A Discovery of Harry & Matthew (Harry Wells x Fem!OC x Matthew Clairmont, Chapter 13/13)
Rating: M (smut in final chapter)
Summary: When Laurie accompanies her boss, Harrison Wells, to confer with Oxford biochemist, Matthew Clairmont, over a potential scientific partnership, her world is turned upside down. Not only is she caught between her feelings for these awe-inspiring scientists, but she must wrestle with the reality of Creatures and her own self-discovery.
A/N: Well, it’s the final chapter! On behalf of my co-author @/centralcitymetapocalypse, we would like to say thank you to those who read this fun little crossover. We hope you enjoyed it! As for this last chapter, neither of us has reread it, probably not since we wrote it(?), so please forgive us if it’s “unpolished”.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12
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~ Laurie ~
Once we had arrived at the Old Lodge—Matthew’s home in Woodstock—my vampiric prince refused to let me do anything until I’d had a calming, hot bath which he’d immediately set out to do up for me.
His hard, insistent stare made it difficult for me to refuse. Plus, it sounded pretty good right about now.
And really, it proved to be very relaxing, letting the steaming water loosen my tight and stressed muscles. At first, I wondered whether Harry and Matthew would kill each other as I bathed to my heart’s content down below in the Old Lodge. But I let out a sigh and figured if they knew what was good for them, they’d behave themselves for my sake. So, after I finished my lovely and much-needed bath, I threw on one of my nicer blue tops I’d packed, a pair of jeans with a cardigan, and made my way down the staircase.
As it turned out, the two scientists sat across from one another in Matthew’s parlour engrossed in a game of chess. Harry rubbed his face with his hand before making his next move.
“My dear!” Matthew spotted me as I stepped into the room, both him and Harry standing up. “How do you feel?”
“Very refreshed, thank you.”
“How about hungry?”
“I could eat, yes.”
“Come, then.”
Harry came up to me and took my hand gently, as we followed Matthew into the dining room. “You look beautiful,” he whispered as we walked. I’m sure I blushed and thanked him in the most awkward sounding way.
Dinner progressed nicely, Harry and myself with our delicious (fully cooked) meals, and Matthew with his, well, cooked (or rather uncooked) to his liking. We chatted about our respective works, and I sensed an air of ease between all of us as if this was a common occurrence.
It kind of weirded me out, but I pushed past it.
“Another glass of wine, my dear?” Matthew asked me. I offered him my glass.
“Yes, please.” And then I was surprised to hear what the vampire said next.
“More, Harrison?”
“Thanks.”
Am I in a whole other dimension? Since when did these two get along? There wasn’t a single tone of animosity or disgust hidden anywhere in their voices.
Harry turned to me. “Laurie, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I am, it’s just... when did you two learn how to co-exist without so much as a death glare and disdain in your words?”
“Ah, we came to an agreement while you were upstairs,” Matthew explained, “We both care for you profoundly, so we decided to try to act like gentlemen for your sake.”
I must have seemed impressed at the news because yet another astonishing thing happened - Matthew and Harry shared an amused look!
“Well, I appreciate it, you two,” I said, “thank you.”
Harry reached to hold my hand for a moment, and squeezed it. “Anything for you.”
I smiled brightly at him, feeling grateful. I’d known Harry for the longest time, and I knew this kind of thing was hard for him.
“So, Matthew,” I began, still holding Harry’s hand, “why was it you desperately needed to whisk me off? To tell me something?”
Matthew wore an apprehensive face. I assumed it had to do with the fact that he had no idea how I would react to whatever information he had to tell me. He probably wouldn’t like me to blow a tornado through his lovely home.
“Right, yes, well first I think it would be best if you begin to explain your situation we’ve been analysing to Harrison. After all, it’s not my place to disclose such information.”
I took a sip of wine and turned to my boss.
“We’ve found out that I have… powers,” I started. Harry’s eyes widened with surprise.
“You’re a metahuman?” he wondered aloud.
“Not exactly. Matthew took a sample of my blood and it turns out… I’m a witch, Harry.”
“A witch?”
“Mmhm,” I confirmed with a nod before glancing at Matthew. He gave me an encouraging smile to continue. “It’s passed down through blood, so one of my parents was a witch as well, and I got their magic. I can do things, things I can’t control, like the tornado earlier and I smashed some glass beakers just by closing my fist when Matthew first told me.”
“Laurie, that’s… that’s phenomenal,” Harry stuttered at the information. While we had shared experiences with witnessing and believing in the impossible, we had never come across magic or witches in Central City, let alone vampires. This news only widened our spectrum of what was possible.
“There’s something else,” Matthew added, eyeing me from over his wine glass. Both my and Harry’s gazes spun to his.
“There is?” I asked, eyebrows raised. What more could there possibly be? He’d already turned my world around, what else was there to say? Matthew put down his glass and covered my free hand with his.
“Miriam and I did another genetic test on your latest sample of blood and the results came back different this time…” He paused slightly, but not long enough for me to formulate any words in question. “At first, I thought I was looking at the wrong results. They were completely different from anything I’d ever seen before, but it seems to be that you’re half witch, but you’re also half daemon.”
I just stared at him, not quite sure what this information meant for me. How much did this change things?
“How often does that happen?” Harry asked, gently rubbing his fingers on my hand to soothe me.
“Never,” Matthew replied definitively. “I’m quite certain that Laurie is one of a kind, in the whole of history.”
I thought I needed more wine to continue with this discussion. I smiled sheepishly and held out my glass to Matthew.
“Would you mind?”
~
The rest of the evening was lovely after our chat about the surprising other half of myself. We all had retired to Matthew’s salon where Harry browsed the biochemist’s vast collection of literature, and I sat on the sofa, zoned out and pondering my abilities and the meaning of my life.
Please don’t have an existential crisis in the home of a vampire, I begged myself. Matthew flicked past a series of vinyl records near the record player on his desk. A smooth and calming melody played through the speakers.
Matthew walked over and held out his hand to me where I sat.
“May I have this dance, ma chérie?”
I glanced over at Harry, who was thumbing through one of Matthew’s books from his vast bookshelf. He didn’t exactly look bothered by the offer, which again was unsettlingly different from what I was used to. And it must have been the amount of wine coursing through me because I was not normally fond of dancing. I was always afraid I’d make a fool of myself, so I generally tried my best to stay away from dancing altogether. But I lent Matthew my hand and he pulled me to my feet.
He brought me close, his hand resting on the small of my back as mine went to his upper arm. He smiled softly and began to sway to the tune of the music, leading me in our dance. He made me twirl and spin back into his arms, all trying to get me to forget what I’d learnt this evening and just try to have a little fun with him.
I heard Harry shut his book amidst all the twirls and spins. He came a little closer to watch us dance, or maybe just me. I think I saw him smiling.
I was giggling in Matthew’s arms as we spun on the spot before he used one arm to spin me out from his chest again, but this time let go, and my momentum carried me into Harry’s waiting hold. I stared up at him, momentarily confused by the change in position and the way he looked at me was unlike anything else I’d ever known. He brushed his hand over my cheek and I leant into his touch, momentarily forgetting that Matthew was also in the room. Though my skin erupted into goosebumps, it suddenly felt quite a lot warmer around me, but I thought that that had more to do with Harry than anything else.
Whether it was the wine or just something inside me that said ‘screw it,’ I didn’t know, but I found myself leaning up on my toes and pressing my lips to his.
It was electric the moment we connected. Harry’s hands on me were firm and wandering, while his lips mimicked the same. My head spun with a dizzying desire, and I’m not sure I had the ability to control myself anymore.
I felt an icy presence behind me, and it gave me the most intense sensation as it mixed with the heat of Harry kissing me like he never had before.
Then I felt a second pair of lips on the back of my neck.
Matthew’s hand settled on my hip as his whole body pressed against me as he trailed his inhumanly cold lips over my skin, paying particular attention to the side of my neck, where I felt his teeth graze against me. I let out a short gasp into Harry’s mouth, who just held me close against his chest. I wound one hand into his hair as the other covered Matthew’s at my side. I couldn’t work out if I was in some sort of incredible dream.
When Harry and I pulled away a fraction, I was panting, and looking up into Harry’s lustful gaze only made it worse. Matthew was still peppering kisses to my skin, but when I turned my head, he stopped and looked at me. Our noses brushed against each other for a second before I found an angle where I could meet his lips.
Every part of my body tingled and quaked from their touch, and I could not for the life of me differentiate the feeling between magic and lust. It felt so powerful. I could have sworn it was both.
Matthew’s mouth met and left mine repeatedly, each time getting a little rougher and fiercer. I felt Harry squeeze my hand from behind me. I broke our breathtaking kiss for a moment to look back at my boss, then to Matthew again, whose eyes were extra round and as black as night.
I chewed on my lip for a second, before deciding to take the lead. I took both their hands in mine and began to back up out of the room, leading them up the stairs and towards the bedroom I’d used to change in after my bath. There was no way I could reel in the emotions currently flowing through me. I needed them both to help satisfy the feelings I had, and this fire within me that they’d collectively helped to ignite. I needed so much more.
I stopped at the foot of the bed in the room and faced the two scientists standing side by side. They were waiting - waiting for me to make the next move to hurtle us all into something so undiscovered…
“I need you both,” I said, looking them each in the eye, “equally and urgently, or else I feel like I’m going to burst-” my voice faltered at the end of my sentence. Harry and Matthew moved to stand on either side of me, each retaking my hands.
“Anything for you,” Harry said thickly.
“Tell us what you need,” Matthew purred.
“I need you to make love to me,” I said, utterly breathless as I glanced at each of them.
“That we can do, Princess,” Harry replied, his voice low and it sent a shiver right through me.
Matthew gave me a darkened look as his hand ran over my waist before, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared from my sight, but I felt his hands as he pulled the cardigan off of my shoulders from behind and threw it onto the floor. Although the old house had been a little on the chilly side, I certainly didn’t need the extra layers now.
Harry took my face in his hands again before he kissed me long and hard, nibbling on my lip just to hear me squeak in surprise. I felt the chuckle radiate through his chest where my hands were pressed against it.
I started to remove my top and Matthew took it from me once it was over my head, tossing it without looking where it might end up. Harry then walked me slowly backward until the back of my knees hit the mattress behind me. I sat down, and both men helped me to rest comfortably against the pillows with hungry eyes.
Harry crawled up beside me on the right, and my hands immediately went under the fabric of his black sweater, running my hands over the muscles of his stomach like I’d been wishing to do since the first night we’d arrived in England and I’d gotten a glimpse of him shirtless. He seemed to understand my hint and pulled the item over his head before his lips went to my chest, placing passionate kisses in between my breasts.
Matthew, meanwhile, had positioned himself to my left and leant in to kiss my already swollen lips. On their own accord, my fingers began to work on the buttons of his shirt, and he shrugged it off without once breaking our kiss.
When our lips parted, the vampire slinked down to undo my jeans while maintaining that heady eye contact. Harry, in this moment, had moved to where Matthew once was and kissed up my neck to eventually meet my lips. The biochemist’s long and slender fingers danced along the hem of the denim. The way they popped the button and undid the zipper felt as if I was suspended in time. With a quick and forceful tug, they were off, and I gasped into Harry’s mouth.
Matthew’s hands ran over my waist to hold my hips, his cold skin like ice compared to how warm I now was. It sent shivers running all over me.
I felt him nuzzle his nose into the last remaining piece of fabric between my legs before placing a kiss there. The feeling currently running through me was indescribable. I just knew I needed him not to stop.
Harry’s lips left mine with a smack, which caused me to open my eyes and watch as his hand trailed down my side where it reached the edge of my panties, and together with Matthew, they both pulled them down my legs, where the item was thrown from the bed. I let out another little gasp that turned into a half moan at just the thought of what was to come.
At last, I felt the kiss of Matthew’s cool lips between my legs. I sighed and let my head fall back against one of the pillows, tossing and turning as I felt the pleasure of each kiss gradually grow longer.
“Yes…” I breathed.
Harry began to kiss me again, running a hand up my body to caress my breast. It’s as if he was making up for lost time, now that I knew he had harboured the same feelings I had. I never wanted him to stop either.
One of my hands ran up Harry’s arm and gripped his bicep while the other clutched the end of the pillow where I repeatedly dug my nails into it when I felt Matthew’s tongue swirl around my clit. I moaned into the kiss, pushing my hips up to try to get closer to Matthew, but his hands pushed me firmly back against the mattress.
Harry’s lips left mine, allowing me to look into his eyes which had turned more black than blue now. He licked his lips and then whispered in the sexiest growl I’d ever heard, “How about we hear you, Baby?”
A noise escaped me just due to the combination of Harry’s words and the magnificent things Matthew was doing between my thighs. The physicist kissed down the column of my throat before nipping at my collarbone and then sucking a mark there.
My series of whines had grown beneath my panting. “More,” I begged, though I’m not sure to which man. Either way, they both responded to my need. When Matthew’s talented mouth stopped its swirling motions, I almost made a cry, but instead he made a low rumbling sound in his throat - so animal-like - and pressed himself deeper into me and began to suck at my clit.
“Matthew,” I moaned, followed by a curse and accidentally grabbed Harry’s hair a little too hard as he marked my skin. He stared at me briefly, and I was about to apologise, but I had supposedly flipped another switch inside him. With an expert twist of his fingers, Harry undid my front-clasped bra, proceeding to bury his face into my chest.
“Harry…”
It was almost too much. I’d never felt anything this intensely before, and I wondered briefly if my newly found magic could be amplifying the sensations these two wonderful men were providing. And if it was, I couldn’t have been more grateful to have discovered this part of myself.
I could feel the tightness begin to coil within me, and I arched my back with a mewl that let them both know how close I was getting.
Harry was biting and sucking every inch of my skin that he could get to as my fingers continued to tug on his hair, now that I knew he liked that, whilst Matthew was incessant in his pursuit of giving me everything I wanted and needed.
I knew I wouldn’t hold on much longer.
My voice faltered as my breathing became all the more difficult to control. The relentless flick of Matthew’s tongue at my wet heat, Harry’s mouth creating his final mark of delicious pain and pleasure… that’s when it happened.
My eyes squeezed shut, then opened wide. Harry, Matthew, Matthew, Harry. They consumed me, and I happily lost myself to them with their names and various profanities on my tongue. I felt the heat rise from my skin and the dimmed room grew in brightness.
I stared up at the ceiling, still letting the waves of pleasure wash throughout my entire body. I’d never known a feeling this intense before.
Matthew licked me clean and he placed one last lingering kiss to my folds before pulling back to study me. Harry pressed his lips over the sore patches he’d left as I tried to control my breathing, running a hand through my hair.
It took me a few moments to come back from the blissful place I’d been taken to, but when I finally looked in front of me to see Harry and Matthew, I saw that my whole body was glowing. Brighter than it ever had before.
Matthew was peering up at me from between my legs, and Harry from my side, awe present in both of their expressions.
“Incredible…” Matthew breathed, crawling up the bed to take my hand when the light I was emitting began to dull again. He kissed the back of my hand and then up my arm just to see the light intensify again.
“Remarkable,” Harry noted with twinkling eyes, and I wondered if it was the reflection of my light in them. He interlocked our fingers and brought them up to his mouth to kiss. Harry shifted next to me, and I felt him hard against my side.
“Oh, Harry…” I went to touch him, and he shuddered at the contact. I immediately began to undo his belt and zipper when his hand covered mine again.
“You don’t need-”
“-Stop.” I interrupted him. If Harry thought I wasn’t going to repay the favour and leave both him and Matthew in this state, he was wildly mistaken. “I want to do this for you.” I ran my palm over the bulge in his boxers and watched him swallow quickly. Then I turned to face Matthew, still with my hand down Harry’s pants.
“What can I do for you, Matthew?” My voice came out low and sultry and very unfamiliar to me. I think both men were surprised to hear it too. Matthew leaned in close to me.
“I am willing to take as much or as little as you want to give me,” he practically purred in my ear before kissing me repeatedly. I could still taste myself on him.
I pulled away and glanced at Matthew and then Harry, deciding how best to repay them. Chewing on my lip, I took my hand away from Harry and undressed Matthew as much as I had Harry, so that only their underwear was left in my way.
They were both watching me so intently, though I didn’t feel in any way uncomfortable under their gazes, even if I was naked in front of them. My glow was brightening again as I unveiled both of them from their boxers, and my head felt like it was spinning.
I had a surging need to make them feel as good as I had. I took each of them in hand, giving the scientists equally hard strokes. Harry moaned while Matthew sighed, creating the most beautiful combination of sounds. They didn’t need to beg for more, I just felt it, and slowly but surely upped the pace of my tugs.
My name was on Harry’s tongue followed by his own swears, but it would seem my neck was the object of Matthew’s attention. The skin where he stared at me was freezing.
I think he wanted to taste me.
As if reading my thoughts, Matthew leant in and growled in my ear.
“Satisfy your human first, and then I can have you.”
The tone of his voice made me begin to ache with want again, and I nodded, slowing my hands to a stop on both of them before shuffling on my knees to sit right in front of Harry.
This way, it would allow me to give all my attention to each of them in turn and give them the most pleasure possible.
Harry’s baby blues opened and stared at me in confusion as to why I’d stopped. My hand came up to stroke his cheek as I whispered, “it’s alright.” Then, looking up at him through my lashes, I let my mouth meet his tip, placing a few kisses and licks to it, before taking as much of him as I could into my mouth. He made a stifled moan and buried his hand in my hair.
I couldn’t even remember how many times I’d fantasised of doing this exact thing to him, late at night when boredom and lust consumed me.
I felt icicle-like fingers glide down my spine, and I made a whine at the sensation and creating a vibrational hum around Harry. His hand gripped my hair a little tighter by accident, but I welcomed it. It spurred me on.
The cold fingers on me slid to my rear, and as I continued to go down on Harry, Matthew curved his body over mine. I heard him inhale the scent of me, then felt a cold squeeze.
I moaned again around Harry’s cock, and his hips gave an involuntary buck upward.
“Laurie,” Harry said gruffly like my name was caught in his throat. He wasn’t going to last much longer.
I took him in my mouth a few times more, making another few noises that were prompted by Matthew’s wandering hands, and deliberately swirled my tongue around Harry so that he was right on the edge. I treasured the little noise he made as I removed my mouth from him and replaced it with my hand to bring him to orgasm.
I wanted to watch his face the first time he came for me.
His hand moved from my hair to my face as he stared into my eyes before blinking rapidly and letting out a breathy moan when he finally came over my hand. His expression was gorgeous, so blissful and happy, and it made me smile to know I’d put it there.
He lay back against the pillows when he’d finished, trying to control his breathing as I leant forward and pressed my forehead to his before kissing him softly and nuzzling against him. But I was aware of Matthew’s hands still on me from behind and slowly pulled back. Harry came back to himself and leant across to the bedside table to grab me a tissue and cleaned up my hand for me. I pushed myself back against the vampire who pressed closer to me.
“I think it’s my turn,” Matthew whispered huskily in my ear before nibbling on the lobe slightly.
“A-are you going to…?” I left my sentence to hang in the air. Surely, Matthew knew what I meant.
“Only if you want me to,” he replied, pressing his nose to my neck and inhaling the scent of me again. I closed my eyes and tried to remain calm, but I knew he could hear my heart racing like crazy.
“I want you to.”
In a split second, Matthew had me flipped onto my back on the bed with my hands pinned into the mattress. My chest heaved from the adrenaline coursing through me. Matthew’s mouth hovered hesitantly at the side of my neck.
“What are you doing?” comes Harry’s voice from behind me.
“Our lady has allowed me to have a quick drink,” Matthew said with a touch of annoyance at having delayed his teeth from sinking into me.
“If you hurt her, I swear to God, Clairmont-”
“I would never!” the vampire snarled at Harry.
“You better know what you’re starting-“
Matthew sat back on his heels slightly to glare at Harry. “Better than you do. Don’t make me drain you instead.”
The tone of Matthew’s voice and the way he was so tightly gripping my wrists now, I guessed it was his bloodlust overwhelming him. I’d effectively just offered myself up to him and now Harry was stopping him from satisfying himself, unintentionally teasing him and I was sure, pushing his restraint to the limit.
“Both of you, stop,” I said urgently, sitting myself up, and looking at Harry. “Harry, this is my choice, it’ll be okay.” Then, I took Matthew’s face in both hands to get him to look at me. “I said you could drink and I’m not about to take that away. Take what you need to.”
“If I can’t stop-“
“Shhh,” I said, stroking his cheek. “You will stop because you don’t want to hurt me. And besides, I think Harry will kill you if you don’t…”
He smiled at that, and I swept my hair back from my neck again in offering. I watched the vampire lick his lips.
“Be gentle with me, Matthew…”
“I’ll do my best, my darling.” Matthew waited a few long seconds, as long as I imagined a quick internal pep-talk would take. And then I felt the pierce of his teeth into my skin. I cried out at the breach and felt a dip in the mattress. Harry had moved to the other side of me and held my hand. Matthew’s lips suctioned to my sensitive skin, and as he sucked and swallowed the blood I offered him, I felt an entirely new definition of the word ecstasy. I didn’t understand the science behind it or how this act could feel this good, but I understood how dangerous this could be. It made my head rush, and I wanted him to keep going, no matter the consequences.
No wonder Matthew was hesitant.
I thought I couldn’t feel anymore pleasure in this moment, but I was terribly wrong once Harry’s own mouth found the other side of my neck and his hand between my legs.
I wasn’t even sure what sounds I was making, but I was sure I was loud. The combination of both of them sucking their own mark onto my neck and Harry working me so thoroughly, I knew I wouldn’t last. And Matthew would have to stop soon, I knew it, however much I wished for more of this feeling. I hoped Matthew was getting as much satisfaction from it as I was.
“Ah, please, please,” I whined, holding Matthew close as Harry’s fingers rubbed me hard and fast between my thighs. “Yes, yes, like that, I’m there, I’m-”
I made three clipped whimpers, then let out my silent cry from the intense euphoria washing over me until I slowly watched the room fade to black.
~
I didn't know how long I'd been asleep for, but I figured it had to have been a good while, as I felt significantly less tired than I had before, though my neck was still a little tender when I shuffled myself around slightly. I felt the presence of my men in the bed with me, all of us a tangle of limbs under the sheets.
I slowly opened my eyes and adjusted to the very dim light around me. Between the two of them, Harry and Matthew must have put me under the covers after I passed out and then got in with me.
Harry’s warmth enveloped me from behind, his arm around my waist where he was spooning me, with one foot hooked over my leg. In contrast, Matthew's coldness radiated from in front of me, one of his hands resting on my thigh and I'd managed to nestle myself against his chest and I realised my head was lying on his arm.
I could just make out his peaceful expression and smiled softly, letting myself fall back to sleep knowing I was perfectly sheltered between the most attentive and fiercely protective men in the world.
~
When I woke the second time, it was from the sun peeking through the slit in the curtains and onto my face. I yawned and stretched my limbs, suddenly aware that Harry and Matthew were no longer in the nice, warm bed with me.
I held the bedsheet up to my chest, in case either were to enter the room and put my clothes from the night before back on. I thought I heard the low, rumbling tones of the scientists carry up from downstairs, and I’m fairly sure I heard my name mentioned several times.
Not caring what a wretched mess I probably looked like, I padded down the old home’s staircase. I hadn’t even rounded the corner into the living room before Matthew’s voice said, “She’s awake.”
I entered the room and the expressions on both their faces made me think that they hadn’t been having a particularly pleasant chat. Harry looked anxious, stood over by the fireplace, and Matthew wore a look of resignation where he was hunched over himself in the armchair. They both looked towards me when I walked in.
“Good morning,” I said quietly when they remained silent. Matthew seemed to realise that I was on edge too now, due to the awkwardness that settled in the room, and tried to lighten the mood.
“Good morning, my dear, did you sleep well? How are you feeling?” he asked as I came further into the room, leaning up to kiss Harry’s cheek and then moving over to the vampire.
“I slept really well. I don’t feel any different to normal,” I told him, and it was mostly true. I still felt a little jittery, but I put that down to my magic rather than him having drunk from me. I think we were all aware that the last remnants of the spell suppressing my magic had broken last night. Matthew gestured for me to come over to him and I perched on his lap as he swept my hair back and studied the bite on my neck.
“It’s healing well,” he said finally, gliding his fingers over it, before getting me to look at him. “I’m sorry, Laurie, I didn’t mean to take that much. When you passed out-”
“Hey, I’m okay, don’t beat yourself up about it. I knew the risks when I offered,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him close to me. “It just felt so good… I wanted you to keep going,” I admitted quietly.
“You continue to astound me.”
“Welcome to my every day,” Harry said, coming over to plant a sweet kiss to the side of my head. I smiled up at Harry, and then to Matthew, but the latter still wore a slight frown. I played with the collar of his shirt.
“What’s wrong?” I asked. Matthew paused before speaking.
“Well, I was just beginning to inform Harrison that, as of last night, we have broken one of the primary ancient laws of the Congregation.”
Congregation? Ancient laws? Harrison??
“I don’t understand what any of that means,” I looked to both of them, confused, “What law?”
“You were starting to say something about the consequences of intimacy between witches, vampires, and daemons?” Harry offered.
“Yes.” Matthew looked down before looking at me again. “Relationships between different species don’t happen, Laurie. For one-thousand years, it’s been forbidden by the Congregation, the council that oversees our world, which is made up of three vampires, three witches and three daemons.”
“And these nine people get to decide whether or not we’re happy?” I asked, taking his hand and intertwining our fingers just to emphasise my point.
Matthew let out a resigned chuckle. “It’s just how it works, darling. We may not like it, but for the sake of peace, everyone is expected to follow it. Because if we don’t, well… you’re the outcome of that… You’re quite possibly the most powerful creature ever born, and the Congregation fears that happening. They don’t even know it’s already come true.”
“But they don’t know about me, right?” I asked. I got the distinct impression that I should be scared of these people and what might happen to me.
“No, no, they don’t,” Matthew replied, bringing my hand up to kiss it, “and I want to keep it that way. But you and I together, we would draw too much attention. Someone is bound to notice that there’s something different about you and if the Congregation found out the truth, they will take you away and you’ll never get to live your life.”
I looked down at my lap as I took this information in. I could lose my freedom because of a decision my parents made? I never chose to be what I was. Then I had another thought.
“What about humans? You said relationships between species didn’t happen, does that include creatures with humans?” I asked, glancing at Harry who smiled quickly at me before I turned back to Matthew.
“It’s not as frowned upon, no. It’s far harder to avoid seeing as there’s so many of them now.” He looked at Harry as well, who took a step closer and put his hand on my shoulder.
“What does all this mean, Matthew? What are you trying to tell me?” I thought I knew what he was trying to get at but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to hear it.
Matthew’s hand found the back of my head and brought me in close so that our foreheads touched. “I’m telling you that for your own safety and well-being, we cannot continue together like this. I’m sorry.”
Did this mean I would never see Matthew again? I didn’t think I could bear the thought. Not after everything he’d shown and done for me. I choked back a sob.
“There has to be a way…” I tried hopelessly, realising it was pointless. Matthew just shook his head.
“You must return to America, to Central City,” he told me. “Learn to control your power and use it for good, and continue your good work with Harrison.” Matthew looked to Harry, whose hand was rubbing circles on my back. He gave my boss a resigned smile.
I couldn’t think straight and was nearly in tears. I didn’t realise Harry had helped me to stand while Matthew fetched our bags, saying something about needing to start the trek to the airport. Harry held me as we waited, swaying me gently back and forth. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything.
Matthew reappeared a couple of minutes later, going at a normal human pace instead of using his powers. Perhaps he needed the time to think.
He laid the bags down as I pulled away from Harry a fraction, and he reached into my bag, pulling out my thin, pale blue scarf. Ever so gently, he wrapped it around my neck and positioned the ends precisely over my chest. I peered up at him, eyes still misty with unshed tears.
“For the marks on your neck,” he explained with a small smile. “I’m sure you don’t want anyone asking questions at the airport.”
I nodded to show I understood, but I wasn’t sure that I could open my mouth to reply without sobbing. But luckily, Matthew had more to say.
“I called a taxi for you, and this is for when you get back home,” he said, handing me a white envelope. “Details of a witch very close to Central City, she’s an old acquaintance of mine, and she’s agreed to help teach you to control your magic. I told her that’s you’re immensely powerful, but no more than that. Tell no one the truth, Laurie, for your own sake. But she’ll be able to help you to live normally, in time.”
“Thank you,” Harry said for me, as I took Matthew’s hand and held it as tightly as I could. I never wanted to let go. Matthew leant down and kissed my head before resting his cheek against my hair. Harry held my other hand, still rubbing his thumb over my skin.
We waited there together for the inevitable arrival of our car, none of us saying a word and just holding each other until I finally spoke up.
“I love you. Both of you. I don’t know how I’m going to do this without you both with me!”
“You are going to thrive.” Matthew stretched out the final word. The emphasis almost made me start to believe it. “And if I may say so,” he dared lock eyes with Harry, “I knew it was love for me the moment you stepped into my lab.”
“I can’t blame you,” Harry said to Matthew, and I turned to look up at him, and then Harry down at me. “Because I knew I loved you since your first day at work. Even if I idiotically tried to ignore it for far too long.”
I’d always wanted to hear those words from him. Harry loved me.
I brought his face down to mine for a kiss, closing my eyes, and letting my tears leak through my lashes. I was in love with two men who loved me back - a human and a vampire. I knew I’d be forever happy with Harry, but saying goodbye to the other third of my heart was still torture.
I heard the beginnings of rain pitter-pattering on the window panes. When our lips parted, Harry swiped my tears away with his thumb. He leaned into my ear and whispered, “Go.”
I knew what he was saying. I needed to say my final goodbye to Matthew.
Harry took our bags and went to wait by the front door for the taxi while I stood with Matthew in the entrance space, still not having let go of his hand.
He turned to face me, taking my other hand too as I continued to cry inaudibly, tears streaming down my cheeks.
“Don’t cry, my love,” Matthew said, tilting my chin up so that I could meet his expressive eyes. “You have Harrison and he is going to take the best care of you, or he will have me to answer to.”
I let out a half laugh and a sniffle as I continued to stare at him. I reached up and brushed the little bit of unruly hair out of his face before holding his cheek in my hand.
“I’m going to miss you like you wouldn’t believe,” I whispered.
“Try me. I have to live an eternity without you now,” he replied, sliding his hand around my waist and to the small of my back so that our chests pressed together. “But I will never forget you, Laurie, you’re unique in every way. You’ll always own a piece of my heart.”
I couldn’t stop myself any longer. I pushed myself up on my toes and kissed him hard, my fingers winding into the hair at the nape of his neck so that I could hold him as close as possible.
A gust of wind swept in from outside because it would seem Harry had left the front door open. It swirled around us, whipping my hair around as I cupped Matthew’s cheeks to pour everything I was feeling into our last goodbye.
After kissing him for as long as my lungs and lips could bear, I hugged his neck and rested my head against his chest. And until my heart was strong enough, I took a step back from him, and said, “Thank you. For everything.”
Matthew Clairmont nodded once.
Harry returned, to lean in the open doorway. He looked like a wet dog, drenched with the witchrain I had supposedly conjured outside. It was still pouring down.
“Ready?” Harry asked me softly. I smiled at him. Bittersweet was a terrible understatement to describe this moment. He took a step in and extended his hand to Matthew.
“Clairmont,” he said in the tone he uses when talking with people he respects in a business setting.
Matthew shook his hand and said humorously, “Harrison, I think you now have the right to call me Matthew, old chap.” Harry shook his head with a puff of air as laughter.
“Matthew. Email me any time. We’ll continue our discussion about logistics.”
“Right.”
Harry took my hand and lifted it and pressed it to his lips. “Let’s go.”
I turned to Matthew one last time as he pressed a kiss to my head before Harry took me out into the rain, sheltering me as much as he could with his body and helping me into the taxi. The tears started tracing their way down my cheeks again as we began to pull away and I watched Matthew through the back window. He waved at me but gradually became too small to see clearly any more.
I leaned into Harry’s side and tried to calm myself back down, taking deep breaths and wiping my tears away. I knew this must be hard for Harry, knowing that I loved him so completely but having to share that emotion with Matthew as well, but he held my hand tightly and didn’t let me go throughout our whole journey.
The rain followed us almost all the way to the airport, but I guessed that was a given seeing as I was the one causing it. It was slightly thrilling to know I was capable of something on that scale, however sad I was.
But, as we approached our destination, it began to lessen, and when it was time to get out of the car, it stopped.
Harry paid the driver and we each took our bags into the building before holding hands again and making our way through the place. I never wanted to be separated from this man for the rest of my life.
~
Central City seemed like a different world since I’d discovered the beauty of old Oxford, but then, so much else had changed in my life, I felt like wherever I was, I would feel that way. In some place enchanted and a little bit surreal, but in the best way possible.
Harry and I were wonderfully happy together now. I couldn’t remember a time when I felt this good about everything in my life, even if it didn’t include much of a certain handsome vampire over in England.
I’d started to see the witch Matthew had recommended almost immediately when we’d gotten back home in an effort to stop any more major incidents like my witchrain. I’d been making steady progress with it and now had much more confidence with using my gifts around the apartment, and had far fewer accidental mishaps with shattering glasses and the like.
Harry always asked me how I was getting on after each lesson and was still awed when I gave certain demonstrations like summoning objects and make them do what I wanted. I still had the occasional issue when controlling my emotions around other people, including one close-shave with a colleague at work when I’d made it start to snow when I was annoyed. I hadn’t been able to stop my pink glow during sex either, but I’d come to realise that Harry actually rather liked that…
We now shared a bed on a much more permanent and deliberate basis, as I’d virtually moved into his apartment not long after we’d gotten home and things had only progressed from there. It was wonderful to know I’d always get to wake up next to him after pining for so long.
My cheerful mood followed me into work on a particular morning, smiling brightly as I put my bag on the side and went to sit at my desk to go through any notices that needed checking before I got down to my work. But there was a surprise waiting for me there when I sat down and pulled my chair forwards.
There was an envelope sitting on the desk surface with my name in an elegant script staring back up at me. I picked it up and looked around suspiciously for any prying eyes before using a touch of magic. Holding the envelope in one hand, I placed the other on top, palm down, and let the words inside tickle my skin.
I gasped and dropped the envelope.
It was a letter. I felt the presence of Matthew in his written words from within.
It had been months since we parted last autumn. Matthew and I kept in touch fairly regularly after that through email, whether it be my “assistant self” regarding business matters between him and Harry or my “witch-daemon self” having a wistfully romantic conversation with my vampire ex-lover. But as time went on, I heard less and less from Matthew Clairmont. There came a time when I began to hear nothing from him at all, and I wondered if maybe he was graciously stepping aside after hearing the news about Harry and I.
I was aware that he and Harry also spoke semi-regularly, probably talking about me and how I was doing as well as their science, but it wouldn’t have surprised me if Harry had told Matthew about his plans to propose to me beforehand, just so the vampire would have been prepared for the news.
We all knew that there was no changing what could happen between us, but I doubted it could be easy for him to hear it.
I debated leaving reading the letter until I went home this evening, just in case the contents caused me to lose control of my emotions. But in the end, curiosity got the better of me and I carefully ripped the envelope open. I covered my mouth with my hand as I began to read.
Dear Laurie,
First, I would like to apologise for the lack of communication on my part. I selfishly needed time to process the news that Harrison passed on to me a few months ago. Which brings me to the main reason for this letter.
I believe congratulations are in order.
I suppose it was only a matter of time before this took place, and Harrison is only doing what any self-respecting man would do in this situation, which is to make sure that he gets to be with you for the rest of his life. I don’t begrudge him that, I only wish that circumstances had been different in several ways so that I would have been able to spend more time with you and given you all the love that you deserved. But Harrison is a good man, who will give you everything you’ll ever want or need, and I know how much he loves you and that you will live a wonderful and exciting life with him by your side. I wish you all the happiness and fortune in the world for this next step in your life.
Harrison tells me of your progression in a particular, shall we say, variety of “arts” and from what I understand, you are a natural and a true force to be reckoned with. Though, I think we all knew that from the get-go. I am so very proud of you and your accomplishments in the study of your birthright. I know you will go on to do even more amazing things, Laurie. It’s in your blood.
Lastly, I will say this - Saying goodbye to you remains to this day one of the hardest things I’ve had to bear in my exceedingly long life. The love I felt (and yes, still feel) for you will continue on until you’ve long passed, and that will be something I will hold with me forever after. I will always love you, Laurie, and should you ever need me for any reason whatsoever, I will be there for you in an instant.
Again, congratulations on your nuptials, and give my best to Harrison.
All my love,
Matthew x
I put the letter down on the desk, rereading it several times over as I brushed my fingers over his name at the bottom of the paper. I felt a mixture of happiness at hearing from him again with sadness at thinking about him, left alone in England while Harry and I were together over here. I picked up the paper again, holding my hand over it so that I could feel him through his writing, and smiled softly at his presence, however slight.
The door to Harry’s office suddenly opened to my right and my fiancé stepped out, concern evident all over his face.
“Are you alright?” he asked quietly, taking a few quick steps over to my desk and leaning up against it as I looked up at him. “It started to rain and I wondered if… you know, if it was you?”
I let out a chuckle as I shook my head and placed my hand on his thigh. “Harry, just because it’s raining doesn’t mean that I’m upset, okay? I’m getting good at that bit now,” I told him and he nodded in a way that told me he knew he was being overprotective.
“So, you’re okay?”
“Yes, I am.” I grinned ear to ear. “Matthew sends his best to you.”
“Ah,” Harry said in understanding, “I’ll have to send him a message. Good man. I’ve always liked him.”
I let out a burst of laughter and leaned into Harry. “Yeah, sure you did, baby.”
He chuckled into my hair. One of his arms wrapped around me and held me close.
“I’m glad you’re alright,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “Perhaps we should invite him to the wedding? Or is that waving it in his face a little? I don’t know what the etiquette is here.”
We both laughed and I stood up, shaking my head. I picked up my letter again and held it close to my chest. Matthew’s presence radiated from it again and I felt like I was being hugged by him again. And when Harry slipped his arms around me from behind and leant his head against mine, I knew I was still surrounded by the love of these two men.
And with it, I knew I could go on to do anything and everything that this world put in my path.
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