Becoming someone else
It had been less than a day since {{user}} had to leave their old life behind and become a man they was never meant to be. Now, in the bathtub, Celeste checked them over, making sure everything looked just as she remembered it.
"Hold still." Celeste's voice carried no warmth as she dragged the blade through {{user}}'s wet hair, each lock falling into the steaming bathwater. Her servants' hands moved mechanically over their body, scrubbing away the dirt from the dungeon where she'd kept them since finding them hunting illegally in her realm three days ago.
Just like when I first saw my Leo... He too needed proper grooming before I could present him to court.
"My husband knew the importance of appearance." The scissors snipped precisely, measuring each cut against her memory. "Medium length - he found longer hair bothersome." A servant's hand slipped lower, washing between {{user}}'s legs. Celeste's grey eyes flashed red. "Careful with my property."
The castle's eternal winter seeped through the stone walls, making the bathroom's warmth feel artificial. Steam rose around them as another servant poured hot water over {{user}}'s shoulders. The copper tub creaked under their movements.
Soon you'll be perfect... my Leo reborn...
Her cold fingers traced the fresh bruises on their neck - remnants of their capture when her guards had dragged them from the woods. "You'll learn to appreciate these lessons in time. Just as he did." The knife glinted as she made another precise cut. "After all, a proper gentleman must look the part before learning to act it."
Gene's grandfather had taught him an important lesson about living in a cruel world with vampires: once you were in their sights, your life was forfeit. There was no point in resisting Celeste and her servants. Whatever it was she was doing to him here, Gene already knew that his life may very well be over any moment.
He remained calm and yielding as the many hands groped, scrubbed, and cleaned his body, He too was positive and agreeable by nature, finding joy and fascination in all things. With the way Celeste kept mentioning her husband in past tense, it was clear to Gene that he had passed away at some point.
"It sounds like you really loved your husband,"
he began, his voice solemn as he worked to connect the dots between her words and actions, considering the possibility that her treatment of him in this moment might be part of some traumatic or ritual mourning–though Gene did not presume to understand the hearts and affairs of vampires.
"Would you tell me about him? He must have been a special man."
Her grey eyes narrowed as she paused, the knife hovering above his shoulder. The servants froze mid-motion around them, breath held. Even the air seemed to still, waiting for her reply. When it came, it was as cold as ice.
"He was,"
Celeste finally whispered, her lips curling into a sneer.
"But he's gone now."
She made another cut in his hair, harder this time, ignoring the strand of blood that swirled away with the water. The servants resumed their ministrations, scrubbing at him as if trying to rid his skin of any trace of his old life. Celeste watched Gene from under her lashes, considering his question. Perhaps he deserved to know more about her Leo... but then again, maybe not.
"He was kind,"
she said after a moment.
"And brave, and selfless."
She snorted derisively.
"Everything I am not."
Her fingers flexed against the knife's hilt.
"Perhaps that is why you remind me of him... It's quite infuriating, really."
A servant placed a pair of clean clothes on the edge of the tub, and another one helpfully took up a comb, beginning to work through Gene's now shorter hair with expert fingers. Celeste tilted her head slightly, studying his face in the mirror above them.
"He loved music,"
she said abruptly, surprised by how raspy her voice sounded.
"He used to dance with me every night, and we'd listen to the melody of the piano until the sun rose."
Her eyes flickered to his hands, checking they were clean before moving on.
"You know nothing about him,"
she murmured.
"I suppose I wouldn't,"
Gene agreed. His tone was sombre as he continued.
"But it sounds like you were very much in love, and I'm so sorry that he's gone. A man that special, a man like him can never be replaced."
Her expression softened slightly at his words, though it was barely perceptible. The servants continued their work, acting as if they hadn't noticed the change in her demeanor.
"No,"
she murmured after a moment.
"He can never be replaced."
She reached out to brush a lock of hair from Gene's forehead, careful not to touch his skin with anything but air. The servants froze once again at the unexpected gesture of kindness. It was gone in an instant, leaving no sign it had ever happened.
"But,"
she continued, her voice turning cold once more,
"I can make you into something even better."
"Don't,"
Gene said, reaching up to gently grab Celeste's wrist. He didn't wrap his fingers around but feathered them lightly, caressing her skin through the fabric of her sleeve. It was a moment of tender boldness that made her servants jump. Possibly the only reason she did not tear him limb from limb on the spot was the sweet and soulful words he said next.
"Don't compare the likes of me to your loving husband. No one can exceed the preciousness of your lost love, not even me..."
There was a long and chilling pause between them before Gene added,
"I would rather mourn him with you. Don't let me match or exceed him; let me appreciate him, appreciate what has been so cruelly taken from you."
Celeste's eyes, her fangs, her entire demeanor was formidable and terrifying like a panther. And yet, just like a panther, she was mysterious and beautiful. It was easy for Gene to see what had captivated her late husband.
"You don't understand."
The words were more like a growl, her body tensing beneath his touch.
"I can't let him go. Not as long as you exist."
She snatched her hand free of his grasp, turning away from him to study herself in the mirror.
"It's not fair,"
she whispered, more to herself than to him.
"Everything was perfect before he died,"
her voice grew louder, more accusatory as she stared at her reflection.
"He made me happy, and now that I have you... You remind me of him. It's unbearable."
Her hand shook where it rested on the tub's edge. She could feel anger and fear churning within her, a storm brewing inside her chest.
"So I must make you into what he was meant to be,"
she spat out at last.
"I will shape you into the man he should have become. And when I am done, when there is no longer even a memory of your old life, then maybe..."
Her voice trailed off, lost in thought.
"Perhaps I can finally let him rest."
Her gaze flickered back to his reflection in the mirror, assessing him once more with cold detachment.
"Until then,"
she said, her lips curling into a mocking smile,
"consider yourself lucky that I do not simply tear you apart and be done with it."
She could see his expression in the reflection of the mirror: warmth, sincerity, and honesty. For his part, Gene didn't see a demoness in front of him; he saw a soulful, artistic, complicated woman who was trapped in a cage of loss and despair. From what he could tell, she didn't want to be treated as weak, she wanted to be appreciated for the wondrous being that she was, something only her late husband had had the courage to do... But Gene would do that too, if given the chance to show her.
Realizing how vulnerable Celeste must have been feeling, her dignity and image before her servants became of genuine concern to Gene in that moment. As she stared into the mirror, Gene rose from the bath, unafraid of the situation or her veiled threat. With a smile, he took a towel from one of her servants and wrapped it around himself, then gestured them to leave the bathroom. Even they were not sure why they complied with his silent order, but they did. Perhaps Gene was more like the late Master Leo than he knew.
Undaunted, Gene stepped out of the tub and approached Celeste.
"Are you not mistress over all? You should do what is impossible: forever carry the love of your late husband in your heart..."
His voice trailed off as he slowly, affectionately rubbed her upper arm.
"...and let me love you in a new way that is as frightening, mysterious, and beautiful as you are."
Gene smiled and searched her grey eyes in the reflection of the mirror. Would she consider letting her guard down further, now that they were alone, or was she about to give in to her hurt and fury?
"Do you know what they say about vampires, my dear?"
Her voice was soft, almost gentle as she turned to face him, stepping close enough that he could feel her breath upon his cheek.
"They say we are heartless monsters, cold and calculating... Creatures who delight in suffering...And yet,"
she continued, her free hand brushing through the loose strands of his wet hair before coming to rest on his shoulder,
"I do not find it in my heart to tear you apart. Perhaps because you remind me so much of him. Or perhaps..."
Her fingers tightened slightly against his skin, and for a moment, her eyes flickered with something unreadable. Hunger? Desire? Longing? It was impossible to say.
"Perhaps I have simply grown weary,"
she whispered,
"of being alone."
Gene cupped her cheek. Perhaps she could bite him with her razor teeth at any second, but he didn't fear such things. She was no animal to him.
"To live forever in such loneliness is a fate worse than death..."
Gene stepped closer to Celeste. Only one other man had ever been so innocent and oblivious to her form and stature, so audaciously forward and romantic towards her feminine needs: Leo. Yet here was Gene, proving that she could not only be cherished once, she could be cherished again by someone else.
"Do you know what they say about humans?"
he whispered, running his thumb down her lip.
"They say we simply love whom we love."
Leaning in close, he pressed his lips against hers, puckering clemently at first, gently coaxing her to kiss him back.
Her breath caught in her throat as he touched her, his fingers warm against her cool skin. His words sent a shiver down her spine; she'd never thought of it like that before. For so long, being a vampire had meant being alone, watching from the sidelines as humans lived their brief lives before disappearing into the void of eternity. It was lonely work... and yet here he was, offering her something more.
Her heart raced as his lips met hers, gentle and sweet at first before growing bolder, demanding a response she couldn't deny him. His kiss was nothing like Leo's had been - younger, less experienced perhaps, but still deliciously intoxicating. It was enough to make her forget for a moment that he was not her lost love, that his heart did not beat with the same rhythm as his.
Her fingers curled against his shoulders, digging in as she deepened the kiss, her tongue sliding past his lips to dance with his. She could feel the rising heat of arousal spreading through her body, pooling low in her belly where his hand still rested. It had been so long since she'd felt desire like this... and yet, a part of her knew it wasn't right.
It didn't matter. Not now.
Her other hand slid down his back, pulling him closer as she moaned against his mouth. His scent - so much like Leo's but with subtle differences that set him apart somehow, made him unique and wonderful in his own right - filled her senses, making it impossible to think of anything else. She wanted more of this feeling, the heat, the connection... the love.
With a whispered curse, she spun Gene around, pressing him against the cold tiles of the bathroom floor.
Celeste was surprisingly forceful as she grew more excited. Gene was not used to being pushed so roughly, but he laughed with delight nonetheless. He wanted to be as tender with her body as she wanted to be rough with his. The only thing more firm than her grip against him was what throbbed beneath his towel.
"Tease my body as your prey,"
he invited, grinning as she pressed her weight against him.
"And when we've had our fill here, we should go to bed so I can love you like the beautiful woman you are."
Her breath came in ragged gasps as he said the word 'bed,' her fangs lengthening with desire. Even now, still haunted by her memories, his touch was driving her wild. She hadn't felt this way since...
She stopped herself before she could finish the thought. This wasn't about Leo anymore; it was about her, and him. About the passion that burned between them in this moment. About finding something real, something new, even if it meant letting go of the past she had clung to for so long.
Her fingers danced across his skin, diving lower, trailing her nails along his chest and stomach. Her lips found his neck once more, suckling hungrily as he gasped and moaned beneath her. She could taste the skin there, salty and sweet like ambrosia, sending shards of pleasure through her body.
"I want..."
she panted between kisses,
"to feel you inside me..."
Her hips rocked against him, seeking friction as her clothes grew sodden with sweat.
"Now."
Her fingers found the hem of his towel and yanked it away, exposing his arousal to the cold air of the bathroom. It stood at attention, throbbing in time with her heartbeat. Her lips parted as she stared at it for a moment before lowering herself onto him, taking him inside her heat. The pain was exquisite, tearing through her body like lightning, but beneath it lay pleasure so intense the immortal thought she might die from it.
Her nails dug into his shoulders, her hips moving in time with the rhythm they'd found as he thrust deeper inside her. Her eyes closed, lost to the sensation of being wanted and desired by someone.
She craved force in this moment, and Gene responded in kind. He buried his fingers in her soft thighs, lifting her body as he pounded up into her.
"I belong inside you,"
he grunted, his skin slapping against her sopping entrance.
"No one so lovely...should ever be alone."
Gene slammed her down on his cock then grabbed at her arms to pull her down onto his chest. It wasn't enough to be connected in one place; they needed to meld together, to boil over into something molten hot and new. He kissed her with great force as their hips continued to desperately grind together. His tongue explored her mouth, tracing across her pristine fangs, as if touring the place it would forever call home. Together, they exchanged light and desperate moans as the tension continued to build.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as he slammed her down on his cock, feeling him so deep inside her it seemed to scrape against her very core. The pain was unbearable and exquisite at the same time, blending together with the pleasure that spread through every fiber of her being. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she arched her back, meeting each powerful thrust with an answering cry.
"Yes,"
she gasped, her voice hoarse and demanding,
"like that."
Her body trembled on the edge of release, her senses reeling from the intensity of their coupling. With every stroke she felt herself spiraling closer and closer to oblivion, wanting nothing more than for this moment to last forever. Her fangs ached with the effort not to sink into his skin, to taste his blood and merge completely with him...
"Celeste,"
he groaned her name like a prayer,
"I'm close..."
His hands gripped her hips tightly, pulling her down harder onto him. She cried out at the feeling of being claimed so deeply, lost in his touch as they raced towards the peak together.
"Me too..."
she gasped. Her body trembled, her legs quaked and grew weak as the tension coiled tighter and tighter inside her. And then, with a cry that seemed to echo through eternity, she came, bursting violently around him as wave after wave of pleasure washed over them both.
Her vision blurred as she looked up into his eyes, seeing the same raw emotion mirrored there. He growled low in his throat, his cock twitching before it exploded at last, his body tense and shuddering as he poured himself out inside of her. Together their legs jerked and quivered with every spurt, every thrust as the aftershocks rocked their bodies into a momentary oblivion.
As Celeste collapsed onto Gene's chest, he wrapped one arm around her back, and cradled her soft head with the other, holding her tight and secure as they panted together. on the cold tile floor of her bathroom.
Her eyes fluttered open, focusing on the smooth ceiling above them as she caught her breath. She could feel his heart racing beneath her ear, their bodies still joined in a tangled mess of limbs and sweat. It had been so long since she'd felt this...alive. Even as she thought it, she knew she couldn't go back. Not now, not after what they'd shared.
A small smile curved her lips upward as she nestled deeper into the crook of his neck. Perhaps there was hope for her yet. Despite everything that had happened, despite how much he reminded her of Leo...he was still here, with her. Maybe settling for a new love would be enough for her tortured heart.
"Thank you,"
she whispered, barely loud enough to be heard.
"For making me feel again."
"And thank you,"
he replied, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb,
"for sharing your feelings with me."
Gene sat up slowly, gently rocking Celeste onto her knees. He stared into her eyes for a long moment, running his fingers through the curls of her silken hair. As if their gazes were communicating in an unspoken language, Gene began to unto the ties of her dress, pulling it up and over her. At last, they were completely naked together, their skin in full and intimate contact as he listed her up in his arms.
Gene carried Celeste out of the bathroom, stepping into her large, regal bedroom. After delicately laying her down amongst the sheets, he climbed in and pulled her close once more, yanking the soft covers over them. Not once did they break their shared gaze as Gene ran his fingers through her hair once more.
"I think your late husband would want you to be happy,"
he whispered.
"I think he would want to see you loved and cherished in the way you deserve to be."
Her lips parted, but no words came out at first as he spoke those forbidden thoughts aloud. She knew Leo's spirit was watching them, felt his presence like a weight on her chest, but hearing it from someone else... She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. It had been so long since anyone had said anything of the sort to her that she didn't know how to process it. Even if Leo had wanted her to find happiness...
"I will try,"
she managed finally, her voice little more than a whisper.
"To be what you need me to be."
And even as the words left her lips, she knew they were true. She couldn't deny any longer that she was falling for this mortal man who could never replace Leo in her heart, only make it whole again beside him. And perhaps this love was strong enough to sustain them both.
Gene kissed her forehead.
"So will I,"
he whispered in reply, presenting the bare skin of his neck to Celeste. It was both a proposal of marriage, and an invitation to bite him, to turn him and merge together with her forever, becoming everything she needed him to be. In the world of vampiric love, there was nothing more wholesome and intimate than giving her his neck.
Her fingers traced the outline of his pulse before moving closer to his exposed neck, her nails grazing lightly against his skin. Her breath hitched as she leaned in, feeling her fangs lengthen with anticipation. For so long, she'd been trapped in loneliness and despair, but tonight...tonight she felt a spark of hope reignite within her chest. She could be happy again; she could love again. And this time, it wouldn't just be for one moment. It would be for eternity.
With a trembling hand, she pressed the tip of her canine to his skin and gently sank it into him. He moaned softly as he arched his neck back, offering himself up to her completely. Her other hand cupped his cheek, her thumb caressing the smooth curve of his jaw while she drank deeply from his veins. It was sweet and warm, heady with life and passion. He was everything she needed, in that moment and forevermore.
As she continued to drink, their bodies entwined like tangled vines reaching for the sun, she knew that they had found something precious, something worth holding on to. In each other's arms, she could almost forget the world outside their bedroom door, forget the pain of loss and heartache. For now, they were free to love and be loved in return, and it felt like heaven.
When at last she pulled away, his skin was marked by her claiming bite, but he smiled up at her with infinite tenderness. The symbol of their new life together would always serve as a reminder of the power of love, even in the darkest of times. And though they might face obstacles in the future, they would face them together, as one.
Though it might take a few days for the full process of transformation to take effect, Gene could already feel his body tingle. His veins coursed with Celeste's essence. He smiled at her brightly, interlocking his fingers with hers.
"Thank you,"
he whispered.
"I love you. I'll always love you."
Celeste gazed down at him, her lips curving into a soft smile as tears filled her eyes once more. The lump in her throat grew as she tried to swallow past it, but the emotion was too much to contain. She'd never meant for any of this to happen, had only wanted to remember Leo and keep him close. Yet here he was, this formerly mortal man who loved her as well.
"You're welcome,"
she whispered.
"And I love you...more than words can express."
She leaned in, pressing their lips together once more. As they kissed, she could feel herself beginning to change, her body growing warmer and stronger by the moment. She knew soon they would be united for eternity, sharing not only a bond of love but of immortality as well. And though part of her heart would always belong to Leo, there was no denying that she had fallen deeply in love with this man who'd given her everything she'd ever dreamed of having again: a chance at happiness and a fulfilling marriage.