disclaimer: the characters belong to their respective owners. the only thing i own is the story and Ana.
Interlude, pt. I
He vainly hoped Harker was dead, drained down to the last drop of blood.
"What're you staring at?" She wondered, bringing him back to the present.
Bringing his head out of the dark cloud, he smiled wryly and shook his head, squeezing her hand she'd draped onto his arm that was looped with her left arm. "Nothing, pet. So tell me where you're staying; you're apparently not from around these parts, if you obtained trouble so soon while taking a stroll." And had a hell of a head-butt, apparently, from what he'd witnessed earlier.
She blushed a little and chuckled, smirking. "With a friend, over in Whitby. She… she's probably worried about me." She explained reluctantly about her supposed fiancé, Mina's fiancé, and that he was away on business in Romania.
Soaking it in as if he didn't know, he nodded once, cursing Harker to the lowest rings of hell for his interference in this girl's life. "If you're engaged, why are you out here alone? He must be a fool to leave you behind." He asked innocently.
"He is, yes. I mean, even though we're engaged, it… it doesn't fit. Jonathan and I. He's too busy with work, and I… I want more, out of this. It doesn't feel like it's going to work. I don't believe it will." She looked up at him, pretending to be sheepish, looking away with a small dry laugh. "Sorry; I must sound like a spoiled child to you…"
"You don't love him." He so wanted to hear her say she didn't feel anything of the sort for that bastard.
Ana exhaled and shook her head. "No, I don't."
God must've been smiling on his damnable soul right now.
"I shouldn't be boring you with these matters… I'll see if I can hail a carriage." She started to pull away, vainly hoping he'd give chase.
"Wait." He caught her hand, surprising her briefly, meeting her brown eyes; his reflexively tight grip lessened so he held her hand gently in his own. "I want to see you again, soon. Tomorrow night, at the tea shop." The want was strong, building up inside him like a wave; he was vainly worried he would lose control over his emotions and kiss her right then in the street.
Calm yourself, you fool.
She smiled gently and nodded, inwardly jumping up and down in glee. "Tomorrow then. Vlad, thank you again, for listening and saving me." She dared a chance and pulled him forward, leaving a peck on his cheek, and turning away to go hail a carriage.
Vlad stood there in brief surprise before he smiled slowly, raising a hand to touch where she'd kissed him.
Harker was out of the picture.
::::::::d-b::::::::
"What on earth are you so giddy for?" Lucy questioned for the fifth time within the day, watching the once-melancholic Mina touch up her pale face with some powder while she fixed her hair into a short French-braid, leaving the rest of her hair loose and tousled, tying it with a blue ribbon.
"Who said I'm giddy?" Mina remarked calmly.
She finished her hair, sitting next to her vanity with a knowing expression on her brow. "Don't hide things from me, Mina! What is it? Please tell me." She jutted out her lower lip and clasped her hands together infront of her chest, giving her the puppy-dog eyes.
For God's sake… "Fine!" She exhaled, "I made a friend, and he's a prince." She saw her eyes brighten and smiled, continuing, "He wants to have evening tea with me in London." She added.
"He sounds like a dream, Mina! Oh but… what about Jonathan?" She paused, looking at her concernedly again.
Damn if she didn't fall prey to that expression… "I'm sure he's perfectly fine." In retrospect he hadn't sent any letters, so she already knew he was near death, but she didn't care. She never had reason to, even when she'd read of the story so long ago.
Vlad was all that mattered.
Lucy sighed, slightly deflated, clasping her hands in hers and holding her gaze, "Mina, promise you won't be foolish. Promise me that." She requested, slightly throwing her for a curve.
"I won't, Lucy." She squeezed her hands gently, smiling assuringly, "I promise!"
::::::::d-b::::::::
"Since when did you take my advice?" She asked.
He smirked and poured the glass of wine for her, doing the same for himself, sitting back in his seat. "Since I had time to think it over. Your absence was hard to get through, though." He replied over the lip of the glass, sipping.
Blood tasted better than most drinks; wine, blessedly enough, was something he could stomach drinking.
She rolled her eyes habitually, taking a generous sip, placing the glass on the table. "How cute, you missed me." She hummed.
Damn right I did, he thought. "How could I not? Your very presence intrigues me, dragul meu." He purred gently, garnet eyes warm.
"Prințul meu, such things you say." She giggled.
Vlad arched both brows, appreciating how lovely she looked tonight, "I had no idea you spoke Romanian." He mused.
Ana sipped again, "Fluent." She chirped with a cheeky smile.
Damn if he didn't ache for her now! "You cease to amaze me, love." He exhaled, following suit, taking another sip.
He was grateful the dining area they were in was only a few floors beneath the hotel room he'd rented.
"Vlad, you lady-killer." She teased, smirking widely. Both proverbial and downright literal.
He grinned playfully, relaxing in his seat. "Ah you know me well, pet." He sighed.
Ana chuckled, the wine beginning to kick in, numbing her senses. "So you never told me where you were from," she hummed, sipping generously.
"Originally I am from a little niche of hell in rural Romania, though the name isn't worth mentioning. I've lived in Transylvania for as long as I could remember." Vlad answered calmly.
"'Transylvania'… The name gives me chills! Weren't you afraid of vampires and ghouls and the like in that place?" She feigned a shudder, tilting her head innocently.
Lord she was doing this on purpose, she had to be! "Of course not." He puffed out his chest in pride, making her giggle again.
She leaned forward, smiling playfully above the lip of her glass, "Hm, and how do I not know you're a vampire?" Not just any vampire, but the first one, the vampire king.
"Would that frighten you if I was? Would you like it even if I was not a mere vampire but a king of vampires?" He leaned in as well, feigning playfulness even though the questions were dead serious.
Ana pulled back, slouching in her seat, swirling the wine in her glass absently, studying it, becoming pensive. "Regarding the first question, if I were to answer honestly, no. I wouldn't be afraid of you; you're too kind and sweet for me to even conceive the thought that you were an undead being. As to your second question, I think it would be not only an honor that a king of vampires has taken interest in a human like me, but an adventure to see where we could go, together, you and I." She answered thoughtfully, softly, glancing up at him.
Vlad didn't fight the grin that formed on his lips at hearing such positive responses. "What about your fiancé?" He asked, partially out of curiosity, partially out of a reassurance that he truly was out of the picture.
She snorted, once again catching him off guard. "Who gives a damn? For all I know he's rotting away in a dungeon or something cliché like that." She sniffed, her tone clarifying that she didn't want anything to do with that fool.
Good girl. "And if I were a vampire, if I were to take your blood… Would you want to be like me, a damned soul doomed to walk the earth forever?" The want was surging again.
She hummed quietly, sipping the remnants of wine from her glass. "If it meant being at your side forever, hunting the night for a fresh kill, dying to my humanity each night I would take a life… yes." She wanted it, she wanted him, she wanted it all again!
"You wouldn't see your family, your friends, again. You would be nothing more than harm to them once you were dead to the light." Vlad pointed out, garnet eyes beginning to glow crimson.
Ana surprised him once more, slipping out from her seat to draw up to him, gingerly tracing her fingers through his hair, down his left cheek, her eyes on his that studied her curiously, hunger beginning to rise behind his stare. "I don't care… I never cared for my humanity. I want it, I would beg for it, if it meant being with you, Vlad." She whispered, lifting her free hand to curl her fingers in his black hair, pressing her forehead to his.
He could swear his unbeating heart jumped at having her so close, not hesitating to take her in his arms, wrapping them around her small waist, one hand digging into her upper back, his voice at the spot between her left ear and her cheek, "You'd risk it all for being with a damnable creature like me." He purred, making her shiver.
She nodded, knowing what kind of creature he was, curling her fingers in his hair again. "With no regrets." She answered softly, holding his crimson stare, relief and happiness swelling in her chest as she wanted him to make her a vampire, to make her his forever.
Vlad inclined his head, kissing her slowly, taking her by surprise for a moment. He found her responding soon enough, her lips pressing to his with a sigh in her throat, eager for his kisses he gave whole-heartedly, his hands digging into her waist and back.
Ana moaned softly, aching for his fangs to bite even though he continued kissing, smiling happily against his lips.
aand we've achieved the rising action! climax is soon to take off.. and there is no pun intended, i swear. xD anyway, hope to hear feedback from you lot. to those of you who've already faved/followed this, thanks a lot, really ^^
'til next chapter, later!
***edit: some translations are in order~
prințul meu - my prince / dragul meu - my darling