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𝐓 𝐇 𝐄 𝐁 𝐎 𝐍 𝐅 𝐈 𝐑 𝐄
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Everyone began to cheer as the fire was lit and the music started. Dax smirked as he and Brett began to dance together. Both boys had a drink as they smiled and laughed. Dax was on his third drink since he was trying to make sure the large crowd didn't bother him.
"I like this!" Dax yelled with a smile. Brett returned the smile and pulled Dax closer by his hips. They were alone, Dax was enjoying every second of it. For a moment, he felt like he could breathe.
The moment ended when Dax spotted Liam and Mason sat on the bench together. Mason looked sad, and Liam was about to choke on all the alcohol he was downing. He frowned slightly. Brett followed Dax's line of sight.
"You want to go over there, don't you?" Brett yelled close to his ear.
"He's going through a rough time!" Dax responded as he yelled over the music.
"Go ahead. Be a good friend!" Brett nodded towards Liam.
"Nope. You're too hot to be left alone."
"What does that mean?"
"It means you're coming with me," Dax grabbed Brett's wrist and gently pulled him from the crowd of dancing teenagers. Brett looked at the ground with a light chuckle as he shook his head.
"You weren't kidding at the scrimmage!" Mason said slightly impressed as he stood up. A small smirk crossed Brett's face, "And I'm slightly offended! I do know of him!"
"Thanks, Mason. Now his egos going to be up all night," Dax said as he rolled his eyes fondly. Brett squeezed Dax's hip a bit. Dax squirmed under the taller boy's grip.
"I'm going to go get another drink," Liam said as he stood up and walked off.
Mason frowned, "Did you ever figure out what's bothering him?" Mason asked.
"No," Dax lied, "He wouldn't budge."
Mason sighed, "I hate that it's eating at him like that."
"I'm going to keep trying to get through to him, but I think it might be something he needs to figure out on his own," Dax said. Brett leaned into him as he wrapped an arm around Dax.
Dax and Brett were on their way to get some more drinks when Brett stumbled all of the sudden and could not stand up straight.
"I think you've had enough," Dax giggled a bit as he helped Brett stabilize himself.
"I can't get drunk, Dax. Something is wrong," Brett said as he hung onto Dax. Dax looked around to see Liam about to fall over next to Mason and Malia basically on the ground in front of Scott. He grabbed Brett's cup and smelled it. There was nothing in the cup but alcohol.
Dax sighed as he noticed a security guard eyeballing them, "Come on," Dax said as he pulled Brett in the direction of Liam, Malia, Mason, and Scott. Dax lowered Brett to a seat, but he almost fell over.
"How much has he had to drink?" Scott asked.
"Hardly anything!" Dax answered as he looked at Brett with a concerned look, "I've had more than he has!"
"Something's happening. We need to get them out of here," Scott said as he slowly became disorientated. He began slurring as he had trouble standing upright, "I think we're gonna have to... um..."
"How much did you drink?" Mason asked as he looked Scott up and down.
"Nothing. Not even a sip," Scott answered. He had to use the table to be able to stand.
Dax began to feel it too. He looked around as his vision blurred. He became dizzy as he steadied himself on Brett and the table.
"It's not the drinks," Scott said as he looked up to the Dj stand.
"It's the music," Dax slurred slightly.
"I have to... I have to turn off the music," Scott said as he stood upright again. He stumbled as he did so.
"I'm more steady than you, Scott," Dax said before almost losing his footing.
"Don't let any of them out of your sight," Scott told Mason. Mason nodded. Dax leaned on Brett as the hissing noise covered by the music got louder.
"Mason we'll be fine. You need to help Scott get the music off," Dax said. He would have gone himself but the music had gotten too loud for him to be able to move without hitting the ground.
"Come on. Let's go," A security guard said as he yanked Liam up.
"Hey what are you doing? These are my friends," Mason said as he tried to get the security guard to back off.
Dax blinked as he tried to make his vision clear. A pair of arms yanked him from his seat next to Brett, "Hey, bitch, lay off," Dax said as he tried to get his arms from the guy holding him, but it didn't work.
"Your friends are overly intoxicated. They need to be escorted out," He said loudly.
"Okay, I'll go with them," Mason tried.
"Get my uncle," Dax muttered as he was held up.
"That won't be necessary."
"I said they're my friends!"
The security guard shoved Mason to the ground and dragged the four seemingly drunk teenagers off.
Brett, Liam, and Malia were out by the time they dragged Scott into the school. The security guard stood over them with a red gas tank., "What is that? What are you doing?" Scott asked.
"It takes a lot more than some dirty cops to kill me you fat assholes," Dax slurred slightly as he supported himself on the ground. The second security guard kicked his hand out from under him, and he hit the floor with a thud.
"It's gasoline. Haigh says we gotta burn you," He said as he dumped the gas onto Scott.
"Hey, lumberjacks," Dax said as he pushed himself up enough to look them in the eye, "You better make sure you light us to kingdom come, or I'm coming after you. And if you kill me, my family will have you dead. So, either way, you lose. I'd walk away now."
"I don't see any family around, kid," He said before dumping the gasoline onto Dax. Dax spitted it from his mouth, "And quite frankly, I don't even know who you are. I'd say the seventy-seven million is worth it. "
"That's the fun. You'll never see them coming until your already dead," Dax said with a glare as he pushed himself closer to the man's height.
The man kicked Dax in the gut before he kneeled in front of him with a smirk. Dax groaned slightly as he felt his ribs bruise. He held the lighter close to Dax's face as he lit it. Suddenly the music stopped and Dax growled. He squeezed the man's hand and took the lighter from his, shutting it. The security guard groaned as the bones were crushed in his hand. Dax was about to tear into him when a girl with scars on her neck hit him with a gun.
Dax let go of him as he hit the ground. He slowly began to recover as Derek and the girl fought three of the guards. Dax pushed himself off the ground. He landed a kick to the guys' jaw successfully sending him out cold before grabbing his arm and sinking his teeth in. He got enough blood to be okay before going to help his friends.
"What happened to the gun?" Scott asked Derek.
"We're covered in gasoline, remember?" Dax helped Liam off the ground before pulling him in for a tight hug. He then pulled Brett up and hugged him tightly while the girl with a large scar on her neck that Dax didn't know helped Malia up.
"Oh, right."
Dax held onto Brett tightly. He didn't care that the gas was the only thing he could smell. Brett had almost died, and Dax.
"Is he ok?" Scott asked.
"He tastes like shit," Dax responded.
"Probably because he is covered in gas too," Brett added.
"Come on guys. We need to get out of here," Derek said. The group made their way to the exit as Dax landed another kick on the man who tried to burn them to death.
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The entire car ride to Brett's place was silent. Dax was going over what happened a million times in his head. He was angry. Those bastards went after not only him but the only people he actually cared about in Beacon Hills. Dax was still zoned out as he pulled into Brett's driveway.
Brett gently took Dax's hand, "Hey, talk to me. Don't make me list all of the emotions that are coming off of you right now. It's almost overwhelming."
"What do you mean coming off of me?"
"I can smell what you feel, and it's a lot."
"That's because I'm part vampire. I feel everything more intensely."
The car fell silent again, "Your still not talking."
"I just..." Dax took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair as he searched for what he wanted to say, "I'm so pissed. Despite everything, we all almost died. And that's not how it's supposed to work... This place is supposed to be different... It's not supposed to want me dead for what I am... And I'm supposed to be strong enough to keep the people I care about safe," Dax said as his voice cracked and tears ran to his eyes. He stared at his lap.
Brett pulled him into a half hug since the console in the middle of the car was a bit in the way, "You don't have to be the one doing all of the protecting, Dax. Everyone has their weaknesses."
"My entire life, my cousin and I were feared because of what everyone thought we could do, but ever since I died... I was supposed to become so powerful, and music was able to stop me. Fucking music," Dax scoffed. Brett rested his forehead against Dax's temple for a moment as he held the boy close.
"Come on," Brett said as he unbuckled his seatbelt, "You can at least change out of those clothes and take a shower."
"Does your alpha know what I am? I can just go back to my place. It's not that far."
"Satomi and Lori aren't home," Brett explained, "Besides if you got into a car accident right now, it'd kill you."
"Actually, no it wouldn't. I'm pretty hard to kill, and even a firey explosion couldn't manage it," Dax corrected him.
"Whatever. I don't want to see you healing from it. Isn't the point of a tribrid boyfriend that I don't have to worry about the stuff like that?"
Dax sniffled before smiling over at Brett as he realized what he said, "So we're boyfriends now?"
"I mean, we still need to have our first kiss, but I am not kissing you while we're both covered in gas and look like a couple of wet rats."
"I'm a beautiful wet rat though," Dax laughed as the two boys climbed out of the car.
And Dax never said anything, but he heard the Talbot boy mutter, "That you are," as they walked up to the house, "Happy birthday, by the way. Mr. Seventeen-year-old freshman."
Dax smiled brightly at the boy next to him and gave him a light and playful shove.
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Brett had gone into the shower after Dax. Dax was wearing the boy's clothes. They were big on him, but he didn't care. He liked that he smelled like Brett. He ended up grabbing the boy's lacrosse hoodie off of the chair at his desk and putting it on. He wasn't cold. He just wanted to wear it.
He sat on the bed and saw Brett's chemistry book lying on it open at the foot of the bed. He picked it up and set it in his lap as he began to read through his notes. He knew that he was going to be coming over at some point during the week to help him study. Dax ended up doodling with a pen he found in the margins of Brett's notes because he had trouble focusing on the actual chemistry.
"What are you doing?" Brett asked with a smile as he stepped into his room. Brett had changed into some sweatpants and a tight tank top. His hair was still wet, and Dax could see a slight outline of Brett's abs from his spot on the bed. Brett threw his towel into the hamper next to the door and climbed onto the bed next to Dax.
"Drawing," Dax answered as he went back to doodling.
"That's a doodle?" Brett asked with slightly wide eyes as he looked down at the rose and anchor Dax had been drawing.
Dax hummed, "Hope was always really artistic, and so I drew all the time. My mom is jealous that her brother's creative trait went to both of their kids instead of her singing," Dax said with a small smile as he thought about the bickering arguments the two had over the little time they all spent together as a family.
Brett wrapped his arm around Dax and laid his head on top of Dax's, "I'm exhausted," Brett muttered as he closed his eyes.
"What do you think is gonna happen? The deadpool is out, and Liam's worth 18 million," Dax said as he brought his knees to his chest and snuggled closer to his tall boyfriend.
Brett wrapped his arms around Dax tightly, "I have no idea," he muttered, but Dax could hear his heart rate quicken.
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"Yeah, we'll be there," Dax whispered. He had woken up to Scott blowing up his phone, "Is she okay? Yeah, no, that's question for another time. Goodbye."
"You already cheating on me?" Brett asked with a lazy smirk. His voice made Dax weak at his knees. It was heavier and more gravelly than usual, and Dax wouldn't be lying if he said he enjoyed it a bit too much.
"We need to go," Dax sighed as he put his phone in his pocket. He ran a hand through his hair and began to pace slightly, "Like now."
"Hey, what is it?" Brett asked as he stood up and pulled Dax into him.
"It's your sister."
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Brett and Dax walked into the vet clinic to be met with Kira. She led them into the room they had taken Brett into when he was poisoned. Lori ran up to Brett and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't there," Brett said quietly as he held Lori tightly, "I thought you were supposed to be at a sleepover?"
Dax couldn't help the pang of guilt he felt. He put both Brett and his sister in harm's way. He looked at them as he began to think about how much he missed his own family. They had a habit of dying, and Dax hadn't seen any of them since before Christmas.
"I was... I left early," Lori said as she let go of her brother. She moved to Dax and pulled him into a tight hug, "Nice sweatshirt," Lori whispered. Dax chuckled as he wrapped his arms around the younger girl.
"I'm glad your okay, blondie," Dax said with a small smile, "You wanna see something cool?" Dax asked. She nodded eagerly, "Close your eyes, and think of your happy place," He told her as he sat them down.
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Dax was holding her hand as they appeared in a house he did not recognize. Dax smiled slightly as he watched a big smile spread across Lori's face.
"Where are we?" Dax asked as he looked around. They were in front of a large staircase in a home with many pictures. There was a table with a mirror above it near the front door. Kids were running through the halls.
"My childhood home..." Lori trailed off as she looked at one of the pictures on the wall. It was of two adults, a young boy who looked to be ten or twelve, and a girl who looked to be around eight.
"That your parents?" Dax asked as he looked at the picture. Lori nodded with a teary smile.
"Is this real?" Lori asked.
"Sadly, it's all in your head, but you can do whatever you want in here. It's one of the bright sides of being a vampire. I can get in someone's head and create a place like this."
"I wanna go back. I need to know what they're talking about," Lori said as she turned to him.
"Are you sure, Lori? This is some heavy shit."
"I'm sure. It's my pack."
"Okay," Dax nodded, "But, do me a favor and don't tell your brother I cursed in front of you."
"Deal."
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Dax and Lori opened their eyes to see the entire room staring at them. Lori hugged Dax once again, "Thank you for trying though."
Dax just gave her a smile with a nod as he stood up, "Is Scott here yet?"
"Almost," Kira responded.
"I... uh... I'm Dax by the way," Dax waved to the small group of werewolves that stood around the table.
"I know who you are, Daxton Mikaelson," The woman Dax assumed to be Satomi said as she raised an eyebrow at him. Dax looked to the ground. If she knew his last name, she knew everything he had been rumored to have done, everything he had done, and everything his family had done.
"His last name is Johnson," Kira said slightly confused.
"No, it... it's Mikaelson," Dax sighed as he looked up to Kira, "The whole hiding thing only works if people don't know who I am," Dax shrugged slightly. Kira nodded.
Then they heard Scott come into the clinic and Kira went out to greet him. Dax shifted his weight as he waited for insults, or anything to come flying from the pack's mouth, but that never happened. Instead, Brett wrapped an arm around Dax and pulled him into his side as he kept Lori close on the other side.
Kira pulled Scott into the room, "Satomi, this is who I was telling you about."
Satomi turned to face Scott and Kira, "I know who Scott McCall is."
"Are we safe here?" Lori asked. Dax looked around. This building was not going to protect anyone. He looked up to Scott expecting him to answer since Dax was too blunt to be the one to say it.
"We're gonna need some help," Scott said as he looked to Dax, "A lot of help," Scott said as he turned back to Kira.
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