Natal Day
Alright, so this is a oneshot. So that means it will be complete at the end! This a little birthday present for my amiga, she knows who she is since she texts me everyday. :3 So I don't own House of Night or any mentioned characters. P.C. and Kristin Cast owns the series.
The moonlight that shone down on them was bright; bright enough to actually illuminate the area compared to most nights. Even though their eyes could see with the limited light, it still helped to know that they could see more. It brought out the flowers that bloomed at night, letting the silver rays fall on them that caused the color to be lightened. It was pretty to them even though they were just heading to their next class.
Even the light from the gas lamps weren't enough to overcome the moonlight from the full moon. It made Stevie Rae want to go over and shut them off in hope that it would make the moon's rays shine brighter until it seemed like she was walking in the sun for the first time in a long time. Which would be nice if she didn't burn to a crisp so she had to find a substitute somehow and this seemed like the perfect substitute to her.
"Why is Stevie Rae in such a good mood?" Rephaim asked as he looked over at the group that was walking the same stride he was. Confusion was clearly written on his face with his head slightly tilted to the side. His hair fell across part of his face as the cluelessness continued to show on his face.
Almost everyone came to a halt and stared at the former raven mocker with shock and surprise. Stark even shook his head in disbelief but tried to keep himself from raising his voice so it wouldn't tip Stevie Rae off. Grabbing his shoulder, he pulled him away from the group and bent down as if they were in a huddle for a football game.
"You really don't know why she's all happy happy joy joy?" He asked with that disbelief in his voice.
Rephaim nodded slowly with a bit of uncertainty. He wasn't liking how this was turning and it made him wish he could just run away from the archer and get back to his girlfriend. But from the grip on his shoulder told him that he wasn't going anywhere. "Well yes. She's been like this since we got up this morning."
Rolling his eyes, Stark resisted the urge to slap his forehead. He wanted to say the teen was hopeless but kept his mouth shut from the insult that was rolling around in his mind. He didn't need his love and the red vampyre on his tail for something that slipped out. Looking into his rust-colored eyes, he sighed and waved over Darius and Erik who seemed to pop out of nowhere.
"What's the problem?" Rephaim questioned as his now worried filled gaze danced across the newcomers to the group that the red vampyre made.
Taking in the gazes that were focused on him told him that he wasn't going to like what was going to happen. Part of him even hoped that it didn't have to deal with Stevie Rae in a negative way. He couldn't handle anything bad about his love if there was anything negative about her. All he saw was positive but he knew that everyone had secrets and skeletons in their closet that sometimes they shouldn't be brought out.
"You are really that clueless, aren't you?" Erik sighed and rubbed his face in exasperation.
"Man, I feel sorry for you. Have you not been paying attention?" Stark questioned with his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
He shook his head and glanced back. The only people that had noticed them depart from the group was Zoey, Shaunee, Damien, Aphrodite, and that seemed to be it. Stevie Rae was still walking around, doing something that looked to be humming. It had to be a Kenny Chesney song knowing her but that was his small guess. He only felt that she was happy from the connection that was between them much like the connection that Zoey and Stark has, along with Aphrodite and Darius.
"It's Stevie Rae's birthday idiot." Stark squeaked, causing some dumbfounded looks to be tossed his way by Erik and Darius.
"Birthday? Isn't that the day that you were born?" He asked with wonderment. He even went as far as tapping his chin as he tried to remember if that was the correct answer. It was there but he couldn't quite remember from everything that he's learned over the centuries as a raven mocker and the spirit of himself.
"Yes. You fucktard." Aphrodite's voice caused him to jump mentally while the rest just looked at her like she grew a second head. That wasn't the case but they weren't expecting her to basically pop out of nowhere when they were trying to get the former raven mocker's head in the right spot.
"So today is Stevie Rae's birthday?" He asked to himself as he thought about it more.
A few sighs came from the group around him as if they were giving up on him or something else that he had no clue about. Aphrodite shook her head and took hold of Darius' arm with a look that told she gave up. "Come on. Let's go back to the group."
They left, leaving Erik and Stark around him. They kept watching him for any clue that might say he remembered what it meant. But it was clear on Erik's face that he was about ready to just blurt it out and save him the headache he was going to give himself.
"Oh. So does that mean there's going to be cake and ice cream?"
"Yes." Erik answered as the archer opened his mouth to answer. Clearly he was irritated with the teen but tried to keep it under the surface so he wouldn't have an outburst. That wasn't something he needed in his already screwed up life. Closing his eyes and rubbing them, he decided he had to say something or else Stevie Rae was going to make her boyfriend sleep on the floor instead of that bed they probably shared. "It means you got to get her something nice or else dude you're gonna be in the dog house."
"But I'm not a dog." He blurted out as he blinked in confusion.
"I give up." Erik admitted and walked away from the dwindling group to get back with the others.
"Erik's right which is odd at times since he can be a total douche when he wanted to be but that's beside the point. What he's trying to get at is you need to get Stevie Rae something or else she's not going to be happy with you. You don't want that. Trust me." Stark reexplained as he backed up a bit with a hint of weariness in his eyes. Glancing back at the group and seeing Zoey look back at them told him he had to get his tail in gear.
"But what can I get her? I can't give her the world."
"Think like Stevie Rae." He reassured and raced back until he was in stride with his High Priestess.
Rephaim looked at the group with confusion that could be seen a mile away if anyone was that far from him. Scratching his head, he felt the desire to go to his father and ask him what the archer was meaning but didn't want to bother him in case he was busy with something. Which was most likely the case ever since he took over Dragon's position. Looking up at the night sky, seeing the barely visible stars that were being dimmed by the light pollution told him that he was on his own. Even Nyx couldn't help him with this because it was his task and his alone.
With that thought in mind, he jogged back up to the group in time to see his love stop and look around. Her smile was infectious with the way he felt his own spread across his face. Part of him was worrying about what he would get her or do for her to show how much she meant to him. Inwardly he sighed at the task that was before him but he knew he couldn't just leave the group to go find that special something. It would only cause suspicion and that was something he wanted to avoid.
"Rephaim when we get back to the depot do you wanna go watch some Disney movies?" Stevie Rae chirped as she waited until she was walking beside him. Deliberately she brushed her arm against his to catch his attention.
"What is Disney?" He asked with an eyebrow raised with his question.
"You'll have to see. They are the best movies out there for children but you'll have to watch them to understand that." Shaunee chirped in with a smile at the thought of the children movies that people still enjoyed as they grew up.
He nodded and glanced at the group. He tried to ignore the look from Stark that was telling him to go and get her a present. It wasn't like he was stalling for a reason because it couldn't be helped. But he had to get away and get her something or else he was screwed. "Um . . . I'm gonna go ask father something. It's important."
"I'll tag along with ya then." Stevie Rae chirped as she turned to head to the fencing classroom.
"No! No. Please Stevie Rae. Don't do that. I-It's something private." He whispered with fake embarrassment. Why was he lying to the person that he vowed to protect with his life? His father would be ashamed of him for it if he ever found out. He felt ashamed for pulling something like this against her.
Her smile dropped slightly as she stared at him with a hint of disbelief in her eyes. Her hand that was reaching out for his dropped to her side limply as if she had no control over it. It seemed odd to her that he was acting like this. Looking at her friends, they all had the same reaction of surprise on their face so they didn't know what was going on. It worried her and scared her to the point she wanted to follow him without him knowing.
"Al-Alright. We'll see each other at dinner then." She stated, trying to act nonchalantly as best she could. It failed mostly and it caused her to see Shaunee step toward her but she stopped her with a shake of her head. She didn't want Rephaim to see her upset over it.
He looked at her quickly before running off toward the direction she was starting to. It hurt him to be this way toward his beloved but it had to be done. He kept telling himself that but it caused his heart to ache at the thought of her tears and pain he might have caused her. It meant that he would have to repay her for it later once he was done stressing over the fact that he had to find something for her.
Without any other thought, Rephaim took off to his father to ask for a bit of advice.
Stevie Rae watched her love go with a bit of pain hidden in her eyes. She didn't want to show it because she had to be strong for everyone especially the red fledglings. She was their High Priestess so she had to be strong and show them that she can handle anything that was thrown her way. Even if it was a little bit of worry for the person she loved and wanted by her side for the rest of her life. Even the thought of spying on him was there but if he truly was going to see his father then the immortal would know she was lurking in the shadows. It was that sixth sense that they all thought only vampyres had.
It was wrong though. They shouldn't be hiding things from each other and that was what worried her. It wasn't like him to be like this because he normally told her and everyone else what was on his mind. Sighing at the thought, the blond haired vampyre looked at her group of friends. Some of the gazes mirrored her worry while others – like Aphrodite – just stared at her as if they were waiting for her to burst into tears over this small thing.
"I'm fine ya'll. Nothing to worry about." She reassured with a smile that felt a little forced. It was but that was the only thing she needed to know. Not them.
"You sure you're okay. You just got blown off by your boyfriend basically." Shaunee chirped in as she lightly laid a hand on her friend's shoulder to show some support. It was a small thing but it would mean the world to her if she was in Stevie Rae's shoes at the moment. Luckily she wasn't.
"Yeah I am. Just worried about him but that's 'bout it."
Shaunee and Damien nodded but kept watch over her.
"How about we go to the dining hall and get us some of your favorite food? I'm sure they got spaghetti out." Zoey smiled as she tried to distract her from the thoughts that were running through her head. Her friend didn't deserve to have boy troubles because she was too kind. Sure she did have them when Rephaim was still a raven mocker and Dallas was still on the side of Light but this was different.
She was second guessing herself on not following her boyfriend. She was worrying about what he could be doing and the possibly of him lying to her. This isn't something that Stevie Rae needed to be worrying about with being a High Priestess on top of that. So Zoey had to step up and help her friend relax a bit before she started pulling her hair out in frustration and babbling nonsense. It was the least she could do since her friend was there for her when she needed her friends all those times.
"That sounds like a great plan Z." Stevie Rae answered with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Instead of fighting it like she originally wanted to, she just let the smile have its way with her face. It spread across her face and reached her eyes that showed she was happy instead of faking it like some people could so well.
The Cherokee descendent smiled and turned into the direction of the dining hall. Without any other thought, they started on their way to the food hall.
Rephaim found his father in the fencing classroom with his wings tucked neatly behind him. They didn't stand out against his ebony hair but they did against his tan skin. Then again his father was an immortal that once served Nyx and was able to be in the sun without it hurting his eyes like fledglings do.
Stepping into the classroom with the door closing behind him softly, he watched as Kalona's head perked up in interest at the newcomer. He even watched as a smile came onto the man's face at the sight of him but that didn't concern him. His father loved him for reasons that were like any other father and reasons that weren't like a father's. But those weren't the reasons why he was in the same room as his father.
"Rephaim what do you need?" Kalona's voice echoed around them but the room was empty so there was no one to swoon over it. Standing up from his seat, his wings ruffled a little to get them active again.
As he walked toward his first son, his head slightly tilted in curiosity as to why he was there. It was rare for his son to see him before class so it meant that he needed something. What that something was a mystery to the immortal. With that thought in mind, he continued to smile as he stopped in front of the teen.
"I need your advice father." He answered with his shoulders falling at the task in front of him. It loomed like a dark cloud and it scared him a little since it was his first time having this happen to him.
"And what might that be?"
He wasn't sure how to ask his father because he wasn't sure if he knew how to solve it. He was immortal but most of the time he spent on earth was within its confines. So he wouldn't know how to treat a woman to something on her birthday and show her that he appreciated her in ways that were romantic. "Well . . . um . . . today is Stevie Rae's birthday. I don't know what to get her."
The immortal nodded as he listened to his son's problem. It was a problem but wouldn't admit it aloud. His son expected him to know the answer and give him guidance to the path he needed to be on. If he didn't do that then he would be a father that shouldn't be deserving to be alive. But the only task he had to focus on was how to help his son out in this predicament he was in. That was the hard part now since he barely knew the girl that was there for his son when he wasn't but should have been.
"Well, do you have any ideas for a gift?" Kalona questioned with an eyebrow slowly raising. It made him wonder what was going through his son's mind. It had to be chaotic though considering the short amount of time he had to pull this together with it being a hit or miss. He hoped it was a hit instead of a miss because the thought of his son being depressed over it was something he didn't want to think about at the moment.
"No, I don't. I wish I could or everyone else told me sooner then I would be able to think of something." He answered honestly with a small pout forming on his face. That type of expression normally wasn't there when he was thinking of Stevie Rae but it meant that something was wrong. He just couldn't think of anything to get her.
He nodded and folded his arms in thought. This was the girl that enjoyed wearing roper jeans instead of skirts and dresses like most girls. Then again, she wasn't like most girls. She was the type that faun over a musician that could be her father instead of a boy band. She was also the type that got dirty with a sweet side to her that she tried to use to win over everyone.
That was when the idea popped into Kalona's mind and made him walk back toward his desk. Grabbing a sheet of paper, he started to write and draw it out with what drawing skills he had. It wasn't perfect but he was sure that the impromptu drama teacher would be able to tell what he was trying to make with it.
"Father. What are you doing?" Rephaim asked with a slight tilt of his head.
"You will see. You will see."
Stevie Rae was a ball of raw nerves by the time classes had ended and it was dinner time for everyone. It wasn't like her but she was jumpy at the littlest of sounds. All of it was because of her beloved running off to his father for who knows what reason or lying about something. She knew it wasn't like him to be acting like this. It just struck her as odd that he suddenly became this secretive person in a matter of hours.
There was something wrong with him because he was the type of person that would be truthful. It meant she had to find out one way or another because this was the type of worry she didn't need in her life. She had enough worries to worry about that she was waiting for the grey hairs to start popping out. Why was he acting like this though? Rephaim wasn't the person that would cheat on his girlfriend or keep anything from the people he loved unless he thought it was absolutely necessary to do so.
"Guys has Rephaim been actin' a little weird today?" She asked slowly, looking away from her food to gauge their reactions.
Everyone exchanged looks but there was something hidden in it. It was one of those times that she wished she could take Zoey's Seer Stone and program it to tell the lies from the truths. It would make life easier but it couldn't be done.
Stark glanced over at Damien and the rest of the men sitting there with them. It still surprised him that Darius and Erik were there since they were fully changed vampyres that were considered staff at the school. They all had a bit of nervousness in their eyes that told him they were worried about what was going on now.
"What do you mean Stevie? He seemed perfectly condone to me." Damien chirped, in some hope it would keep her off their trail. If she found out that Rephaim didn't know it was her birthday then he would be in the dog house. Then it would be their fault for not telling him soon enough. They didn't need that type of drama right now.
"Oh. Well, it just seems like he was acting weird—"
Suddenly something black blocked her vision, almost causing her to start shaking her head. She wanted to get whatever it was off her eyes so she could see her friends. It was scary to the point she felt a scream bubbling up into her throat to be released. Part of her was even convinced it was Neferet targeting her for who knows what reason.
Then the laughter slowly started that relaxed her. She recognized it immediately that she hopped out of her seat with a quickness that she never showed in a while. Spinning around on her heel, Stevie Rae took in the sight before her that made her blink a couple times to keep the tears from spilling over. It was a sight for sore eyes almost.
Rephaim stood in front of her with his arms outstretched to her. A smile was on his face but his eyes spoke of how nervous he was. He tried to hide that so she wouldn't worry about him. In his hands was a medium sized stuffed animal that looked to be handmade with the way the stitching looked. It wasn't everyday that the stuffed animal would be a raven.
"Rephaim what is this?"
"Happy birthday Stevie Rae." He announced with no hesitation like he thought he would have. When he was coming here after leaving his father's room, he kept going over it in his mind. Every time he kept messing up because he was scared that she would hate it.
Her gaze turned to the plushie again and a smile broke across her face. Lightly, she took it and held it in front of her. With no other thought, the red vampyre wrapped her arms around it tightly as she smiled at her beloved. "Thank you so much Rephaim. It's beautiful."
"Father helped make it so he deserves some of the gratitude." He announced with his head ducking a little in fear.
"Its still perfect. I'll have to give him a big ol' hug for it. Thank you." She whispered softly and kissed him just as softly as she spoke.
It was a birthday she couldn't forget because she slept with the stuffed animal every day when he was outside being a raven.
Alright so I worked pretty hard on this. So Alice I hope you like. But most of all this is my birthday present.