ʏᴇʟʟᴏᴡ ∆ ᴄᴀᴇsᴀʀ ᴢᴇᴘᴘᴇʟɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ∆

∆ғᴏʀᴛʏ-ғɪᴠᴇ∆

“You should stay back,” Joseph said, making both Caesar and I turn to the doorway of the bedroom. I finished shrugging on my jacket before facing him.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m not spending another two hours convince someone else,” I said, looking over to Caesar, who looked at me in the corner of his beautiful jade green eyes.

“I still don’t think you should go with us,” He mumbled to himself.

“I’m the one who knows this building like the back of my hand,” I said, sitting on the bed as I pulled the strings on my shoes tighter. “I used to hide in places that Aaron didn’t and still doesn’t, know about. Not to mention it’d be stupid to let the people he’s trying to kill go alone.”

“What about your side?” Joseph asked, crossing his arms over his chest. I raised my shirt to show the new, tightly wrapped white bandages.

“They’re fine. I can’t exactly open them very easily, like if I had stitches. I can do this,” I said, shooting them a reassuring smile. “Promise!”

“If you die, I’ll kill you myself,” Vex said, pushing the burly brunette to the side as they walked to me, Daniel trailing after them. “Turn around.”

“Huh? What for?” I asked but did as they told. I felt cold metal press around my neck, directly above the carotid artery.

“That. Holt will more than likely try to bite you,” They said, pulling up my jacket hood. “That’ll give him a little shock. There are also guards for your wrists in the living room.”

“Where did you get them?” I asked, zipping up my jacket.

“Neighbor was an archer,” Daniel grinned, leaning against the wall.

“Dumb luck, I suppose,” I shrugged.

“So…” Daniel took a deep breath.

“This is it, isn’t it?”

Joseph lowered his head, reaching up to rake a hand through his hair. Vex lifted the hood on their hoodie, adjusting the grip gloves on their small hands. Caesar placed his hands in his pockets, his shoulders rising and falling in a deep sigh. I smiled a little, forcing my taller, yet younger, brother to bend down so I could ruffle his hair.

“Yeah. This is it.”

“But, we’ll all be fine, won’t we?” He asked, moving my hand away. “Everyone’s going to make it out okay, right?”

“We’ll be fine, Daniel,” Caesar said, making me look back at him as he stepped towards him, throwing his arm over his shoulder. “All of us will be fine.”

“Swear on it?”

“Swear on it,” The blonde said, ruffling his hair up.

“Don’t be such a downer,” Joseph said, adding his arm over Caesar’s arm, looking down at my brother with a grin.

“Don’t worry, Y/n,” Vex said quietly, making me turn my head to see them gazing at me with e/c, identical to mine, their scarred lips tugged into a genuine smile. “Nothing will happen to your brother. I’ll protect him with my life if I have to.”

“Thank you, Vex. For all of this,” I said, watching their eyes shift back to the ruby color, and their smile faded.

“I let the person I really cared about tear me down till I broke. I submitted to him; I let him inside of my head,” Raising their top lip in displeasure, Vex exposed their white fang to me with a low growl. “I’m not letting the same happen to you.”