Time had begun to become a far more solidified concept for Elijah since Lucia had moved into his bedroom, suddenly he had a way to track the days going by that mattered. She slept during the night and was awake during the day, so simple but he had never needed to consider this previously. Unlike himself and his family, she couldn’t maintain a twenty-four-hour reading streak. When she slept, time dragged along almost deliberately slowly, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. When she awoke, time returned to it’s usual barrelling speed. He finally understood why small children supposedly hated bedtime so much.
Lucia snoozed quietly now, bundled in the blankets Elijah had been collecting for her like a magpie every time he found one left abandoned in the house. Eventually he would have to invest in a larger bed to contain them all but for now he simply admired his mini mountain of fluff that contained his fiancée.
Sariyah gave a quiet fake cough to gain his attention, “Can we have a little walk and talk?” she asked.
Elijah stared at her with his brows almost buried into his hairline with how high they were pulled, was she out of her mind?
“And leave Lucia on her own?” He asked incredulously.
“Of course not.” She huffed, before suggesting, “Why don’t you let Reginald take a watch?”
He considered her words for a few moments, while he had yet to cross anyone else off his list of suspects besides Sariyah, the only person Reginald was a threat to was himself. If Reginald was hired as a hit-man he wouldn’t make it through the door of his target. He liked his cousin though, he was a good man despite his ditheriness.
“Well… maybe for a few minutes,” He conceded, adding, “enough for a walk.”
Sariyah rolled her eyes and stood, “He’s oblivious to a lot of things but I think he would notice if someone made an attempt on Lucia’s life.” she said before leaving to fetch her husband.
“Fine.” Elijah mumbled.
It did not take long for Sariyah to nab their temporary watchman and lead him back to Elijah’s bedroom.
Reginald bumbled into the room behind his wife as a dopey donkey trundles behind its owner. Elijah knew the man had a great mind and an incredibly impressive range in artistic ability, when it came to common sense and mindfulness to the world around him however, Reginald could certainly find room for improvement. Elijah often wondered if he would have ever returned home from his travels if he hadn’t met Sariyah and eloped, she was his personal compass leading him through the hurricane inside his head.
“She’s asleep.” He noted aloud.
“Yes, I’d like her to stay that way, she needs her rest.” Elijah advised him sternly.
“She has been getting plenty of rest,” Sariyah reminded him with a sigh, “you can’t keep her cocooned in bed forever.”
Elijah ignored her.
“Watch over her.” He said in place of a farewell to his cousin.
Reginald nodded, his thick glasses sliding down his nose a tad, and dropped into what had been Elijah’s seat.
Sariyah closed the door behind them and they began to walk through the house silently.
Eventually, Elijah grew tired of her lack of explanation “What is it you want to talk about that we can’t discuss in my bedroom?” he asked irritably.
“Your bedroom has Lucia in it.”
“She’s asleep.”
“But if she woke up she would be mortified to hear me telling you to pull your finger out of arse and start behaving like a real fiancé!”
Oh, this again, he thought wearily.
"Tell me exactly what I'm doing wrong then!" He grumbled, exasperated with her constant complaining at how he chose to conduct relations with his own fiancée. It felt as though every time they spoke without Lucia conscious to listen he was being berated for his behaviour around her. She hadn’t been quite this direct with him previously though, hearing her use a mild curse word had him concerned for his health.
"You're far too business-y," Sariyah scolded, "this is what she thought was most annoying about you before too!" she added, rolling her eyes. "You treat her like your business partner and there is no intimacy!" She huffed, putting a hand to her forehead in annoyance. "Can't you just try to treat her like a lover? You've got a fresh start here and I'm trying to help you but you've got to make yourself more loveable!"
Elijah snorted rudely, "I am perfectly-"
"I've known you for decades, Elijah." Sariyah stared him down with a ferocity he didn't often see in her, "Almost as long as my own husband, but you don't let people in easily and you have to understand that you don't have a quarter of a century to win her over," she stared deep into his eyes before adding, "it took ten years for us to even be friends!" she laughed and he joined in, albeit much more quietly.
He knew she was right, he didn't open up to people easily; he had always figured he was just 'one of those people' that didn't like to over-share, he had never thought it would cause problems for him - he was a vampire, he had all the time in the world for people to get to know him. Lucia doesn't, he thought. He remembered his mother's sickening words and frowned, he wondered if he should tell Sariyah what she had said about Lucia being ‘too dark’ but decided against it, he didn't want to gossip about his mother, it seemed childish to him.
“She told me about the kiss in the library, for a minute there you had her heart in a goopy puddle in your hands but just as quickly you reverted back to your shy and awkward ways.”
If Elijah had a the capability to blush he would have. Lucia had told her about the kiss? That kiss had had his entire body feeling liquified and that’s exactly why he had retreated to his acquaintance-mode with her, Elijah had never felt romantic or sexual attraction so intense. Of course he had experienced the awful sensation of a crush in his teen years, he could also appreciate when a woman was dressed or moving sexily, but that kiss was utterly overwhelming. In those minutes his body had moved of its own accord and it needed Lucia.
"What's with the frowny face?" The question pulled him from his thoughts suddenly.
"I was just thinking over what you said," He consoled himself with the thought that he wasn't technically lying, he had started his thought train at her station... "I do struggle to be forthcoming with my thoughts and feelings." It was hard to admit this even to one of his closest confidants, he tried to hide his embarrassment at openly admitting he was a loner but Sariyah still gave him a sad smile that he instantly loathed, he didn't want her pity.
"You don't have to open up to lots of people," She reasoned, "but your wife will be by your side for the rest of your life, you can trust her." she gave him a a shoulder squeeze and grinned, "And I'm not just saying that because I think she's an awesome person." Elijah pulled a tight smile and nodded.
“You trust her?”
“I do,” She tapped the side of her nose twice, “I have a nose for these things - I can tell she’s a good egg.”
Elijah nodded to himself, it was time to throw himself in the deep end and be vulnerable, "Thank you for your advice, I think I will go back and try to be a better fiancé to said good egg."
“Before you do can you pick up some fruit and another jug of water from the kitchen? She’s always so thirsty when she wakes up!” Sariyah asked with a victorious grin.
“Of course.” Elijah answered, “You’re going back to sit with Reginald though, aren’t you?”
Sariyah’s only reply was a cackling laugh before she disappeared. He took that to be a yes and started towards the kitchens.
The scent of Alyssa’s always-too-powerful perfume wafted from one of the Bonnet mansion’s many lounging rooms as Elijah strode past. He paused just after passing the slightly open door though, as he realised she would have heard him pass and would think him rude for not poking his head in. That was the thing about being a vampire, it was much harder to pretend you don’t notice things when all of your senses are enhanced. He stepped back slowly and pushed the door open just far enough to get his chest through and leant into the room.
Alyssa was spread across a chaise lounge, her long, thin limbs stretched out languidly and her head tilted back to allow her long black hair to dangle just above the ground.
“Where are you hurrying off to, Elijah?” She asked slowly, her voice strangely husky.
“Kitchen.” He answered bluntly, “Lucia needs water and fruit.”
“Oh dear,” She pouted and pulled her body up straighter, dragging her dress up with her until it was hitched about her upper thighs, he hadn’t noticed just how tiny her outfit was until then, “your future wife got your balls tied up already?” her words dripped with fake innocence.
“Alyssa, she was seriously hurt and I’m taking care of her, I don’t think comments like that are funny.” He scolded gently.
“You’re right, I’m sorry.” Her dazzling smile appeared, the one their mother called her ‘pageant-smile’ that she usually only used to get her own way. “Perhaps I could pay her a visit? I didn’t want to bother her before since I know she’s had a bit of a memory problem since her tumble.”
“That would lovely, thank you.”
“Has she got any of her memories back?”
“None so far but we’re taking things slow. She’s gunning to be allowed to roam around on her own, to cause mischief with Sariyah and devour the library book by book.” He could hear the pride in his own voice and laughed at himself awkwardly, “She’s a little fighter.” he added.
“Not that little.”
Elijah paused for a beat, “What is that supposed to mean?” he asked.
“Well,” Alyssa sighed as though she were delivering the most awful news to him, “she’s average height and not exactly skinny…”
He blinked a few times to buy himself time as he tried to work out what it was Alyssa was implying. Lucia is not fat, she has a toned body shape with small hips and limbs that were all in proportion to each other.
“She’s been losing her muscle lying in bed so long,” He answered slowly, “I think that’s why she’s so desperate to move about, she wants to stay toned.”
“Is that truly the look you wish for your wife to have?” Alyssa ran a thin hand over her flat chest and minuscule waist as she spoke, as though feeling the material of her outfit for the first time, “Body-builder?”
“Not that I would ever make demands of my bride’s body, but I think her shape is lovely.”
“Well, if she ever decides to attempt to appear feminine,” Her legs parted as far as her bunched skirt would allow and she dropped back against the seat, “you know where to find me.”
“That’s quite enough.” Elijah snapped, striding out with his fists clenched at his sides.
There was no reason trying to engage with her when she was behaving so strangely. He wanted his old sister back, the young one that followed him around like a puppy and wanted to talk about all the beautiful things in the world. This Alyssa had a sharp edge to her that he hadn’t allowed himself to notice until now, too caught up in his own little world to pay attention to what she was becoming: a snake.
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