Delicate

Extra

Picture of adult Julian (aka the ultimate switch *chapter 57*)

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Julian's P.O.V.

I watch mindlessly as the spaghetti loses its tension, twisting and curving into its preferred state.

The sound of the heated water, bubbling in the pan the only sound to be found throughout the entire house.

Soundless. The entire house was soundless.

My ears twitch desperately to pick up on something other than the straining thumps of seven hearts. I closed my eyes and listened, praying to hear a laugh but the silence rings on.

I drag my attention back to the food, draining the spaghetti and dousing it with some olive oil. My heart squeezes knowing this was usually Peter's favorite part.

But I was the only one cooking today. I rest the bowl on the side beside the mincemeat and cover them. Usually, it'd be time to call everyone to eat, but we hadn't eaten a meal as a family since the day Damon left.

I close my eyes, pressing my hands to the countertop and let my arms hold me up as sadness blares its way through my chest. I feel the tears building behind them and let them fall, I cover my fist to silence the sobs.

I hadn't seen my pup in a month.

I squeeze my eyes tight when the pain flares up in my veins. Regret rising high, drowning me with its thickness.

I shouldn't have let him gone. Shouldn't have let him leave in that state, foolishly thinking he'd come back. But he hadn't, he hadn't left a single trace to follow and disappeared.

I feel two arms slip around my waist and turn around to sink further into Aiden's grasp. I sob against him, no longer able to keep quiet with his supportive arms caging me in.

He holds me tight, rubbing my back soothingly which his chest hiccups with his own small cries. I let my fingers dig into him as we mourn for the lost presence of our pup.

"I-I miss him s-so much," I whisper through my cries and bite my lip when he pulls me closer.

"I miss him too," Aiden promises, his voice heavy and cracked with emotion as I'd been since that horrible night. "But we'll find him and we'll make it right. We'll fix this."

"What if hunters get him Aiden?" I question, my voice fading off as anxiety crippled me. "What if w-we lose him?"

"We won't. Damon is strong and smart, he will be okay." He promises, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "It won't be like what happened to Emitt." He whispers, somehow knowing my deepest fear without my voicing it.

"I can't go through that." I heave, images of Damon returning with scars or not returning at all turning me inside out. "Not with Damon. I-I can't Aiden."

"He'll come home, Julian." He comforts, leaning back to give him enough space to lift my wobbling chin up. My body squeezes its distress when I lay eyes on his tear stricken face. "If we don't find him first, he'll come home."

I nod shakily. Forcing myself to trust in his words, forcing myself to believe that he was right and that Damon would come back.

Because the only other choice was to think of the worst and that was a black abyss waiting to take us all. Letting myself indulge in the thoughts of not knowing whether he was okay and safe or alone and in pain, just led to even more heartache.

I look up to Aiden and see the want in his eyes, the regret, and agony that hadn't left him since we last saw Damon. It was one of the things which stopped me from placing a spec of the blame on him, knowing if I did it'd truly wreck him.