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moonflower91 · 9 months ago

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Hello, Darling

part 1

Eat Local (2017), Henry x OC wife

After being married to the same man for as long as she had, Ila caught the scent of him right away. The crisp night air, rich with scents of rot and new life, of smoke and fresh grass, blood and sweat...none of it could mask that scent of his. She'd been walking through the forest, hunting for a quick snack before returning to her little rented room two towns over, when that gorgeous scent crossed her path. She'd frozen, eyes flashing as she took in her surroundings, half expecting to see him standing a ways off, waving at her cheekily when he won their game of hide and seek.

Truly, it was amazing how her husbands scent had never changed--not from the time they were human children rolling around in the muck, to the time they had their last wedding back in the 1990s.

Soft, fresh and somehow smelling of the spices they once used in their food.

He smelled of home, he always had done.

But, Henry was nowhere close, his scent strong, but still easily masked once more when a breeze drifted through the branches. Still, she had been his wife for over six hundred years. Ila found his hide away half an hour later, in some adorable farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't his, that she knew. Human smells hung thick in the air, and a truck sat in the drive, alongside the car that smelled of a professional cleaning job. One was Henry's rented car, the other belonged to the farm's owners.

Ah, she realized. Right on schedule, fifty years on and another meeting ensues.

Nonetheless, Ila's feet carried her right to the door, Henry's scent growing stronger with each step.

She hasn’t realized how much she missed him until he was just beyond the door. But being married for so long and so often necessitated a certain amount of time spent apart every so often. God knows she could use a little break from him every half century or so. Just a few years between, nothing substantial.

This last five or so years had seen her taking a tour of their old country, exploring the forests and foothills of Romania, remembering a time long past when she and her family had travelled together.

When she pushed the door open, that gorgeous scent of his greeted her like a welcome friend. And that sweet, smiling face which never failed to make her long dead heart swell with happiness. They had been together for so long, and somehow he loved her the same as he had when they'd married at fifteen. He had begged his parents to be allowed to marry her, even though her mother and father came from less than favorable stock. He was the youngest son of seven, and it had been far easier to convince them than it would have been had he been the eldest. Her parents, on the other hand, had just been happy to see her married at all.

When Henry had been turned against his will, he had not wanted to be apart from her, and one summer night, he'd turned her in a haze of bloodlust.

“Hello, darling.” She beamed at him, quickly bouncing inside from the cold, although it didn't bother her. Still, there is something about standing in just a jumper and jeans outside when its hovering just above freezing that makes one want to be indoors. Distantly, she thanked god that old myth about being invited in was just that, a myth.

He didn’t appear shocked to see her, but neither was he unhappy, reaching out towards her with that same soft smile of his. Just like her, he had probably caught her scent in the air and knew she would come, awaiting her as he always did when her need for travel took her far from his arms.

“Hello, sweetheart.” He greeted, accepting her happily into his arms and lap. She wrapped an arm around his neck, the other resting against his chest as she beamed happily at him. “I didn’t expect you quite so soon.”

“Well I wasn’t going to come during your meeting. You know Peter and me don’t get on.” She grimaced at the thought of the ancient creature, absently fixing the collar of his coat.

“Peter doesn’t get on with anyone.”

“And I wanted a moment alone with my husband.” She continued, smoothing his coat, running her fingers up his neck to just beneath his ear.

“Oh did you now?” He smirked, the hand curled around her hip cheekily stroking up her side.

“You know, this reminds me of our third wedding. Only you and me, abandoned cottage, dead of night. Only we were wearing far fewer clothes. And there is no cowering priest here, I imagine.”

Henry groaned, rolling his head backwards as though long suffering. “Don’t start something you can’t finish, love.”

“Who says I can’t finish it?” she smirked, pressing herself closer. But whatever fires she was tempted to stroke to life were prematurely guttered by another vampire's arrival.

“Me.” A low voice sounded from the opened doorway.

“Duke. Always a pleasure.” Truly, he was the head of their counsel, and the vampire Henry answered to directly. Truly, it was Peter who was meant to be the Duke's right hand, being the second eldest of the Eight, but Peter had a wretched attitude and so Henry held that distinct honor instead. Ila supposed that was a right sore spot for Peter, but she was very proud of her husband.

She had no place among The Eight, the masters of eight distinct territories throughout Europe, and thus she had no right to remain and sit in on their meeting. But the Duke had known her long enough to know she was no real threat to any of the matters discussed. And, she was Henry's wife and he trusted Henry implicitly.

“Same to you, Ila. Though this meeting is a private affair. Counsel business and all that.”

“You would put a poor woman out of a house after she’s just been reunited with her husband?”

"Now, now, Ila my dear." Henry murmured softly, pulling her just a little tighter to his side.

The Duke's movement into the room shifted the air just so, and Ila's nose wrinkled. Blood was one thing, but the smell of decay and cleaning solution was quite another. "What is that stench?"

"Owners enjoy killing and bloodshed and violence more than most vampires." Henry replied, rolling his cigarette between his deft fingers.

"Children?" Ila asked immediately, shifting to look at her husband. She had been a mother in her human life, and drew a hard line against humans who enjoyed harming the youngest and most vulnerable. Had he confirmed her question, none would stop her from going downstairs and tearing the captive owners apart, limb by limb.

But Henry shook his head. "Migrants. Homeless. Anyone they come across, really." Well, in that case, Ila was more than happy to let the others have a meal once adjourning.

"You do pick your hosts carefully. Anyway, Duke, if it is all the same to you, I'll step out of the room when the meeting commences."

"Very well, but that is only because I didn't make it to your last wedding."

"Yes, you were very much missed."

True to her word, when the last member of their council arrived, Ila retreated to the adjoining sitting room, idly flicking through one of their hosts books. Good lord, the things humans enjoy reading about these days.

But when she heard Henry softly say her name, her ears perked up she tilted her head to listen better. Henry would not say her name and draw her attention unless he wished for her to listen.

"You think we wouldn't find out, Thomas." Duke growled.

"About what?"

"He's been overfeeding." It was Henry this time, his voice soft, but she could hear the disdain and disgust in his soft tone.

"Sixteen above his quota this year already. And the less said about last year, the better."

"No, that's a lie!"

"And not only has he been overfeeding, he's been taking them young." The Duke rarely revealed his anger, and when he did, he shook the earth, even as he spoke quietly and measured. Ila stilled, disgust and horror welling within her as she processed the Duke's accusation towards their youngest and newest counsel member. It was a general law amongst the vampire community that children were forbidden stock. To harm something so innocent and helpless for one's own sustenance was a sin amongst them. In ancient times, it had been different, but time, it seemed changed even the immortals.

Chen walked through the sitting area, causing her eyes to flicker up to him. He was quick and silent as a cat, shotgun in hand, and without hesitation, he pushed the door open into the kitchen, and shot and incapacitated Thomas.

"If you don't kill him, I will." She whispered, knowing those in the other room could hear her. True, Thomas had broken the Law, but he was still a Council member, still powerful, still respected.

"Don't worry, darling." Henry murmured back, breaking a chair leg off while Thomas struggled against Chen and Angel. "Done and dusted."

—————-

"Getting tossed down the basement stairs is too good for that fuck." Ila murmured, head tilting as Henry brushed the remains of Thomas off his hands.

"Indeed, love." Like Ila, he despised unnecessary killing, but the slaughter of children struck a particular cord in them both. In their human days, they welcomed a pair of boys into their lives after a handful of fruitless years. Their sons had been a blessing for them both, who had begun to think they were just an unlucky pair destined to never have a child, let alone two. Ila's mother, god damn her, had been particularly vicious and despite pressure from Henry's family and Ila's, the two had not let the wretched woman near their sons once they were born. Even Ila's father had been allowed to hold them once or twice.

By the time Henry was turned, their boys were half grown. He had stayed away for nearly a year after, following them in the darkness, hiding in the woods, under rocks, even resorting to burying himself in the dirt in the daytime when he had to, just to make sure nothing harmed them. But one night, when the ache of longing was at it's sharpest, he'd snuck back into their camp, his keen eyes finding her form easily. Curled up she was, and his still heart broke to see that even after so long, not knowing if he'd died hunting or had simply abandoned her, she slept with one of his shirts tucked under her chin.

He had only wanted to touch her hair, to look at her, to breath her in before he disappeared into the night, but he had underestimated just how her smell would strike him with his heightened senses.

A primal instinct surged within him, and in a red haze, he realized he'd reached out and pinned her--his own wife--down onto her sleeping pallet, his hand clenched around her delicate little neck as his fangs elongated. It was only her frightened wheeze of his name that stopped him from draining her.

But he was young then, and he was on her before she could utter a shriek, his teeth plunging into her neck, drinking from her greedily as she clenched her hands at his shoulder. It was only later, when she told him, the bite had felt...good.

He'd drunk down more than half of her, and only lived because he had stopped and left just enough to keep her heart beating and allow her to turn.

That night, after she'd roused enough to drink down a whole deer, the two of them ran away into the night, away from their family, away from their sons. The blood on the blanket had left them to believe she'd been taken in the night by some monster, and it wasn't exactly wrong. It had just been her husband who'd taken her. It had hurt them to leave them, but given that he'd nearly killed his wife, he could not risk his boys coming to harm from their hungry mother. Ila would not forgive herself if she'd hurt their children, and would likely stake him if he risked it.

Silently, they kept watch over their sons, their children and their children after.

"So there is a vacancy then?" Ila asked as Henry shut the door, slamming it for good measure.

"Aye. Vanessa is bringing him, nine generations of pure blood. Hard not to accept."

"I hope he's accepted. Nessa is a pretty good judge of character."

Indeed, when the funny little human arrived at the farmhouse, Ila immediately took a shine to him. He was talkative, approachable, even friendly to the eerie group he found himself surrounded by. Lord knows they needed fresh blood to stay in the loop of todays modern vampire. Last she had checked, Henry's territory's population was steadily growing, but unfortunately for them, babies were making babies. The baby vampires needed careful maintenance if their kind were to stay in the shadows unbothered.

He introduced himself as Sebastian, a gypsy boy from an orphanage, not knowing just how rare and valuable his blood was. He had no idea how respected he would be, if he turned.

"I'm Henry. I also hail from the east." He and Sebastian shook hands, with the latter immediately withdrawing with a hiss. Sebastian played it off easily enough, and turned his eyes to Ila, standing just behind Henry with a bright, warm smile on her lovely face.

"I'm Ila, just here to observe. I'm Henry's wife. I also hail from the east."

"Oh no kiddin'! How long you been married then?"

"This last time, it'll be about 22 years. I day we're due for another one soon enough, especially now that I'm back from abroad. Keep things legal and godly, and all that." Truly, she didn't care much about the godly bit. Legal, yes, but aside from that, Ila just loved a good wedding party, and after six hundred years, she'd gotten very good at planning them.

The human frowned confusedly, but the female vampire just smiled warmly at him. Eh, he figured, smiling awkwardly back, so what if she's a little simple, she seems friendly enough.

Ila stood back against the wall, resting her hand against her husbands chest from behind him, watching their human newcomer with curiosity. Now that talk of quotas was at an end and the child murderer was properly disposed of, there was no objection to her presence. Either Sebastian was accepted and turned, or he was rejected and disposed of. She hoped he was accepted, he really was a funny little human.

But when he sat down on the chair with the leg broken off, he seemed to be properly and sufficiently annoyed enough to try to leave, despite multiple attempts to make him stay. Pressing a soft kiss to the hand that rested against his chest, Henry stood and soundlessly walked around the table to block Sebastian's exit. He held the door firmly shut, even as Sebastian quietly turned around to take Angel's proffered seat.

Although clearly unnerved, the Romani boy sat back on Angel's vacant chair.

"Vanessa has spoken very highly of you. She says you come from good stock.” The Duke continued, causing the Romani boy to scoff.

"You're joking, aint ya? I am Romani from an orphanage." Sebastian protested, an awkward smile pulling at his lips.

"That's alright. My mother was a right bitch, my father a slave to the drink. My husband and me slept out under the open sky most nights. But he kept our children fed and warm, kept me safe, kept our vardo moving."

“You got kids?” Sebastian spluttered, eyes wide.

“Aye, now I’ve got great grandchildren. My one grandson looks just like my younger boy. Our genes are strong, eh Henry?” Henry only smiled softly at his wife. "My point is, I'm a nothing from nothing but you, my dear Romani kin, are certainly something." Sebastian only regarded her that same way again, softly, almost pitying for surely the young woman going on about having great grandchildren was a little touched in the head.

"Look, you've caught me on a bad week. I'm tapped out. Normally I am the man to see, but..." Sebastian trailed off, that easy smile returning to his lips as he tried to talk his way out the door as politely as he could.

"He is a good talker." Ila murmured softly to her husband in Romanian. "Could sell water to a fish."

"That will work for us." He murmured back to her.

"Honest, I mean look, it sounds brilliant and all that. Whatever it is. Save the whales, or praise the lord or whatever." Henry frowned confusedly at the young man across from him. "So no offense, and all that, seriously. Thanks though." As he moved to tap out his cigarette, he unintentionally blew smoke towards little old Alice.

And caused her to sneeze, her face contorting in her annoyance, her fangs flashing in the dim light. Nevertheless, Sebastian saw it, stumbling back in horror.

"You didn't tell him?" The Duke accused Vanessa softly, annoyance curling in his words.

"I thought we'd break it to him gently." She replied sheepishly.

In the background Sebastian was still going on in a half frenzied ramble about how Alice was a zombie monster, how he needed to leave.

Ila frowned, this all sounding mildly familiar to her. It took her a moment to recall--cold farm house, frightened human, annoyed vampires...well, all she needed was a wedding gown and this was like her wedding in 1798. Spring wedding, in their country cottage, two of their wedding guests had brought their own meals. The mess that caused at the end of the night had made it so she had not permitted any more humans being brought as food to another one of her parties.

But other than that, it had been beautiful night.

"Tonight, we must become Eight." Vanessa told Sebastian gently, pulling her out of her memories.

"Maybe I'm miscounting, but I counted eight of you already. Whatchu need me for?"

"Oh!" Ila exclaimed, shaking her head, her hair brushing over her shoulders. "Not me, sweetie. Like I said, I'm only observing."

"Well you can have it back, really I don't mind."

"But I do." Henry spoke up, his eyes hardening. There have been disputes over elected counsel members in the past, and he was just as happy that Ila stay out of the line of fire all together. It wasn't that Ila was disliked among the more senior members of their breed, but the implication of favoritism for becoming the Eighth as well as being the wife of a current member was too much to risk. Anyway, it wasn't as though Ila coveted the position.

"Now, now darling. He meant no offence and none was given." she ran her hand across his back, hoping to calm his carefully hidden temper.

"A vote is before us. All in favor."

One by one, each member cast their vote as aye. Except, of course, for Peter. The pouty little man was more hurt at Thomas' betrayal and execution than anything else, and voted against Sebastian because of it.

"For being over a thousand years old, he sounds like an angry child." She murmured in Romanian once more.

"Oh, so shut up Ila, I have half a mind to toss you out. You've no say in these proceedings." Peter spat from his place by the window. Damn, she thought. She'd forgotten he understood Romanian.

It was too bad, she really liked the young Romani boy.

#eat local #eat local 2017 #charlie cox #vampires

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