Darkest Powers 1. Chapter 1

Drinking

They all loved drinking games, for many different reasons.

Damien claimed that he only tolerated them because he wanted to make sure Tori's clothes stayed on, which was a plausible enough excuse for anyone who had seen Tori drink.

For her part, Tori had always enjoyed partying, and there was something about the games she and Damien played when they got home…

Alcohol gave Chloe the confidence to step out from Derek's protective shadow and spend a few hours dancing or singing karaoke without her stutter. For her, that was worth the hangover that always seemed to hit her wicked hard.

Because of his wolfy problem, Derek never had to worry about getting drunk, or the subsequent hangover that usually followed such activities. Liquor never seemed to faze or effect him, and he liked that almost as much as he like nursing a beer as he watched Chloe down a few shots before hopping onto the stage or sometimes the bar itself to sing her karaoke. It made him happy to watch her have her fun, despite having to warn of a handful of guys who got a little fresh. The thing he most enjoyed about the party nights though was the dancing Chloe enjoyed while intoxicated. It was fast and sexy and almost as fun as playing tag when he changed. And while he never liked to see her in pain, he enjoyed spending the next day nursing her through her hangover.

Simon couldn't drink very much, and that was okay with him. He enjoyed watching his family relax and have a good time, even if he couldn't imbibe himself. He would never bring it up, but he understood why Charlotte savored the release alcohol gave her; because he, like her, couldn't control parts of his body everyone else took for granted.

Charlotte enjoyed the freedom and release of pain and memory as she drank. For those moments she didn't have to worry about the sickness coming back, she didn't have to wonder whether she would ever have a child, or get married or even go to college. For those moments she could dance with Simon, and not have to worry about her jagged edges cutting into his soft skin.


	2. Breakfast

Breakfast

I woke up to the smell of bacon frying and eggs cooking. I crept downstairs slowly, drawn by the breakfast scents, trying not to feel like an intruder. I had arrived very early in the morning and had yet to meet any of my new housemates.

I arrived at the kitchen and leaned against the door jam to watch them interact.

A little blonde girl was setting the table under the close watch of a hulking, green-eyed guy, who suddenly reached up his hand and snatched an apple from the air. _Whoa._ I blinked and saw a smiling blond Asian boy turning back to his bacon, softly humming out of tune.

The large one took a big bit out of it before offering it to the blond, who took it with a soft smile in his direction. Big, mean looking muscle man shot her a wink and his whole body seemed to hum with pleasure. He snatched a piece of bacon from the pan, ignoring the cute Asians protest and smack on his hand. "Drop it, Derek!"

Derek ate it in one bite instead, causing him to chuckle.

The little blond shot Derek a smile as she gathered the stack of plates and approached the stove, carefully serving a different amount of food onto each one. The green plate was piled high, loaded with bacon and pancakes and hash browns, the red plate had fruit and one fried egg, the yellow plate had bacon, eggs and pancakes and the blue plate had hash browns, fruit and one pancake.

I was suddenly shoved out of the way by a girl with black hair. She was pretty, but in a really mean girls way. She didn't apologize as I steadied myself. She stumbled behind the blond boy who pushed a cup of black coffee into her hand without looking. "Don't talk until you drink this." He ordered, ducking as she smacked him around his head.

Before I knew it they were all sitting around the table preparing to eat, laughing and talking quietly with each other. Even the black haired girl was starting to look less pissed off as she poured her second cup of coffee and kicked Derek under the table.

"Hi!" the blond boy said, suddenly seeing me. He was even cuter when you looked him in the eye.

I smiled back. "Hi, I'm Charlotte."

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked, making room so I could sit. The little blond handed me a plate and Derek glared.

"Ten minutes," he grumbled, still eyeing me. I shifted uncomfortably at his glare.

"Ignore Derek." The blond shot a glare at the bigger boy before turning back to me, charming smile in place. "I'm Simon, that's Tori-" he gestured to the girl with black hair, who slapped at his hand, "and that's Chloe." The little blonde girl smiled at me shyly.

Simon pulled the free chair closer to his side. "Welcome to the safe house."


	3. Hard

Hard

Simon had thought he had a hard life, when he thought about those things at all.

He had been born a sorcerer, with diabetes. Then his adopted were-wolf brother had paralyzed someone and they had to go on the run. Until their father disappeared and they were taken to a laboratory. When they escaped they were on the run again, separated, with Simon stuck with his bitchy sister who used to have a crush on him; while his crush was with his brother, whom he knew well enough to know was already half way in love with her.

_But this…_ he thought as he squirmed around trying to get comfortable in the hard plastic chair in the hospital. _He had never had to deal with this._

Charlotte began to retch again and Simon reached out to hold her hair, looking on helplessly as she struggled with Chemotherapy.


End file.

Darkest Powers, Family, Romance