The ocean waves crashed against the sandy shore.
A steady salty breeze swept through, gently ruffling hair and swaying the magnificent palm trees. Dozens of colorful birds flew above, silhouetted beautifully against the bright light of the full moon, some in search of food or others just for the joy of it all.
But there was also something else in the air that evening aside from the wind, or birds, or the moon; something that couldn't be seen or noticed by any other beings except the lone couple that roamed the dunes. For it was a feeling of love, pure and unadulterated, radiating powerfully from their hearts almost as bright as the sun - if they could even be under its rays. Because the couple were not your average people. They were Count Dracula and Martha Lubov, vampires flown all the way from the dark and haunting lands of Transylvania, where persecution of their kind ran rampant. But this fact did not deter them from still being able to live fully. They were knowledgeable in how to best navigate themselves amongst the human society, and how to hide when necessary from those they wished to avoid. Therefore, they could still enjoy their little getaway on the secluded portion of Hawaii's beautiful Waikiki island, without having to worry about anyone else but themselves.
Laughter rang out from Martha's delicate black lips as Dracula practically skipped along the shore, as carefree as a child would be, splashing up droplets of warm water all around them.
The Count's heart was bursting, feeling her smaller, soft fingers entwined with his larger ones as he guided them along, the two of them slowly walking up the sand dune and back to the towels they'd set down earlier. She giggled as he swept her into a bridal carry, swinging her around playfully before setting her down.
He released a blissful sigh, settling down with his legs splayed in front of him and a contented expression etched upon his pale features. Drac didn't know what led him to Hawaii in the first place. Transylvania was his home, shadowed and shrouded in mystery, where he'd spent centuries living in peace at his castle. But, he could only suppose that even a monster needed to take a vacation. And boy was he glad he did. What resulted out of his first flight over was not a lazy outing at the beach where he could let his mind go blank. No, instead it was the complete opposite. It made his heart burst with emotion, something sparking inside of him from the first moment he knocked into the lovely little bat that turned out to be a lovely little vampiress. It was the kind of feeling he didn't ever think he'd experience, simply for his lack of interest in searching for a partner in the first place. The kind of sensation that made his knees weak and his head light. The kind of romance that the Prince of Darkness never even fathomed having. But here he was, the perfect woman leaning her head against his shoulder as they simply lounged, enjoying each other's presence and cherishing it greatly.
He closed his eyes, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and snuggling her closer to his bare chest, listening to the soft cadence of her breathing, the soothing nature-esque calls of distant tropic birds and waves lapping softly...
... and also the screams of a certain group of tagalongs.
Drac furrowed his brows and cracked an eye open to witness a rather bizarre scene before him. His other monstrous friends who had also come along for the trip - Frankenstein, Murray the mummy, Wayne the werewolf, and Griffin the Invisible Man - were all out some distance in the ocean waterskiing. It was quite impressive, really, how perfectly stacked they were, with Frank at the bottom, Murray and Wayne upon the Stein's left and right shoulders, and Griffin right up at the top. Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster who had also chosen to make the travel to Hawaii, pulled them along over the surface - only, she was going way too fast. The sea monster zoomed forward eagerly, his friends barely maintaining their balance and Frank hanging on for dear life as they all cried out. It wasn't long before they all fell over, splashing into the water comically and causing Nessie to laugh uproariously.
Drac rolled his eyes and heard a soft chuckle next to him. He peered down, seeing Martha watching with amusement. "They're quite the characters," she remarked, grinning up at Drac.
"Indeed..." Drac replied, his lips curving up into a grin as well. He grimaced however when he saw them resurface and try to get back up in the stack they were doing before. The Count sighed. "... Sometimes they have a little too much character," he added. When the whooping and shouting resumed, the vampire got up to his feet and glanced down at Martha. "Why don't we head somewhere a little more... private?"
Drac gulped as Martha's eyes hooded, her lashes batting. "Oh? And what did you have in mind?" she asked, her tone holding a sultry quality that made his heart skip a beat. He righted himself before his mind could draw into a full blank.
"O-Oh! Eh... heh heh... just a little ways that way, if we could," he said gesturing toward some of the lush foliage behind them.
She tilted her head, curiosity piqued at his intentions and what they would lead to as she allowed her hand to find his outstretched one, the woman being helped to her feet once more. Quietly, he led them along, careful to step over any small roots or rocks that may have jutted from the beaten dirt path and ducking any loose-hanging plant fronds.
Finally, they reached what turned out to be a little open area within the vegetation, with sand and lone shells strewn about. A break in the trees allowed the light of the full moon to shine down into it, casting it in a hauntingly ethereal blue glow. Martha couldn't help but exhale a soft gasp at the simple yet beautiful little area he'd taken her to. But what he ended up doing next caught her attention even more.
Clearing his throat, she turned to look at Drac. He looked a little nervous as he stood with his hands behind his back and rocked slightly on the heels of his feet. He smiled kindly and spoke. "I kind of wanted to be away from the noise, my love, because, well... I have something special I wanted to show you."
The woman raised an eyebrow and smirked, her hands on her hips, causing the Count's own eyes to widen. "I-I promise it's nothing crude! Really..."
Martha laughed at this, enjoying how quickly flustered she could get the man. "Don't worry, honey. I wasn't worried about that."
Drac nodded, still a little unsure of himself, as he waved a hand in the air, his magic helping to conjure up a small object in his hands. When the purple sparkles disappeared, she could see that it was a ukulele.
"I hope you don't mind," he said. "But I've been practicing, and I think I finally have some of those notes down, and, well..." He huffed a small laugh, at a loss for any more words, and began strumming at the instrument gently, producing a sweet, melodic sound. He worked it with surprising expertise, his fingers gliding swiftly over the strings in smooth, precise movements.
Martha watched, her jaw slightly ajar and marveling over the fact that this was the same man who, only a week ago, could barely tell the difference between which string produced what chord. Now, however, it was an effortless endeavor and she found herself captivated by the tune and its gentle, hypnotizing cadence. And if that wasn't enough, Dracula, her wonderful zing, began to add his own voice to the melody, a playful yet enchanting quality to it as he sang a harmonious little tune of his own creation.
"Martha my darling,
So sweet and so true,
With eyes as bright
As the ocean is blue,
With skin as pale as winter snow,
And stunning beauty never ceasing to grow,
With a smile so bright
It shines like the moon,
And a voice so sweet
It just makes me swoon..."
Martha was enamored. She didn't think it was possible to love the man in front of her more than she already did, but as it turned out, it was. She continued to listen, mesmerized by every single note that slipped through his thin and graceful fingers as well as from his alluring lips.
"I thank every day
That we crashed in our fly
Now I'm feeling so happy
That I could just die
To have felt such a feeling
Was a wonderful thing
Please know that I love you
My darling, my zing..."
Drac let his last note linger, letting the tune hang in the air for a moment before he lowered the instrument to his side. He looked over at Martha, shyness evident in his posture and the lightest hint of a blush starting to coat his cheeks as he awaited her final judgment on the performance.
But the woman could not find the right words to describe the feelings blossoming within her. There was too much she wanted to say to the man to express herself fully; how could she best explain the burning emotion coursing through her veins? The strong desire to pull him close and never let go? The need to be one with the vampire who was her one and only true soulmate?
Her quietude was interpreted differently by Drac, however, and he swallowed a growing lump in his throat. "Heh... I know it's not perfect. I still have trouble with getting the right pitch, not to mention my nails getting caught on the strings..." The Count held a hand up, scrutinizing the long, claw-like keratin structures at the end of them that he'd had for as long as he could remember. "But I hope that - "
"Honey," Martha cut in, having finally found the voice to speak. She smiled, a hand reaching up to cup his strong jaw, Dracula leaning into the touch instinctively with a pleasurable shudder. "It was perfect. I loved it. Almost as much as I love a certain vampire," she added with a wink.
Drac blushed a little more at the statement, his heart fluttering pleasantly. They had already exchanged plenty of 'I love yous,' but each time always felt just as magical as the first, making his head spin with joy. "Well, it's only because of you, my love," he said. "You taught me how to play."
She shrugged. "Yeah. But I think you've outdone me. It took me months to learn. And you only took a week!"
Now it was Drac's turn to shrug. "What can I say? I'm a Dracula!"
She gave him a playful shove as he laughed, that cocky air that had briefly overtaken him dissipating in the next instance. Martha giggled in that adorable way she did when she was truly happy, one arm wrapping around Drac's shoulder and the other trailing up the chiseled length of his chest in a slow languid stroke that made his pulse leap into double time. Twinkling blue orbs peered up at him from half-lidded eyes, their gaze warm and inviting as she smiled up at him seductively.
"You gave me a wonderful song," she said, low and husky. "Can I give you something just as wonderful in return?"
Instantly he knew what she was referring to, judging by the obvious smirk playing across her features, and rose pink lips twitching with anticipation of meeting their target.
He instantly tried stammering a reply. "M-Martha I... w-well... you see... I uh... am crazily sc-scared right n-now..."
She giggled again. "Maybe that's a good thing," she said, leaning closer.
Dracula trembled on the spot. He couldn't, not yet. He didn't know how to! What if she didn't like it? What if it was too sloppy? Or what if he aimed wrong? Or -
But before another thought could worm its way into his head, it happened. Without so much as any warning, the woman leaned upward, pressing her soft, plush lips against the hard line of his mouth with a tender intensity. For a moment, he froze, shocked. This was different from anything he ever experienced... in a good way. No... in a marvelous way. Everything inside him seemed to come alive as he lived in that sole moment, feeling her lips move against his and hearing the gentle hum escaping them. And then there was no time to think, no time to hesitate or second guess as he pressed forward as well, capturing her in what he hoped was just as passionate and loving of a kiss as hers was. He seemed to be doing something right, as she responded with more urgency, a quiet moan sounding and her lips parting for his better access.
They broke apart a moment later, and Drac couldn't help the giddy laugh of relief that escaped him. His breathing was ragged, his eyes wide with awe, and his entire body practically buzzing with happiness, Martha's own mood reflecting his in almost the exact same fashion. They had just had the first of what was sure to be many wonderful kisses, the two lovestruck vampires grateful that it had happened right in the midst of their idyllic ventures at a place they could only call paradise.