I'm still sad about Rules To Bend being over, but also super excited for this story. So, let's get on!
-YD-
"How could you keep the fact I had a son away from me?"
"He's not yours. He's mine."
Ingrid glared in a way that left Vlad momentarily forgetting his words - he had forgotten just how accomplished Ingrid was in staring daggers.
"Why did you bring him here? You had to know I would work it out."
"To make the VHC leave me alone, they harassed me for a year and offered to have him tutored, educated. I wanted what was best for my son, even if it means having you back in my life."
Ingrid really made it sound like being back near Vlad was the worst thing, and it tugged at something inside him.
"You walked out on me. You kept my son a secret from me. How am I the bad guy here?"
"You cheated on your wife, do you really think you get the moral high ground here?"
"She wasn't my wife then, and you came on to me that day, so-"
A quiet knock at the door cut Vlad off, both of them turning to the sound.
"Mum? I think you have my book bag."
Ingrid flicked her hand to open the door, already a respectable distance away from Vlad this time as she perused her pile of bags.
"You're quite right, here it is. It's ok, you can come in."
Adam stepped closer, reaching out a hand for the bulging bag of books and Vlad hoped he wasn't staring too obviously - this boy was his son. It beggared belief.
"Thanks mum. Are you ok Mister Vlad?"
"He's fine. Go get settled son."
"Yes mum."
Adam left quietly, his steps already effortless and graceful at seven years old. Seven years of his life Vlad had missed. Ingrid flicked the door closed again, angry eyes back on Vlad.
"You leave him alone."
"No."
She obviously hadn't been expecting him to disagree with her, as he never really did before.
"Excuse me?"
"I won't tell him. It'll only confuse him. But Ingrid, you can't ask me to live with my son and not want to get to know him. Please? I swear I won't say I'm his father. Come on, you know I would wanna know him even as my nephew."
Where the sudden pleading and needy tone of voice came from, Vlad wasn't sure. Perhaps desperation, knowing it would be infinitely easier to get to know Adam if Ingrid wasn't against it.
"For evils sake, stop whining. Fine. One word about being his father and I will end you myself. Are. We. Clear?"
"Crystal."
Vlad turned to leave, knowing better than to push his luck with Ingrid and anxious to ensure she didn't change her mind, as was her usual nature. Well, it had been. Vlad may not know her that well anymore... it had been eight years after all.
"Pizza."
"Excuse me?"
Ingrid's utterance made little sense, perplexing him. She wasn't even looking at him when he turned back, apparently finding a spot on the wall endlessly riveting.
"His favourite food. And he's not allergic to anything, but he won't touch anything too salty or too sweet."
"Right. Thanks."
"Now go away before I change my mind and stake you with a stiletto."
Vlad left, forcing himself not to loiter next to Adam's room. He headed toward the main area of the castle, trying to deal with the fact he was a father. Adam was seven, had no idea who he was aside from estranged brother to the boys mother.
There was an intense irony to the VHC essentially delivering his son to him, when they originally sent Vlad's 'nephew' to live with him because he had no children. Vlad leant his forehead against a wall, trying to reconcile the waves of feelings roiling inside him.
At least Adze wasn't home to see the state Vlad was in. Because she would only mock him for getting emotional, right after she tore him a new one for having sex with his sister on their blood binding night. Scrubbing a hand over his tired face, Vlad set off toward the kitchen. He had a son to take care of now.
The fact Adam shared his favourite food did not escape Vlad, giving him an idea on how to make a start with his son. Working through the kitchen, he set it up and then went to find the other two. Ingrid was lazily perusing his library, Adam sat at the table flicking through a book on coffin maintenance.
"If you guys want to eat, youll have to come with me."
Ingrid raised an eyebrow at him, hand seemingly automatic in it's habit of wrapping around her sons shoulder.
"That sounds ominous."
"No, just easy to get lost in the castle. It's pretty big."
Adam looked surprised by the pizza-making set up, smiling when Ingrid told him to go ahead and put his own choices together. She gave Vlad an unreadable look, but said nothing and joined Adam over with the toppings. This was a side to Ingrid Vlad had never expected to see - she so clearly loved that young boy, and Adam smiled up at her dotingly.
"Aren't you having any Mister Vlad?"
"Just Vlad, please? I have enough titles with my job. And yes, but you're going first."
Adam nodded, rather excitable as he arranged various things atop the pizza base. Ingrid even made her own, though as usual she completely rejected anything that even resembled a vegetable. Watching Adam set eagerly into his food made Vlad unreasonably happy, because the boys bright smile and surprisingly open cheer told him Ingrid hadn't followed their father in trying to bully joy and happiness out of her son.
"Do you like pizza mist- Vlad?"
He caught himself as he quizzed Vlad, biting into the multi-coloured food.
"It's my favourite food."
There was a light in the blue eyes then, waiting until he swallowed the next mouthful - Ingrid had taught him manners then - to answer.
"Mine too!"
"Maybe we can learn to make it from scratch some time."
"That sounds cool. Mum doesn't like teaching me to cook."
"Adam."
Ingrid's voice wasn't quite scolding, more warning.
"Sorry mum. But it's true!"
"I'll teach you. I like cooking."
Adam turned his face to his mother, pleading expression every Dracula was born with the ability to do. Vlad joined in, practically begging Ingrid to at least allow him that.
"Fine, but your tutoring work comes first."
"Yes mum."
Vlad let them leave after they had eaten, because he feared either annoying Ingrid or coming on too strong with Adam when they had only just met. His heart just about kick-started when a sleepy seven year old in pyjamas found Vlad in his training room meditating, knocking the door tentatively an hour before dawn.
"Everything alright Adam?"
"I just wanted to say thank you. For the pizza. And to say goodnight, I'm going to bed now."
"Oh. You're very welcome Adam. I hope you get a good days sleep, and remember only to press the red button in an emergency."
He smiled, receiving one in return and fighting not to just follow the boy and absorb everything he could about him. But if he did that, Ingrid would stake him and Vlad would never know his son properly. Forcing himself back to his trance state wasn't easy, stomach doing somersaults about Ingrid and Adam in the castle.
Adze was due home any minute now, probably still shamelessly reeking of whoever she spent the night with. Of course, she may not even come home at all that day, she had certainly vanished for days at a time before. Vlad often wished she would just never return, but the draw of the public advantages to being his wife were just too appealing to Adze.
Meditative state completely gone, Vlad sighed and pounded out some frustration on his punch bag, stopping before he wrecked the skin on his knuckles again. It would heal, but it itched. A little sweaty, Vlad figured he had time to shower and relieve another kind of tension entirely from Ingrid's presence before Adze came home, but was interrupted before he could leave.
"Did he find you?"
"To say goodnight? Yeah."
Body already heightened and tense, Vlad felt he was being punished by Ingrid being so close to him, smelling of her sweet perfume and looking criminally beautiful while he was in training gear, sweaty and wrong-footed by her proximity.
"I tried to talk him out of it, but your pizza trick seems to have struck a chord."
"I've done it for myself a bunch of times, seemed fitting. I didn't want him feeling uncomfortable or unwelcome in this new place. Don't worry, I know I'm just his uncle."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but Vlad wasn't that worried by it. If Ingrid was actually irate, she wasn't shy about showing it. He hated it, being completely trapped in the whole situation - Ingrid didn't want him being a father to their son, had gone to great effort to keep them apart for seven years. He couldn't publicly announce his newfound fatherhood, because then it would come out about his 'affair' with Ingrid. He was bound to a vampiress who hated him and cheated on him.
How was it possible to be leader of the entire vampire race when he was still so powerless?
"What have you been doing anyway?"
"Training. It's therapeutic. A good energy outlet."
"Isn't that what your wife is for?"
Vlad knew Ingrid was taunting him, she would ash someone for making that remark to her and she knew Vlad wasn't wired to think that way. But that didn't stifle the scowl twisting his mouth, irritation flaring at the reminder of Adze.
"Or is your marriage already growing stale?"
"Can't you tell?"
"Oh. Oh. Oh. That's why you have no brats with her? Wow, that is tragic."
"I'm glad you're so amused by my failing marriage, the one you helped orchestrate and abandoned me right after."
Vlad regretted letting his temper spike, but it was a raw nerve even now that Ingrid dumped him and practically melted out of his life right as he was forcibly bound to the she-devil he now called his wife.
"I stayed when you asked me to."
"You were gone before it was even over."
"What do you want? An apology?"
Vlad wasn't stupid. If he said yes to that Ingrid would laugh in his face.
"An explanation. What did I do wrong that day?"
"Nothing. Why do you assume it was you I left because of? How bloody self-centred can you be?"
"Because you fucked me and dumped me on my wedding day. It wasn't a tough leap."
Ingrid actually scoffed, sneering as though Vlad was nothing but a common peasant in that moment.
"Dumped? You drama queen, dumped implies a relationship Vlad."
Pressing his finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose, Vlad took a deep breath and cursed himself for letting himself think for a second that Ingrid had changed, wasn't just out to wind him up.
"Whatever. I need to shower before my wife comes home."
"Why bother when she doesn't get within ten feet of you outside of a VHC function?"
"Why do you care about my sex life? Not like you're a part of it anymore."
That actually won a slight reaction from Ingrid, surprised to hear him bite back even just a little bit. However, Ingrid Dracula was not easily shaken.
"And I bet you still hate that. Is it me or your wife you think about when you're alone at dawn?"
Vlad swallowed thickly when Ingrid invaded his space, wishing more than ever in that moment that he didn't know what that bloody sinful mouth felt like. His voice came out only a little shaky, but strong enough.
"How can I think about you? Nothing happened."
He flitted away from Ingrid before he cracked, landing in his room with trembling muscles. Fuck, Ingrid still affected him so much. Even with the emotional turmoil, Vlad felt his briefs were painfully tight, Ingrid's scent in his lungs and the tingle on his skin from her just being xlose to him. They hadn't even touched.
Vlad barely made it beneath the shower to grasp his erection, body thrumming with arousal and self-loathing beneath the water beating down on his skin. Ingrid's crimson pout burned into his mind, memories breaking free of the tightly locked rooms in his mind. He wasn't sure the water on his cheeks weren't tears when he choked on a groan and came, because it left him hollow and ashamed.
He couldn't let Ingrid get to him. He had to be able to deal with her for the next decade if he wanted a chance to know his son. This had only been day one. Vlad was scared for his sanity.
Adze didn't even come home that day, and as the sun set and Vlad got up for the night, he realised he now had to face Ingrid again after her comments about his marriage and the awkward, painful end of their 'conversation' the previous night. He stood in the kitchen staring at the kettle Adze hated, but Vlad knew she used, waiting until it boiled to make himself tea.
Quiet footsteps turned him around to find Adam in another dragon-themed t-shirt over black jeans and bright green socks, peering around the doorway.
"You can come in here, this is your home now too you know."
"Thank you."
"Did you by any chance come looking for breakfast?"
Adam nodded, smiling as he moved further in to the kitchen.
"Mum said to go on ahead, she wanted to sleep in. I guess she was up late this morning."
Vlad pointed Adam to the various cupboards full of food, taking rabid mental notes on the things he pulled faces of disgust at and the things he obviously lingered over before settling on cornflakes. Vlad couldn't suppress a smile, remembering that was a staple of his diet as a teen avoiding "proper vampire grub" from his father.
"So, do you know when all this tutoring stuff is going to start?"
"I don't. My guess is they are giving you time to settle in. I'll find out for you soon, when I next have council."
"Thank you."
His grateful smile was genuine, showing his age as few vampires were capable of such an expression.
"Is it rude to ask why the castle is so empty?"
"Depends what you mean, but I'll answer anyway. I don't like having staff, this is my quiet space. There's someone who comes to launder my council robes and cape because they have to be washed carefully and I'm lazy. Then a couple of vamps come and give the castle a clean once a week to stay on top of the size of it. Then it's just me and Adze."
He paid attention, nodding and responding and not knowing how hungry Vlad was for even these minor interactions. He needed to know this boy.
"How come you don't have any kids?"
Before Vlad had to come up with a valid excuse other than "we never have sex", Ingrid's voice floated into the air.
"That's enough Adam."
The boy pouted for a second, but then became heavily interested in his cornflakes again as Ingrid entered the room properly. She gave Vlad an expectant look, one he struggled to decipher for a second or two.
"Second from the left, top row."
Vlad was likely the only vampire to really make proper use of a kitchen, still not a huge fan of blood even though he only drank soy himself. Ingrid went straight for it, perusing the ridiculously miniscule selection in there compared to the veritable bloodbath waiting in the cellar.
There was silence broken only by Ingrid pouring herself a glass of type A, Adam chewing breakfast cereal and Vlad's mug clinking against his teeth slightly. It could have been mistaken for domestic if there weren't venom in Ingrid's eyes. The sound of his front door slamming loudly broke that and Vlad dug for the patient indifference necessary to deal with his wife.
He didn't move from his spot, knowing Adze would first go change her clothes in a lazy attempt to hide her 'activities', then with the new residents her next stop would be to size them up. Ingrid she had only met in passing, before the wedding. Another question remained - how would Ramanga take the notion Ingrid was back around after her flat out turning down his proposal?
"Where are you, you soya-slurping wi- oh. Hello."
Adze's crude, unfriendly means of calling out to him were nothing new, though her cutting off when she saw Ingrid and Adam were a welcome relief. Adam briefly glanced up, then turned his head back to his breakfast cup of tea, blowing at the curls of steam rising off it.
"Ingrid."
"Grave dig- I mean Adze."
Bats, Ingrid didn't waste time. The two females surveyed each other with a harsh anger that almost crackled in the air, and Vlad didn't want that around Adam even though he knew it was inevitable.
"Well, don't just sit there. Come on."
Biting back a sigh, Vlad placed down his empty mug and stood up to follow Adze out of the room. She led him a couple of long corridors away, ignoring him for the most part as they entered a room and she threw the door closed with unwarranted aggression.
"I hope you're satisfied, now my father doesn't want to come near this castle because of your sister and her illegitimate brat."
The fireplace flared, but Adze either didn't notice Vlad's anger at her insulting his son or assumed she did it herself.
"Actually, I am. You and I both know your father doesn't like me, and it's not my fault Ingrid didn't want to marry him. As for illegitimacy, you may want to remember if you slip up and get yourself pregnant, I'm going to know in a heartbeat it's not mine."
"I don't kn-"
"Adze, you know you're cheating on me. I know you're cheating on me. Half my council have shared a coffin with you. Let's not pretend here. You go about your business and do your duty appearing at functions with me, and I leave you to fuck who you like and waste my money on more vintage blood than even you could drink in a millennia. It works just fine, and like I told you, I didn't choose this. The VHC did. Now get out of my sight, and you leave them alone."
She scowled, huffed and stormed off. The conversation was over for now, but Vlad had a bad feeling that he hadn't heard the end of this. Not by a long shot.
-YD-
Ah, I do love a bit of angst between my dear OTP.