---/---
"This apartment is really small."
Huffing she brushed her teeth, rinsing out the sour taste of a late night, and an even later morning, Agatha rolled her eyes at her reflection. She could hear Dracula rummaging about in the next room. She could picture the scene to accompany the noises, imaging him nosing through her pile of books on the coffee table, and pacing the few feet over to the large sash window that looked down over the bustling city street below.
"I can actually cross this room in four...no three paces." Dracula added. "I think your entire apartment could fit inside my bedroom."
Rinsing out her toothbrush, just in case he wanted to use it, Agatha made a mental note to buy a second one. Despite his complaints about how small her apartment was Dracula was bound to be spending at least some time here, and Agatha had better make the appropriate preparations. It felt strange, the knowledge that after all these years, after preparing to spend her adult life unattached to anyone, that she was now in a relationship. A committed serious relationship that would at some point end in marriage. If Dracula got his way, sooner rather than later, but Agatha liked the idea of calling him her boyfriend for a while. She could almost imagine his reaction the first time she did, his face would be a picture...perhaps she could get Lucy to photograph it for her?
"And the view is..."
"I get it you hate my apartment." Agatha called out, as she left the bathroom, tugging her dressing gown more firmly around herself, whilst drinking in the view of a bare-chested Dracula. At least he had pulled his sweatpants back on, she couldn't cope with any more distractions, if they were ever going to leave this apartment today.
"Now Agatha, hate is such a strong word, I would say despise is more accurate." Dracula retorted from the place on the sofa where he had draped himself dramatically. "You need a bigger couch."
"You need to stop moaning or I will kick you out."
"You wouldn't?"
"Don't test me...and I can't get a bigger couch, it won't fit up the stairwell."
"Ahh." Dracula mused, enjoying the view of Agatha all relaxed and tousled from a recent shower. A shower Dracula had offered to join her in, well until he had seen the postage stamp she called a bathroom, and that her shower was actually over her bath, like some sort of poor person.
"I cannot believe I am paying out as much as I do, for all of your upkeep, and this is the result!" Dracula huffed, taking another less than impressed look around the apartment.
Frowning in confusion, Agatha couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that, and when Agatha wondered something... "What do you mean you pay for?"
"I'm your Elder, your financial welfare is my responsibility." Dracula answered as though the answer was obvious, but when Agatha continued to frown Dracula added.
"All Clans pay a tax to provide support for orphans, and to hire the mortal staff, and of age vampires necessary to educate and protect our world. However, when I turned up, you, and once I complete the adoption, Mycroft, become my responsibility. As such I received a lovely backdated tax bill. I also foot the bill for all your new kin at headquarters. Think of it like paying their boarding school fees."
"But I've been working, I earnt that stipend." Agatha huffed, crossing the floor to slump down next to Dracula on the couch, draping her legs over his, as there was no room otherwise.
"Yes, you did, hence my bill wasn't as big as it could have been, so I thank you for that." Dracula teased tucking a grumpy Agatha in under his chin. "The point I am trying to make, is it would cheaper for me and more beneficial for your quality of life if you..."
"I am not ready to move in with you." Agatha cut him off, before suddenly panicking, wondering if that was what Dracula was about to suggest at all, or if she hadn't grasped the complete wrong end of the stick.
"Shame. Still it was worth asking." Dracula sighed, running his hands along her bare legs. "I could do with a form of live in exercise that isn't that damn CrossFit machine."
Pinching and twisting one of his nipples in retaliation, Agatha savoured Dracula's wince and small exclamation of pain.
"Be very careful my love, what is sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose as well." Dracula warned her, running his hand over a dressing gown clad breast and squeezing it slightly.
"Speaking of work, I never called in this morning."
"Don't worry I will sign your sick note." Dracula teased, ticking Agatha when she giggled. "I'm serious, emergency clan business or something like that, should keep you out of trouble."
"I think I get into more trouble here with you." Agatha retorted, savouring Dracula's deep laugh, and the way it reverberated thought the chest under her ear.
"Only the good kind...and speaking of trouble..." Dracula's tone turned suggestive, slipping the hand that had been stroking the back of her knee, up under the edge of her dressing gown to creep up her thigh.
"No."
"No?" He added suggestively.
"I'm sore." Agatha added, clamping her hand over his through her dressing gown and pushing it off her. "You will just have to restrain that libido of yours."
Grumbling, but in a good-natured way, Dracula accepted her refusal with good grace. He wasn't really hungry for more sex, if Agatha had been up for her it, then he would have happily indulged. After all too much, was in Dracula's opinion, just the right amount. Whereas Agatha was used to denying herself, and thusly by extension now him, the things she wanted. Dracula could only hope that this was a habit he could quickly break her of.
"Well I suppose that's down to me doing my job too well."
"If that is you fishing for compliments, you might recall it's not like I have any basis for comparison." Agatha muttered, sighing as Dracula moved to petting her hair instead, his fingernails giving her scalp the most amazing head massage.
"But it was good, wasn't it? You did enjoy yourself?"
Tilting her chin up so she could watch him out of the corner of her eye, Agatha smiled at the almost nervous expression on his face. "It was amazing." She added, savouring the way a smug, almost arrogant expression broke over his face at her praise. "You have set a standard now."
"Oh, I can raise that bar, now you're broken in, so to speak."
"I am not a saddle." Agatha huffed, regretting feeding his ego almost immediately.
"Oh, I was thinking more of a prize filly actually." Dracula teased, knowing full well he was baiting her.
"Do you want me to ban you from my bed?"
"Please you wouldn't do that now, you are going to crave me Agatha." Dracula predicted with certainty. "Still if we are not going back to bed...we really should make the most of the day, since you are already skipping work."
"Oh, I thought I was dealing with emergency clan business?" Agatha retorted sarcastically. "Doesn't that include laying around on the couch catching up on my reading?"
"Oh, you are, keeping your Elder happy is always priority clan business and if you want to stay on the couch..." Dracula teased, leaning down to steal a kiss, and then another, and then to slip his hand under her dressing gown again.
"Ok...ok I am moving." Agatha screeched pulling her mouth away, as she forced herself up from the couch; even if she didn't really want to give up the kisses, but she really couldn't face anymore sex until at least tonight.
"See and people say you are stubborn, I don't know what they are talking about? They just haven't found the way to properly motivate you to cooperate."
"You do realise you just used more sex with you as a deterrent?" Agatha snarked back, watching as Dracula's smug face fell. "Where are we going, do I need to dress as fancy as you usually do?"
"Jeans and a jumper, a smart jumper, will be fine. I am not being seen in public with you looking like a homeless person, although considering this apartment..." Dracula could give as good as he got, smiling as Agatha's eyes narrowed, and he shooed her away.
They would need to drop by his apartment so that he could change first anyway. He was thinking an activity with plenty of walking, now that he could enjoy the sunshine without fear Dracula felt the need to spend several hours each day outside. He had barely spent any time exploring London since relocating here, and perhaps with Agatha's company it was time he changed that.
---/---
"Ms Westenra where exactly do you think you are going?" Captain Anderson stepped out from behind the main security desk.
Barely glancing up from her phone Lucy, didn't even need to feign a smile, it was only Captain Andy. "Out of course, do you think I came down here just to chat?"
"Need I remind you miss that you are not yet cleared for solo trips outside." Anderson did his best to remain patient and polite, but he struggled to keep his professional demeanour when it came to Lucy Westenra.
He had been there when Lucy had almost killed Ag...Captain Van Helsing, had stood by ineffective as it was Dracula of all people that saved her. Anderson had never forgiven himself, that it had happened on his shift. It was one of the reason's he didn't fight his transfer to building security, that and the fact that Captain Van Helsing had been transferred as well. It just didn't feel right serving under anyone else. At least this way he still got to see her...not that he had seen her today...which wasn't like her, despite her dislike of her new assignment.
"Oh, I'm going shopping with Agatha." Lucy replied all beaming smiles. "Daddy Drac is letting us loose with his credit card." She added, pulling out a platinum card from her pocket and waving it about.
"Well then I am sure Captain Van Helsing will be along shortly to pick you up, she knows the rules and unlike some people she abides by them."
"Yeah right." Lucy snorted, adding suggestively. "Like she has time for that nonsense now the big D is keeping her occupied."
"Captain Van Hels..."
"God that is such a mouthful, Countess Dracula flows so much easier don't you think?" Lucy asked innocently enough, yet Anderson knew she was baiting him.
Normally Anderson was able to ignore her less than subtle hints about Captain Van Helsing and his own poorly hidden crush. It had been easier the last two years, knowing that Dracula was off travelling; even though it was a very poorly kept secret in headquarters, that he was away because of some sort of falling out with the Captain. Anderson had been content to let things go on as they always had. He knew Agatha didn't have feelings for him, that if she ever was going to have developed them, they would have happened long before now. Anderson was happy to have her friendship. Just so long as Dracula stayed away. He wasn't worthy of a woman like Agatha.
Dracula had barely been back a couple of weeks, and already things were in uproar. Anderson might not be in the confidence of any of the higher ups, but he watched them come and go, and there had been far more tense, concerned faces in the last few hours than in the last two years combined. And somehow Anderson knew Dracula was at the root of the problem.
"That is never going to happen." Anderson pronounced confidently. "The Captain has far better taste..."
"What than tall, dark handsome and rich?" Lucy countered, leaning against the desk and giving Anderson more of an eyeful of her cleavage than he ever needed to see.
"Some people are looking for more than just superficial things." Anderson reminded her. "And..."
"And you are talking out of your backside."
"Insult me all you want Ms Westenra I am not letting you leave, so why don't you head back upstairs to whatever lesson you are skiving off, or do I have to call down two of my men to escort you back?"
Her gaze narrowing in anger Lucy flashed a hint of fang. "You know accidents can happen Captain Anderson."
"Yes, they can, and if stupid little girls think their threats will work, then perhaps they might want to recall what happened the last time. You harm me or kill me, and they will know it was no accident, you have a track record. So why don't you head back upstairs and when...no if Captain Van Helsing turns up I will send her to get you." Anderson retorted, calling Lucy's bluff, or what he was hoping was a bluff.
Still he held in his fear until Lucy had left. Perhaps he had been a fool to anger her, to anger any vampire, but Anderson wouldn't just let her walk all over him the way the other guards did. It was for her protection just as much as it was for the publics. There were reasons the rules were what they are. Anderson knew Agatha would never forgive him if he just broke the rules because it would save him a bit off hassle.
As for that rubbish Lucy was spouting about Agatha and Dracula getting married, now Anderson knew that was a wind up. For one the Captain had better taste, and two Dracula didn't strike Anderson as the marrying kind. No that had to be Lucy trying to mess with his head...the alternative was not something he could bear thinking about...it was something that no sane person could ever allow to happen. Certainly not something Anderson could stand by and allow at any rate; the day Agatha Van Helsing agreed to marry Count Dracula, was the day Captain Philip Anderson would find a way to put a stake through Count Dracula's heart.
---/----