Till Death (Volturi / Twilight Fanfiction)

23: Mom and Dad and Dracula

Taylor

"Francis, buddy, ya gotta stop avoiding me." Taylor chastised the tech just as he began turning away from her approach. She needed a replacement motion sensor for down the hall, guess who was in charge of all the equipment? His hair was down today, it hug just above his shoulders and was rather disheveled. 

"I'm-....what? I just need to go...check on the throne hall motion sensors-"

"Great, I can save you the trouble. One's busted and I need a new one." Taylor interrupted Francis' excuse. He mumbled apologies as he searched for a replacement. "What's up? I'm not even that intimidating...I don't think. Am I intimidating? I don't mean to be." 

"Standoffish at times." Francis corrected as he handed Taylor a new sensor. "The company you keep however..."

"My parents? Dude I'm not gonna have them fire you or whatever." 

"Fire? Fire me? No, I won't be fired even if you request it. I am exceptional." 

"Okay, then what's up?" Francis looked around a moment at the small bustling around the two then leaned in close.

"Can you promise that I will not be beaten the shit out of if I talk to you?" He whispered, Taylor balked. 

"Uh, yeah. What the fuck? Who's threatening you?" Francis shushed Taylor as her voice rose. 

"I have not been threatened, but I feel threatened." He clarified. Taylor stared at him a moment, then shrugged. 

"You'll be alright. I know this place is a little creepy, and the people a little bit too, but that's kinda our whole deal. Ghost show, ya know." Taylor giggled awkwardly at her attempt to settle Francis' nerves. Francis clicked his tongue.

"I can see you are quite oblivious." He pinched the bridge of his nose, then snapped his fingers. "I am a homosexual! Pass that along to your intimidating boyfriend." He looked at Taylor's hands and snatched the sensor out that he had placed within. "And I will take care of this." He glanced behind her and scuttled off, leaving a perplexed Taylor behind.

"Miss-"

"FUCking hell..." Taylor whipped around to face Heidi. The mahogany beauty offered an apologetic closed-mouth smile in response. "Y'all gotta stop sneaking up on me."

"My apologies Taylor. How are you this afternoon?" Today it was not only the natural atmosphere of the castle and its' residence that put Taylor so on edge. Today she was introducing her parents to Marcus. A regular guy she had been seeing for only a few weeks now who probably wouldn't understand why her parents would want to meet him so fast. Truthfully she didn't understand herself. Her mother's feelings were not ineffable but she was so sure about this one. To be frank, it was a little intimidating to Taylor. In her moments alone, those rare moments without spirit or living being to pester her, she worried. He had a glow about him, they all did, but she wasn't as unnerved by him as the others. And she felt so empty without him near. Yet he never touched her, they had yet to have skin contact of any sort. The closest they had come was his head kisses before he left, and even those were blocked by hair. If Taylor was at all hesitant to open up, or if she was still at all, Marcus seemed to be doubly so. Which made her wonder, why he didn't just tell her to buzz off? 

"I'm good...what's up?" Was she overthinking it? She could be. That was something she did often. 

"Your Mother was looking for you in the garden." This was new after all, intense feelings are to be expected in the beginning. 

"Thanks, I'll uh, get to her." As Taylor started for the garden her eyes were far away. She nearly ran into Santiago who easily sidestepped the concerned looking woman. As she passed he watched for a moment, before turning to Heidi. A question in his eyes.