a full moment Victor was too stunned to speak. The only sound in the meadow was the birds passing by and her sharp breaths.

“Okay… that's… a lot to digest. And even more to keep inside, Nova.” Blue was against brown as they stared at each other, processing. “First of all, you are enough. Never doubt that. You are enough for me and the perfect leader your people need. You are kind, and honest, and brave, and fierce, and open, and everything they and I could ever want.” He rested a hand on her cheek, making sure she could see his eyes and know that every word of it was true. “Second place, so what? If some people don't see it, it's their loss. Sooner or later they will see how amazing you are. And, if they don't, who cares?”

“I care-“

“Do you really? What was the scariest part for you? That you thought you weren't enough for me, which is nonsense by the way, or that some people were gossiping about your love life?” Truly he didn't know if he was making things better or worse with that speech, but he had to try.

“Well, when you put it like that…” Nova conceded, unsure of where this was going.

“If you were actually afraid of other people’s opinions would you have done everything that you did last year? People talk and criticize your actions even now, do you think you should have done something different? Because I don't. I love who you are. And you are the type of person who does what you believe, no matter what other people think.”

She took in what he said. He was right, of course. She would have done what she did a thousand times more if needed, regardless of what any of her people might say. Victor could notice it was kind of working, so he kept going:

“And also, are you sure they are talking about us because they think you are not good enough? Because from what I heard they think you are too much for me,” her eyebrows scrunched up at that, confused, “Yeah, apparently people don't think I can ‘pull that off’ which is funny because that is how I have been feeling this past year.” That changed her whole posture from sad to outraged.

“Hey! Don't be silly, that is not true. You are perfect! Don't ever believe that.” Victor smiled brightly, only Nova would go from full meltdown to protective girlfriend just because someone said something mildly bad about him. 

“Okay, but maybe try to listen to yourself…” he trailed off, waiting for her to realize the mirrored situation.

“Oh.”

“Oh indeed.” He kissed her forehead before adding, “I guess we both are silly.”

Nova swallowed, finally coming to his same conclusions.

“Very silly…” She truly moved now, getting her back straight and hands coming to rest against his chest, slightly gripping his T-shirt. “I’m sorry, Victor. I'm sorry I made you worry about these stupid things and now you are losing your time here-”

“I don't care about that. I just care that you are ok. Come for me with all the problems you need, I will always be here.” He needed her to understand that, but Victor was also aware that it was hard for her, she had a whole life of bottling up her feelings to fight with. “And also, I would just like to clarify that I don't give a damn about purity of lines and all that bullshit. I don't need anyone but you, ever.”

She breathed deeply, pulling air to speak, but he beat her to it.

“Don’t you dare try to apologize again, Nova Bright!” He said it like a mother scolding her child, “We will stay here until you stop apologizing for things that are not your fault, okay?”

“I mean… I wouldn't mind that…” Her tone was suggestive but unfortunately he knew there was something else they had to talk about before moving into… different topics.

“Ha ha, very funny, missy. But we are not done here.” Victor pointedly looked at her. “Why did you think people were saying you were, and I quote, ‘a lying crazy bitch?”

Nova looked down at her hands, still in a fist holding his black shirt, “Well, it's just that some girls said that to me…”

“With those exact words?” He was stunned.

“Ummm, not really, I guess. They just accused me of lying because apparently you are going with Celeste.” Her words got higher at the end, “Also, why is that going around? What did you say to her?”

Victor’s face was the picture-perfect image of confusion, “Uh, I actually don't know, I just told her that we were going when she asked. Maybe someone saw us talking and assumed that?” He stopped to think for a second, “Well, right now this is not the point, we’ll figure this out later. So, who said those things to you?” He would not let her change the subject. Not when it was important.

“Er, it was Esther and Fay.” 

Victor had to hold back a laugh at that because he promised her he wouldn't, so he simply said,

“The fourteen-year-old daywalkers?” Gods, they were possibly the most dramatic people in camp this year, they made everything a big deal, just getting them to participate in anything was an arduous task. 

Nova already noticed by his tone where he was going, so she tried to defend herself, “Well, yes! But they said it in a very mean way, ok?”

“Oh, I don't doubt that, but do you really think their opinion represents every single person in this camp?” Victor said with raised eyebrows and a pointed look that clearly meant ‘Come on, you can’t be serious now.’

“Stop it! You are making this even worse!” She said not holding her laugh anymore.

“I’m just stating facts!” He also laughed. Gods, her laugh was beautiful. “Also, I would never consider the opinion of anyone fourteen, ever. This is like the worst age, I regret every day that this year we included people this age. Maybe we should have done something like ‘from ten to thirteen’ then ‘fifteen and above’ rule, it's great information to have on the flyer next year, don’t you think?” 

They laughed even more. They were together and nothing else mattered. Eventually, they calmed themselves down and Nova finally said, “I guess you are right. It's just sometimes I feel so overwhelmed and for some reason this was the last drop. Thank you, Victor, for being here for me.”

“Always.” He didn't even blink, her presence was intoxicating.

“So… Now we could move to a better topic, don't you think?” Nova’s voice got sweeter and he was so enthralled by her he barely noticed her pushing him back and moving forward to sit on his lap.

“Like what?” he said, voice barely a whisper.

“Like… It's really early and no one expects us for anything for the next few hours…” She got closer, he could feel her breath against his lips. “By the way, why are you up anyway? Did Vera kick you out for your loud snoring?"

“Hey, I don't snore.” Nova looked like she didn't believe him, but also she let it slide since now she was much more interested in having his lips against hers… “Also, I… just felt like something was wrong.”

Her gaze moved back to his eyes and she saw there that it was true.

“I love you.” Was the last thing the girl said before capturing his lips and making sure he knew how much she appreciated him.

Good thing they still had a few hours.

x

By the time lunch came around, Nova was in a much better mood, being comforted by Victor made her realize she was maybe overthinking things a little bit (spending half of the morning making out with her very hot vampire boyfriend also helped). So when she went to the dining pavilion she was decisive in ignoring all the stares - and oh boy, they were there - which Nova can proudly announce that she did, not bothering to talk to anyone who tried to approach her.

The daywalker sat at the table next to Ray, quickly brushing off all of the other boy’s concerns. Really, she was fine (or at least working on it). Today she would enjoy lunch with her friend, spend the afternoon teaching basic training alongside Vera and finally she would spend the night with Victor by her side. They had plans to go check the party situation and then proceed to a picnic date by the beach. Unfortunately, they had way too many things to do apart today, but they still had time at night, which was enough for Nova.

So she sat there, giving noncommittal answers to Ray and pointedly ignoring anyone else.

What the daywalker was not aware of was that by ignoring the other campers, people started to notice. She was always so ready to help, so eager to be a good leader, so reliable to all of them. What had happened that changed that?

As usual, this discussion spread like wildfire in a dry forest, only this time, the other people were concerned. She always did everything for everyone, never complaining, never giving up. It was unnerving to say the least. They just wanted her to be okay.

It was Stella’s idea, originally. When Nova finished eating, the young girl cleaned up the space ahead of the older one, despite the complaints. She just wanted to show how much she appreciated all the love and care she received.

Then, it was a vampire girl who offered to take the younger ones back to their cabins so Nova could rest a little more. Then it was someone helping Nova to set the matches for training. Then it was someone grabbing Nova’s bag so it wouldn't be left behind. Then it was someone helping Nova to pick up the art supplies needed for tomorrow. Then it was someone answering the kid’s question so Nova could breathe…

And just like that, the whole day was made of small acts of people showing how much they care. Because even though they fight, and they make a mess, and they have different opinions; they are still a family. And they help each other whether the other needs it or not. 

By nighttime Nova was more confused than any of her math exams, people have been so nice to her today, it was unnerving. This morning they were all gossiping about her and suddenly they were complimenting her and helping around? That was weird and the girl was skittish all day with the unusual behavior.

Well, it didn't matter now because she was finishing getting ready to see Victor. She knew people were making this stupid party a bigger affair than it should be, so she decided to go with the flow and picked a cute outfit: a short red dress and white sandals. Simple in theory, but she had an extra item that was chosen with a reaction in mind: a black jacket. More specifically, Victor’s black jacket. The well-worn one, which people have seen on his body a million times and now would be engulfing Nova’s smaller figure. It was perfect, it would shut up any conversations out there and (Nova secretly hoped) would stun her boyfriend, especially when matched with the red lipstick she was wearing. After all, a girl has to make sure her boyfriend is never too comfortable, right? She let her hair down for enhanced effect.

Truth be told, she was still nervous about going, she had the most confusing day ever and being surrounded by people who all had expectations of her was overwhelming. So, the clothes were nothing more than an armor. She wanted to feel beautiful that night because even if it all went off the rails, she could still attach herself to the feeling that she was above that, all of that. And Victor always made her feel powerful. All in all, Nova really could use some extra adoration from her boyfriend to survive the night. Hence the outfit and the obvious choice of vampire colors. If they are going to talk, might as well be about the two of them.

When the moon was high in the sky and the young campers had fallen asleep, Nova stepped out of her cabin alongside Vera. The two girls had bonded over the last year and of course they took the chance for the ‘getting dressed girls time’. Vera was a tough egg to crack, she had a difficult time in the past and did not open up for anyone, guarding her heart with all she had. Eventually, though, Nova’s bubbly personality prevailed and a great friendship flourished. They were the polar opposites, maybe that is why it worked so well.

Nova wanted to go there with Victor by her side - let's be honest, when didn't she? - but, as usual, she couldn't. Vera had mentioned that he had to stop and comfort one of the young vampires, so he would be getting there a little later and they should head out without him. 

Which they did. The duo could hear the music getting louder the closer they got. The first thing Nova noticed was somebody hung many lights around the trees and the atmosphere surprisingly was really welcoming. The second thing she did was look around to make sure there was no one under fifteen in there (she did not want to deal with any more angry parents), and somehow she found none. The third fact of the night was that there was music playing. She wondered if the simple player was provided by one of last year's counselors, truly they were the ones with more technology like that. Well, that wasn't important now, she didn't see anything to raise alarms so she could just step back and relax a little.

Nova could see some stares on her choice of clothing for the night, some eyebrows were definitely raised by the daywalker heir in vampire colors. Again, it was more surprising that she was the one doing it than it was because of their species. 

“Ignore them, you look hot. You are always the one challenging traditions, right? Just own it.” Vera said with enough confidence to fill an entire room full of introverts. And she was right. The blonde let go of her father and people’s expectations a long time ago, she had to own it.

So she did.

x

Victor wanted to hide in the darkest corner of the world with Nova and never see the outside again. But he couldn't.

Not because he would regret it or something like that, but because Nova needed sunlight and he would never deny her anything. So there goes the plan. What a bummer.

Since the boy couldn't do that, he just settled for the fact that he would soon see his girl and they had a whole night planned together. Unfortunately, there seem to be a lot of forces against him in the universe because not only did he have to spend almost two hours taking care of a homesick camper, but he also had the joy of being intercepted by Celeste just before he was this close to seeing Nova. 

He held back a groan when the girl approached him, offering a polite but very annoyed tight-lipped smile. 

“Hey… What's up? Something wrong?” Hadn't they done this dance before?

“Victor! Hey!” Her smile was hopeful, “Not really. Are you heading to the party yet?” He was not in the mood for small talk right now, he was already late but there was one he had to ask.

“Yes, and about that, I have to ask you something. Did you tell other people we were dating or something like that? Other campers seemed to be under the wrong impression, which has been really uncomfortable if I'm being honest.” She blinked, eyes widening a little.

“Oh my god, really? Of course not!” He wasn't sure if he believed that, but he let her keep going, “I just mentioned to my friends about our talk and how you were going, maybe they understood in the wrong way…?” Her voice trailed off at the end, either trying to think more or waiting for his reaction. Either way, he spoke up, tired of being late.

“Okay, then. So… if you could... just clear up with them? This misunderstanding grew up a lot, and… nothing against you of course! But I definitely don't want people getting the wrong impression.” Victor hoped that this was it. No more speculation involving him or Nova, which reminded him… “And, you know I’m dating Nova, right?”

Oh.

Celeste clearly did not know that.

The girl blinked quickly and tried to brush it off with a smile, “Of course, Victor! That's why I also got so confused by this story!” He just raised his eyebrows, not sure if believing that. “Well, great talk! See you later!” 

And just like that, the daywalker disappeared from his sight.

The crazier part was that Victor honestly thought people knew they were together. How could they not? Wasn't he ridiculously obvious about his feelings? 

Apparently it was time to fix that, he decided with determinate steps towards the ruins.

x

More than an hour passed before Victor showed up. Nova used that time to perfect her ‘I'm totally having the best time of my life’ face. Honestly, she was not surprised how good she was at that, all her life revolved around being the perfect soldier, the submissive heir. This was easy compared to all the answers she had held back all her life. Thank the sun things were not like that anymore. 

Thus, she talked, laughed, danced and interacted with people all around. And it was not as if she was having a horrible time, it's just she was feeling a little alone. And the questions didn't exactly hurt, but made her feel a little queasy. But, as she decided, she started having fun with it. Every time someone asked something about the jacket, for example, she would answer something like, ‘Do you like it? I'm thinking of renouncing my title and changing to the nightlife’ or (her favorite) ‘Actually, I encountered a wizard who cursed me, and if I take this off, I'm going to turn into a frog. Can you believe that?’ Basically, she was messing around with it. And, the crazier the responses got, more people went along with the joke. Suddenly it was not so scary. She felt like they were not laughing at her, they were laughing with her. 

That's how Victor found her. Laughing, beautiful, just breathtaking really. Nova had barely finished with another crazy cautionary tale to a fellow vampire when she felt a strong arm circling her waist, she promptly leaned into it as she heard the voice:

“It seems clear to me, Victoria, that we should definitely never steal an egg from an owl nest so we never get in danger of time traveling and having a jacket be the only way to come back. Very dangerous indeed.” Victor said with the most serious tone he could muster, which was hard considering the absurd sentence he just said. The other girl laughed at the couple’s antics and excused herself, going to get a refill for her drink.

Being finally alone together, they turned to each other, basking in the happiness they felt at the reunion, but there was no way the vampire was not going to ask, “Seriously Sunny, what kind of story is that?” He didn't even finish the sentence before bursting out laughing, Nova did the same.

“Well, I’m just warning her about the danger of venturing alone in the woods at night… Besides, that's not even my best story, you’ll have to ask around.” He just smiled at her words, gods she was his favorite person. He finally calmed a little, having the chance to fully appreciate her appearance. She was, no doubt, wearing his jacket, which at the same time activated his instincts to both hide her away so she could be only his but also to show her around to everyone so they could know they belonged to each other, always.

“Hmmm, is that my jacket?” He still could have some fun with that, right? His face drew closer, smelling how her scent was mixed with his while she wore the piece of clothing. He had to hold back to keep all his powers in check. 

“Is it? Oh, I just found this old thing in the back of my closet and felt like it needed a new owner…” She was messing with him on purpose, he knew that, but, who cares? Victor’s hands found their way to Nova’s cheeks.

“I agree, it looks marvelous on you, you can keep it all you like.” In fact, he should just let her pick whatever she wanted from his closet from now on, it looked way better on her anyways. “How are you? Besides almost killing me, you seem to be having fun.”

“Better now you are here,” he raised his eyebrows. "Really, I'm fine. You saw that, I decided to just make fun of the situation.”

“We can leave any time you want…”

“No need! I'm fine with staying for now,” she placed one of her hands above his, “Also, I would like to parade my boyfriend a little, you know, just to make sure we are all on the same page.”

That got him remembering something.

“By the way, I talked to Celeste, just to clear up things. She said she didn't know about the rumors but, who knows?” Nova’s eyes were just a little murderous, which made him add quickly, “Also, people seem to truly not know anything about us, no idea how.”

“This just means I have to try a little harder to spread the word. How about I write in the sky big with fire, ‘Victor + Nova 4ever’? Do you think it would keep the girls away?” She wiggled her eyebrows, making Victor’s nose scrunch up a little.

“No way, I want to be the first to announce!”

“Well, I guess we'll see…”

He was not going to take one more second of it, so he asked, a plan already forming in his mind:

“Would you care to dance, Goldie?” He let go of her face just to extend an expecting hand, it didn't take even a second before Nova took it adding a,

“Thought you’d never ask.”

So they approached the dance floor, well, what was supposed to be the dance floor. Since they were all standing on grass, there wasn't much difference really, but that was the place where people were dancing.

Anyway, Nova’s hands went to the back of Victor’s neck while his circled her waist. They just stared at each other as they swayed a little off-beat, enjoying the freedom. They really loved camp, truly, the best time of the year.

The daywalker was so lost in her vampire's eyes she almost missed when he said, “I win.” Before she could ask what this was about, her world tilted to the side.

Literally.

Victor dipped her and did a theatrical kiss that would rival any book she ever read. 

His lips were soft, warm, like every feeling he evoked in her with only his presence. She got lost in it, as usual, for a moment she forgot where she was, only remembering when the shouts and whistles registered in her ears. She laughed. A true laugh, the kind that lights up the whole face. Unfortunately, that got in the way of her previous activity. Victor was smiling now as well, infected by her happiness. After a quick peck, he straightened them, allowing Nova to finally look around.

She found… love.

That was what she felt looking around and seeing people laughing, smiling, joking around. She even heard someone shout ‘finally’ among the crowd.

They were happy for her. Not judging, not angry, not disappointed. They just saw her happiness and felt the same. Nova wanted to cry, this time happy tears, maybe Victor was right. Maybe she just overthinks things. 

Talking about him, she looked back into his eyes. He was waiting for her reaction. She just leaned upwards and kissed him again. Her smile was reflected in his eyes.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, now… what prize do I get from beating you?”

“Your prize is that I'm not going to punch you for messing up with my amazing ideas of a public announcement. You are lucky you’re too cute to mess up that face.”

“Ownn, com’on blondie, it was great…”

You know what? They would be okay.