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Complexity
By : TwilightScribe
Category: Twilight Series > Slash
Views: 3827 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.
Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Title: Complexity

Fandom: Twilight series

Pairing: Marcus/Seth

Part: XIX. Dinner Party

Prompt: 016. amuse

Words: 4275 words

Summary: Volterra was his prison, an entire city, but it didn't make up for the fact that he was alone and tortured. There had to be something to make this death sentence worthwhile.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, and I don't claim to own it either. It belongs to Stephanie Meyer, and I only write these things to satisfy the muses and make nothing from it.

XIX. Dinner Party
Sebastian and his wife's home was above their little bookstore, and was reached through a narrow wooden door and up a narrow flight of steps which led to the second floor, which was the first level of their home. Together, the two of them had raised two children; both sons who Marcus hadn't seen in years. He knew that they were studying abroad, one was in England and the other was in America.
Even though the Romanians had left Volterra and the mysterious murders had stopped, the streets of Volterra were still practically deserted when Seth and Marcus made their way into town and towards Sebastian's home. The few people who were out on the streets were congealed in groups on the sidewalks and making their way home quickly.
And Seth wanted to be close to Marcus, so he was sticking very close to the ancient vampire's side. His fingers were entwined with Marcus' and he was smiling to beat all hell. That euphoric feeling of being in love still hadn't worn off – it had only been a few days – so his heart was still soaring in his chest.
Marcus had woken him up from his nap with a gentle shake and a warm, lazy kiss that Seth kind of wished would have lasted longer. He hadn't told the vampire about the dream – if it had been a dream – because he wasn't sure how to even broach the topic with him; he still didn't have any idea of who Didyme was and what she'd meant to Marcus. If it was something that Marcus wanted to share, then he'd wait for the vampire to tell him about.
And Marcus seemed much more cheerful now then Seth had ever seen him. Having their relationship out in the open like this seemed to be a great relief to the vampire, and he wasn't ashamed to admit that he was in love with Seth at all.
They were met at the door of Sebastian's home by the man himself, he was leaning out the door and clearly waiting for them. A wide smile spread across his lips when he saw them, “Marcus! Seth! It's a pleasure that you could make it!”
“Of course we're here,” Marcus replied. “We did say that we'd come; I wouldn't let anything stop us from coming.”
“Yes well, I thought that maybe with all this murder business, you might be a little concerned about Seth,” Sebastian replied. He looked over Seth, “You look a little pale Seth.”
“I'm fine.” Seth smiled, “I just had a run-in with some not-so friendly individuals; left me a little shaken. But don't worry, I'm fine, really.”
“I heard about some sort of commotion happened,” Sebastian said as he let them in and led them up the stairs and into the home. “Some people saying there was some sort of confrontation; they found a bit of blood too once someone was brave enough to go out and see.”
Marcus and Seth looked at each other; they knew what Sebastian was talking about.
“But you probably know all about that,” Sebastian replied. “You Volturi members are always aware of what's going on around these parts; no matter how unimportant it might be. Always knowing what Fia wanted for her birthday or the sort of book that a particular client was looking for; don't know where I'd be without you.”
“You know how Aro is about Volterra,” Marcus replied, removing his shoes at the door. “He considers this place his own; nothing happens without him knowing about it.”
“Ah, what was it this time? Vampire business? Couple of ruffians?”
“Vampire business,” Marcus replied. “Our kind holds grudges for a very long time.”
Sebastian nodded his head knowingly, “Of course. People can be like that too; and you'd better be careful, Marcus, and not get Seth mixed up in all of this.”
“Think I'm already involved,” Seth chirped. “But it's okay. I don't mind it too much; I can take care of myself and Marcus is always there for me if I need him.”
He left his shoes beside Marcus' on the mat near the door and followed the two older men into the comfortably furnished and definitely homey living room. The kitchen opened onto the living room and the adjacent dining room, revealing an elderly lady around Sebastian's age bustling around inside. She peeked out over the bar which doubled as a kitchen table.
“Bastian! Why didn't you tell me Marcus was here?!” The woman wiped her hands on her apron, coming out of the kitchen. She brought with her the strong smell of cooking – spices and baked goods – which reminded Seth of home and his own mother. There was a warmth and vibrancy to her face that belied the harsh set of her mouth as she gave her husband a chastising look.
Marcus smiled warmly at her, “Now, now Fia. I'm sure you were busy preparing what is likely to be a wonderfully prepared dinner.”
“Oh, I definitely hope that you like it! And Bastian! Show your wife a little more courtesy! You could have told me they were here and I could have cleaned up! Made myself a little more presentable,” Fia continued. “It's wonderful to see you again Marcus; it's been far too long! You need to come more often! Especially if you're going to be so talkative!”
Fia navigated her way around the furniture with ease, coming over to Marcus and giving him a very big hug in greeting and kissing both his cheeks, “Something tells me that you've finally found something to brighten those eyes of yours and put a little spring in your step.”
To that, Marcus smiled and gently pushed Seth forward, “I believe that Sebastian has mentioned Seth to you, but I would like to formally introduce the both of you. Fia, this is Seth Clearwater; Seth, this is Fia.”
“Hi.” Seth didn't the chance to say anything else; he held his hand out to Fia, but she ignored it and instead pulled him into a bear hug. The strength behind it was a little surprising coming from the petite lady; but it sent a feeling of warmth flowing through Seth, it reminded him of his home without being painful.
“Such a pleasure to meet you Seth! If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask,” Fia was saying in a rush, her face beaming as she pressed her lips to each of his cheeks in greeting. “Aha, I can tell! So it's you I have to thank for finally bringing Marcus out of his shell!”
At that point, Seth's face was bright red, “I...”
“Now, now, don't be humble,” Fia continued, bustling around and making sure that the both of them were comfortably seated on the couch and handing Seth a drink. “I can see it in the way you two look at each other; I'm not so old that my eyesight is failing me.”
Sebastian chuckled, taking a seat in one of the comfy armchairs across from them. He gratefully accepted the glass of wine that his wife handed to him, “My dear, I don't think that scaring Seth is the right way to go about showing off your keen insight.”
“Oh shush Bastian!” Fia retorted, smiling though. “I'm just saying that I'm very glad to see that Marcus has finally opened up and is happy for once. I was starting to get worried about you, you know,” she directed her attention to Marcus, “since you never brought anyone to the store or to visit us. You never seemed happy and you hardly spoke; it's good to see you opening up.”
Marcus rewarded the woman with a warm smile, “Seth has changed how I look at a lot of things, and I'm very grateful to have him in my life.”
By this point, Seth was flushing from the compliments. It reminded him of the cryptic comments that Heidi had dropped about Marcus and how he'd changed since Seth had dropped into his life. But he couldn't imagine the vampire any other way then the way he was; anything else just wasn't Marcus.
“Um...” Very articulate there Seth. Dealing with compliments and praise had never really been his strong point.
“Don't be embarrassed Seth,” Marcus murmured, his lips suddenly right beside his ear and his voice pitched so low that only the wolf could hear him. “You've given me back something that I'd lost.”
Shifting uncomfortably, Seth could feel his cheeks warm even more. It was all a very new experience to him, knowing that he was the reason for why Marcus had changed from however he'd been before. And how he now seemed to be the center of the vampire's universe – just like how Marcus had become his. He wondered briefly if this was what it meant to imprint, but his memories had faded just a bit; the times before he'd come to Volterra weren't as vibrant as they'd once been.
It hurt, a little, to realize that.
Marcus pressed his lips to Seth's temple, whispering still, “It's alright.”
And somehow, it seemed like it would be.

.:-o-:. .:-o-:. .:-o-:.
Both Fia and Sebastian were excellent hosts, and Seth felt right at home. Sebastian would sometimes regale them with tales of his youth or tell them about what his son's were up too; Fia continued chatting with Seth about his family, his friends, Marcus, anything. The comfortable atmosphere set him at ease, and the warmth emanating from Fia and her demeanour made him feel at home; even though her English was a little rough around the edges.
“Dad passed away a couple of years ago,” Seth replied. “Mom was pretty torn up about it, but she's a really strong person so she tends to hide things... sometimes I couldn't be sure if she was taking it harder then I thought. But she and Billy have been getting closer so...”
“Oh, I'm so sorry.” Fia reached across the table, taking Seth's hand in hers and giving it a comforting squeeze. “The loss of someone you love is never easy, believe me, I've seen my fair share of it over the years.”
Seth nodded, managing a weak smile, “I miss him, I really do, but things were really hectic when he died... I think that's how mom managed to get through it – by focusing on something else and pouring all of her energy into that. She still had Leah and I to think about.”
“Tell me about Leah, she sounds like a very nice girl.”
The mention of his sister's name brought a lump into Seth's throat, but he swallowed it and continued on. “Yeah, she's probably the best big sister you could ask for. I mean, I never appreciated her mothering me while we were growing up cause I always felt like it was just her babying me because I was her little brother; but now... I think I can understand why. She just wanted to protect me; she's pretty fierce when it comes to family.”
“It's a maternal thing,” Fia replied. “Women are like that; we protect what we love no matter what. Now, I'm not saying men aren't like that either – they are, but they just go about it in a different way – but it's definitely very much a feminine trait.”
Sebastian snorted and interjected, “As is the nosiness and the pushiness and the need to know what's going on in everyone's life.”
“It's not nice to insult your wife,” Fia sniffed. “And besides, haven't I told you that I only do that because it's important?”
“So you said when you made it absolutely well known that you didn't approve of that French girl? What was her name? Heather?”
“It was Cheryl,” Fia replied. “And let me remind you, Bastian, that you weren't particularly fond of her either. I do remember you saying that something seemed off about her.”
“But I was perfectly willing to let our son figure that out for himself, and not meddle needlessly in his own personal affairs.”
“I'm his mother; it's my job to meddle. And besides, I was right about her in the end, wasn't I? Didn't I say that she was a fiend?”
“I don't think that you thought that in the criminal sense. As I recall, our son was pretty heartbroken when he learned – from you, I might add – that his love was a career criminal,” Sebastian sighed. “He wasn't too pleased when you told me; I do believe that he didn't believe you until he actually found out for himself.”
“With a warrant slapped in his face and the police telling him that he'd be charged with accessory if he didn't let them arrest her,” Fia sniped. “At least now I'm content with how things are.”
“Until the next young lady comes along,” Sebastian muttered under his breath. His wife missed it, but Seth and Marcus didn't and exchanged a small smile with each other.
The rest of the evening was spent in pleasant conversation in the little sitting room, with Marcus and Seth sitting on the couch at Fia's insistence so that she could watch the two of them – Marcus had chuckled at that – and with Fia and her husband sitting on the two armchairs across from the other couple. Seth couldn't help but think that they were a personification of that saying 'like an old married couple.' It was pretty cute, he had to admit.
Seth was a little disappointed when they finally did have to leave at quarter past eleven, but Fia managed to extract a promise from the both of them that they'd come again some time in the near future. She'd also made sure to let Seth know that he was always welcome with them if he ever was in need of a place to stay.
“I don't think that I'll need that, but thanks,” Seth replied, smiling.
“Oh come now, we all have our little lover's spats,” Fia responded, with a knowing grin and a nudge to her husband. “We get over them easily enough, but love is never easy.”
“I know.” I've seen enough of how difficult it can be to know. “Still, I don't think I'll need that offer, but thanks for offering it.”
“You're always welcome here Seth, and that goes for you too Marcus.”
“Thank you, both of you,” Marcus replied, his smile soft and warm. “It was a very enjoyable visit.”
“Yeah, thanks a lot,” Seth added. “I hope that we'll be able to do it again sometime.”
“Oh believe me,” Sebastian interjected. “If Fia had her way, you'd be here every other night.”
“If my health permitted it,” Fia replied, dramatically placing her hand over her heart. “I'm afraid I'm not as young as I used to be, despite what my husband might say about my 'unlimited' amounts of energy.”
There was a lingering bit of sadness in Marcus' eyes as they said their final goodbyes, and Seth had a pretty good idea of what it was about. He'd be sad too, to see both Sebastian and Fia go; they were both so full of life and energy that it didn't seem quite fair, but then, they'd seemed to accept it too. It didn't lessen the pain, though, as Seth thought about it.
No one was on the streets of Volterra apart from the two of them. Even though the curfew had been lifted since the immediate danger had passed, people were still extremely wary about venturing out during the late hours of the night; especially given the reports of an altercation having taken place.
Seth was tucked comfortably up against Marcus' side, with one of the vampire's arms around his waist. Despite the cool night temperature and the vampire's natural chill, Seth wasn't cold at all. It was probably a combination of his own high body temperature and the wine that he'd been drinking earlier too.
He still felt wide awake.
“Hey Marcus?”
“Hm? What is it?” The vampire seemed a little lost in thought.
“What do you do at night?” He'd admit he was curious; he knew that Marcus sometimes had 'business' that he had to deal with that he wasn't allowed to know about, but other than that, whatever Marcus did to while away the night hours was a mystery to him. And he was a little curious, considering the fact that he was wide awake at the moment and didn't feel like going back to sleep.
Marcus let out a thoughtful hum, “That depends. Sometimes I have business involving the Volturi that I need to deal with, other times I just spend it thinking, and other times I'll find something to occupy my time; sometimes I'll write or read or take a walk if I feel like it.”
He looked over at Seth, “Why the sudden curiosity?”
“I was wondering... could we do something together? I'm really not that tired and I don't want to go back to sleep,” Seth replied. He was quite proud of the fact that he didn't blush under the vampire's intense scrutiny.
Marcus smiled at him, “Of course. I don't mind. Is there anything in particular that you'd like to do?”
“A walk maybe? I haven't had much of a chance to see the grounds.” Seth smiled, “I haven't been outside much so that would be something I'd like to do... and besides, at night I know there's not going to be the distraction of you sparkling everywhere.”
“Of course. The grounds are very extensive,” Marcus replied. “You still should sleep later, though, I don't want you to throw off your body's schedule on my account.”
“I've kept weirder hours,” Seth chirped, bouncing up onto the balls of his feet to press a quick kiss to Marcus' lips as they entered the front gardens of the Volturi's home. “I'm pretty good at rebounding from them, so don't worry too much about me sleeping.”
“I may not be your mother Seth, but your well-being is extremely important to me,” Marcus replied. “You need sleep and I don't want you to start accustomed to being nocturnal.”
The two of them ambled along a gravel path along one side of the palace, following it as it wound through the gardens. The paths were lit by interspersed lights even though the vampires who called the palace home probably didn't need them; Seth thought they were probably more for decorative purposes then actually functionality. Not that he particularly needed them, but they were a nice reassurance nonetheless.
Moonlight also filtered down through the clouds, giving the entire area a sort of ethereal feel. It also felt a little like something out of a romantic movie; Seth was pretty sure he'd seen something kind of similar to this in one of the movies that his sister had watched often before the whole wolf business had blown up in their faces.
He couldn't really see much of the gardens anyway, despite the lights and his own heightened eyesight. But what really mattered was Marcus at his side who was quietly talking to him about the historical significance about some of the plants and objects which littered the palace's extensive grounds.
“If you ever wanted to know more about the plants themselves, then I'll have to leave you at Alec's mercy,” Marcus was saying. “He is far more of an expert than I in this field, and it also happens to be his passion; he could tell you the significance and meaning of any of the plants which grow here, their properties and whether or not they're useful.”
“Heidi said something like that,” Seth replied. “She also warned me that he tends to get carried away when it comes to plants.”
Marcus chuckled, “I think we all can be like that, when it's something that we love and are passionate about.”
“I've never really felt like that, so I don't really know. I'll trust what you say about it.” Seth blushed just a little, “I like hearing you talk about things though, it's really... well, it's nice.”
“Really?” Marcus asked, surprised that Seth found his ramblings either entertaining or just endearing. “I was under the impression that I tend to come off sounding boring.”
“Nope, I find it engaging,” Seth replied. “It's nice... listening to you talk about something that you genuinely feel passionate about. And I'm really happy that you want to share that passion and joy with me; you don't know how good that feels.”
“I think I understand that better than you think. When you're happy, I feel happy too, that I'm not so much of a... failure, you could say... and it makes me feel less guilty about you being here.”
If it weren't for Seth's superhuman hearing, he would have missed the last part of what Marcus said. And it cut him to the bone; it felt as though ice was being dumped into his veins at that.
He stopped moving, staring up at Marcus with wide eyes and tears burning in them; his throat felt tight as his stomach dropped.
“What do you mean by that? Do you... not want me here?”
“That's not what I meant,” Marcus murmured; Seth could hear the familiar broken tone creeping back into his voice, the same as when he'd spoken of his sister. “I feel... guilty that you were brought here against your will, and now I'm keeping you here too.”
“I'm here because I need to be,” Seth replied, the ice slipping into his tone unconsciously. He saw the hurt slipping into Marcus face, and the built welled up in him, stopping his temper right there; he'd never had it in him to hurt anyone anyway. “It's not your fault that I'm here Marcus, or that I can't leave. That's completely out of my hands and yours. But it's because of you that I've found that it's not that bad – you and Heidi and Alec. I... I miss home and I miss my friends and family, but I don't... I don't think I could trade you for getting to go back. Not unless you go back with me.”
Very carefully, as though he was afraid that Seth would flee the instant he touched him, Marcus reached out and took the wolf's face in both of his hands. It caused him pain to see the eyes he loved so much glittering in the faint light with unshed tears, but he shoved that away.
“I want to do whatever makes you happy, even to the cost of my own happiness.”
“Don't say things like that,” Seth replied, the harsh sting softened by the fact that he leaned into the vampire's touch; nuzzling at the other's hand on his cheek. “I wouldn't be happy if you weren't there with me. Wherever you are is good enough for me, I don't care if I have to put up with homicidal vampires who are out for blood just so long as you're there with me.”
“Seth, the Romanians aren't something you should take lightly,” Marcus chided. He leaned in, letting his forehead rest against Seth's as he dropped his hands, taking the other's in both of his. “I know both Vladimir and Stefan well enough to know that they are not done yet. I fear for what they may do to you for 'bewitching' me so.”
“Let them come,” Seth replied. He knew he was being stupid and reckless, but that didn't matter. “I'd walk through hell and back for you. I love you.”
He leaned up and closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to Marcus with a soft but insistent pressure. As stupid as it sounded, he really didn't care that Vladimir and Stefan probably were plotting something evil involving him in some misguided effort to getting Marcus back; he'd do whatever it took to stay with Marcus and keep him happy.
The kiss was sweet and lingering, Seth twining his arms around Marcus' neck as the vampire's settled around his waist, pulling him flush against the cold body. It didn't matter.
When they pulled back, Marcus kept Seth close, his forehead still against Seth's as he listened to the wolf's heavier breathing, his heart beating strongly in his chest. He was so vulnerable, so human... he couldn't bear anything happening to him. It would destroy Marcus just as surely as if his own flesh was torn or burned.
He sighed, pressing his lips to Seth's once, twice, three times. He didn't want to let him go.
“I have to tell you...” he murmured gently against the other's lips. “That you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I... I love you, and I never wish to be parted from you from this day on.”
Seth smiled, “Good, because I don't want to be away from you either.”
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Complexity	By : TwilightScribe Category: Twilight Series > Slash Views: 3827 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

Complexity