(A/N): A continuation, with Lisbet, Leo and Jerremyah.

Lisbet

I wasn't sure what to say to that, so I simply bundled him tighter in my arms. Jerremyah, however, knew exactly what to say.

"To be fair, I'm over four and a half centuries old, and I'm still not sure I've ever 'grown up'." Or maybe not... Leo seemed to appreciate it either way, since he snorted somewhat nervously.

"I can tell." He said, but it sounded shaky- like maybe he wasn't as composed as he was trying to act. "You're a kid with a coloring book- the coolest coloring book I've ever seen, but still." I could practically feel Jerremyah's grin radiating from somewhere to my left, and I knew it wasn't just for show- that was exactly the kind of thing he'd find hilarious.

"I'm just a big kid at heart." He joked, but I couldn't say I disagreed- maybe that was one of the reasons he and Leo had taken to each other so quickly. "You don't have to grow up if you don't want to."

I didn't even really think about it before I elbowed him in the stomach, but luckily, since Jerremyah didn't so much as loose a breath at the blow, I suspected that Leo was none the wiser. "Lis. Behave." Or maybe he was- and wasn't that rich, coming from him. The boy that both Jerremyah and Greygorry had referred to as my 'demon child'. And wasn't that... painful, in the best possible way. "What do you mean?" At first I thought he was asking something of me, but then I felt Jerremyah shrug loosely.

"I don't mean not getting any older; if you want to keep aging, I fully support you in that- whether you do that as a mortal or not." Leo stiffened slightly, but Jerremyah kept going, which... in the end, I thought was the right decision. "Getting older doesn't mean growing up- and if you're... if you have concerns about growing up, maybe just... don't?" It didn't seem very practical, but I had the feeling Jerremyah hadn't quite reached his point yet.

"I... I do have- concerns." It sounded heavier than I would have expected; he was placing a weight upon the word that didn't quite fit- at least in my mind.

Jerremyah, on the other hand, perked up slightly. "What sort of concerns?" He said it so, so casually- and if I hadn't been able to feel his body strung tight as if ready to pounce, I might have even believed him. And if I could feel it, I didn't doubt that Leo could, too. It didn't seem to discourage him any, though.

"I- there were things that... I was told that growing up was- that it would bring... certain things. Changes." I blinked, and dread filled my stomach. Then I remembered that Leo was fifteen, and the chances of this being about to devolve into a discussion about puberty were extremely slim. Actually... that made me curious. Who had given Leo the puberty talk, if he had in fact been informed? Somehow, I couldn't imagine Nicholai sitting down and explaining it all to him, so... who?

"What sort of changes, if you don't mind me asking?" Jerremyah asked, and I felt Leo move- quickly followed by a quiet 'oof!' from Jerremyah. From this, I surmised that maybe Leo had followed my lead and elbowed him, and that Jerremyah was humoring him in a way that he hadn't bothered to do for me. I wasn't sure that was entirely wise, given Leo's typical aversion to being coddled- or at least, what he interpreted as such- but recently, he hadn't been reacting typically to most things.

"If you tense your muscles it won't hurt as much." Leo said, in lieu of anything else, and I wasn't surprised when Jerremyah nodded. I was, however, a bit surprised when he didn't point out that he was well aware of this- in fact, he'd probably consciously decided not to, so he didn't risk hurting Leo's elbow.

"Do you mind me asking?" The tone was softer- not exactly indulgent, but it definitely spoke volumes to the idea that he would let Leo avoid the conversation, if he really wanted to.

"I don't... mind, I'm just not sure you'll... like the answer." Jerremyah and I didn't have to share a look, to share a look. He knew exactly what I was thinking, and I, him- unfortunately, those two things were at odds. I wanted to speak up and ask why, then inevitably reassure him- but Jerremyah was telling me to stay quiet. I just had to hope he had a plan.

"Alright." ...he wasn't inspiring confidence. Still, I stayed silent, much like Leo- until he didn't.

"It wasn't just my mother and... Sebastien, but... people have always- expected things of me." What was that supposed to mean?

"Okay," Jerremyah said, and I almost felt like throttling him for being so nonchalant- or at least, acting so nonchalant. "Do you want to tell us anything beyond that?" Leo hesitated, and I felt him swallow.

"When I was with- them- it was mostly about... y'know, pureblood, ancient blood, son of two all-important families, stuff. Rule over your people with an iron fist, kind of thing." Ah. Right. That. The thought of Leo- my sweet, sweet boy- ruling people with any sort of fist made my stomach turn- especially knowing that Cipicia would've been the one to teach him how to do so. "My sister expected me to protect her, and I..." I knew where he was going with this, and I couldn't allow it.

"You didn't fail her, Leo." He was silent for a second, then sighed- but it sounded almost annoyed. "You didn't, you-" He cut me off.

"She was alone, for years, at their mercy. She relied on me, and I let her down-" I pulled back and pressed a firm kiss to his forehead, which made him falter seemingly just because he was perplexed by it. My choice of timing, rather than the action itself, I suspected.

"Did you leave by choice?" He was silent. "Did I miss the part where you asked your mother to throw you out?" I saw his frustration building, but I simply couldn't let this stand. "You were a child, just like Mia was- none of this was your fault." I kissed his forehead again, hard enough that I feared he was feeling more of the teeth behind them, than the lips themselves.

"I can't talk to you when you're like this," It hurt to hear- not because I couldn't talk to him, but because I was scared this meant he wouldn't come to me if he needed comfort. "You're too..." He trailed off, and I tilted my forehead against his cheek, my eyes closed as if that might fix the unfixable. "...involved." I wasn't sure what that meant- and then I remembered Jerremyah's feigned nonchalance, and found that maybe I understood it more than I'd originally thought.

"I could promise to try to impartial, but I think we both know that wouldn't work. I love you far too much to ever be anywhere close to impartial- I am hopelessly, painfully biased, and I refuse to apologise for that." I felt his cheeks flush- and then, I felt him push said cheek further against my face, butting up against my nose and brushing back and forth... like his only goal was encouraging me to scent him. I did as he wanted, of course- and rather graciously, to boot.

"I don't- I don't expect you to- I wouldn't want you to be... uninvolved, but it's..." He hesitated for the barest second, which I considered quite the achievement, once he'd finished. "It's not what I need. Not right now, at least." I couldn't help the smile that bloomed on my lips, and I felt proud tears prick my eyes as I tucked the tip of nose into the crease between the curve of his ear and the side of his head.

"...thank you for telling me, little one. I'll try to... remain quiet, if I can't be impartial." His nod felt reluctant, and it only made my smile grow. "Jer?" From the corner of my eye, I saw him shift. "You're better at this than I am... take care of it?" Take care of him? Take care of him, for me? They weren't said, but they weren't any less heard.

"I- I'll- I'll try." It was nervous, not hesitant- he was willing, he just wasn't sure he was capable. But I knew- I knew- he was more capable in this sort of this arena than I was. Than I ever would be, probably. Yes, he had this under control.

(A/N): Lisbet: *having unwavering faith in Jerremyah*

Jerremyah: *opens his mouth*

Lisbet: *has ALMOST unwavering faith in Jerremyah*

also

Leo: 'I was told that growing up would bring certain changes.'

Lisbet: 'Oh God. Oh please, oh God no. Wait... you're half a man.'

Leo: *rolling his eyes* 'Thank you for noticing.'

Lisbet: 'Do you uh... have you um... puberty?'

Leo: 'We are SO not having this conversation.'

Leo: *remembering when, five years earlier, Nicholai had tried to have a similar discussion with him*

Nicholai: *acting out a scene with surprisingly well made sock puppets*

Nicholai: 'Hey Winston, where'd all that hair come from?'

10 year old Leo: *trying to weigh up whether his own embarrassment was worth the embarrassment that Nicholai was inevitably feeling, and whether he should mention that he'd already been given the talk almost two years earlier*

also

Jerremyah: 'You don't have to grow up if you don't want to.'

Lisbet: *JUST finished having a VERY emotional with Leo about him considering ending his life*

Lisbet: *elbows Jerremyah in the stomach without even thinking about it*

Jerremyah: *doesn't react in the slightest*

Lisbet: '(...) I suspected that Leo was none the wiser-'

Leo: 'I saw that!'

Lisbet: '...I refuse to be shamed for my instinctive reaction.'

Jerremyah: '(...) if you don't mind me asking.'

Leo: *elbows Jerremyah in the stomach*

Jerremyah: 'My chickens have come home to roost, and I have no regrets.'

also

Jerremyah's Voice: *calm, casual, typically feigning some sort of nonchalance.*

Jerremyah's Body: *vibrating with tension- clearly has never even HEARD the word 'calm'.*

or to put it another way

Jerremyah's Voice: 'This is normal. This is cool. I don't care very much, if at all.'

Jerremyah's Body: 'I CARE. I care SO DAMN MUCH. There is care radiating out of every pore, coating every inch of me. If you cracked me open like a nut, I would be full of nothing but delicious care. Care flows forth from me like a river. Care-'

At this point in the story, Jerremyah is 463. If it isn't clear, Leo elbowed Jerremyah in this stomach because Jerremyah said 'if you don't mind me asking', when earlier in the day he told Leo not to worry about that kind of thing. Leo basically elbowed him to call him out for being a hypocrite, and Jerremyah is both proud of him, and a little embarrassed about being called out. Also, I know that Lisbet calling Leo 'half a man' wasn't a real conversation that happened, but he would be SO pleased with being called that, even if he didn't let it show, and also it would terrify him, because where he came from, 'Becoming A Man (TM)' was a BIG DEAL that came with a lot of (very scary) Responsibilities.