⌜ chapter five ⌟

"I could get used to this." Eric says as he moves closer to Letty on his bed. He wraps his arm around her, and she smiles as she rests her forehead against his bare chest.

"I could definitely think of worse ways to spend my mornings." She lightly runs her finger down his side, and little bumps raise on his skin as a shiver climbs up his spine.

"What if we could wake up like this every morning?" He asks, and her eyebrows furrow as she looks up at him.

"What?"

"Come on, you've been sleeping over a lot anyway." He reasons. "The twins have been keeping you up at night, but they can't if you're here. You won't have to worry about being tired for class in the mornings... And, besides, we started dating in January almost three years ago. I know we weren't together the whole time, but most of it. It's not really rushing anything, is it?"

"You really wanna live together?" She asks, and he nods.

"I should probably make sure that Jack and Shawn don't mind another roommate, but I really don't think either of them will care. Plus, you are Shawn's legal guardian now."

She smiles as she looks at him. "I think it sounds like a good idea. Just let me work some things out with Hope and Jason, 'cause I'm still gonna help with the girls." She tells him, and he nods.

"Okay." He smiles as he pushes himself up on his elbow and then leans over to press his lips to hers. "I love you." He whispers against her lips.

That night, Eric and Letty are getting ready to go out, and he bangs on Jack's bedroom door as he makes his way out toward the living room where his girlfriend is now waiting for him so that they can head out. "Jackie! Come on, move your ass! There's a club full of pretty ladies waiting for you, and I wanna go out with mine."

"You guys should just go without me." Jack says as he walks out behind him. "I'm not real good in the clubs."

"Yeah, well, you're with us."

"Yeah, I know, I'm always with you guys. New guy in town, don't know a lot of people, so I get to tag along."

"Is he pouting again?" Jason questions as he and Hope walk into the boys' apartment. "Dude, shut up and let's go. Tyler and Alec have the twins, and we're free for a night."

"I'm just uncomfortable picking up girls." Jack tells him.

"That's either really sweet or really dorky." Hope says, and Letty chuckles as she puts on her jacket.

"Come on." Jason says, and they all start out of the apartment.

"Pst." Letty gets Hope's attention and then motions to the blonde girl that's by the elevator.

"Ooh." The brunette hums, and Jason shakes his head at the two girls.

"What's the matter?" Eric asks as he wraps his arm around Letty, and she shakes her head as she looks up at him.

"You must be Jack Hunter." The blonde says when she sees the last of their group, and he turns his attention to her as she moves toward him.

"How'd you know that?" He asks.

"I like to know who my neighbors are." She tells him. "I'm Millie, from 3C."

"You know, we're heading down to O'Dooley's. Why don't you come with us?" Eric offers as the elevator opens

"Oh, I'm not much of a club person." The blonde says as she looks over at him and his girlfriend.

"Oh, neither am I." Jack says as Letty ushers Eric into the elevator, and Jason leans against the opening where the door goes into the wall.

"You're cute." She smiles as she looks back at him. "Why don't you show me your apartment?"

"Maybe 'cause we'd like to keep him around, Broomhilda." Hope says as she then links her arm with Jack's. "Go cast a spell on somebody else."

"Send Glinda our regards." Jason says. "You know, as long as a house doesn't fall on you first."

"What was that all about?" Eric asks as Hope pulls Jack into the elevator.

"Wackjob thinks she's a witch." Hope says as Letty leans into her boyfriend's side.

"Calls herself the daughter of darkness." Letty tells him. "Chick's nuts."

"Alrighty then." He shakes his head as he rubs her arm. "How do you know all that?"

"We like to know who our neighbors are." Hope smirks, and Jason looks at her.

"Mother bears are protective of their cubs." The blue-eyed boy motions between Hope and Letty as the elevator door opens again.

They all head into the lobby of their apartment building before making their way outside. Jack's leading the way with Eric and Letty hand-in-hand behind him. Hope hangs back a few steps, so her best friend slows his steps as well, not knowing what her deal is.

"We are certain that Millie Broomhilda isn't a witch, right?" The brunette asks, and Jason chuckles as he looks at her.

"I'm pretty sure, yeah." He nods. "But I called Reggie anyway — he and Lina are looking into her."

"You're the best."

"I'm aware." He slings his arm around her shoulders and gets her to catch up to their other friends.

A few blocks later, Jack stops outside of the place that's supposed to be the club that they were going to. "Oh, no. Would you look at that?" He looks at their friends. "No club."

"You know, I don't believe that he's really disappointed." Eric says, and Letty chuckles as she looks up at him.

"But I wanted to find some hot guy to dance with and then forget about." Hope pouts, and Jason shakes his head at her.

"Maybe next time, babes." Letty glances back at her. "Anybody want some coffee?"

"Yes!" Jack heads inside, relieved to not be going to a club after all.

"I could go for something hot to drink." Eric says as he pulls his girlfriend toward the door. "It's cold out here."

Jack, Jason, and Hope are all laughing up a storm as they talk, while Letty and Eric are carrying on their own conversation much more quietly. The five of them are all situated in the corner of the coffee shop, sitting on a couch and a couple of chairs that are nearby.

"You talk to Hope and Jason yet?" Eric asks, and Letty nods as she looks at him.

"I'm gonna keep a set of keys, and still pitch in a bit for rent — just not as much. It makes sense 'cause I'll still be spending a bunch of time there with the twins, and I'll obviously be eating there while I'm babysitting." She tells him, and he nods. "Have you talked to Jack and Shawn?"

"Yeah. Shawn couldn't care less, said it wouldn't be the first time he's lived with you. And Jack doesn't mind either, he wants to spend more time with all of you." He motions to their other friends, and she nods. "You were all good friends as kids?"

"Mhm. Our dads... They weren't really friends, but they all knew each other. Our moms were friends though. Er, they became friends because of our fathers. Either way, we all spent plenty of time together when we were little. And our moms babysat Sam, Dean, and Miller, so..."

"Right." He nods. "So, when do you wanna start moving in?"

"It's your room. When do you want me there?"

"It's our room now, remember?" He says, and she smiles as he leans over to kiss her. "I'll take you there right now." Eric whispers against her lips, and she chuckles.

"I can start moving my stuff over tomorrow." She says after he pulls back.

"You already have a toothbrush there. How about you grab some clothes, and stay tonight too?"

"Someone's eager."

"You have no idea." He kisses her again, and she laughs as he leans into her.

"Alright. Cutesy, cutesy in the corner — that's enough." Hope throws a pillow at them. "I'm trying to enjoy my coffee, I don't need to puke it back up."

"Why do you always have to resort to throwing things?" Letty questions as she looks at her.

"Why can't you two keep your hands off each other?"

"Technically, my hands aren't touching him." She raises her coffee cup with both of her hands wrapped around it for warmth.

"Actually..." Eric holds up his own cup and then waves his other hand that's resting on the couch behind Letty. "My hands aren't on her either."

"You're both annoying, and you know what I meant." Hope glares at them.

"Oh, you mean this?" Letty reaches up, resting her hand on the side of Eric's face so that she can turn his head back toward her. He leans over again and presses his lips against his girlfriend's as he wraps his arm around her shoulders.

"Okay, we get it!" She hits Eric with the pillow while Jason's laughing, but Jack's watching a guy who seems to be watching them.

And then that guy starts walking toward them. "Ah, young love." The man gets their attention, and the group of teenagers look up at him. "It's adorable."

Jason sees how rigid Jack is and it immediately puts him on full alert, causing him to get to his feet. Seeing Jason's demeanor change sets off alarms for both girls, and their expressions harden. Hope stands, and Jason keeps himself between her and the stranger; it bothers him that he can't do the same with Letty, especially considering the way she places herself in front of Eric when they both rise to their feet as well.

"That's interesting. I've never seen a group of so many young hunters fall so easily in sync with each other." He says, and Jason casts a sideways glance to Letty, who remains unmoving.

"I don't know who you think we are, buddy, but you're mistaken." Jason says, and Letty turns to face Eric.

"Come on. Let's go home." The brunette says, and he wraps his arm around her, placing his hand on the small of her back as the two of them start for the door. "Hope." She reaches for her, and her friend walks over to them.

"Scarlett!" The man calls just as Eric steps outside the door behind Hope, and her body turns rigid as she turns back to look at him. "Tell Alec that Julian's looking for him."

"Yeah. Go screw yourself." Jason says as he ushers her out the door, then Jack.

"You should really learn to watch your mouth."

"You should read the room. You're not welcome here." He tells the older guy. "Stay the hell away from Scarlett." He then follows his friends out of the coffeeshop, and Letty walks over to Eric.

The brunette stops at her boyfriend's side before turning to look in the window of the shop at the man that's still standing there watching them. Eric wraps his arm around her and pulls her into his side, trying to gain her attention.

"Who is he?" Eric asks, and she shakes her head.

"I have no idea who that guy is." She tells her friends. "Come on, let's go."

"Are you okay?" He asks as they walk back toward their apartment complex, keeping her safely tucked into his side.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a little weird." The brunette says as she wraps her arm around his back.

"Everything'll be alright." He hugs her a little tighter as he presses a kiss to the top of her head.

They make it back outside their apartment, and Letty smiles as she looks up at Eric. "I'm gonna go talk to Alec and then get some clothes, and I'll be right in." She tells him, and he nods.

"Okay."

She heads over to where her brother and Tyler are babysitting the twins, and both boys glance up from their movie when the three teenagers make their way inside. "Hey. You're back earlier than we were expecting." Tyler says.

"Julian." Letty watches her brother as his gaze snaps up to her, and Tyler shuts off the tv as both boys rise to their feet. "Who is he?"

"Where did you hear that name?" Alec questions as he looks between his sister and her friends.

"He showed up where we were having coffee tonight. He's looking for you." She tells him. "Who the hell is he?"

Half an hour later, Letty's walking into Eric's room, and he looks over at her. "Hey. How'd it go?"

"I don't know." She sighs as she shuts the door behind her, leaning against it. "I guess Alec knew his dad, who died in some kind of freak accident or something. He thinks that Alec can give him answers or..." She shakes her head.

"He thinks that Alec was involved in his father's death?" He asks, and she shakes her head.

"No. He just thinks that Alec knows something about the day his dad died. I guess he was one of the last people to see him before the accident." Letty tells him as she walks over and sets her clothes on the foot of the bed. "Alec says he doesn't know anything, and he's told Julian as much in the past, but he just won't let the whole thing go. It's about his dad, and he's desperate for answers. Thinks it'll bring him closer, maybe. I—" She takes a deep breath. "Alec says that the guy's a bit intense."

"Yeah, I got that impression too. But why'd he show up at the coffeeshop and start harassing you?" He questions as she changes into her pajamas. "You don't know anything, do you?"

"No." She shakes her head as she looks over at him. "I'm not sure I ever even met his dad. I know his mom, she's real nice. I like her. But I'd never even seen Julian before tonight. I didn't know that his parents had two kids. I guess they had some kind of falling out years ago." She lays down on the bed. "He shouldn't be a problem anymore. Alec said that he's gonna get in touch with him in the morning."

"Good. I don't want this guy bugging you." He says, and she smiles as he lays down with her.

"I'll be alright." She tells him. "I've got you."

Eric leans over and kisses her cheek before laying down right beside her and slinging his arm over her torso. "Good night." He mumbles, and she chuckles as she looks at him.

"Eric, the light's still on."

"Oh, well." He tightens his hold on her.

"I can't sleep with the light on."

"It's dark if you close your eyes." He says, and she shakes her head.

"Move." She pushes on his shoulder, and he reluctantly rolls onto his back.

Eric takes a deep breath as the lights shut off, and then Letty walks back over to the bed. Instead of returning to her previous spot beside him, however, she crawls across her side of the mattress and then straddles her boyfriend. His hands find her waist, quick to react to her, as she leans down and connects their lips, her hands moving up his bare chest to rest on either side of his face.