I'm Half-Doomed and You're Semi-Sweet

Kira stood in front of the mirror in Hanna and Brendon’s room, examining herself and her new vampire body.

Her vision and hearing was noticeably clearer, and her skin paler.

Of course, her fangs were going to take some getting used to.

Thirst wasn’t a big factor since they were prepared for it; Patrick kept the blend on hand for whenever she needed it, just in case. Being newly changed, thirst could strike at any time.

She believed worried too much.

As if she could bring herself to hurt her savior or her friends.

“What will he think?” she asked Hanna, who was seated on the bed a few feet away. “I wish I had nicer clothes,” she added, shaking her head at her jeans and old hoodie.

“You can take anything of mine,” Hanna offered, nodding towards the closet.

She had infinite wardrobe choices she’d brought over from the William’s manor that she hadn’t touched since the Dandy days. Although, it seemed so much more of a waste to have left them there.

“Are you sure?” Kira asked, turning to face her.

“It’d be a waste it you didn’t,” Hanna replied, pushing the door open. “Take anything you like.”

After trying on a multitude of dresses, they decided on a deep blue, almost black, short one.

“Here,” Hanna said, sitting Kira back down in front of the mirror and picking up a nearby brush to run through her hair.

“Hanna?” Kira asked suddenly.

“Yeah?” she replied absently, as she continued to arrange Kira’s hair.

“Why…why does Pete- I mean…” she couldn’t bring herself to completely formulate her question. “You and Brendon…”

“Back when…when William and the Dandies were in power…” Hanna began, knowing her meaning exactly.

“I understand if you don’t want to tell me-”

“I don’t mind,” Hanna assured her.

It wasn’t the sensitive topic it had been a few months ago.

“He changed me, you know,” she continued. “Bill-William, I mean. I let him because I loved him.”

“Did it hurt as much, because you let him?” Kira asked, instinctively reaching up to touch the small scars left from Alex’s fangs.

“Patrick thinks it’s different for everyone,” she replied. “How are you feeling? Are you thirsty?”

“I’m fine,” Kira insisted.

“Pete and I- we had…something for a little while,” Hanna somewhat struggled to say. “But I didn’t love him. It was the timing and circumstances that prevented it. I wasn’t supposed to have any type of contact with anyone who wasn’t a Dandy in the first place.”

“Oh,” Kira replied. Pete had never let on the extent of what their relationship had been, so she’d been left to guess and assume for the most part.

“Brendon saved me,” Hanna continued. “More than once.” Kira could see her mood brighten in her eyes and her tone change at the mention of his name. “He loved me, but I didn’t realize for the longest time. He obviously wasn’t allowed to. Brendon kept me safe when William found out about my friendship with the guys and Pete. He helped me escape. When we came back - well…you mostly know the story from there.”

It was odd for Kira to hear Hanna’s point of view when she’d only ever heard Pete’s. Well, as much as he would tell her, anyway.

“Pete hates Brendon,” Kira stated. “It’s because he wanted to finish William, isn’t it?”

“Pete was obsessed with that revenge since before I met him, you can ask Patrick. But if Brendon hadn’t staked William, who knows if there would have been another opportunity. Pete’s good at holding grudges, I’ll give him that,” Hanna sighed. “William was the one who changed Pete. I don’t know if he’ll ever get over not having gotten his revenge when he had the chance.”

Hanna took a step back to examine her work on Kira’s hair.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Ready,” Kira breathed back.

But she wasn’t so sure.