True Love Never Runs Smoothly Part 5 (Marcus)
Hello, lovelies! You’ve all been so patient – thank you!
Here is Chapter 5 of the Marcus story arc. I wasn’t going to post it yet, but…I’m not sure what else I’d add to it for now, so here ya go. 😊
Warnings: Suicidal/depressed thoughts/mentions, language.
@kettnerjanea @jelly-fishy-babie @the-graceful-ace @amwolowicz @batsdothings @waxingmoonstone @littlebabybatthings @mauvette268 @katsav17 @batsuperflashmartianwonderman @imyourapocalypse @chubbybbt
A few hours of reading put you into a much more relaxed frame of mind and when Edward announced it was time to head out to the garden for lunch, you were actually eager. And hungry.
You, Bella and Edward headed out from the library and you were a bit surprised to see Aro, Sulpicia, Marcus and Athenodora already gathered around an honest picnic blanket. Quilted and everything.
(You couldn’t help the somewhat panicked glance for a blonde head, but you breathed a sigh of relief when Caius was no where to be found. Good. You weren’t quite ready to face him yet. He was a lot…scarier than the rest.)
Aro’s sudden laugh at something his mate said, surprisingly had you relaxing from the unknowingly tensed stance you’d taken up.
You could do this. This was totally fine. All these people -vampires- you could trust. They had proven time and again during your short stay here that they were on your side. They believed in you and in your worth.
A gentle, cold hand settled on your back and Edward guided you forward towards the waiting party.Your stomach growled to help propel you the rest of the way. Honestly, your stomach and emotions had ruled your entire moves since you got here.
And you weren’t incredibly thrilled by that.
You really needed to get back to your own, non-supernatural, much less confusing world where things actually made more sense and you were more in control.
The three of you reached the blanket and you narrowed your eyes in suspicion when you were “subtly” maneuvered to sit next to Marcus.
You looked first at Edward and Bella and then to Aro and the Queens – all of whom suddenly found themselves busy with something and couldn’t meet your eyes.
For vampires, they really weren’t all that sneaky. You almost wanted to glance at Marcus to see if he had figured out something was a bit hinky but you were too nervous to do that. It was one thing to…joke?...about being with Marcus with Edward and even Aro, but having the man sitting next to you, a freaking King sitting next to you was a little different.
And whole lot more nerve wracking.
Shaking your head slightly, you decided to just go with it. If you thought it over too much, you’d end up making it all awkward. And since you didn’t want to ruin the good mood you’d been in mostly all day, you sat and started making yourself a plate of food.
The sun was ducking in and out between clouds and you found yourself fascinated by the shimmer of the vampires sitting around the quilt spread out on the perfectly manicured lawn.
Everyone was talking and laughing – all very cozy, all very familial feeling. You and Bella were the only ones eating, obviously, but the five vampires around you were sipping glasses of what you assumed was blood.Edward had one too and you hoped for his sake it was animal blood.
The brief nod the bronze haired telepath sent you confirmed it and you felt yourself relax even more.Edward had been good to you this entire time and you didn’t want him to suffer at all during this…odd situation.
The conversation suddenly seemed to change to include you and Bella even more and you threw yourself into it whole-heartedly. Both because the topic was one you could talk for hours on and also to distract yourself from your own thoughts.
Yet, despite how involved you were in the new conversation, you couldn’t completely shake the awareness you had of Marcus and his every move.
Marcus was…he was an absolute gem.
You didn’t know if he was in on this whole ‘matchmaking’ thing or if he was just a gentleman, but he was attentive. And sweet.
Though he too engaged in the conversations around the blanket, any time you needed anything, he was there with it. More drink? He was already offering you the pitcher. More finger food? The tray was suddenly hovering off to your side to chose from. Whenever you had something to add – which was often – you had his undivided attention.
It brought up all the things Athenodora had mentioned being Marcus’ mate would entail. And judging by her smirks and knowing looks, she knew you were mentally revisiting her conversation with you.
And she hadn’t been wrong. On any point.
Marcus was attentive, charming and was catering to your every need. If Marcus was this attentive when you weren’t anyone important to him, when you hardly knew each other, just how much more attentive would he be if you were his Bond Mate?
A brief sour feeling swept through your stomach at the thought of your own messed up Bond. Oh, what you’d give to have him as a Mate instead!
This small taste of what a caring Bond Mate could be just drove the proverbial knife in a little deeper. Why was this impossible for you to have even when you had a Mate?
A light touch to your elbow had you looking over at Marcus in surprise.
“Are you alright, Cara?” he asked just loud enough for you to hear over the conversations still going on around you.
You gave a small smile and visibly shook off your dark thoughts. This was no time to get depressed again. These vampires were doing this picnic luncheon – mostly – for you. You would not have their efforts go to waste. Even if you didn’t have anything worth a King’s attention.
“Yes, thank you,” you said after a brief moment. “I’m fine.”
Hazy red eyes started into your own before the vampire king gave a gentle nod and Aro effortlessly included you back into the conversation.
Alright, you took back your earlier thought.
Perhaps they were a little sneaky.
That afternoon was one of the best afternoons you’d had in ages.
All of the stories and rumors you’d heard of the Volturi, mostly from the awesome backstabbing, vicious Cullen crew, were blown out of the water as soon as Edward and Aro got into a friendly, yet heated debate over the best vacationing spots in Europe. Of all the things to argue about, they argued about tourist traps. (Though for probably different reasons.)
Edward had finally been declared the victor, (since Aro hadn’t left Volterra in centuries except for dire ruling emergencies), and Aro was good naturedly pouting about it. Which Sculpicia took as an invitation to spirit him away for some ‘comfort’.
Nobody had any confusion as to what exactly that meant.
Athenodora was the next to leave, citing Ciaus as an excuse. You were still super wary of the violent blonde vampire, so you didn’t call her on her obvious escape tactic. But honestly, with all the knowing looks being thrown across the blanket, it was a very obvious ploy.
That left you, Marcus, Edward and Bella.
As soon as Edward opened his mouth, you were already glaring at him.
Seriously? You sent out mentally. And just what is your excuse going to be?
Edward, the bastard, just responded to your mental questioning with a smirk and made up some cock and bull excuse about Bella needing her rest.
This time, you didn’t keep your doubts inside your head.
“Her rest?” you repeated deadpan with a raised brow. “It’s like…not even dinner time yet.”
“Well, I’ve been sleeping less lately,” Bella started and you help up a hand with a dramatic cringe.
“Bella, I don’t want to know. Please. Spare me the torrid details of you and Edward sharing a room.”
You weren’t sure who sputtered in outrage more, Bella or Edward, but it was amusing all the same.
“I shall bring Y/N back inside once she’s ready,” Marcus finally spoke up, a hint of humor in his voice.
Despite the nerves that shot through you at the idea of being alone with him, you gave the still embarrassed Edward and Bella a grin.
“You kids go have fun uh…resting,” you said angelically. If they were all going to leave you with Marcus for some hair brained match making idea, well…you wouldn’t go quietly.
Edward snorted at your thoughts, but dutifully escorted Bella away and back into the castle.
You felt a little of your tension returning as they disappeared from sight. Obviously, you weren’t any good at any of this, or your own Bond Mate would want you. You were a little lost about what to say or do with a King!
But Marcus, once again, proved to be the perfect gentleman and started up a conversation you couldn’t help but join in to.
He smoothly and easily kept it going, not letting any awkward pauses or silences fill the air, (you were sure that with your nerves, especially at first, you made him work hard to accomplish that), and you found yourself relaxing bit by bit.
The more you spoke with Marcus, the less you seemed to remember exactly who you were speaking to.
Honestly, the Vampire world didn’t give this King enough credit. He was charming, witty and ridiculously smart. And yet, he didn’t make you feel stupid by comparison. He valued your input and complemented your ideas and insights.
And if that wasn’t enough, his laugh and sparkling eyes would have been.
You’d heard stories of the King who was heartbroken and had lost all will to live.
Based on what you’d seen today, or since you’d gotten here really, Marcus was now a completely different vampire. Part of you, a very small part of you, flattered yourself in thinking that it was because of you. You tried not to think about that whenever Aro or Edward were around. (Quite honestly, you tried not to think about that period. Because how mortifying would it be when that turned out not to be true? And why would it be true?)
“I just don’t see it,” Marcus broke into your thoughts and you blinked, finding his face closer to yours then it was before.
“Huh?” you asked intelligently, mind struggling to catch up.
“I don’t see how any vampire could walk away from you and the Bond,” the quiet King murmured, red eyes roving every inch of your face in what you’d call reverence on anyone else.
You gave a self-depreciating smile, but it slipped when the handsome face in front of your dropped into a scowl.
“Aro told me about your ideas of your self worth and value,” Marcus said lowly.
You tried valiantly to suppress a shiver at the sudden gravely tone.
“That is also something I do not see. How you can think so low of yourself when you are as amazing as you are is something I do not understand.”
A blush lit fire to your cheeks and your eyes widened comically as cold, gentle fingers brushed against your jawline.
“So beautiful,” came the hushed voice.
You bashfully lowered your eyes, completely at a loss as to what you were supposed to do or say. This wasn’t exactly a situation you expected to find yourself in when you accompanied everyone to Italy.
“It seems that my brother and sister-in-laws have an idea that involves the two of us.”
Your eyes shot back up to meet his gently amused ones.
“O-Oh,” you stuttered out, “I think that was…I don’t think they meant…It’s not—”
An icy finger pressed itself against your lips, silencing your floundering.
“I am myself intrigued at the idea,” Marcus murmured, a small smile flitting across his lips. “My Didyme was the light of my life and when she died, a very large portion of me did as well. But I am finding that pieces of that missing part are coming back. I’d very much like to explore this possibility that they have presented us with. If you are willing.”
You just stared at him. If you were willing? Willing to what exactly? And he was intrigued by their idea? What kind of Twilight Zone was this? Where the King of the Undead wants to…to…have a relationship? With a human? With you?
A zing of arousal shot through you as Marcus gently ran the finger pressed against your lips back and forth – a gentle caress that his hooded eyes followed.
A slight flair of his nostrils and those hooded eyes were now boring into your own.
You swallowed and opened your mouth, watching red eyes glance back down at your lips before moving back up to meet yours.
“I’d…be willing,” you said softly after a long moment, feeling butterflies erupt in your stomach as your lips grazed his finger when you spoke.
And it didn’t seem like he was inclined to, if the caressing he’d started up again was any indication.
“Good,” came the throaty response, red eyes once again tracking his finger that was softly tracing your lips before he looked back up at you with a somewhat feral grin.
“I promise you that you won’t regret it.”
