Seth pulls her close, capturing her lips in a rough, desperate kiss. At first she's too stunned to respond but the intensity of the gesture and the way he clings to her is enough to pull her out of her stillness; she begins to reciprocate with equal frenzy, hands wrapping around his neck, fingers lacing through his hair. It's overwhelming and heady the way he possesses her, his hands cupping her butt, grinding her hips against his. His mouth starts trailing wet kisses down the length of her neck, teeth grazing her skin, and his hands... oh god, his hands sneak underneath her dress, caressing her inner thighs, teasing her with promises of a happy ending. "Seth, stop!" she exclaims, not wanting to complicate things further before they have a chance to talk.

"Sorry," he whispers in her ear, his breath labored, simply holding her in his arms.

She closes her eyes, breathing him in, losing herself in his soothing touch.

The peaceful moment only lasts a few seconds before her body starts craving more. Reluctantly she takes a step back to put some distance between them, averting her eyes from him. Things were so much more simpler when they lived together in Mexico, when he treated her like an annoying little sister and he was just a silly crush of hers. They were friends, just friends, and there wasn't this crazy tension between them.

"You okay?" he asks.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You passed out."

She gives him a questioning look. "I did?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Just that we were in the garage..." Heat rises in her cheeks as the memory of Seth, Richie, their mouth and hands everywhere on her body comes rushing back. She looks away, starts sweeping aside the broken shards of glass sitting on the counter with a towel.

"You were out for hours," Seth says, watching her. "You scared the fuck out of us."

"Where's Richie?" she asks, remembering how upset Seth was before she was distracted by the kiss. "Did something happen to him?"

"No, he's fine."

"Then why did you break the mirror?"

He doesn't respond.

Her attention falls on his bruised finger, the blood now clotted. "Your hand," she says. "Let me clean that." Tending to his wounds is like falling into an old habit, something they've done many, many times during the year they lived together, but now as she turns on the tap and he moves closer, she realises maybe it wasn't a good idea to initiate this, not when her fingers are intertwined with his, the cold water a welcome contrast to the heat of his touch. "Where's Richie?"

"On a date with your favourite ranger."

"What?" Kate asks, panic unfurling in her stomach. "With Ranger Gonzales?"

"You know more than one ranger?"

"Freddie hates him, and you! He's gonna throw Richie in jail if he doesn't kill him first."

"Not if it means helping you. Richie saw the ranger was calling your cell and he answered, told the prick you were in trouble."

"Don't call him a prick."

"He's called us worse."

"Yeah but you guys earned those names."

Seth cocks his eyebrow. "You sound like you're in love with the guy."

"When you and Richie ditched me, he was the only one I could turn to for help." She grabs the shaving lotion and pours it on Seth's bruised finger, feeling a small bout of satisfaction when he winces from the sting of the alcohol. "If it wasn't for him, I would've been vampire meat a long time ago. So call him whatever the hell you want, just don't do it in front of me."

"Whatever you want, princess."

She starts going through the vanity drawers.

"What are you looking for?"

"Bandages. I'm hoping there's some left behind. I know there's no point in asking if you have any."

"I do. In the first aid kit, with my other stuff, because you always used to nag me about carrying one all the time."

She remembers doing that, a lot, but she didn't expect him to still heed that advice. After he abandoned her, she assumed he returned to his old habits. "Good. Go put it on," she says, crossing her elbows. "Where are we anyway? I need to get back to my room. I want to take a shower."

"We brought all your stuff here. Didn't think it was a good idea to stay in yours in case the bloodsuckers came sniffing after you."

"Oh."

He leaves the bathroom to return with a fresh white robe a few seconds later. "Here. Figured you'd want this."

She takes it from him, once again surprised he remembers the little things she likes. "Thanks."

His gaze is keen, nerve-wracking yet hypnotic, and she finds herself unable to avoid it, instead getting more and more lost within him. And then he looks away quickly, like he can't bear the sight of her, and she remembers how much he hates revealing any vulnerabilities.

"I should call Richie," he says. "Let him know you're alright."

"Yeah, you do that. And tell him to come back. I need to talk to him about something."

"What?"

"I want to talk to him, not you."

His jaw clenches; he's irritated. "Why is that?"

"Because I don't have to do some kind of mental olympics to know where I stand with him."

Seth chuckles, the sound bitter. "Oh really? Two days ago you couldn't stand the sight of him."

"Yeah, well, I still don't trust him," she bites out, defensive. "But that's besides the point. At least he tells me how he feels, he puts it out there. He doesn't hide behind an apathetic mask just because he's scared."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

She debates keeping her mouth shut. After all, what would be the point? But then she remembers the sick feeling of being manipulated in her dreams, how easy it was for someone to use her fears against her - and she refuses to be silenced, not when she knows how freeing it is to beat her demons. "I know what Richie wants, and I know what I want, but what the hell do you want, Seth?"

"Really? We're gonna do this now?"

She shakes her head, disappointed but not surprised. "I don't know why I even bothered. Of course you're not going to tell me how you feel. You probably don't even know. Or maybe you do know and you're just ignoring your feelings and doing whatever Richie wants."

"Oh, so now I'm a pushover?"

"I don't know, Seth. Maybe. Sometimes I wonder if I even really knew you at all," she sighs. "Look, I'm tired."

"Oh no you don't, sweetheart," he interjects, stepping forward. "You don't get to hurl insults at me and then just walk away. That's not how this works."

"Because only you get to do that?" she fires back. It's been years but she still remembers the pain of waking up in that motel room all by herself, how alone and betrayed she felt after reading his note and realising he abandoned her.

"We lived and hunted together, remember that? I taught you how to use a gun, how to throw knives, how to not be an annoying pain in the ass."

She casts him a defiant glance.

"And now you're claiming you don't even know me?"

"Seth." She tries her best to remain calm, to stop her voice from shaking. "Richie and I were never friends but you, it was different with you. You were my friend, my family. And then you threw me away like I was yesterday's trash."

"Yeah, to protect you. Which you damn well know."

"Now, yeah, maybe, but I didn't for years. And I wondered what I did wrong to drive you away. Did I talk too much? Did I yell too much? What if I was stronger, faster, prettier? What if I was a better fighter when we were hunting together? Would that have made you stay?"

He doesn't respond.

"I talked to Vanessa, you know."

"How? When?" he demands, annoyed.

"You left your cell in my room and she tracked it down. At first she thought you were cheating on her but I set her straight. And then we started talking and I realised there's so much you haven't told her. You were closed off with her too, like you were with me."

"Oh yeah, 'cause telling her about vampires sounds like such a great idea. Then she'd really have a reason to throw Richie in the loony bin. Hell, she'd probably stick me in there too!"

"And there it is, the excuse, you always have an excuse. Some reason why you'll never open up to anyone." A sad smile forms across her lips. "What was the excuse with me? I was too young, too naive to understand anything about your feelings?" She peers at him closely. "Are you capable of letting anyone in who isn't your brother, Seth?"

"What do you want, Kate? An essay on my thoughts and feelings? Guess what, sweetheart, it's not gonna happen. And if you think Richie's gonna play ball on that front, you're in for a world of disappointment."

"You're wrong about him, you know, because he does open up. He messed up big, but he didn't make excuses for it. He just put himself out there, told me how he felt. He doesn't run from his emotions, he doesn't hide from them. It's one of the reasons why I'm in love with him, even though I wish I wasn't."

"Well, ain't that sweet," he mutters. "Make sure you let him know. He's all twisted up on the inside trying to prove how much he loves you."

"And you'd never do anything like that, right? It's beneath you, is it?"

Jaw set, eyes volatile, he draws closer, forcing her to retreat until she's trapped against the counter. He's close, so close, and her blood sings with excitement at the thought of being wrapped up in him.

"You want to know how I feel, Katie-cakes?" He mocks her, his voice filled with anger. "Maybe I'm not a poet like my brother. Maybe I'm a man of action, not words." He cups her face, closes his mouth over hers.

It's a kiss meant to taunt, to punish, his lips savage against hers, as if to remind her how easily she can succumb to him. And although her body reacts to his touch, she finds herself pulling away emotionally. Using all her strength she pushes him away, panting for air. "All that tells me is that you want to fuck me, Seth. Like I'm just another girl in a long list of them. And I deserve more than that from you."

His eyes are liquid pools of heat and rage, utterly confused yet filled with contempt. "What the fuck do you want from me, Kate? What is it that you want to hear?"

Tell me you love me, like I love you. "Nothing," she replies.

"Because if it's some kind of magical words you want, you're gonna have to say it first."

Disappointed, she shakes her head. "Because Seth Gecko never puts himself out there for anyone, right?" She exhales a resigned sigh. "I want to take a shower, and then I want to talk to Richie. That's all."

"Fine, your fucking highness." He exits the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

Swiping the tears from her face, she starts to undress.


Pacing back and forth, Seth grows more annoyed by the second while he waits for Richie to pick up the cell. After what feels like a fucking eternity, his brother finally answers.

"What's wrong? Is she worse?" Richie asks on the other end, sounding frantic.

"She's fine, she's awake, but she's irritating the crap out of me so you need to get your ass back here now."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"She's just... she's in a very talkative mood. And she wants to discuss feelings and emotions and all this other crap that I don't want to get into."

"Last night you were crying about never hearing her voice again and now you're bitching about how much she's talking?"

"Hey, you do not bring that shit up, Richard! And don't you dare tell her anything either. That is between you and me, brother. "

"Seth, stop acting like a juvenile frat boy. You love her. You know it, I know it, and so does Kate."

"Actually, she doesn't. She keeps saying she has no idea how I feel."

"Then here's a thought. Tell her. Think you can handle that?"

"How about you go fuck off?"

"Very mature, Seth."

Frustrated, Seth sits down on the edge of the bed. "I think you should come back here. I don't know how long I can be around her-"

"Without ripping her clothes off? Yeah, I know the feeling."

"Fuck off."

"You think I don't want to be there right now? Because I do. I wish I was there with the two of you but I'm supposed to meet up with Ranger Ricardo so we can go see some brouja-"

"Brou what?"

"Never mind that. I can't stand Ranger Asshole but I'm here, and I'm putting up with him because he says he can help Kate. So the least you can do is play nice and make sure she's alright."

Feeling guilty, Seth bites down on his bottom lip. "She seems to be fine now, just PMSing to the extreme."

"Yeah, but the attacks are only going to get worse unless we do something now. So stop being a fucking pussy, man up, and deal with your feelings. You lived with the girl for over a year. I think you can handle two fucking nights with her."

Before Seth can tell his brother to shove it, Richie hangs up the phone.

I know there are readers who veer towards Seth/Kate while others towards Richie/Kate. I, myself, am an unabashed Richie/Kate/Seth shipper. That being said, I do think it's important to show each couple alone to see why Kate loves both men and what sets each relationship apart. Anyway, as always, thank you for reading.

A/N -I know there are readers who veer towards Seth/Kate while others towards Richie/Kate. I, myself, am an unabashed Richie/Kate/Seth shipper. That being said, I do think it's important to show each couple alone to see why Kate loves both men and what sets each relationship apart. Anyway, as always, thank you for reading.