(A/N): We're back with Lisbet, Leo and Jerremyah. Also, I realised that I'd left somewhat of a plot hole, this morning- not anything to do with this chapter, or even this part of the timeline, but this is when I realised it- and now I have to figure out how to make that into a plot point, rather than a plot hole. I've got a very basic idea- aka, why things don't quite add up in this particular situation, but the details are probably going to be figured out a bit later.

Lisbet

Leo didn't agree with Jerremyah calling himself 'an incorrigible bastard'- neither did I- but the way that Jerremyah's face went all soft and honeyed to hear him say that, made something in the back of my mind stretch and flex, like some sort of wild animal waking up to food being thrown into its cage. I saw his eyes flick to me, then immediately dart away again as though he knew just how close to the surface that animal was- he probably did, it was likely shining out of my eyes, and he and I knew each other well enough to be able to recognise that kind of thing.

For example, I hadn't missed the look on his face earlier, when I'd told Leo that people wanted to be around him. A kind of hungry thing- no, not quite hungry... yearning, desirous- aching. I wasn't entirely sure why that had been what had caused a look like that to overtake him, but I certainly wasn't complaining. When he'd arrived, I'd been consumed by trying to resist him- to avoid giving in to my very pressing, innate urge to throw myself at him- but then... things had changed. The tables had turned, and now he was trying to resist me... which meant that my goal had changed from trying to resist him, to trying to wear him down. To make him cave to the instincts that I knew he was fighting- because I was fighting them, too. I wasn't consumed by it, this time- at least, not right now, since I was more focused on Leo than anything else- but it was constantly in the back of my mind. Maybe in the same place that animal called home.

"You don't agree with it because I'm nice to you. I don't treat you the way I treat everyone else- it's the same reason Lisbet tries to deny it, too." Leo's lips curved into a frown, which I'm sure was almost as disappointing to Jerremyah as it was to me.

I shook my head, tightening my arm around Leo- and subsequently, Jerremyah's arm where it was trapped between us. "I know you can be an arse sometimes, I just don't think it makes you irredeemable in the way you think it does." That little crease formed between his eyebrows again, and I had to swallow down the urge to press my lips to it.

"But still irredeemable, just in a different way." No. I sighed, and I felt Leo shift against me as I blew air across his neck. Just to get a reaction, I did it again; the corner of his lips unwillingly quirked up as he tried not to laugh at the sensation.

"Stop it, that tickles." He practically whispered, as if he was resistant to raising his voice any more than that. His purring had quieted somewhat, but I didn't know whether that was because he'd started getting used to being held like this, or if it was an unconscious reflex so he could facilitate conversation.

"Good." I whispered back, and felt him flush. Then, I raised my voice- even though it was unnecessary, since they would both hear me either way- to make it clear to the both of them that I was speaking to Jerremyah now. "You always take everything I say out of context. You're not irredeemable- very few people are." Even if my words were directed at Jerremyah, they weren't only for him to hear... and I didn't doubt they'd be helpful for Leo, if he chose to actually absorb them.

"That's quite charitable of you, dearest." I didn't roll my eyes at him, but it was rather a close call.

"Is your idea of introspection just a prolonged experiment in self-loathing?" Leo shifted somewhat uncomfortably, and I patted him on the shoulder in as reassuring of a manner as I could, considering that I was in the middle of giving Jerremyah a dressing down. "Or are you going to tell me that the two are unrelated?" He gave me a dry look, and I felt his arms tense- the one trapped between me and Leo, as well as the one resting loosely against my back, its hand still entwined with Leo's.

"You can make whatever assumptions you would like- I'm still trying to figure things out. Maybe 'self-loathing' is just what I've defaulted to, because I don't know myself well enough to do anything but despise myself." I blinked- Oh.

I felt Leo move; saw the surprise on Jerremyah's face, and knew that he'd done something- I think he'd squeezed Jerremyah's hand, but it was a little hard to tell. It would match the movement I'd felt against my back, and as much as I would think that that sort of thing wouldn't surprise him at this point, I knew that Jerremyah had a- somewhat frustrating- tendency to be completely clueless to the fact that he was, actually, quite touchable.

There was a point that people tended to reach, sooner of later, when they spent enough time with him that they got past the prickly exterior- and the leather, and all the inked skin- and started taking a shine to him, in their own ways. Even if I discounted myself- as I knew Jerremyah would, simply because I was his mate- there were countless other examples to choose from.

Most notably were the first and last- most recent- people I'd had the privilege of witnessing warm to him. Evie was... well, I don't want to say she was a given, but she was... it's not like she was a hard sell. If anything, for her, all of those things were a bonus, rather than a negative- which was one of the best things about Evie, really. Evie had taken to Jerremyah like a duck to water- ...hm, hopefully that hadn't changed since I had left. We'd seen each other a few times in the years between, but I wasn't sure if she would've been honest with me about something like that- so really, I had no way of knowing.

Wilde, on the other hand... Wilde had been a hard sell- though maybe not as hard as it could have been. Honestly, after he'd gotten past the fact that Jerremyah had fangs, the biggest issue preventing them from liking each other was... well, me. Then again, that was still a problem, over three centuries later. Even Wilde had warmed to Jerremyah eventually- or, as warm as Wilde tended to get, typically. He was certainly warm enough to me, but we had a... an understanding. Of course, to Jerremyah, that was practically a declaration of undying love, and he refused to be convinced otherwise.

But beyond just those two, there was Nuria, Greygorry, Minsi, Khal- even Sidonie had taken a liking to him, though I was certain that had less to do with his personality, and more to do with his other... attributes. For whatever reason, Jerremyah always assumed the worst- that no one could ever possibly like him. Hm... maybe they were right, and he and Leo did have more in common than even I'd first thought.

"It's okay," Leo said, his voice soft like he was trying not to spook an already skittish animal. "I don't like myself very much sometimes, either." I didn't even have time to do more than frown, before Jerremyah- also frowning- opened his mouth.

"You should. Like yourself, I mean. Is it... do you feel like maybe you have the same problem?" Leo's eyebrows furrowed. "You're young, only fifteen-" Practically a baby, I could hear the words neither of us dared to say, as if he'd spoken them loud and clear. "-you don't know who you'll be in a year or two, let alone twenty or thirty." I felt Leo stiffen, and I immediately knew what he was struggling not to point out.

"You'll make it past sixteen," I assured him quietly- though I wasn't entirely sure it was still more for his benefit than mine. "The Change cannot- will not- take you from me." He untensed, for the most part at least; burying his face in my collar.

"Somehow," He said, his voice slightly muffled, and his voice only got quieter as he went on. "The thought of growing up is almost as scary as the prospect of never getting the chance."

(A/N): Lisbet: 'Evie had taken to Jerremyah like a duck to water-'

Evie: 'Quack quack, motherducker.'

also

Lisbet: 'Is your idea of introspection just a prolonged experiment in self-loathing?'

Leo: *hiding his self-harm scars under his shirt*

Leo: 'Well, this is awkward...'

also

Lisbet: '(...) even Sidonie had taken a liking to him, though I was certain that had less to do with his personality, and more to do with his other... attributes.'

Sidonie: 'Can I have sex with your husband?'

Lisbet: 'No, he's MINE. Hence why you just called him MY husband.'

Sidonie: 'I don't mind sharing. The bed's big enough for three... or four, if you would like for Greygorry to join us.'

Lisbet: 'I'm not even going to dignify that with a response.'

Lisbet: 'Mainly because Nuria would never let me hear the end of it, and you're much too cunning to be my type.'

Sidonie: 'So you're saying that the only cunning you like is cunnilingus?'

Lisbet: 'That is not even remotely what I just said.'

Lisbet: '...but yes.'

also

Leo: 'It's okay. I don't like myself very much sometimes, either.'

A Chorus of Angels: '~Un-der-statement of the yeeeeear!~'

Leo: 'I thought I told you to be quiet.'

A Chorus of Angels: '~We made no such agreeeeement!~'

Leo: *heavy sigh*

Leo: 'Of course you didn't...'