Alright folks! I have another chap for you on this story! Hope you like! Let me know! I am addicted to your reviews!
I am going to try and sleep a little, I'm so exhausted. But on the positive side, it was not Corona! Yay!
They walked through the corridors in awkward silence. Aro could feel her despair, and he felt he ought to say something. Show her somehow that he wasn't without compassion, deeply buried though it was. He glanced at her askance, observing as she discreetly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
"Listen," he began softly, already lost for words. "If there is anything you need from me, just say my name, and I will be with you."
She didn't react to his words. It was as if she hadn't heard him. He wondered if she was blocking him out. He tried a few more times to make small talk, but in the end he realised she wasn't going to talk to him. He ended up leading her silently to her rooms.
He sighed inwardly, feeling frustrated again. He had a measly three months to get her to open up to him. It was a blink of the eye to him.
He stopped outside a beautiful set of doors. He opened them slowly, the hinges creaking a little, then he turned to her, elegantly taking her hand, intending to kiss it. She flinched at his touch, gasping loudly as she hastily backed away. He released her instantly, realising she was still scared of him. He stepped back, trying to give her space, his eyes flicking from side to side in slight confusion. He gritted his teeth. He was not used to respecting the space of another person, least of all humans.
"I apologise. I merely wanted to wish you goodnight." He looked at her, and saw tears in her eyes. "I will not touch you again, you have my word."
She was looking at him with a mixture of fear and accusation in her eyes. She clearly did not believe him.
"You have my word," he repeated softly.
She bit her lip cautiously, and then glanced inside her new room.
"You are safe now." Her eyes snapped back to his face.
"I am anything but safe!" She was shaking. Without another word, she marched inside her room and slammed the door, leaving Aro alone in the corridor.
Aro entered his own quarters. He was furious. How could she still be frightened of him? He hadn't harmed her? She must realise by now that he would not kill her. Or wasn't that what she was afraid of? He scowled.
If only he could read her mind, then he could do what needed to be done to persuade her. Her gift made everything so much more difficult. He paced back and forth in front of the fireplace for a while, thinking hard. Eventually he came to a halt, staring into the flames.
"Brother?" Marcus was behind him all of a sudden.
"How did it go?" He enquired softly.
"I am not entirely certain," Aro said pensively.
"She agreed to stay for three months. Once the time is up, she will be leaving." He took a deep breath.
"You need to talk to her then," his brother noted.
Aro spun round.
"Do you not think I have tried?" He hissed, an arm pointing in the direction of the girl.
"She barely acknowledges me. It is like I am not even there," he added. He ran a hand down his face, taking a deep breath.
"I think I have ruined it," he finally said, his voice defeated.
Marcus sighed. Aro looked at him.
"Brother, there is no charm equal to the tenderness of the heart. You must show her a softer side of you. It really is not that difficult. In that regard, humans are fairly simple."
Aro glowered.
"Perhaps for you, dear brother!"
Then he sighed again. He would have to try though. He only had three months, then she would most likely leave, never to return.
The thought pained him in a way he had never experienced before, and he had, after all, read many thoughts in his long lifespan.
Next morning, Aro knocked on the door to her room. He wanted to make sure she had breakfast, as that was something humans needed. There was no answer, but he knew she was in there. He could hear her heartrate spike as he knocked on the door and she was clearly listening.
"Isabella?" He tried softly.
She didn't answer.
"Isabella, may I come in?" He tried again, knocking gently on the door.
He could hear her breathing, erratic and scared.
"I am coming in," he called, and then grabbed the door handle.
The door could by design not be locked from the inside, but as he pushed, it barely moved. She had somehow blocked it. Aro almost growled with anger. He gave a resolute push, and the doors were flung open with barely any resistance. He looked at the floor at his feet at what she had used to try and secure them. A shredded piece of linen lay torn on the heavy carpet. She had clearly bound the door handles together in a vain effort to keep out any intruder. He looked up at her. She was in the corner by the bed. He could tell the blood had drained from her face when her plan had failed so miserably.
He immediately schooled his features into a smile, though it felt stiff and awkward. He sighed and bent down, picking up the sad remains of her impromptu lock.
"I am afraid you need something stronger to keep out a vampire," he said softly, glancing up at her. He closed the doors behind him and turned back to her.
He noted she was still in the clothes from the day before. This worried him, she should have plenty of other clothes to wear from the stocked closet. He studied her closer, taking a couple of steps further towards her.
"Did you sleep at all, Isabella?"
She didn't answer.
He gave a heavy sigh.
"If you want this to work, you are going to have to talk to me at one point."
She glowered at him.
"I don't want this to work!"
He regarded her silently. Of course she didn't. She wanted to go home.
"What I meant was," he amended slowly, taking another step towards her. "I cannot help you, if you do not talk to me. Tell me what you need."
She kept silent.
"I will do my best to accommodate you, but I need you to talk to me, Isabella." He spoke gently, his calm demeanor belying his hidden anger.
Her lips parted slightly. He waited impatiently.
"I need you to stay the hell away from me," she finally said.
Aro nearly growled. The audacity of this girl was infuriating. He considered her for a long moment, then taking a deep breath he spun around and walked to the farthest corner of the room. Here he turned back towards her.
"I will keep myself in this corner. That way you do not need to fear me," he explained as she frowned in slight puzzlement.
"That's hardly any comfort," she said in a low voice.
"I will not hurt you, my dear."
She scowled.
"You already hurt me, Aro! You have assaulted me twice since I came back here!"
Her words hung in the air, as he reflected on his actions.
"I can't trust you to keep away from me, because clearly you are controlled by your feelings, by your…" she struggled for words, looking around the room for inspiration.
"...Your dick!" Her voice grew stronger, the last word a shout.
Aro scowled. Never had anyone spoken to him like that and lived to tell the tale.
"You're like a child! You're so used to getting your way, and you never even consider the consequences of your actions!"
"Do not presume to know me, human," he hissed angrily. "I always consider the consequences of my actions, do not forget that I am a king!"
"Well, king! I can't say that you treat your subjects with fairness and kindness!"
"That is not my job!"
"Yes it is your job! That's exactly your job!" She took an angry step towards him.
"You are not supposed to threaten and terrorise your subjects! They depend on you, but you forget that you also depend on them!"
"You presume a lot, miss Swan," he growled.
"I can see how things work, Aro. You believe fear is the same as respect. It's not! You don't own people!"
"Are you quite finished?" He asked her tersely, barely keeping himself in his corner.
"No." She said. She was clearly on a roll. "For the record, I am not your dear!"
Silence stretched out between them, they were glaring at each other. He struggled to remain calm, and glanced down at the floor. He could not deny that some of her words held some truth. He looked back up at her.
"I apologise for being too forward with you. You are right, I should not have done that."
She was still scowling.
"Damn right you shouldn't! Consent is key, and no means no!"
Aro said nothing for a while.
"Will you consider me making it up to you?" He finally asked in a soft voice, trying to channel a tender side.
"You scare the shit out of me," she countered darkly.
"I don't trust you."
Aro regarded her silently.
"I am sorry, Isabella. I will do my best to not scare you. I assumed that since you came back to me, that you were ready to accept me as I am. Clearly I was wrong."
"Clearly!" She confirmed in a low, fierce voice.
He looked at her from across the room.
"Why did you come back to me, incidentally?" He asked, trying to steer the conversation towards something else.
She was still scowling, her breathing hard.
"I told you, I don't know!"
"I believe," he began carefully. "That your broken heart made a decision on your part. It feels like you did not really have a say in the matter."
She bit her lip thoughtfully.
"Maybe. I don't know. I thought I felt something towards you, when you held my hand for the first time. I was comforted by your touch somehow. It was as if there was a connection. I must have been mad." She shook her head slightly.
Aro pondered her words carefully. He almost didn't dare say anything. She was finally opening up to him and he was afraid he might ruin it again.
"You are not mad," he said gently. "I felt it too."
She didn't respond.
"Listen, why don't you go have a bath? It would make you feel better," he spoke gently.
"I will have some food brought up to you. Do you have any preferences?"
"I'm not hungry."
"You should eat something, Isabella," he said, frowning slightly.
"Could you just go?" She asked tiredly.
"I need to be alone."
He didn't move.
"I trust that you will not try and lock me out again?" He asked calmly.
She huffed impatiently, and he lifted his eyebrows at her.
"Fine."
"Good. I will take my leave then. I will come back at noon, is that alright with you?"
She nodded once, swallowing thickly.
"Thank you, Isabella," he said softly, truly feeling gratitude and relief flooding him. He went directly to the door and closed it carefully behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief for the first time in his long immortal life. He allowed himself a smile. This might not be so hopeless after all.
Aro returned at noon, knocking on the door, waiting to see if she would answer it. He heard her rummage around inside, and when he knocked she grew quiet, her breathing catching in her throat.
"It is me." He said softly.
He heard a sigh, then steps. The door swung inwards and her face appeared in the crack.
"Hello," he said politely, smiling.
"Hey." She didn't smile. Her eyes were red, and she didn't appear to have slept at all.
An awkward silence blossomed up between them.
"Can I come in?" He finally asked cautiously. This entire situation was highly unnatural to him. Normally he would never bother to ask. She gave him a searching look, then allowed the door to open wider. She hastily stepped back, retreating inside. He slowly followed her, moving very carefully so as to not scare her.
She dithered by the bed, fiddling with her hands nervously.
"Did you sleep?" He asked, knowing the answer already.
"No." She sat down on the edge of the bed.
"You look tired," he commented, scrutinising her features.
"Yes, well we can't all walk around looking like a Greek god," she said sardonically.
He almost smirked at that.
"I do not look like a Greek god," he said softly.
"Who said anything about you?" She countered.
He was brought up short by that.
"I guess you have a point," he finally conceded, bowing lightly. She nodded in a sardonoc sort of way.
"Is there anything you need? Food?"
"No."
"How about some water?"
"I drank from the sink in the bathroom."
"Books?"
She paused. He sensed she was interested.
"I have plenty of books for you, if you like," he said quickly.
She considered him placidly.
"Maybe later," she then said.
"Isabella, please, consider eating something?"
"I'm not hungry!" She said adamantly.
"I do not believe you." He sighed.
Her stubbornness was ridiculous.
"Well, that's not really my problem," she said, sniffing.
Her stomach growled noisily.
"Why are you so stubborn?" He asked her tersely, finally losing his patience with her.
"Why do you care? You don't care if I live or die anyway."
"That is not true," he countered after a long silence. "I care greatly for your safety."
She gave him a dubious look.
"That comes across a little hollow, Aro."
He nearly growled in frustration. He thought they had made progress. He took a steadying breath.
"If you do not eat soon, I will have to force you. I do not want to do that."
"Why not? You had no problem forcing yourself on me yesterday."
Aro closed his eyes. She could really push his buttons.
"I am trying to make it right."
"Don't bother," she said dismissively.
She had grown bolder since first coming here. He sensed that she knew he would not harm her and was now provoking him deliberately.
"Isabella," he began, almost taking a step towards her.
"You are being difficult."
She didn't answer.
"Isabella," he said warningly.
She looked at him then, shrugging.
"It's almost as if I don't want to be here."
Aro scowled.
"Why must you test me like this?" He hissed.
"I'm not testing you, I'm telling you!" She jutted out her chin defiantly.
He glowered at her, then looked down at the floor, taking a calming breath.
"You belong here, you know," he finally said. "With me."
"You don't own me."
He scoffed darkly.
"That is not what I meant and you know it." He said, taking a step towards her.
She huffed. He regarded her pensively. He might just tell her now. She would find out eventually, and maybe she would understand things better.
"Listen, I saw the future a long time ago, and I knew you would come to me. I have been waiting for 300 years for you. I believe we are mates, Isabella." He spoke quietly, trying to control his anger.
She paused then, looking at him with consternation.
"No," she said, her voice breathless.
He blinked in confusion.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I am not your mate," she hissed.
"I am afraid that is not up to you."
"You can't keep me here forever, Aro!" She burst out.
"I already gave you my word. You may leave in three months, but do you not understand? I have as little control of this as you do! If we are separated, the pain will only build. There is something else that compels us together."
She was staring angrily at him now. She clenched her hands into fists, shaking slightly. Her reaction confirmed to him that she has already felt something of what he felt.
"You're lying!" Her voice was constricted with emotion.
"I do not lie," he countered. "I know you feel it, I knew yesterday too. You gravitate towards me, and I to you. It is just the way it is."
He made a defeated gesture.
"I find you utterly infuriating, but you are also irresistible to me. Even now, I dearly want to be close with you. Can you not feel it? Go on, close your eyes and try. You will see."
She gave him a suspicious scowl and he lifted his hands, showing his palms in an act of surrender.
"I will not move, do not worry," he said, gesturing for her to try.
She considered him for a long time in complete silence. Then she slowly closed her eyes. He waited with bated breath, watching as a slight frown appeared between her eyebrows.
The air between them seemed to solidify and crackle, an electric current shooting between them. He heard her gasp as her eyes flashed open with shock. He gave her a cautious smile.
"See?" He slowly took a step towards her. "We belong together."
She didn't move. He took another calculated step towards her.
"Tell me what you feel?" He said, keeping his voice low.
She gave a shiver and her eyes closed briefly. He waited.
"My body," she began in a whisper.
"Yes," he confirmed, taking another step. He was quite close now.
"It's… humming…?" She said, her eyes focusing on his face.
"Yes." He took one last step before he was right in front of her.
"What else do you feel?" He murmured gently. He dearly wanted to touch her.
She looked at him, her eyes flitting between his eyes, her breathing slightly erratic.
"A tugging sensation."
"Yes." He felt that too.
"A pull?" He asked.
"Yes."
Aro leaned down slowly, his lips hovering over hers. She was breathless as she watched him come near.
"There is only one cure," he whispered. He could almost taste her, his lips were so close to touching her only a hair could pass between them.
"What?" She asked, licking her lips.
Aro bared his teeth slightly. He was sorely tempted to kiss her, but he had sworn he would not touch her again.
"We must give in," he said simply.
She looked deeply into his eyes for a long time, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He waited, hoping beyond hope that she would yield to the bond. She blinked once, her pupils dilated drastically.
"I- I can't," she finally whispered.
He almost sighed with disappointment. He peered into her eyes for a few seconds, before slowly stepping back.
"Alright," he said softly.
She looked at him, mild shock on her face. He felt certain she had waited for him to attack her again. The thought made his insides plummet.
"I understand." He nodded. "It is... Too soon." He backtracked carefully, then he sat down in a chair, keeping a distance between them. He would have to be grateful, that she would even be in the same room with him. Everything else would follow. Eventually.
I hope you found the chapter pleasing. I certainly enjoyed writing it. I do love when Aro is challenged by someone much smaller than him. I don't know why, lol!
-Pancakes