Upon arriving at the palazzo, scanning eagerly for Caius, I instead spot, Enoch, who stands, wringing his hands, his eyes darting back and forth across the dark streets. As Aro pulls into the garage and switches off the ignition, the sound cutting off smoothly, Enoch's face breaks into relief, and he rushes to Aro's door. "Mr. Aro, so glad to see you return safely." Aro's smile as he clasps Enoch's hand is courteous and he claps him on the back good naturedly. It is always strange to watch Enoch with vampires; he always looks ill at ease, in the same way that Marcus still makes me feel.
'Yeah but that's because Marcus is a soulless monster. Richard chuckles darkly in my ear, as Enoch comes to my side, eager to help me get out of the car, but I beat him to it, closing the door with a quiet snap. I smile anyway at his intentions. "And Alex, I hope your evening venture wasn't too difficult." His eyebrows draw together. "No...accidents?" He looks over the Bugatti. "It looks in the same condition. I take it you are a careful driver. Mr. Caius was most displeased, you had taken his beloved car, but of course-" he smiles. "I did warn you."
Aro beams widely. "Alex is a most careful driver." He offers another large smile in Enoch's direction as he passes him the car keys. "Demetri, is handling the other vehicle, do not preoccupy yourself with such trivial matters." Enoch blushes, flustered. "Mr. Aro. It is none of my business, but Mr. Caius has returned. He mentioned that yourself and Alex found him, I believe he retreated to his chambers, with strict instructions not to be disturbed."
Aro pauses at the door to the garage, one hand on my back, leading me out. "Is that so?" Enoch lowers his head. "Well, thank you Enoch. You may retire. Alex and I will speak with them, in hopes of calming him down." Enoch nods, and heads over to the car, placing the keys on a rack of the wall, with various other fobs, no doubt belonging to who knows how many other expensive cars. Jesus. You'd think with thousands of years of free time, he would commit himself to more honourable causes; cures for diseases, attempts at ending world hunger, rather than be wrapped up in himself.
"He's not only wrapped up in himself." Richard laughs. "Remember, his legs were wrapped around your waist, two hours ago."
"Asshole." I respond. Aro's arm wraps around my shoulders. "My darling, something weighs heavily on your mind. Do tell me." His soft hair brushes against my cheek as he pulls me in close, and we walk down the corridor in an awkward entanglement of arms, towards Caius's room. "Well, the plane crash, we have enemies coming after us, your weird brother Marcus gives me the heeby-jeebies, and in the last 48 hours, Caius has come out as gay/bi/unsure, almost had a threesome, with us, then ran off to a bar, and has subsequently run off yet again." I give him a hard stare. "So yeah, Aro, there's a lot on my mind." I scratch the scar that has formed on my leg from the shrapnel of the plane.
Aro smiles softly. "Caius is a complicated soul, the fires of his youth have still not gone out, and never will." He sighs. "I turned him too young. I had planned to wait, to watch his beauty blossom even further, but in the end, I had no choice but to turn him there and then." He coughs uncomfortably, and tugs at his tie. We stop outside our room. "As for Marcus, he is introverted, painfully shy, he mourns for the loss of his wife." He cups my face with his hands. "Please, love, do not misunderstand him. He means well." His manic smile returns. "Even if his eyes show no feeling." He turns swiftly on his heel, and stalks towards Caius' room.
I rush to keep up with him, his long hair moves gracefully as he rushes. "That's what I'm saying, the guy has no emotion, nothing behind him eyes. Every time he speaks to me, he's like a battery-operated robot." I start to get out of breath. Jesus, I wish I was an athlete, I was never the sporty type at school, almost picked last for football, halfway through school I just gave up, started spending the sports lessons behind the bins, smoking. It was a bad habit, and I regret it.
Look at the state of me now. Sweating like a pig in summer.
I become aware, as we walk down the hallway, of a shrieking sound. Aro, stops for a second, smirks. "Oh, dear." I think back to Enoch, what he said about Caius going on feeding rampages when he's in angry, and brace myself to see bloodied humans lining the halls. "Aro, I think he's maybe feeding on someone. Is there a way to stop-"
"My darling, boy." Aro smirks wider. "He is indeed on a rampage, but not the one you're thinking of." He places his hand on Caius's dark wood door, and sighs. "Prepare yourself."
Oh God, oh shit. The shrieks grow louder, and I realise in a split second that what I can hear are the unmistakable sounds of sex.
-BANG.-
Aro boots open the door with a dramatic kick and enters, without warning, resulting in a soft exclamation of irritation from Caius. I manage to only see a fragment of what's going on, before my instincts kick in and I cover my eyes, for protection, before I'm scarred for life. Caius, naked from the waist down, his hips moving rhythmically, above a shrieking, half covered form under the sheets, blonde long hair fanned out, her hands gripping the metal frame of the bed. "Oh my fucking God." I turn and collapse into one of the armchairs closest to the door, while Caius' movements grow slower.
Aro, amused and not in the slightest bit offended, casually sits in a chair directly next to the bed, and opens a bookmarked copy of Frankenstein. The female shrieks continue, albeit, softer.
"Oh Caius." He sighs. "I thought you were past this Gothic phase. We discussed this many times. There are many other books you can read, that are similar." Meanwhile, Caius removes himself from the form laying beneath him, who can only be his wife.
I feel a stab of jealousy tug at my heart, followed by irritation at Aro's calmness. "He's fucking someone, two inches from you, and you're critiquing him on what he's reading? Well, I've heard it all now." Before Aro can respond, the woman climbs from the bed and stands, fully nude, stretching languidly, before wrapping herself in a silk dressing gown. "Well, Caius." She runs a nailed finger along his bare shoulder, as he zips his trousers. "We will have to continue this later." Bold as brass, as she passes the bed, on the way out of the bedroom, she utters a soft hello to Aro, who gives a short wave, his eyes still glued to the book.
She passes me and smiles. "Hello." She saunters out of the bedroom, tottering down the hallway with a giggle, not a care in the world. "Now, I'm confused. Is he gay, or isn't he?" Richard asks curiously, and I can't help but agree, I'm confused too; two hours ago, we were wrapped up in each other, and it would have gone further if Marcus the killjoy hadn't interrupted us. Caius turns towards me, pulling on his shirt and buttons it. He glares.
"So," I stand from the chair. "Let's add, indulging in meaningless sex, to the list of unacceptable behaviours, along with buying expensive cars and crashing out in bars rather than facing your problems." Caius offers only a harsher glare at my words. "I mean what even was that?" I gesture towards the open door, onto the hallway, where Athenadora, disappeared. Caius shrugs. "I, Alex, am an adult man. I can invite whomever I wish into my private space." His eyes narrow. "especially, I imagine, my wife." He holds up his left hand, the ring glints in my face. I cross my arms across my chest.
Aro, lost in the book, looks up, briefly. "We must discuss this, Caius." Caius makes an irritated 'hmph' noise. He presses on regardless, finally placing the book face down on the nightstand. "Tearing off after earlier, drinking cocktails like a student after finals week. Fine," he holds up his hands. "we all like a tipple or two, but it's not necessary to down one after the other. Alex, is right, in times of crisis, running away and getting inebriated will not help." Caius sits on the bed, his legs stretch out wide. "Alcohol, as I've already mentioned, does not affect me."
His eyes snap to Aro's. "What have you done with my cars?" He glances at me. "And you." He spits. "If you go near any of my cars again, I'll have you chopped into pieces and thrown into the River Arno." He makes a rough gesture, ordering me out, but Aro intervenes. "Mio caro." He stands and crosses to Caius. "Please." He holds his face in his face. "Do not speak to Alex in this way. He's just trying to support you in your crisis."
Caius shrugs off his touch. "I'm not experiencing a crisis. I'm perfectly fine." I laugh. "Yeah, sure. Just because you were able to have sex with your wife, doesn't make you straight. Not that it matters. Gay, bi, whatever, just accept yourself." Caius eyes me warily, his guard lowering, but his bitchy defence is still firmly placed. He lifts his chin defiantly. "What I choose to call myself, does not concern y-" His words are cut off as Aro's lips press against his.
An initial cry of protest is cut off as he wraps his arms around Aro's waist, and pulls him in closer, for an instant, until they break apart. Caius's eyes sparkle from his touch, but is quickly replaced with a look of anger. Aro pulls away, his features hardening.
"You will do as you wish, Caius." He sighs. "You usually do." He looks towards me. "Alex, let us find you something to eat, you must be hungry." He looks over his shoulder, towards Caius who sullenly, stares at the two of us. "Goodnight, Caius, Demetri is bringing your other car, home. You should sit, and read, perhaps drink some herbal tea." His eyes take on a distant and glazed look. "I find it very relaxing." He loops his arm in mine. "And please, do not take it out on Enoch. He was only doing what he thought was necessary for your benefit."
He kisses my temple. "Come, my love, it is time to eat." I follow Aro through the door and out into the hallway, where, a few doors down, I hear the unmistakeable giggle of Athenadora, who speaks in a hushed, girlish voice, as though she's on the phone. I imagine her, laid on her stomach, pink telephone, fluffy pyjamas and Cyndi Lauper playing on the radio like some dumb girl in an 80s film. I take an instant dislike to her, maybe it's her over confidence, her looks, or perhaps the fact that she has Caius. I'm not sure. "Oooh, someone's jealous." Richard intones, with another irritating laugh.
Yes. I realise, with a twinge of upset. To think, how much I hated him when we first met. To think, how much I hated Aro, when we first met. I turn my head towards Caius' bedroom just in time to see him sitting on the bed forlornly, glaring, as the doors meet and the view is cut off, as it closes, leaving the hallway in darkness.