"Liz?"
"Marko"
He grinned for a second and Elizabeth tugged her jacket closer to her, feeling the light bite of the drizzly night even more so after the long ride to the cave. Marko drove fast - Elizabeth didn't know if any of the boys were actually capable of going slowly - but not wildly so and she wasn't breathlessly exhausted. She knew it was a deliberate action on his part and she was grateful.
"We joke about it but we don't indulge those girls"
"What do you mean?"
Marko smiled at her, "the girls who were unkind to you? They went from fun to victims the second they opened their mouths. Even if they can't control it, we don't like it"
"Oh..." she didn't know how to react.
It was strange and unpleasant to think of those girls - girls she didn't know but whose faces she could clearly remember - as being victims. Knowing that they had been killed, knowing that they had been killed because of their treatment of her, left Elizabeth feeling oddly guilty but impassive at the same time. It was a big disconnect. Marko spoke so casually, so matter of factly but despite the seriousness of his words, despite knowing he was being frank and truthful with her, it still felt like an impossibility. Those girls couldn't be dead, they couldn't have been victims, that's what happened in movies, not real life...but they were dead, it wasn't a movie.
She shifted on the spot, not sure if she should be thanking him, questioning him, feeling guilty or simply not thinking about it at all.
"Hey? Piece of advice: don't dwell on it. You'll only drive yourself crazy. Just know that we've got your back one hundred percent...and I think that counts double for Paul"
"It does?"
She couldn't prevent the smile from spreading across her face.
He laughed, nodding once, "big time. Are you going to be OK? Do you want me to walk you in?"
She instantly felt weary after his offer.
"Why, David's not lingering or something is he?"
"Actually, yeah. He is"
Elizabeth grimaced before smiling up at her friend, "thank you but I'm fine. I'm fine. I can be brave...right?"
"I don't see why not. Not after everything" he revved his bike once, gave her a grin and then took off into the night. She appreciated his quick goodbye, his lack of fuss or attention. Marko was incredibly easy to be around; friendly, frank. She could imagine sitting with him in the most comfortable of silences or having a wonderfully deep, sincere conversation. Paul was a wild child, David was aloof and distant, Dwayne was her everything and Marko was a steady constant.
A girl could do a lot worse, she thought.
She smiled to herself, tucking her hair behind her ear as she made her way down the slippery, damp steps that marked the entrance to the cave.
The waves were stronger than usual, the swell looked even looked strong and, as some water sprayed foam over the final step and her shoes, Elizabeth grimaced, ducking into the low entrance, ignoring the weeds and plants that grazed her head and shoulders as she did. She wasn't overly eager to see David but she did want to get out of the wet night and into the dry cave. She knew the oil barrels would be lit and warm and comforting and that Dwayne would be waiting for her.
It warmed her heart and she knew her body would soon follow.
As she skidded on the top, steep and sloping step, stumbling a little and almost sliding right down the entrance in her haste, a dry and somewhat droll voice intoned, "need a hand?"
A strand of her hair fell in front of her face again and she knew it was frizzy and probably matted, that she likely looked pretty disheveled and messy and she wished she'd actually used the rubber band Paul had given her.
She didn't like feeling like this in front of David. She wanted to be put together both mentally and physically when she was with him, she didn't like being anything other than perfect when she was around him...probably because the man himself was always perfect, always cool and calm and collected and so damn unflappable.
She gave a half smile, half grimace, "I'm OK. Thank you"
She couldn't see how he would be able to help her without holding her and that wasn't something she could ever, ever in a million years imagine allowing David to do.
He inclined his head once and observed her as she made her way inelegantly down into the cavern.
She knew that she'd rejected his offer of help but still, she wished he would have looked away. It was unnerving, having his eyes on her when she was trying to shift her body downwards without falling or slipping. Trying to act casual while feeling pressured, she wondered if she would ever be able to relax in front of him but she was determined to try.
She felt positive, excited about her future. Even if there were twinges of sadness that she didn't want to focus on, she wasn't going to let her somewhat frosty relationship with David change the largely good feelings.
She wasn't going to be afraid of him, she wasn't going to be intimidated by him.
He'd laid all of his cards out on the table before, she knew where she stood and hopefully he understood that she would be joining the pack, that she wouldn't do anything to hurt Dwayne. Hopefully he could start to trust her, hopefully their relationship could change, shift into something-
"-Elizabeth?"
She blinked, jerking in surprise as a gloved hand suddenly appeared before her.
"Oh-uh..thank you.." she fumbled, awkwardly accepting his offering and placing her cold hand in his. It wasn't a lot of help; she'd navigated the steep slope mostly by herself - it was surprisingly challenging when she wasn't fueled by rage - and it was only the last little drop that she had left to hop down from.
Still, David's gesture was a kind one.
At least he wasn't watching her, studying her like one would an animal in a zoo.
His arm was rigid, unmoving and actually useful as she used it to steady herself, dropping down with a little "oof". The second she had steadied herself, David retracted his arm, his gloved hand leaving her loose grip. He didn't move away from her though and she took a step back, feeling uncomfortable being so close to him.
"Thanks"
"You thanked me already" he pointed out.
"Yeah.." she nodded, instinctively moving to neaten her hair but then making herself stop, knowing it would just make her look unsure of herself.
His eyes were penetrating, icy and she shifted on the spot, "where's uh, where's Dwayne?"
There was no point trying to make polite conversation with him.
She glanced behind her, seeing the flickering and welcoming pits of fire, the posters, sofa, familiar sights of the cave but noting that her mate was nowhere to be seen.
"In your room"
"Oh"
David nodded, his eyes still on her face.
She didn't know what to say. She half wanted to simply back away from him and disappear into the hidden little corridor but she was too nervous to do that, knowing it would be rude. That being said, she didn't want David to dismiss her either. She didn't feel like she needed his permission to stop talking to him but at the same time, it felt wrong to just walk away. Everything felt like a battle of wits with him and she just didn't know how to come out on top. Instead, she gave a small smile and a shrug, "..it's nice that I've got a room here"
For a moment, his eyes glanced to a spot just behind her and Elizabeth followed them, turning her head.
She was half expecting to see Dwayne but there was nothing there. Well, nothing special. There was a big day bed, surrounded by curtains and knick knacks but not much else. It looked a little sterile compared to the rest of the cave, it was a bit too clean and empty, especially compared to the lived in wildness of the main area. For a second, she wondered if it had recently been cleared out, then she wondered why David was looking at it.
"We don't make a habit of offering rooms" David spoke, jerking her eyes back to him.
"...well, I appreciate it?" she said, hating that she sounded so unsure. She could hear the question in her voice, again highlighting how weak she was around him. She didn't know how to respond. Was he pointing out that she was welcome or that she was a burden?
He gave a brief, cold little smile and though she didn't feel any ill will directed towards her, she wasn't much comforted by it.
It was almost, almost a sort of reminiscing grin, as if he was remembering something fleetingly but before she could dwell on it, he had once again adopted his aloof, distant demeanor.
"It was nothing to do with me" he replied, "you ought to direct your thanks to the others"
Of course.
"Well...I'm thankful, all the same" she smiled tightly, "do you mind if I...?" she pointed her thumb in the direction of the hidden corridor and he smirked, "of course. Go on ahead, don't let me keep you"
"Thanks-" she began for the millionth time.
"-though I suppose congratulations are in order, no?"
"Oh" she blinked.
Of course Dwayne would have told David, they were friends - best friends, OGs as Paul would say - but she hadn't expected David to actually congratulate her. To go out of his way to be nice, to acknowledge her and be courteous towards her.
That was rare.
She tried to keep the pleased smile from her face but it was difficult. It was nice to have some positive interaction from the ice cold leader and though she wished she could act as cool as he did, the honest truth was that she wasn't as cool as he was.
She never would be.
"Yeah, it's-"
"-I hear Paul and Marko are going to propel you to womanhood"
She felt her shoulders slump.
Of course.
She opened her mouth but David's laugh, his kind of cold chuckle distracted her and she couldn't keep the embarrassed quip of her own lips down.
She knew he was laughing at her embarrassed reaction rather than the joke the two men had played on her. She was literally being laughed at rather than with but truthfully, it was kind of funny. It was at her expense but all the same, David had made a joke and if Paul or Marko or even Dwayne had been the butt of it, she probably would have had a chuckle herself.
"I'm going to kill them"
"No secrets between vampires" he mused, doing absolutely nothing to comfort her.
"Yeah" she grinned and awkwardly ran her fingers through her knotted hair, finding it amazing that she managed to do it without snagging a clump of it, "look, I'm just gonna go-"
"-I'm pleased that you've finally acknowledged the seriousness of the situation"
Elizabeth opened and then closed her mouth.
His interruption was annoying and quite rude but it had taken her off guard.
He was talking seriously, the set of his mouth and the gleam in his eyes were that of a cold and hard leader.
She didn't know what to say.
She always knew and respected the seriousness of the situation but everything had been somewhat one sided. She could admit it, she could see it. She hadn't intentionally made it so, but Dwayne had been the one to bear the brunt of the challenges of being a mate. She wasn't an innocent bystander, she'd had her fair share of troubles but it had been Dwayne...he'd been the one to give support, to pick up the pieces, to be strong. Now she knew that she needed to be there for him, too. They were mates: equals, partners.
Forever. They were a team.
"I always understood but..." again, she didn't know what to say, "...I'm not going to hurt him. Or the pack...I'm in, David. One hundred percent-"
"-you make him happy" David interrupted yet again and while she was getting a bit exasperated with the way he kept cutting her off, the tone of his voice gave her pause.
It was sincere.
Not kind, not warm, not particularly friendly but honestly sincere. He wasn't being buddy buddy with her but suddenly it didn't feel like she was being interrogated by the boss, "neither of you have a choice in the matter, I suppose, given the intricacies of being mates...but I'm glad to see you're taking your role as seriously as he takes his"
She nodded, stunned and silent and he gestured to her neck, "congratulations"
"Thank you, David"
He quipped his eyebrow, "shouldn't you be going to him instead of wasting your time with me? I'm sure you're in for an exciting evening"
She gave him a rueful grin.
Nodding, Elizabeth figured there was nothing else she could do, so she simply agreed with him, "yeah"
He said nothing more, made no move towards her or gave even the smallest hint that would indicate that she was even on his radar. Their conversation was over and it was over on his terms. Elizabeth wondered how the hell Paul could joke and tease and provoke David so easily. She couldn't ever imagine having such a relationship with him. Even if they did become closer, even if David did accept her...she just couldn't imagine herself being close with him like she was with the others.
As Elizabeth poked her head into the dark, well hidden corridor, she glanced behind her but David was gone.
She shook her head before biting her lip and heading into the dark depths of the cave.
There was a dull, flickering light in the distance and she frowned a little. The corridor was a lot longer than she remembered it being but, she reasoned silently, she'd not had a lot of time to really appreciate it before.
"Dwayne?" she called out, feeling chilly.
She hoped he had a shirt or something she could change into. Now that the adrenaline of riding with Marko and speaking with David had worn off, she was feeling the creeping cold of the drizzle.
There was a little clank and as he called out to her in response, a brief grunt of "yeah", she broke into a wide smile.
She was thrilled, elated to hear his voice. She was curious about the strange metallic noise and she was feeling the butterflies - those nervous, bubbling little creatures - make themselves known in her stomach. Wishing she had thought to bring a brush, she once again tried to neaten her hair before poking her head in the open door of the little room that had been designated hers.
Biting her lip but then giving up and allowing the huge grin to break out across her face, she watched as Dwayne straightened up from a crouch.
Seeing him, she felt nervous and shy all over, "...hi"
"Hi"
Standing in the doorway, her face glowing and bright despite the cold she was feeling, Elizabeth didn't know what to say. She was comforted, however, knowing that Dwayne seemed to be in the same boat as her.
He looked confident and a little cool, a little haughty as he sometimes did but she knew that was only his outward appearance. His smile was wide but his eyes, the eyes she knew so well, told her that he felt just as unsure as she did.
After everything that had happened, where did they begin?
"It's different in here?" she said, speaking automatically, scratching her neck a little awkwardly.
She frowned briefly at herself - after everything that had happened, that's what she opened with? - but the room had changed a little.
It was still old, still beautifully worn and rich, filled with plush colors and velvets but there were some glass gas lamps scattered around rather than candles, there was a fairly big heater, too, instead of the usual oil drums that littered the cave and there was a sizable metal tub on the floor, tucked away but close enough to the heater. It was the heater Dwayne had apparently been working on and the heated elements - kept safe behind a long metal grate - flickered uncertainly.
"We've been picking up bits for you. Just to make it more comfortable"
"It's cool-"
"-it's not much, no electricity, you know? Kind of old school-" he gestured to the tub.
"-I love it" she interrupted, meaning it fully.
"It was a group effort. Paul started it, actually...asshole probably still feels guilty about before. There's a brush and lip balm, some mascara and uh-" he was frowning as he rattled off the contents tucked away and displayed on the vanity, "-some clothes, underwear. I don't know how he knows your size..." he drummed his fingers on his thigh, "and then there's toothpaste and a toothbrush. That was Marko's contribution"
"The frivolous, somewhat questionably sourced stuff is from Paul, the practical from Marko. That sounds about right" she smiled, "and then there's cold derision from David, which rounds everything off nicely"
"Want me to talk to him?"
She grinned, shaking her head, "no. Not at all, I think I'm getting used to it...I guess I'd be freaked if he was actually nice to me" she touched the toothbrush, her fingers running over the plastic packaging, "Dwayne, this is really sweet"
"I guess they were hoping you'd be spending more time here..even before.." he gestured to her neck and she nodded.
Even before.
She smiled at him, "I've been waiting all day to see you and now that I'm here..."
"..you don't know what the hell you're doing?"
She nodded.
"Me too"
"I feel like I'm meeting you for the first time all over again" she admitted as they smiled softly at each other. Elizabeth shook her head, "Dwayne last night was.."
"I know"
"I can't even.." she took a step towards him.
"I'm the same" he smiled lightly at her, as if he was amused by their sudden shyness, "I don't know what to say...in situations like these, usually I'd just not say anything"
She nodded, "life will literally never be the same"
His smile widened before he asked her somewhat seriously, "are you alright?"
"I.." she trailed off, shrugging and saying with absolute sincerity, "..I'm perfect. Literally, I just...everything is perfect"
He reached out to her, taking her hand in his. His eyes met hers as he slowly and softly brought her chilled hand to his lips. As he placed a firm kiss on her knuckles, he pressed, "physically, I mean. Are you alright?"
"Oh" she nodded, realizing that she shouldn't have been surprised that his first concern was her health, "never better"
"Are you sure?"
"Why? Do I look bad?" after her evening with the boys, she knew what the answer was.
"Not bad.."
"Not good?"
"Are you alright?" he pressed again.
She smiled and nodded, "a little weak, I guess. A little tired but it's nothing.."
"Not nothing" he corrected her, taking the final step towards her. As he loosened his hold on her hand, she instead held onto his jacket. She stepped forward and he immediately opened his arms, pulling her into his chest. As he kissed her head, he rumbled, "you're mortal, Elizabeth. Your body can't keep up, you need to take care of yourself"
"I am, I swear" she nestled into his chest a little.
"Did you sleep today?"
"No, not so much" she murmured, not liking where the conversation was headed. The truth of the matter though was that if she slept her days away, questions would be asked. She had to be her normal self during daylight hours and that was that. She couldn't catch up on the sleep she was missing out on, her family would be bound to catch on.
"Will you sleep tomorrow?"
She knew he wouldn't like her answer but she knew she couldn't get away with a lie, either.
"...well, Mom's having a little dinner party..."
"So that's a no?"
"...mmm, I mean kind of"
She knew she'd be roped in to help her mother cook, perhaps tidy the house. Definitely she'd have to take some time to dress well, Lucy would want everyone and everything looking proper. First impressions were important and it was the first time her boyfriend was meeting her family. Elizabeth thought tomorrow would be a busy day but she wasn't about to tell Dwayne that.
She knew he wanted her to rest but she wasn't quite up to it, instead she asked him, "did you sleep well? After last night I was worried about you, too"
"I was fine"
"That's great-"
"-yeah. So come lie down"
"No thanks" she raised her head and smiled as she moved to kiss him. He responded to her immediately, his arms tightening around her body. Curling her fingers tightly around his jacket, keeping him close, Elizabeth moaned against his lips. As he met her kiss with a firm, intensity, she found it hard to keep up with him.
Feeling the tiniest bit lightheaded, she took a breath.
She supposed she wasn't at her best but she didn't think it would kill her to have an intimate moment with her mate. As Dwayne's deft hands worked at tugging off her little jacket, she wiggled her body, helping him help her out of it, glad that he seemed to have the same idea as her.
"I could do this forever...just being with you"
She was definitely feeling warmer.
"You will" he told her, not a shred of doubt in his voice.
She gave him another small kiss as she let her jacket fall to the floor, murmuring "so what do you have planned for us tonight?"
She was feeling warm, loved and safe. She wanted to be with him, to recapture the magic of the previous night.
As she kissed him again, a little more firmly than she had done before but still soft enough for her to breathe comfortably, he murmured, "sleep"
Pulling her head back, somewhat incredulous, Elizabeth asked, "you're serious?"
"You're mortal, you need rest" Dwayne said, scooping her up into his arms in one swift motion. It should have been a romantic gesture but her mate was all business. Plopping her down on the plush, soft and wonderfully inviting bed, he continued, "especially after last night"
"But-I.." she blinked up at him, "I wanted to..."
She trailed off and he grinned down at her, "we have forever for that. Your health comes first"
As the gas heater clicked and hissed on the floor, Elizabeth sighed. She knew she was lucky, blessed even, to have a mate who cared so much about her...but there was no denying it. She was now feeling more than a little horny and being in his arms, kissing him had done little to dampen the feeling.
"I don't feel in the least bit sleepy"
Admittedly she felt a little weak but that was it.
"I don't care"
"Oouch?" she laughed lightly, watching with a pout as Dwayne began to unlace her sneakers.
"Sorry"
She smiled, looking as her shoes were plonked quite thoughtlessly on the floor. He didn't sound in the least bit sorry.
"God, I come down here to be with my mate and he puts me to bed"
"You had a rough night"
"Is that how you see it? You thought it was rough?"
Dwayne smiled at her, shaking his head as he shed his own jacket. He was wearing a torn, white vest and while she hadn't seen him in such a top before, she couldn't miss how sexy he looked. It gave him a masculine, rugged vibe and did very little to propel her towards sleep.
"You know what I mean"
Feeling argumentative, Elizabeth gave a little head shake, "no.."
"You're mortal, baby. As much as I want to do some very bad things to you-" he bent down and gave her a little kiss, nipping her lip as he did, "you need rest, you need to recover. I don't even need to say how amazing last night was...but it was hard on your body"
"I feel perfectly healthy"
"You look tired and your body is weak"
"Wow, you vampires just tell it like it is..."
He patted her hip a little and she sighed, understanding what he was gearing up to do. Shifting her body towards the edge of the frustratingly comfortable day bed, her pout turned into a small smile as he eased himself beside her, lying down and offering his arm for her to sleep on.
"You look nice tonight" she told him, settling her body against his. As he artfully used his foot to kick up a blanket pooled at the end of the bed, she continued, "I don't think I've seen you in a vest like that before"
"It's not mine" he confessed, tugging the blanket over both of their bodies. He lifted his free hand and dimmed the gas light closest to the bed, the only one he could reach without moving her and immediately a wave of tiredness seemed to crash over her.
In the dimness of the room, under the comforting warmth of the blanket and nestled in his arms she knew that it would be all too easy for her to fall asleep and she had to admit just how tired she was, though she didn't want to. She loved that he cared so much about her but sleep felt like such a waste.
Even if she did need rest, even if her body was a little rough after their adventure, she didn't want to accept it.
She refused to accept it.
She was with Dwayne and there was no way she was going to waste their time together.
"Who's is it?" she asked, determined to keep talking, to stay awake.
"...Paul's"
Elizabeth giggled, surprised, "you two share clothes?"
"I grabbed it by mistake" he sounded a little defensive.
She grinned, linking her hand with his under the blanket, nestling her head comfortably under his chin, her back flush against his torso "I think it's cute that you two are that close"
"Go to sleep"
"It's adorable"
"Sleep"
"I never imagined that you'd want to emulate Paul..." she mused, hoping to propel him into a tickle fight and then more, "...but it's sweet that you ido-"
"-I know what you're doing. Go to sleep"
She sighed. Dwayne really was determined for her to get a good, healthy forty winks. She knew she needed it, she knew that he wasn't wrong...but still. She had a mate! She'd been claimed by him, she was his - she wanted to celebrate that. She didn't want to sleep.
Biting her lip, she couldn't help the devilish smile from spreading over her face. She had one, last ditch idea, "you know, this shirt kind of smells like Paul...it's like I'm in bed with him.."
His fingers curled around hers a little tighter, "Elizabeth"
She took a deep breath, inhaling in an obnoxiously exaggerated way "oh yeah, just like Paul"
Dwayne planted a kiss on her temple, "I'll get you back for that...but not tonight"
"But I want to celebrate. I want you, Dwayne" she protested, "do you want me to beg?"
"Yes. And after that Paul comment, I'm going to make you...but not tonight"
She smiled at the promise in his voice, but it was gone as he continued," right now, you need to recover, OK? You're mortal, you're weak and I worry" his voice was light but the sincerity of his words was undeniable, "I want to be with you, too. Of course I do, how could I not? But for now, your health comes first. Rest up, recover. The fun comes after"
She smiled softly to herself, "you don't really smell like Paul"
"No?"
"No"
"I smell like myself?"
"Yeah"
"...you sure you wouldn't rather be here with him?"
"Hey, don't even joke like that...I just wanted you to react" she said through her smile, "it's always you. You're my mate"
"No regrets?"
"None whatsoever" she affirmed, snuggling deeper into his arms, "I love you"
"Always?"
"Of course. I'll always choose you...no question. In fact, I would have chosen you in all my past lives, too" Elizabeth told him, nestling into his arms a little more. She silently hoped that the movement of her body against his crotch would propel a reaction, "no question about it. Then, now. Nothing would have changed. I love you. Nobody else could ever even get a look in...including Paul"
"Hmmmm"
"Hey, don't make me feel bad!" she said, fighting the urge to yawn, "I just thought I could annoy you into sex"
It was hard to believe she'd been a virgin before she met him. Shy and inexperienced.
He kissed her temple.
"It really would only ever be you"
"Shhhh" he murmured.
"No, I feel bad now-"
"-I'm joking, baby. Go to sleep"
"...I love you and I would always choose you"
"I know"
"I promise"
"OK"
"Dwayne? I'm serious. Even if I knew all of you outside of being a mate, I'd still have wanted to be with you"
"I know" she could hear the regret in his voice and she knew he was wishing he hadn't teased her in return, "go to sleep"
"Even way back when, I would have chosen you"
"'Way back when'?"
"Yeah, olden times. If I was in my corset, walking down the cobbled street and I saw you four, I would have absolutely wanted to be with you"
"What do you think the past was like?" there was mild amusement in his voice.
"I'm just saying, I love you"
"OK-"
"-and it would always be you"
"I appreciate your doggedness on this but actually, out of the four of us, it's actually Paul you would have wanted. Definitely not me, now close your eyes"
His voice was light, amused but she just couldn't agree with him.
How did he expect her to switch off after a comment like that? She loved Paul as a friend, same with Marko. She could tolerate David. Dwayne was her love, hear heart, her whole world and he always would be. She was sure of her feelings and positive that she would have chosen him in the past, too.
"No"
"Yes"
Elizabeth smiled into the room, rolling her eyes playfully to herself. And he called her dogged? "Why are you so sure about this?"
"Because you're thinking of the past with rose tinted glasses while focusing on what the two of us have now" he told her simply, gently running his fingers up the length of her arm, "the reality of the matter is, back then all you would have wanted was a husband who could provide for you. We weren't mortals at the same time but out of the four of us, Paul would have been your goal"
She considered his words for a moment before asking, her curiosity spiked, "...would I have been able to get him?"
"Of course"
There was a lightness in his voice and Elizabeth couldn't help but grin, "are you trying to spare my feelings?"
He said nothing but she knew that he was smiling, too. She could feel it, she could feel the movement of his jaw on her head.
"So, what you're not saying is that Paul would have been out of my league?"
"Sorry"
"No, no this is interesting" she told him, meaning it fully. She felt awake all over again but now she was intrigued rather than wildly horny. He'd succeeded in one of his missions, anyway, even if it wasn't making her sleep, "so...what, well..OK. Where would I fit?"
"Elizabeth, please-"
"-I'm too awake now. Come on, where would I fit?"
"Fit?"
"Yeah. Like, if Paul was too high class for me but if I wouldn't have wanted you? Where does that leave me? What would my status have been?"
"The four of us come from different times"
She couldn't help but grin. It sounded very much like he wasn't down to humor her.
"Yeah, you said that already but just, you know. Pretend"
He made a thoughtful but distinctly noncommittal noise.
"Don't spare my feelings!" she commanded and Dwayne laughed once at her insistence, "I promise, I won't be offended...and I promise I'll try to sleep after. This is just pretty cool...you're a walking history book, a sociology book even. It's awesome...and since you won't send me to sleep with a gentle orgasm, this is really the least you can do..."
"God, you're trouble"
"I know"
"You've been spending way too much time with Paul"
"Probably...some come on. Humor me a little, you've got me hooked on this"
"Alright..." he definitely sounded amused, "alright, alright. So, if we apply what you have now and work back...you're the only daughter in a family with a single mother and two brothers..." he told her thoughtfully, his voice low.
She couldn't help but interrupt, "we have Grandpa supporting us. And Mom is working, so she has some money now. She's doing well for herself, actually.."
"Your Grandfather owns his house?"
"Yeah" Elizabeth nodded, linking her hand with his once again and settling into his arms even further, "and it's pretty big. You've seen it..plus he owns the land. And he has two cars, he owns some horses, too and his hobby is kind of niche and niche hobbies are always expensive, right?..." she paused for a second, "...I never realized before but I think he might be pretty well off?"
Grandpa was carefree and a little weird, a little eccentric - lovable, undeniably lovable - yet sort of off kilter but he didn't seem to struggle for money. He had a huge house, he seemed to buy whatever he wanted whenever he wanted, his taxidermy didn't come cheap and he was able to support all four of them without so much as a bead of sweat on his brow. She didn't quite think banks were his thing, nor did she think he was a millionaire but she wouldn't have been surprised if he had a decent stash of money stuffed in the walls and mattresses of the house.
"I don't think he's done badly for himself" Dwayne confirmed, "OK...so, you don't have a father in the picture but two brothers, a grandfather and a mother with some money. We'll say she has money rather than she's working to earn it, that works in your favor more-"
Elizabeth bit her lip through her smile, he was trying hard to set her up for success in this hypothetical past life.
"-so that, paired with the fact that your Grandfather is comfortable enough to support himself and the four of you-"
"-you know, we were flat broke after the divorce but now, Sammy has money for his comics and Mom took us for dinner and we can eat out and stuff. She's done really well so I think you should, you know...cut past-life Lucy some slack, if you can"
"We're drifting further and further away from the reality of the situation but alright, you're not poor" Dwayne said easily and Elizabeth nodded in confirmation, "not poor"
"So, thinking to the past...you're certainly not rich, definitely not even able to consider Paul's level of wealth but you're not the dregs, either"
"Middle class?"
"No. The lack of father wouldn't have done much for you"
"What?"
"There was a lot of stigma against unmarried women with kids"
"But he divorced her? It wasn't her fault, that's not fair"
She felt Dwayne nod, "yeah but it didn't matter back then, divorces weren't a thing. Religion was everything, marriage was set in stone. A widow was more accepted but a husband who had skipped out?"
"Well that sucks"
He nodded again, "but your Grandfather would have worked in your favor, at least. And your brothers would have been working, definitely in a trade and probably something niche themselves, given what we know about your Grandfather.."
"What does that mean?"
"He's big on taxidermy. That's not a common hobby, so I'm working on the assumption that he had an uncommon and therefore fairly in demand job in this hypothetical past life you've got me thinking about"
"Is it kind of fun to think about though?"
Dwayne laughed, "not so much. I've lived it, baby. It wasn't a fun time"
"Sorry" she grinned into the room, eyes scanning the scattered and flickering lights. It added a comforting glow to the room and she felt like she was being transported back into the past, "but go on?"
"Anything for you" his low voice was mildly sarcastic, but as his lips briefly met her temple once again, she knew he wasn't terribly unhappy to humor her, "your brothers, they probably would have been able to arrange a decent enough marriage for themselves. A nice girl from an alright family who were never too far above the poverty line...not enough to propel them into the upper, middle classes but a marriage decent enough for both parties to be comfortable"
The best her brothers would have been able to get was a marriage with a girl who wasn't too far above the poverty line?
Elizabeth was starting to see how brutal things really were back then.
"I'm seeing how Paul would be out of my league though"
"Paul? Yeah, he was way too high class but you? You'd be fine" Dwayne said finally and she felt him shrug, "you'd do fine"
"Fine? That's it. I'd be fine? How anticlimactic..."
"Your Grandfather could have probably negotiated a good enough marriage for you, better than what your brothers got, anyway. His money plus...well, perhaps not his money. I don't think his wealth would have been enough but he would have known a decent circle of people from his work, if you follow me? Connections were almost as important as money back then. At any rate, he would be considered marginally successful, if we think about what he has today. You're beautiful and he'd have a little money and some good contacts. I think you'd have married into a family above yours, at least"
"God, it was messed up back then, huh?"
Dwayne laughed quietly, "big time. I did tell you"
"OK" Elizabeth said, "forget Paul's time. Forget the money and the pomp and stuff..tell me about you"
"Me?"
"If we were together back when you were a mortal. What would it have been like?"
"I already told you, baby" he said, kissing her temple, "we wouldn't have been together. You wouldn't have wanted me. I was lowest of the low. I wouldn't have been able to give you the kind of life you'd have expected...a guy like me? Wouldn't have even been on your radar"
There was no pity in his voice, just plain facts and Elizabeth frowned.
"Really?"
"No money, no prospects, no future" he said, "the most expensive thing I owned was my horse"
"Your horse?"
"Yeah" he said and she heard the warmth in his voice, "before my bike, I had her"
Elizabeth laughed gently, "I can't picture it. Would I have wanted David or Marko?"
"We came from different times, remember? But the answer is no, anyway. The only one of us who was worth anything back when we were mortals was Paul"
"Hey-"
"-I mean, you know. Back then, to women, to society" he kissed her temple again, "I'm not bashing on us as people, baby, but we're talking about the times and it is what it is"
She nodded, "Dwayne?"
"Yes?"
"Humor me"
He was silent for a moment and she smiled, realizing he'd been humoring her the whole conversation.
"I love you. And I trust you...if you say it wouldn't have happened..well, I don't like it and I want to fight you on it but I trust it.." she wasn't going to dismiss his experiences or knowledge because it was his, it was first hand and it came from his life, his experiences, "..but would you pretend? Tell me what it would have been like if we had been together?"
"Alright"
"Really?" she brightened a little, expecting him to dismiss her request but she felt him nod and couldn't help but smile as she settled herself even further into his arms once again, relaxing fully, ready to listen and imagine their picture perfect love in a time of hardships, horses and corseted dresses.
"I would have built us a house. I already had a place but it was simple, just this one room kind of shack-"
"-would our place be a two story house? With a garden?" she interrupted, imagining those grand old wooden builds with huge staircases, picturing some kind of mansion from old-time epics.
Dwayne laughed, "no way. Elizabeth, what are you thinking about?"
"...Gone With The Wind" she admitted with a sheepish laugh, "those kind of epics"
"Wrong time, wrong place" Dwayne told her, "you need to think about prairies, plains and isolation, OK? Think farming. Desolation. Being able to scream at the top of your lungs and have nobody even hear a whisper of it. Think about homesteads and traveling for days to get supplies that would have to last you months. Think...shacks and hardships, alright? That's my time. You want nicer houses and marginal creature comforts, you're looking back to Paul's time again"
"Got it" she said with a nod, closing her eyes and shifting her body a little, "OK...but wait, would I have at least had a nice dress?"
"...sure" he said, "you'd have had a fancy one, I guess. Most women did"
"OK" she replied, satisfied.
"But you wouldn't have worn it much. Maybe for church but the second you married me and moved out to our little place, you'd have squirreled it way somewhere safe. A memory of your life before because our life would have been simple. You'd have dressed for work, same as me..but we'd be comfortable, all the same. I would have built us a nice home. Couple of rooms, I would have gotten us a good fireplace. I'd have saved for that-"
"-why?"
"Good, solid fireplace means we'd be warm in winter, we'd always be able to cook, have hot water and the thing you'd probably appreciate the most: we'd be able bathe comfortably"
"In a metal tub?"
"Oh yeah" he nodded, "like that one..."
She smiled.
"We'd spend the day working, doing chores. I'd work the land, the crops we'd be trying to grow, doing all the repairs. You have no idea how fast things fall apart out in the wild. But that would be my responsibility. You'd be cooking, feeding the chickens, making candles, churning butter, sewing..and then, after a long day you'd get the bath hot-" he kissed her temple, "-and we'd bathe..but it's too small for two, so you'd sit in the tub and I'd sit next to you, by the fire..."
His words were low, deep and now Elizabeth could picture everything without interruption.
"..I'd take a cloth and I'd wet it, cleaning your neck and arms..your hair would be up but some of it'd be falling down, getting wet and sticking to your skin..you'd glow against the fire..we'd make love right there, on the floor next to the tub. Slow, steady..we'd have all the time in the world and we'd use it...it would be a hard life, Elizabeth but we'd love each other. We'd be happy.."
She felt herself reacting to his words and, as she moved to kiss him, he continued.
"..the first kid would come along. You'd be quite young so you'd survive it"
She froze.
A child?
She'd survive it?
The sensual, low tone of his voice had changed. Before, he'd almost lulled her into a daydream but now his words were hard, factual.
"It'd change the dynamic, of course. We'd still have our chores and responsibilities but the childcare would fall to you, being the wife an' all. We'd be fine, we'd keep on goin' on and then so would the kids. Number two, three. Four. We'd get older-"
"-four?!-"
"-but.." Dwayne stopped and she could absolutely feel his grin, "..what?"
"Dwayne, I don't..I don't want kids?"
"Well, back then-"
"-no, that..that ruins the dynamic, it doesn't change it" she protested, "go back to the bath"
"OK" he said, "well...with four, five kids plus more on the way I'd bathe first, being the man. You'd usually go from youngest to oldest, because the older kids did the harder, dirtier work and they'd muddy the water fast but I think our kids would be stubborn. I think because the oldest do the most work, they'd argue it, you know? They'd say they need it more. As the mother, you'd go last but at that point the water would be pretty black and you'd likely pass-"
"-no, no Dwayne. Us and the bath, I mean"
"Well, baby, we have six kids. There would be no us in the bath. Hell, we'd be sharing our bed-"
Six kids?! Sharing a bed?
"-but-"
"-well, I love you" he said, "the only way to not have kids was to not have sex and that didn't happen. I'd sneak time with you whenever I could"
"..but, I mean..Dwayne, six-"
"-probably seven or eight, in the end" he continued, "but after the seventh you'd start to try and push me away. Our sex life would tank, the love would be there, no doubt but you'd be pretty set on keeping me at arms length"
"I mean, rightly so.." Elizabeth said, shifting with an uncomfortable frown, "I don't want kids and I don't..."
He chuckled, "doesn't sound so fun?"
"Not even a little" she smiled, "that was cruel"
"Life was cruel"
"I get it" she told him, laughing gently before yawning, "we've got it good now and you want me to shhhh and sleep"
"We do and yes" another kiss, "I do but because you're my mate, not because I don't want to talk with you. I have to take care of you"
"...I liked the part with the bathtub though"
"We can enjoy that in the present"
Yawning once, Elizabeth nodded, "something to look forward to"
"We have everything to look forward to" he murmured in her ear, "but only if you're healthy"
"I love you"
He kissed her head, "I love you, too"
"Is this where you tell me to go to sleep?"
"Go to sleep" he commanded and she laughed once, "will you see me home OK?"
"Always"