A/N: The bond grows stronger, and a first kiss is shared in the moonlight.
Chapter Text-Aro's POV-
Suddenly, the room turns silent, everyone turning to look at the dancefloor. This draws Aro's attention, as well as his brothers'.
"Is that... Ophelia?" Felix asks no one in particular, eyes wide. All Aro can do is stare as his mate begins to dance with the Romanian Prince. Or maybe he was King now, Aro wasn't sure.
"Aro, do you even realize what dance they're performing?" Caius hisses, jealousy and anger sounding through his voice.
"It's the ceremonial royal dance, I'm very aware of that, yes." Aro mutters back, unable to keep his eyes off of their mate.
"The ceremonial royal dance performed between a Romanian Prince and the woman he wishes to marry! It's outrageous!" Caius exclaims.
"Look at her, Caius. She's enjoying this, I haven't seen her much happier before. Let her be." Marcus interrupts, giving his brothers a calm look.
"King Vlad wouldn't have taught his son and her that dance if he didn't have anything planned for them! She's ours!" Caius hisses possessively.
"Just look at her, there's no sign of love in her eyes, at least not the kind she feels for us. Her bond with him is very special, yes, but one between friends." Marcus argues calmly.
"Let her enjoy herself. We should be happy she's dancing without being nervous about the people watching her, like she was earlier. At least now she's at ease." Aro finally speaks up, shutting his brothers up.
"She's rather good." Marcus notes, after a moment, the three of them watching her as she dances elegantly around the Prince, a bright smile on her face, eyes sparkling when they remain onto the white haired Prince the entire time. Marcus was right, she did know how to dance. Not only did her hips entrance Aro, her smile made his undead heart skip a beat. Seeing her like this, like nothing in the world mattered except for her enjoying this dance with one of her friends, like she didn't give a damn about what people thought about the future Italian Queen dancing a marriage proposal dance with the Romanian Prince, made Aro happy.
He and his brothers needed a strong woman, someone who would be able to handle the comments and what other people might think of her, and so far Ophelia was doing exactly that. Above everything, despite what everyone might think of the situation, despite the fact that in usual circumstances she shouldn't be dancing this dance with that guy, Aro cared about her happiness, and as long as she was happy, he'd let her dance with whomever she wanted to. Sure, he'd love to dance with her like that himself instead of seeing her dance with another guy, but he'd made himself avoid touching her actual skin. With their mate, Aro wanted to take things slow, to get to know her the normal way instead of always knowing everything about her with one touch. He also realized she didn't trust him or his brothers enough to open up completely already, which is why he respected her personal space and didn't try to use his powers on her too often, and he could tell she appreciated that immensely. Of course, there were times when he simply worried too much about her and had to verify she was alright, or the time in her bedroom when she had chosen to take his hand and he'd gotten to enjoy the love she already began to feel for them first hand, but those were exceptions more than anything. Usually, Aro used his powers far more often on those around him.
When the dance comes to an end, Ophelia and the Romanian Prince bow, a loud applause following. Her smile breaks out into a full grin, the Prince smiling back at her, Aro smiling subconsciously as well.
"Come, I'll introduce you to my mates." Aro hears her say excitedly, very endearingly grabbing the vampire's hand to drag him along. When Aro looks at his brothers, he finds even Caius smiling at the way she calls them 'my mates' without hesitation for the first time. Weaving through the crowd, dragging along a chuckling Prince, she finally reaches them.
"Aro, Caius, Marcus, this is one of my friends, Drake. Drake, well... I guess you already know each other, probably have known each other longer than I'm alive." She rushes, grinning apologizing. It was adorable.
"We've met before, darling, but I bet you know the Prince better than we do." Marcus answers with a kind smile.
"I believe it's the King now, Marcus." Aro notes, amused.
"Well, they've never seen me in my underwear after having a bucket of ice water being dumped over my head." The Prince says, giving Ophelia a raised eyebrow.
"Hey, that was funny! Even though you vampires apparently aren't affected by cold, the look on your face was priceless!" Ophelia protests, laughing at the memory.
"According to you, sure. It was a lot more funny when I had my payback." He teases back, making Ophelia glare at him playfully.
"It sounds like you guys enjoy fooling around." Aro says with a grin.
"She's a mischievous minx, I'll tell you that. But she is also one of the most loyal and loving people I've ever met." Drake answers, turning more serious as he wraps his arm around her shoulders to squeeze her. Ophelia smiles widely at that, even blushing slightly.
"She's still a little shy here at the castle, but I'm sure that'll change. We'll get to see that side of her soon enough." Marcus speaks up, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Speaking of different sides, I didn't know you could dance, cara mia." Aro adds, throwing her a smile of his own.
"Only a little..." she is blushing by now, smiling back at him.
"A little? Shut the hell up, you do yourself no right. She's a natural, knows how to dance to almost everything." Drake protests, giving her an incredulous look.
"Do you know how to waltz?" Marcus asks, and Aro hears a waltz being played, making him grin. His brother never just asked anything without a reason.
"I do." Ophelia admits, a soft smile on her face.
"In that case… may I have this dance?" Marcus offers, raising his hand for her to take. For a second, she looks at him in surprise. Then, she nods, a breath-taking smile on her face, and Aro watches amusedly as his brother leads their mate to the dancefloor.
"My Father taught us the dance. He always wished for us to end up together, but different plans were made for the both of us. I hope it didn't give you the wrong idea." Dracula the Second says, moving to stand beside Aro, watching along with him and Caius as the two begin to waltz. Once again, Blaise was moving in the most entrancing way Aro had ever witnessed, lost in a world where only Marcus and her seemed to exist. It pleased Aro to see his brother smile, especially after far too many centuries of Marcus being depressed and lifeless. It had hurt Aro as well, losing his sister, but he'd learned to cope with it much better than Marcus had. It had made finally meeting their mate even better, for everyday she was healing Marcus more and more, without even realizing it.
"It's quite alright. She enjoys being around you." Aro assures him, rather pleased that the vampire at least realizes how someone might perceive the whole ordeal. Aro was a proud man, and like this, when the men dancing with his mate had respect for him, he didn't feel hurt in his pride.
"I suggest you keep your hands to yourself a bit more, though." Caius says with a scowl. The other vampire doesn't seem too impressed by that, and he actually smiles at Caius.
"It's good to see that Ophelia found her mates. You seem to make her happy in a different way than I have ever been able to." He says instead, surprising both Caius and Aro.
"She's rather distant, at times. Tonight is the first time I've seen her this... free." Aro admits. If anyone would know what to do, it would be the Romanian Prince, along with Vladimir and Stefan.
"It's because Vladimir and Stefan are here as well, and myself too. She's a lot more open when she's around the people she loves. Ophelia has had a… difficult life, much more difficult than any human life should be, especially considering the fact that she's still so very young. Because of everything that's happened to her, she doesn't trust people easily anymore. It took Vladimir and Stefan years to grow as close to her as they are today. With me, it went more easily because they were there with her, telling her it was okay to trust me. I'm sure that you, as her mates, will be able to get her comfortable enough. She takes a while to figure out, but it's worth it, trust me."
Drake says reassuringly and very serious, and once more Aro notices how Ophelia's friends are so honest, blunt and open. They're good traits, and he likes how it reminds him of her. Despite her being rather shy around him, especially at the beginning, she'd always been honest with him. It was one of the things he liked the most about her, for it made him less anxious about not reading her mind. The biggest reason he did that, after all, was because he didn't trust people to tell the entire truth. It was foolish for a king to blindly trust, and he'd learned to only trust his own gut and his brothers' throughout the centuries.
When the song ends, Marcus leads Ophelia back, a smile on his face.
"It's really hot in here." Ophelia says as she reaches them, fanning her face with her hand a bit.
"Do you want to get some fresh air?" Aro asks, and when she looks up at him and nods with a big smile, he's only more smitten with her. There was just something about her smile that lit up the whole room, like she was the sun that he was supposed to revolve around. He smiles to contain his feelings, and offers her his arm. She takes it, and off they go. Aro has to greet a lot of people on the way, and he's very proud to have her on his arm. He notices she's more tense by the time they reach the doors to the balcony.
Aro doesn't really feel cold, but judging by the shiver that goes through her body, the night is cold. She seems to like it, though, as her red cheeks turn back to her usual skin colour.
"You look beautiful tonight." Aro says to her, as he takes his time to look her up and down properly.
He's satisfied to see the necklace they got her resting against her chest, and the way her hair's pinned back, exposing her neck, makes him swallow harshly. Her blood pumps through her veins, the sound rushing seductively in his ears, accompanied by the bass of her heartbeat. The dress frames her curves beautifully, just as he envisioned. He's positive she's never looked more fit like a queen, and like a human too. Aro couldn't imagine her being more beautiful after being changed, and for a moment he regrets that one day, she'll have to give up her human life. She looks like she's made to be human, entirely soft and sweet, so much that it pains him.
"So do you." She speaks up, awakening him from his day dream. When her eyes look up to meet his, he realizes she's just as mesmerized by him as he is with her. Subconsciously, he takes a step towards her, and wraps an arm around her waist. She places her hands on his chest, carefully, and he nearly loses his control right there and then. He wanted, needed to taste her blood, yet he couldn't.
"How I long to know what you're thinking about, cara mia." He whispers softly, and her brown eyes briefly shut at that, before fluttering back open.
He's surprised when she takes his hand and places it on her cheek, allowing him to read her mind.
"I want you to kiss me, Aro."
Her thought is as clear as glass, hitting him right in the heart. On the inside, his heart roars at the affirmation of her love, of their bond, while his mind reminds him of his brothers who would want to be the first to touch her lips just as much as he wanted it.
Yet he finds himself unable to resist. Would you resist that which you've desired for centuries, if it stood right in front of you?
So he leans in, slightly downwards, and she meets him halfway, eagerly.
When their lips touch, his power explodes.
She's everywhere.
-Ophelia's POV-
I can't breathe. It's the only thing that makes me pull away, and I gasp for the air I didn't realize I needed.
"Are you okay, cara mia?" I vaguely hear Aro say, but it takes me a moment to be able to speak again. Christ, I had no idea a kiss could be so breath-taking.
We kissed!
"I-I'm fine." I bring out, opening my eyes to find his red eyes worriedly looking down at me.
"No air." I add, and he calms down a bit at that. It had been like fireworks exploded in my belly, everything inside me screaming to get closer to him. He was more addictive than a drug.
"I'm sorry, I forgot." He apologizes, but then he's smirking.
"What?" I ask, still a bit breathless.
"I didn't know I was that addictive, that's all." Aro teases, and I can feel myself turn bright red at it. Frowning, I step out of his embrace.
"Stop teasing me, or I'll tell Caius you kissed me." I threaten, although I can feel a smile appearing on my lips despite my attempt to remain serious.
"Oh, I'm going to tell him as soon as possible, cara mia." He answers with a smirk.
"Kidding, don't worry." He adds, and I don't protest when he pulls me back into his arms for a hug. I rest my head on his chest, as I look out over the balcony for the first time.
"It's really beautiful here." I note, seeing the warm lights that illuminate the gardens, then the city.
"I'm glad you like it here. I want you to be happy." Aro answers, his lips touching my hair.
"I am happy." I say with a sigh, and he pulls me even closer at that.
"You're getting cold, shall we head back inside?" He asks after a moment of comfortable silence, so I nod, and let him take me back inside, his hand on my back. I still can't quite believe we just kissed. It just felt so unreal.
Inside, the party has begun for real. I can tell some of the vampires are drunk, judging by their laughter.
"How are they drunk?" I ask Aro as we walk through the crowd, confused.
"Blood mixed with alcohol. It works quite well." Aro explains, motioning towards a tray filled with glasses that have a red liquid in them. I'm impressed, but also a bit grossed out by that, and he's quick to whisk me past the tray.
"Aro! How delightful to see you again." A voice speaks up, and next thing I know, Aro's stopped by another vampire. He has dark skin that somehow still has a pale hue cast over it, and his hair is braided tightly against his scalp in tiny little braids. He's taller than Aro, and I'm a little intimidated by him to say the least.
"The pleasure is all mine, Julian. How are you?" Aro says, diplomatic and polite, though I wouldn't expect anything less from him.
"I'm wonderful, especially now that I get the chance to meet your mate up close." The guy says, his gaze shifting to me at that. Nerves begin to build in my stomach, but I try to hide that. "I've been waiting to meet you, Miss…"
"Lewis. Ophelia Lewis. It's nice to meet you too, Sir." I say as politely as I can, and I flash him a smile too. Couldn't be too nice around these vampires, I reckon.
"Is it alright if I call you Ophelia? After all, you won't be needing that last name for long!" He says, followed by a loud laugh. Aro glances down at me to check if I'm alright, and I give him a reassuring look.
"Ophelia is just fine." I say, and the guy turns a bit more serious at that.
"When will you be turning her, Aro? Surely you wouldn't want her to get hurt." Julian says, and his eyes darken slightly.
"You should watch your words, Julian." Caius spats, suddenly by my side. The other vampire looks a bit wary at that, and I'm happy Caius is here.
"Apologies. I did not mean to overstep." Julian says, though he seems to be directing it more at Aro and Caius than me. Of course, he'd only think of me as a vulnerable human.
"It's fine. We'll talk to you later, Julian." Aro says with a smile, and the next moment Caius has his hand on my back, leading me away from the vampire.
"Thank you." I whisper to Caius, who looks down at me briefly, as if to assure himself that I'm alright.
"I'm fine." I add, and he huffs at it.
"These vampires are getting a bit too comfortable for my liking." Caius mutters, and I shrug at it.
"Let them be, they probably don't party too often." I say with a grin, and he shakes his head at it.
"Why would they want to party?" He asks, like it's the dumbest thing in the world.
"Because some of us aren't as gloomy and brooding as you, man!" Vlad speaks up, suddenly appearing on my other side.
"Watch your tone, Romanian." Caius snaps, frowning.
"Hey, be nice!" I speak up, and Caius mutters something underneath his breath, though he doesn't comment any further.
"We love to party, especially with Ophelia." Stefan speaks up, and I'm surprised to find him approaching us with Drake. I grin at the memories, and our group halts. I now notice we're next to the dancefloor. Suddenly, a far too familiar melody begins to boom through the room. It's nothing like the classical music from before either.
"What's this bloody noise?" Caius asks, clearly annoyed. Felix, Vlad, Drake and I share a knowing look.
"It's a human song. Want to join us?" I ask him innocently, but he shakes his head and crosses his arms over each other.
"Your loss, Grumpy!" Stefan exclaims, and next thing I know I'm being dragged onto the dancefloor.
The vampires seem confused at first, but soon a few of the younger ones join in, and Vlad begins to sing.
"All the crazy shit I did tonight"
I laugh at it, and then Stefan joins in.
"Those will be the best memories"
"I just wanna let it go for the night" Vlad sings along, and then I join them, all of us singing together.
"That will be the best therapy for me!"
When the beat drops, we begin to do the moves we always do, including some pretty embarrassing ones. I'd never admit it to their faces, but I'd taught them some moves that were waaaay out of style, like from the disco era and stuff. Nonetheless, I have a lot of fun with them, and it's nice to let go.
By the end of the night, I'm exhausted. I've danced a lot with my friends, but Aro, Marcus and Caius made sure to all have their dance with me, which was also nice. I even made Felix and Demetri dance with me a couple of times, when they noticed I was all by myself. They were both pretty good dancers, and I considered myself lucky to have them. At least it made me feel like I knew some people here. The ball also involved me being introduced to a ton of vampires, most of which I no longer remembered the name of. I do believe I made an alright impression, save for those vampires that were really conservative and critical, but who cares. If they already had their mind set for centuries, I sure as hell couldn't persuade them otherwise. All in all, I had a lot of fun.
"Do you want to go to bed, darling? You seem tired." Marcus speaks up, sitting down next to me on a couch.
"My feet hurt." I say with a pout, and before I can protest he's on his knees before me, taking off my heels.
"Thank you." I whisper, feeling myself turn pink. The party was still in full play, considering these vampires didn't get tired at all. I assumed I was the only person who was tired.
"I'll take you to your room." Marcus says, and he gently lifts me up in his arms, with ease.
"Thanks." I mutter again, and I lean my head on his shoulder, relaxing. My feet really hurt.
He speeds off, and I sigh contently when we're in my room.
"Did you have fun?" He asks as I get in bed, the light from the hallway streaming in through the door.
"I did. You?" I ask as I let out a yawn. He closes the door, then moves to sit on the edge of my bed.
"It wasn't as horrible as usual. Though Aro seems to be the winner of the evening." Marcus says playfully. Shit, he told them.
"Are you… mad?" I ask him cautiously, as I sit up to lock eyes with him.
"Of course not, why would I be?" He asks, seeming confused. I take his hand at that, making him smile.
"Maybe you expected that you'd be the first, you know… We've been talking for longer, after all." I explain my thoughts, as I look down at our joined hands.
"It's not a contest, darling. Just do what you're comfortable with. I'm content enough to see our bonds grow." Marcus reassures me, and when he lifts my chin up with a finger, I meet his red eyes once more. He was so… compassionate, and kind, it was almost too much.
"Stay with me tonight?"
I blurt out the words before I realize what's going on, and my eyes widen. Marcus pauses for a moment, eyeing me closely.
"Only if you want to." He says then, very serious. I know that if I want to say no, I can, but for some reason, I can't seem to bring myself to say the words.
"Please, stay." I find myself saying instead, and the soft smile that appears on his lips is so genuine and vulnerable that my heart skips a beat.
"Of course, darling." He says softly, and my head's spinning when he crawls underneath the sheets to lie down. Once I grab a hold of myself, I lie down myself, still in shock. Slowly though, my tiredness returns, and I find myself cuddling up against his side. Marcus wraps an arm around me, pulling me even closer, and I lie my head down on his chest with a yawn. He was cold, but it wasn't too bad, the cloak and my sheets warming me up.
"I believe I'm the actual winner tonight." He whispers, which makes me laugh.
"Goodnight, Marcus." I whisper back, and I close my eyes.
