Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Owen slowly blinked his eyes open. He didn’t know where he was, and he didn’t have his night vision, so he could actually see in all the darkness.

His last memories were of finally accepting his own death, of finally being allowed to join Louis in the afterlife. Now that seemed to have been taken from him as well. He didn’t know whether to be angry or not about that fact, maybe he should have expected it. Of course, he would never truly be allowed to have the salvation he craved.

Apparently, there was a hole in the dirt barely big enough for some light to get through, or maybe it just wasn’t packed that tightly around him. He reached a hand up, his fingers just barely touching the dirt above him. He wasn’t pushing against it, but some dirt still ended up hitting his cheek.

With a groan, he sat up, the dirt falling around him. Some roots had apparently grown around him, creating some sort of makeshift binding that he easily broke.

Owen went to speak, but only ended up coughing up some dirt.

Looking around, he asked the air, “How long… was I asleep?”

 

♥•••♥

 

Scott walked down the street of the city where he was currently residing. A lot had changed over a few thousand years, and he wanted to take in some of the sights. He knew Shelby quite liked the big city, it was a great place to find inspiration, she had said. But he also knew that she and Drift had been talking, even though they tried to keep it a secret from him, the both of them had agreed to try going to school. They both seemed very excited about the prospect, and who was Scott to dampen their mood?

So here he was now, familiarizing himself with the city, and possibly finding a good place for a new apartment or house. All while making his way to a book signing, Shelby was hosting for her new book.

It was because of these thoughts that Scott didn’t move out of the way in time and ended up colliding with someone on the street. “Oh, sorry!” They said, quickly moving past him. “I’m in a hurry, sorry for running into you!” They yelled over their shoulder.

But Scott didn’t move, or even say anything, he just stood there. Staring at Pearl as she ran down the street. He blinked a couple of times before shaking the absurd image from his head.

That wasn’t Pearl, she had died years ago, along with the rest of the humans that were left unturned in Oakhurst. But the thought wouldn’t completely leave his brain, because if Pearl was back, were others back as well?

His phone made a sudden buzzing sound in his pocket. It was a message in his private group chat with Drift and Shelby. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one to see a ghost today.

 

♥•••♥

 

Drift hurried down the street.

She technically didn’t have to hurry, as there was still about half an hour until the book signing would start. But she had promised Shelby that she would help set up. But then she started watching a new crime show, and then she started listening to that same show's podcast. And then she was starting to get quite thirsty, but after searching around in her fridge and coolers, she couldn’t find any blood bags and had to go hunting for some more. Then she came home, to her big clock, chiming that it was well past the time she should have left, and she still needed to take a shower and put on some clothes that weren’t covered in blood.

So, she was hurrying down the street, towards the bookshop where Shelby’s book signing was hosted.

She couldn’t even transform into a bat, as there were too many people around, and not enough empty dark alleyways she could use. Every time she glanced down one, there was always at least one person, or it was just a very small alley, that could still very clearly be seen from the streets.

And it was as she glanced down another too small and bright alley that she ran FULLY into someone.

“Wow...!” Someone spoke up.

Drift groaned in unison with the person she had just run straight into.

“Cleo, what just hit me?” Asked a male voice.

Drift looked behind her, realizing that she had somehow ended up not only pushing someone to the ground but also either rolling or flipping directly over them.

“A girl Martyn” The first voice responded.

Drift let out some air she didn’t need, as she fully took in the sight of both Cleo and Martyn, looking nearly identical to how she remembered them looking back in Oakhurst.

The woman, Cleo, laughed a little at her friend's expense after deciding that he hadn’t actually gotten hurt by being slammed into by a fast bolt of a girl. She looked over at Drift, taking in her wide-eyed stare and gaping mouth. Drift could see the minuscule crease that began to develop between her brows.

“Are you ok?” She asked gently, crouching down with a hand reached out for Drift to take.

“No help for me, no thank you, I’m doing fine, just fine” Martyn grumbled as he stood up, breathing out dramatically as he brushed some dust and small stones from his hair and clothes. Cleo only rolled her eyes at him before turning back to Drift.

“I- I’m- I’m…” Drift didn’t know what to say, she could barely hear the words coming out of her mouth, her eyes still going between looking at Cleo and Martyn, like they couldn’t decide who to look at. Martyn finally turned around to face her, tilting his head with a concerned look on his face. “You alright?” He asked “Do you need to call someone or something, maybe?” One of his hands moved to take out his phone from his back pocket.

But Drift hurriedly stopped him.

“No need! I’m fine! Don’t worry!” She yelled, trying frantically to find a way to quickly leave this conversation. She really needed to talk to Shelby and Scott.

She stood up, maybe a little quickly, and fished out her pocket watch. “OH NO!! I’m really late, Shelby’s going to be so mad at me, GOODBYE!!” She yelled and started sprinting down the street once again.

She barely managed to hear Cleo and Martyn’s voices as she left, “Wow, she is fast.” “Yay, you think she’s alright?” “Probably”

Drift reached the point on the street where she had to cross the road, but instead of crossing like she needed to to get to the bookstore, she turned the corner and pressed her back against the side of a brick building. The bricks were digging uncomfortably into her back and probably leaving marks on her back, which Scott would undoubtedly complain about.

She stood there trying to catch her breath, even though she hadn’t needed to actually breathe in a long while. Finally, she fished her phone out of one of her pockets and quickly began panic-writing a long message to the shared group chat.

 

♥•••♥

 

Shelby furrowed her lips as she looked at the clock on the wall again. She had been doing that a lot for the past hour, neither Scott nor Drift were here yet, though Scott was probably on his way. But Drift had promised to arrive early so she could help her set up, and maybe also plan how they were going to ask Scott about moving to the city so they could try going to school for a bit. She put her elbows on the table and rested her face on her hands as she pouted about her friend's slowness.

“Ay lassie,” A voice spoke up slightly behind her. He was standing amongst the shelves, clearly having been looking at some of the books. “What ye pouting for?”

“…My friends are late. They said they would get here early, or at least one of them did.” The person hummed, seemingly having not noticed Shelby, almost gawking at him, or maybe he simply didn’t care.

“Do I know you?” She asked.

“Don’t kno’ havn’t seen ye around here before” Ren responded, because it had to be Ren. It couldn’t just be a completely random person who just randomly happened to look and sound exactly like Ren did. ‘But how…?’ she thought.

Her phone started buzzing, from where she had put it, face down on the table, almost vibrating off the edge with the amount of messages she was suddenly getting.

“That them?” Ren asked.

Shelby looked up from her phone, startled. “Uh, yeah, my friend ended up… uh- oversleeping, and then she ran face-first into someone when she tried to run here.” She quickly typed up a simple message informing both Scott and Drift that Ren was currently in the same bookstore as her.

She jolted once more as Scott sent a message detailing his own encounter with someone, whom they all thought long dead.

Ren cast her a worried glance, but she simply gave him an awkward smile, or at least she attempted to, it might have been more of a grimace than anything.

“Four…” she mumbled to herself, “Could there be others? Maybe…”

“Ya alright missie?” Ren asked, having come around the table to check on her, so she didn’t have to keep turning awkwardly to look at him. “Yeah…yeah! I’m fine”.

It was at that moment that the door nearly swung open, the bell above giving a loud chime.

They both turned to look at the disheveled and heaving Drift, who stood in the doorway, wearing her traditional detective outfit. She liked to occasionally dress up like detectives from different books and shows. This time, she was wearing a lot of checkered fabric. Scott would surely think it was too much, but Shelby thought the checkered coat and vest really suited Drift, which is why she had the items for her.

“DRIFT!” She yelled, quickly standing up, while knocking her chair down behind her. “Are you alright? What happened?” She asked as Ren quickly excused himself to get a cup of water for Drift. Shelby led Drift over to her table, which was set up in a little corner by the entrance to the store. She had made sure there were two extra chairs by the table, for when Drift and Scott wanted to sit down.

“Cleo and Martyn…” Was the only thing Drift said.

Shelby just hugged her close, allowing her to hide her face in the crook of her neck.

 

That was how Scott found them when he made it to the bookstore, Shelby comforting Drift, who looked almost ready to collapse.

Scott kneeled in front of them, so he could look Drift somewhat in the eye.

“You alright?”

She gave a weak nod against Shelby’s chest.

Shelby reached out for the cup of water Ren had brought before leaving again, soon after, silently helping Drift drink from the plastic cup. It wouldn’t help as much as blood would, but it was better than nothing and would hopefully help ground her.

“I think the shock got to her.”

“Yay, she probably just needs a bit.”

Scott stood once again, glancing around the bookstore.

Finding various books that Shelby, and sometimes Drift, but that was mostly detective novels, had tried to convince him to read. He had only caved a few times, and he would admit that the two vampires knew him and his tastes pretty well.

Among the many rows of books, he spotted some more of Shelby’s books, though she had used different aliases to hide the fact that she was still alive. Scott had, of course, learnt all them by heart, and knew immediately where to look to find the ones that Shelby had written. Along the way, his eyes find a few books written by M, who was somewhere out in the world.

They would meet up or talk once in a while, but they both preferred doing their own thing. Currently, that was sightseeing wherever the girls wanted to go, for Scott. While for M, it meant he was out researching new ideas for his current adventure series.

Scott had been considering reading it. He found he had a lot of time and nothing to do to spend that time doing. He had even started looking up different hobbies he could possibly find interesting. Though Shelby had pointed out once, anything was probably more interesting than just sitting around in a big castle or manor by himself.

 

♥•••♥

 

Months had passed since they had met four of the people, they had thought long dead after finally leaving Oakhurst.

Shelby and Drift had actually ended up starting school and were both currently attending school at the local university. They had tried convincing Scott to apply for the school as well, but had ultimately failed.

As Scott had already decided, long before they asked him, he had bought a manor on the edge of town. Though he wasn’t currently living there.

Seeing all the humans he remembered from Oakhurst coming back to life after all these years had made Scott curious.

Was it just those four, or were there others that had come back as well?

Which is why he was currently making his way back toward Oakhurst. He had spent a lot of time trying not to think or look up what happened to Oakhurst after all the vampires, those that were still alive at least, had left.

Apparently, it was still standing and was as modern as a town at the outskirts of civilization could be.

Waiting on the platform for the train that would take him to his destination to arrive. He ended up encountering a strange man. One that seemed oddly familiar, even though he was sure he had never actually met him, but perhaps someone had told Scott about him.

Either way, they exchanged contact information.

Scott had a feeling that the strange man was maybe more important than he realized.

 

♥•••♥

 

Scott stepped off the platform, the train couldn’t take him directly to Oakhurst, which is why he had arranged for a car to be ready for him.

It took a little extra time for the workers to get the car ready, long enough for Scott to start tapping both his foot and finger from where his hands lay over each other.

Rolling his eyes at the human’s stupidity, he happened to spot the familiar face of Pyro disappearing through a door, he was just able to make out some stairs as the door swung closed behind Pyro.

He mentally added Pyro to his mental count of people from Oakhurst who had come back from the dead, as he entered the backseat of the car, the door being held open for him by one of the many humans he had working for him at his many different properties. The car started driving soon after he entered, quickly making its way down the road. They knew better than to delay Scott Goldsmith.

He watched out of the window as the car drove past Oakhurst, the town more bustling with life and people than he remembered it being. He took a long, slow sip from the glass of blood he kept stored in the car. Though the workers didn’t have to know it was blood and not whiskey he was drinking, and even if they knew, they wouldn’t say anything, they were paid too well for that. And Scott could handle a simple problem like that, if it were to occur.

The car finally stopped at the bottom of a hill. He left the car and driver there, as he made his way up to Avid’s grave.

Avid had made him feel a lot of things. A lot of things he hadn’t expected to feel in a long time or even expected to keep feeling after Avid had perished.

Even though he hadn’t visited Oakhurst or the surrounding area in a long while, he had made sure everything would be ready for when he finally worked up the courage to come back. He had paid for workers to keep the castle clean and maintained, even fixed the bridge up, but he had also paid for someone to routinely come by and maintain Avid’s grave for him. He still didn’t feel entirely ready to once again see Avid’s final resting place. But he knew he would never do it if he didn’t do it now.

At the top of the hill, he not only found Avid’s grave but also a cloaked man covered in dirt. He was standing a bit away from the grave, just staring.

“Owen?” Scott called as he made it to the top of the hill, already knowing it was Owen, even without the other responding.

Owen just turned his head to look at him. He looked down at the grass beneath him, closing his eyes and letting out a deep sigh.

“Just wanted to take a look at it.” He shrugged, “Avid is somewhere in town by the way, I met him somewhere in the mountains after we both woke up. He mentioned waking up by a grave with his name on it, and I got curious.”

Scott swallowed some spit, looking in the direction of the town. He would either have to drive back to town or maybe tell his driver to go directly to the castle. Then he could go find Avid and finally get to kiss him back.

“It made me think about how Louis never got a proper burial.” Scott snapped back to reality when Owen kept talking. “Maybe I should have done that for him…” Scott could see Owen’s hands clenching the fabric of his pants tightly. “Owen” Scott began, trying to snap the other vampire out of his downward spiral. He quickly took out his phone. He noticed Owen squinting in the direction of the phone, but didn’t bother explaining modern technology to the previously fully dead vampire.

Scott sent a quick message to his driver before opening his contacts, quickly finding the name he was looking for.

Then he threw the phone to Owen.

Which the other easily caught.

Scott returned Owen’s questioning gaze steadily.

“That’s a phone, you can use it to call and message people over long distances, much more efficient than sending letters,” Scott explained. “I’ll go get Avid, and you meet us back at the castle when you’re ready.”

Scott stayed just long enough to make sure Owen actually looked down at the contact information on the phone. After that, he left Owen to his own devices, he knew Owen would probably prefer being left alone for this conversation. And anyway, he and an adorable bat to find and bring back to the castle.

 

♥•••♥

 

Owen turned towards Scott as the other called his name, quite firmly.

He watched as the elder brought out a small glowing rectangle. Scott did something on it, though Owen had no way of knowing what. He had already found out that a lot of time had passed since he was last awake.

And honestly, he had been debating trying to find a way to die again. He didn’t feel like killing the entire town of Oakhurst again, and he just felt tired now. He just wanted to actually be able to join Louis, even if it was only symbolic, he had been thinking a lot about that recently.

It was at that moment that Scott threw the glowing rectangle at him. He would probably have been able to catch it just fine, even as a level 1 vampire. But he had been very hungry when he had first awoken, and unfortunately, there were some free-roaming animals nearby. Well, unfortunately for the animals, and maybe whoever owned them. Not for Owen, he got a nice meal out of it. Now he had red eyes, and his hair was starting to turn white in some places.

He turned the rectangle around in his hand, feeling some buttons along the sides. He looked back up at Scott with a questioning stare, which Scott returned steadily.

“That’s a phone, you can use it to call and message people over long distances, much more efficient than sending letters,” As Scott explained, Owen took note of his hand waving around in the air. “I’ll go get Avid, and you meet us back at the castle when you’re ready.” Owen almost felt like rolling his eyes at that, but he resisted.

‘When I’m ready?’

As Scott turned around, he threw some more information over his shoulder.

“And it isn’t just you and Avid that’s back, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE from Oakhurst is back, it seems.” And with that, he walked away.

Owen turned his gaze back down to the rectangle, with now wasn’t glowing as strongly now, but that wasn’t what made Owen pause.

It was the name on the contact Scott had found for him, it read ‘Louis (Owen’s)’ in big bold letters. Owen clutched the phone tighter. If he could cry, he was sure he would be able to feel the tears already cascading down his cheeks. Instead, he let a shaky breath.

And quickly attempted to find out how to actually ‘call’ Louis.

He must have done something right, because in the next moment, the picture on the rectangle changed. And then it made a strange noise.

“Hello?” He called experimentally.

There was a little laugh from the other end. “Hello to you too, Owen dear.”

Owen barely managed to whisper out a pathetic, barely audible “Louis.” As he felt his legs start to give up on him.

He fell to his knees, hitting the ground hard and making a loud sound that Louis could apparently hear from the other end as he immediately began asking about Owen’s well-being.

“You’re- you’re alive” Owen eventually gasped out, interrupting Louis’s concerned rambling.

“Yes, I am, I’m glad that you’re alright as well.” Owen laughed weakly, he didn’t feel alright, but he supposed that wasn’t really what Louis had meant.

They kept talking for hours on end, long after the sun had risen, and Owen had to seek cover under a tree from the sun's rays. Only stopping with a promise of reuniting as soon as they were able. Owen promised to stay in the castle by Oakhurst, as Louis had arranged with Scott, until Louis finished whatever it was he was doing.

It had been a long explanation, Louis wanted to find something specific, he was really passionate about it. But Owen really just preferred listening to Louis’s voice as he talked. Eventually, closing his eyes, a smile graced his lips for the first time in a long while as he fell into the vampire equivalent of sleep.

 

♥•••♥

 

Scott sat on a bench somewhere in Oakhurst. He didn’t really care where exactly he was. The city had grown a lot bigger and could now house more than 14 people. But Scott was content to have Avid clinging onto him, as he excitedly rambled on and on about all the things that had changed in the time they were apart.

“Scott?”

He blinked out of his daze, realizing that he had just been staring directly at Avid for some time, causing the other to stop his rambling with an embarrassed look on his face.

“I’m sorry, was I rambling? I didn’t mean to, I just got so excited seeing someone I knew and-“ Scott cut him off by placing a finger on Avid’s lips.

“Do you remember Avid?” Scott asked, he continued before Avid could start nodding his head, “Before you died, back at the beacon?” He smiled as he looked into Avid’s wide eyes. “You kissed my cheek” He tapped one of Avid’s cheeks with a finger for emphasis. “I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it back then. I by the time I had started to realize that I was not only feeling things, but also what I was feeling.” Scott paused, looking down at the grass, where many flowers were growing in big clusters. A messy sort of organized.

“You were gone by the time I realized I wanted to kiss you again, this time properly.”

He looked back into Avid’s eyes, if possible they had grown even wider.

“Real-“

Scott once again cut Avid off. This time, stopping him from yelling and waking all the humans trying to sleep in the town.

Scott had also used his mouth to silence Avid this time, instead of his finger.

He felt Avid momentarily freeze, before quickly and earnestly reciprocating the kiss. Scott was very pleased by the enthusiasm. But unfortunately, he had to cut their kiss short, no matter how much Avid whined about the loss, and tried to recapture his lips to start the kiss once again.

“Hush, my little bat” Scott whispered “We’ll connect our lips again soon enough.” Then he stood, Avid looked slightly confused by the action, but accepted the offered hand Scott held out toward him. “Follow me” Scott ordered, and walked down the street to the car he had asked to be waiting for him.

“What?” Avid asked from where he was hiding slightly behind him. Tilting his head curiously at what to him looked like a bunch of metal put together. Avid noted the light from the streetlamps shining off parts of the metal, he quite liked it.

“It’s a car, darling” Scott stroked his thumb over the back of Avid’s hand. “It’s like a carriage, or a train, except smaller, and it doesn’t require any horses.”

“Huh…” Scott took note of the interested look in Avid’s eyes. He would make sure Avid could experiment as much as he wanted, as soon as they got him properly cleaned, clothed, and fed.

And kissed, but Scott would save that for later.

Chapter Text

As I don't condone the actions of AvidMc and Marma1ade, this fic is properly going to be rewritten, probably to be Cambam instead.

On a different note, I've been collaborating with and artist to turn this fic into a comic, but the Avid part is probably going to change now.