I've really just recently realized how much time I spend thinking about something Dark Shadows related every day. I seriously know every single word of the movie. And the trailer(s). I've read almost every review and watched almost every YouTube video that's Dark Shadows related. I roleplay for Angelique and have read every thread on tumblr. And I'm a little embarrassed that I think up thousands of plots and AU stories, and I rarely write them down. But even though I never make use of them, I still continue to think about them. If that's not OCD I don't know what is. Perhaps I should give Dr. Hoffman a call...

But if you, for some reason, you would like to quench my Dark Shadows desire, I ask you to take a glance at my tumblr page. My username is myquarellisiswithallofyou. Maybe even read some of my work if you'd like. And most definitely, leave me (and TheBitterAfterTaste) a comment to tell us what you think and if you have any ideas or recommendations. Nevertheless, enjoy!

"We always long for the forbidden things, and desire what is denied us." - Francois Rabelais

She was more than surprised he had reached up and touched her, the pad of his thumb stroking against her cheek, and she hadn't ever felt anything so wonderful. She was distracted once more, and couldn't really form any words to speak of. She leant into his hand gently, and it had been a long time since anyone had showed her any sort of affection, in fact it would have been years since she had felt so liberated and awakened, and that was all due to his return. It had set something off inside her, something that was determined to break free and rebel against what society came to expect of her.

But even with her strong, rebellious nature, not even the strongest of people could have suffered through what she had and not be psychologically scarred. Being told every single day that you are not worthy of those around you and that you would never be anything more than a servant girl had a great effect on her confidence and her being as a person. It hadn't been so bad when Barnabas had been there before, as he had treated her as if she were an equal in comparison to him, he had never ordered her to do something or made her feel like she was any less of a human than he was. Because he had been there she had been able to be herself, but when he went away the fire in her had dimmed, and whilst she was still very enigmatic and had an aura about her, Barnabas' return couldn't have come at a better time.

She smiled softly as he spoke, of course she didn't need to be humble in front of him. He was her dearest and most loyal friend, he was the one person who knew everything about her. Well nearly everything. She didn't think he would like her very much anymore if he found out the power she possessed. Even then there were still talks of Salem and other worldly creatures and she didn't want to be found as one, for the consequences were cruel and always fatal. So she enjoyed the moment, she enjoyed how his gentle fingers lightly pushed away the cascading curls that had fallen from the messy up-do she favoured wearing most of the time.

"I know I do not need to be so humble around you Barnabas," she said softly. "It has just been so long since you left that I must have forgotten just how free I can actually be when you are around." She admitted, her French accent making her words all the more enticing, all the more enchanting.

-Angelique-

"Then I must certainly change that, my dear" Barnabas remarked. The luster of her eyes entranced him deeply. The smooth tones of her voice melted through his flesh, sending pulses of desire through his body. He loved that he had that much of an impact on her; that he could change her. Not in a domineering way, in fact, it was quite the opposite. It wasn't because he could control her, it was that she let him impact her. It made the corners of his perfect playboy lips curl into a genuine smile, and before he even gave conscious thought to it he was leaning in to kiss her.

Barnabas' deep brown gaze settled on her mouth, and he smirked when she didn't flinch at all. The candle's flickering light warmed her porcelain features, and had him yearning. His body seemed to move on it's own as he turned his head slightly and pressed his lips to her own, gently grasping her waist. All of his thoughts unraveled, leaving his mind clear and beautiful, and wanting more. He wanted more of her. Her beauty, intelligence. It soothed him, and yet enticed him at the same time. Like a piece of classical music, beautiful and challenging.

She began to kiss him back more openly and slid his hands up his chest to grasp his neck, resting just above his cravat. Barnabas adjusted himself so he could reach her more easily, eagerly sliding a hand to cup her back and bring her closer. Every touch between them felt so heightened, and created such an inimitable ambiance that he felt as if he couldn't part himself from her.

-Barnabas-

It took her a few seconds to comprehend what was going on. Whilst the two had flirted dangerously with one another she didn't really expect anything more, especially because of how society held them both. However when she noticed him leaning to her and his lips gently brush against hers she didn't allow herself to think. She didn't engage her brain, all she did was feel.

He tasted like honey on her lips, sweet, addictive, something that once you started you couldn't help but crave. This was only reiterated by how she yearned for him.

She was sat to the side, so rested forward, shifting her legs to the side so she could pay full attention to his desires. She couldn't believe this was happening, and if she'd had time to think about it the thoughts she considered might have taken away some of the rush she was feeling right then.

She moved closer to him, sliding her arms gently around his neck that had resided on the cravat just below his jugular vein, slowly pulling so he met her in the middle. She felt the hair on the back of his neck standing on end and was pleased that he was reacting in the same way as her. Every nerve seemed to burst into fresh life, all that was in her vision was him, and him only.

She felt his hand cup her lower back and she immediately arched against him slightly, allowing him to feel her pressed up against him against their clothing. Everything felt good and everything felt right at that moment and she would have done anything to freeze time at that point, to keep them in that room forever, just like the words on the forgotten book residing on his desk- permanent.

-Angelique-

"I want to make Romeo jealous. I want the dead lovers of the world to hear our laughter, and grow sad. I want a breath of our passion to stir their dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain."

- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

As Angelique's beautiful curves arched into him he felt an undeniable surge of desire, slightly tearing his lips slightly from hers. His mind drifted to a million paces he knew it shouldn't. But just as he broke away from her their vision met. His head was tilted and slightly above her own, and he lowered himself a bit to be face to face with her brilliant blue eyes.

"I would hope your feelings are refined." His smooth words came with a smirk, and he moved a hand from his tender hold on her waist to brush his thumb across her glossy reddened lip. Like dew on a rose: raw and beautiful. He took a deep breath and smiled. Everything felt so - perfect when they were together. Any normal person would find this completely absurd. Ridiculous, even. But at that moment he thought of her no less than any of the highest ranking maidens he could possibly imagine.

In fact, he thought much more of her. She was so much more intriguing than them. Barnabas knew what lay behind their empty shells; and it was certainly nothing he wanted to come to know. But this... woman, was so much more. She was gratifying and intellectual,and it blew him away. Perhaps it always had.

- Barnabas -

'My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give to thee,

The more I have, for both are infinite.'

Romeo and Juliet- William Shakespeare.

Once Barnabas' lips had parted from her own she couldn't quite fathom what to do next, it didn't help with him looking at her like that, because it made her lose all train of thought as her blue orbs focused on his dark ones. A small smirk automatically curved onto her lips as she heard his remark.

"Nothing of my thoughts are refined when it comes to you Barnabas, and clearly neither are yours…" she pointed out, as he had been the one to lean in and kiss her. Her first proper kiss, where it had meant something, where she was not a child but a woman, with feelings and emotions. She had only ever kissed him once before and they had been eight years old underneath the old willow tree, which was one of their favorite places to play.

"Edward said that if I do not learn to kiss a girl then I will never be married," Barnabas revealed, a small scowl catching his features at the thought of being teased for not being a 'man' like all his other friends.

"You should not listen to them, they are two years older and they get you into terrible trouble sometimes." She advised, sat against the tree with her feet out straight in front of her, as she tapped her weather worn shoes together rhythmically.

Barnabas shuffled anxiously and rubbed his hands, pausing a moment before clearing his throat. He clearly had something he wanted to say to her.

"Angelique, I was perhaps enquiring as to whether I may…have your permission to…" He trailed off as her brow creased with confusion. She had only been sent from France three years prior and his wording puzzled her a lot of the time. He realized this and shook his head irritated that he had to put it into simpler terms.

"May I kiss you…for practice?" he asked, as Angelique wrinkled her nose in disgust. It wasn't the concept of kissing Barnabas, it was kissing altogether.

"Please Angelique? Just the once?" he persisted, and because he was her master, and of course firstly her friend, she complied. He had leaned in gently, and pressed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips, then quickly shuffled back. Both of them wiped their mouths and stuck out their tongues, but they had each had a smile on their face whilst doing so.

"What are you thinking?" she asked softly, as he stroked her lower lip, caressing the fullness with the pad of his thumb. She could tell he was lost in his own thoughts, and she wished to know what he was thinking. That experience had been the most magical in her life so far and she prayed that it was the exact same for him.

-Angelique-

"I've missed your eyes." Barnabas spoke softly, his heart beating loudly in his chest. There was a smile in his voice. He stifled a sigh and moved his hand to cradle the side of her face, moving her so his own dark gaze cohered with hers.

"So blue and full of vigor, as if the entireties of the ocean could be concealed within your gaze." but there was something special about his as well, but no one said it out loud. Angelique had a gaze that could engage anyone on the face of the Earth. It was so inspiring it could bring a nation to it's knees, or any man of that matter. Barnabas had this trait as well, except it was veiled. While her own eyes were a domineering shade of cerulean, his own were masked in deep orbs of chocolate brown. He had trusting eyes, something Angelique didn't possess.

But Barnabas didn't mind. He didn't need that sort of intimidation. He had his own. His social status, connections, appearance. Not to mention his aura. The way he spoke, shifted his gaze and curved his lips into a smirk was all he needed. It gave him respect instantaneously. But Angelique, she didn't require a status, or an inheritance or even a position higher than maid to make people attracted to her. Even him. Perhaps it was his attraction to her that attracted him even more.

Barnabas was the kind of man who knew what he wanted. Even more so, he knew how to get it. But he wasn't just at the point that tipped his overconfidence into foolishness, and on remembering that it wasn't actually that late, and some members of the household would most likely be up at this hour, he removed his hand and sat back in his chair.

"I can only hope I will be able to see them more often." His gaze drifted to the exposed creamy skin on her neck his hand had just caressed. His expression rested in a optimistic but rather professional smile and he stood up.

"Miss Bouchard."

- Barnabas -

Angelique knew she had work to be getting on with, though how she planned to concentrate after her and Barnabas' intimate moment she had no idea. When he mentioned her eyes she smiled, and she thought he had beautiful eyes too, however she knew too well they could be deceiving. She had seen him first handedly charm others with those beautiful innocent eyes of his, and he succeeded. Each conquest was an easy victory and she noticed he soon became bored with whatever he obtained. Angelique wasn't going to be an easy conquest. He was not going to tire of her like a contraption or an idea. She planned to keep him on his toes, so that he would never assume she was his entirely, at least not for now.

She stood up after he had spoken and tucked the loose tendrils of hair behind her ear. Judging by his reaction he assumed women simply swooned after his advances and his kiss, and would disintegrate into a warm puddle at his glance afterwards, but like he already knew, she wasn't like other women.

Instead she smiled and inclined her head, tucking her chair beneath the desk where it had previously been. She did not blush nor did he fidget.

"I must go back to work," she told him matter of factly, and then returned to making his bed, which he noted was done quicker than he could really glance. She had already done her chores in his room and knew it was time to go downstairs as a small smirk curved upon her features, exactly as if she had the upper hand. She walked to the door and glanced behind her, as if dismissively and raised her brow.

"Mr Collins."

-Angelique-

"A busy, vibrant, goal-oriented woman is so much more attractive than a woman who waits around for a man to validate her existence." - Mandy Hale

Thanks, and make sure to leave us a comment! What do you think they'll do next? Do you think they'll get caught? Enlighten us ;)