𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧

➺ 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

╔
❝ 𝖣𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗍 𝗆𝖾𝖺𝗇𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾
𝐷𝐸𝐴𝑇𝐻 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗇𝖺𝗆𝖾? ❞

𝐯𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞. 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒓. 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑤𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑘.
resident charity case of the ducain household. part of @perniciousbonds.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA ~ A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth, vulpine and furtive. He forgets himself; he did not come here to show Dominic such coldness. Quite the opposite. "Though, admittedly, far less interesting."

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA "Historically?" Charles begins, taking slow, intentional steps in the wolf's direction. He forces himself to look again, confirming his theory that it is, in fact, the sight of Nic that gnaws at Charles so. Still. One mustn't be rude.

"Simpler." ~

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA ~ philosophical literature is suddenly the furthest thing from his mind. He can only bear to meet those eyes a few moments before he must look away, gaze flitting back to the shelves, feigning interest in their contents.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA "Does that surprise you?" he asks, finally turning to face him. He finds it somehow...difficult, looking at Dominic. Surprisingly so. It plucks at a string in his chest well-rusted from disuse, and a pain, icy and familiar, rings in him.

The Montagues' choice of ~

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA "Well, it certainly wasn't doing any good collecting dust on my shelves," Charles smiles, shutting the book and placing it back. It doesn't leave his mind, though; the fresh ink, the pristine cover. Curious indeed.

"He'd have preferred it in the hands of a fellow romantic."

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA ~ that doesn't have to sneak in through the window," he adds, casting a knowing look over his shoulder at Nic.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA "Yes, I'd heard something about that," Charles replies diplomatically, gaze still fixed on book bindings as he plucks one and begins to thumb through it. Dostoevsky? Curious reading material for a house like this.

"I might've started with company ~

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA "The servants' entrance?" Charles scoffs. "Please. I'll take the window."

He moves around the library reverently, fingers grazing the spine of a book here and there. He breathes deeply, indulging in the scent of ink and paper.

"You said you needed to see me?" he asks finally.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA "I shan't make a habit of clambering through windows like a common thief," Charles says decisively, eyeing Dominic in his periphery as he stands upright and dusts off his dinner jacket.

"It's demeaning."

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@ghastIyrose "I'm sure I've no idea what you're talking about."

His furtive smile says otherwise.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@ghastIyrose Well then, she may have one.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

Weddings are insufferably boring.

This one, in particular, has Charles questioning if he wouldn't prefer a second death.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA So long as his guests don't mind Charles stealing him away.

And he will, you know. Steal him. Absolutely.

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA ~ "Besides," he adds with a devilish smile, "no date of mine would be caught dead with 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔."

[𝕮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝕯𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐢𝐧 @charlesducain]

@VENUSTEBELLUA ~ he can't help the way his defenses drop. His lips part, his head tilts, his eyes flutter – more ingenue than centuries-old vampire. Something about this man feels so familiar. Familiar...and dangerous. Yet he can't seem to pull away. ~