Still suffering writers block, and had a hefty knock to the ol' writing confidence so I'm not feeling super good about anything I try and write... lets see what happens.
-YD-
Vlad wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly it was a whole six months since Adam and Ingrid had crash-landed into his life. Six months where he spent mornings in Ingrid's coffin, and even sometimes woke there now. Ingrid had stopped kicking him out the minute they were done, and Vlad was almost conditioned to let himself be sleepy after sex with Ingrid at that point.
More important and more deeply satisfying than even sex with Ingrid could be; Vlad had spent six months getting to know his son. Adam was bright and funny, constantly leaving Vlad smiling and just the absolute best thing to come home to after council. He always wanted to cook and bake and play games, he would even sit quietly and read when Vlad was working in the library.
Of course, that also meant another six months bound to Adze, who was only growing more angry with the situation. Vlad wasn't worried for Ingrid, who could more than take care of herself. But Adam was obviously and always a concern.
Adze began acting oddly, spending more time in their castle yet not actively picking any fights. Vlad was confused, in all honesty. He had no idea what to do with an Adze not performing to an audience - current company excluded; she and Ingrid famously avoided each other to avoid a dustbath. Vlad just got all the vitriol from Adze, and the rough sex from Ingrid.
Well... sometimes. Other times, Ingrid let Vlad spend hours exploring the body he knew better than his own. Vlad often thought to himself that the main two reasons Ingrid bothered with him were that she knew he cared for her son, and she didn't have to wait for him to learn what she liked. They had taught each other as teenagers, enjoyed the knowledge as adults.
"Vlad?"
He blinked in surprise - Adze never called him his name unless it was a social engagement. Vlad was immediately suspicious.
"What is it? I'm busy."
"Preparing for the Ball?"
"Amongst other things."
Like Adam's upcoming birthday. It was a couple of months away, but Vlad wanted to plan a good night. He had Ingrid's permission; she was a little more lenient now she wasn't worried Vlad would declare his fatherhood to their son.
"That's what I was asking for. Colour?"
"We've done red and green in the last two months. Purple or blue?"
He mentally kicked himself for suggesting options. He should have said blue. Ingrid liked purple. If Adze opted for purple it would be wasted on an event Ingrid wasn't even attending.
"Blue. I dread the thought of matching that girl slayer."
Vlad raised an eyebrow, then remembered she was referring to one of Vlad's more recent law changes - a permanent Slayer presence in Transylvania, which meant that if one wanted the GHV at their party, they were meant to invite Ray. That wasn't her real name. Vlad wasn't sure what her real name was. But she was considered the vampires 'ray of sunshine' as she always wore outlandish outfits to whatever events she came to, openly standing out. No stasis spray. She openly approached Vlad for conversation with no mind of protocol.
Ingrid had fucked him particularly roughly the first time Ray had touched Vlad's arm. She had naturally insisted she wasn't jealous afterward.
But Ray hated the colour blue. So it was a safe bet never to match her by wearing it.
"Blue it is. Was that all?"
Adze nodded and left, leaving a perplexed Vlad in her wake. He picked out a navy blue waistcoat and tie, adding it to the black shirt and trousers already hanging on his wardrobe door. Adam peered around the door a minute later, beaming when he saw Vlad.
"Hey Adam."
"Whatcha doing?"
"I am selecting my outfit for a very not exciting Ball. Then I believe I'm teaching you to bake birthday cake."
Adam nodded eagerly, blue eyes lighting up in excitement.
"I wanted to check you hadn't forgot because mum is painting her nails and I'm done with all my work. I woulda been bored otherwise."
Vlad chuckled, tidying paperwork on his desk and checking his boots were perfectly polished enough that anybody could see their non-reflection in it.
"I didn't forget. Go get changed into your baking stuff."
He bounced on the spot, threw his arms around Vlad's waist and squeezed before practically skipping down the hallways. Vlad couldn't help but smile, loving that his son was bright and happy, that Ingrid allowed him to be himself. He would never stop wishing he could tell Adam he was his father, but Vlad appreciated every second he got to spend with the boy all the same.
Changing into clothes that didn't care if they were covered in flour, Vlad headed to the kitchen and only had to wait a minute for a similarly-attired seven year old to come skidding into the room.
"Birthday cake!"
"Technically its birthday cake practice. It's only birthday cake on a birthday."
Adam smiled, washing his hands and flicking water at Vlad with a cheeky grin on his face. Vlad wiped it off, tasking Adam with getting the mixing bowl and measuring equipment while he stacked ingredients on the side.
The whole thing was exceptionally good for Vlad's own cooking skills - he got more practice in the last six months teaching Adam to cook than he had in the eight years previous. They were elbow deep in making a mess when Ingrid finally ventured in, poorly suppressing the fond smile she had for her son happy to be making breather food. Not just breather food - brightly coloured not-chocolate breather food.
"Dare I ask?"
"Birthday cake practice mum!"
Adam threw her an adorably happy expression, flour on his face and cake mix in his hair. It was definitely bath time that night for one little bat. Possibly bath morning depending how long they spent baking.
"Ok. Now to get it in its cake tin to cook and then we make the filling."
"You can fill cakes?"
Vlad nodded with an indulgent smile as they transferred cake mix to the tin and then to the oven. Adam watched in awe as Vlad mixed up buttercream and fruity jam, then put it aside and sat with a glass of soya substitute blood while the actual baking went on.
"When do we fill it?"
"When its baked and cooled."
"That could take ages!"
Adam crossed his arms, pouting.
"Go clean the cake out of your hair son."
Still pouting - and looking achingly like Ingrid - Adam trudged off to the nearest bathroom to clean his hair out. Vlad continued to sit quietly, unsure if Ingrid was intending to try anything with Adam only seconds away really. She swiped a pale finger through the fruity mixture and sucked the digit into her mouth, smirking as Vlad watched, enraptured. It wasn't even subtle or mysterious; Vlad knew what Ingrid's mouth was capable of but there was something still superbly seductive about what she was doing.
Adam bounded back in, hair, hands and face clear of bakery debris though his clothes were the same messy affair. He planted his face almost up against the hot oven door to watch the mixture rising and turning golden brown, unaware of the intense staring match going on behind him.
"Vlad, is it done yet?"
Tearing his eyes off of Ingrid, Vlad moved over to the oven.
"Let me see."
Adam shifted aside, letting Vlad investigate.
"I think so. Just gonna check" he poked the centre, skewer coming out clean "yep. But its gotta cool first. Want to make some icing?"
"Yeah!"
It was good vampires weren't known for their weight gain, because Adam was looking like he was going to be a big eater. He could mix icing sugar, water and a little colouring himself easily now, merrily stirring away as a distraction while the ever-cold castle sped up the cooling process.
"Can we do it now?"
Vlad was fixed with hopeful blue eyes, a pleading expression Adam had absolutely inherited from Ingrid.
"Yeah. Ok, so what we do is cut it in half, then put the filling in the middle. Like a sandwich."
"Oooh. So which one first?"
"You put jam on that one, I'll put cream on this half."
Tasked, Adam hummed happily as he did the spreading. Vlad sandwiched the cake back together and tidied up the messy outside, then let Adam run wild with the icing. It made him happy... it was worth a little nausea.
"That was fun!"
Ingrid rolled her eyes, ruffling his hair and Adam giggled.
"Mhmm. Bath. Now."
"Ugh, fine!"
Probably thinking of how the cake would be 'set' after he was done, Adam tottered off for a bath and Vlad zipped off to change out of his messy clothes. Ingrid sat opposite him in the living room while they awaited Adam's return, outwardly looking like both were reading books but it was very likely neither had absorbed a word.
"All clean!"
With damp hair and smelling like his bubble bath, Adam found them in there and sat on the rug by the fire to let his hair dry off quicker. Vlad surreptitiously stole looks at the boy over his book, noting all the minute signs of his aging over the last half a year.
By the time they had eaten dinner and actually sampled the cake, Adam had worn himself out with all the excitement and went to bed without a peep by daybreak. Ingrid all but threw Vlad down in her coffin, straddling his waist and unbuttoning his jeans. Long used to her direct approach, Vlad tugged her tights down enough to access her sensitive spots, fingers coasting across silk underwear to rub the firm bud of her clit.
Ingrid shuddered, whimpering hotly against his lips. Vlad kept stroking until Ingrid was shaking, rolling them over and biting her jaw lightly as she growled.
"Problem?"
Ingrid's eyes were hard on him but her hips rolled up to meet his fingers, and she lifted helpfully when Vlad tugged at her underwear and tights. Fully-dressed was a favourite of Ingrid's, probably because she remembered all the times and places they had no choice because they were risking getting caught. Vlad shoved down his bottoms and boxers, freeing his aching cock and felt Ingrid's fingers curl around his shaft.
"You taste like sugar."
"Hardly surprising."
She smirked, tipping her head back to let Vlad scrape his fangs down her throat. Her fingers wound into his hair, tightening and hauling him back to her mouth. Her soft lip yielded and split beneath his fangs, both groaning as he tasted blood. Hiking up the skirt of her dress, Vlad slid a finger inside her to check she was wet enough to take him. Ingrid squeezed around him, wriggling impatiently.
"Fuck me!"
"Always so demanding."
"Someone has to tell you what to do."
Vlad couldn't help chuckling, shifting his body and guiding his erection. Ingrid gasped as he pressed inside her, moulding so perfectly to his cock it threatened to completely blank his mind. She dug her nails into the skin below his collar, thumb pushing into where his pulse had once sent blood up to his brain.
Ingrid adjusted her hips, her legs until she could move and roll and rock herself on Vlad's cock, meeting his thrusts as Vlad remembered he was meant to. Fuck did he love to hear her moan, feel the smooth skin of her thighs beneath his fingers as he raked his nails down one only to trail his fingers back up softly. She whined low in her throat, scraping fresh fiery lines into his back as her fingers tightened and dug into his skin.
The welcoming grip of her body took him again and again, muscles squeezing him within her and coating him in her arousal. Vlad used his hand to pin her wrists, Ingrid's needy whine music to his ears. She struggled and growled, wetting his cock more as they rutted and fucked. Her knees tightened on his hips, bones clashing against the other but it barely registered through the haze of heat and pleasure burning between them.
"You ever wonder" Vlad managed to speak, though he wasn't sure how "what the general reaction would be if everyone knew I fucked you while my wife fucks anyone?"
"They'd know-w-w" Ingrid's voice caught on a deep moan "you have some taste. Why have her when I exist?"
Smirking, Vlad thrust a little harder and made sure Ingrid's hands were pinned, his other hand pinning her thigh to the side so she couldn't tighten them against the sensations seeking relief. Vlad could hardly remember his own name in the onslaught, but his body eagerly performed to make Ingrid writhe in pleasure. Her thigh muscles trembled under his hand, her kisses growing sloppy as she whimpered and moaned against his neck.
Ingrid knew what that did to him, sending heat down his spine to fan the fire burning deep in his belly. Gratified to feel her shake harder, hear her moans grow in pitch, Vlad leant down and forced his fangs back so he could bite Ingrid without leaving scars. Her skin tasted divine all the same, sucking like he would if he fed and she shuddered anew, almost breaking the grip on her wrists.
Vlad couldn't hold back any more, feeling the spark burst into flames as he came with a growl muffled in Ingrid's neck. She whimpered and arched up against him, spasming as she reached her own peak and slowly going lax beneath him. He let go of her wrists, his hand aching with the force with which she struggled. If he weren't certain she loved it, Vlad would have been worried he had really been hurting her.
"Mmm. Good sex. Best remedy for insomnia."
"You struggle to sleep?"
Ingrid shrugged, stretching luxuriously and sitting up.
"You move in your sleep."
Vlad righted his clothes, preparing to be kicked out.
"Then stop letting me stay."
"Fine. Go."
No matter how blissed out and relaxed Ingrid seemed, it was always brutally easy for her to turn back to the Ice Queen most saw her as. Vlad had seen Ingrid the mother and Ingrid the lover, he knew there was more to her than that.
"Remember Adze and I have a social engagement tomorrow. We'll be gone most of the night."
"I raised Adam alone for years. One night won't be any trouble."
Vlad got up, skin prickling with unease.
"That's unfair. You didn't give me a chance to raise our son."
Ingrid got up, squaring up to him.
"There is no our. He is my son."
"Ingrid, one day he is going to want to know where he came from. He has a right to know."
She turned away, nothing about her demeanour showing they had been intimate only minutes before.
"I told you to go."
Sighing, Vlad left. He needed a shower and some sleep if he was to deal with Adze the following night. Water stung on the scratches on his back, but they would heal over as he slept. Not that Adze was liable to see him naked anyway.
He fell into his coffin with a sigh, wondering how much of what he had said was selfish. Adam did have a right to know, Vlad would definitely want to know if Magda wasn't his mother... but that didn't change how badly Vlad wanted to be his father. Not just his 'uncle'.
Picking fights with Ingrid wasn't exactly the best way to go about it.
-YD-
I wrote a chapter! Woo.
It probably sucks. But hey, I tried.