(A/N): The chapter is which I'm not subtle at all. Pretty heavy handed foreshadowing, and a little bit more information about Lisbet and Jerremyah's relationship, Greygorry and Lavinia's relationship, Greygorry and Sidonie's relationship, and Lisbet and... ?'s relationship. I'm currently halfway through writing chapter 460 (which is the furthest ahead of things I've been in a while, woo!), so fair warning, next chapter gets a little... dark. The Evie chapter, not the next 1975 chapter. Although... I can't say that chapter is sunshine and rainbows either, so... Oh, also! I realised that since I'm still on odd numbered days this month, it means I'm set to upload a chapter on Halloween! I'm not sure whether it'll be the chapter I was supposed to post for chapter 400 (which is spooky in its own right), or if I won't be at the correct point in the story for that, and I'll have to go with my backup plan- which I'm not going to tell you about, in case I don't have to end up using it. Gonna be spooky though, I promise!

Jerremyah

Leo thought the only reason I wouldn't betray him was because it would make Lisbet mad at me, or negatively impact me in some other way. He thought I would betray him if it suited me better- and I couldn't even bring myself to be offended by it. If anything, it only made me even more determined to be good to him; to treat him well, and to care for him like... well, more than a mere 'clan member' typically would or should, and to make him feel safe with me. Not just because it would be 'detrimental' for me to let him get hurt, but because he knew I cared too fiercely for him to be able to withstand something like that.

His reaction was subtle- or hard to read, I suppose was more accurate, considering I was hit with a wave of emotion related scents I had no idea what to do with. The individual emotions themselves were hard to differentiate, and I couldn't tell whether it was because they were coming to me in a wash, or because he was moving between them too quickly for me to be able to get a grip on anything. Looking to his face for guidance didn't help, because his expression was almost entirely blank, and what was there seemed to be a mask he'd put on, since 'vaguely amused' didn't really fit the situation at hand.

A quick glance at Lisbet showed that she was watching him with concern, but not worry; I interpreted this to mean that this was something she'd seen him do before, and even if she didn't like it, it wasn't... dangerous, or anything. Not to him, at least. This particular look of concern was one I'd been on the receiving end of countless times throughout the years, and I wasn't sure whether I was glad it wasn't aimed at me this time, or whether I would've preferred it be pointed anywhere but at Leo. No, I decided- every look of concern Leo earned was a tragedy, at least in my opinion.

Taking a closer look- or smell, really- I caught a whiff of a few things that smelled similar to emotions I knew, but weren't quite the same. Rather than wasting time trying to pinpoint one emotion at a time, I took a quick survey of everything on offer and assigned it a name, so I could come back around to it later and figure out what it all meant. There was confusion, a little bit of sadness- which was immediately overwhelmed by something I cautiously labelled happiness- but beyond all of that, hiding underneath the whole time like some sort of malevolent spirit hellbent on making mischief in the background, was the only emotion I could nail down: fear.

It wasn't debilitating- I never thought he was in danger, even for a second- but it was... prevailing, which worried me. I wasn't sure if Lisbet had expected this, or simply hadn't taken a proper sniff yet, but either way she hadn't really reacted to it, and I didn't know what to do. Had I... had I gone too far? Pushed too far, too fast? Clearly he was overwhelmed, but was that the good kind of overwhelmed- the 'outside of his comfort zone' overwhelmed- or the bad kind of overwhelmed, where I'd unintentionally set our burgeoning relationship back an unknowable amount of steps?

I lessened the pressure on his shoulders, just in case it happened to be making things worse. "Leo-" I was cut off as he shushed me. He shushed me! I looked to Lisbet with wide eyes, who appeared endlessly amused, despite herself. I signaled that it was her turn with the slightest inclination my head, and I could see in her eyes that if it'd been anyone but her kit, she would've rolled said eyes at me.

"In general, or this subject?" He was silent, so she tried again. "Or only to you?" There was the slightest jerk of his head, which I assumed was all the answer we were going to get. "Ah," She said. "Take all the time you need." I was fine with not talking to him right now if that's what he needed, but unfortunately, it meant I had no opportunity to find out whether I should release him or not. Probably, right?

"Lis," I started very purposefully, so Leo didn't shush me for trying to talk to him again. "Do you think-" I'd tried to removed my hands from his shoulders as casually as possible- only to be confronted with the smallest, most unhappy noise ever. It made me freeze, flooded with the impossible need to fix whatever was wrong, and yet unable to figure out what, exactly, that might be, but before I really had the chance to think about it, Leo's shoulders weren't under my palms anymore. Instead, the joint where his upper arm met his shoulder was pushed into the middle of my chest, and it took me a second.

It took me an embarrassingly, mortifyingly long time that could only really have been a moment, to realise that what he wanted was to be close to me. For me to put my arms around him, which I rushed to do as soon as I'd finally caught on. He rocked a little in my arms, and I was worried I'd been too rough with him in my haste to do as he wanted- as I wanted, too, not that I'd admit such a thing out loud, not yet, at least without prompting- until he relaxed ever so slightly, and let out the quietest little chuff. It was a pleased noise that I never thought he'd make in relation to me, and it made me want to sing- which was a bit of an odd desire, but in no way an unwelcome one.

"Do I think...?" Lisbet asked, leading me back into the conversation, and even though I knew what she was doing, it still made me blink in confusion. What'd I been about to ask her, again? I honestly couldn't remember, but knowing me, I probably hadn't gone into it with a plan last time, either.

The first thing that popped into my head wasn't something I was ready to ask yet- especially not in front of Leo- but I'd get to Khal's predictions at some point later, when we were alone... and both a little closer to something resembling ready for that conversation. For now, I searched for something- anything- else to say.

"Do you think Grey's going to go after Lavinia again?" Lisbet didn't so much as blink, probably because she'd gotten used to my thought process- or lack thereof- over the years. Still, the side of her mouth curved up with clear amusement, and I wanted nothing more at that moment than to kiss her. Then again, I'd wanted just that every second of every day since we'd met, so I suppose that was par for the course.

"I guess that depends on whether she's got a new bloke, doesn't it?" Thinking back to the few times Grey had spoken to me about Lavinia in the few years since Lisbet and I- and Grey and Lavinia, I suppose- had... separated, I shrugged. The gesture made my arms slide around Leo's body and I let it happen, figuring that if he didn't like it, he'd complain. He remained silent and still, the latter more concerning than the former.

"Does it?" Her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't think that's their biggest obstacle." Understanding lit in her eyes, which was one of my most favorite sights. Underrated, honestly.

"You mean because Sidonie won't let him go." I shrugged again.

"It's not up to me to say whether she would or wouldn't, I don't pretend to know her well enough to try to guess at what she'd do." She looked pleased by that- ah, was the jealousy back? Oh no. How awful. I must do better in future to try to dissuade her of that poor habit... or, better yet- "Besides, we're both well aware of Sidonie's particular little... obsession." Her expression darkened, even if she did look slightly amused, in an exasperated sort of way.

"He's not going to change his mind. He has standards- not that Grey doesn't, but... well, he doesn't. Not when it comes to Sidonie, anyway." Harsh. I loved it. The standards comment was pointed- because she was reminding me that he'd turned her away, once? That they'd turned each other away, once? Words could not express how grateful I was that they had- I owed everything to that one moment of mutual rejection, because I had no illusions that I ever would've had a chance at the life I'd had with Lisbet- the life I swore I would have again- if they hadn't... decided they weren't a match. Pretty much out of hand, too, which was all the better for my already quite intense jealousy.

"None of that really matters though, does it?" Sidonie, not- Lisbet. "Whether she'd let him go or not, it doesn't matter- because Grey would never ask."

(A/N): Jerremyah: '(...) but because he knew I cared too fiercely for him to be able to withstand something like that.'

Me: 'That might be one of the most Jerremyah sentiments ever.'

Jerremyah: 'None of that really matter though, does it?'

Jerremyah: 'Sidonie, not- Lisbet.'

Me: 'Ah, no, there it is.'

also

Jerremyah: 'Understanding lit in her eyes, which was one of my most favorite sights. Underrated, honestly.'

Jerremyah: *talking about Lisbet's eyes like he's leaving a Yelp review*

Jerremyah: 'Five out of five stars, absolutely stunning, quite possible bewitching. Would make my heart beat faster, if that was a thing it could do.'

also

Lisbet: *clearly jealous about Sidonie, whenever anyone mentions her and Jerremyah in the same sentence*

Jerremyah: *says he doesn't know Sidonie well enough to know what she might do in any given situation*

Lisbet: *is pleased*

Jerremyah: '(...) ah, was the jealousy back? Oh no. How awful. I must do better in future to try to dissuade her of that poor habit... or, better yet-'

Jerremyah: *changes the subject slightly, rather than address Lisbet's jealousy, lest it actually go away*

or

Lisbet: *is jealous*

Jerremyah: *fist pumping*

Jerremyah: *clearing his throat*

Jerremyah: 'Oh, I'm sorry, that was inapprop- nah, fuck it, I'm too excited to pretend. Hell YEAH Lisbet's jealous!'

also

Lisbet: 'He has standards- not that Grey doesn't, but... well, he doesn't. Not when it comes to Sidonie, anyway.'

Jerremyah: 'Harsh. I loved it.'

Grey: 'Hey! I thought we were best friends!'

Lisbet: 'Go ahead, try to deny it- I'll wait.'

Grey: '...'

Jerremyah: 'It's not nice to keep the lady waiting, Grey.'

Grey: 'Okay first of all, you and I both know that Lisbet is not a 'lady'. Second of all... fair.'

also

Jerremyah: 'I owe everything I had- and will have again- to a single moment of mutual rejection.'

Lisbet: *made the decision to reject her potential suitor partially BECAUSE she ALREADY had feelings for Jerremyah*