A/N: THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS FOR 12TH GRADE KILLS IN HERE SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Dedicated to every couple out there who knew they weren't supposed to fall for each other but did anyway:)

Only fools think that love can be taught. Sometimes it just happens, even though it's not supposed to.

Otis sat in that little chair, Vladimir at his side, staring at the coffin. He had cried many times since the night Nelly died and still—every time he closed his eyes—he saw Tomas bringing Nelly's neck to his lips and sucking her dry in a matter of seconds. The scene danced across his eyelids every time he blinked, every time he tried to sleep. It wasn't enough that the man had had to kill his own wife, but now her sister? There was no end to the pain Tomas Tod had brought his brother and his son. And the ultimate pain was the fact that Vladimir had killed him.

Vlad blinked a couple times and glanced at his uncle. Otis nodded slightly and Vlad stood, passing by the coffin and pausing for only a second to whisper, "I love you, Aunt Nelly. Say hi to my mom for me, will you?"

He walked across the grounds, heart beating loudly in his ears. As he reached the drive of the graveyard, he spotted October and Henry hugging. Henry looked up at him, gave him a sad smile. Vlad nodded as if to say he was okay.

October looked up, tears in her eyes. Henry kept an arm firmly around her waist, but she escaped his grip, running towards Vlad. She hugged him.

"I'm so sorry, Vlad. Henry told me everything. I…I'm so sorry."

A bit awkwardly, Vlad returned the hug. "Thanks, October. And I'm…sorry about Snow." Even though he wasn't, really.

"Are you kidding me? She must be ecstatic! Well, y'know, except for the whole blood-thirsty-vampire thing. More of the spending-her-whole-life-with-you thing. And the fact that she didn't die, of course."

Vlad smiled and pulled back, kissing her forehead. Henry appeared at her side and squeezed Vlad's shoulder. "I'll see you at graduation?"

"Wouldn't miss it. Nelly would kill me."

They both cracked a smile and October gave Vlad a kiss on the cheek before entering the funeral to pay their respects. The crowd had long ago died down, leaving only himself and Otis, who could not bear to see his beloved in the ground quite yet. The groundskeeper was giving him peace for now.

Vlad pushed all thoughts from his head and walked, content for now to be out of his head.

Otis was still in his. He thought back to their very first kiss, how he had sprung it on her, shocking her and making her drop the tray of cookies she had in her hands. It had been a very good kiss and at that moment, Otis knew he was in love with Mellina's sister. Of course, he had entertained the notion before then, but the kiss simply reinforced the feeling. And when Nelly kissed him back and wrapped her arms around him tightly, he knew she loved him, too.

They weren't supposed to work. She was a human. He was vampire. Maybe her death was the universe's way of telling him to be a good little vampire for the rest of the time he was alive. But nevertheless, it had been unfair. Tomas had ripped away one of the only things in Otis' life that made him truly happy, leaving him Vlad. At least he left him Vlad.

He sobbed for a moment, head in his hands. They were to be married. And she was going to be his. Forever and ever. Now… He didn't want to think about what this meant. He was destined to live forever and the only woman he had ever pictured spending eternity with was dead. It wasn't fair.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to attention. Henry, who had loved Nelly as a second mother, had red eyes and tears pooling in them. October, the Goth holding his hand, offered her sympathies. Otis nodded at both and thanked them for coming. They didn't disturb him again, leaving him to mourn in peace.

But it wasn't enough. All he had left were memories. And they were haunting him day in and day out.

Nelly's kisses. Nelly's cookies. Nelly's flirtatious glances and motherly instincts, the two contradicting aspects to her that made her seem both impossibly young and impossibly worldly at the same time. She was beautiful, she was warm, and she loved him. And Otis loved her. And that was what left, too, he realized. The memories and the love.

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Henry hadn't really meant to fall for October. There was no reason why they went together. In the social structure that was high school, his reputation would have been ruined if he had fallen for October any earlier than he had. But then, when he did, he realized he didn't really care if his reputation would have taken a nose dive. Being a social outcast was worth every single kiss, every single touch, and every single glance she gave him. Because he loved her.

That was the only way Henry even began to fathom what Nelly meant to Otis. When he looked at October, who was currently sitting next to him in the backseat of his brother's car, staring out the window at the rain, Henry knew. He knew exactly what love was and why people cried for those they loved, why people were willing to die for those they loved.

"We should get going," he muttered. He made a move to climb into the front seat, but October grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Hmm?"

She hugged him tightly. "I love you."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too."

October looked up at him and their lips met softly. The kiss progressed slowly until the windows were fogged and Henry had her in his lap, limbs entangled. It could have been just an emotional reaction to everything that had happened over the past weeks, or maybe it was just that the close proximity and hormones were too much, but October could have sworn there was something searching and terribly desperate about Henry's kisses, like he wanted to be sure she really, really loved him, wanted to assure himself that she was real.

And suddenly, it was like Henry was getting a glimpse into the future. He could see a wedding, he could see children, grandchildren… And he wanted it. With her.

He kissed her again.

"I love you, October."

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The second the graduation ceremony ended, Vlad grabbed Snow's hand and tugged her away from the crowds of people, into a little corner of the outside pavilion. Even though he had been around vampires his whole life, he couldn't get over the idea that Snow—the girl he loved, his other half—was one now. Since her death, Vlad had been moody, knowing he couldn't see her yet, no matter how much he'd wanted to. He hadn't been sure she was coming to graduation but sunscreen had apparently done the trick and she was there, with him, holding his hand the whole time.

Meredith and Joss were together across the pavilion, leaning in close to each other. Joss looked over Meredith's head and nodded at Vlad. Vlad returned the gesture and they both went about their afternoons, Joss leading Meredith to his parents, Vlad pulling Snow farther away from the party so they could be alone together.

When they were, they kissed, holding each other tightly. Snow pulled back for a moment, smiling.

"I'm glad I came today."

"Me too. I missed you."

"How's Otis?"

"I think he'll be okay. We all will eventually."

"Good." Snow unzipped her graduation gown and bunched it up, revealing the lovely black dress underneath and showing off her gothic combat boots. It hardly mattered that it was more than 90 degrees out. When Snow wasn't wearing black, nothing was right with the world. "Come on, vampire. I'll race you to your place."

For barely a second, her eyes flashed green and Vlad smirked. "You're on, weakling."

Like bullets from a gun they shot out of the pavilion, racing through the streets of Bathory. And Vlad knew he wouldn't want the beginning of his new story—one that heavily involved Snow this time—to start any other way.

A/N: This is my first Vlad Tod fic so please be gentle if I was OOC. Review, please:)

Love,

E. M. Zeray