A/N: content warnings for discussions of domestic violence.
The next evening, Sofie's eyes spring open naturally. She looks at the clock. 7:30pm. Perfect. She climbs out of bed while Marko sleepily rolls over, grumbling lightly about having to be awake. He begrudgingly slips into his jeans and sighs, looking around for a t-shirt to wear.
"Your tank top is clean," she says. "It's in the dryer."
He smiles up at her.
"You take such good care of me."
"Well, if I didn't, you'd live like an animal."
He laughs and pads to the dryer, shirtless, his jeans hanging low on his hips. When he returns, he's pulling the shirt over his head and shrugging on his jacket.
"I'm taking Laddie back to the hotel."
She sighs.
"Marko... it's -"
"It'll be fine. I've already talked to Dwayne."
She quirks an eyebrow.
"You and I have been the only ones here. How could you possibly talk to Dwayne?"
He grins and taps his temple with his fingers. Sofie lets out a soft chuckle and shakes her head. Of course.
"I guess there's a learning curve," she mumbles.
Marko's arms snake around her waist and he brushes his lips against her earlobe.
"I have an eternity to teach you."
If he were anyone else, those words would have caused a deep sense of anxiety to begin to bubble in the pit of her stomach. Instead, she leans into him and sighs contentedly. Her chest swells, and she pulls back to gaze into his bright blue eyes. Marko stares back longingly. There's something trapped behind his eyes that Sofie isn't quite sure she wants to ask about. He seems content just to gaze at her, his hand reaching up to gently cup her cheek. She takes a deep breath (out of habit) and stares back, meeting the intensity of his gaze. Her stomach flutters - not in a bad way, just different. Wherever she goes; no matter how far apart they are, she'll always be bound to him. It's an implicit understanding that now lives in her bones. She's his. This feels like the perfect moment to tell her that she loves him, but what she feels is more than that. The feeling is almost overwhelming. Her chest tightens and a lump forms in her throat, like she might cry, but... it also doesn't feel like that. It's deeper than that. There's no overwhelming cascade of tears that cause her face to crumple. These new emotions are strange and almost impossible to navigate. They feel older and more complex than anything she felt when she was still human. All she knows is that here and now, he's the only thing in the world that she needs. Sofie clears her throat and bites her lip. He senses her discomfort, but his expression doesn't change.
"You think too loud," he whispers, his smile growing wider.
"What do you mean?"
"I can hear everything up there."
Adrenaline hits her like a freight train. All of it? Did he hear all of it?
"Oh..."
He kisses her - soft, slow, and full of longing. His teeth worry her bottom lip and she moans softly. It almost feels like he's trying to pull the words "I love you" from her mouth, maybe so he doesn't have to be the first to say them. Marko's mouth moves to her jawline and his lips part. He lets out a small, soft sound, and then settles for nipping at her skin. She can feel something emanating from him. Like wants to say it, but it's not time yet - for either of them. Sofie pulls away and brushes his cheek with the back of her hand.
"Sorry," she whispers.
"Why are you sorry this time?"
"I don't know," she laughs. "I should shower. I've got to get ready for work."
He nods and she untangles herself from him and grabs some clothes from the closet while Marko moves to the bed to watch her. She showers, dresses, and creeps into the living room to find Laddie and Ichabod curled up on the sofa. Ichabod purrs softly and Laddie looks like this is the best sleep he's gotten in years. Quietly, Sofie pulls his clean clothes out of the dryer and places them on the coffee table. She pads to the kitchen and rummages through the cupboards - anything to distract herself. She manages to scrounge up some bread for toast, some jam, and a couple of pieces of bacon that she found in the back of the fridge. They smell fine. She's pretty sure she only bought them a few days ago. She quietly cooks, trying to push the incident in the bedroom out of her mind, and places the plate on the dining room table before gently placing her hand on his shoulder. Laddie jumps a little and rubs his eyes.
"There's food on the table for you," she says softly.
He practically leaps off of the couch and onto the dining room chair, stuffing food in his mouth like a feral animal. Sofie hears Marko laugh behind her. She grins at him and pats Laddie on the head.
"Slow down a bit, bud. You don't want to choke."
The boy nods and slows his pace - just a little. Sofie laughs and shakes her head while Marko comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist. The tension between them (if she wanted to call it that) has gone. Marko kisses her cheek and rests his head on Sofie's shoulder to look down at Laddie.
"Once you're done, I'm taking you to my place, kiddo."
"You don't live here?" Laddie says with a mouthful of toast.
"Nope. This is Sofie's house. I live somewhere really cool. I think you're gonna like it."
Yeah, if you like tetanus.
"What did I tell you about thinking too loud?" He breathes, low enough so that only she can hear him, before nipping at her earlobe with a bared fang. It's a rough, punishing bite that sends a small trickle of blood pouring down her earlobe and dripping onto her neck. Sofie hisses softly in pain and glances over her shoulder. Marko's normally sweet demeanour has been quickly replaced by a primal anger bubbling just beneath the surface, eager to punish small transgressions. Sofie removes his arms from around her waist and walks quickly into the bedroom, tears stinging her eyes. She shuts the door, but Marko follows. Sofie turns around, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Don't do that to me," she hisses angrily.
Marko raises his eyebrows, baffled and oblivious.
"What are you talking about?"
"Biting me like that! So I thought something you don't like. So what?"
He laughs.
"Sofie, it's not a big deal. This is how we -"
She lunges at him, hands balled into small but ferocious fists.
"I don't care how you do things with the boys. You might be my sire - whatever the fuck that means - but that kind of shit isn't going to fly with me. Understand?"
She breathes heavily, glaring at him. Marko tilts his head and leans up against the wall, studying her.
"Who's Kevin?" He asks softly.
"What?"
"Who's Kevin?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"I've heard his name rattling around in your head. You never have anything nice to think about him." Marko chews his bottom lip, choosing his next words carefully. "I just assumed he's the reason why you're reacting like this. Why you're crying, why you apologize so much for shit that doesn't even matter... why you're still afraid of me."
Sofie snarls.
"Those are some big assumptions, Marko."
"Are they?"
She huffs, annoyed, feeling the urge to stomp her feet like a child.
"I'm not going to play psychiatrist with you."
"I'm not playing anything," Marko says pointedly - his tone angry, but measured. "I want to know who he is."
"Why?" She snaps. "So you can kill him?"
"That doesn't really interest me."
Sofie laughs and tilts her head, a sardonic grin spreading across her face.
"And what does interest you? You want to fix me? You think I'm broken?"
"No. I think you're exactly who you need to be. I just want to understand." His expression is full of tenderness. "So I don't hurt you like this again."
Sofie sniffles and swallows the lump in her throat. She moves to sit on the edge of the bed. Marko continues to cling to the wall.
"Kevin's my ex-boyfriend," she says after a long, uncomfortable silence. "He was my first and only real boyfriend other than..."
Sofie sighs. Marko nods, encouraging her to keep going.
"He wasn't very nice to me."
"Judging by the images I'm getting from you, I'd say wasn't nice is the understatement of the century."
She runs her hand through her hair. This was a part of her that she preferred to keep secret. She was good at it. Kevin had fooled so many people, even her. Even when she left him, she still told everyone that it was amicable. She couldn't deal with the questions, the shock, the pitiful looks of I can't believe he did this to you. Or worse, nobody would believe her. Monsters always hid in plain sight.
"He never hit me where anyone could see it," Sofie continues, her voice beginning to shake. "I could never do anything right."
Tears spill onto the floor as she leans over and tries to breathe through years of trauma tearing through her being like a forest fire. The confession feels good, but wrong at the same time. She's become so used to holding this all in and carrying this secret in the deepest, darkest parts of her that it's become entangled in very DNA. It was stupid of her to think that she was in any way over this. She's merely bandaged the wound, never allowing it to breathe. She doesn't notice Marko moving to sit beside her. He tenderly wraps his arms around her.
"You don't have to say any more. I'm sorry I hurt you."
"You didn't know," she says through a sniffle.
"We won't be like that."
"That's what he always promised me after the bruises healed."
Marko gently grasps her chin and turns her head to face him.
"Well, I am not some twenty-year-old dickhead with a rage problem."
Sofie chuckles softly as he brushes the tears from her eyes. She trusts him; remembers how safe he makes her feel. Her apprehension begins to melt and she sighs softly.
"That's true."
"I'll be gentle. I promise."
Sofie bites her lip and shifts uncomfortably.
"I mean, you don't have to be... all the time."
She can feel her skin grow hot, but no flush creeps across her cheeks. He senses it, though. His eyes darken and he grins.
"Understood."
He kisses her gently, but they're interrupted by a knock at the bedroom door. It's louder than Laddie's.
"Marko," Dwayne's voice drifts into the room.
"Jesus!" Sofie shouts, jumping up and whipping the door open. "How did you get in?"
"You left your window unlocked."
"Shit."
"Sorry, Sofie, but Marko, the kid and I have to get a move on."
"Yeah, and David and I wanna get to your old boss's house before anyone else does," Marko says, slipping his jacket over his shoulders.
Sofie nods as the three of them walk into the living room. Laddie has folded the blankets neatly and rested them on the arm of the sofa. He's sitting quietly with his hands folded in his lap, staring up at the three of them. Sofie changes into her high heels and shoves her sneakers into her purse. Dwayne merely has to hold out his hand and Laddie clings to him in a second.
"How do you do that?" Sofie marvels. He shrugs.
"Kids like me."
"That's a little disconcerting given what we are," Marko says with a sardonic chuckle.
"C'mon, boys," Dwayne drawls, doing his best David impersonation. "Let's go."
Sofie grabs Marko's wrist and pulls her toward him.
"Pick me up after work?"
He smiles and gives her one last gentle, goodbye kiss before sauntering out the door.
"Wouldn't miss it. C'mon, we'll drop you off."
&&&
Marko and Dwayne get Laddie settled into a small room at the back of the cave. They make a deal with David that he leaves the boy alone, to which David rolls his eyes, but agrees. Dwayne stays behind to make sure that Laddie doesn't accidentally kill himself on one of the thousands of sharp objects in the cave while Marko and David take off on their bikes toward Jim's house. At first, Marko isn't sure where it is, but David stops in front of a modest grey and white house with an unkempt lawn and sniffs at the air.
"This is it," he announces.
Marko quirks an eyebrow.
"You sure?"
"How long's he been dead?"
"A day."
"Yeah, this is it." He climbs off of the bike. "Let's go."
"I still don't know how you do that," Marko whispers.
David claps him on the shoulder.
"I'm older and wiser than you, little brother."
"Yeah, yeah."
David takes the lead, and Marko follows. They approach the house. Marko notices that most of the crime scene tape has been removed save for the remnants dangling from the trees. There's a thick piece of red tape keeping the door held shut. David slices through it with a claw-like fingernail and pushes the door open. The smell is the first thing that hits them, but neither of them flinch. They slither through the darkness with ease, surveying the house. Some picture frames are knocked over in the living room, but otherwise, not much is out of place. They walk to the bedroom, where the smell is the strongest. David pushes the door open with his foot. The body is still on the floor, encased in a body bag. The bedding has been stripped and the mattress is covered in dried blood. David grabs a handful of loose dollar bills that are sitting on the nightstand and stuffs them into his jacket while Marko sits on the bed, glancing around the room.
"How's it going with Sofie?" David asks, rifling through Jim's drawers and finding more hidden stashes of cash. He tosses Marko a wad of twenties. Marko fiddles with it, not bothering to look his brother in the eye.
"It's good."
"I saw that."
"What?"
"That little twinkle in your eye." He grins. "You're in love."
"Fuck off. We've gotta figure out-"
David chuckles and holds one finger up.
"We've got all night. You've never gotten this attached to a girl this quickly."
"I've only had two other mates."
"Who you never bothered to turn. You led them on and then slit their throats."
"I was young," Marko says softly. "It didn't feel right. Not like this."
Marko's brother studies him, his usually cool gaze becomes one of curiosity and longing. Since Marko has known David, he's never had a mate; never claimed to need one. David's interested in quick fucks with violent ends. Marko finds it oddly bizarre that he's so interested in Sofie. Then again, she's the first girl that they've turned, and the first one to be officially welcomed into their little family... and David is nosy as hell. He hides it well behind a cool stare and a massive ego, but his ears always perk up at the sound of gossip.
"Like what?"
"Like I've finally found a piece of me that's been missing for years, and I never want to let it go," Marko says softly.
David pulls a cigarette out from behind his ear and lights it, taking a deep inhale. He tosses Marko the pack.
"I don't have a lot of experience with this shit, but that sounds like love to me."
Marko jams a cigarette between his lips.
"I'm not ready yet, man."
"For what? That love shit is so boringly human. Just say it. Who cares? Are you going to wait a hundred years before you finally tell each other how you feel?"
"It's more than that. I don't have a word for how she makes me feel."
"You're getting soft in your old age, little brother." David crushes his cigarette out onto the dresser. "I told you, those old romance novels you read warp your brain. They're worse than T.V."
"I don't know if she's ready to be fully bound to me."
"Are you ready?"
"I don't know yet," Marko confesses.
"That's fair."
A wicked grin spreads across David's lips.
"She must be a pretty good fuck to get you all worked up like this."
Marko glares at him.
"Over the line, bro. Besides, I wouldn't tell you anyway."
David chuckles.
"You'll leave that pretty little brain of yours unlocked one day. I can't wait to see what that looks like."
"You sound like Paul."
David throws his head back and cackles. It's rare that they get this kind of personal time. Marko stands and shakes his head.
"David, my dear brother, as much as I love these personal talks, we should probably figure out if we've got company."
David rolls his eyes.
"Since when were you all business?"
"Since I stopped wanting to talk about my feelings." Marko walks over to the body bag and unzips it. "Come on, old man. Work your magic."