Nepenthe • Something that can make you forget grief or suffering.
Never feeling like they belonged was a feeling that Lissa Dragomir lived with, even with her family and life long best friend, although they aided in that feeling not being so strong...
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It was easy being Christian's family, at least in Kate's opinion, granted it helped that Christian was like the guy, and Moroi, version of her.
Around lunch time, Dimitri appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Alec from Kate, pressed a kiss to her temple before walking away without saying a word, clearly still too angry, despite his anger not being directed at Kate. It was something that Christian couldn't fault him for being, he too was angry as was Kate but it was clear that she wasn't showing it.
"It's okay to be angry, you know?" Christian told Kate as she led him to the slopes for skiing beginners.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Kate deflected, fixing her goggles, but Christian could see through it, he could see the way that Kate revolved around everyone else as if they were the sun and she was a mere planet, how she made sure that things were less about her and more about others.
He saw her do that with Lissa, and with him, she saw her do that with Alec, only wanting the best for him, wanting to be the best for him while also holding back, a holding back that wasn't visible to those that didn't look for it.
But Christian saw it, he saw it because he did the same, he saw how she mothered Alec but then, when no one was looking, would look at him with a sad look that screamed maternal love, despite her only being 18. He saw how she tensed whenever they spoke about the Dhampir Council and the adoption, how she would look at Dimitri a bit too long as if trying to see if he regretted choosing her.
He could see the Kate that she tried to keep from everyone, even from Lissa.
"It's okay to want to beat the ever living shit out of my aunt for the shit she pulls, hell I want to do so, but I'm pretty sure we are in line after Belikov, Lissa and Vika." Christian insisted.
"I don't want to do that. I just want-" Kate started only for Christian to cut her off.
"To protect your Moroi, graduate and get assigned to your Moroi, and get custody of Alec. In that order, maybe get married to Belikov, although you feel like you're not worthy of that."
Kate finally looked at him, surprise in her eyes, she hadn't even talked to Lissa about those feelings.
"Don't look surprised, just because you don't say things out loud, doesn't mean that they aren't visible on your face." Christian pointed out, bending down to tighten the straps of his skiing boots.
Kate blinked slowly before exhaling "Dimitri already apologised for not enforcing stricter boundaries with your aunt."
Christian snorted, "He can enforce all the boundaries he wants, my aunt won't care. But at least he apologised, which is what matters, but even then you are allowed to be angry and resentful."
