So You Wanna Date A Human pt. 1
It wasn't unusual for Taisto to wake up early. He hated it, but could usually nuzzle up with his bondmates and drift back off. This time, however, his body was already clambering out of the bed, though his brain was still waking up.
He hesitated as the cold of the stone floor pierced the fog of his brain, allowing him to halt and survey the room. Davin and Clint were still curled together under the blankets, breathing soft and slow. Takuji, though, was sitting in the bed, back against the headboard and bright blue eyes pinned on Taisto. Taisto felt his lip curl, but forced the feeling down.
He had promised Kjati that he wouldn't kill his brother for existing, which Taisto wouldn't have done anyway, since he didn't know if that would kill Kjati too, but Takuji triggered all of the jealousy in the bonds. Particularly when he was in their bed, near Taisto and Kjati's other bondmates.
Takuji merely smiled at Taisto, the Dragon incapable of fearing Taisto and the strength of his feelings. "Lena left about five minutes ago. Kjati says Vinali is here."
"He doesn't want to greet her?" Taisto forced himself to keep his voice even, as though they were discussing the weather and not the return of a bondmate after three weeks of her absence.
"I trust in your ability to avoid causing an incident that pits us against Humans again," Takuji answered, and Taisto turned on his heel and marched from the room before the Dragon had finished his words. It was a foolish statement; Taisto would destroy any Human if they harmed one of his bondmates, even if it brought another war, but it did allow him to work through the currently muddled nature of the bonds to feel Vinali's pain and Lena's panic.
There were no guards in this wing of the mansion, and the servants were forbidden from entering until Taisto and his bondmates were awake. The bonds were, for the most part, still too new to handle unexpected strangers without endangering someone. This meant there was no one else to witness Taisto sprinting to Vinali's room.
She was the most recent in bonding with them, and had insisted on telling her family alone. Taisto didn't like it, but chalked his feelings up to the natural unwillingness to be separated from a bondmate. The despair he could feel from her bond enraged him, and he vowed he wouldn't ignore his misgivings a second time.
He could hear Lena, pleading to be let in, and found her pressing her hands against shadows bubbled around the room. Taisto did not slow in his pace, the Rune for doorway cast almost as soon as he thought it, and stormed through the doorway his Rune had created for him. It closed behind him, keeping Lena out for the time being.
He knew she wanted to help, wanted to comfort Vinali, but he couldn't separate their feelings with both in the room. Once they had more time to settle Vinali's bond, it would be easier, but for his control, he needed them separate for now. He could already feel himself wanting to destroy whatever harmed Vinali; Lena's panic would only amplify that feeling for him.
He heard Vinali sobbing, before he could see her. Loud, gasping sobs that made Taisto's chest ache in sympathy as they tore through her. She was curled in on herself, arms wrapped around her middle, on the floor beside her bed. Shadows pulsed around her, their undulation in time with her sobs.
Taisto didn't hesitate to immediately sit next to her and pull her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, the bond likely getting through to her to encourage her to utilize him as a source of comfort. He didn't say anything; just held her to his chest until her shaking subsided and her sobs lessened to a trickle of tears and hiccups.
He loosened his grip as he felt her try to pull away, allowing her to sit up. His hands stayed on her hips, touch as light as he could make it. He hoped she understood that she was free to move, but that he wanted the comfort of her touch if she allowed.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I had hoped I wouldn't wake any of you." She stared at the far wall as she ran her hands over her face, trying to wipe away her tears. He ached to turn her to face him so he could dry her tears for her, but memories of his mother screaming such demands at his father stopped him. He wouldn't become them.
"You don't need to apologize; the bond woke us for you." She winced at his words, and he frowned. "Vinali?"
"I didn't...I didn't realize it could do that." Her face turned thoughtful for a moment, which Taisto approved of far more than the misery that had been there prior. "Can it distribute thoughts as well as feelings? If I needed you, could I call you?"
He wasn't prepared for her to turn suddenly and stare at him, her dark eyes wide in hope and anticipated pain. He could see small flecks of gold mixed in with her natural brown, and felt comfort in seeing them. They were effects of the bond; of the tying of her soul with his and Kjati's. There would eventually be flecks of blue, green, and purple as her bond with the others matured.
"Of course. Thoughts aren't precise, but you can focus on the bond tying us together, and I will feel it."
Vinali flushed and ducked her head as she admitted "I can't tell which one is you. It's like a mass of foreign emotion circling my heart, and I can't make any sense of it."
Taisto hid his grin by leaning forward to plant a kiss on her temple. He understood her concerns, although he'd had more time to practice with the bonds before adding more to the mix. His gaze turned inward and he found the bond tying his soul with Vinali's-a beautiful blend of the violet of his soul and the golden brown of hers-then pushed all of his love for her through the bond.
She gasped, a sound filled with wonder, and he could only smile. He remembered the utter bliss and joy that was feeling his bondmates for the first time; feeling how they loved him as much as he loved them.
"You will get the hang of it," Taisto promised, "it just takes time."
"This is you? Really you?" Vinali asked, and Taisto shivered as it felt like she ran her fingers through his soul. It had been a month since the bonding, so they should be past the hyper-sensitivity stage, but she'd been away for three weeks and they hadn't had time to familiarize themselves with each other.
He nodded, all he could manage when she continued her inspection of his soul and its tie with hers. Panic spiked through him as tears filled her eyes and began to fall once again. "Vinali? Vinali, what is the matter?"
"I just...You really do love me," she hiccupped, and he would be charmed if he weren't concerned.
"Of course I do. I thought you knew that?" His panic was more pronounced now. Bonding was permanent. She couldn't have second thoughts now; it was done.
Vinali took a deep breath and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. "I am sorry. I am just so...happy and surprised. I had kind of thought Lena had insisted, and you'd given in because you love her." She didn't remove her hands from her eyes, so he used his hold on her hips to pull her back against his chest.
She hesitated for a moment before snuggling into him, and he shifted his arms to be loosely wrapped around her. "We started the dates because Lena wanted it. The bonding requires complete consent on behalf of everyone involved, so please, trust in our love for you." He had a feeling this wasn't going to fix whatever had triggered this belief of hers. This was going to require consistent conversation, and open affection.
For now, though, Vinali's whispered "Okay" would suffice. He wouldn't force her to tell him how she'd reached this thought, not when she had clearly undergone something awful before returning home. Tears leaked from her eyes onto his chest, and she shook in his arms as she cried, but he could feel her trust through the bond, so he let her cry. They could discuss why she'd arrived later than she'd told them to expect, and why she was sobbing, later.
At least she was home now.
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I should probably also mention that these are basically the rough drafts.