Don't own the characters.
Yes, I have four other active things to write, a new series of one shots to start (I'm terrible, I know) and I'm back doing this pile of dark and weird AU... I can't help it, this is actually my favourite thing to write at the moment.
On we go!
-ASYD-
They spent the rest of boxing day making the most of their time together, Ingrid leaving as midnight clocked in before she and Adam could surrender to the risk of being caught the next morning. Adam changed and washed his bedsheets, loathe to lose the scent of Ingrid's perfume on them but not wanting them to be found out because of it. Dumping the forgotten Christmas dinner and making the house look a little more used, Adam showered quickly and bundled up in his pyjamas. It felt strange lying in bed without Ingrid now, the cavernous space and lack of cool body next to his making him feel a bit lonely. He slept fitfully, rising early and pushing himself to make breakfast so it at least looked like he'd eaten something other than handy junk food so he and Ingrid could spend more time in bed together. His mum and sister were back by midday, George bounding to hug him and declaring she'd missed his pale face. He got more hugs from their mum, and they sat down for a late Christmas lunch and continued exchanging gifts.
George's gifts were predictable by this point, anything themed around stuff that could be dug up generally thrilled her. Adam's gifts were mostly practical things, clothes and shoes and movies for his rarely used TV. He and George had gone together to choose new arts supplies for their mum, which she loved. Adam had a few books and things from his grandparents, but he knew they'd never be tight knit and he'd sent them a photo of he, George and their mum when they'd visited. George wanted to try out her new skateboard but the ground outside was icy, so it had to wait until the weather started to clear up. "What's this?" Adam looked at what George was holding, realising he'd never even opened the gift Erin gave him. "No idea, it's from Erin. I completely forgot about it." Adam wasn't entirely sure it would be safe to open in front of his family but George would have opened it if he didn't. Thankfully, it was not some kind of sexual innuendo or joke, which he would not put past Erin and her secret mischievous side. "Is that a stake?" It was a joking "vampire slayers" kit, and a dreamcatcher that Adam thought she may have made herself. "I told Erin I get bad dreams about vampires sometimes, I guess she wanted to keep me safe. Look, I can stake them now!" The little stake was plastic, so George was unhurt when Adam mimed 'slaying' her and was promptly scolded by their mother. "No weapons at the dinner table!"
George held up the plastic bulb of garlic, waving it at their mum and declaring she wasn't a vampire when she didn't react. Adam took the gifts up to his room, sending Erin a thank you text and informing her George thought it hilarious. Looking at the dreamcatcher, Adam didn't really want to explain it to Ingrid and put it in the drawer next to the sketch of his father. He returned downstairs to watch Christmas movies with his family, watching George make an absolute mess with marshmallows and cream, eat more cake than any 10 year old should after a huge dinner and fall asleep across his lap as she always did. Their mum laughed as she picked a marshmallow out of George's thick hair, looking fondly at the sleeping child. "Can you take her up or do you want me to?" "I got it." Lifting George up, Adam carefully carried his sister to bed and tucked her in. Looking at the walls in her room, Adam fought a shudder at the memories of the words hidden in the pictures. "You alright son? You look like you've seen a ghost, and I don't mean your reflection." He couldn't help but chuckle at that, Michael's favourite joke about Adam's pale skin as a child whenever Adam was scared about something. "Yeah, I'm fine, just too full of all that great cooking!"
His mum waved him off to bed, promising to clear up after dinner because he looked like he was about to drop. Given how much sleep had been sacrificed to spend more time looking at Ingrid, and he didn't sleep much to begin with, Adam wasn't surprised. Falling across his bed, Adam felt lost in the space again. "Lonely?" Ingrid's name flashed across his screen as she texted him, as though she knew he was missing her presence in the bed. "Like you wouldn't believe. Still sore?" He smirked as he typed it out, while Ingrid made jokes about his 'keeping things up' he wasn't sure she was actually prepared for just how true it was, complaining he was an animal the last, desperate time they fell together as her body quaked. "Like you wouldn't believe. You can't be faring much better though, I don't think there's a part of your back unmarked by now." Ingrid's long, constantly filed nails had indeed left a deep impression on Adam's skin. They stopped texting soon after, both knowing without saying they'd succumb to seeing each other again if they didn't start distancing themselves, but those two nights with Ingrid had left Adam feeling stripped bare in more ways than one. Shaking his head, Adam rolled over to sleep with a promise to himself to rebuild those barriers tomorrow.
The Christmas holidays blurred past, Adam's new bike was truly broken in by his paper round and it was a struggle to balance Erin, Ingrid and spending family time together before school started again. Erin had been outright amused at the patterning of scarring marks on Adam's back when she saw it, bruising his chest thoroughly to match and laughing breathlessly as she lay next to him after. January made way to February and the bruise on Ingrid's thigh never faded for long, Adam was addicted to seeing the mark, deepening it until Ingrid was shaking. The Valentines disco was a sticking point, neither of Adam's 'relationships' were any kind of public and neither girl was aware of the identity of the other, though Adam thought them both intelligent enough to have guesses. There was a brief moment of relief when the disco appeared to be cancelled as the Branagh twins managed to break the rat cages in the science lab. However, a surprising friendship between both Robin's and Jonno's mum (who had appeared randomly in January and worked as a counsellor for the school) and Ingrid's father, Mr Count, had led to the disco being moved to the castle.
Robin had a date for the disco, and their friendship appeared to be otherwise back to normal and Adam was truly happy for his friend. The girl wasn't his type, but it didn't stop him feeling mildly relieved by the fact Robin hopefully wouldn't lash out angrily as he'd admitted to 'fancying' both Erin and Ingrid - the two girls Adam was entangled with. George and Chloe were both staying home, neither interested in boys and Adam's mum wasn't yet up to facing the first Valentines without Michael surrounded by happy couples. The Branagh twins were both hopelessly besotted with Ingrid, which made Adam cringe as they fawned over her. He wasn't jealous or possessive, he had no right to be, but the idea of any girl stuck with the Branagh twins was not a pleasant one. Adam thought he'd feel underdressed in his jeans and t-shirt, and Robin had convinced him to try out the eyeliner he'd brought months ago. As it turned out, he wasn't the only boy with makeup on and Robin had assured him he looked 'hot'. There was something to be said for being able to be so honest with each other, being pointless denying what had happened between them.
Mastering the urge to run a nervous hand through his hair as he entered the castle with the Branagh family, Adam's eyes scanned the crowds. Erin had said she was coming, as Ryan wanted to go with his girlfriend and their aunt and uncle didn't. Ingrid was fending off multiple boys, a small smile crossing Adam's face as he watched them strike out over and over. "Busy?" Erin's voice sounded behind him, and Adam enjoyed the slight widening of her eyes when she took in his 'new look'. The jeans were new, his old skinny jeans loose on his still shrinking frame - Adam had finally accepted he was still dropping weight. The new ones clung to his slim legs, his t-shirt framing the upper body muscle rugby training never let fade and the eyeliner highlighting his eyes against his pale skin. "Not particularly, just watching hopeless boys act desperate." Walking with Erin to get a drink rather than standing idly as people paired off, or tried to, Erin grinned. "It's hardly their fault you're a league above the rest." Looking down into the bright red punch, Adam tried to think of a witty response and failed. "I never considered myself above anyone, except maybe against the boys who expected me to be terrible at rugby." Erin was looking over at Ingrid now, grinning at the fawning boys.
"I don't know why you look so pleased, those boys all check you out like drooling stalkers too." "I was looking pleased because I realised who the other person you're... hanging out with is." Adam spluttered on his drink at Erin's bluntness and realisation. "I don't know what you mean" he managed to gasp out when he could breath again. "Course you don't. I don't know why you look so scared, if I was going to get jealous I would have by now don't you think?" Shrugging, Adam watched in confusion as Erin headed over to talk to Jonno, who looked utterly entranced at the fact a girl was talking to him voluntarily. He just about caught her wink before he turned away, looking around the room to see Robin smiling brightly at his date, Adam thought her name was Delilah but he wasn't sure. Not entirely sure he was allowed to but needing a break from the noise, Adam ducked into a side corridor and walked until it was a little more peaceful. He wasn't sure if he was surprised or not when he felt himself pulled through a doorway, recognising Ingrid's perfume as she kissed him. "Having fun being adored all evening?" Ingrid glared at him for a moment, the effect lost somewhat in the lust burning in her eyes. Her cool hands slid under his t-shirt, digging roughly into his back and Adam arched at the feelings. Knowing they were short on time if they didn't want to get caught, it was a frantic race to push his jeans down and her skirt up as Ingrid pinned him to what he assumed was a table and straddled him.
Groaning as they joined again, Adam felt her nails dig into his sides and her mouth seal over his collarbone. Her own whimpers of pleasure were muffled against his skin and Adam hoped the music would mask the sound of whatever they were on creaking as their hips moved. Redressing shakily, Adam tried to wipe the smirk off his face at Ingrid's smudged makeup when he was zipping his jeans. "Might want to fix your lipstick." "You might want to take yours off." Swiping at his mouth, Adam couldn't help laughing at the red smudge. Ingrid tossed him a wet wipe to clean his face, somehow always having a full makeup kit to hand. Getting a nod of approval when she looked up from her compact mirror, Adam waited for Ingrid to leave first. Looking around the room they were in, it was dimly lit by only a few candles but Adam would know the feel and scent of Ingrid in absolute darkness. The surface he'd been pinned to moments before was strange, thick wood and if he didn't know better, he'd say it was coffin shaped. Assuming he was seeing things in the low light, Adam peered through the door to check the coast was clear. Tugging his t-shirt up over the bruise blooming on his collarbone, Adam made a note to find his hooded jacket before he left. Stepping out into the empty hallway, Adam leapt in surprise when he felt a hand on his shoulder. "I think you'll find the disco is that way young man." Adam tried to answer, but the words caught in his throat. "What are you staring at?" Mentally slapping himself, Adam ran for it. Barely stopping to pick up his jacket, he bolted out of the castle doors.
There was no way, he must have been seeing things. Pulling his jacket on, Adam staggered down the driveway and leant against the gargoyle Ingrid had pulled him onto the first night he'd been inside the castle. Staring up at the castle that haunted his dreams sometimes, and that currently contained both girls he'd been sleeping with, Adam felt sick. He'd never met Ingrid's father, most of their encounters having been at his house or on some occasions, school. Now he was hoping, praying and begging that he hadn't just met the man. If he had, he could congratulate his mother on a very accurate drawing. Because the man was a perfect representation of 'Count Dracula' in his dreams, and a perfect match to the drawing his mother had said was his father. Right down to the high cheekbones and long hair. "Adam?" Jerking out of his trance-like thoughts, Adam turned to find Robin. "What's wrong? You look... I don't know, devastated." There weren't words for what Adam was feeling, so Adam mumbled something about an argument with Erin, tasting the lie as he turned and ran from his friend. He barely made it half way home before he stopped to throw up, regretting the cakes and jellies at the party as he heaved into an alleyway. Wiping at his mouth, Adam hurried home and bolted into the shower. Scrubbing his skin harder, he admitted defeat and dragged himself into pyjamas.
His mum came up once he was back in his room, asking why he was in such a state. "I had a fight with Erin's brother, he thought I was making a move on her because it's Valentines Day and I left before it could escalate. Then I was cold and wanted to go to bed, so I showered." He was talking faster than usual, not sure the words he was speaking were what he meant to say. "Do you want to talk?" Adam shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow, I just want to sleep right now." "Alright then, sweet dreams son." Barely fighting tears until the door closed behind her, Adam looked at the drawer containing the picture. His phone buzzed with messages, but he couldn't bring himself to look. Finally pulling himself to open the drawer, shaking fingers pulled out the drawing. If that was Ingrid's father he'd met, then Adam was fairly certain the girl he was trying to deny falling for was his sister.
-ASYD-
This story isn't done yet, there is much more angst to come!