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After having been a vampire for decades, Marinette thought that she knew everything there was to know about her kind. The never-ending thirst, how to feed, how not to kill one’s prey, how to keep hidden and away from prying eyes in order to keep oneself safe.
Being a vampire granted immortality but ironically, there were too many ways a vampire could be killed. One had to be lucky and very careful to survive for centuries.
She had been both. She had navigated the treacherous terrain of staying away from humans apart from feeding and keeping to herself. It had given her enough time for self-reflection if nothing else.
And now she had found out that there was something she had never experienced before.
She could feel Adrien. He was somewhere in Paris, not here in her lair. And yet, she could feel him so clearly. It turned out that having a blood bond with someone was very special. Not to mention that this wasn’t the only thing they had.
She could feel him, she knew he was out there, but she couldn’t go to him. Not after knowing what she knew now. Not without putting herself at risk. Although she suspected that pretty soon this would be a very low priority for her.
Vampires weren’t supposed to fall in love. Especially not with a human. This was a surefire way to end centuries of existence. One moment of distraction, one mistake, and it could be over.
But this was the thing about love. It made people reckless. It made her crave his company in a way that somehow overshadowed the thirst that kept her alive. She had seen this happen to other vampires and knew what it had cost them. She had vowed to never be this weak.
And yet she had done it. She had fallen in love with Adrien. And the fact that it had been meant to be was barely any consolation.
Because he wasn’t just the human who could be her downfall courtesy of her love for him. He also turned out to be her hunter. Of the same type that usually didn’t want to be a vampire’s friend, let alone something more. Exactly the opposite.
In other words, they weren’t two people who had met and were free to fall in love. All the odds were against them.
Contemplating this from a distance was one thing. She could try to be reasonable in spite of the way remembering being near him made her feel. But when she felt him nearby, all her senses were suddenly on high alert and she forgot how to think.
Well, it had been bound to happen. She didn’t know how a blood bond or the other, even more dangerous thing, affected a human. But she could guess that it had compelled him to look for her. So it was no surprise that he’d found her.
Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad way to go, she decided. She’d had a good run and even seeing him one last time would be worth it.
With this in mind, she stopped hiding and went ahead to greet him, much to his surprise.
Are you here to catch me?
No! But how do you know? Wait, what’s happening? He blinked in confusion when he realised that neither of them had uttered a single word out loud.
Marinette laughed. He thought that he knew so much about vampires and yet he didn’t know anything at all.
I had your blood. I have a part of you in me, she explained patiently. I can hear your mind and you can hear mine.
Is this distance related or not? I didn’t hear you in my head before I showed up here.
It was interesting to see the moods change on his face. And yes, it was a very handsome face, especially when it wasn’t marred by fear. Not that this had played a part in her attraction to him, at least not consciously. But she was a person who admired beauty and could spot it easily.
She smiled slowly, observing the way he reacted to the gleam of her sharp teeth. Still no fear. He was definitely quite unique. And clearly delighted to hear her assessment of him.
It gets easier with time from what I know. Soon we’ll be able to talk even from opposite sides of the city.
He didn’t seem intent on killing her so maybe they would have more time than she’d expected.
Like a vampire telephone? Convenient.
His smile did wonderful things to her. He made her feel things she hadn’t experienced in decades. It almost made her feel human again
Unlike a telephone, I hear not only what you want to tell me. But everything that’s going on in your head .
Like how much he admired her bravery and just how unexpected it was to feel attracted to a vampire.
“Which is good if you didn’t plan to tell me that you were after me all this time.” She added out loud. Yes, this had been quite the twist for him, not only for her.
“I did.”
She could see this now and it was some consolation. Maybe it would make telling him about the other things easier.
He cocked his head to the side, giving her a curious look. Of course, he could hear that. Maybe it was safer not to think about it until she told him.
“Do you expect me to surrender? I might love you but I don’t have suicidal wishes.”
“You… wait, no. I’m here in peace. Although I don’t know what it would mean to me. You were the one after me last time,” he reminded her.
“You were prey,” she shrugged. “Like every other human. Until you weren’t.”
Out of every single human out there, she had chosen him. Of course it hadn’t been a coincidence. But she hadn’t known until it was too late. She had surprised him, the experienced vampire hunter, and bit him before he could even look at her. Then she had fled, leaving him there.
It hadn’t been until she got home that all the strange feelings inside of her had started troubling her and revealing one surprising fact after the other.
“My blood was so tasty?”
Yes, it wasn’t fair what his smile did to her. Also, it wasn’t fair that he could joke about this instead of looking terrified.
“Adrien, this is not a funny joke.”
“Sorry, I’m trying.”
“I’m afraid that there is more than that,” she sighed. “Vampires don’t just fall in love with humans. We were meant to meet and then… You felt it too, right? Although it was the last thing you expected. Spending your life hunting vampires only to fall for one. Oh, the irony.”
“You’re saying that it was inevitable?”
She’d known that he was smart. After all, he’d managed to trick so many other vampires, leading to their demise. But he’d really picked up on what she was trying to tell him very quickly.
“Yes. This is how the whole soulmate thing works.”
She felt tired. It was done. But it was only the beginning.
Strangely enough, he didn’t look so surprised by the depth of their bond.
“How… could it work?”
He was curious. He wanted it. Of course he did. She felt the same way. In spite of all the inevitable complications and the potential tragic end, they were both helpless before fate.
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
Well, she knew one thing - while she still felt the call of his blood, she was old and she could control herself.
Especially when presented with another desire. Because with their feelings laid bare without a mental barrier between them, when their eyes met neither of them tried to hide what they wanted.
And while he was known for not hesitating in the face of danger and for going straight for what he wanted, with her, he was an absolute gentleman, letting her make the first move.
When she kissed him, it was almost painful. Knowing that he was in her head was a bit too much, but hearing him was even more so. Thinking was hard because he consumed her senses and made her self-control fly out of the window. She also felt that he completely surrendered to the way he wanted her, but while for him it was pretty harmless, if she wasn’t careful, she could hurt him. He was still human.
This was why she forced herself to let him go before she completely lost touch with reality. Maybe with time it would become easier. For now, it was a bit overwhelming. Even for her.
“Wow,” he said, eyes sparking. The look of adoration made her giggle like a young girl. He really had an amazing effect on her.
“I missed your warmth,” she said as her fingers traced his warm cheek.
“Is this another way of saying that you’re hungry?”
He was clearly joking but her answer was firm.
“No. Never.”
She would have to find other means to sustain herself.
“I didn’t mind. It was…”
The sensations that filled his mind almost had her double over with thirst. Because she could remember so clearly how hard it had been for her to stop before it was too late. To know that he had actually enjoyed this in some strange way was not something she had expected. It wasn’t something she’d thought about in the past. It only showed how little regard she had for other humans.
“You do have a death wish,” she chuckled.
She could see the pulse under his skin and it was so tempting to just lean in until her fangs scratched the skin of his neck. She felt him shiver but there was still no trace of fear in him. Amazing.
“Maybe some other time,” she pulled back with a smile. If she trusted herself not to hurt him.
“Whatever you want, Marinette,” he said, his fingers playing with her hair.
“Say it again.”
Not a lot of people knew her real name. It was part of being a vampire. Living in secret. Hiding. Not making close friends. Not having loved ones.
But she couldn’t hide from Adrien. Her soulmate.
“Marinette.”
For the first time in decades, she felt excited. Existence was no longer just dull periods between feedings. She realised that this was the thing that had weighed on her the most. Being alone.
She was no longer alone.
“Can you come live with me?” She said.
“Isn’t it a bit too soon?” Adrien chuckled.
“How do human relationships operate? I think in decades but also seconds. I have no measure of time,” she admitted
“Well, this is no regular relationship, so I guess anything goes.”
“How about your family?”
“My mother is long gone. My father is no longer interested in me. He wanted a child he could control. Not an adult with opinions.”
“So you will come?” She exclaimed.
“It’s a start. But I will still die one day, you know.”
“Adrien.”
She didn’t want to think about this. If they got 50 years together, they would still be the best 50 years of her existence.
Or maybe something would change. They will have to dig deeper to look for this bond they had and what it meant for them.
“It will be an honour for me to spend my life with you,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips. “I love you, m’lady of the night.”
“You poor silly human, she shook her head. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but this is your destiny. As well as mine. Because I love you, too.”
“There are worse fates, surely.”
When she kissed him, she could believe this. That out of all the sad or tragic stories she could have had, she’d been meant to find him.