And here we goooooo.
-YD-
"How did you know that mum?"
Adam chewed his lip, looking up at Vlad and Ingrid. Vlad wondered if his minor crisis was evident on his face.
"I've seen him do it before. Nobody else does it. Except sometimes a little red when angry."
Ingrid dissolved the situation effortlessly, smiling utterly normally at her son. Adam pouted in thought, then nodded.
"Makes sense. Will I be allowed to play with the new baby?"
Vlad ached to spill the truth - Adam was talking about his future sibling.
"Not at first because they'll be too small and won't do a whole lot other than sleep and eat."
"Is that what I did mum?"
"Yes. Thankfully you weren't a screamer like somebody was as a baby."
Vlad shrugged, grinning.
"I get the feeling you probably did your best to make me cry."
Ingrid cocked her head in thought, then hummed to herself with a hint of a smile.
"True. You always were fun to torture."
Adam giggled to himself, then tugged Vlad's arm and pointed to the window.
"Bats!"
Rising to his feet, Vlad crossed the room and opened the window. Two carrier bats had scrolls gripped in their feet, which Vlad reached out to take and the two bats swooped away. Ingrid and Adam were both watching as Vlad scanned the scrolls, frowning.
"What's wrong Vlad?"
"Oh, one of these is an invite to a party from someone I really don't like. The other is a note from the Slayers Guild. I gotta go back to England tomorrow night."
"Will you be back for my birthday?"
Adam looked distraught - his birthday was less than a week away. Vlad wasn't sure he could promise, but saying no to those big blue eyes was near impossible.
"Of course."
He was rewarded by a beaming grin, Adam's pure happiness. Ingrid had a question on her face, but obviously didn't dare ask in front of the child. A knock at the front door rattled the castle just a little, the pattering distinctive to one particular tutor of Adam's.
"Bertrand's here!"
At least someone they trusted was going to be with Adam for two hours, so Ingrid could quiz him as he expected her to.
"Let's get your books while Vlad goes to let him in then."
Adam sequestered in the library with his tutor and several hours work, Vlad and Ingrid went to his study a couple of hallways down. It was soundproofed so he could work in peace when Adze was having a tantrum, meaning it was safe enough without the power-blocking walls should Bertrand need their urgent attention.
"What's the problem with the Slayers?"
Vlad handed over the parchment, watching Ingrid scan it and her lips pursed in thought.
"Is it bad?"
"Probably isn't good. At least they came straight to me with it rather than try to ash first and question later. Means the cease-fire hasn't crumbled."
"Reckon it's the same group as before?"
"Yeah. They wouldn't have sent everyone out at once. Just in case."
Ingrid nodded to herself, handing back the Slayers missive and looking at the other one in his hand.
"Who's that from?"
Vlad strongly considered just setting the damn thing on fire. Instead he held it out, a humourless chuckle at the bizarreness of the entire situation.
"Ramanga. Vampiric baby shower. I've been putting off admitting one is meant to happen because I know I can't stand to touch her, let alone play pretend all over again."
Ingrid tossed the parchment aside, let Vlad kiss her, touch her, ended up lifting her onto his desk. How she always knew when he needed her... it was amazing. Ingrid tipped her head back, whimpering softly as Vlad's fangs touched her neck. She was the only one he had ever done it for; even Adze didn't bear the expected marks of a claiming bite from her husband. He didn't bear hers either, but more allowances were made for males.
She had learned from before, let Vlad make the move. The baby shower invitation had him rattled, but blood if he didn't need Ingrid anyway. The complicated fastenings of her boots were easy to him now, practiced in getting her out of anything. Then went her tights and underwear, the skirt of her dress hiked up. Ingrid soothed a hand through his hair, stroked his scalp as Vlad knelt down and kissed the inside of her knee.
How could anyone ever compare to her? Everything about Ingrid was a natural lure. Scent. Taste. Responses to the touch of his mouth on her. Vlad dragged his tongue across her clit, Ingrid's trembling thighs a potent reward and her white-knuckle grip on his desk tight enough to make the wood creak.
When he slipped his fingers inside her Ingrid spasmed and moaned, his name on her lips between increasingly filthy swearing. Vlad worked her to the edge, tasting her hunger for the promised climax and feeling her muscles tighten around his fingers and in her thighs.
"Blood Vlad, don't you dare-"
Ingrid warned him against teasing her or backing off, and Vlad responded instantly with the last few strokes of his tongue he knew would bring her off. She shattered perfectly for him, the view of her arching back pushing out her chest pretty spectacular to see. As she came down, Vlad eased her through it until she tugged him up and kissed him hungrily before he could even wipe his mouth. The salacious action formed a growl in his chest.
"You up to it?"
Her hand stroked his inner thigh, staying away from his belt until Vlad said so and he nodded. She slid from the desk like pure liquid, kneeling on the ground. Vlad unbuckled his belt for her, but when Ingrid went for his button and zip Vlad managed to let her without panicking. Her mouth was soft and welcoming, fingers gentle but firmly stroking him as Ingrid took her time working Vlad's cock with a knowing tongue.
Vlad's head hit the wall as it fell back, pain not really registering as Ingrid took him deeper and hummed the most exquisite vibrations along his shaft. When he managed to look down, Ingrid was smirking around his cock, silver blue eyes peering up at him and Vlad sort of regretted looking down since it threatened to bring things to a premature conclusion. Lucifer, Ingrid was the most gorgeous creature ever formed.
"Gonna- fuck Ingrid, I'm gonna come."
Ingrid hummed, eyes sparkling with mischief as she kept the deep suction until he spilled, knees weak with the intensity as Ingrid swallowed, licked and sucked him into heated aftershocks. When he slipped from her mouth a minute later, he was still shaking. She stood, fixing his clothes so gently he barely felt her hands.
"You alright?"
She murmured it into his skin, soft and soothing.
"Mhmm. Pretty great actually."
When her hand touched his cheek as they kissed, Vlad felt his chest flutter and wished Ingrid would make sense. He held her, sensing Ingrid had something on her mind but having learnt his lesson about pushing her.
Eventually they separated, Ingrid picking up her clothes and putting them back on while Vlad cleaned his face with paper towels usually saved for soaking up spilled ink. He'd wash anyway to get Ingrid's scent off his face, but otherwise they looked relatively presentable.
Adam was excited to see them after tutoring, chattering excitedly while they were making food together and only stopping to eat. Vlad absorbed time with Adam as best he could, knowing he could be gone a couple of nights again and wouldn't see him. Hopefully the Slayers would be understanding of Vlad's situation - impending fatherhood and all. Packing his things that dawn before he went to Ingrid for what would probably be quite the goodbye, Vlad pushed the baby shower invite aside and tried not to think of Adze.
He shuddered in revulsion, then straightened up. He had a job to do. And he had a birthday boy to get back for. Adam would be upset, Vlad would be crushed to miss his boys first birthday. The first he knew to even celebrate, that was. He would be celebrating his eighth birthday. Ingrid had kept the first seven from him, and Vlad would never truly understand why. He had to make peace with that, especially if he wanted to be around for the next ten that Adam was promised to be with him for.
"Come back soon Vlad!"
"I'll do my best Adam."
"You have to! Mum said we could watch all the dragons."
Vlad raised an eyebrow at Ingrid over where Adam was clutching his waist in a hug. She rolled her eyes, then shrugged.
"It's all he wants."
"I'll be back for your birthday Adam. I swear."
"Yay! Thanks Vlad. Is Rocky coming back?"
"You mean Roqueloire? Yes. Absolutely. He's my number two."
Adam kept smiling, kept hugging Vlad.
"That's good. I like him. He tells me stories about vegetarian vampires."
"His daughter is one from what I hear."
Reluctant but knowing it was necessary, Vlad peeled Adam off to allow him to leave the castle. They had made breakfast together and that was all Vlad could offer that night to him, which neither thrilled in. Shouldering his bag of soy blood, crown, spare clothes and the usual paperwork he had to carry around, Vlad was ready to head back to the Slayers Guild he hadn't set a fang in for near a decade.
"When will you be back?"
"I'm not sure. I can't leave during the day so even if this is resolved tonight I'll likely be stuck there til tomorrow night. I'm hopeful but can't guarantee. I'll try to hurry but this is important."
Biting his lip, Adam chewed on the thoughts.
"I know. You have important stuff to do. Go be a good Grand High Vampire and come back for dragons and cake."
"That sounds like an excellent plan. You do your homework and don't burn down the castle."
Grinning, his son nodded.
"I'll do my best."
"Me too."
Being witnessed, Ingrid couldn't kiss him goodbye like she had last time. Still, she had certainly made up for that well past dawn, and she brushed her fingers against his as he passed.
"Where is Adze?"
The answer Vlad wanted to give was inappropriate to say in front of Adam, so he settled for vague but also potentially true.
"Probably at her fathers arranging an expensive and ridiculous party. I better go, I have to go get Roqueloire and a couple of my Council before I head out to England."
"Ok. See you soon!"
He so hated to go, but he had to. Vlad headed out, transformed and zipped straight to the VHC as fast as his wings would carry him.
"Roqueloire!"
Vlad didn't bother with formalities, looking and finding his bodyguard nowhere to be seen so he simply yelled his name. Roqueloire appeared at his side in short order, bowing as ever.
"Sir?"
"Repeat assignment. Where is my team for Italy?"
Jakob and Mikkel were the only two on duty tonight, but they would do. Vlad hadn't realised how had his startle reflexes still were, almost shrinking away from his staff members in horror at the idea of being touched. Roqueloire seemed to notice, keen gaze on Vlad's posture but he shrugged.
"Find Bertrand and get going."
Vlad dismissed him quickly, not wanting anyone thinking about his bizarre behaviours. Roqueloire nodded and left to do as instructed.
"Where are we going sir?"
Mikkel quizzed as he clasped his cape.
"The Slayers Hub in England. I've been simply dying to get evil stares from Mina Van Helsing, you see. And there's vampire activity."
If he kept his acerbic wit, maybe Vlad could pretend everything was ok. Nobody had to know anything bad had happened to him.
"Why us? Sir."
Jakob asked as he pocketed a flask of blood for the trip, his usual slightly sarcastic deference to Vlad's authority clear.
"The Italians liked you. I'm hoping the Brits will too."
Jakob rolled his eyes, but continued to prepare before they took off. A deep nostalgia overtook Vlad as they headed back; for many years this little island had been home to him. It had allowed him to experience proper breather life for a brief spell, and despite all that it had cost him - friends, childhood and freedom when the power came looking - Vlad wouldn't change a thing.
Landing at the perimeter of acceptable fly zones around Slayers Guild buildings agreed upon in the cease-fire, Vlad dug his crown out of his bag with a sigh and put it on before they headed closer on foot. Slayers were all around soon enough, armed and aware and eyeing Vlad and his convoy with a mix of recognition and suspicion. Most of these had encountered him before, in varying stages of distress of his life.
Some of them had been at his bloodbinding ceremony. Most of them had known about Vlad dating an ex-slayer. A couple dozen had been at the Student Senate Quiz where Malik had helped get Ryan killed. Some had friends who had been killed at the Slayer-Vampire football match.
But only two had personal grievance with Vlad's poor judgement as a thirteen year old who barely understood the power he now wielded.
"Vlad."
Their voices carried some reticence despite his best attempts at reconciliation. They had both aged in the eight year interim, while he probably looked no different save for a couple of haircuts.
"Mina. Jonno. Long time no see."
-YD-
Chapter length should increase as we go if you're feeling short changed.