Sick Child - MarkoxOC

Part 45: volcano girls

"I see someone," he whispers. "Behind you."

She turns to see a young, petite blonde girl with her eyes locked on Marko's. They flick from his to the bathroom and back again. Marko grins and looks at Sofie.

"Can I?" He breathes.

Sofie feels jealousy creep into her chest. It's still difficult for her to discern between his bloodlust and his - well, regular lust. There are times when she fears he'll grow bored of her. They haven't been together for that long despite the fact that it feels like they've known each other for lifetimes. Still, the remnants of her human anxiety are determined to hang on. It's difficult to fight the feeling. Marko brushes her cheek.

"I'm yours and you're mine," he whispers, clearly catching wind of her emotions. "Forever."

She grins.

"I'll get us a drink."

Sofie slinks away from him and swims through the crowd toward the bar while Marko heads toward the girl. She orders two more whiskeys. Dwayne slides into the seat next to her and an unexpected wave of relief washes over her. His presence is always comforting, and she's never been able to pin down exactly why. He feels like a father figure to her - a space that's always been missing in her life.

"Hey, kiddo," he says softly. "You good?"

She nods.

"You want Marko's whiskey?" She laughs. "He's occupied."

"With who?"

"Some girl making eyes at him on the dance floor."

Dwayne looks over his shoulder and Sofie follows his gaze, unable to resist the temptation to indulge her own jealousy. Marko and the girl are dancing. His eyes are focused on her throat while she keeps trying to kiss him. He pulls away and leads her into the bathroom. Dwayne scoffs.

"Kid's got brass balls doing this in a bar." He grabs Marko's glass and takes a sip. "You okay with that?"

"Sort of," she laughs. "Sometimes my humanity gets the better of me."

"She's just a human."

Sofie scoffs.

"So was I."

Dwayne wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her close.

"Sofie, he is crazy about you. You'd be a fool not to see that. She's a meal; you're his mate. There's a big difference."

"What does that even mean? What if he gets bored of me?" She asks, unable to help the tears from welling in her eyes. "Trades me in for a shiny new model."

"Sofie..."

"Am I wrong?"

"Yes!" he laughs incredulously.

"That's what my dad did," she grumbles.

Dwayne senses the loss in her and takes her small hands in his.

"You haven't been around long enough to understand how complex this stuff is," he offers. "And that's not your fault, but you're basing this on human relationships. They have short lifespans and shallow emotions. They act on impulse and hormones. I can tell you exactly what's going to happen in that bathroom. He's going to feed, clean up, come back out here, and want to take you home to... well, you know."

She laughs softly and leans into her brother. He kisses the top of her head.

"Thanks, Dwayne."

"Any time."