Everyone's jaw hit the ground. Did that seriously come from Desmond? Even Vinny's eyes were wide, filled with instant surprise.
Oliver's skin numbed immediately. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Desmond, the guy who has made his working life hell, is in love with him. It was struggling to make sense.
"I know it's a shock Oliver, but you have to feel the same." Desmond watched him with pleading eyes. His heart was pounding, he was worried that they could hear it.
"Feel the same?" Oliver breathed when the reality of his words came crashing down. "Desmond, you've been horrible to me."
"Yes but, I was just jealous. You were single and I thought I had a good chance until the Master came along and you just fell in love with him."
Clearly, jealousy is a curse.
"I'm not right for you," Oliver said, shaking his head. "You can find someone else. Someone who will understand you better and someone who is now, not taken." He almost felt sorry for him.
"No, I don't want anyone else."
Everyone listened while Duke kept glancing at Vinny. He could not tell what he was thinking and it was making him a little worried.
"Desmond, how old are you?" Madison asked, stepping into the conversation when her son clenched his jaw.
"I'm twenty-four."
"Okay. Surely being a twenty-four-year-old, you can understand that you clearly don't have a chance with Oliver. He is bonded to a vampire." There is no way Desmond was getting between her son and his soulmate, it would be impossible anyway, their connection would not allow it.
"Yes but, he doesn't belong in a Vampire family," Desmond looked back to Oliver, the person who he has grown to love and hate. "You don't belong with him." Pointing at Vinny only made the situation worse.
Duke started to see the anger growing in his son's eyes. Vinny is a protective person and the Alpha knew he was extremely protective over his soulmate.
"Desmond, you can't be with me. I'm Vinny's soulmate and I will be for the rest of my life. It doesn't matter how you feel, nothing will change that."
"Oliver, you're eighteen. You have your whole life ahead of you, don't waste it with this monster." Desmond was beginning to step over the line.
"Don't call him that." Oliver frowned and Vinny's heart filled up with pride. Yet, the anger overpowered it in an instant.
Desmond knew he wasn't getting through to him. He wasn't sure what he expected but there was something he has wanted to do for a long time, and now felt like his only opportunity. He let out a breath and stared into Oliver's eyes. His heart was overruling his head to dangerous levels.
Nobody saw it coming, nobody thought he would do this in front of the Master. But with no time to waste, he stepped forwards and crashed his lips against the vampire's soulmate.
Oliver's eyes widened, trying to pull his head back but Desmond was holding onto it.
This was so wrong, it wasn't Vinny.
He brought his hands up and forcefully pushed Desmond away, making him stumble. How could he possibly feel like he had the right to kiss him?
Now, it was Vinny's turn to lose his anger like he has wanted to do for ages.
Before anyone could react, he stepped in front of his soulmate. Desmond gasped when sharp fangs were exposed and red eyes were raging. He flinched when Vinny lifted his fist, pushed it through the air and made hard contact with his jaw.
Time stopped when he made contact with his face. Vinny wanted to hurt him, he wanted to draw blood and he wanted to knock the taste of Oliver off his lips.
Desmond fell to the ground and Oliver grabbed Vinny before he had the chance to jump on top of him. His eyes were pulsing a deep red, but that didn't phase him.
Urgently, Oliver turned him around, feeling like he needed to explain himself.
"Vinny, I didn't kiss back, I didn't!"
The Vampires face softened very fast. Forgetting about Desmond for a moment, he had to calm him.
"I know. Hey, stop panicking, I know you didn't," He put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him into his chest.
The beaten worker shakily got up off the ground.
"Desmond, you need to get out of this mansion, right now," Duke was livid as Vinny's hands clenched into fists. His fangs were still out, showing everyone just how angry he was.
"But I work here, you can't just-"
"I am your boss!" He yelled.
"You are very delusional if you think we're going to let you keep your job," Madison could not quite believe he tried to kiss Oliver. "You're fired."
"No, you can't fire me-"
"Get out!" Duke interrupted him, knowing if their son was going to calm down, his presence had to be gone.
Desmond looked at Oliver with sadness in his eyes with one last attempt to win him over. But Oliver was angry and couldn't bring himself to look at him. He huffed, straightened his work shirt and walking slowly down the corridor.
Everyone watched until he was gone and Vinny's eyes returned back to their usual, chocolate brown colour.
"How was this guy even employed?" Duke pushed a hand through his hair.
"I feel like I need to wash my mouth," Oliver ran the back of his hand over his lips. They were made for kissing Vinny, and only Vinny.
"Oliver, you don't have to work today," Duke smiled as Madison linked her arm around his waist.
"But I've had a bit of time off already this week."
"You shouldn't even be working. You're a member of the Vanderwood family now," Madison said. "The only reason we haven't stopped you from working is that we needed your help in the restaurant. As soon as the snow clears and all the staff come back, you don't have to work anymore."
Oliver didn't know what to say. He didn't think he would ever not have a job. As a human, he has to work for a living. But he's in a Vampires world now, a life of luxury awaits.
Vinny was incredibly happy to hear that. He has waited for his parents to say it all week.
"Okay, I need to tell the staff that Desmond is no longer working for us," Duke sighed while stepping towards the door.
"Finally," Vinny muttered. He was starting to calm down however, he could have seriously injured the human. It was Oliver who stopped him. Not only physically, but mentally too. He didn't want him to see him that way.
"You boys go and watch a film or something," Madison mumbled and followed Duke back into the kitchen, wanting to sort out the chaos straight away.
Oliver's mind was still all over the place. Desmond was in love with him. Who would have thought it? If anything, it should have been Vinny. He always swooned over the Vampire like he could do no wrong.
"Let's go before my dad changes his mind," Vinny took his arm down from his shoulder's and started escorting him along the corridor.
* * * * *
Oliver did brush his teeth again, although it didn't make the situation any less crazy. He came out of the bathroom and sat on the bed, his mind was drifting.
"I don't get it," He sighed and watched Vinny shuffle closer. "Why would Desmond be so mean if he was in love with me?" Oliver just couldn't understand.
"Yes, I'm finding that hard to understand too," Vinny was watching Oliver's hands. "It doesn't make sense. If you are in love with someone, hurting them would surely be the thing you try to avoid."
Oliver inspected his wise face. Those chestnuts eyes have lived through so many centuries. It surprised him that a person who has lived through so much could be so similar to a person who has lived through so little.
"I can't believe he kissed me," Oliver groaned and put a hand on his forehead. "that's just so weird. Will you get into trouble for hitting him?"
"No." Vinny scoffed. "I admit it was wrong for me to do that. But it was wrong for him to kiss you. Actually... it was wrong for me to let him walk out of here." His hands turned into fists at the thought of his smug face.
"I'm more surprised he did it in front of you and your parents. But I'm glad. If I was on my own and that happened, I would have freaked out big time."
Vinny shuffled even closer.
"Well, he's fired now. And you won't have to work for much longer." He was trying to think of the positives to keep his anger down.
"I can't imagine not having to work," Oliver smiled. "Have you ever worked?"
"No, but being important isn't easy," Vinny reached for Oliver's hands. He let him take them and watched his warm fingers delicately wrap around his wrists. It sent tingling sensations up his arms.
Vinny lightly pushed him, making him fall back against the bed. He rested all his weight on top of him so their faces were just centimetres apart. They could feel each other's breath against their lips.
Oliver played with a corner of Vinny's waistcoat. It was velvet and he loved the feel of it.
"I'm sorry that you saw me hurt someone," The vampire didn't like exposing him to violence.
"It's okay, I was on the verge of smacking him too. But I kinda feel sorry for him," He sighed, knowing his overbearing empathy was sometimes annoying. "He was in love with me and I shot him down. What did he expect? I'm in love with you."
Vinny quickly lifted his face and stared with intense eyes.
"You're in love with me?"
Oliver didn't realise it came out so smoothly, yet it meant so much to them both. He felt it when they first connected their bond but it was easy for him to ignore it, not believing that such a strong feeling could appear so suddenly.
"Yes... I'm in love with you."