1996
Claire was still shaken from her dream the previous night. It seemed so real, but her parents were torn away from her again. She had plans to take a walk around the city to find a bookstore today, but after last night she didn't have the energy. The only respite she got from the nightmare replaying in her mind was the thoughts of Marcus. Despite featuring in her dream, she knew he wouldn't hurt her or anyone she loved. Her mind simple associated him being a human-consuming vampire with the horror stories Jasper had told her about his past.
She was sipping her coffee while curled up in the lounge when the shrill of the telephone cut through the silence and made her jump, splashing herself with her lukewarm drink. She placed in on the coffee table and made a dash to the phone, attempting to at dry her shorts with the edge of her sweater.
"Hello?" she answered the phone, sounding a bit flustered.
"Hello, Claire," Marcus' voice floated down the line, immediately capturing all of her attention. All of her worries from the previous night melted away; just hearing him made her stomach flutter with butterflies.
"Hi," she stuttered, caught off guard. She didn't expect him to call her so soon, not that she was complaining.
"It's good to hear your voice, tesoro" he chuckled at her shyness. "I'm hoping I didn't catch you at a bad time?"
"No, no, not at all," she responded frantically. "I don't have any plans today."
"Hmm then perhaps you'd like some?" he teased. "I'd like to see you again; would you like to join me tonight at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma?"
After spending his night reading, indulging himself romantic stories he tended to avoid, he had taken to harassing their human receptionist about ideas for a date. After getting over her initial shock, she helped him brainstorm. He decided something cultural would be something she'd enjoy.
"I'd love to," he could hear her smile in her voice.
"I'll pick you up at 6."
"That would be lovely. Thank you so much, Marcus," she gave him her address and after a reluctant goodbye from both parties, she hung up. After a moment of breathless silence, she squealed, leaping from her seat and dancing around the room like an overexcited teenager. She couldn't help it, just the thought of spending more time with Marcus made her feel giddy.
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While his brother, Marcus, was busy calling his newly discovered mate, Aro was sitting across from Caius in his office, nervously tapping his fingers on his wooden desk. He couldn't rid the image of Claire's exquisite face from his mind. He was very glad his brother couldn't read his thoughts. The only one he could talk to about his dilemma was Caius, even if he wasn't the most understanding soul.
"What's got your panties in a twist?" Caius teased, smirking at his brother.
Aro simply scowled at him, huffing under his breath and standing from his seat.
"It's about Marcus," he started.
"Ah yes. Lucky bastard finding his one," Caius grumbled. He may come across as the most ruthless of the kings, but it really was all for show. They couldn't afford to seem weak. He was really just protective and loyal to a fault, and his desire to have a partner by his side sometimes ate away at him. Though he'd never let his brothers know, he didn't need them to know he was going soft.
"Yes. Claire. I feel we should be introduced to her as soon as possible, she will be spending forever with us after all." Despite his happiness for his brother, he could not shake the deep feeling of jealousy. He wanted to see her in person, he wanted to know if his brother's memory did her justice. He was unexplainably drawn to her already; her scent from Marcus' mind had been haunting him all night.
"Right. And this has nothing to do with your incessant pacing all night? Or the fact you were eavesdropping on Marcus and the receptionist this morning? You seem very eager to meet her, brother," Caius taunted, unable to suppress his smirk as Aro's obvious excuse.
"Not at all. I am simply looking out for him," he insisted, avoiding eye contact.
"Right, I'm sure you are, fratello."
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Claire spent the remainder of the day relaxing and reading, and with two hours until Marcus would be arriving, she started getting ready. She didn't have much in terms of opera appropriate clothing, so she settled for a silk, mauve full-length slip dress she found in a small boutique in Paris. She paired it matching stilettos and a delicate faux-diamond choker. After a well-won fight with her thick hair, she managed to pin it in an acceptable low bun, leaving a few strands loose to frame her face.
She was eating some left over pasta over the sink, attempting not to ruin her dress or her lip gloss, when there was a honk from outside her window. She frantically dropped the bowl in the sink and ran to the window, peaking out through the curtains.
Marcus stood next to a sleek, black European sedan, illuminated by the glow of the setting sun and the dull streetlight above. He was fiddling with his suit cuffs, seemingly unaware she was watching him. A small, fond smile made it's way on to her face. He was truly a work of art, sculpted by the gods.
She eventually shook herself from her ogling and left the window, snatching her clutch from the dining table before leaving the villa, double checking the door was locked behind her. While making her way down stairs, she had to take a few deep breaths to calm her rapidly beating heart. Just the thought was spending time with Marcus had her flustered.
Once she appeared in front of him, he broke out in a massive grin, his perfectly white teeth glistening. She couldn't help but admire him; the black suit and shirt he wore contrasted with his pale skin, and paired with his dark, slicked back hair gave him a dangerous aura, his deep red eyes matching the rubies on the 'v' shaped necklace that was sitting under his collar. Her cheeks flushed when he winked at her, clearly having caught her checking him out.
"Good evening, mia signora," he purred, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips.
"Hello, Marcus," she responded, her cheeks growing even hotter.
"I hope you're looking forward to tonight. I haven't taken anyone on a date for a long time, I wasn't sure what was appropriate" Marcus admitted. He hadn't been romantically interested in anyone since his wife, and that was before people even wrote down musical notes. Yet here he was, about to take his soulmate to see a classic opera that was younger than he was.
"Oh, this is a date, is it?" she quipped, a playful smirk on her lips.
"My apologies. I did not mean to be presumptuous," Marcus bantered.
She simply laughed with him. He stepped around the car to open the passenger door for her, her hand still in his. She elegantly entered the car, her legs crossed at the ankles. He closed the door and rushed around to the driver's side, barely concealing his supernatural speed in his excitement.
After they were both buckled in, he pulled out onto the street with practiced ease. His supernatural reflexes made things like driving easy, he would usually speed through the streets but she was precious cargo and he wasn't going to even think about risking her safety.
The short drive was filled with small talk and teasing, the both of them falling back into their comfortable chatter. Marcus found a spot to park near their destination, and once he parked he rounded to her side of the car to assist her out. Claire placed her hand in his and he gently lifted her from the car. The pair were oblivious to the looks they were getting as they made their way to the opera; many watching the stunning couple in envy. Marcus' immortal beauty and Claire's naturally alluring appearance made them quite the idyllic pair.
Marcus flashed their tickets to the ticket taker, Claire's hand tucked securely in his elbow. They were escorted to their seats, a private box that she hadn't been expecting. After accepting the champagne they had been offered, they didn't have to wait long before the show began.
Claire was enchanted by the performance. The ornate set and props, the extravagant costumes, and the incredible vocals. She knew that this is something that her mother would have loved, she got her love for music and the arts from her after all. The bittersweet feeling wrapped around her heart and she had to fight off tears.
Marcus barely watched the performance. His attention was solely on the angel beside him. Demetri had met him before he picked her up and told him about her screaming and crying the night before. The king was extremely worried about her; the thought of her suffering through a nightmare without comfort was upsetting and he had to fights his protective instincts to never let her sleep alone again. He decided he would assign another guard to watch her with Demetri, hopefully the extra protection calmed him inner urges.
The opera ended and as they made their way from the building, Claire was gushing about it, telling him all of her favorite parts while he smiled own at her on his arm, his eyes warm with admiration. He was glad she had a good time, and he was glad that she enjoyed herself. He had been nervous about asking her out, some part of him thought she would simply not be interested.
This marked the first of many dates for the couple. Whenever the weather was overcast, they were together. Marcus' brothers teased him about slacking on his duties, while Claire had finally admitted to the Malloy's she was seeing someone. The couple she was renting the villa from were returning soon, so a month after meeting Marcus, she had to move elsewhere and he had suggested an apartment Cecina that a friend of his owned but never used, though that wasn't true. As soon as he heard she had to find somewhere else to stay, he purchased the humble apartment to get her closer to Volterra. She was happily spending most of the sunny days on the beach or walking around town, while her nights were full of phone calls with Marcus, many lasting well into the early hours of the morning, or spending time with him.
During the couple of months of their courtship, Claire had become completely enamored by Marcus. She relished every moment she spent with him, they just clicked. Like they were meant to be. It was nothing like the feeling she had with Edward; Marcus made her feel appreciated and like she was the center of his universe.
She barely gave thought to his vampire nature anymore, and he was yet to admit to it, but with his suggestion of meeting his brothers she became nervous. If they weren't as mild and controlled as Marcus, she could be in danger. Not that Marcus would let any harm come to her.
a/n: do y'all want smut later in the story? i dont think not having it will subtract from the story so it'd be purely for the 🌶🌶 factor