Heyo it's Panic Anon! damnnnn garcello beat the crap out of the dude! Awesome story! hmm.. how about an au where garcello is a vampire lord and is seeking someone to marry, and the s/o is one of the sacrificial lambs from the village, so then he gets to know her and actually loves her? Idk lol
Hey panic! I'm so sorry this took me so long to get to lol, but I hope this is what you were hoping for!
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You sat in the corner of the room, watching him warily as he sat. He hadn't moved in hours, he was just sitting, curled in the plush armchair with a book in his hand and his usually perfectly styled hair framing his face.
You were offered to him as a, sacrificial lamb, of sorts. He lived in the manor on the hill that was guarded by high iron fences and large bushes. Everybody knew who he was, what he was, and once a month somebody from the village was offered to him to keep him up in the house, rather than hunting in the village.
But it had been a week and he hadn't touched you.
"Are you going to stare at me all day?" He finally spoke. You jumped in surprise and looked to him.
"Are you going to kill me? Or just make me wait and suffer." You snapped in return. He raised his eyebrows and turned his attention back to his book, scratching at the stubble on his chin. You tilted your head and he sighed, replacing the leather bookmark between the pages and shutting the book before standing and crossing the room, stopping in front of the chair you sat in.
"I don't kill people." He said, pushing his hair back with one hand. You didn't believe him. If he didn't kill people, what happened to the people who were sent through the gates to appease him?
"The people from the village, they send me sacrifices. I don't want them, but, they have nowhere else to go." He started.
"They send the people who they feel won't be missed, won't be valued. I just let them go and point them to the back gate with some food." He explained, turning his back to you and walking back to the chair. He sat down and crossed an ankle over his knee.
"Then, why keep me?" You asked, standing from the stool you were sitting on. You adjusted your skirts and he shrugged.
"You seemed different." He said, picking up his book again and turning the cover so you could see. Cymbeline, a title you'd never heard.
"How much of Shakespeare do you know?" He asked. You shook your head. You had read some of his plays, the ones you could get your hands on from the small book shop in town. He patted the chair next to his own, offering for you to sit beside him.
"Cymbeline is a favorite of mine. The only thing I don't like is the ending." He said, offering you the book. You picked it up and slowly read the cover. You could read, knew how to read, but it was difficult. And when you opened the cover the words were confusing and you furrowed your brows as you grew more and more frustrated. You turned to look at him, Garcello, and watched him yawn. You nearly forgot he wasn't human but the large pearlescent fangs he had were a harsh reminder.
You slammed the book cover closed and set it on the table between the armchairs, sliding it back to him and fiddling with your fingers. You didn't want to tell him you couldn't read it, didn't understand the words. He was trying to reach out to you.
"It's alright, I found it difficult to read at first." He took the book and flipped the cover open again, pointing to the inscription on the first page. It was signed "To my dear friend and inspiration, Garcello. -William Shakespeare"
"He never was good at brevity." Garcello explained, "Even when I'd read draft after draft and tell him to simplify his words, he enjoyed being the one who knew what his new words meant." Garcello finished with a small chuckle.
"If you'd like I can read it to you." He offered, pushing his hair back again and looking to you. You were wary of him. He was a powerful creature, one who survived on drinking the blood of other creatures. But there was a gentleness to him, in the way he spoke to you, the way he never pushed you for anything.
"Alright." You said quietly, pulling your feet up into the chair and adjusting your skirts so you were comfortable. Garcello opened the book, flipping to the first page and clearing his throat before he began.
