(A/N)

I was supposed to put a comment here that explained something, but when I rested my hands on the keyboard it completely escaped my mind... Couldn't have been to important *shrugs* Oh well, I hope you enjoy. R&R!

We tried to keep our relationship a secret and it was fine for about two weeks until Evra walked in on us and we had to explain everything. Shortly after we had finished telling him, Evra told everyone else and there was a small celebration; it seemed the Cirque would party over the smallest things. Once our status was out in public, Crepsley and I could breathe a bit easier; it was nice to be able to do normal things like hold hands and kiss each other goodnight without weird stares or not doing it at all.

Soon enough a month had passed, we had changed camp sites three times; the second time we were only there a few days before the police were called and we had the leave. It was always fun to change camp, there was a hint of excitement and anticipation to see what the next one would look like, no one but Mr Tall knew where we were going and that's what made it amusing. We always moved during the afternoon so that when we got to the new campsite we could be covered by the shadows as we set up the tents and other equipment.

Mr Crepsley complained a lot about moving, although he liked it, he didn't like the repetition of taking down the tents, only to put them back up again in a few hours. It made me laugh when he was grumbling, especially when it caused him to drop something or trip over and he would quickly look around to see if anyone saw him.

Today was a moving day, we had performed the last show the night before and we had begun to pack things away. The move was done in three shifts; while two groups worked one would have their dinner, once that group had finished eating everyone would rotate until everyone had eaten and there was a burst of energy as all three groups worked to finish the job. My group was eating, I was sitting next to Evra at a single table; we were talking about where we might end up next.

"I'd like to see more of the country," Evra said around a piece of steak, "I know that the cities get a bigger audience, but I like the open space in the country."

Our last few stops had been the major cities and I had to agree with Evra about the open spaces, especially if we were near farms, I liked to watch the sunset over the mountains and valleys.

"Well you never know we could be on our way to a deserted, dusty plain in the middle of nowhere." I joked.

"We can only hope." Evra and I laughed for a little bit before Gertha Teeth came and tapped us on the shoulder to say that we were rotating.

My stomach did a flip because I knew that Mr Crepsley's group had eaten before us and that meant I'd be working with him or at least near him and that was good enough. I walked over to his tent to find that it was collapsed on the floor with a figure underneath it cursing loudly.

"Need some help?" I asked when I got closer.

The cursing stopped and so did the frantic movements, "Darrien, is that you?"

"Yes Larten, it's me, are you okay under there?"

There was a loud sigh and I knew that Mr Crepsley had tried to dissemble the tent by himself; after all these years you'd think he would have it down to an art, but he seemed to think that tents were 'evil devices of torture to bring others twisted amusement'.

"No, I am not okay," He sounded frustrated, "May you please assist me with this contraption?"

I laughed and walked up to the tent, grabbed the edge and flung it upward, giving Mr Crepsley enough time to flit from under it; we did this every time, even before we were together. After all these years I couldn't work out why he wouldn't let anyone help him, but I guessed it was because he didn't want anyone to know his weakness.

I caught Larten glowering at the fallen material as if it were a foe who had forced him to walk away; his cheeks were flustered and his orange hair was a tangled mess. I don't think he realised I looked like he had just had sex and I didn't plan on telling him.

"You'll beat it next time," I patted Larten on the shoulder, "And after that we can try a phone."

"Do not mock me Darrien." Mr Crepsley was still my mentor and he believed that it came before our relationship, it kind of hurt that he thought that way, but I supposed it was apart of how he was raised.

I helped out wherever I could for another hour and a half until the other group had finished eating and I knew from experience that it was best for the younger ones to just get out of the way. Evra and I were sitting in our tent, or what was left of it, and were going through my clothes to try and find a good outfit for when I went on stage.

"What about the corset? You could be a scary goth chick." Evra was holding the corset against his body and checking himself out in the mirror.

"Nah, I'd feel like a cheap hooker." I sighed a bit, I knew how much the corset had cost and I hadn't worn it since I got it which made me feel guilty.

"Well, what if…" Evra trailed of as he started throwing clothes and shoes around the tent until he was satisfied with what he had found, "What if you wore it with this top, these pants and these boots?"

I looked down at the outfit he had placed on the floor; there was a red, silky, long sleeved top, the corset over it, a pair of black tights and a pair of black boots. It was a pirate costume!

"That's awesome, but it's missing something." I frowned as I tried to work out what would complete he look, but Evra beat me to it; he walked over to his trunk and pulled out a red bit of material and put it on the ground next to the other clothes.

"It's a cape, but if you tie it around you waist it could be like a half skirt." It was a similar material to the top and almost the exact colour.

"Why do you even have that?" I asked.

"When I was younger I used to wear it when I performed, I looked like a complete idiot, but I loved it and so I never got rid of it." Evra looked lovingly at the cape and then up at me. "So are you going to show Crepsley?"

I was collecting the clothes that Evra had thrown around and folding them back into my suitcase, "I think I'll surprise him."

"You know he hates surprises." Evra started helping me, though he just seemed to hold on to each item instead of actually doing anything with it like put it away.

Mine and Evra's tent was one of the last to get packed away and we were herded into a black van with Mr Crepsley and a new performer, Derik. Derik was strange, even to me and I had seen a lot of weird things; he could take off his limb and put them anywhere on his body, he was like a walking, talking Picasso painting. He had told us that his body was like a lot of little magnets and he was still trying to work out why he didn't just fall apart or why he couldn't stick to fridges.

I sat next to Mr Crepsley, he had stopped complaining, but he still wore a bit of a scowl that made him look like one of the vampires in a horror movie. The trip was a long one, which meant there was a lot of conversations and a lot of awkward silences; Derik was yet to be introduced to me and Mr Crepsley properly, I think he was scared of us.

"So what's wrong with you guys?" Derik broke the silence that had been dragging on, "I mean I've seem you act, but it seems so normal compared to the others here."

Maybe it was the problem he had with the tent earlier or it could be the fact that when he wanted to, Mr Crepsley could be quite cruel, but what he did next was hilarious. I watched Larten turned to Derik and look him up and down with hungry eyes; he licked his lips and stood to walk over to the now shaking Derik. Mr Crepsley held out his hand and waited for the man in front of him to take it, when he did the introductions begun.

"Name's Derik, human pull apart puzzle." Derik had lost a bit of colour in his cheeks and I didn't blame him.

"Larten Crepsley, magician and vampire at your service." If Derik was pale before he was transparent now. "This is my assistant and fellow vampire, Darrien." He pointed his hand at me and I waved at the trembling man opposite me; I noticed that for a split second he smiled at me.

It was strange for someone in his position to smile, but to make matters worse he winked at me when Mr Crepsley turned his back. At that moment I saw a change in Larten's posture; he always stood tall and confident, but his movement were fluid, but as he turned and walked back to me he was stiff and robotic.

Mr Crepsley sat back down next to me and pulled me closer, wrapping his arm around my waist and squeezing my thigh harder than I would have liked. I could see that Evra was trying hard not to laugh, what I wouldn't have given to punch him right then and there, but all my thoughts were cut short as a hand snuck underneath my skirt. It happened so quick that if it wasn't for me being a half vampire I wouldn't have noticed; to the others it would have just looked like my skirt moved a bit.

I didn't mind Mr Crepsley messing with Derik's head about vampires and I didn't even mind Evra not saying anything about how nice we really were, but what I didn't like was the sudden possessiveness that Larten was showing. Normally, we were allowed to hold hands under the table while we ate or a kiss goodnight before we went to separate tents, but that was all, we hadn't even had sex again; it was almost like Larten hated the physical contact. At least I would believe that if it wasn't for the fact that he was touching me right now, holding me very close and very tightly.

"Mr Crepsley you're hurting me." I whispered so only he could hear over the roar of the engine, but I noticed that Evra had watched my lips and had stopped laughing.

I winced as Crepsley's sharp nails dug into my skin, breaking its surface and drawing blood. The area around where I had been cut felt hot as the trickles of red liquid ran down my legs. Derik's eyes were wide with shock, even Evra looked worried, but no one was more frightened than me, why was Mr Crepsley acting like this? It was completely unlike him to not only be so physical, but to caused me pain without it being apart of a training session. I chanced a glance in Crepsley's direction to find him staring at Derik with an angry look on his face and then I realised something; Larten Crepsley was jealous. I don't think he even knew he was hurting me, his nails didn't dig any deeper, but they didn't move either, it was like he was in a trance.

Instead of trying to move I just sat there with my hands in my lap, attempting to ignore the constant throbbing in my thigh. I had signalled to Evra that everything was okay; he didn't seem to buy it. He didn't really have a choice; he could try and confront Mr Crepsley, but he might get hurt. There was a nagging in the back of my mind, deep down I liked the attention, but I also wanted to know what set it off.

Larten Crepsley was excellent at masking his true feelings which was fine if you were consorting with an enemy, but to do so around your partner was just annoying. This was annoying, the fact that he hadn't said anything or even spoken to me at all was irritating. Why would Mr Crepsley be jealous in the first place? He could take one look at the man and know I had no interest in him; Derik wasn't my type, he was to… I don't even think there's a word for the fact that his limbs were removable and it grossed me out.

Finally the van stopped, both Evra and Derik practically dove for the door, leaving me and Mr Crepsley sitting alone in a car that reeked of blood and fear. The vampire's eyes followed the detachable man as he and Evra went to help unload the other vans.

"Mr Crepsley?" My voice shook as I spoke; I was still scared out of my mind.

"Hmm?" Larten came out of his trance to see the pain in my eyes.

He looked confused for a moment, until I stood up and his nails were torn out of my flesh, this caused fresh blood to flow over my skin. I saw the look of horror wash over Crepsley; he looked at my leg, then at his hands and back to my leg. He moved quickly, dropping down to his knees and licking the wounds he had caused the heal them; although the blood would stop I would still have scarring. I didn't move as Larten stood to face me, I just looked into his eyes and as usual they held little emotion; I detected a bit of confusion and self hate, but nothing else.

"What was wrong?" I didn't think the question made much sense after I said it, but Crepsley got the idea.

"After I introduced us, although I had planned on scarring young Derik a bit, it seemed he took a shine to you in a way that angered me." Larten sustained to hold my gaze and I was sure he could see my uncertainty because he continued. "Derik's body let off chemicals that suggested his intent with you, I could smell it. He had… what was it you children call it? Pre-cum? Is that it?"

My jaw dropped a little for two distinct reasons; Derik had intensions towards me, but most of all… Larten Crepsley just said pre-cum! I didn't even think a word like that was in his vocabulary and what did he mean by 'you children'? Tonight my emotions hated me and thought it was fun to play games on me; I didn't know what to do. I knew Mr Crepsley was just being protective and that was kind of sweet, but he had hurt me in the process. God, if only he'd say something instead of just standing there like a big, dumb vampire!

"I have to go," I turned to leave, "Goodnight Mr Crepsley."

"Goodnight Darrien." That hurt; no kiss goodnight, no asking if I was okay or if I wanted to stay with him tonight. Doesn't he know anything about relationships?

I stepped out of the van and walked through the half set up Cirque Du Freak campsite. It was cold and I had packed all my jumpers and jackets away not really thinking about the weather. I wasn't really thinking about it now; I wasn't really thinking about anything, my mind was completely blank. After walking for a while I recognised mine and Evra's tent, it was almost set up and by the time I reached it the snake boy was tightening the last few ropes.

"Hey Darrien, is everything okay?" Evra smiled.

You know how when you feel really upset, but you keep your emotions in check right up until someone asks if you're okay? This was one of those times; the second the words left his mouth the tears left my eyes. I didn't quite know why I was crying, but it felt right.

"Hey, hey," Evra raced over and hugged me, "Everything's okay, it's all okay, shhhh." I felt Evra lead us into the tent.

Evra was good at doing the right things when someone was upset, I guess living with a girl in your room for a few years taught him some tricks. He sat me down on my bed and raced off, when he came back Evra sat next to me with a large box that we had named the 'Better Box' because it was a box that made you feel better; lame, but true. He opened it and all I could smell was chocolate and candy, I was already feeling better and I hadn't even eaten any; that's how good it worked.

"Open up." The snake boy reached into the box and pulled out watermelon favoured rock candy with bits of chocolate stuck to it and held it to my mouth.

I let Evra feed me an assortment of lollies until my tears had stopped and my stomach started; when it grumbled loudly it was a sign that the tank was full and it was probably time for sleep. I smiled weakly at the scaled boy… no, the scaled man before me. Evra had done so much for me over the years; taking the blame for silly things, showing me the ropes and now he comforted me without even knowing what was wrong.

"Well, I do believe we just weaselled our way out of helping set up camp." Evra gave a soft chuckle before looking at me a bit more seriously, "Did Crepsley… do anything?"

I was taken back for a second until I realised how everything must look to him; I quickly explained what had happened and once I was finished I waited to hear Evra's comments. They were not what I expected.

"That dickhead!" Evra looked angry, "I can't believe he just let you walk away like that; all that trouble about being jealous and then he lets you go towards Derik? Does he even realise how stupid he is?"

"It's not that bad Evra, he doesn't know any better. You know he's a mentor first and my boyfriend second." I tried to calm Evra, but I just seemed to make matters worse.

"No, no I did not know that he was a mentor first, that doesn't even make sense!" Evra stood and looked at the entrance to the tent and I saw the cogs working in his head, "I'm gonna go say something to him."

I didn't even get to make a counter argument before he was gone and to prevent causing more trouble I stayed put, alone in the tent with the 'Better Box'. I think we'll need to go shopping for more chocolate after this is all done.

About twenty minutes had passed by the time Evra got back into the tent and he didn't look so happy. I got up and met him halfway; I had never seen Evra look so upset before. The suspense was killing me, but I didn't want to press matters and for a long time we just stood there; me looking at Evra and Evra looking at the floor.

"So did you say something?" The silence was killing me and I needed to know what had happened.

"Oh yeah, I said something alright and then Crepsley said something and I went to say something else, but Crepsley said some more things that made me think, but then I said something I probably shouldn't have and then Crepsley did something I didn't think he would." Evra's focus hadn't moved from the floor and I was sure he was crying.

"What did you say?" My heart was pounding in my chest and something in the back of my mind was screaming at me that things weren't right.

"I told him that he didn't deserve you." Evra's voice was quiet and croaky.

Now my hands were shaking and my heart was beating somewhere in my throat, sweat started to bead on my forehead and my mind started racing through all the possible outcomes.

"What did he do?" I was almost too afraid to ask, but I had to know.

There was a long pause and Evra didn't answer so I repeated the question, "What did he do?"

"He agreed."

(A/N)

Still haven't remembered the thing I was meant to write... I have found that cliffhangers are my new thing, they bring me great joy and annoy others into continuing to read my stories. I know this is a big risk and I might annoy people too much, but I don't care, it's too fun.

Anyways, I hope you like the chapter and I promise that the next will be up soon; it will be short, sweet and will probably make you go, "Awwww..." If not then I fail. Please Review!