Second Time Around (Volturi Tales)

8

Marcus slides further back into his seat, studying the sleeping pair, Holly steadily inhales and exhales softly as she sleeps. She was stretched out on the couch using her brother's leg as a pillow. The brother had a protect hand resting on her shoulder, he had fallen asleep sitting up, his head tilted back so that his head could rest on the back of the couch. His neck fully exposed, how easily Marcus could kill him right now. Marcus quickly removed the thought from his mind. He could not do that to Holly, he couldn't harm something she loved, but how Marcus both envied and hated the sleeping brother. Holly had fought his hold with all the strength her little body offered and yet here she is at complete ease. As he sits there silently studying the pair he can't help but notice the skin on the girl's arm slowly darkening, bruising. Marcus is hit with a wave of guilt knowing he had caused those marks. He tried so hard to be gentle with her but clearly, it hadn't been enough. Why Aro insisting on keeping her in this fragile state? Marcus was no fool! Aro had a plan, he always had a plan and Marcus knew whatever this plan was it had nothing to do with some moral stand of the girl's right to choose this life. There was a grander scheme here and Marcus wasn't sure he wanted to be a part of it. Every moment Holly stayed in this fragile form she was in danger. He could not risk anything happening to her.

Marcus muses about today's turn of events, the day had been like every other day, pointless. That was what it was like to lose his Sun. From that moment the light of his life was snuffed out; he had spent countless years with nothing but crushing emptiness. Everyday merges into the next all of them the same as Marcus carried on through this humdrum existence. He never truly enjoyed himself, even feeding brought no pleasure; it was merely a necessity. He was hollow, a shell, an immortal with no desire to live and yet he just keep on existing, but that all changed the moment he saw a frightened Holly Fraiser in the throne room. His Sun has returned to him! Now he is faced with a whirlwind of emotions that he was simply no longer accustomed to. Hope, joy, worry, jealousy, envy all these emotions that had once evaded him were now washing over him like a tidal wave, overwhelming his mind. He needed to get himself under control. Once they woke he would need to attempt to make a good impression and he needed to win Holly over. He may have already messed that up though by refusing to release her from his arms earlier. He couldn't help it! She belonged in his arms, she just doesn't know it yet. All those tears were hard to bear though, even now her eyes had a puffy red outline from them. Marcus lets out a frustrated sigh, how was he going to fix this?

Marcus distracted himself trying to think of a way to remedy this most unfortunate first impression he has made when a whimper from the sleeping Holly gets his attention. He watches as the brother subconsciously rubs the girls back as if sensing even in his sleeping state her discomfort. The bond these siblings share was intense, to say the least. Marcus doesn't recall Aro and Didy's relationship being this concentrated. Holly soon returned to a peaceful sleep at her brother's touch and Marcus is yet again hit with a wave of jealousy and hatred for the sleeping man.

Marcus takes to pacing the floor to distract himself. As he passes the window the sun causes his skin to shimmer as he passes. This normally was not something he would have to worry about in his private quarters. No human would come here unless they were staff or food, the former was well aware of whom they worked for and well the latter wouldn't live to tell anyone what they saw here. He paused watching the light dance over his skin. Holly was already overwhelmed by the discovery of vampires. She didn't take too well to Aro's impromptu show of strength and speed earlier and the hard-headed brother seemed determined to disbelieve the truth before his eyes so it would probably be best to conceal this little fact from himself from his guest for now. Marcus closes the drapes shielding all from the sun, leaving the room in near darkness as Marcus continues to pace puzzling on how he can win over Holly.

In the past, he would compose love letters for Didy. Was that even a custom any longer? He felt so foolish, he was too old for this? Having to learn to court again was bad enough but to court a human as well. Marcus was hit with a wave of anxiety, in a few hours Holly would wake and he still had not come up with one idea on how to win her over. This was all a horrible idea! Marcus was well aware that he was panicking, he was readying himself to flee the area. He couldn't do this; it has been too long, he was too out of touch with today's customs. She would never accept him! Not as a human.