(A/N): Does Jerremyah have this under control? I don't know, let's find out.

Jerremyah

Leo thought Lisbet was too involved, and well... he wasn't wrong. The issue was, despite only knowing him for three days- less than that, really- I certainly felt rather involved, myself. Not as involved as Lisbet- nowhere near- but he... and Lisbet's relationship with him... it affected me much more than I ever could've expected.

Even though I'd known how much I wanted a kit- how much I wanted a kit with Lisbet, specifically- I guess maybe I hadn't actually... I hadn't. Known, that is. I think this introspection thing was bringing more to the surface than I'd ever expected- and as much as I had the urge to retreat, and stop trying to confront my thoughts in a way I'd never had the guts to do before, I couldn't. I couldn't, because I knew that I couldn't go back to being the man I was before. It wasn't a case of not being able to do so, but a case of... I'd never been anyone else, so I hadn't known that I could be- not more, exactly, but certainly different. And I wanted, so badly, to not feel the way I'd always felt.

Lisbet- being with Lisbet- had given me a much needed reprieve, but... even she- my mate- could only do so much. When another person was the only reason you were happy, and whenever you were away from them you were... worse, then that sounded like a deeper problem to me. I wanted to be able to be happy on my own, without Lisbet- not that I ever wanted to be without Lisbet, but I mean- away from Lisbet. I don't want to put the burden of being my sole source of happiness on her... not to mention how unhealthy that would be for the both of us. But that wasn't the point- Leo was the point. Lisbet had put her faith in me, but that wasn't why I- that wasn't the main reason I was doing this.

"Leo?" He hesitated, so I continued, in order to give him time to figure out what he wanted to do- if anything. "Would you like to tell me more?" 'Tell me more'- not us, me. I didn't like excluding Lisbet, but if she couldn't keep herself from- I couldn't take the risk that Leo would hold back information, simply because he knew Lisbet was listening. "You mentioned your mother, and Sebastien, and your sister, but... was there anything else you wanted to add?" It felt a little like edging my foot into a door to stop it from closing- but if he wanted to slam it shut, I would move. Hell, I'd help him barricade it, if that's what he requested of me.

He seemed to think about this for a second, then said, "If I said no, would you let me get away with it?" From anyone else, it might've come across as sneaky, or manipulative, or possibly even childish, but with Leo, I knew what he was really asking. What he wanted from me- needed, in order for this conversation to continue- and thankfully, I didn't have to lie.

"I would, yes." He snorted, almost like he'd expected that answer, but was still amused by it anyway- or my not so subtle way of poking fun at Lisbet, at least. "If you don't want to talk about it, I'm not going to try to force you. But I think if you didn't want to talk about it, you would've been fighting harder this whole time. You've danced around it a bit, but not... I'll back off, if you want me to. You know the sign." I saw him glance down at our intertwined hands, even if Lisbet's face being pressed against the side of his made it a little more difficult.

"This isn't-" He stopped, and I cocked a brow at him. Then he squeezed my hand, and I paused. "Not the sign." He said, and I felt my lips curve up into a smile.

"Thank you for the warning." He frowned slightly, which wasn't exactly disappointing, but it was... unfortunate.

"You shouldn't have to thank me for that," I shrugged, but he continued. "I shouldn't need-" I cut him off, squeezing his hand in return.

"Shouldn't need what?" He hesitated, as if he knew my reaction wouldn't be favorable. "Are you trying to say that you shouldn't need a way out?" Reluctantly, he nodded. "Are you saying you never stopped to consider that I might need to use it at some point, too?" He froze.

It took a minute- which Lisbet passed easily by tickling his ear with her hair- before he finally thawed again. "Why would you need-?" He didn't finish, simply letting what he'd already said speak for him.

I shrugged again. "As I said, people have histories- histories that you can't hold yourself responsible for not knowing every detail of, especially when they're as old as someone like me. I'm sure there are- I know for a fact, there are things that I would need to use our signal to get out of talking about." And if someone decided to pull a whip, I might even be inclined to want to hide behind him. I wouldn't, because I wouldn't risk them taking it out on him, but I... the instinct would still be there.

He looked conflicted- like he wanted to allow me that, but knew it would bring up the double standard of not letting himself have the same. "...fine." He said, and I was reminded of the issue he seemed to have with that word. "I- it wasn't just- I mean, it's not like my father didn't have expectations for me." I wonder if Nicholai had known that he'd contributed to Leo's concerns. "It's not like..." He bit his lip, clearly trying to put something off, before he forged ahead anyway. "It's not like you guys don't have expectations for me." Oh... probably not, then, if Nicholai was just as clueless as the rest of us. "My clan, I mean." I wasn't fool enough to think it was just that, and I doubted Lisbet was either, but I hoped she would continue to hold her tongue.

"Do you know what your clan expects of you?" He opened his mouth, and I pushed onward. "What they really expect of you, not just what the little voice in the back of your head tells you they expect?" I both saw, and felt, Lisbet stiffen at the mention of the voice, but that was how Leo had described it- I was just the only one lucky enough to have our earlier conversation to learn- and therefore benefit- from.

He pulled back slightly from Lisbet to stare at me, our eyes meeting- blue on blue. Mine weren't anywhere near as bright, but I doubt he was bothered by that- at least not in the same way I was, deep down. I could see the emotions flickering through them as he went from one to another, then quickly back again- and honestly, it was refreshing. To be able to see this ever-spinning carousel of emotions evident in his eyes, when usually he kept all of those things hidden away as though they were something terribly, irrevocably dangerous. I didn't quite agree with that conclusion... precious, yes, but not dangerous. At least, not anymore. Not to him.

"I'm not sure I have a voice in the back of my head." He said slowly, clearly quoting me, and I continued to stare him down. It took him a while to relent, fixed in a gaze as steady as I could make it, and I felt like it had more to do with wanting to avoid the intimacy of maintained eye contact than being intimidated by me, in the end.

"Sometimes I'm not sure whether you quote me because you think I said something worth repeating, or just because you want the extra time to avoid the question." He flushed a bit, and I thought the answer might be both- I already had, but that reaction practically confirmed it for me.

"Usually the first one." He said quietly, and I felt the corner of my lips twitch up at his honesty. But only- "But only usually." Ah. He'd beaten me to it. Good, I guess.

"And here I was, thinking that I was so irresistibly quotable." I saw the twinkle of amusement in his eyes before his lips even started curving, and they were both just as satisfying as each other to behold. "I promise I won't hold that against you." I would've squeezed his hand again, but after our earlier conversation about limits, I figured that he might assume I was trying to tell him otherwise where Lisbet couldn't see it. At least, couldn't immediately see it.

"Jerremyah," He started, and I came to attention. "What do they expect of me?" I was very careful not to look at Lisbet- in fact, I was very careful not to let my eyes leave Leo's face. This was about his clan- my clan, now. This was important.

"They expect you to be safe," I told him. "and they expect you to be happy."

(A/N): Leo: *quotes Jerremyah*

Jerremyah: *quotes Leo*

Lisbet: *quotes herself, saying 'What the hell are you two talking about?'*

also

Jerremyah: *trying very, VERY hard not to even THINK anything that might put him in a paternal sort of role when it comes to Leo*

Leo, within three days of meeting him: 'You're my dad, woogie woogie woogie!'

also

Leo: 'What do they expect of me?'

Jerremyah: 'They expect you to be safe, and they expect you to be happy.'

Leo: '...'

Leo: *bursts out laughing*

Leo: *wipes away tear*

Leo: 'Ah, that was quite funny. No, but really, what do they expect of me?'