Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Blood and Chocolate. However the family at Vivian's school is based on a group of my very close friends.
P.S. there are a few sweet, romantic (fluffy) moments between Vivian and Gabriel during this chapter, so I hope you like them.
Enjoy!
And I sincerely want to thank my wonderful friend Andrew who helped me finally figure out the title for this story! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! Chapter One- Nothing Can ChangeThe winter sun made its own way of peeking through the French doors that led to the balcony of the second floor master bedroom. Slowly it grasped its way up the covers and glowed upon the Queen's tan face and the broad, bare back of the pack Leader. Tangled by clothing and sheets, regardless they were completely wrapped in the comfort of dreams. She stirred in her sleep, dreaming recklessly. Her movement disturbed the smooth sleep of Gabriel who lay sprawled out beside her. He threw his arm around her to stop the movement. Vivian opened her eyes then buried her face in the pillow.
"Go away sun!" she moaned while finding shelter underneath Gabriel's shoulder.
"We need curtains for that damn door. Nice thick ones. I want to sleep longer." Gabriel murmured and yawned as he pulled the cover over their heads.
"Curtains huh? That's the first I've ever heard of interior design ideas coming from you. You just want to stay in bed longer, lazy." Vivian placed a small kiss on his shoulder.
Today was the first of Christmas Break, and Vivian was finally getting to be with her mate. Despite weekends she had only seen him at morning and night.
"That's only half of the reason. I just want to stay in bed with you. I've missed you baby." Gabriel gathered Vivian in his arms, stretching onto his back. Vivian's head moved the covers off. It was hard enough to breath under the covers, but the gentle embrace was suffocating.
Gabriel drew Vivian's mouth down to his. She obeyed his mouth, opening her lips to inhale his scent. Long and slowly they kissed, their tongues slipping in and out. Gabriel's hands massaged Vivian's back as her hands braced themselves onto his muscled shoulders. Finally they pulled away for air.
For many minutes Vivian lay with her head on Gabriel's chest as he stroked her back with his claws.
"What time is it?" She asked softly.
"11:30."
"You're right," she sighed, "we do need curtains." Gabriel laughed. "I love you Gabriel, and nothing can change that." Vivian kissed him softly before getting off him. She sat on the side of the bed, the small of her back pressed against his stomach. "Besides its Christmas break and I deserve sleep."
"But I thought you missed your school friends." He teased.
"Oh I do," Vivian's hand moved over his stomach, gently tracing his six-pack with her nails. "But I've missed you more."
(Re-cap)
Once the pack had settled in Vermont Vivian enrolled in the high school that was roughly a fifteen-minute drive away from their home. Vivian had originally thought to keep distance from the meat-kids, especially any meat-boys, until she was in class one day and did not want to partner with the egotistical brat next to her, and sought out the seemingly quiet girl on the other end of the room.
Turns out the girl Merryn was not quiet but rather hilarious. Vivian and Merryn talked the whole time; barely looking at the project the rest of the class was doing until the class ended. Vivian was invited to join Merryn's lunch group. Vivian was surprised and thankful, despite her beginning wish of not to have anything to do with meat-kids, she almost craved to be their company. When Vivian hit lunch she searched the tables, but could not find them.
Maybe she told me the wrong lunch by accident. Sighed Vivian as she began to retreat to her old lonely table. Just as well, I don't need to get mixed up with meat kids again. As Vivian began to sit, she heard her name being called. Quickly she turned around and saw Merryn sitting on the floor surrounded by a very large group. Vivian was fully accepted by the whole group and was introduced to: Shannon, Samantha, Julie, Sarah, Megan, Jennifer, Isaac, Kaji, Anna, Will, and Brent. The family, they called themselves, and instantly Vivian was a part of the family. When she told Gabriel about her day, he was surprisingly not as worried that she was hanging around meat-kids.
Just be careful sweetheart, I don't want our secret found out again. He had told her. Really what he meant was 'I don't want you to get hurt again.' Casually he had mentioned that another loupe garrou pack lived in this very area. Vivian only had recollected this moment when she and Gabriel were running alone one night and came across a large group of young werewolves. Gabriel stepped forward, morphing halfway to human, in order to speak. The others stood, sniffing the air in Vivian's direction. Vivian moved closer beside her mate, curiously detecting the familiar scent of the group. One of the female's changed as Vivian did, just enough so that their pelts remained across torso and pelvis.
"Vivian?" the female asked as her snout shrank into a human mouth, her face just barely visible in the moonlight. Vivian was thrown back by the familiarity of the voice, as the rest of the others changed into human, her friends that she ate lunch with; the family that she supposed was human.
"Merryn?" Vivian came forward and suddenly hugged her friend.
"You're a werewolf too?" Kaji came forward with Brent.
"Yes! I can't believe this." Vivian laughed, and suddenly remembering Gabriel, she introduced them to the "family." Vivian was relieved at how easily accepting they were of him. Gabriel was equally surprised, and thankful that all that time his mate had been hanging out with other loupe garou's than with meaties. Later he had teased Vivian for not realizing the fact earlier, and that perhaps her nose just wasn't what it used to be.
And very pleased that she would be surrounded by other were-wolves the rest of her time in high school, Vivian's opinion on her new home heightened.
Her "family" friends revealed that they and their parents were all loup-garou, but did not bother with strict territory; they had assimilated into normal human lives, but kept a sense of difference by following traditional were wolf customs. Gabriel had been so kind as to offer them to join the pack, but they declined gratefully.
(End Re-cap)
The pack had settled in their new home in Vermont: a romantic four-story mansion. Gabriel and Vivian shared a room on the second floor. Theirs was a master bedroom, with a large fireplace, queen sized bed, a dark brown chest filled with clothes, Vivian's dresser, a nice sized bathroom with a big bathtub, and other possessions of the two. The French doors were what caught Vivian's eye when she was picking out a room for the two of them.
The view from the wrap around, very spacious balcony was stunning. The Green Mountain National Forest stretched on forever it seemed to Vivian. Now she could run free, and that thought brought joyous laughter to her lips. Gabriel had heard her laughing and came out to the balcony.
He wrapped himself around her, placing his hands on the iron railing. His mouth ran lightly over her neck.
"What's so funny baby?"
"No one will be able to find us out here Gabriel, isn't that wonderful? I can't wait to run."
"We will tonight. I bought this not only for the Pack, but for you Vivian." Touched by his words Vivian was able to tear her eyes from the endless forest and turn around into his arms.
A soft wind tickled their skin, tightening their embrace.
"Thank you." She whispered and captured his mouth with a searing, liquefying kiss.
Now that it was Christmas break, and the school was so wonderful as to extend it one more week making the total time three weeks, Gabriel and Vivian would be heading out into the Appalachian Mountains, to spend time alone with each other. They had already packed and would use Esmé's car. Of course the suitcases would just have to be in her way. In addition to the suitcases some unpacked boxes littered the floor.
As Vivian debated which way to go in order to step over the junk without the risk of falling and thus being swallowed, when she was scooped into her mate's arms. She squealed in surprise until Gabriel was able to pass over the mess without difficulty. He set her down in front of the bathroom.
"There you go baby."
"Thanks." Vivian turned away from Gabriel, pulling her clothes off and starting the water in her bathtub. Slowly she let herself sink into the hot water, the sound of rushing water was very pleasing.
Quickly the water enveloped her shoulders so that only her head bobbed above the water. A long sigh escaped her mouth. In the meanwhile Gabriel had taken off his shirt and was standing in front of the sink, vigorously washing his face, trying to wake up. He ran his hand over his stubble jaw then picked up his razor.
"Don't you dare shave!" Vivian threatened from the tub sticking her bubble-covered toe out at him, but her voice cracked with a giggle.
"And why not?" Gabriel cast a naughty grin at Vivian in the mirror.
"Because I want to see you with a beard. I just want to know what it looks like. And because the stubble makes you look so damn sexy." Vivian teased as she reached for the soap in the dish.
And before she knew it, Gabriel's hand was over hers, stealing the soap from her grasp. Balancing on his knees he leaned against the porcelain, pulling his mate into his arms.
Slowly he smoothed the bar of soap up and down Vivian's back. The gentle ripples of water from Gabriel's movement touched Vivian's chin. Both of Gabriel's arms became soaked as he moved to pull her closer. Slowly his mouth moved across her jaw, his tongue touching Vivian's ear. Her hands stroked his skin from his back to the base of his neck, leaving long wet streaks, until her fingers entwined in the thick hair.
Vivian moaned in his ear as his hand still holding the soap moved from her back to her long legs.
"Don't move." He whispered in his ear. It was heaven for Vivian to lie in Gabriel's arms as he ran the soap over her thighs and whisper sweet nothings to her. His voice changed from playful growl to a luxurious rumbling groan, nibbling her neck with the slightest touch. She slowly and fully inhaled the scent of his hair. As he continued to skim her neck with his teeth, Vivian's tongue touched his ear.
"I love you Vive." He purred.
As Gabriel's hand moved up Vivian's stomach, their mouths found each other. Gently and slowly their lips moved against the others, caressing. Both of her hands wrapped around his head pushing their mouths closer. Her eager pull beckoned him closer, into the watery depths.
Purposefully he let the soap fall out of his hands. Vivian inhaled slightly as his hand moved up slowly, passing her ribs then curling to her spine.
But what they didn't hear were the footsteps along the hallway that approached their door. The loud knocking broke their connection. An annoyed growl thrummed deeply in Gabriel's throat. The impatient knocking came again.
"Just a minute!" He almost barked. Vivian let go of Gabriel, his apologetic look stuck with her. Gabriel pulled a towel off the rack and wiped down his soaked arms and chest before answering the door. As he left the bathroom Vivian could see the beads of water he missed rolling down his back.
Esmé stood on the other side of the door.
"Aren't you two ever going to get up? If you don't get ready soon, you're going to be stuck in rush hour later." Vivian heard Esmé's question and cringed. Why did her mother have to barge right on such a sweet moment? Annoyed, Vivian sank deeper into the tub, the bubbly water touching her nose.
She still cringed at the thought that her mother used to have a crush on Gabriel. "Gross, gross, gross." She murmured.
Barely aware of the conversation that was going on between her mate and her mother, Vivian searched for the dropped soap in the bathtub and proceeded to continue washing herself. Finally the door closed and she watched as Gabriel crossed the room to the closet in order to find some clothes. After taking her time to finish her bath, Vivian let the tub drain. Wrapping a towel around her slim figure, she exited the bedroom.
Pretending to ignore Gabriel's playful growl, she went to get dressed. Vivian pulled open the drawers, bending over seductively.
"I can't wait till you and I are completely alone." Gabriel said as he approached Vivian.
"We can always leave early." She turned around and winked.
"We could." Gabriel put his hands on the dresser cornering Vivian and trapping her with a kiss, Gabriel had full possession…for a brief moment.
"We'll never get out of this room, if you keep that up." Vivian said as she pulled away her mouth and slipping under his arm with her clothes. "Go ahead and get some lunch, I'll be down as soon I get dressed."
Gabriel retreated from their room and Vivian slowly peeled off the towel from her body and hair. Stomach growling she dressed hurriedly and blow-dried her hair, no way was she subjecting herself to a cold. Vivian had on a pair of tight fitting thermals underneath her skinny blue jeans. A long sleeve shirt was pulled over her head, followed by a tight plain green cashmere sweatshirt.
She easily went down two flights of stairs into the large kitchen. Gabriel sat on a barstool, no one else in the kitchen currently. Vivian pranced to his side kissing him passionately on the cheek, before slipping away with the cereal box. Gabriel was enjoying a large roast beef sandwich, and beside him was another plate with a roast beef sandwich on it as well.
"I guess mom made lunch." She sighed taking a seat, hip to hip, beside Gabriel. He said something in agreement, watching the weather. Slowly she ran her hand over his knee, feeling the muscles underneath the tight stretch of jean fabric. Vivian amazed herself with this mercurial mood; she had never been so excited about going on vacation before. Quickly she composed herself and continued with lunch.
"Looks like there's going to be a lot of snow. That will be good."
"Especially since we're going to a ski lodge." Vivian answered sarcastically; she had decided to ski instead of snowboard. She was sure that if she got on a snowboard she would fall on her face. Gabriel had done neither and was going to stick to skiing, seeing as it might be safer.
At 2:15 Gabriel and Vivian had everything packed into Esmé's old slate black Volvo. Esmé came out followed by the four. Esmé tried to hug her daughter but they were blocked by the Four who kept cuddling up to Vivian. They knew Gabriel or Vivian didn't mind because they didn't mean anything by it. Finally Esmé was able to embrace her daughter and then Gabriel and Esmé pulled out of the driveway down the long gravel road and onto the highway.
Gabriel pulled into the lane then taking an exit, they were on their way. Not being able to find a decent radio signal, Vivian just put in one of Gabriel's CDs, and twined her fingers with him she curled up into the seat.
A/N: well, did you love it, hate it, or not care?please send me some of those reviews and I will get the next chapter to you as soon as the website lets me upload it. Don't worry I won't demand a certain number of reviews before I update, that's just cruel...like some authors whose names will not be mentioned. cough cough most likely one of the following chapters will be a songfic, I love music!