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Complexity
By : TwilightScribe
Category: Twilight Series > Slash
Views: 3825 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.
Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Title: Complexity

Fandom: Twilight series

Pairing: eventual Marcus/Seth

Part: VIII. Brewing Storms

Prompt: 030. close

Words: 5207 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.

VIII. Brewing Storms
Marcus had stopped paying attention to his book. He’d stopped really reading it after Seth had wrapped his arms around him in that hug. For some reason, he couldn’t get it out of his head. The young man had been able to worm his way under his mental shields, through that wall of ice that he’d erected around his heart, and made himself at own in his own way.
To put it simply, the young man put him off balance.
But he surprisingly didn’t mind that. He really liked Seth. Although, with how that small part of his mind whispered incessantly at him from the back of his mind, he knew that what he felt was more than just simple liking.
It was that part of him which he’d thought had died along with her that kept telling him that what he felt for Seth went beyond something purely platonic. After all, no one else since her had understood him so well, and no one else had been able to draw him out of the shell which he’d retreated into. She had made him happy, and he had loved her for that. She had been beautiful.
But Seth made him happy too.
And he wanted to make the young man happy too. That was the deciding factor. He desperately wanted to be the one who made Seth feel welcome, feel like Volterra was really his home, because that would make Marcus himself happy as well. There was that, and he was anxious to spend time with Seth outside of their little sanctuary of his library.
If there was anything he could do for Seth, he’d do anything to keep him safe and happy. He wasn’t sure how or when it had happened, but he was sure that he was falling for Seth, even if he was already there.
Just as Marcus was thinking of something which he could do for Seth, his thoughts were interrupted by the doors of the library crashing against the stone walls as they were thrown open. He let loose a heavy sigh.
What now?
He knew that it wasn’t Seth because the young wolf was always careful with the doors; he knew how much Marcus enjoyed the peace and quiet of the library. It didn’t register in his conscious that he could pinpoint exactly when Seth entered the library by the sound of how the doors were opened.
It was when the scent filtered through the musty smell of the library and Seth’s own stale smell, that Marcus snapped out of his train of thought completely. He knew that scent.
What’s Alec doing in here?
Marcus knew the young vampire respected his privacy, but also that Alec was the quiet type who wasn’t easily agitated. He was in stark contrast to his sister who was easily angered and quick to use her powers for both her own gain and her own pleasure, whereas Alec tended to use his power sparingly and only when he was ordered to.
Alec was a good and loyal member of the guard. Although, he wasn’t too fond of Aro, and he sometimes made that very clear whenever he was around the ancient vampire. He didn’t approve of some of the things that Aro had done.
Which led Marcus to wonder why Alec was there, since he doubted anything could have happened which would require his attention.
Alec skidded slightly into view from around one of the bookcases, the same one which Seth usually peeked around whenever he came in to visit Marcus. His expression, however, was alarming because usually Alec was very calm and level-headed, he didn’t usually show very many emotions. Whatever was wrong, then, had to be serious.
He set his book aside on the table beside him and waited for the young vampire to break the now tense silence.
“Did you give the shifter permission to enter Volterra with Heidi?”
Marcus’ face creased into a frown, “I did, was there... some sort of problem?”
At that, Alec’s face pitched into an even darker look of what looked to be a mix of concern and confusion, “Aro didn’t believe him when he said that you gave him permission.”
When he said that, Marcus felt his stomach drop up into his throat despite the fact that he could no longer eat, but that didn’t mean that he still didn’t have some very human reactions when it came to his emotions. It was just that he hadn’t experienced them in so long that they’d become very unfamiliar to him.
Alec continued, very subdued, “He turned him over to Jane for punishment as he believes that he broke the rules which were set out for him when he was brought here.”
Marcus was on his feet and at the oak doors to the library by the time that Alec finished his sentence. If what the young vampire said was true, then he had no time to get to Seth to stop Jane’s unique brand of torture, but he could interrupt it; he could halt it before it went too far. He couldn’t – wouldn’t – let anyone hurt Seth, not if it was in his power to stop it.
Don’t let me be too late.

.:-o-:. .:-o-:. .:-o-:.
The pain was as unimaginable as the first time he’d experienced it. Seth hated it. He hated how he couldn’t vocalize the pain that he was experiencing. Whatever it was about Jane’s powers that seemed to cut off his voice, he didn’t know, but it only made what he was experiencing worse.
Beneath him, the cold stone of the floor hurt as he thrashed about in a vain attempt to try to alleviate the pain; something that he knew was impossible because it was all an illusion; it was all inside his head.
“Stop.”
Seth couldn’t filter through the pain, but he was suddenly aware of a new scent, one that he was intensely familiar with. He would know that scent anywhere.
Marcus.
But what was Marcus doing there? He should have still been in the library... or back in his wing; not coming after Jane or him. Seth was confused, but very relieved when the pain stopped almost instantly after Marcus spoke.
He lay on the floor of the entrance hall, gasping for breath as his fingers relaxed from their clenched position on the marble floor. Then the exhaustion started to kick in, but Seth forced himself to keep his eyes open. He needed to see this; he needed to see what would happen because something told him that something big was about to go down.
Marcus had moved to take up a slightly defensive position in front of Seth’s prone body. His back was to Seth, so the young wolf couldn’t see his expression, but he was tense, fingers spread and hooked like claws. The aura he was giving off was one of anger, possessiveness, and protectiveness. There was no way that he was going to move from where he was in front of Seth.
That came as a relief to Seth, because if someone was willing to come between him and the little devil, then he wasn’t going to complain. And the fact that it was Marcus only seemed to make Seth feel both all the more relieved, but it also set a strange feeling burning deep in his chest.
When Marcus next spoke, his voice was rough with anger, “You will not treat him as such again.”
He could see Jane sneering at Marcus from around the vampire’s protective stance, but Seth could see that there was fear in her eyes. She was... scared of Marcus. That surprised him; he’d never thought that Jane could possibly be scared of anyone. Her personality was too domineering for fear to be a part of it.
“I was only following orders,” she snapped back at the older vampire, but her posture had shifted. It was no longer aggressive and threatening, but scared and perhaps a bit submissive. “He broke the rules that master set down for him; I was just punishing him as I was ordered to, and as he knew would happen if he didn’t follow the master’s orders.”
“I gave Seth permission to go into Volterra,” Marcus replied, his voice low, dangerous. “He broke no rules.”
That took Jane off guard. But it seemed that the fact that Marcus was being so talkative was also confusing her and she glared at Seth hard and with pure hatred in her eyes, but he could see that there was a bit of curiosity there, deep within her dark red eyes. It was only then that Seth was slowly beginning to realize that maybe there was some truth to what Heidi had told him.
“Marcus doesn’t talk, though. That’s why I’m surprised that he’s been talking to you. I’ve known him for two centuries, Seth, and I’ve never once heard him say a single word.”
What was it that was so special about him that could make Marcus talk? What was it about him that could make Marcus different from how he’d been for so many years? Seth didn’t know the answers to those questions, and he was wondering just what it was that had made Marcus who he was until Seth had danced in and changed things. Hell, he didn’t even know what he’d changed about Marcus!
“You – you’re lying!” Venom flew from Jane’s mouth as she flew into a near rage.
“Why would I lie to you Jane?” Marcus asked his own voice full of pure venom. “Seth came to me for permission. I granted it. Is that really so hard for you to believe?”
She continued to glare at Marcus with such a passion that Seth was amazed that she hadn’t burned a hole in the ancient vampire’s forehead. But then she gave a great huff, turned on her heel, and stormed off.
She called back over her shoulder, “Watch your back shifter! Marcus won’t always be there to protect you!”
In the distance, Seth could hear a door being slammed closed, and knew that Jane was going to report her findings to Aro. She was horribly loyal to the Volturi leader, to the point where she demonstrated an almost warped and disturbing love of him. It seemed, though, that Aro encouraged those feelings of her from how he treated her.
For one, he called her ‘dear one’. And another, he had no problem showering her face and lips with kisses whenever she had done something right in his mind. It seemed that Sulpicia had no problem with this, because she too demonstrated an unnatural fondness for the tiny vampire.
Once Jane was gone, Marcus relaxed his defensive posture and turned to Seth. His eyes were the same dark red that they’d been earlier in the night when he’d gone to him for permission, only now they were filled with an emotion that Seth didn’t want to put a name to.
Seth still felt boneless from the pain inflicted on him, and he was still breathing heavily. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to walk or stand, he couldn’t feel his legs.
The ancient vampire bent down, kneeling on one knee as one of his arms looped under Seth’s knees while the other came around his shoulders. He gently lifted Seth off the ground and into his arms as though the young shifter weighed nothing at all – and he knew that he probably did – and stood back up to his full height.
“Seth.”
Having already snuggled closer unconsciously, Seth mumbled out, “Yeah?”
He was exhausted and just wanted to sleep right then, the comfort of Marcus’ smell and also from just having the vampire near was enough for him to just surrender to the darkness which was quickly encroaching on his consciousness.
“Sleep. We’ll talk later.”
The wolf nodded sleepily, before leaning his head back onto Marcus’ shoulder and drifting off into a deep sleep.

.:-o-:. .:-o-:. .:-o-:.
Marcus inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when the young wolf’s breathing evened out. He could feel his emotions calming themselves down inside of himself, and he knew that if it wasn’t for the fact that he was dead and his heart no longer beat that the organ would have been slowing at that moment. There was no adrenaline to pump through his veins, but that still didn’t mean that he hadn’t been worried beyond anything he’d ever felt before.
Seth, what have you done to me?
He could still sense Alec close by. The young vampire was watching him, his face inscrutable and calm as he watched from where the hallway joined the entrance hall. He didn’t move as Marcus walked over and paused beside him.
“Alec, fetch Heidi for me.”
The younger vampire inclined his head, “Shall I send her to the shifter’s room?”
Alec seemed surprised at Marcus' orders as his eyes widened marginally for a second, but he said nothing about them and only inclined his head again, “As you wish.”
Then he disappeared into the alcove which hid the servants’ staircase, dashing up to the third floor to find the female vampire who would be leaving that morning to lure in some needed prey for the Volturi. Whatever it was about the shifter that was causing these changes in Marcus, Alec didn't know, but now the ancient vampire was to be feared even more then before. Something in him had snapped, and it didn't seem like things would go back to the way that they had been.
Meanwhile, Marcus walked as quickly as he could towards his wing. He knew Jane well, and he knew that the moment he left Seth alone and unguarded, she would strike with twice the amount of force that she'd used before in revenge. He couldn't leave Seth without protection; not anymore.
Turning the corner, Marcus broke out into a run, anxious to make Seth more comfortable. No one had except Aro and Caius had been within Marcus' quarters aside from him, and he had intended to keep them as isolated from everyone else as possible, but something had twisted inside of him, making him unable to stand leaving Seth alone and unguarded against Jane's powers.
He knew that there were only three people in the Volturi who could control Jane when she was on the warpath. Those people were himself, Aro, and Alec. He couldn't be with Seth all the time, not when he was one of the three leaders of the Volturi, but if he ordered it, then Alec could stay with him when Marcus was unable. And Heidi... she was the wolf's friend, he believed that she would be more then willing to help keep him safe.
Marcus' bedchamber was largely empty. After she'd passed on, he hadn't seen much point in returning furniture or even changing it very much from how it had been on that day.
He had never understood her attachment to beds, but now Marcus was finding that he was grateful that his first love – and since when he'd taken to referring to her as that, he didn't know – had held that sentiment, because he knew that Seth would appreciate waking up on a bed instead of a couch, or worse, the floor.
The room was simple, with high, arched ceilings as in the library, and with similar gothic style windows. Like all the other rooms in the palace, it was lit with wall scones, only these ones were different in that they carried on the taste in architecture that all of Marcus' rooms held. Wrought iron in the design of vines wrapped around the frosted glass, and was how they were mounted to the stone walls.
Unlike the walls in much of the palace, most of the walls in the rooms of Marcus' wing were covered in plaster that was a soft, cream color. She had felt that it brought a certain warmth to place, accentuating the natural light which the windows let in, and absorbing the light from the wall scones to bring that out even more.
He supposed it gave the room a very welcoming feel. Although, he'd never really noticed it before, but it made him hope that Seth wouldn't be too freaked out by his sudden change in scenery.
A deep red and gold carpet had been spread across the middle of the room. At the far side of the room was the bed which she had loved so much and had remained untouched since her second death. It was centered between the two windows there, which deep crimson curtains hung over.
As he lay Seth down on the dark coverlet, he could still faintly smell the scent of her clinging to the sheets. It was one of the few remainders of her presence and existence that he held, and now he was distorting it with a new scent, that of someone who was slowly creeping into his heart and healing it. The pain, though, of his replacing her scent with Seth's, though, was weak and only really felt like a dull ache in his chest compared to the sharp pain he'd felt when he thought of Jane hurting the young man.
Dear lord, just how much do you mean to me Seth?
Before Marcus could dwell any further on that question, there was a soft knocking at the door. He took an unneeded deep breath before speaking.
“Enter.”
Alec entered first, his face carefully arranged into a perfect mask of neutrality; it was the first time he'd been in Marcus' chambers, but he didn't show any surprise at having been ordered there. He stood at attention just inside the door, hands behind his back and clenched together as he waited for his instructions.
Then there was Heidi whose face was plastered with worry and guilt but also a little bit of apprehension and perhaps some fear. It was clear that she blamed herself for Seth's wrongful punishment, and she seemed to be suffering from a dilemma of whether or not she would be allowed to approach to make sure that her friend was alright. Marcus' tense presence, though, kept her at bay and she stood nervously just inside the doors, wringing her hands as her eyes shifted from the ancient vampire to the unconscious wolf lying on his bed.
“Heidi,” Marcus began, voice soft. “I will need you to move Seth's belongings from his room in the guest wing to this room.”
“Right...” She chewed her lip nervously, nodding her head to show that she understood. Finally, she couldn't stand the suspense any longer and caved, “Is Seth alright?”
A slight incline of the head, “Yes, he will be fine.” I wouldn't hesitate to kill Jane if it was otherwise.
She let out a huge sigh of relief, her lips turning up into a relieved smile, “That's... I'm relieved to hear that.”
It didn't escape Marcus' notice that there was a suspicious light in her eyes they flickered from him to Seth and back again. He wondered just what it was that the young wolf had told the female vampire, because there was a knowing tint to that gaze as well. Heidi might have already begun to put the pieces together just as Marcus had.
He turned away from her and the smaller vampire at the door, letting his eyes graze over Seth's peacefully sleeping face. Even he still couldn't completely understand why he felt so protective of him, it was just... he couldn't stand to leave him somewhere that Jane had easy access to him.
“May I ask why you're moving Seth here to your wing?” Heidi quickly looked to her feet when Marcus' attention was suddenly back on her. “It's just... you don't have to answer that, I was out of place in asking.”
“He will be safer from Jane if he stays here,” was Marcus' simple response. That much was true; Jane wasn't allowed in Marcus' wings, no one was unless they had his express permission. He trailed his gaze over her and Alec. “I do, though, have orders for the both of you. But Heidi, I know that you would do this already.”
“Huh?” She blinked at him in confusion.
The tiniest of smiles creased Marcus' lips as he recalled the energy and eagerness that Seth had demonstrated whenever he talked of Heidi, as though he was reflecting that same enthusiasm which she showed towards him and whatever they did together. He just enjoyed listening to and watching Seth talk sometimes.
“He's spoken quite highly of you,” Marcus replied. “I know that I can trust you to watch over him, even if you can't stop Jane.”
“Well, you did scare her pretty badly back there...” Apprehension was clear in Heidi's voice; this wasn't the Marcus she was used to or knew. For one, Marcus didn't hold conversations with people. Talking to Marcus was like talking to a brick wall. “So I doubt that she'll try anything for a while, especially if someone is around who could report back to you about anything she's done to Seth.”
“I don't want him left alone.”
That made a few things click together in Heidi's mind, “You want me to spend more time with him?”
He nodded, before directing what he said next to Alec, “And Alec, I want you to stay with Seth whenever Heidi or myself are unable to. Keep your sister from doing something that she will come to regret.”
Alec inclined his head, eyes closed, “Aro will not be pleased to hear that you stopped Jane. He'll want an explanation for why you acted the way you did.”
“That is for me to deal with,” Marcus responded. “But Seth will not be left alone, see to that. One of you must stay with him whenever I'm unable or unavailable.”
When he turned away from them that time to sit on the edge of the bed, both of the younger vampires knew that they were being dismissed. Alec disappeared out of the doors first, whereas Heidi hesitated as she stood in the doorway, her eyes still flickering between them.
“He's not going to like that.”
Marcus sighed, again with the slight smile that Heidi couldn't see, “I know.”

.:-o-:. .:-o-:. .:-o-:.
Since he didn't want to wake Seth, when Heidi brought Seth's belongings down to his room, he chose to settle the young man in himself. His own wardrobe, which was reached through a small door in one wall, was rather sparse so it wasn't too difficult for him to fit everything that Heidi had bought for him inside of it alongside his own clothes.
When it came to the toiletries, Marcus was confused by them – since he didn't use them really – so he just set them in the bathroom in the medicine cabinet.
The bathroom itself was, surprisingly, much more modern then most of the rooms which Marcus occupied in his wing. He'd been under a bit of pressure to change it since it had still been the same even after hundreds of years and had long since quit being efficient, so he'd allowed Aro to commission a human architect and designer to design a new bathroom for him, and then it had been redone.
He hadn't really made notice of it before.
Once all of Seth's clothes and toiletries had been put away, Marcus turned his attention to the little things which the young man had brought with him. Since there was no other furniture in the room apart from the bed, Marcus turned his attention to a few of the other rooms in his wing to steal a few things from.
He'd been using the room across from his study as a sort of storage room, and he found a bureau there that had never seen any use before and matched the dark wood of his bed. That he moved into the room, placing it against the right wall of the room between the door to the bathroom and the bed. He then carefully arranged the few framed photographs on it, and stacked the albums on the end.
If there was anything that Seth wanted to change about how he'd set up the room or put his things, then that could be changed when he woke up.
Deciding that maybe making Seth a bit more comfortable, Marcus removed his shoes, placed those in the closet, and then maneuvered him so that he was tucked carefully under the covers. He watched as the young wolf tensed for a few minutes before snuggling deeper into the bed and letting out a sigh as he continued to sleep.
Gently, Marcus reached out and brushed back Seth's bangs from his face, watching with a slight smile on his face as Seth's face wrinkled up for a few moments before it settled back into its former peaceful expression. He was, though, just a little surprised when Seth shifted a little closer to his hand before he pulled it away completely. It always amazed him that Seth could want to be as close to him as he did, that he genuinely enjoyed his company and conversation. Normally people shied away from him.
I'm just not very approachable.
Deciding that he should probably head Aro off before the vampire had a chance to start piecing together a completely wrong story, Marcus took one last look at Seth's face before he turned away, making his way out of his wing and towards where he was sure he'd find Aro.
The entrance hall.
He found Aro and Jane easily enough in the entrance hall. Aro was standing near the base of the huge decorative archway which led out into the courtyard. In his left hand he held a newspaper in one hand, and what looked to be some typed reports; his other hand was loosely clenched into a fist. Despite how calm he looked overall, it was clear that Aro was tense, anxious even.
On his immediate left was Jane, who had tucked herself just slightly behind the ancient vampire. She looked at Marcus with a mix of hatred and fear in her eyes, and yet she would do nothing against him, even if ordered. Not that Aro would ever resort to that, he knew how weak his hold over Marcus was.
“Aro,” he inclined his head, “Jane.”
“Marcus,” Aro returned the gesture. Jane only inclined her head in greeting. Aro ignored her for the time being, instead keeping his attention focused on Marcus. “I have heard that you took exception to our young guest's punishment.”
“It was unjust.” Marcus was keeping his anger in check as best he could, it wouldn't do to show Aro just how much Seth had come to mean to him; he wouldn't let him use the young man like that. “He had my permission to leave for the city with Heidi; that was within your rules. Unless, of course, you changed them without his or my knowing.”
That seemed to surprise Aro, his eyebrows rose, “You... gave him permission?”
“Yes, I saw no reason why he couldn't go into the city. Heidi was with him as well, so he did have an escort. I fail to see how any of that could have warranted you handing him over to Jane for punishment.”
Aro was trying to fit all the pieces together in such a way as for them to make sense, “I wasn't aware that you and he had been introduced to each other.”
“I met him shortly after he was brought here,” Marcus replied smoothly. “He came to the library, and I happened to be there, and he introduced himself. We have been... conversing on a rather regular basis ever since.”
Marcus actually had no idea how to categorize his experiences and the time which he'd spent with Seth. It was true that they talked quite a bit, on a variety of topics, and that he found the young wolf engaging, but they also did more then that. Sometimes Seth would seek him out for a reccomendation of what he should read next, and Marcus would give him something that he thought he would enjoy. Sometimes they just spent an evening together in silence, with Seth leaning against the chair, his head resting against the side of Marcus' knee as the vampire read whatever book he'd picked out for that evening.
Sometimes they read to each other. They're interactions were quite difficult to classify, but Marcus wouldn't trade them for anything else in the whole world. They were something special, and he treasured each and every one of them.
“Ah, I see.” Aro lifted his free hand to his face, cupping his chin as he slipped into thought. After several long moments, he nodded, as though he'd decided on something. “Well, please offer my apologies to Seth for the... misunderstanding. I assume that he has been returned to his room.”
“Yes.” Marcus didn't think that it mattered that he'd moved Seth from the room which he had originally been given into one in his own wing, since he already considered it to be the young wolf's – and also his – he didn't think that it was really a lie.
“Very well. I have another matter which I need to discuss with you.” He handed the reports to Jane, while he unfolded the newspaper. It was one from the city. He indicated an article towards the bottom of the page with a pale finger.
Mysterious murders continue.
That made Marcus raise an eyebrow, he continued to read an article, and phrases began to jump out at him as he did.
'Autopsy reports show that both victims had suffered extreme trauma before death.'
'Drained almost completely of blood.'
'Either a satanic cult or a deranged serial killer is believed to be at fault.'
'The worst stain on the history of our fair city.'
He looked to Aro, his expression serious, “They're getting closer to the city.”
Aro nodded, “They are. We can't be sure yet, though, if this is some idiot's attempt to grab our attention or if a newborn has been released, whether that would be on purpose or no. I have advised that the city be put on alert and Jane will be leaving after she has fed to see if she can find any information that the humans may have missed.”
Marcus gave a thoughtful hum. Now he was very glad that he had assigned Heidi and Alec to guard Seth; there was no way that he would be leaving the young man alone now that there was the possibility that a rampant newborn on the loose, or someone who was trying to grab their attention.
Whoever it was, they definitely had it now.
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Complexity	By : TwilightScribe Category: Twilight Series > Slash Views: 3825 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

Complexity