The Ripper

William Jack Holloway

It was so natural for the Hunter to find himself in front of the blonde girl he was quickly becoming so enamored with. The man certainly had his questions regarding his family and the lives that they'd had. Questions that he would, one day, want to seek out the answers to. But for now, his thoughts were entirely occupied with Vhalla. Vhalla... he couldn't get her off his mind. Even when he shouldn't be focused on her, it was her on his thoughts when he fell asleep at night or when he was walking through the streets of Sacrosanct. So, now that he had her only feet away from him, he was determined to keep her that way. He couldn't help himself as he leaned back against the wall, a chuckle on his lips at her gentle scolding. "I'll be alright, love," He promised, reaching out to pull her into his lap. It felt so natural to have her within his arms, especially when she relaxed so readily against his chest.

She felt amazing in his arms. Like she belonged there. Like she was created to be there. How funny it might have been that the one his soul was most attached to was someone who had been born two hundred years after he had. Perhaps fate had simply wanted him to become what he was, if only so he would find her.

He found, really, that that wasn't such a terrible thought.

His sister was - just as she had been back when they had shared the halls of the Devonshire House in London - perhaps the thing he most protected. Those memories of her were precious things he kept to himself if only because they were all he had of his sister. But with Vhalla... it felt right to share things about himself. Her saying his sister's name brought a smile to his lips. At her question, Will smiled a little. He didn't want to share his feelings for Sebastian - especially not when he was finding them to still be relevant. "It's a long story." He said with a shrug, instead shifting the attention entirely to what he wanted their futures to hold.

He had thought - really he had - that the feelings he'd held for her were mutual. He'd noticed the way that she seemed to smile more around him, or the way she looked at him. The way he'd held her to him and she relaxed. He thought...

He thought she felt the same way.

It was what made him feel safe in letting that confession roll from his lips. Two hundred years of guarding his heart and with her, the admittance rolled off his tongue without a worry in the world.

He watched as she stiffened so abruptly in his arms, and William instantly sat up a little straighter. "Vhalla?" He questioned. For a moment, the man struggled to keep her within his arms before he let go of her, watching her stand in front of him. The expression on her face was one that made Will's hand - which had been outstretched to try to grab her - recoil. "Vhalla..." He said hesitantly, all that worry that he perhaps should have had flying back onto his face. She was nervous, he expected. She had expressed before that her world was complicated. That had to be it.

That had to be it.

But then Will's face fell entirely as she spoke. Gone was the gentle girl that he'd had only minutes before. Replaced entirely was the cruel realization of exactly what this might be - what it was. "That's not true..." The man stammered out, though even he didn't believe it at the moment. He remained seated on the ground as she started to walk away, a pathetic noise escaping his throat. A good fuck? A... what?

It took several moments after she'd disappeared before he let himself get to his feet, and even then his legs were shaky and threatened to be unable to hold him. No. No no no. This couldn't be true. Vhalla... He wanted so desperately to go after her, but the idea that she might further break his heart had him starting towards the metal stairs and down to let himself out onto the street. The man stopped as soon as he was out the door, leaning with his forehead against the brick of the building as he finally allowed his shoulders to slump and the tears that had threatened upstairs to spill from his eyes.

He had hoped... he had thought that perhaps Vhalla might want him around. That for the first time in several lifetimes, someone might want him. He had been foolish enough to consider a future in Sacrosanct. A future with her.

But he was wrong. And really, who would want Jack the Ripper anyway?

But darling -- it's only human nature.