Beauregad Benefit Ball | Students

in my veins

It had taken her five minutes to embarrass Alex in the ballroom. Two minutes to run outside and make sure he hadn’t followed her to strangle her. That left three minutes to stand here, breathless, and waiting.

She rolled her lips together, her hands crossed in front of her as she held her cellphone like a talisman. Vera couldn’t be sure how many times she’d opened it back up to read his texts. To trace her thumb across the screen and then have a little moment of panic when the damn touch screen thought she was trying to type something. Shaking her head at herself, Vera struggled to get a grip on her racing thoughts.

The longer she stood there, nodding and smiling at the people who were not Malachai, the more foolish she felt. Why was she so nervous? He was just a boy at her school. He was nice to her. It was nothing special.

Absolutely nothing special.

Nothing…

… Special…

Her eyes turned to find the boy walking against the crowd toward her. She half turned to face him, sucking in a breath at the sight of him. He sure did clean up well… Vera’s gaze fell down over Malachai as he stepped up; his mouth curving up in that coy smile he had. She could feel her heart thudding heavily in her chest.

Releasing she’d been holding her breath, she exhaled suddenly and started coughing. Turning away from Malachai, she reached out her hand to steady herself and grabbed his arm; her other lifting up to cover her mouth with her elbow until she caught her breath.

What the fuck was that?! Smooth. That’s what that was. Smooth.

”Goddamnit. Sorry. I inhaled some spit.”

Shaking her head, she released his arm and reached up to wipe under her eyes as she looked over him one more time.

”You look…”

Her brain didn’t give her any words that fit. She just stood there, nearly 5’8” in her six inch heels, and staring up at him like he couldn’t be real. Clearing her throat and shaking her head, she smirked at herself and then waved him around the back of the manor.

”This way. We should go around back while he’s distracted.”

Leading Malachai around to the servant’s entrance, Vera’s hand slid down to grab his; the other balancing her phone and lifting her dress up so she didn’t trip. It felt natural, and she released belatedly that she’d just grabbed his hand without asking. She stopped suddenly and turned, nearly colliding right into his chest as they hovered right within the sparsely decorated hall.

”I’m sorry, do you mind? My aunt has very protective people working for her, and they won’t hesitate to kick you out if they think you’re snooping around or following me.”

you’re in my veins

She grinned up at him; her eyes sparkling with mischief as her hand squeezed his excitingly.

”There’s a girl here he likes, and if anything goes along like it normally would he’s going to give her a ‘tour’ and try and get her in his bed. But…” Vera giggled at just the thought; shaking her head at herself. ”We’re going to turn his room into a Hello Kitty and My Little Pony paradise.”

Then, quickly and suddenly, her expression changed and she looked at him with a mixture of offense and amusement. ”Hey! You said you liked the cat sweaters!”

Just then a servant came around the corner and paused, seeing Vera with Malachai as he held his tray in his hand. The blindfold that would normally cover his eyes this evening loose around his neck. He paled and immediately lowered his eyes to the floor; awkwardly standing in the hall with the tray of food in his hands.

”Excuse me, Miss.”

Vera felt her face flush with embarrassment. ”It’s okay. I really don’t mind.”

The man nodded quickly, pulling his blindfold up over his eyes before standing back up straight and then moving by them. Vera shifted her position so she was beside Malachai, shoulder to shoulder against the wall as the man passed. She waited until he exited the hall through another door; music, twinkling light and bodies briefly visible. She started to move and tugged him along after her; mumbling a quick explanation.

”My aunt had all the men who work for her in the house where enchanted blindfolds tonight so they wouldn’t get tempted by me.” By her tone, he could tell it was a delicate subject. ”She says it’s so there isn't any temptation, but I was here for weeks and there weren’t any problems.” That she knew of anyway. Antonio had told her it was better to be safe than sorry, especially when alcohol was available.

Her aunt Elsa could defend herself and none of the staff were dumb enough to even try. Vera had no such natural abilities, and was a very easy target considering her size. That comment didn’t go over well and Elsa had to separate Vera and Antonio until Vera was calm enough to apologize. Luckily, Antonio had taken to his white hair and started toning it to be permanent. Which amused Vera and Elsa equally.

Making it to the staff elevator, Vera punched the 3rd floor button for the bedrooms and then leaned down and started to undo her shoes; temporarily releasing Mal from her hold so she didn’t have to try and move around in the torture devices anymore.

The doors opened quickly, and Vera peeked her head out to look either way down the hall. Coast was clear. Perfect.

”This way,” She whispered, grabbing Malachai’s hand again and lacing her fingers with his own.

The house was huge, but Vera pulled Malachai along quickly. Many doors and turns later and she stopped in front of an innocuous looking door and pulled out her wand. Whispering the small spell, the door unlocked before Vera tucked her wand away. Where it went was an absolute mystery, because the girl was not carrying a purse nor did the floor-length gown look like it had any pockets, but away it went somewhere. She pushed it open and slipped inside; pulling Malachai in with her before shutting the door behind them and flicking on the light.

”Okay! I hid the stuff in his closet.”

The room was huge. Easily the size of the Corvus common room, and it was rather masculinely and sparsely decorated. A king sized bed covered in gray and blue sheets, a large atlas framed on the wall, two large oak bookshelves filled with books Vera knew for a fact Alex had never touched, a TV installed in the wall across from the bed and a large window and balcony on the far side. Vera locked the door from the inside and moved over to the closet. Malachai could hear her speak a small revealing spell and then hear her drag a heavy chest out from the confines of the walk-in closet.

”Here. We. Go.” Vera grunted with effort before falling back on her ass with a small yelp. She winced and rubbed at her butt before shaking her head and popping back up to her bare feet; grinning with excitement as she pulled open the chest to reveal an endless supply of all things inherently “girly”. She turned her head up to Mal and grinned wildly.

”Lets do our worst!”

They moved quickly - replacing his sheets and hanging banners and posters. Malachai covered Alex’s bed in stuffed animals while Vera painted his walls pink with rainbow accents. Vera was laughing the whole time; stifling the sounds the best she could with her hands over her mouth when her amusement got out of control. She thought she was hilarious, and it was infectious. As Mal put things around Alex’s room, or suggested a quick change to Vera’s initial plan, she would squeal in delight, jumping up and down for a second before remembering they were on a time crunch and hurriedly moving to complete their task at hand.

As they adjusted the details, Vera heard Alex’s voice in the hall. She froze like a deer in headlights and then started scrambling; flicking her wand (where the hell was that thing coming from?!) to turn the chest into a little toy figurine on the bottom of the re-furnished pink pony bookshelf before launching herself into Malachai’s arms with a muffled laugh into his shoulder.

”Apparate us!”

Man Down

Alex felt all eyes on him after Vera abandoned him; but he couldn’t pull his gaze from Jasmine. She’d heard, of course, and she and that mountain of a man were staring at him. He held her eyes for a heartbeat and just… soaked her up before his shoulders relaxed and that familiar smile crossed his lips. It was the smile of a man who had gotten what he wanted… she’d showed up.

Pushing his jacket out of the way to slide his hands into his pockets, he made his way across the dance floor to come up to the steps where they both stood. Alex briefly turned his eyes over the older man; nodding his head politely though his attention never strayed far from the latina queen in front of him. And his grin was stubbornly pinching his cheeks.

”So it’s a date.”

Holding out his hand to her, he glanced at the big guy with a charming raised brow.

”Mind if I steal her?”

At the guy’s nod and her delicate hand slipping into his own, Alex wrapped his fingers around hers and gently tugged her out to the dance floor. He couldn’t look away. She absolutely stole his breath. Exhaling softly, he pulled her close to him and adjusted their hands and brought his other hand to her lower back; his thumb brushing along the line of her spine.

And then he lead.

Alex moved with Jazzy around the floor with experience and skill. He knew how to dance. While the music dictated the speed, Alex lead everything else. He held her close and firmly, one hand steering while the other directed. His smile softened, his eyes never leaving hers and without talking there was an entire conversation. I’m so glad you came. Yes, I can dance. You’re stunning. How do I keep you around?

People seemed to move around them like a creek moves around rocks, and with that charming little smirk growing into a full-blown grin, Alex stopped them suddenly in tune to the end of the song and dipped Jasmine dramatically; looking down at her with amusement so blatant in his eyes that it nearly took over his eye color. Laughing softly, he pulled her back up and kept her steady with his arms around her; exhaling slowly as the emotions gripped at his stomach and chest. No girl had ever held such an appeal to him before… He idly wondered to himself if she’d cast a spell on him.

”So,” He started as the music for the next song began to swell around them. He kept her close; not quite ready to relinquish his hold just yet. ”Has anyone offered you the tour yet?”

---

Alex’s hand hovered at the small of her back as he lead her through her aunt’s home. He didn’t lead her to his room right away… funny enough, he wanted to spend a little more time like this with her. Just talking and enjoying her company in a way he used to actively try to avoid with women. He did, of course want her there eventually, but as he showed her the library, the movie theater room, the pool… He delighted in the surprise and awe in her face. She was just so genuinely excited about it, and not greedy either. That was it, he realized. That is what drew him in.

Everything about her was honest. True. God help him. Pure kept coming to mind, and he just wanted to wrap his arms around her and protect her from the world. Keep her shining.

As they moved down the hallway toward his room, he gestured to the doors as they passed by them.

”That’s the master, where Elsa stays. It’s about as big as the entire first floor. She could stay in there her whole life and want for nothing. Antonio’s room is on the other side of the house and just as big. The house employees have their own access to her room from the other side. Vera’s room is just down there,” He said, gesturing to the door at the end of the hall. ”She’s rarely here though now that school’s started. Staying in the dorms and all that. And this,” he said stopping outside the door right to his left to unlock it.

He placed his hand on the door handle, looking at Jasmine as his voice softened and he held his other hand out to her. ”This is my room…”

He twisted the handle, opening it up behind him so he didn’t see the inside right away; his eyes on Jasmine as he stepped backward inside and then blinked; stopping and turning as the different colors struck him a little too late.

”Oh what the-”

… His cheeks reddened as he dragged his hand over the front of his face.

”... Vera…”

you’re in my veins

The pair of them Apparated onto the lawn outside the front of the house, and Vera was laughing her heart out on Malachai’s chest. She squealed softly when the cold, wet grass hit the bottoms of her feet and she realized she’d forgotten her shoes. Oh well, the damn things were traps anyway and it wasn’t like Alex was going to think anyone other than her did that. She wished she could see his face as he was undoubtedly trying to pull the moves on Jazzy, but it was probably safer to be far away from Alex right now…

They may have grown up since living on the beach in Oregon but Alex still had some mean noogies and thwomps. He also knew where she was ticklish and that wasn’t fair because he wasn’t.

Turning her face up to look at Mal, she couldn’t help the bright and infectious smile that seemed to permanently pull at her lips when she looked at him. His arms stayed around, and she realized she liked it. Her own stayed snaked around his shoulders; their height difference making it feel as though she’d be dangling from him if he wasn’t helping hold her up.

Dance?

Vera’s eyes searched his and her smile softened; her heart thudding wildly in her chest. She felt like she couldn’t breathe as she nodded slowly and stepped up so that her toes were on his; both getting her cold feet off the wet ground and lifting herself up just a little closer.

Is this what it felt like? She realized her stomach was in knots. Her chest hurt from anticipation and her mouth was dry. Her fingers played with the small hairs at the base of his hairline as she tried to swallow her nerves. Why did she feel like she wanted to cry and laugh at the same time? The only thing that Vera was sure of was that she didn’t want this to end.

This was Heaven.

And she never wanted to leave.

.......................