A/N: The bad news: someone's jealous. The good news: that means going on a vacation!
Chapter TextThe following morning, I'm awoken by my door slamming open.
"W-What's going on?" I bring out as I rub my eyes. Only then, I realize Marcus is still here with me. When I look up at him, his eyes are trained upon the cause of the noise, and he seems a bit worried. I follow his gaze, and am shocked when I see Caius in my closet, rummaging through my things, seemingly furious.
"I've had enough!" Caius shouts, clearly fuming as his dark red eyes meet mine. Frightened, I lean closer into Marcus, who scoops me up into his arms so that he's now sitting upright, with me in his lap.
"Caius-
"No! I will not hear another word coming from you, Marcus! Both you and Aro! I'm sick of your lies!" Caius interrupts a calm Marcus, clearly set on staying mad.
"Caius, what's the matter?" I ask him, confused and still a bit frightened.
"This is outrageous! We said this was going to go slow, that we would all share equally, yet I'm the only one who's doing that!" Caius is fuming, and for a moment I'm worried he's going to tear the bra he's holding in his hands apart. If he hadn't been angry as hell, it would've been funny.
"Caius, this wasn't planned…" Marcus speaks up, and he puts me back on the bed to get out himself, standing up.
"I DON'T CARE!" Caius shouts as he throws the bra into a backpack, and I flinch at it. "Aro gets to kiss her, now you get to sleep with her, those Romanians touch her ALL THE TIME! ENOUGH!"
"Caius, you're scaring her." Aro speaks up, suddenly appearing in the doorway. When he shoots me a brief glance, he seems happy to see me, but he quickly returns his attention to his brother, a stern look on his face. I was positive a fight would break out if he continued to yell like that.
Caius finally stops at that. His eyes meet mine, and he seems to realize that I was actually terrified of him, for he freezes up, dropping the shirt he'd been holding.
"I-I'm sorry." He brings out after a long moment, as he looks away from me. He seems a bit embarrassed but angry at the same time. I crawl out of bed and make my way over to him, realizing I was still in the dress from the night before.
"I'm sorry if I upset you, Caius. None of this was planned. All I'm doing is trying to be more open for the bond, for you." I say softly, and I cautiously take his hands into mine.
"Now, why are you making a mess of my clothes?" I ask, looking around to find the whole closet in chaos. What the hell was he doing?
"I'm taking you on a trip. You and me. No one else." He states, and when his eyes meet mine, he's clearly not going to change his mind. A trip?
"For someone who's going to take our mate on a romantic vacation, you're sure incredibly angry." Marcus notes, sounding amused. Caius flashes him a scowl, baring his fangs at it.
"Calm down, Caius. I'd love to go. Just the two of us?" I divert his attention and give him my sweetest smile, realizing now that he was just being jealous. He was so angry about it that it was getting a bit ridiculous, if I was being honest. Caius nods, stubborn.
And that's how I end up in the garage an hour later. Caius had almost been dragged out of the room by Aro so I could change into something more comfortable, a smiling Marcus following them. It had been a miracle he hadn't fought with them in the meantime. I decided on wearing a light blue pair of joggers with a matching sweatshirt, plain white shirt underneath, and do my hair up in a ponytail. Aro returned soon after I was done, and he had packed the rest of my bags, for Caius wanted to keep the destination a secret, and he knew what I would need.
"Still angry?" I ask Caius as I enter the garage, and he immediately speeds over to me. He seems calm now, though I still notice how tense he is.
"He's a bit much, isn't he?" Vladimir speaks up teasingly, and I grin when I see him and Stefan leaning against one of the cars. I almost forgot!
"Are you guys leaving?" I ask him, and when Stefan nods, I nearly want to call the vacation off.
"We'll come back soon. Just make sure this one's not as angry by then. It's a bit scary." Stefan says jokingly, and I laugh at it.
"Promise you will." I say a bit more serious, and they both nod in agreement.
"You are always welcome at Volterra. Despite our history, we hope to build a trustworthy friendship with you. A friend of our mate should be our friend too." Aro speaks up, the everlasting diplomat.
"Thank you. We actually quite enjoyed our stay, so expect to see us more often." Vlad says with a grin, and I don't miss how Jane rolls her eyes at it from near the door.
"You better, I'll miss you guys." I say, before pulling them both into a hug.
"We'll miss you too, Princess. Have fun!" Stefan says as he lets go last. Marcus is already putting my backpack in the trunk of a beautiful, red sports car, Caius impatiently waiting by the driver's door. As I make my way to them, Aro appears in front of me, surprisingly… unsure?
"I will miss you, cara mia." He says softly, shocking me. Did he really just admit that in front of everyone? That was so sweet!
"I'll miss you too, Aro. Try not to make a mess while I'm gone." I say teasingly, but he smiles contently when I press a quick kiss to his cheek and hold his hand for a moment, ensuring him that I was happy and that I liked him a lot.
"Don't worry about us, darling. We'll be fine." Marcus speaks up reassuringly, as he closes the trunk. He's quick to make his way over to me, and I pull him into a tight hug.
"Take care of each other. I'll be back soon." I whisper, actually beginning to feel sad. I would miss them, despite us not knowing each other that long after all.
Before I can tear up, I get into the car, sharing a last smile with my mates, and then Caius reverses out of the garage.
"Where are we going?" I ask him as we leave the city walls, excitement starting to replace the sadness. At least he was with me.
"It's a surprise." Caius says, and when he glances aside at me, there's the tiniest smile on his face.
"Are we really all alone?" I ask him then, and he smirks at it.
"Not even guards." He says, seeming very pleased about that. After that, he places his hand on my thigh, and continues driving like that. I can feel my cheeks heat up, but I'm not about to complain either. In a not crazy jealous way, I could understand that he wanted time alone, and in Caius' way, this was pretty romantic. I genuinely found myself looking forward to getting to know him better, for I felt like it was the most difficult to talk to him. The only times we had really been alone, was in the garden when he had arranged my stereo, and the ten minutes when we played hide and seek. This would do us both good. I just hoped Marcus and Aro wouldn't miss me too much.
The drive there is peaceful. The radio is turned on, some summer beats playing, and I find myself content just looking at the landscape around us, in awe of the beautiful country that was Italy. There were green mountains and fields full of flowers, vineyards and farms… It was very relaxing and after yesterday, which had been full of events, this was a nice change.
It takes about three hours for us to arrive at our destination. I'm in awe when I see the blue ocean stretching out before us, as Caius parks the car. We were on the coast.
"We're not there yet, love." Caius says with a smile, as I'm probably gawking at everything.
"We're not?" I ask, and before I can get out of the car he's already at my door, helping me.
"You see that island right there?" He asks, as he pulls me into a hug from behind, his hands locking in front of my stomach. He motions towards the ocean, and yes, in the distance I can see it.
"Yes, what about it?" I ask, a bit confused.
"That's Elba. It's our destination." He says, and when I turn my head to look up at him, he's actually smiling.
"Are you serious? That's so cool!" I exclaim, and the next second I pull him into a hug. He wraps his arms around me, and when he pulls me close I feel him taking a deep breath.
"You smell good, love." He mutters against my neck, making a shiver roll down my spine. We remain like that for a while, my heart beating a bit faster, until he lets go. He grabs my backpack and a smaller one of his own in one hand, takes my hand with the other, and off we go.
There's a boat waiting for us at the docks. The guy who owns it has a short conversation with Caius, then hands over the keys. It's an expensive looking, white speedboat.
"I know it's not much, but we won't really need it once we get to the island." Caius says as he returns to my side, noticing how I was staring at the boat.
"Are you kidding me? This is insane! I've never been on a boat." I exclaim excitedly, and he smiles at that.
"Let's go, then." He says, and he helps me onto the boat. He takes place behind the wheel, and I sit down in front of it, leaning against the glass wall in between so I can look out over the ocean. The boat goes incredibly fast, the water reflecting the sunlight, and I can only think that I've never seen anything this beautiful before. The island was stunning too, little houses standing on the coastline, all in different colours. Caius steers the boat around the island to the other side, where it seems less crowded. Slowly, he parks at a private dock, which leads up to a gorgeous beach house. It's made out of light wood, has a front porch, huge windows on every side, and is so incredible I'm still in shock by the time Caius has led me inside. It's tiny, but that's what I like most about it. It's only one floor, with the bed right near the windows, a tiny kitchen against the back wall, and a door that leads to a bathroom. There's a loveseat on the right side, behind it shelves that are stacked with books and board games. There are two surf boards hanging on the left wall, one black one white, and the ceiling is very high, which gives it all an open feel. Outside on the porch, there's a two person hammock.
"Do you like it?" Caius asks, and when our eyes meet, he actually seems a little nervous.
"Oh Caius, I love it!" I exclaim, allowing him to pull me close against his side.
"Thank you." I add. He smiles.
We spend the rest of the day just lying in the hammock, enjoying the sun. There's no one around here, which allows Caius to just wear a pair of soft black shorts and a black shirt. I find myself staring at his sparkling skin a lot. He was mesmerizing, and somehow it was different to see his skin sparkle than when Vlad and Stefan had shown me. At one point, Caius goes back inside, only to return with a bowl of fruit salad for me, a bottle of water and a familiar book. The Hobbit!
"You brought it along?" I ask him, surprised by this.
"I thought you might want to continue reading it. It's not bad." Caius says, and I know him enough to realize it means he likes the story. Eager, I nod, and as I eat and drink, he reads to me. I don't know how to explain it, but something about him reading to me just made my stomach flutter. It was terribly romantic, and very sweet too. It also reminded me of Marcus, and how he'd read Romeo and Juliet to me.
"Do people come to this side of the island?" I ask him at one point, noticing how I hadn't seen a single person on the part of the beach that was in front of our little cabin.
"Yes, but not here. Everything you can see of the beach here is private. I bought it back when Napoleon was imprisoned here." Caius casually mentions the Frenchman like it's nothing, and brings out a "What?" when I look at him with wide eyes.
"You knew Napoleon?!" I ask, still in shock.
"Only a short time. He was nice enough. Maybe a little self-absorbed, but who wouldn't in his place? He was clever." Caius muses, his red eyes drifting away for a moment.
"Why did you buy this place?" I ask him, deciding the Napoleon information was a bit much for me to be able to grasp.
"Occasionally, I need to get away from the castle. It can get a bit much, they're all incredibly good at working on my nerves. This isn't too far away to be in danger, but far enough for me to be alone." Caius admits, his voice surprisingly soft as he wraps an arm around me.
"Have you ever taken someone else here?" I ask, noticing how he emphasises the alone part.
"No, you're the first one." He says, his red eyes meeting mine. For a moment, his eyes dart down to my lips, and I can feel my heart beginning to race faster. Then, he pulls back with a soft smile, and continues to read for me.
We stay outside to watch the sunset, which is stunning in itself. After that, Caius makes me go inside when I start to shiver, and he cooks a delicious dish called gnocchi for me. He reads to me some more, as we lie down on the bed, and I end up falling asleep with my head on his lap, as his hand gently strokes my hair, his voice carrying me to dreamland.
I could definitely get used to this.
The following morning when I wake up, I look out the open glass doors to find Caius on the porch, reading a different book. He's very focused and I can't help but stare at him. His blonde hair catches the morning sun, his pale skin already sparkling slightly. His jawline was tighter than usual, a sign of his focus, and he's sitting so still he could've been a statue. When he looks up, a smile appears on his face when he sees me, and I smile back at him.
"I'm going to take a shower." I explain. He nods, returning back to his book. The bathroom is tiny but cosy, with blue tiles and a rain shower. I quite like the vibe of this place. It didn't and at the same time did suit Caius.
When I return, he's on the phone. Wait, I didn't even know he had one! To be honest, it made sense, but it was also incredibly weird to see an ancient vampire on a smartphone. I'm towel drying my hair as I step out onto the porch, dressed in a pair of soft beige shorts and a white sweater.
"Yes, Aro, she's fine." Caius says with a sigh, making me smile.
"If you don't believe me, talk to her yourself. She's out of the shower now." He adds after a moment, and then hands the phone to me. I move to sit down next to him.
"Cara mia?" I hear his voice through the phone, and it's like a twist appears in my stomach at the realization that he wasn't here with me.
"Hey Aro." I answer with a smile. Caius puts his arm around me and pulls me closer at that, so I rest my head on his shoulder.
"It is wonderful to hear you. Are you liking your vacation so far?" He says, sounding relieved.
"It's beautiful here. And yes, Caius is being nice." I answer with a smile, earning me a sigh from Caius.
"I'm glad to hear that. I won't keep you for long, otherwise Caius might get jealous again." Aro answers, and Caius mutters "I'm not jealous" underneath his breath at it.
"I'll call you again later. I miss you." I find myself blurting out, and I turn red at it in return.
"I miss you too, cara mia." Aro says, and then I hear him end the call.
"I'm sorry." Caius says after a moment, surprising me.
"Why?" I ask, lifting my head to look at him. He looks… guilty.
"I'm the reason you have to miss them. I'm straining the bond by keeping us separate." He admits, as he looks away from me.
"Don't be sorry. I like spending some time alone with you. Missing Aro and Marcus is just a part of that, but I don't want to go back already. You're the one I want to spend my time with now." I reassure him. When he doesn't respond, but looks up at me with those red eyes, uncertainty in them, I know just how to cheer him up.
"Would you like to take a swim with me?"
As I'm changing into my light blue bikini, I begin to doubt my offer. Currently, I'm frowning at myself in the mirror, as I'm silently criticising my body. All the delicious food they kept giving me was beginning to show! And this bikini showed too much of it too.
"Are you alright, love?" I'm startled when I hear Caius from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, I'll be there in a second!" I answer, nervously. I can hear him walk away, and after a few deep breaths, I step out. Caius is waiting outside, his back to the house as he overlooks the ocean. He's shirtless, and I'm positive my heart skips a beat. The sun makes his skin sparkle, the sight something I don't think I'll ever get used to. Caius looked like a Greek statue, muscles carved out carefully by an artist of supreme skill, everything perfect and strong. It only makes me more painfully aware of my own body.
Then, Caius turns around, and his eyes meet mine. They widen, and I turn bright red when his gaze slowly moves down my body, eyes darkening. There's something in his eyes that both scares and excites me, when he approaches me like a hunter would its prey, slowly and confidently.
"You are beautiful." He breathes out when he's so close to me I can feel his breath.
"I'm terribly out of shape." I protest, making him scoff.
"Ophelia, you are perfect the way you are. Now get into the water with me." He orders sternly, but I can see the love in his red eyes. He means well. I relax at the look on his face, and when I look at the ocean, excitement fills me. I take off, bolting for the sea. Caius chuckles, easily keeping up with me as I run, the warm sand hitting my feet. I scream when I go from land to cold water, but don't stop until it's hard for me to move, the water now up to my waist. Caius is right there when I stumble, and I have to lean onto him for support. When I look up at him, it's like he's carefree, only focused on this moment. My heart leaps at the sight, unused to this. He smiles, and I just hope I can remember this forever.
"Thank you for bringing me here, Caius. It means a lot." I say softly, my hands finding their way to rest on his upper arms. God, he was so strong. I had no idea he hid all this muscle under his cloak!
"You mean a lot to me, Ophelia." Caius says, his red eyes gazing at me so intensely it fills my stomach with butterflies. There's a relaxed, calm look in his face I haven't often seen before, and like this, I could picture him as the human he once had been. A strong, defined jawline, perhaps a bit tan from the sun, his blonde hair loose and wavy from the salty water. He's two heads taller than me, my head barely reaching his chest, and his arms are wrapped around my waist. He pulls me closer, but when I'm positive he's about to kiss me, he just pulls me even closer, hugging me tightly. His skin is cold, making me gasp, but it feels good against the warm sun that's burning brightly above us. I bury my face against his chest, sighing contently. Caius was perhaps the most stubborn, aggressive one out of the three, but with me, he could be incredibly sweet and laid-back. I liked it even more. After a long moment, I let go of him, and finally begin to swim a bit.
The sun shines down upon us, Caius always by my side, and we spend the afternoon swimming and cuddling in the water. By the end, I dare touch him a lot more, relishing in the physical touch. It seems like he likes it too, and I know this was exactly what we needed to grow closer.
When the sun starts to set, Caius and I cuddle up on the porch. He grabs me a warm blanket as it slowly grows colder, which I immensely appreciate, for he still felt very cold himself. I'm sitting in between his legs, my back touching his chest, as his body envelops me into an embrace, holding me close. It makes my heart sing contently, and I close my eyes as I relax, slowly falling asleep.
