"I want to go to Paris."
"I don't particularly care what you want."
"What are you in such a hurry for anyway? You still haven't told me why we're going to Siberia." Victoria sat up in her bath, the foamy bubbles still nearly to her chin, watching James as he leaned over the sink.
"I want to hunt one of the Children of the Moon, before they're extinct." His tone was casual to the normal listener- Victoria heard the quiver of excitement beneath the blasé words. However, the statement terrified her- if her skin wasn't already white, she would have blanched.
"You're joking," she whispered, knowing he was not.
"The Volturi want them gone, so they're vanishing quickly; this may be the last chance for one of the greatest challenges of my existance."
"James, this isn't funny- they could destroy you!" She moved to the edge of the tub, gripping the porcelain rim just lightly enough to not crush it.
"That's where you come in handy, isn't it? You can warn me when it's about to become just to much." He pulled his shirt off as he spoke and Victoria paused, distracted.
"It's still dangerous," she muttered, working to keep her train of thought as he stepped out of his trousers.
"Mind if I join you?" If she'd said 'no' he would have gotten in anyway, and 'no' was the last thought on her mind. He nimbly climbed into the bath, fitting himself behind her and locking his arms around her waist.
"I don't want to watch you get hurt." Victoria mumbled, trying very hard to concentrate as he pressed his lips to her neck.
"Do you truly believe that anything can hurt me?" His confidence bordered on arrogant, but Victoria couldn't help but to privately agree. He was untouchable; powerful and brilliant. She couldn't dream of anything that might cause him harm.
The water was hot, even by human standards, and James scooped up handfuls of it to pour down Victoria's neck. She tilted her head back against his shoulder, and he reached out for an ornate little bottle on a golden stand beside the clawfoot tub. He poured a bit of the contents into his hand.
"Move forward." he commanded, and when she did, he began to work the shampoo to a rich lather in her hair. His movements were tender and thorough, stroking her temples, forhead, and the nape of her neck, determined to make sure not a single hair went ignored. He then tilted her head back into the water, painstakingly rinsing away every sud. When he finished with that, James reached for the soap. His touch was slick as it moved over her shoulders and breasts, kneading and massaging her silky skin. Victoria moaned softly and pressed against him, longing to be even closer.
And then, he rose and stepped out of the bath, reaching for a towel.
"James!" The tone may have sounded like a whine if it wasn't full of fury.
"Yes, Victoria?"
"Why?" she exploded, spraying water as she leapt up. Her high, girlish lilt was choked with rage. James smiled lightly, unperturbed by the obvious beginings of a tantrum as he secured the towel around his waist.
"Do you not know me at all, my little fiery-headed pet?" he asked, seeming amused.
"I do! I know you better than anyone, better than anybody has ever known you!"
"Then perhaps," he grinned at her, "you could tell me what I look for, what I exist for."
"You..." She appeared thrown by the question. "Blood. Human blood." Did any vampire exist for anything else?
"Any human blood, Victoria?" He was standing by the door that led back to their bedroom, arms crossed as he watched her intently.
"Blood that... appeals to you especially. That smells particularly attractive, or that's difficult to attain-"
"Yes," he breathed. "Precisely. A challenge, my dear." His smile had turned superior, and Victoria was not immediately familiar with the emotion welling within her; it was stifling and sicking, making it difficult to speak.
Humiliation.
"You see, it's a little too easy. I will, eventually. But now, I was thinking I would go for a drink."
'Eventually'? As in, whenever there was nothing more interesting nearby? Whenever it was convenient or when he was bored?
"How dare you!" she shreiked. A red haze had veiled her gaze as she stared at James, and she could hardly form a coherent thought.
She lunged. Every ounce of her strength powered the leap, and her arms were outstretched, hands twisted into claws. At that moment, she wanted nothing more but to rip him to pieces. However, she had not accounted for his faster reflexes, nor his quick evasion, stepping neatly to the side and allowing her to crash through the wall.
"My, my, temper..." he tutted softly, following her into the other room, chuckling softly as he did. She sat in a heap, slightly disoriented, but when she spotted him, her anger returned and she sprang up. She launched herself at him again but this time he caught her, swinging her around and flinging her into the bureau.
"Victoria!" he roared, all trace of humor gone as crouched defensively, and baring his teeth. "Control yourself!"
"No!" she screamed, coiling to attack again. "I won't! You treat me like an animal, a lap dog to push aside when you tire of me! You promised you would treat me well!"
"And you think I don't?" When she jumped at him this time, he caught her by the waist, threw to the floor and dropped on top of her, pinning her with his weight. Victoria was reminded of their first encounter, but this time, she fought back. "Have I ever denied you sustanance, or abused you? Neglected you?" he hissed. "Have I?" James didn't wait for and answer. "No, never," he spat, rising to his feet to glare at her nude form.
Victoria lifted to her feet as well, still livid. "I want you to treat me-"
"Like what? An equal?" He gripped her arms, shaking her slightly. "You are not, Victoria. And you willingly agreed to that when I permitted you to come with me."
"Hey!" Their heads snapped towards the door. "Hey, is everything alright in there?" Clearly, Victoria's loss of composure had attracted some other passengers. James acted quickly, re-tying the towel around his middle, grabbing Victoria's lipstick and smearing it messily across her mouth, and taking her tenderly in his arms. This all took less than a second.
"Please!" his voice cracked theatrically, "oh please, come in!" The door burst open, revealing four alarmed looking crew members. James crushed Victoria to him, as though trying to sheild her. "There was a man!" he cried, "I was in the bath, and I heard him out here- he may have hurt my wife; she's so upset. He had an axe- look what he did to the wall and the dresser! My dear," he rocked Victoria gently, "Sir, hand me that blanket please." The man seemed too stunned to do anything but comply, and James wrapped the sheet around her. "Please, you must go find him before he hurts anyone else! He was about five foot ten, short brown hair and a scar of his cheek. Please, go!"
Three of the four sprinted off, shouting to raise the alarm. The last observed them nervously. "If her comes back, I'll help you-"
James marched unconcernedly across the room and snapped the man's neck. "Out the window Victoria- Thanks to you and your damned temper, we have to swim the rest of the way to Europe."