Sangria (BWWM) (On Hiatus)

Chapter 7- Warm Like a Sunflower

When Vincent said it would get warm where they were going, he wasn't lying! Gabrielle was no lightweight when it came to came to hot weather. Those NYC summers could be pretty brutal! But, damn, the Romanian sun beating down on them was something else entirely. No wonder vampires from the region had to be so tough... The sun alone would burn a weakling to a crisp!

One thing that she could not get enough of, however, was the scenery. Everywhere she turned, there was something that stunned her with natural beauty. They were on horseback, trotting through a forest, heading down a slight incline. Vincent still hadn't told her where they were going, but she enjoyed herself nonetheless. She did wish, however, that he'd at least warned her that they would be riding a horse so she'd dressed a bit more appropriately. The sundress she wore, while very cute and super stylish, was less that practical for given the activity. No matter, she was having fun on her very first horseback ride!

Gabrielle sat on the saddle, nestled between Vincent's legs as he reached around her to hold the reins. She was learning so much about him on this trip. This was the first he'd ever expressed any kind of interest in horses. Turns out the family owned a stable connected to the back side of the castle which housed about six horses. He'd strode in there so confidently and picked one out for their afternoon. It was interesting to see him be comfortable in a completely different setting outside the one she was accustomed to seeing him in. He'd thrown that saddle on and strapped it up like he'd been doing it his whole life... and she wouldn't lie. It was pretty damn attractive.

They had been riding through the wooded area for about 15 minutes now, and there was something on Gabrielle's mind that she just could not shake! So, she enlisted Vincent to assist her with her dilemma.

"Buna dimi...." Gabrielle began.

"Bună dimineaţa!"

"Yeah, that. What does it mean?"

"It means 'good morning'," he explained with a small smile playing at his lips.

"How the heck do you say it again?"

"Bună dimineaţa."

"Bună..."

"Deemee-"

"Dimi-"

"Nyat-sa..."

Gabrielle paused to put the syllables together in her head, and soon she was trying again to pronounce the Romanian phrase. "Bună dimineaţa?"

"Exactly. Good one, love."

She smiled at her success, now repeating the phrase over and over until she said it perfectly. "Awesome! Now I can greet your parents in the morning tomorrow."

Vincent scoffed. "Why? So that my father can be an absolute knobhead about it again?" He screwed his face up and put on a mocking tone as he sought to imitate Dracul. "We speak English, you know... Fucking wanker."

Gabrielle chuckled in response. "Babe, don't worry about it. I've already quite frankly given up on trying to make friends with your dad. He'll come around on his own when he's ready." Vincent snorted at that. "Your mom, on the other hand, has been amazing so far."

"My mother is nothing short of an angel. She's always been a pleasant woman. She was always the voice of reason and a beacon of optimism in my life." His words drifted off as he suddenly remembered the conversation he and Nikolai had earlier. His mother... His poor mother was all those things, and he'd hurt her in the worst way...

"She is incredible. I'm glad I met her," Gabrielle muttered, pulling Vincent back.

He heaved a small sigh and shook his head clear of the negative thoughts. "So am I, Gabrielle. You remind me of her sometimes."