Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Nova’s eighteenth birthday marked the moment she dreaded most; the day her birthmark appeared on her collarbone, an ugly blemish that she couldn’t escape. A mark without a defined shape that signified the person she was meant to spend the rest of her life with, her soulmate.

From that moment on, Nova despised the mark and everything it stood for. Layers of foundation could only do so much, and Sunnyside’s eternally warm weather always made the makeup melt within a few hours.

Adjusting her red cardigan over her shoulders, Nova tore her thoughts from the mark and made her way towards City Hall. Her golden heels clicked against the pavement, the skirt of her white sundress swirling around her legs in the gentle breeze.

She never quite understood why her father forced her to attend the endless council meetings, beyond the clear implication of his desire for her to lead her city one day.

Nova knew her future was laid out for her from the day she was born, her birthmark an indication of the fact she she couldn’t even choose who she loved; it was predetermined by the forces of the universe, or whatever her father had told her since the day it appeared three years prior.

She knew her freedom was dwindling with each passing day. Most daywalkers met their soulmate within a few months following their twentieth birthday, with only a select few going years without contact. Her birthday had passed a few weeks ago, and every morning she hoped it wouldn’t be the day. Not yet.

Nova arrived at the steps of City Hall, squaring her shoulders as she began her ascent. She had already mentally checked out of whatever useless meeting she was attending, her thoughts filled with dreams of the future she’d never be able to truly achieve as the daughter of Sunnyside’s Commander.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Victor’s mind was elsewhere as his aunt’s voice echoed across the spacious room at the top floor of Sunnyside’s City Hall; his eyes already burning from the amount of sunlight filtering in through the large glass windows surrounding him.

Commander Bright’s booming voice interrupted his thoughts, his gaze landing on the man seated at the head of the table whose face was so red it rivaled the dyed strands in Victor’s hair.

The Eldress of Shadyside and the Commander had never gotten along, with the meetings Victor was forced to attend by his aunt devolving into screaming matches with an hour.

This was the first meeting Victor was allowed to attend that took place in Sunnyside, as his aunt's superstition of their rival town made it so he was never allowed to step foot in Sunnyside without an escort.

If he was being honest, Victor couldn’t understand why the two cities even tried to get along, if their leaders couldn’t hold a civil conversation. However, that was the last thing his aunt wanted to hear during her endless lectures about Victor’s apathy towards his future role of Elder and his “slacker tendencies”, as she so kindly put.

A few moments passed before Victor decided he couldn’t sit through another minute of pointless bickering. No one at the table batted an eye when he pushed his chair back, the legs scraping across the gleaming tile as he stepped towards the exit, easily slipping through the large double doors.

He chose an empty, darkened hallway adjacent to the conference room to explore, taking in the glimmering red and gold accents lining the white walls and the myriad photos of Sunnyside throughout the decades. Various expensive-looking golden vases perched on white stands lined the hallway every few feet.

The silence was welcoming as Victor wandered aimlessly, not truly caring if anyone saw him. It wasn’t illegal for vampires to be in Sunnyside, just…unusual. Victor hadn’t cared for a long time what anyone thought of him, and he wasn’t about to begin.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“Shit,” Nova muttered, pushing through another set of doors that led to nowhere. Admittedly, she had been lost in thought when she entered City Hall, taking the wrong set of stairs and ending up somewhere she didn’t recognize.

She probably should know her way around as the Commander’s daughter, but she had spent her childhood sanctioned to the conference rooms only, rarely venturing further into the building.

Nova reached another nondescript set of stairs, glancing up to see nothing but darkness. Taking a deep breath, she made her way up the stairs, her hands gripping the railing tightly as the little light from the bottom landing faded.

The silence was a stark contrast to the usual bustle of Sunnyside, the lack of any sound causing Nova’s guard to rise. She knew her city was safe the majority of the time, but she also was aware that the Shadyside Eldress and her endless slew of vampiric guards were in Sunnyside for the monthly “peace talks” her father insisted on having.

Nova prided herself on being fearless and independent; but the persistent rumors that had surrounded Shadyside’s inhabitants since her childhood had formed an image of dangerous, mysterious creatures with a taste for blood.

She hadn’t quite been able to shake off the image, despite having met a few Shadyside council members over the years. They were surprisingly…normal.

Nova made it to the top of the staircase, pushing open a set of doors to reveal yet another darkened, empty hallway that mirrored the several she had already passed through during her journey.

“Great,” she scoffed, stepping out of the stairwell and eyeing the usual decor that filled all Sunnyside buildings. At least she felt at home, even if she was slightly lost.

Nova was about to turn around and retrace her steps when the sound of shattering glass echoed in the abandoned hallway, causing her to yelp in surprise. “What the hell?” she whispered.

Leaning down, Nova slipped off her heels so she wouldn’t be heard as she crept forward, her years of self-defense training kicking in accompanied by the soft glowing of her fire gauntlet on her left wrist.

Pressing her back to the wall, Nova made it halfway down the hallway before a dark figure moved near the opposite end, their form crouched over a shattered golden vase. She watched in silence as the figure frantically swept broken pieces of glass into a pile, glancing over their shoulder every few seconds.

Realizing she wasn’t in immediate danger, Nova released the tension from her shoulders, stepping away from the wall and crossing her arms over her chest.

“That’s an expensive vase,” she called out, the figure’s form stiffening at the sound of her voice, their head whipping around to where she stood several feet away.

Nova’s breath caught in her chest as the figure stood up and stepped closer, their face becoming clearer as they stepped into the light from a small window nearby.

Standing before her was a boy around her age, his slightly pale skin contrasting his dark hair mixed with strands dyed a striking shade of red like nothing Nova had seen before. Nova’s cheeks flushed as she realized just how handsome he was, his muscular arms visible through his black and red t-shirt and leather pants.

His style was indicative of their rival town - dark, stormy, angry.

He was the exact opposite of her in every way, and she couldn’t look away.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Victor wasn’t quite sure what to make of the girl stood before him. His heart beat faster as he took in her glittering blonde hair and the way it fell over her shoulders, complimenting the soft white sundress and red cardigan she wore. Hanging from her fingers were a pair of golden heels, his gaze landing on her bare feet with a raised eyebrow.

The girl looked down at her feet, a soft blush painting her cheeks. “I was trying to be quiet,” she muttered, setting the heels down next to her. Victor eyed the golden bracelet glowing a soft yellow on her left arm, watching as the color extinguished as she looked him over.

“I’d prefer not to be fried today,” Victor finally spoke, gesturing to her fire gauntlet that matched the ones he had seen the Sunnyside guards and the Commander wearing throughout the meeting.

He was familiar with the daywalker’s defense mechanism - the ability to create fire balls at any given moment; the same way Shadyside residents could control the wind using the ruby-red pendants hung around their necks.

The girl shot a glare at him, uncrossing her arms and placing her manicured hands on her hips. “It’s not everyday a vampire wanders around our town hall and breaks our belongings,” she replied, sarcasm dripping from her words.

Victor stiffened slightly, realizing she knew exactly where he came from and what he was. Victor cleared his throat, leaning against the wall behind him and trying for nonchalance. “Not my fault they’re so fragile,” he snapped back, eyeing the pile of shards lying next to his combat boots.

“Well, you’re going to have to clean that up,” she replied, the judgement clear in her tone as she looked him up and down. Victor was tiring quickly of her superiority complex. “With what, exactly?” he quipped, stepping off of the wall and closer to the girl, close enough for her floral perfume to hit his senses and disorient him slightly.

She glanced around the hallway, her face twisting in annoyance as she realized what he had five minutes prior - there was nothing to clean up the mess with, not even a lone supply closet.

“We’d need something soft to scoop up the shards,” he spoke aloud, taking in his surroundings. There wasn’t a single piece of cloth, not even curtains. Damn Sunnyside and their obsession with a bright ball of light in the sky.

Victor’s gaze landed on the girl’s red cardigan, his eyebrow raising slightly. She caught his eye and paled slightly, shaking her head so fast her hair swung around her shoulders in a slightly mesmerizing way. She pulled the sweater tighter around her body almost protectively.

“No!” she exclaimed, louder than he was expecting. “Not my sweater.” Victor watched her for a moment, trying to figure out what button he’d pressed, before shaking his head slightly.

A strand of his hair fell across his forehead at the motion, the girl’s eyes tracking the movement before she tore her gaze away. “Okay…” Victor trailed off. “Then we’re out of options. Guess we’ll just have to leave it. Blame it on the wind.” With that, Victor flicked a hand towards the glass pile, a gust of wind gently stirring the pieces before dissipating.

The girl’s eyes narrowed at the display, her arms crossing over her chest. “That’s it?” she snipped, her gaze trained on him as he turned and walked past her, his shoulder brushing hers slightly and sending sparks shooting down his arm.

Ignoring the feeling from the brief contact, Victor kept walking, squaring his shoulders. He wasn’t about to take the fall and face the wrath of his aunt. It would be better to disappear now and forget it had ever happened.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Nova could feel the anger radiating from her as she watched the vampire saunter away, his demeanor relaxed as if he hadn’t just committed a crime by shattering one of the most expensive pieces of art in Sunnyside.

“Typical vampires,” she grumbled, not caring if he heard her. “Refusing to take accountability for anything, leaving their mess behind for others to clean.” Nova watched as the boy’s steps slowed, her words seeming to have hit their mark.

She turned towards the glass pile, crouching down and gently picking up a larger shard. A moment passed before she heard his voice behind her, his tone thick with underlying anger. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Nova hummed softly to herself, laying the shard in her palm before using her other hand to select another piece. “Cleaning your mess,” she replied, her tone light.

She felt the vampire by her side, pretending not to notice he was close enough to smell his cologne and feel the heat from his body. “Stop,” he replied, his voice low. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I can handle myself,” Nova snapped, the pile of shards growing in her hand. “Don’t make me stop you,” he growled in response. Nova stilled as his words registered, his lips inches from her ear.

Nova spun around, prepared to give him a piece of her mind, when a sharp pain sliced through her hand. She yelped in pain, the handful of shards falling back to the floor almost in slow motion.

“Shit,” the vampire whispered, his warm hands already settling over Nova’s as she bit back tears. “You’re bleeding,” he spoke, his gaze landing on the drops of blood trailing down her wrist.

Nova hesitated slightly, not moving, unsure of what to do. Her fire gauntlet flared for a second before extinguishing, a clear warning. “Before you get any ideas, daywalker, I don’t drink blood.” The boy’s sarcastic tone broke through Nova’s momentary paralysis, a familiar annoyance filling her at his words.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she gritted the lie through her teeth, breathing through another wave of sharp pain. “I wasn’t thinking that.” A smirk spread across the vampire’s face, a challenge sparkling in his brown eyes.

“We need to stop the bleeding,” he replied, his gaze shifting to her cardigan. “At least until you can get medical attention.” Nova realized the implication in his tone a second too late, her heart jumping in fear despite the blinding pain from her hand.

“No,” she whispered, watching the ways the boy’s eyes darkened slightly at her refusal. “This is serious,” he replied, his tone sharp. “It hasn’t slowed down. You’ll likely need stitches, but nothing can be done until we slow the bleeding.”

Nova felt her heart constricting as she understood she’d have to make a choice. Even though the vampire didn’t seem to recognize her, she had promised her father two years prior that she would never reveal her birthmark to anyone, much less someone from Shadyside.

If the knowledge of her birthmark shape - the very thing that tied her to her soulmate - fell in the wrong hands, an enemy could reach her soulmate before her and turn them against her, or worse.

Nova had to choose between her own safety and the safety of her city, and she was torn straight down the middle, frozen, unable to move a muscle.

A moment passed in tense silence before the boy shifted, determination sliding across his features, an uncharacteristic softness filling his eyes. “I’m sorry for this,” he whispered, his words processing a second too late.

In the blink of an eye, his hands slid to her shoulders, her cardigan slipping off and landing on her lap, the sleeves still around her wrists.

Nova could feel the color drain from her face as the vampire’s eyes fell to her right collarbone, his eyes widening slightly as he took in her biggest secret.

Fuck.

Chapter Text

Victor felt the world slow around him as he registered the mirror image of his birthmark painted across the daywalker’s collarbone, her blonde hair doing little to cover the dark blemish coloring her tan skin.

“No!” the girl yelled, her hands trying to come up to cover her collarbone. Her movement was quickly stopped by her cardigan, the soft fabric restricting her.

The daywalker’s exclamation pulled Victor out of his trance, his gaze landing on her pale face, horror splayed across her pretty features. Her bright blue eyes were wide, tears shimmering on the surface.

“Your birthmark…” Victor trailed off, unable to form the words that reflected the mess his mind currently was. The girl shook her head softly, tears now freely falling down her pink cheeks.

“You shouldn’t have seen that,” she whispered, her eyes trained on her still-bleeding hand.

Victor wordlessly reached out, his fingers working quickly as he tied a makeshift tourniquet with her cardigan, a soft wince coming from the girl as he pulled the fabric as tight as he could.

“There,” he spoke, his voice soft, placating. “That should stop the bleeding.” The girl’s head remained down, her whole body trembling.

Victor took a deep breath, his hand moving up to cup her chin, gently lifting her head until her blue eyes looked into his own. A soft gasp fell from her lips at the motion, her cheeks reddening slightly.

At that moment, Victor abandoned any sense of subtlety he still held, deciding this moment was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to shift the trajectory of his future.

Without speaking, Victor reached down and pulled the hem of his shirt up, just enough to reveal the dark blemish on his skin just above his waistline.

The girl’s breath hitched, her eyes wider than he’d ever seen as she glanced between her collarbone and his waist, the concentration clear on her face as she compared the two marks.

“You’re my soulmate,” she finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper. “Y-you’re a vampire, and you’re my soulmate.” The expression on her face was unreadable, her eyes flicking up to meet his.

“I can’t tell if that’s an insult,” Victor quipped, the humor coming off dry as the words left his tongue. A few tears fell down the girl’s cheeks as she shook her head.

Ignoring his common sense, Victor took her uninjured hand in his, his thumb brushing over her knuckles in a comforting gesture.

“Victor,” he stated, squeezing her hand softly. The girl’s eyes snapped back to his, shock painting her features. “I’m Victor.”

A moment passed before her voice broke through the silence, slightly shaky. “Nova.” That’s a beautiful name, Victor thought to himself, realizing just how fast his feelings had developed for someone he barely knew.

Someone who was from the rival town, and yet, his soulmate.

“I-I don’t know what to do,” Nova whispered, looking anywhere but at him. “I have pretended this day wouldn’t happen for the past two years. I didn’t want to face…this,” she continued.

Victor remained silent, his hand still grasping hers. Nova hadn’t pulled away, a sizzling tension present in the air between them. “I thought I’d be disappointed no matter the outcome,” she admitted, a words a jumble of emotions Victor couldn’t quite place.

“Are you disappointed?” he ventured, his voice low and his filter completely gone as his gaze dropped to her mouth. Nova’s eyes widened at his words, her pink lips parted slightly in a way he couldn’t tear his gaze from.

“I should be,” she responded, leaning in slightly. Victor’s eyes flicked up to hers, reading the want, the need filling her expression.

He waited in breathless anticipation, the feelings they’ve been dancing around thickening the air around them.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Nova’s face was inches from Victor’s, his eyes unabashedly trained on her lips as she struggled to breathe, the feelings she’d been pushing down since she first laid eyes on him bursting to the surface.

She couldn’t understand how someone she had just met had such an effect on her, one so strong she was seconds away from abandoning all control and letting her feelings take over.

Victor’s fingers brushed Nova’s leg gently, his hand tightening around hers, and that was all she needed as she jumped forward, her mouth sealing over his and drawing a shocked gasp out of him.

Victor groaned softly, his hands working their way to Nova’s waist as her good hand slid through his messy hair, her fingers twirling through the red and black strands.

His lips were impossibly soft as their kiss deepened, their breathing becoming heavier as Victor slid his tongue across her bottom lip.

Nova gasped into Victor’s mouth as one of his hands slid down to her thigh, his fingers toying with the hem of her sundress and causing her to shiver with pleasure.

Victor grinned against her mouth before pulling away, his lips tracing her jaw and overwhelming her senses. She heard his name fall from her mouth involuntarily when his lips reached her neck, pressing open mouthed, warm kisses against her heated skin.

Nova could have spent the rest of her life on the cold, hard hallway floor, Victor’s mouth on her and her hands threaded through his hair. She could feel her fire gauntlet lighting in response to her emotions, the heat warming her wrist.

Eventually, Victor pulled away, Nova fighting her urge to pull him back to her lips and kiss him senseless. “Wow,” Nova whispered, her breathing uneven as she took in Victor’s messy hair, swollen lips, and flushed cheeks. She was sure she looked exactly the same.

Victor’s gaze was heated, his eyes dark as he looked at her. “What next?” he asked, his voice wrecked.

Nova sighed, fiddling with the cardigan-tourniquet attached to her left hand. “I guess we skipped over the whole introduction part,” she quipped, glancing up at him.

Sighing, she held her good hand out and watched as he raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Hello, I’m Nova Bright.” Victor’s eyes widened, recognition dawning on his features.

“You’re Commander Bright’s daughter?” Nova nodded slowly, uncaring of his reaction. They’d already bonded in an…unconventional way.

“Shit,” Victor muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Well, this just got complicated.” Nova narrowed her eyes at him, confused. “How’s that?”

Victor took a deep breath, holding out his hand as she had just done moments prior. “Hello, Nova. I’m Victor, the future Elder of Shadyside.”

Nova’s world tilted slightly, blood rushing through her head as she processed his words. “The universe must be playing a joke on us!” she exclaimed. “My soulmate is not only a vampire, but he’s the future leader of our rival town?”

Victor laughed humorlessly, his fingers still intertwined with Nova’s. “Well, I guess there’s no hiding from this.”

Victor lifted himself off of the ground, using his boot to sweep the long-forgotten broken glass aside. Bending down, he wrapped an arm around Nova’s waist, gently lifting her off of the ground and to her feet.

“The meeting will be wrapping up soon, so we should hurry. I’m sure neither your father or my aunt would want to miss this ,” he spoke, gesturing to her cardigan-wrapped hand and the birthmark on full display on her collarbone.

Taking a deep breath, Nova nodded and slid her hand into Victor’s.

Here goes nothing.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

Victor would’ve paid his entire net worth to photograph the look on his aunt’s and Commander Bright’s faces when he and Nova burst into the conference room, their chests heaving from the ten minutes of running up and down stairs and through hallways.

His aunt’s gaze fell on their joined hands, her eyes widening slightly. He could see a similar reaction from the Commander from the corner of his eyes.

“Nova, you have one chance to explain what the hell is going on,” the Commander finally spoke, his voice booming. Nova stepped forward, her cardigan dangling from her injured hand as she faced her father.

“Dad, I found him,” she replied, her voice quiet yet firm. Her father’s face shifted as he realized the implication of her words, his gaze sliding over to Victor.

Victor slowly lifted up the hem of his shift, his aunt letting out a sharp gasp as Nova slid her hair off of her shoulder, their matching birthmarks shining against their skin.

“Well, I’ll be…” Victor’s aunt spoke, her voice tight with emotion. “Nova, do you realize what this means?” the Commander’s voice rang through the silence, his face unreadable.

Nova took a deep breath, squeezing Victor’s hand. “Yes, I do, Dad. Our towns have fought for long enough. It’s about time we found a middle ground,” she declared, smiling softly at Victor.

Victor hadn’t seen a more beautiful sight.

The next few hours passed in a chaotic blur, renegotiations filling the room as the four of them poured over centuries-old laws, rulebooks, and peace treaties.

Commander Bright had sent for a medic, who had bandaged Nova’s hand and administered medication that seemed to work miracles, if the practiced ease with which Nova engaged in negotiation debates demonstrated.

She was mesmerizing, her leadership skills shining and lighting Victor’s heart ablaze.

By the time the final document was signed and the final words were spoken, Victor’s eyes were heavy with sleep and his arms longed to hold Nova, but he held off, knowing her father wasn’t quite his number one fan…yet.

The Eldress and the Commander finally stepped out of the room to file away the new papers, leaving Nova and Victor alone for the first time in hours.

Victor held out his arms, grinning as Nova dove for him, her mouth settling over his and his brain emptying as his hands grasped her waist, biting her bottom lip between his teeth, careful to keep his fangs from emerging.

The intoxicating flavor of Nova’s mouth and her soft gasps that he kept swallowing about drove him over the edge, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair at her waist.

Nova pulled back after a moment, her breathing heavy. “This feels like the start of something good,” she whispered, her smile bright and her blue eyes sparkling.

Victor grinned back at her, pressing soft kisses to her hair, her cheek, her neck, finally settling his mouth on her collarbone - directly over her birthmark, the mark that linked them together eternally.

Nova’s breath hitched as Victor gently kissed the area, before lifting his head back up to look in her eyes. “It definitely is,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms.

It was the beginning of his new future, one he knew he was truly meant for both of them.