The sounds of splashing and laughing greeted Drac's ears as he strolled casually onto the ship's massive deck.

In one hand was a fluffy white pool towel. In the other was the warm, delicate hand of his new girlfriend, the captain ofThe Legacyitself - Ericka Van Helsing.

His heart fluttered in his chest at the feel of her soft fingers intertwined with his own, a practice they had started and had been adamantly keeping ever since they had declared their zing in front of everyone during the Kraken attack. Those following few days in the return back to the hotel so far had been nothing short of pure bliss for the man. Getting to know her, getting to spend time together to just talk and learn all about each other had been one of the best experiences on the cruise so far for him. That, and the fact that he was both in love and loved right back made him want to burst with how happy he felt.

Ericka gave his hand a gentle squeeze, the action drawing his attention from his internal musings and back towards her gorgeous face. She smiled brightly up at him when their eyes met, and a slight blush adorned her full rosy cheeks. She then turned from him, and he followed her line of sight to the pool. Several of his monster friends were already there - Frank with his wife Eunice, Wayne with Wanda and many of their wolf pup kids, his father Vlad being tailgated by his witch trio possy, his daughter Mavis, his son-in-law and Mavis's husband Johnny, and his little grandson Dennis who was playing with Winnie. He glanced back at Ericka, seeing the apprehension clearly written on her face. Dracula sighed. He knew she was still a little hesitant to interact with the monsters. Yes, she had easily done it before when she had welcomed everyone on board, and yes, she didn't hold any fear against them at all even now. But she had expressed to him how different it felt after revealing the truth to everyone. Being related to a former monster-hunter who had persecuted their kind with his legacy for over a century had planted that seed of doubt in the back of her mind for certain. But Dracula believed otherwise.

"Don't worry, my sweet little tarantula cake," he whispered as gently as he could to her. "They're harmless. And they knowyou'reharmless, too." He squeezed her hand again and he could feel the tension in her body finally melt away as she relaxed. He smiled. "Come. Let's go have some good old family fun!"

Ericka giggled at this as he eagerly guided them to a couple of chairs by the pool. He released her hand to set his towel on the chair and she took the opportunity to reach for the ropes of the thin white robe that she had come with. Dracula peered over to her once he finished setting the towel, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.

"That's not the wetsuit, is it?" Drac asked.

Ericka gazed at him skeptically. "So what if it is?"

A chuckle rose in Drac, and he shook his head. "Nothing wrong with that, darling. I just figured you might want to be in something that's a little more, eh,casual."

"Casual, huh?" Ericka said with a little smirk. "I suppose you're getting your wish then." She undid the ties at the waistline of the robe and let the garment slide off of her shoulders, allowing it to fall from her body and down on the floor.

All laughter died in Drac's throat when it slid off completely, and a lump formed instead as his eyes widened significantly. Ericka had ditched the wetsuit for an alluring two-piece bikini. The bottom was high-waisted, ending on her smooth abdomen right below the adorable little belly button. The top was strapless, formed to a sweetheart cut that gave her breasts the proper uplift and ample cleavage that was proving difficult not to stare at.

"Do you like it?" she asked, glancing back at him coyly.

Drac did all he could not to salivate in response, his mouth opening and closing uselessly before managing to speak.

"You look…ravishing…" he managed, feeling his face heat up.

Ericka grinned, recalling how he'd said the same thing on their first date. "Not so bad yourself, Count." She ran a hand down his bared chest, briefly feeling the lean muscles under the pale skin, and he shivered at her touch. It was so short, but so electrifying.

She made a couple of steps toward the pool stairs, gently tugging at his hand. "You coming?"

Dracula chuckled nervously. He couldn't go in there yet with her looking likethat. "Eh-heh-heh... I think I'll join you later. I think I'll moon-tan first for a bit, okay?"

Ericka shrugged. "Suit yourself."

But before she could leave, he tugged her toward him, his hands reaching up to cup her face delicately between his palms. He could hear her breath hitch as he neared closer, his eyes flickering from hers to her lips. She got the message, the butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she slipped her eyes closed and tilted her chin up ever so slightly. Dracula mentally prepared himself for the kiss he was about to initiate - their first ever kiss as a couple together.

But as he began the descent towards her, his mind started racing, suddenly feeling that hesitation creep up upon him. Should he follow through? He had already gave her the signs, and yet here he was holding himself back for the third attempt in the past two days. Thinking quickly, he changed the aim of his lips so that they pressed against her cheek instead in a quick chaste kiss. He could see the confusion written across her face at his abrupt change in plan, but she didn't question it. She accepted the affection, and then went off into the water.

Dracula in the meantime cursed himself as he lay down on the towel, feeling all like a fool.She was right there!his mind screamed in exasperation. Why couldn't he just go for it? He frowned, remembering how it was exactly like this the first time he and Martha were trying to share their first kiss. Only, Martha had been the one to follow through in the end, not him. Would Ericka be the same way?

He looked over to where she was in the pool. She had treaded over to where Mavis and Johnny were, and was happily conversing with them. He smiled. It was nice to see her getting along with his daughter. He shuddered to remember how defensive Mavis had gotten when she had caught them together the first time and, in her assumption that Ericka was trying to hurt Dracula, had nearly strangled the woman with the vampiric magic she possessed. But that was in the past now, and the women were sure to become great friends now.

He relaxed a little more, allowing himself to lay back against the seat with his arms behind his head and continuing to watch. The monsters were beginning to adjust a net into place in the middle of the pool. Drac knew whatthatmeant. A game of monsterball was sure to start soon. He saw Johnny quickly explain the rules to Ericka, who had joined a team consisting of the redhead, herself, Mavis, and Dennis against a team of the Steins and Vlad. Nods were exchanged, gestures were made, and the game commenced.

It proceeded as it normally would have, with ferocious ball blocks, dodges, counterattacks and overall competitiveness. Ericka adjusted beautifully to the game's demands, playing off her natural athletic abilities with grace and fluidity. Perhaps a little too perfectly. Dracula found himself entranced by the way her body moved, delectable, sensual and utterly captivating.

He shook his head, somehow breaking free of the spellbound state he was in and quickly distracting himself by applying more moontan lotion before his thoughts of her began to make themselves obvious to everyone else in his white swim shorts. He tried to ignore the fact that his hands felt slightly clammy beneath the cool cream.

A sudden shout from the pool area distracted Dracula from his task, and he looked up in bewilderment.

"Canonball, BAAABBYYYY!"

His friend, Murray the mummy, had made a running start for the pool, leapt up high into the air with a flip worthy of an Olympic medal, and then dived back down, knees up to his chest, with an enormous SPLASH! Monsterball's game was abruptly ended, and the splash's impact sent a massive wave from within the pool outward. Cruise guests lounging by the deck were met with a shower of water raining down upon them, shrieks of surprise following soon after. The cascade of water fell down upon Dracula as well, but along with something else. Or rather, someone.

The air was almost sucked out of his lungs at the unexpected feel of a heavy weight dropping upon his lap, soaking wet, and stunned out of wits as he was.

He blinked once, then twice, and then turned his head to the side until he was nose to nose with... Ericka?

Sure enough, the woman had landed on top of him, drenched and confused as he was. One minute she was about to slam what could have been the winning score for the game, and the next here she was, right there on his lap. The confusion only lingered for a brief moment before Ericka caught hold of her senses and made the best of her situation. She locked eyes with her boyfriend, a sultry smile tugging at her lips and hooded lids batting playfully. The sight nearly stopped his heart dead in its tracks as she leant forward, a hand in his black locks of hair and the other's fingertips just grazing his strong jawline. Just like that, the zing's power seized him entirely, his fears melting to a puddle and his insecurities evaporating in the presence of that intoxicating gaze. The light feeling returned to his chest, eyes flitting between those pink kissable lips and her deep blue orbs.

And this time he did not hold back.

Tilting his head down slightly, he captured her lips with his own, allowing his to mold against the smooth curve of her soft flesh. She tasted sweet, a result of the cherry lipgloss she was wearing and perhaps of the rich blood just underneath it. It was all he could ever hope for from her, and he savored the connection as they kissed slowly, tenderly, and with such love that he had been aching to express since he first laid eyes on her.

"Wooo-hooo! Drac! Way to go, buddy!"

The disembodied voice of Frank came crashing through their bubble, and the two parted immediately. His body parts had flown apart during the great splash, and his head had landed near the pool chair they were at. Ericka was too bashful from experiencing her first kiss to say anything in response, but Drac furrowed his brow and had no trouble expressing himself.

"A little privacy, Frank?" he grunted, and with his foot, he reached down and kicked the head away. The Stein yelped as he briefly submerged into what was left of the poolwater and then bobbed upon the surface like a stitched blue buoy, less than pleased.

"Drac!" Ericka exclaimed. "Do you have to be that rude?"

Dracula only chuckled. "Why waste my time with him when I've got a beautiful woman right here to keep me company?" With a smirk and an impish glance towards her, he winked, causing her to blush profusely and giggle softly. Dracula knew his attempt at flirting was probably very,veryrusty, but with Ericka being new to it all and her loving him so much, he knew she didn't care.

Which is why both picked up right where they left off, not a care who saw them, and enjoying the feel of their mouths gliding gently together.