Long Live. // Luke Hemmings 5SOS (Vampire)

Chapter 26 - Fresh

DISCLAIMER: This chapter contains explicit sexual content. It's not present until later in the chapter and you can stop reading once it begins if you're uncomfortable.

Otherwise, enjoy :)

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Helena and Michael decided to relocate to Michael's room to give Rosemary and Luke time to themselves. Luke resisted the urge to make a snide comment about the returning relationship between his two friends... Instead, he focused on Rosemary, who stood up and took hold of one of those unlit candles. She analysed it, still coming to terms that it wasn't just some trick prop... that it was real magic.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked gently, receiving an unexpected laugh in response.

"...I'm a witch." She muttered, raising an eyebrow - she wasn't used to those words, of course. "I thought I was just a brain damaged crazy person, but turns out I'm just a witch. And if I said that to anyone else, I guess I'd still fit the first description." She chuckled, and Luke gave a subtle smile - glad that she could see some humour in it, but unsure if he could laugh.

"...I'm sorry you had to find out like this." He breathed out, placing his hand gently on her arm for comfort. She looked down at the floor for a moment.

"It's okay, I... I mean, it doesn't make sense, but somehow it does." She let out a nervous laugh, placing that candle back on the table before looking up at Luke curiously. "Are you... like me? You said you're not human either, are you..."

"...I'm not a witch, no." Luke softly shook his head, looking down. Rosemary was clearly interested in the truth, but he was nervous to share... Afraid that she'd see him as a monster. He took a deep breath as she waited for his explanation. "I'm... Something that doesn't die all that easy. Something that lives way longer than it should." It slowly became clear what Luke was referring to... Something clicked in Rosemary's mind.

"That's why you healed." She realised, and Luke nodded silently. "And Victor... he wasn't human either, was he..." Luke tried not to wince at the mention of that cursed name.

"Victor and I... We were the same." Rosemary was quick to shake her head in horrified disagreement, turning to face Luke head on and take his hand in hers. His gaze found the floor, as if ashamed.

"You're nothing like him. I know that's not what you mean, but he... What he did..." Her words caught in her throat. She was thinking of what happened... What could have happened. "He was going to kill me, wasn't he?" Luke felt his entire body tense. He couldn't bring himself to respond, but she knew it was true... She could see how much the thought alone distressed him. "But you stopped him, Luke." His eyes found her face again, taken aback by those words. He didn't think she knew that... In fact, he wasn't sure what she knew.

"...You saw..." He trailed off, feeling his jaw tense at the thought.

"I wasn't sure what I saw." She swallowed hard, looking down thoughtfully. "It's a bit of a haze... It's getting clearer, though."

"I- I'm sorry you even had to see it at all. I didn't want things to go that way, but he- he gave me no choice-"

"Luke." She interrupted, raising her hand and gently caressing his face. "You don't have to apologise. I don't understand exactly what I saw, but you know what I do understand? ...You saved me. It doesn't matter how."

"You saved yourself, really." He corrected, making her furrow her eyebrows as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "You may not realise it, but you hurt Victor." Rosemary recalled the moment Victor had reacted like he'd been struck in the head - she didn't know why. She didn't have the sensibility to even question it at the time. "The little power of yours that's been breaking through, it kicked in... Even if only for a moment... And it gave me the shot I needed. I don't know what would have happened otherwise, but thank god I didn't have to find out." Luke sighed in relief, shivering slightly as he was reminded of that adrenaline rush he felt in that moment.