Ride ⇢ K de la Renta (Patreon)

Realistically, K hadn’t exactly offered to wait for you, but they hadn’t drawn the short straw for the task either. They don’t mind, truly.

Though, despite their confident facade, they can probably admit to themselves that just by looking at you they feel a little on edge. A whole load of emotions engulf them at once. Guilt, sadness, sorrow, empathy… those are all the feelings K can make out, but there are others there too. Positive ones. A dose of happiness, the type that tingles over your skin. The type that would get them smiling and force their dimples to pop out.

The former list of feelings; the reasons for those are obvious. K regularly has sleepless nights about the night at the detectives office, thankfully, for now, bad dreams haven’t crept up. But when they remember the part they played in compelling you, that’s what gives them that sinking feeling. A split second decision that changed everything in, not only your life, but theirs too.

It’s a thought they shake from their head, quickly too because they’ve just slipped the last of their jewellery on and you should be arriving any minute now.

K goes through a whole load of cues in their head to keep them relaxed: ‘be your normal self’, ‘remember why you’re going to this shitty gala’, ‘make sure that—‘

“You’re not wearing denim,” you blurt out as you enter the room.

Your comment pulls K from their thoughts, pulls them from their cues, and for a moment they’re sure they’re going to stay standing there with their mouth ajar as their eyes flicker over you. But they quickly regain their composure.

“I know, it’s a miracle,” K jokes, their hands going over their outfit , suddenly a little self-conscious — but they aren’t going to let you know that.

The two of you have been in this close proximity before, not just during Detective Wyatt’s untimely death, but also during the demon party in the South, during your times at university together. But, for K, this feels… different.

It could be because of the adventure you’re about to go on, or the fact that you interrupted their train of thought. Or maybe it’s because they’re seeing you in a different light. One where the two of you are just merely vampire and human.

You mean something to them. They somewhat care for you, because in this crazy world, in the time you’ve known each other, you’ve been through more than most. And K’s sure the two of you will go through a lot more.

But, to them, there wouldn’t be anyone better to share this ride with.