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Realistic or Modern Fairweather Communications - Urban Fantasy

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"Of course I'm right," Azrael agreed cheerfully.

Thea rolled their eyes and rested their hands on the Doc's shoulders to push her towards the elevator before she and Wade could find something else they agreed on. "Yes, well, we can go make sure our patient gets covered, then."

Garth was not sure what to do when Lev patted him on the arm and grinned at him. Really, he wasn't super sure what to do with positive affirmation in general. But he took one of the napkins and smiled a little to himself.

Azrael caught the little smile and shook her head at him in slightly fond exasperation. Clearly Detective Hogarth Dekker needed more than a therapist he would talk to. He needed friends. She hadn't missed the fact that Garth seemed to glance at Lev a lot to stop himself from blurting the stupid things that came to his head. Lev had really left an impression on him.

Though, between Garth and Wade, she might want to consider getting a psychology degree. It might help her know how to help them.

Glancing back at Wade, Azrael arched an eyebrow. Her lip twitched up into an amused smirk at the thought of her having to convince Percival to text Wade and then Percival throwing his phone across the room in shock because Wade texted back "k".

"Yes, I'll do that, Mr. Harper," she said, her amusement poorly disguised.

Rowan glanced between them, frowning slightly. Who was the mysterious patient? He shrugged to himself and tucked the napkin with Lev's dad's restaurant into his pocket.

Thea was propelling her out the door, so Azrael threw one last smile over her shoulder at Lev. "Thanks for the food. See you later!"

Garth cleared his throat a little awkwardly. "So... you guys know of a hotel? Apparently I have to go to bed or I get tattled on. And um... if it could be on the not-expensive side that would be great."

Rowan shook his head and glanced at Wade and Lev.



"After yelling at Josh, you're going home, right?" Thea asked as they pushed the door to the clinic open.

Thinking of the sleeping Naga-vampire hybrid in her office, Azrael nodded. "Yes. I'm all good here if you want to go home."

Thea hesitated. "I may do that."

Azrael smiled. "Thea, thank you for everything you've done in the past twenty-four hours. You've been amazing, you deserve some rest."

"Aw, I'm blushing." Thea gave her a one-armed hug. "But you'd better be getting some rest, too."

"I will, I promise."
 
Wade scowled at her, because clearly she was thinking he cared. He didn't care. He was concerned, maybe, but he didn't care.

But she was already leaving, and she looked so smug that correcting her now would only make things worse. So he crossed his arms and grumbled to himself about stupid doctors making stupid assumptions. The guy had looked like he was about ready to pass out, there was no reason Wade wouldn't want to check up on him after that. It didn't make them friends or anything.

Lev was looking at him curiously, so Wade decided he needed to avert his attention as quickly as possible.

"Hotels, huh? Most of the good ones book up in advance. It's not exactly tourist season, but an affordable place that isn't sleazy would probably be hard to find on short notice," he said, a small frown coming to his face. He couldn't imagine why somebody would come to New York without even booking a hotel room. That was just irresponsible. Lev grimaced beside him, because he knew why Garth hadn't exactly planned ahead, but he wasn't going to tattle on him.

"I can think of a few places, but they're usually full this time of year. The Lunar New Year's coming up, so a lot of people are visiting family," Lev pointed out. February had started a few days ago, and the lunar new year was coming up fast.

"Oh, right. That starts on Tuesday, doesn't it? Did you want the three days off?" Wade asked. He had completely forgotten about the upcoming holiday. Usually Lev had him book the days off right before Christmas, but this year had been so hectic that he'd completely forgotten.

"Mmm, nah. Maybe just the Wednesday, if you can hash it. My cousins can't make it this year, so we're only doing a small celebration. Oh, mom said you have to come, though. She's making tteokguk and everything, since auntie Da-eun is stuck in Chicago, and she wants you to tell her how it tastes," Lev informed him. Wade brightened up like a puppy, then immediately sobered again.

"Oh. Ok. uh, if I'm not working, I'd love to--"

"Mom said she'd break your legs if you try to get out of it," Lev warned, and Wade actually pouted.

"Fine, fine, I'll make sure to go. Tell your mom my legs are fine as they are," he said, before realizing that they had gotten off-topic. "Right, hotels. Uh, if you need a place to stay, I've got a spare room. Only caveat is you need to vacuum it yourself. Since the doc trusts you, I trust you, and all that. Plus, you're a detective, so I doubt you'd murder me or anything."

Lev gave him a Look, and Wade immediately held up his hands.

"Hey, he's not a stranger, the doc knows him, so it's fine," he pointed out. Lev could feel a headache coming on, but he didn't want Garth to think that the problem was him.

"Only because he's a cop," Lev scolded. "The next time you offer a room to somebody you barely know, I'm going to move in instead."
 
Garth could feel himself wilting. He had figured it was a long shot. Well, it looked like bed bugs and thin walls were his lot in life. He probably deserved it. It was his own stupid fault for thinking he could just pop over to NYC.

But then they started talking about Lunar New Year and Garth thought that was very interesting--talk of cousins and aunties and food. Garth also made a mental note to never cross Lev's mom. He very much believed she could and would break legs.

Garth opened his mouth to insist that he didn't want to be too much trouble and that was way beyond any kindness he could accept. But then he had to go and say that Azrael trusted him. Garth winced. She was the one person that didn't trust him. And he had a feeling if word got out that he had stalked, threatened, and generally been a jerk to the one person who supposedly trusted him, he would get booted real fast from Wade's home and this group of people.

Garth felt a little stupid, but this was the first time he had felt like an actual human in ages. He had been living like an undead creature whose sole purpose was redemption, and only now did he think that maybe--maybe--Azrael was right and he was just slowly killing himself. The group had been eating and talking and the kid had had too much spicy food and for thirty minutes, he had felt at peace.

Garth pulled his fedora off and cleared his throat, crushing the brim of his hat. "Well, I wouldn't say she trusts me," he admitted. "But she did save my life when she really didn't have to. It would have been a lot easier for her to let me die. And she didn't so... I kinda owe her, I guess. But even if I didn't, I don't generally murder people. Kinda goes against the whole... protector of people thing."

He attempted a weak smile. It felt so wrong to let this guy he barely knew help him, but he couldn't help getting Azrael Drake's stream of grumbling about how he needed to take better care of himself while she took his blood pressure out of his head. It had felt nice, having someone fuss over him, and he felt so stupid for it. She was a vampire doctor, daughter of the blood mafia, but she had fussed over him like she actually cared and now he felt--he didn't know.

All he knew was that he didn't want the feeling to go away.

"I really don't want to be an inconvenience," Garth said, killing the urge to say he could figure something out himself and he didn't need any help. "Only if you're sure. But, uh, yeah, Lev's right. You shouldn't invite people you don't know into your home. That's unsafe."



Once Thea was gone home for the day and had promised to text Azrael when they got there, Azrael tapped lightly on her office door before peeking inside. "Percival?"
 
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Wade waved a hand as if Garth was being silly.

"Hey, I'm a grown man. I can handle myself. I'd much rather a homeless kid spend the night in my spare room than out on the street when it's freezing cold," Wade said, and Lev gave him a long-suffering look. This was clearly a discussion they'd had many times.

"How many times have you found things missing after letting somebody stay with you?" he asked, and Wade just shrugged. His view was that as long as somebody didn't take his laptop, they probably needed whatever they stole. Lev thought differently, and the two had worked out a coarse understanding. If it was freezing temperatures, and there was somebody who was in danger of freezing to death, Lev would front half the cost of a motel to get them out of the cold for the night.

Detective Dekker was not quite the same idea, so Lev figured he could let it slide this time.

"Anyways, it's cool. I only use the spare room when my mom or Clara visit. Oh right, you were at Clara's bar, right? She's a great gal, and her place is awesome. Anyways, it just needs a little bit of clean-up and dusting, and it's yours. Uh, for however long you need it, I guess. How long are you planning on staying?"

He ignored the part about Azrael not trusting him. If she didn't trust him, she wouldn't have left him alone with Lev. He may not know her super well, but he knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't ever put somebody she cared about in intentional danger.



Percival had been snoozing, curled up in the electric blanket. He blearily opened his eyes when Azrael knocked, then made a questioning noise.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice groggy. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, though at least this time, the feeling of drowsiness was quick to recede. Whatever it was he'd been dosed with must have been out of his system by now.
 
Garth noted that this all would be so much easier if Azrael and all her friends were terrible people.

But they were all so damn kind.

So, of course, the reminder that he had, in fact, been at the same bar they had been in the night previous made Garth wince. This would have been much easier if they had all behaved like he had expected them to behave. But no, they had to be nice. And now he was having to deal with being the jerk.

Wade however, seemed too forgiving. Garth thought this guy needed more boundaries. Most people were angry and upset that the person they took in stole their stuff.

Garth cleared his throat. Right. How long was he staying?

"Uh, just a few days," he said quickly, in case Wade thought he was going to trespass on his hospitality indefinitely. "Just long enough to see the city, I guess."

Garth sighed, something striking him. Right. He might have blown it off but now he was staying with the prescribing doctor's friend, so he better get that prescription filled.

"So, uh, do either of you know where..." Garth dug the piece of paper from his pocket. It had one illegible scribble with neater handwriting above it like the Rosetta stone. Garth was just personally impressed that Thea could read their employer's writing. "The Apothecary is? I think it's a pharmacy? I gotta pick up a prescription."




Azrael let out a small breath of relief. She had excused herself saying she had work to do, but really she had wanted to check on Percival. She had had visions of finding him in a coma or something.

But he was fine. Just sleeping.

"Sorry to wake you," she said. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Go back to sleep. I have things I can do out here."
 
"Cool, cool," Wade said with a grin. "If you ever want that list of live music places, just ask. I know everyone in this city, so I know where all the good places are."

Lev rolled his eyes, but sometimes he wondered if Wade's 'I know everyone in this city' was actually an exaggeration.

"Yeah, speaking of that. Take your meds," Lev said as he handed them to Wade. "The apothecary isn't far from Azrael's apartment. Wade, are you staying here long?"

Wade looked to Lev and Garth, then to Rowan. It wouldn't really do to leave Garth here waiting for Wade to finish work so he could go home. But on the other hand, he definitely didn't want to leave Rowan to work alone...

"A few hours yet," Wade said finally. "You have your keys on you?"

Lev nodded, because he always had Wade's spare key on him. He'd gotten into the habit of it after Wade had gotten drunk and passed out in his living room and wouldn't answer the door. Lev had had to break into his apartment through the window, and explain to the new neighbour that no, he wasn't a criminal, he was just really worried about his friend who had a habit of making bad life choices.

"Yeah, I do. I'll show you where the apothecary is, Garth, and then I'll let you into Wade's place," he said, standing up and cocking his head to the door. Once they reached the elevator, he pulled out his phone to shoot Azrael a quick text.

'Garth's staying with Wade for a few days. I'm gonna take him to the apartment, maybe show him around a bit. Can I pick you up after, if you're done with your patient? The weather is really nice for a walk.'

He flushed as he tried a few times to make it sound better, but then finally just bit the bullet and hit send.

"I know you're a decent guy, Garth, so I'm just gonna get it out of the way and say that Wade... sometimes has a habit of bending over backwards for people. I just... I don't think you're going to take advantage of him or anything. But just..."

Lev sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"I know you definitely didn't sign up for this when you came to New York, but I would really appreciate it if you could... Text me if he starts drinking. And maybe lock the door so he doesn't sleep-walk. I'll give you my number and stuff."

It was a very awkward thing to ask of someone you just met, but Lev hoped Garth wouldn't judge Wade too hard. He'd had a rough week.



Percival made a sleepy rumbling noise as he rubbed at his eyes, nodding his head.

"I should probably get up soon, anyways," he said with a yawn. Though he was still in human form, he hadn't bothered with some of the cosmetic changes to his appearance he usually kept up. He was still very pale, his hair drained of most colour but the hint of pinkish-blond that came from his colouring shampoo. When he yawned, his fangs were visible. They looked a bit like a cross between the fangs of a vampire and a snake - as a naga, they were quite short. Normandy and his mother often teased him about his cute baby fangs, while Tristan had been horrified when a baby Percival had first started teething. He had held him up to his father and said with terror in his voice that there were knives in this child's mouth.

It was one of the things he'd gotten from his father, along with his strong jaw and the slightly pointed ears. He styled his human colouring after him, so the familial resemblance was more obvious, but in truth he didn't closely resemble either of his parents. Too thin and pasty pale for his mother, and too soft around the edges for his father. He was normally a little self-conscious about it, but considering Azrael had already seen his true form, he didn't see the point in hiding anymore. It was also kind of nice to show his real, true appearance to somebody who wasn't family.

He'd change back as soon as he left the room.

"Thank you again, for everything. I... I don't think I could have handled Tristan without you," he said with a self-conscious smile. "But... I do want to try. To be better."
 
"Yeah, I might get that from you," Garth said, trying to picture himself sitting somewhere and enjoying music. He couldn't remember the last time he had done that.

When Wade said he wasn't going home right away, Garth shifted, feeling like Lev and Wade were figuring out who had to babysit the idiot. He glanced between Lev and Wade, amused. If he hadn't seen the way Azrael and Lev looked at each other, he might wonder if Lev and Wade were dating. But nah, they seemed like really good friends. The only person who had a spare key to Garth's apartment was Mrs. Finnegan, and that was only because his elderly neighbor was a homebody and Garth had lost his keys during a chase one too many times.

It must be nice having such a close friend. Garth couldn't help but be a little envious of Wade.

This was only further justified by what Lev said when they stepped into the elevator. He was a little surprised when Lev thought he was a decent person after all he had just done to someone Lev cared about. He supposed the other guy really wasn't kidding about being willing to overlook things people had done. He opened his mouth to promise not to steal Wade's stuff, but Lev preempted that. Instead, he asked Garth to keep an eye on Wade.

Garth nodded solemnly. Good. Something he could do to pay back their kindness. He thought of the way Azrael had handled Wade and grimly realized she had been almost offended that he seemed to refuse to take care of himself. Just like she had been annoyed that he was prehypertensive--as if the fact he had let that happen after she had saved his life was his way of giving her the middle finger.

Garth might refuse to make himself take breaks, but he definitely could force other people to do that. Hands in his pockets, he slid his eyes to Lev.

"Should I... try to limit how many he has?" Garth was not adverse to hiding people's beer. He had had a partner that would drink too much on stakeouts and had purposefully locked the man's cans in the unmarked car's trunk on several occasions. "Or just keep him safe during the drinking?"

Garth paused. "Should I let Dre--er, Azrael know?"

Snitches didn't just get stitches in his line of work, but he figured snitching on Wade to Azrael would be the one time that rule didn't apply. In fact, it seemed like keeping it to himself was more likely to result in stitches in this case.




Azrael did raise her eyebrows slightly when Percival yawned. Well, she would lose the fang-measuring contest if Percival entered. She couldn't help but be amused that the one person in "fang-gang" whom everybody assumed was a human jerk would have the longest fangs.

Her phone vibrated, and she pulled it out of her pocket. She couldn't help the heat that spread across her face when she noticed the caller id. She frowned slightly as she read. Oh, right, Garth probably didn't have much money with him, and hotels in the city would be expensive. Stupid, she should have thought of that. And of course Wade was taking him in. Azrael briefly wondered if that were a terrible idea before she remembered she knew what made Garth tick. If Wade didn't come home to a spotless house and dinner, Azrael would be surprised. Maybe they could remind each other to take their meds.

Now that he didn't represent the crumbling of her whole world, Azrael wondered if she should have given Garth her number just in case. She would be pissed if he got himself mugged in NYC.

Maybe she'd have Lev give it to him. Just in case.

The heat returned as she read on. She'd never been "picked up" before. That sounded nice. She should say yes.

Realizing she was standing there, blushing in front of Percival Fairweather, she forced her brain to be useful and sent back, "Yes, that sounds nice. I just have to stop by home first. Where does Wade live? I can meet you."

Forcing her face back into its usual neutral, she pocketed her phone and turned back to Percival. She couldn't help the fond smile that softened her eyes. Percival was a little bit of a prick, but dang it, she couldn't help but feel affection for him.

"What are friends for, if not to help you stand up to your family over a man you're pining after?" she asked in wry amusement. Her smile softened again. "But really, I'm happy to stand by you. Are you ready to head towards my place? I figured I'd take you there and get you settled and then I, uh, have an errand to run."

She winced. Lev was not an errand, but admitting she was going to go walk around with Lev to Percival felt a little personal. Azrael sighed. Here she was being cagey in front of Percival, who had dropped his fake coloring around her.

"Actually, um, it's not an errand. Lev asked if I wanted to go for a walk. Think you'd be alright by yourself for a bit?"
 
Lev paused for a second, glancing back at Garth as though studying him. He had certainly been very angry at the man at first. He had, after all, been stalking somebody who was quickly growing more and more important to him. Now, he got the feeling that maybe Garth was a lot more like Wade than he had first thought. A man who had a martyr complex and was a glutton for punishment, trying to make up for the sins of somebody else. Azrael had mentioned he had a criminal parent - that kind of thing had a way of really gnawing at you.

Dekker needed friends. Not just coworkers he was on good terms with, but actual, genuine friends. This man was going to drive himself into the dirt without them.

More than that, Lev was starting to wonder just what he was like, under the trauma. His mom would no doubt be chastising him about bringing home strays again, but he couldn't help it.

"If he breaks out the red wine, maybe take the bottle away after two glasses," Lev said, because Garth had asked him a question and he needed to answer it. "No need to tell Azrael. I don't really want her worrying too much. Heck, this is all speculation on my part, so he might be fine."

He wondered over his next course of action for a few minutes before deciding in for a penny, in for a pound.

"Hey, do you want to come over for the lunar new year? Wade's coming, and I was going to invite Thea and Azrael as well. Maybe Rowan, if he has no plans, since his family doesn't live in the city. It might be a bit crowded, but it'll be fun."

He paused to glance at his phone, then smiled brightly. Right. A lot of good things were happening lately. He sent Azrael Wade's address, then shoved his phone back into his pocket before Garth could make a comment about it.



Percival couldn't help the shy smile that came to his face. He was supposed to be the well mannered and put together boss, but it seemed Azrael had a habit of seeing him at his most vulnerable. It was... kind of nice, to be seen by somebody who wasn't his family. Somebody who understood.

"Yes, I'll be fine. I hope you have a nice time with Mister.... Lev," he said after a moment, because it would maybe be a bit odd to call him 'Mister Choi' when he and Azrael seemed to be dating. Or on the cusp of dating, anyways.

"I can make my way back. I'm feeling far less tired now. How do you like your blood for dinner? I can prepare it for you, if you're on your way back. Normandy figured out a very strange way to spice it recently, and it's surprisingly delicious, if you have any nutmeg."
 
Garth wasn't sure how he felt about Lev staring at him, but he frowned at the elevator panel, pretending to be engrossed in the numbers. It was the knowing way Azrael looked at him. They really were a pair.

He nodded wisely. Right, take the wine. He wasn't sure why he found learning Wade was a wine guy so amusing, but it caused a smile to twitch across his lips.

But when Lev spoke again, Garth blinked and turned, replaying what Lev had said in his head. "You're... inviting me? To a family holiday?"

He hadn't celebrated anything with anybody in years--the precinct Christmas party did not count. Everything in him wanted to accept immediately, but he didn't even know the first thing about the Lunar New Year. And, well, who was he kidding?

"You sure you want to do that?" Garth made himself ask, his voice flat.

He held no illusions about himself--ok, well, other then the illusion that he was fine and his health was fine. But he knew he was a stick-in-the-mud. Everyone was still mad at him for getting on them about the fire code the one time they had decided to shoot off fireworks from the precinct roof on New Year's. One co-worker had literally changed precincts just because he didn't want to be Garth's partner. Then there was the guy who got together with some of his buddies to beat him up when Garth had ratted him out for fudging the timelines on the witness stand. Yes, the perp was guilty, but there was a right way to do things. (He reflected that it would have been nice to have Azrael around then. She probably would have identified his broken rib and put him on bed-rest and called him stupid all in one breath.)

Garth shoved his hands deep in the pockets of his coat. "Look, Lev. You're a nice guy, and I know you think that everyone is inherently good or whatever. But you don't have to prove it by inviting me. I'd only bring down the fun, and I don't want to do that." He frowned. "You already let me eat with you and your friends, and I appreciate that. But I think we can both agree I'm not supposed to be here."

He gave Lev a fake smile and nodded towards his phone. "You enjoy introducing Azrael to your folks and don't worry about me. I'll be out of your hair before long."




Azrael frowned. While it would be nice to head straight over to Wade's to, well, pick up Lev, she was having visions of people kidnapping Percival if she blinked for too long.

"I think I'll make sure you get to my apartment safely," she said. "'Mister Lev' won't mind."

She pointed a finger threateningly under his nose. "And one teasing word about this from you and I'll turn on the air conditioner, got it?"

Azrael really didn't think he would tease her much, but if he started getting knowing smiles, she would lose her mind. She was not about to have Percival Fairweather chuckling at her--a very dark vampire doctor who could wield blood magic and was part of a mafia family--getting all smiley around the sweetest, most wonderful kitsune-kimiho in the whole country.

She felt a little bad about threatening him when he offered to cook her dinner. "Oh, that would be nice, thank you. And not you've piqued my curiosity. I do have nutmeg, and several other spices. Shall we?"
 
Lev gave Garth a long and hard look, then sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I'm pretty sure, yeah. I mean, you don't have to come if you don't want to. Parties aren't everyone's thing, and I'm not going to force you to be uncomfortable," he said, trying to choose his words carefully. He didn't want Garth thinking that Lev was doing this because he was some kind of charity case. "But... look. You seem like it's been a very, very long time since you've just… had a good time. I don't know your whole story or anything, but you give me 'suffer for the sake of the people' vibes, you know? Which is fine and all, but it also makes me want to take care of you. I'm a very chronic worrier, Detective Dekker, and if I know somebody isn't looking after themself, that makes me worry. So if you're not cool with parties, that's fine, but I don't want you to pull that whole self-sacrificing 'I must go because I don’t deserve to have fun’ stuff. I'm inviting you because you seem like a decent guy, if a little weird, and you could probably use a little break. It's not any deeper than that."

He gave Garth a long-suffering look, then elbowed him lightly in the side.

"You know, we've just met and all, but you came all the way here from Cleveland on zero sleep because you wanted to help people, right? I hate your methods, but I think your heart is in the right place, so I can’t bring myself to hate /you/. And this is my city, so… if things do end up getting dicey around here, however it is, I feel better having a friend I can rely on who knows what’s going on. Azrael doesn’t count because she always tries to handle things on her own to protect everyone, and I like that about her, but…”

He trailed off and scratched the back of his neck.

“I guess I’m kind of rambling. I just want to be your friend, that’s all. It’s your vibes. They make me not want to leave you alone. It’s like Wade all over again.”


Percival blinked owlishly, then quickly shook his head. She probably wasn’t being overly serious, but /still/.

“I would never,” he assured her. “You didn’t make fun of my feelings, so I wouldn’t make fun of yours. And Lev seems… nice.”

Now that he had a cooler head that wasn’t full of depressing thoughts of Lev and Wade going on ridiculously cute dates and kissing with the spaghetti like in Lady and the Tramp, he could admit that the fox /did/ seem nice. He always paid attention in meetings, anyways. That was a good trait, he supposed.

“Yes, that would be a good idea,” he said, standing up and stretching. His back popped, and he let out a contented little sigh. “Although… I think my shoes are still in the supply closet. I should go get those first.”
 
Garth made a face when Lev said he was a suffer for the people type. His expression soured even further when Lev called him "weird". He supposed maybe he was a little, but he didn't need Lev to call him out like that.

He could see why Azrael liked him. But he couldn't see what a nice guy like Lev saw in her. He might have tried to convince Lev she was bad news had it not gone terribly last time. He supposed he'd just have to give Azrael a strong talking to. She'd probably just be snarky about it, but.

A rush of warmth settled over his chest when Lev said he wanted to be his friend. After what he had pulled, he wouldn't have been surprised if Lev had thrown him out of New York. Garth sighed, watching his breath plume in the cold air. Lev was kind, and kindness was not a weakness, but bad people tended to use it against kind people.

"Well, if you're going to twist my arm like that," he grumbled, but flashed Lev a small smile to let him know he was kidding. "Can I bring anything? I honestly don't know anything about Lunar New Year, sorry."

He hesitated, but he wasn't sure if Lev felt something coming, or if Garth was just jumping at shadows. But the Blood Mafia had disappeared. Mafia families didn't just vanish. Something was going on. And now that Azrael had no idea where they were, he had no leads. But his gut told him something bad was going on. His gut was rarely wrong.

Garth glanced at Lev. He knew that it wouldn't go over well with Lev if he blurted all Azrael's secrets, and if he were being honest with himself, he kinda hoped it worked out between them. But he still wouldn't be able to live with himself if Lev got caught in the crossfire. "Hey, uh, if you meet her family, don't let them touch you. Azrael'll watch out for you, I'm sure, but just in case." He shrugged. "Honestly, I doubt they'd do anything to you if they knew she likes you, but it's just better if they didn't touch you. It's harder for them to... do their thing if they haven't touched you."





Azrael rolled her eyes fondly at Percival's seriousness.

But then he said something she couldn't leave alone. Her lips curled. "Nice, huh? Lev's not so bad when you realize he's not secretly snogging Wade in broom closets."

She wouldn't make fun of his feelings, but she would make fun of how he had thought a straight guy was dating his crush. She was really going to have to stick those two in a room together one of these days.

Azrael glanced at his scrub pants and shoeless feet with a smile. "Yes, shoes are generally a good idea when it's cold out. You get your shoes, and I'll grab us a taxi."
 
“Nah, you don’t have to bring anything. We do most of the traditional stuff on the first day, when it’s just family. Then we have a bigger get-together on the second day. It’s a lot of food and having fun,” he explained, and then grinned. “My mom likes to go all out, but we’re not really sticklers for tradition. You’re not the first clueless white boy to come over, so don’t worry about it. Just be prepared to play some board games, eat good food and have fun.”

His tone was teasing, because Wade had also been completely clueless when Lev had first invited him over years ago. He’d done so much research and had kind of made a fool of himself, but his mom was touched by his energy. While the holiday was traditionally for family, one thing Mrs. Choi had instilled in Lev over the years was that family wasn’t just blood. Wade had proven that to him, and he had a feeling Thea would work their way into ‘honorary little cousin’ territory soon enough. If Garth wanted it, there might even be a place for him in the Choi’s House for Traumatized Weirdoes And Their Friends.

He went quiet when Garth mentioned Azrael’s family.

Right. He didn’t know anything about them. He was pleased when Garth said they probably wouldn’t hurt him if they knew Azrael cared about him, because it meant that at least they cared about /her/ in some way. But he couldn’t refuse the warning offered in good faith.

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind, just in case. I don’t know what kind of people they are, though I can guess a little bit from what you’ve told me. I want to make my own judgements when meeting people for myself, but it doesn’t hurt to take precautions.”


Percival’s face was very quickly beginning to resemble a sputtering tomato.

“That is not— I did not— people shouldn’t do -that- in /closets/!” He exclaimed, unable to bring himself to say the word ‘snogging’. His mother would probably wrap him on the back of the hand for even thinking about it.

Except now he was thinking about it. At first he thought about Wade and Lev, which was not a very pleasant thought at all. But then he remembered his unfortunate situation in the closet earlier, and how tight everything had been. He considered whether the close space would have been more comfortable if Wade was in there with him, maybe forced to straddle his coils for lack of room—

“SHOES! Yes, I will get the shoes!” He exclaimed, his voice cracking a bit. That was a terrible train of thought and he was not going to entertain it. Especially not in Azrael’s office, and /especially/ not when he was only wearing a pair of scrub pants.

He quickly got to his feet, shuffling past in the way that hopefully did not show exactly what kind of thoughts were on his face, and scuttled to the closet as soon as he made sure that nobody was around to see him.

He ran into Tom the security guard, which was embarrassing, but after assuring him that nothing was amiss, he was confident the man would be discreet. Once he’d managed to pull his shoes and socks from where they’d been wedged in one corner of the closet, he quickly tugged them on and then went back to meet Azrael at her office. At least he was still wearing his coat.
 
Garth pinked a bit at getting called the clueless white boy. He supposed that was exactly what he was in this situation, but he still felt a little stupid about it.

But the thought of being invited over to a holiday event with a family sounded wonderful. He hadn't done that in a while. It was hard to do family things when the only family one was not totally estranged from was in prison for the foreseeable future.

He wasn't really sure of what the Lunar New Year entailed, but playing board games and eating sounded amazing.

He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. "Yeah, ok. I could maybe come for a bit. If your folks don't mind."

And as long as Lev didn't mention the clueless white boy he brought home had been very mean to his new girlfriend. He didn't think that would go over well with Lev's folks.

Garth nodded, glad Lev was taking his advice seriously. "I know you're determined to see he good in everyone, but, seriously. Azrael is the white sheep of her family." He held his hands up. "And that's all I'm going to say about that because I like my blood on the inside of my body."




Azrael's lips curled as Percival reddened. She looked him up and down. "Did you not go to high school? That is exactly what people were using broom closets for. Even I knew that, and I kept my nose in a book the majority of the time."

When his heartrate shifted, Azrael shook her head. Honestly. She was not sure she could handle Percival Fairweather and his crushing. She blamed his parents for this. She wasn't fully sure why, but it seemed like something that was probably at least partially their fault.

And besides, she would probably be inclined to blame his father for bad weather and stubbed toes after how he had treated Wade.

She locked up the clinic as Percival rushed out, his face bright red. She smiled when he returned and lead the way to the doors at a swift pace. Deciding she didn't trust any taxi that Percival would flag down, she grabbed one that was just dropping someone else off. Sliding into the back, she gave the driver the address of her apartment building.

Azrael turned to Percival. "You an make yourself at home, of course. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone."
 
Lev grinned, slapping Garth lightly on the back.
“Hey, I meant that affectionately,” he assured him. “At least you asked, rather than assume. One of my girlfriends before brought a turkey for Lunar New Year. Like, an entire cooked turkey. It was very sweet of her, but I didn’t know how to explain that it wasn’t Christmas or Thanksgiving.”

He laughed at the memory, even though at the time his poor mother had been perplexed at how she could tie a turkey roast into their traditional Korean dinner. It has been an interesting year, gastronomically.

“My parents love company. Just… maybe don’t mention the whole cop thing to my mom. She works with prisoner rehabilitation and she has /opinions/ on the criminal justice system, and she might get you wrapped up in an hour long discussion about prison reform.”

Lev winced at the thought. His mom would be very polite about it, but she would be sure to quiz Garth on exactly what kind of police officer he was, and his opinions on the law vs ethics. Lev did not want to do that to the guy on his very first vacation in what seemed like a very long time.

Maybe next year, if he was back in town.

He went quiet, wondering exactly how bad Azrael’s family was. He didn’t want to make judgements without her explaining things, but she had seemed nervous whenever they were brought up.

“Thanks,” he said after a moment, awkwardly shoving his hands into his pockets. “I mean, I appreciate the warning, and you being worried about me. I am gonna play it by ear, but, you know. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

He looked up, seeing that they’d made it to the subway station. He swiped his pass, then led them to the gate they needed. Luckily the train should be there soon enough.

“We’ll head to the pharmacy first, then we can grab a cab to Wade’s. It’s not that far.”



Percival gave Azrael a very scandalized look.

“I /studied/ in high school,” he said firmly.

Which was half true. He did study, but he also spent a lot of time listening to jazz music and drawing Bad charcoal sketches of Wade in his notebooks. He was not going to tell Azrael about that, because he didn’t want to give her even more ammo against him.

Sliding into the cab next to her, he nodded. He was already feeling lethargic from the cold, and he leaned against her instinctively. He could not wait to get into a heated apartment where he could make a cup of tea and start feeling like a person again.
He didn’t even realize he’d forgotten to change his appearance until he caught a peek in the cab’s rear view mirror. Hm. His mother would scold him about that if she ever found out. He was glad he caught himself before he shapeshifted back to normal in the cab itself.

When they arrived at Azrael’s building, he practically sighed in relief. He didn’t often regret his mother’s decision to follow her husband to New York, but in the winters it was a close thing. He hated snow, and sometimes he just wanted to hibernate it all away.

“Thank you again, for earlier,” he said as they went up the stairs. He shifted awkwardly, unsure exactly what else to say. They were friends now. It was weird, having a genuine friend who wasn’t Wade or one of his siblings. He wasn’t entirely sure what the protocol was.

“Er, I’ll make dinner, and you can warm it up when you get back. Enjoy your walk with Lev. Keep an eye out for any broom closets.”

He winced. That was terrible. He really shouldn’t try to make jokes.

“Er, sorry. Forget that last bit. Have a good time.”
 
Garth tried not to look embarrassed and flustered when Lev slapped him on the back. It had been a while since someone had treated him with casual camaraderie. He raised his eyebrows.

"Even I know turkey isn't a Lunar New Year dish," he said with a chuckle. An entire roast turkey. Garth shook his head. He almost asked where Lev met these women, but, considering the current one, he figured that was a bad call.

He glanced down at Lev. "I'd be the first to agree the justice system is screwed up, and I'm not going to pretend like crooked cops aren't a thing. But don't worry. I won't try to argue with your mom or anything."

He shrugged at Lev's thanks and followed him into the subway station. "You're a nice guy and I don't want to see you get hurt. Azrael'll look out for you, I'm confident of that. But yeah. Pays to be cautious."

Garth nodded, stepping onto the train when it arrived. "Sounds good."

He still couldn't get the image out of his head of Azrael Dreix, daughter of the Blood Mafia, looking him in the eye and telling him he would know the meds were doing their job if he had to pee more than usual.

As the subway arrived at their stop and they got off, Garth said, "You sure Wade is really OK with me staying at his place? I don't want to be a burden or anything."




Azrael snorted. Somehow, she thought Percival spent most of his high school career staring dreamily at Wade. But she supposed she couldn't keep teasing him or he might turn red permanently.

She tensed slightly when he leaned against her, but she reminded herself that it was Percival. So she shifted so he could lean closer to her core. "Are you stealing my body heat, you little thief?" she asked, ruffling his hair affectionately.

She reflected that it was unfortunate there was not a human or werewolf nearby as their body temperatures tended to run higher than that of a vampire. But she supposed she was better than nothing.

She tsked dismissively when he thanked her. She ran her fingers over her door, checking the wards. They were intact, so she unlocked the door and nudged it open. She glanced around at her apartment and realized she hadn't cleaned up from earlier. Mess didn't bother her--if her office desk was anything to go by--but it was not how she had remembered her home being.

She closed the door and turned up the heat. She hoped Percival was ready to deal with her running around in shorts and a tank top if he was going to insist on being reptilian. She made a mental note to stop by a store to grab an electric blanket before returning.

"Turn the heat up to make yourself comfortable. There are blankets in the closet, and my feet may be smaller than yours, but there are slippers around here somewhere."

Azrael turned on him, her eyebrow arched. "Oh? So I can report back to you? Were you planning on snogging someone in there or getting stuck in there again?"

She watched him with satisfaction, a smirk curling at her lips. Shaking her head, she said, "You really make teasing you too easy."

Azrael was about to pull open the door and leave when a thought struck her. She was leaving Percival alone in her apartment. After someone had tried to kidnap him.

"I'm going to cut myself, don't freak out," she said. Pulling up her sleeve she popped the cover off one of her scalpels and slid the blade on the inside of her right wrist. Blood welled up and she drew it down to her palm. Then she pressed her hand to her door. The blood spread out, creating an intricate geometric pattern before glowing faintly and then vanishing.

Nodding to herself, Azrael stepped back and pressed a tissue to the inside of her arm. She dropped the bloody scalpel into a surgical tray with liquid in it and pulled out another scalpel from one of the kitchen drawers. "Don't let anyone in. If someone breaks in, prick your finger and it will activate the wards."

She pushed her glasses up her nose. "Okay, I'm leaving now. If anyone comes after you... call me, okay? No more attempted kidnapping."

She gave him a firm nod before pulling the door open and stepping out into the hall. Closing the door, she paused, resting her hands on it. It would be fine. The ward was a quick one, and it wouldn't keep a powerful mage out, but it should do for someone trying to kidnap Percival.

Azrael pulled her phone out and texted, Headed your way.

Right. Percival was safe. Now she just needed to go and take a walk with Lev. She could do that.
 
Lev smiled at Garth, glad that he at least wasn't blind to the system's many, many faults.

"That's good. She can get kind of on a roll when it comes to that sort of thing, and I don't want her to talk your ear off," he said, though he figured at some point, if Garth became a friend, his mom would rope him into the discussion about prison reform anyways.

"I don't think I'm particularly nice, really. I'm just normal," Lev countered as their train came to a stop. He liked to think that most people thought in a similar way to him, even if not all of them were comfortable being open about it.

When Garth asked if he was being a burden on Wade, Lev actually laughed.

"Wade is ok with it, really. I mean, Wade likes to help people. He told me he likes to feel like he's making the world a better place, even if he's just doing it for one person. He'd probably be more bothered if you didn't stay with him," Lev explained. "He's friendly, and he likes to connect with people. Having someone around with common sense'll be good for him."

It wasn't far from the subway station to Wade's apartment, a basement unit in a townhouse complex that was on the older side. It wasn't fancy, and the building had seen better days, but it was clean, and each unit had the signs of being lived in and loved. Lev smiled and waved at an older woman who was watering her tiny porch garden two units down, and she waved back at him as he ducked down the stairs to the basement entrance.

The apartment was small, and a little cramped. An old piano, fixed up and in excellent shape, took up one corner of the living room, which was separated from the modest kitchen by a small breakfast nook. There was a monster of a television taking up the opposite wall to the television, big and clunky with a 40" screen and built in DVD player. A VCR sat next to it, along with a nintendo gamecube. The bookshelf next to the television was full, with one shelf dedicated to VHS tapes, another to video games and two more to DVDs. There was a vintage record player next to a small stereo, and the coffee table was full of books and work papers. On the kitchen wall there was a calendar that was full to bursting with sticky notes, detailing birthdays and important events for colleagues and employees. They contained information like 'Martha's birthday, she likes chocolate cake' or 'Sam's wife death anniversary, be nice to him that day'.

Lev took his shoes off by the front door, showing Garth the coatrack and then leading him to the guest room. It wasn't big, but it was clean, with a twin bed and a wardrobe. There was a crocheted blanket atop a handmade quilt, with a hand-embroidered throw pillow nestled among the bedding. Lev had been a bit surprised when he had first come here, since it didn't really seem to match Wade's tastes. After knowing him for a while, and speaking to his neighbours, the eclectic mix of handmade decor made more sense.

It said a lot about Wade, Lev thought, that his elderly neighbour made him a quilt as thanks for all the help he gave her through the year, or that the family from down the street embroidered pillows for him as a christmas gift, even when they didn't celebrate the holiday. He had a way of worming his way into peoples' lives, and nothing showed it more than the gifts he showed off with pride.

"I don't know if you had any clothes you brought with you, but I can grab some stuff for you from Walmart later, if you need it. Just text me, and you can pay me back for it once you've had a nap," Lev explained. "Feel free to help yourself to stuff in the fridge - Mrs Carlton made him apple pie the other day, and he might have a slice left. Steal it, it's worth it."


Percival felt himself relaxing as soon as the heat in the apartment started to go up, the stress from the day melting almost immediately.

Until Azrael started teasing him, anyways.

"I-- You can be mean," he grumbled once he realized she was just teasing. There was a small smile on his face that wouldn't go away, though, and he wasn't about to let the good mood he'd gained from indoor air heating go away just from that.

He made his way over to the couch, feeling comfortable enough to sit down without asking - which was rare - and only tensed a little when Azrael cut herself. Blood magic was... different, and it would take some time to get used to, but he tried not to show any discomfort on his face. He certainly wasn't going to judge her for it.

"I'm certain I'll be fine. Last night was the first incident of that sort in a long while," he said, hoping he sounded reassuring. He didn't really think that it was that big of a deal. As the child of the owner of a criminal drug empire and a very visible, wealthy media mogul, he was used to people trying to take advantage of his existence for their own gains. Maybe that was part of the problem, but he wasn't planning on examining that too closely right now.

"Just let me know when you come back, and I'll have dinner ready for you."
 
Garth smiled faintly at the thought of Lev's mom cornering him and giving him a lecture on the justice system. She seemed like the sort of woman you wanted on your side, not opposing you. He made a mental note to do his best to be an angelic guest and get on Mrs. Choi's good side.

He glanced at Lev when he claimed he was normal. Because most people help out the guy that gave their almost-girlfriend a panic attack. Garth shook his head but decided not to fight the point.

Garth nodded. He wasn't sure that Wade being happy to let him stay actually made him feel like less of a burden. He did snort a little at Lev's statement that heavily suggested that he, the one who had come to New York with nothing but the clothes on his back, would benefit Wade with his "common sense". But he would definitely keep an eye on Wade's drinking. He had taken it as a solemn duty and would be very serious about fulfilling it.

Garth wasn't really sure what he had expected of Wade Harper, but this was not it. It looked like his grandmother's home. Well, except for all the tech. But there was something very fitting about the eclectic mix of decor. Following Lev's example, he removed his shoes and hung up his coat. This revealed that he was carrying a handgun in an under-arm holster, but he didn't think that hanging it up on the coat rack--which it what he normally did at home--was the best idea. He figured he'd stick it in a drawer for the duration of his stay.

"No, you don't need to do that," Garth said, horrified at the idea of Lev going shopping for him. "I'll be fine in just this."

He chuckled. "I'm still very full from your dad's cooking, but I'll keep that pie in mind."

He should probably clean or something to show his gratitude, but that bed with it's homemade quilt and crocheted blanket looked softer than a cloud.

There was a knock on the door, and Garth looked through the peep hole. "It's Azrael," he said, pulling the door open. "Drake."

Azrael blinked in surprise at Garth. "Dekker. Why are you still conscious?"

Garth stepped back to reveal Lev and her expression softened. Garth rolled his eyes. "I'll sleep, yeesh. What are you, the nap police?"

"No, just a doctor whose patient is being an idiot," Azrael said, sliding her shoes off and stepping inside. "Oh."

She pulled out a prescription pad and scribbled a number on it. Garth frowned, seeing red on the inside of her right arm. Holding the paper out to Garth, Azrael said, "If you need anything or get into any trouble--"

He caught her wrist and pushed up her sleeve to reveal the healing scar from her scalpel. He lifted his eyes to hers, and she glared at him.

"Let go and take the paper."

"Not until you tell me why you did that," Garth growled.

"I owe you no explanation," Azrael hissed. She thought about breaking the scab just to freak him out, but he probably had a lot of trauma associated with hemomancy. She softened. "I was fixing the wards on my apartment, Dekker. You know I don't need any of mine to affect yours."

"It's not me I'm worried about," he said, dropping her wrist.

Azrael bristled, having caught the slight glance towards Lev. She waved the paper in Garth's face. "Take my cell number, you pig-headed primate, and then go take a nap."

"Isn't your species also one of the primates?" Garth grumbled, snatching the paper from her. But he was feeling really tired. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right.

At the door to Wade's spare room, he turned slightly. "Hey, um. Sorry. About grabbing your wrist."

Azrael folded her arms across her chest. "Bed. Now."

Garth gave her a curt nod. She was the most aggressive provider he had ever met in his life. Turning to Lev, he said, "Thanks for getting me here."

Once he was behind the closed door, Azrael relaxed slightly. She understood why Dekker assumed the worst, but having to justify everything she did was starting to wear her out. She slid her eyes to Lev and momentarily thought about just turning and running. But the extra-large TV and bursting calendar reminded her of Wade's suggestion that she let Lev make his own decisions.

Azrael let out a breath, tugging her sleeves over her wrists. It would be fine. If Lev decided she was too evil to be around, she would be no worse off, right?

Trying to summon her confidence, she asked, "So, you promised me a walk?"





Aw, she had warded her apartment. Not very heavily, but enough to keep out average marauders. At least she was being careful.

Sariel Dreix, head of the Dreix family, pulled off her elbow-length evening glove and withdrew an ornate knife. The nice thing was that she wasn't actually trying to dismantle the wards, so she only needed a little blood. Besides, the magic would recognize the familiar blood. She pricked the the pinky finger of her left hand with practiced ease and drew an ornate symbol in the air. Sliding her knife back in the sheath and then her hand back in her glove, she waved the symbol at the door. It settled, flashing red and then disappearing. The lock clicked.

Sariel could tell her daughter was not in, but someone was. Smoothing her evening gown, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. She politely removed her shoes--flats, she was fashionable, not insane--and surveyed the apartment. Despite the minimal decoration, her daughter had not lost her habit of piling every surface with books, papers, and mugs. And now she could feel there were more wards inside. Dormant and activated by blood, clever. It was, however, intolerably hot in there. Sariel removed her coat and hung it on the hooks by the door before stepping out of the entryway and into the living room.

She blinked in surprise at the young man on the couch. After her daughter's disinterest in dating, she had given up hope. But there was a young man in her daughter's apartment.

"Oh!" she cried, dark brown eyes glinting red. "Are you Azrael's partner? I'm so sorry to drop in like this! I'm Azrael's mother."

She gestured at herself as if it were obvious--and it was. She wore her wavy black hair long, and she smiled more than Azrael, but the eyes and cheekbones were the same. And while her daughter had a vaguely vampiric vibe, Sariel leaned into it. Her lips were blood red--it was probably lipstick. She had a Victorian-style choker and dangle earrings that looked like drops of blood. Her evening gown was deep black and had a plunging neckline.

Sariel stretched her hand out to Percival. "I'm so glad to meet you, dear! What is your name?"
 
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Lev tried not to stare when Garth took off his coat and revealed his handgun. He also tried to keep his expression fairly neutral, although he was sure that some of his distaste showed through. He understand that guns were standard issue for police officers, and that sometimes they were called for in their line of work. It didn't mean he liked them.

He tried not to let it colour his opinion. So far, Garth seemed bull-headed, stubborn, and kind of dumb in a well-meaning way, but he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would use his gun without very good reason. So Lev was going to have to be ok with him having it.

Even if he really wanted to go and buy a lockbox for the thing immediately.

But then Azrael arrived, and Lev found himself straightening up and brushing invisible dust off his clothes before Garth could let her in. He did give him a very long and warning look when he grabbed her, but he let go easily enough, and he apologised. It wasn't great, but Lev would take it.

"I'm a big boy and can take care of myself, by the way," he pointed out, keeping his smile polite. "But thanks for your concern, even if it's uneccessary. Go get some sleep. There should be a toothbrush in the bathroom cupboard."

He almost wanted to ask Garth what underwear size he wore because he was not coming to dinner with Lev's parents in the same dirty underwear he had been wearing all week, but asking that in front of Azrael was a little bit too mean. He'd let him off the hook. This time.

Once they had stepped out of the apartment and Lev checked that the door was locked, he took in a deep breath and shook out his hands. Right.

"Yeah! But first... I mean, I didn't want to say anything in front of Garth, but your arm is ok, right? I don't know a lot about blood magic, and you're the doctor so you probably know better than me, but does it like... hurt?" He eyed the bandage with a look of sympathy, because Lev did not like pain and could not imagine cutting himself constantly the way Azrael seemed to have to for her magic. But it was also not really his business.

As they walked down the street, he took a few turns, leading them towards the small park and playground that he'd decided on for their... kinda-date.

"Is that something I'm supposed to ask about, actually? Or is it, like, coven secrets? One of my friends in high school was a witch, and she hated when I asked about her super secret witchcraft stuff. My family doesn't really do magic, personally, although I think my great great grandmother practised shamanism for a while?? So just, uh, let me know if I'm being super rude by accident."



Percival was just settling into a pleasant doze when the door to Azrael's apartment opened.

"Did you forget something?" He asked from where he was curled up on the couch, but froze when he realized that it was not Azrael who had come in. His senses were still lazy from sleep, and he tensed at being caught unawares. He did not like being surprised like this.

He sat up, trying to look proper and intimidating like his parents always told him to look during business meetings. Polite, with a smile, but clearly not a pushover.

"Oh, my apologies. Azrael left earlier," Percival said, nodding his head in the traditional vampire greeting without even a thought. His mind was racing on the inside, remembering exactly what Azrael had said about her mother and the kind of business she dealt in. His own mother would not be pleased if another criminal organization moved in on her turf.

It took a second for his mind to catch up with Sariel's words, and his cheeks flushed at the idea that he was her partner. While Azrael was a very nice woman, he was pretty certain that she would laugh in his face if he ever had the audacity to ask her out.

"No, no, we're merely... friends from work. I'm Percival," he said. "I was feeling a little faint earlier, so Azrael offered to let me rest in her apartment for a while rather than going all the way back home. Would you like me to call her? I'm sure she'd love to know that you're here."
 
Azrael let out a breath as soon as the door was closed. While she was glad Garth was safe and getting rest, she was also glad to be away from him. When Lev turned to her, she flushed. She hadn't quite been ready for this conversation, yet.

But it was nice, having someone who cared. So instead of brushing him off and tugging her sleeves down, she turned her arms over to reveal the other scars. They were unseemly, but her mother had always said that was part of the price.

"I know how it looks, but it isn't bad. It's not a deep cut, and I don't use it often. I have rules," she added quickly, "for using it on other people. Only with permission, unless the circumstances are dire." She gestured back in the general direction of Wade's apartment, where Garth was hopefully sleeping. "To save a life, for instance."

Azrael couldn't help but chuckle. Lev certainly babbled when he was nervous. She was also nervous, but he was putting her at ease by just being his sweet self. "Well, it's not fight club or anything. But it's not... common. And most haemomancers are not... as scrupled as I am." She hesitated, because it seemed a silly thing to say. He wasn't stupid. But she still felt the need to caution him. "I don't spread it around. Few things are more frightening than a vampire with more power over blood than that natural to our species. You are now one of three people who know in this city. Four, counting Dekker."

Azrael hesitated. She wanted to know how much the detective had let slip about her family, but the thought of talking about it made her want to bolt. She took a deep breath, let it out. "No, it's a fine question. And it's... nice. Being open with you."

She felt the tips of her ears go hot and lifted her shoulders to hide the flush. She glanced at Lev before quickly looking away. Before she could lose her nerve, she said, "You can ask me anything, but... please know that I'm still the same person you met a while ago. And if you decide that--that this is too dangerous or too much or more than you bargained for, please let it be because of that, not because you see me in a different light."

She winced, realizing that sounded a bit dramatic. Maybe she should just turn around and go back to her apartment where she could hide under a blanket and she and Percival could talk about how their stupid families inhibited their abilities to find a boyfriend when it was really their own ineptitude and cowardice.

Azrael took a breath and let it out, turning to the kindest, most caring kumiho/kitsune she had ever met. "I'm sorry. The past twenty-four hours have been a lot. How are you doing? With all of this?"





Sariel couldn't help but let a little of her disappointment show when Percival revealed he was not Azrael's partner. So her daughter was still stubbornly single. As long as Azrael was happy, but Sariel couldn't deny her next question had been about the possibility of grandchildren.

It was a shame. The young man before her seemed well groomed and polite--she hadn't missed the polite vampire greeting, which she had returned--and she was fairly sure he was some sort of inhuman. She could not tell which sort without touching his blood, but she bet her left fang that there was vampire in there somewhere.

Sariel chuckled with her best woman of high society tone as she settled into the armchair. "No need! I can just wait for her."

She looked over Percival with a critical eye. "No offense, darling, but you do not look like the medical type. Are you in the administrative side?"

Sariel was fully aware of Azrael's place of employment. She couldn't help but wonder that her daughter had taken refuge in the domain of another vampire family--whether they knew it or not. She could use it to her advantage, of course.
 
Lev tried his very best not to flinch when he saw the scars on Azrael's arms.

He didn't want her to feel bad about her magic, and he really didn't want her to regret opening up to him. But as much as he logically knew the reason behind Azrael's scars was practical, he seen similar things too many times over his years of helping his mom volunteer with the various organizations she was associated with. He'd also seen something similar on the inside of Wade's forearm, though the three lines were faded now, and hidden high enough to be hidden by sleeves most days.

He shook his head, because there was no reason to get upset about this, but he could still feel that gross sticky feeling he got in his throat when he learned that somebody close to him was hurt.

"I'm not worried about you using it on other people without permission," Lev said quickly. "I mean, it's just... It just looks like it hurt."

It was a lame excuse, but he didn't know how else to ease his discomfort.

"I'm very glad to know you trust me with this. I won't tell anyone, I promise," he assured her, then found himself trailing off again. He had a feeling he had ruined the mood, but when Azrael expressed her concern, he found himself smiling.

"My mom always told me that we can't really know everything about another person," he began, stretching his arms out above his head. "Everyone has secrets. Sometimes they're not even intentional secrets, they're just... things we don't think to talk about. So when I say that I'm only interested in the you that I see now, I mean it. I can only judge you by what I've seen and what I know of you, which is that you're a good doctor and a kind person. You're also enough of a mother hen that you bullied the man who came here to arrest you into getting enough sleep and changing his diet. So no, finding out about your magic isn't going to change my opinion of you."

He hesitated for a second, then began to fidget awkwardly in front of him.

"It sounds a bit sanctimonious, but... I've known a lot of people over the years who have bad things in their past. Mistakes they've made and awful things they've done. Some of them don't care, but some of them are genuinely trying to turn things around and become better people. My mom volunteers with this organization that helps inmates coming out of prison obtain secure housing and employment, as well as mental health resources, you know? I've seen so many people who did horrible things at the lowest points in their lives. And I don't want to compare you, or make you feel like this is some kind of... weird charity case sort of thing, because it's not. But I want you to understand where I'm coming from. If you're trying your best to do good now, whatever secrets you have, whatever might have happened at the lowest points in your life, that stuff doesn't affect how I see you today. So yeah, I mean, I'm not gonna lie. It's a little overwhelming, and I'm probably going to have questions, but you don't have to worry about, you know, scaring me off. I mean, unless you're, I don't know, secretly running an illegal organ smuggling ring out of your clinic or something terrible like that, but I'm pretty sure that Thea wouldn't go along with that, so I think we're good."



Percival noticed the look of disappointment that flashed across Sariel's face and briefly wondered what it meant. Was it bad that he was Azrael's boss? Was this going to result in some kind of weird vampire turf war? The bizarre territorial scraps between lamia and naga were hard enough to navigate, Percival hardly wanted to have to worry about keeping tabs on vampire disputes as well.

"Ah, I admit I'm from a different department than the clinic itself," Percival admitted, deciding that he did not want to give this woman his full name, or too much information to use against him. He had been hoping he could text Azrael for advice, but with Sariel watching him the way she was, he wasn't sure that was a bright idea. Offending her seemed like a very bad course of action.

"I work in Fairweather's marketing department, though I visit the clinic often. Your daughter's been a great asset to the company with the clinic she runs."

Sure, a lot of the staff was a little bit afraid of her, but Percival figured Azrael probably liked it that way.
 
**TW: Mentions of Self-Harm**

Azrael winced at Lev's reaction. She maybe should have warned him. She hadn't known what it looked like until she had gone to the doctor for a Streptococcus vampirii infection when she was in undergrad. The gentle doctor had tried to get her to go see a psychologist.

"It isn't like that," she tried to assure him. "It is just for magic, it's not self-harm. I'm sorry, I should have warned you what it looked like. I hope that wasn't triggering for you."

She pulled her sleeves down and rested her hand on his arm. "It doesn't hurt anymore. But it makes me think every time I use it if the sacrifice is worth it."

Azrael hesitated. She was proud of her magic and what she had learned to do with it. She didn't want Lev to think it was a part of her to be ashamed of. "But it isn't all bad. It can be used for a lot of good things. For instance, I can keep a hemorrhaging patient from bleeding out, or stimulate someone's immune system. I can sense cardiovascular issues as soon as I walk into the exam room. I can heal heart attacks immediately. I don't use it on any of my patients unless circumstances are dire because I can't get permission, but someday I would like to be able to."

She smiled softly when he fidgeted, and the tips of her ear reddened when he said she was a good doctor. "It's not my magic I'm worried about, to be honest."

Azrael knew that the part about the secret organ smuggling ring was a joke, and Thea said that she didn't need to take everything so literally. She knew that, but she also needed to make sure Lev knew. "I would never do that. I take care of my patients. And I know you know that, but I just want you to hear me say that that is not the sort of crime I'm guilty of. The things that Detective Dekker said... not all of them are true, but not all of them are false. You already know about the lying about my species and destroying records. But none of my crimes hurt anyone. But I couldn't practice medicine as a vampire. My species tends to hide our true nature even if we're just accountants or something. But doctor? No one would want to see a vampire doctor--if I had even been accepted into med school. And my name--well."

She glanced at Lev. "Dekker already let my real family name slip, and I have to admit that I hope the name 'Dreix' means nothing to you."

She took a deep breath. Wade had told Lev part of the story about his father, and Lev hadn't run off. Hopefully he wouldn't fault her for her parentage. "I changed my family name in part to no longer be associated with them, but also because I wanted to hide from them. I love them, but they aren't good people. Dekker was not exaggerating. Given the incentive, they would bleed a town dry."

She shoved her hands into her pockets, running her left thumb over the grip of one of her scalpels. "I don't think you'll fault me for their actions, that's not a reservation. I've not seen them much over the past twelve years, but that doesn't mean they couldn't find me and drag me back to that life. They wouldn't hurt you, don't be worried about that. But I don't want you to be tainted by associating with me."

Azrael let out a long breath. "And with Detective Dekker's news of their disappearance, I'm worried. It means they probably got bored of Cleveland and are moving to set up in a new city. And if you think human turf wars are bad, pray you never see a vampire turf war. We're a little more territorial than humans." She shrugged. "They probably went to Chicago or something. But that would mean challenging the ruling vampire family there, and if the turf war grew difficult, they could try to get me back. I'm pretty good with blood magic."

Stopping, she turned to face Lev. This had been a bit easier than she had anticipated. It had been like ripping a bandage off. But now came the hard part. "I'm telling you this because I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire. I do really care about you, and I will not put my own wants above your safety. But I'm taking the advice of someone who can be startlingly wise when he wants to and letting you decide." She slid her eyes from Lev. "Take as long as you need, and I will completely understand if you decide it's too much. No hard feelings." She'd get over it eventually, she was sure. "I just wanted you to be informed so you can make the best decision."




Sariel smiled. "Ah, the marketing department. A very important position."

At least she assumed. Mafias had little need for marketing other than the name "mafia".

Her smile brightened. He visited the clinic often? He did not seem very sickly. Perhaps there was hope for her daughter's love life after all.

"Oh, I have no doubt she is. Did you know she earned a scholarship to med school? We're very proud of her." It wasn't a lie. Even though Azrael was in her silly run-away-from-home stage, Sariel and her husband, Armand, were proud that their daughter had succeeded in college. They had been worried there for a bit with those freshman grades, but Azrael had brought them up and graduated with honors. Soon she would grow bored of playing at being a doctor and would come home to take her place at her mother's side.

Uncrossing her legs, Sariel stood. "Well, I think if my daughter is going to insist on keeping us waiting, we should drink some of her tea."

Sariel filled Azrael's kettle and set it on the stove. "Tell me about yourself, Percival. My daughter must hold you in high regard to have you over to her home. We Drakes are very picky about those we associate with." She pulled open the cabinet she guessed would be the hot drinks cabinet and smirked to find she was correct. She glanced at Percival, her eyes glinting red. "It looks like she has a large variety of teas. What can I get you?"
 
Lev felt tension leave his shoulders that he hadn't even noticed he'd been holding in.

"Oh. Ok, good," he said dumbly, feeling heat flush to his face. "I mean, it's not... triggering or anything. I just felt worried, I guess. But I trust you."

His smile softened when he listened to her describe the good she could do for her patients. He hadn't known Azrael nearly as long as he'd known Wade, but she shared a similar penchant for wanting to help people. The smile fell when she talked about being a doctor, and he sighed in understanding.

"I get it. I mean, not exactly, because I'm not a vampire, but... My mom struggled really hard to get her degree. The charities she works for have her hide her species, too. Kumiho, you know, people think foxes are tricksters and all that, and my mom is great at manipulating the rules to get what she wants, but what she wants is to help people, just like you. And then there's the whole... seductress thing. I didn't get it as bad because I'm a guy, but a lot of people think fox spirits are just dying to screw around with every guy they can get their hands on. My cousin Eun-ji had a stalker once in college, you know? It sucks."

Eun-ji had also tried to go to the police, and Lev had held her in the station when the officer who took her statement gave her a once over and asked her if she had led the guy on. Lev had never been more ready to try a real human liver in his life. Thankfully the issue had eventually been taken care of.

At Fairweather, people were judgemental, but at least it wasn't the lawless harrassment that took place in college and high school. Lev had met his fair share of jerks, but at least people didn't try to get him drunk so he'd turn into a girl and give them a blowjob anymore.

"I mean, not that it's really the same thing," he clarified quickly, because he didn't mean to make this about him. "But I just wanted you to know I kind of have an idea where you're coming from."

He trailed off, thinking about the name. Right. Garth had mentioned in. Lev hadn't really thought about it too much.

"I've heard it in the news now and then," he said, because he had a vague idea, but didn't really know details. When Azrael elaborated, he went quiet, thinking it over. "I'll admit, my experience with organized crime is... not extensive. My mom knows more about that sort of thing. I do know, though, that I like you. I'll be honest and say that I don't really know how I'd react if a criminal gang war broke out, and how that would affect us. But I also don't know how I'd react if, say, we were both to get hit by a bus in a freak traffic accident. I can try to plan for it, and if it helps I could maybe do a bit of research into that sort of thing, find out some safety tips. But I don't want the idea that something might happen in the future tos crae me off of something that's really good right now. So... I'd like to give it a try. We can handle the future and whatever it brings when it comes, one step at a time. How's that sound?"



Percival flashed Sariel his winning smile.

In truth, his job was entirely the result of nepotism. He wasn't bad at it, but he certainly wasn't great at it either. If his father didn't own the company, he would likely be in a junior staffer position forever, with a paycheck a fraction of the size he got now. But because he was handsome and rich, his benefit to the company was propped up to be much greater than it was.

Not that he was going to tell Azrael's mother that.

He was a little surprised to hear Sariel say that she was proud of her daughter. He had gotten the idea that Azrael's parents didn't approve of her decision to go into medicine.

"She didn't mention that, but I'm not surprised. She's very good at what she does," he said with genuine fondness.

He was a little surprised that Sariel just sorted through her daughter's cupboards like it was nothing. He couldn't imagine going into a relative's home and just looking through things, but he supposed maybe it was different if it was a parent.

"Er, I'm far from interesting," he said quickly. He wasn't entirely sure how much information was safe to give away. "Azrael and I met as patient and doctor, but now we're... friends."

It was a word he didn't really use often, and it made him feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside to say it. He noticed that he was smiling and quickly cleared his expression, though the tips of his ears had turned a bit red.

"The lavender would be fine," he said when Sariel asked his tea preference. "I believe it's in a purple box on the top shelf."

He remembered from when he'd made tea the night before.
 
Azrael smiled. It felt so good to be talking to another non-human about this. About how hard it was to not be human. And to hear he had similar experiences. She wasn't glad he had also bee through this sort of thing, but it made her feel less alone in this big city.

She rested a hand on his upper arm when he started to say it wasn't really that similar. He seemed alright with physical contact, she had observed. Wade touched him all the time and Lev had touched her several times. She tried to not to touch people too often as it gave her access to the magic in their blood, but she had grown to enjoy it with Thea.

"We share and equate our experiences to show empathy," she said. "That was not only an appropriate but a welcome shared experience."

Azrael braced herself as Lev took a breath. This was where he would to the logical thing and she would have gotten herself all worked up for nothing. But then he said he liked her, and red spread over her face. But then he equated a getting dragged into a vampire turf war with being hit by a bus. She opened her mouth to give a detailed expatiation of how those were not the same thing but realized that wasn't the point and closed her mouth.

When he said he wanted to give it a try, Azrael stared at Lev for a solid thirty seconds. Finally she blinked and asked, "Are you sure? You did hear the part about the mafia family, right?"

But a smile was creeping across her face. She tried to stop it, but it kept spreading. Now what? Did she shake his hand? That didn't sound right, this wasn't a business deal. And they were just going to give it a try and see where it went. That was a perfectly normal and average thing.

Azrael clasped her hands in front of her almost as if she were making a petition. "Could I possibly hug you? I would like that, if you would also like that."




Sariel chuckled when Percival said he wasn't interesting. She had learned a few things. She was fairly certain he had some vampire blood in him, and you didn't join up with a conglomerate of a vampire family unless you were associated with them or hiding. He had good breeding and manners, which further solidified that. And he had money if his suit was anything to go off of. Why he associated with her daughter, she wasn't sure--though she was holding on to the hope Percival liked her romantically. He had hesitated on the word "friend".

"Nonsense," Sariel said. "Everyone is interesting. Anyone who says otherwise has something to hide." She winked at Percival.

She located the lavender tea and dropped a tea bag into one of the eclectic mugs. In the other, she dropped Earl Grey. After pouring water over both tea bags, she returned to the living area. Sariel handed Percival the mug, attempting to brush her fingers across his in casual contact.

"What is your position in the marketing department?" she asked, settling back and taking a sip of her tea.
 
Lev gave Azrael a quick shake of his head.

"I mean, if it helps, you're not the only person I know who has, er... Well, not really mafia. Family with a criminal background?" He thought of Wade's father and the assortment of criminal charges he had racked up. But, well, Lev had not inherited his mother's habit of seeing the best in people for nothing.

His mom had not raised him to judge people, and he wasn't going to start now.

"I mean, organized crime is a bit new. Blood mafia is definitely new. I won't lie and say this is something I have real experience with, but if there's anything my mom has taught me, it's that people shouldn't be judged for things out of their control, or things they regret having done in the past. So, yeah, the blood mafia doesn't scare me."

He grinned, then pulled her into a tight hug.

"You know, I was gonna say you don't have to ask for a hug, but I was about to ask you the same thing, so maybe I shouldn't judge," he teased. They were both probably going to be a bit awkward with this for at least a little while.

He may have been exaggerating a tiny bit when he said that the blood mafia didn't scare him. It scared him a little bit -maybe even more than a little bit, if he was going to be completely honest with himself- but he didn't think Azrael needed an excuse to push him away right now. He would deal with the problems as they came, and if he had to use bravado to his advantage for the moment, that was just how these things worked sometimes.

Azrael felt nice in his arms, too. She wasn't taller than him, which had been a trend with a lot of his girlfriends. Not that having a tall girlfriend was bad, but it was different - nice - the way they fit together. Also her hair smelled nice. Was it creepy to say her hair smelled nice?

His face was a bit red as they separated, and he hoped it looked like it was from the cold rather than how embarrassed he was. He also hoped that the goofy smile on his face wasn't too obvious, but he was less confident about that one.



This woman was going to throw Percival off his game.

"Well, I suppose if you put it that way," he laughed, keeping his voice light. He had to give her something then, to throw her off the scent of his more dangerous secrets. The trouble was figuring out what was safe to let her know.

Anything involving his mother was out. If she knew that there was any potential competition on her turf, she would immediately show up to take care of it, and that was the last thing Percival wanted. He was distracted enough that their fingers brushed as he took the teacup, so quickly that he didn't even notice it.

"I suppose I shouldn't be acting so suspicious, since you are Azrael's mother. My full name is Percival Fairweather, which always incites a whole lot of questions about my father and his business, so I tend not to mention it. I hope I didn't offend you with my evasiveness."
 
Azrael's wondering who else Lev knew with a criminal family was abruptly cut off when he pulled her into a hug. Well that was. That was nice. She was quite used to Thea constantly hugging her for reasons only they seemed to understand, but this was different.

She often remembered people by how their heartbeats sent ripples through her magic, and she was growing rather fond of Lev's particular ripple pattern. His heart rate was fast, and she could feel her own trying to compete. She closed her eyes for a brief second to enjoy the sensation.

She smiled at his big grin when they stepped back. She didn't grin like that--showing fangs was a bit threatening, but it didn't look that way on him.

"Well," she said, taking his hand. She wasn't sure what was next. She was fairly certain she would need to text Thea or they would have her head on a platter. And Percival? Did she tell Percival?

That made her think of him. She was sure he was fine.

That made Azrael think of Lev's flushed cheeks. It was probably a variety of things, but she decided to ask, "You cold? Should we get something to warm up? Actually, I'll just be upfront with you. I am rubbish at this. Vampires just drink a lot of things regardless of the occasion. I don't really know what other species do when they spend time together, to be honest."

Now that all the stress and fear was gone, Azrael tried to get her shoulders to relax. When she asked her body why they would not, she noticed a bad feeling. She didn't know the source, so she mentally went through reasons to have a bad feeling.

"I'm so sorry to do this, let me just text someone really quickly," she said, pulling out her phone. He was fine. Percival was fine. He wasn't being kidnapped. He was probably running up her heating bill and drinking all her tea. It was fine. He was fine. She quickly texted, All good?

"Sorry," she repeated, pocketing her phone. "I just have this random bad feeling. No idea why." She smiled. "I'm sure it's nothing."







Sariel hid her little smile of victory as her fingers brushed Percival's. With all her years of experience at her craft, it was enough that she could access the magic deep in his blood if she wanted to, but not enough to tell much about him. However, his next words helped with that.

She laughed lightly. "Oh, no, darling, I didn't think you were being evasive." She waved her hand and took a sip of her tea. "Do not worry, I will not ask too many questions. I'm not caught up with technology, to be honest. I've only recently learned about search engines."

While she was being honest there, she did know more about the Fairweather family than she cared to explain. Of course she had to know what other vampires were big in the city. And now she had touched one of Charles Fairweather's children. That certainly gave her an advantage she had not anticipated. And, that meant she probably knew who his mother was. She was a vary mysterious lady, and Sariel did not have as much information as she would have liked. She may have not anticipated this meeting at all, but it certainly was a fortuitous one.

"I won't ask you about work, then, how's that?" Sariel said with a sweet smile. She didn't want him thinking she was grilling him and putting his guard up. "What do you like to do for fun, Percival? I have not been to the great city of New York in quite some time. Anything I should definitely do? I could ask Azrael, but I'm not sure if you've noticed but she tends to hyperfocus on work. Gets it from her father."
 
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