Note: Hey guys. So I finally had back surgery! Yay! And I'm working on the last chapter of Eventful Summer, so I figured now is okay to finally start posting this story. I have 21 chapter written so it's not like I'm writing anything new, just editing (haha this first chapter was written back in July 2021).
Aged up. Will is 18. Phobos stopped aging at 19. Everyone else between 17-18. Story is based on the romantic coding of Phobos' behavior towards Will in 'V is for Victory' and 'W is for Witch'.
The Keeper's Guest
Chapter One
The Vandom residence was quiet as Wilhelmina opened the front door to the sixth floor apartment. Walking in, the young woman slipped off her shoes and hung her green backpack on the wooden hook in the entryway. After a brief second of hesitation, as she still couldn't believe the days turn, she stepped aside to let the taller man behind her in. He looked skeptical as he peered in, not trusting the change in the normal day-to-day routine that was his steady schedule for over the last month and a half.
"Do I need to invite you in like a vampire?" Will teased, one eyebrow raised, as she waited with a hand on her hip. Flicking a switch, the ceiling light in the front room turned on, revealing a simple, modernly furnished living room. It was an open concept, with the living room section to the left, with a brown fabric couch, dark wood accent furniture, and a vibrant geometric rug for a pop of color.
The kitchen was across the room, with a long center island with two stools on each side. All the appliances were new and chrome, chattering quietly among themselves, with the kitchen color themed around them. To the left of the kitchen was a small area with the dining table, with a door behind it to the laundry room. Along the left of the dining area were sliding glass doors that led to a decently sized patio. To the right of the living room was a hall that led further into the bedrooms and bath.
"That is a common myth," Prince Phobos said, now stepping inside, moving to let her close the door after. The keypad for the alarm system was red, showing it was disarmed. Will was forever thankful for mastering her quintessence, as not having every single electrical item chattering at her was important for what little sanity she had left in life. Large electronics with more electricity were still alert, but not fully sentient.
"They can transverse all thresholds like any other being," he finished, casually confirming the existence of vampires.
Great. Add that to the list of shit she hoped to never run into.
"Good to know," she answered, rotating her shoulders and leading him fully into the living room portion. "You can chill out here. There is an outlet on the edge of the side table if you need one for your tablet. Let me know when you need the WiFi password." She waved at the TV mounted on the wall. "You can watch some shows. My mom gets like every streaming service free as a perk of her tech job, so I'm sure there is something you'll like. The bathroom is the first door on the right down the hall. I can order some takeout if you're hungry. We don't really keep a lot of food in the house." Will looked up at the ceiling in thought as she asked, more to herself than her blue-eyed guest, "Hmm, did I miss anything?"
Phobos sat his black leather messenger style bag on the couch as he answered, "Yes. You failed to explain why am I here with just you, Keeper?"
Will rolled her eyes at the unneeded title. "For the last time, call me 'Will'. 'Keeper' sounds so weird when we're like this, you know?"
"Fine," he huffed, sounding slightly annoyed but outwardly looking unbothered. "Why am I here, Will?"
She placed her hands on her hips again. "Matt needs a few hours without you bossing him around in his own home. And seeing that I'm the only Guardian that doesn't have any classes with you, they voted for me to watch you."
He raised an inquisitive brow. "You accompany me solo to Meridian once a week, for hours at a time. You take far more risk than them, as I am considerably stronger on my birth planet than here," he pointed out with no malice, just fact.
Will shrugged, knowing that was true, and added, "And you don't act a fool during those trips, compared to the shit you pull in class with everyone else."
The young prince's passive face finally broke into a sly, lopsided-grin as he appraised the guardian leader. "I doubt you would be so tolerant of my attempts at humoron our quaint outings."
Will narrowed her eyes at the tone change, feeling a little uneasy. "Well, you're right about that, Phobos. I wouldn't."
Will took a moment to look him over in return. Clean shaven, shoulder length hair, and dark, well-fitting Earth style clothes that made him look like a normal Earthborn guy. He was on the taller side, with slim hips and slightly broad shoulders. Mix that with his pale blue eyes, platinum blonde hair, and chiseled good looks, and it wasn't surprising he was already shockingly popular at Sheffield High School.
Part of the terms of his pardon included staying under their constant surveillance, so he hung around the Guardians of Magic, Matt, and Caleb during and between classes. Seeing that Matt and Caleb were already pretty popular, Matt for his band, that had a pretty good cult following online, and Caleb for his fit physique and ability to excel in any sports. Having Phobos, the model level pretty boy that aced every class he was in, was like completing the heartthrob trinity.
The Guardians, outside of Cornelia, were never that well known in their peer groups, as they kept to themselves and rarely took part in social or school events. While it was from the girls needing to go off world and handle their magical duties, their peers at Sheffield just saw it as them not wanting to engage with them, so they kept their distance.
But with the new guy accompanying Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay-Lin from class to class, the school was taking notice of the once forgotten small clique.
Luckily, not only did she not have any classes with the prince, but it was short course season for swim in her school district. Meaning, outside of core planning against Nerissa, and taking Phobos to and from Metamoor, Will didn't engage with him as often as the rest. From the reports she got from the other guardians, Matt, Caleb, and even Blunk, she knew she was getting off easy. So watching him for the five or six hours until her mom got home, so Matt could have a break, seemed more than fair.
Still sucked, though.
"Very well," he agreed, easier than expected even with the small push back. "This place is far more quiet, and presentable, than the other's abode. Particularly the regent's. I can study in peace here."
He had been to all the other's homes already, as they had to be his partners for various group projects and watch him throughout the day. As expected, they hated it. Apparently, he was openly rude to their families and complained about, well, everything. Food, decor, etiquette, lack of servants, and so on. Seeing how he was in a medieval cell for months before now, he was obviously complaining to get a rise out of them, as they had no choice but to tolerate it as they needed his help.
Will shrugged again. "Whatever floats your boat. Just don't leave the apartment and stay out of the bedrooms and office. My mom has to have a camera in her office for security reasons, so she'll know you were here if you go in."
"And that matters why?"
"Well, she has confidential stuff in there for work and I'm not allowed to have guys over 'unsupervised'." She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the, frankly, outdated rule. Yet, with her track record with her mom, it wasn't surprising Susan had little trust in her daughter. "Not even Matt or Caleb. So you would be pretty hard to explain."
He nodded, settling down on the couch and pulling his maths textbook and tablet out. It was interesting how quickly he adapted to Earth and the tech. But he literally knew magic, so how hard was learning the basics of anything else?
"Ug, I forget you're in calc class with Taranee. I hate that class."
Phobos tapped the tablet on, the one Cornelia gave him as it was a year old and 'outdated', and handed it to Will, where she put in the network info. She quickly handed it back, not wanting to even glance at the assignment that was due tomorrow.
"It is incredibly straightforward," he simply stated, pulling the stylus free of the tablet and started working on a problem with an elegant flick of his wrist.
Disgusted by the ease at which he worked on her most hated subject, she quickly left for her room.
Weighing the amount of danger she was in verses how badly she wanted the chlorine smell gone from her hair, left over from her dip in the pool at lunch, Will jumped into the shower in her mom's room, leaving the hall bathroom free for her guest/kinda-prisoner.
Now, in a pair of green pajama shorts, a very oversize black shirt, with happy frogs scattered all over, and her hair clean with sweet smelling detangler combed through, she returned to the front room.
Phobos had slipped off the couch and was sitting on the floor at the low coffee table. He had pulled out a notebook and didn't seem to notice her return until she was standing near him. He looked her up and down, from her still wet hair to her wiggling, bare toes, as she asked, "Are you hungry? I'm going to order something."
He frowned slightly. "Your Earth food is vile. Heavy with artificial flavors and oils. And salt. Just so much salt."
Will walked over and plopped down on the couch next to him, mindful to leave a space between him and her legs. "I'm not hearing a 'no'," she pointed out. "There are dozens of restaurants. I'm sure we can find something for your… delicate stomach."
Will couldn't place that odd expression on his face as his lips twitched and brows pulled together. Seeing that he wasn't being overly rude like she had heard he could be, she felt a little bad about the small jab, so she slipped down next to him, showing him the options on her phone. He slid away at first, body tensing, but relaxed as she didn't close the space. Leaning over, he watched as she scrolled through the open nearby restaurants.
"Do you like fish? Sushi might sit well. I think most places have low sodium options too, so we can find something that you can eat."
He was quiet, vivid blue eyes scanning her face, making her neck warm as she waited in silence. Finally, he nodded. "Fish is acceptable."
Will flashed a quick smile and picked a few easy options they could split. She didn't get much, as her mom would question if she ordered far over her daily budget, and noted it would be there in an hour.
Once done, she realized she was still sitting next to him as he was back to studying. Will leaned over to better look at his tablet in hand, not noticing she had moved a little closer, so her hair now brushed his cheek from her closeness, or that he stiffened before breathing in the scent of her shampoo.
She didn't notice him slide a little closer.
"This is next week's chapter!" she pointed out, eyes wide. "Are you jumping ahead?" Now on her knees, she turned to the prince, grabbing his arm with both hands. "How are you understanding this after a month and a half but I can't after freaking eighteen years!" she demanded in real frustration, icy fingers around his warm biceps.
He looked away, face looking a little deeper in color, before glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. "I can show you," he offered, voice oddly calm and soft. "If you can handle the Heart of all Magic, you can handle this."
She snorted. "Sir, unless I can punch my way to the right answer, I doubt it."
He actually chuckled, the corner of his lips twitching up. "That would be interesting to watch."
Will, seeing that she had to do her damn homework no matter what, hopped up, stepping over a flustered Phobos, and grabbed her backpack.
It was less horrible than she thought.
He was actually a good teacher, pointing out fault in her way of thinking about the problems more than the problems themselves. He had her use the paper more than the tablet, so she could keep track of areas she consistently made errors in. Also, there was a powerful drive in her not to look stupid in front of her ex-enemy. When Taranee tried to tutor her, Will often felt her mind grow hazy with sheer boredom and stopped paying attention. With the prince, she was conditioned to give him her undivided attention and stay alert.
The food came and, while the raw fish was a bit too new for him, he liked the cooked rolls. They took a break to eat, where he asked about her swim meets and how the sport worked. Will, maybe a bit too excitedly, explained it was the start of a new season and she knew she had to do well to get a good spot on her college team. She even sheepishly admitted her hopeless goal of being an Olympian one day, as that was becoming more impossible every year that passed with guardian work taking all her efforts.
Phobos was calm, which was odd considering the vast horror stories she heard from her friends. Maybe he knew she could end their deal at any minute and throw him back in jail? Will had planned for him to betray them one day, but if he stayed like this, then it would be a nicer outcome by far.
"I can show you how to approach next week's subject as well," he offered, and Will eagerly agreed. The thought of not being completely lost in class was one of the many weights off her shoulders.
Soon, it was time to take him back to Matt's place. She went and grabbed the Heart from her room and transformed. Phobos packed away his stuff as Will sent Matt a text she was dropping him off in his backyard, near the storage shed. It was dark out and that corner of his yard was unlit.
Matt responded he was heading outside and she tossed her phone on the couch, ready to go. Phobos stood, and she held out a hand and placed the other on her hip.
"Alright, let's go."
Phobos glanced at her hand. Normally, on their trips to Metamoor, she just opened a portal and they went through on their own. Come to think of it, he always kept his distance from them, only touching them the one time he had to 'borrow' energy from Taranee and Cornelia, who still complain about it.
"I won't bite," she teased, far more at ease with the prince than she's ever been.
He scanned her for a moment, before his lips curled into the first deeply worrying expression of the night.
A devilishly devious smirk broke across his face as his long fingers wrapped around hers.
"Ah, we shall see, won't we?"
Will felt a small tingled down her spine that was almost completely masked by her confusion.
At Matt's house, Will stayed in the shadows as Phobos headed inside, with Matt waiting at the backdoor. While he would have seen the light from teleporting, she wasn't sure he could see her now, so she stepped forward a little and waved.
Matt smiled, waving back, before frowning at something Phobos said as he approached. The taller prince glanced back at her.
Not wanting to deal with the coming bickering, Will left. Once home, she depowered and cleaned up the remains of their food. She sat down in the spot once occupied by Phobos, leaning back on the couch, and was distracted by the smell of wild roses.
Susan Vandom chose that moment to return home. She greeted her mom, who was dressed in dark business attire, flashing her a cheerful smile. Her mom sat her large shoulder bag down and was instantly drawn to the papers in front of her.
"Wilhelmina, are you studying?" Susan quickly inquired, dumbfounded.
Will bristled at the tone of disbelief, mood dropping. "Yeah, what of it?" She studied! Her mom didn't need to be so over the top about it.
"There are practice problems showing your work!" Susan's jaw dropped. "You did this?"
Will folded her arms and looked away. "Yeah, I mean, someone walked me through it. Which helped a lot," she admitted, trying to sound casual.
"Taranee?" the older, blue-haired woman asked.
"No, a new… girl. Um, Phoebe. She came by for a bit. I hope that's okay?" Will explained, feeling ready to defend herself if need be.
"Oh, no, that's fine! I mean," Susan sat the papers down. "Just send me a text so I know, next time."
Next time?
Will glanced at the papers.
"Okay," she agreed. "I was thinking of asking for some more help tomorrow, after swim practice."
Susan looked elated. "That sounds wonderful, pumpkin! It's nice seeing you taking school and swim so seriously for once."
Will picked up her phone and shot Matt a text, offering to watch Phobos again tomorrow. The response was quick and what she assumed. Now planning another day with the prince, she cleaned up and headed to her room to relax for the rest of the night.