Who: Eli and Athelstan. What: Nesting. When: 3/21. Where: Their house. Rating/Warnings: PG-13, mentions of vampiric turning. Status: Complete!
Athelstan still wasn’t entirely certain what was going on in the national parks, but it did worry him a bit. He kept seeing posts on the network about people fighting beasts, and while he hadn’t seen any in Orange County (for once), he knew too much to be entirely at his ease.
He’d taken a nap during the day so he could be up longer with Eli, and he wanted to be sure she was well. Having someone in the house with him was still new and worth smiling over, so he looked happy when she came into the kitchen after dusk. “Hello, my dear.”
Eli had eaten the day before, so she would be fine for about five or six days. Wiping the drowsiness out of her eyes, Eli beamed when she saw Athelstan smiling at her. It was a novel thing to live with him, and she relished the moments they could simply be together like this. “Hello,” she murmured.
“How are you?” He wrapped an arm around her as she came close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He’d had bad dreams, but he wasn’t going to discuss that unless she was in a good frame of mind. They’d given him much cause for worry, and, well, he didn’t like worrying her.
“Oh, I’m fine.” She yawned a little and then nuzzled into his touch. “You do not seem as if you are well. You smell as if you had nightmares.” He still had adrenaline and sick sleep sweat stuck to him, clinging to his hair. Otherwise, he smelled like sunshine which was incredibly comforting.
“I did.” Athelstan didn’t see fit to hide anything from her. “More of the Dreams. What about you?” She looked well rested, at least.
“Mine have simply been repeating,” Eli murmured. “It is... not fun, as they say, but it is not as bad as it could be. Tell me of your dreams.” She moved to sit down so she could pay close attention.
“I dreamt of a voyage to a great Viking temple,” Athelstan said. He wanted to tell her about the dreams, but it would be hard. “My master wanted to make a pilgrimage after he was made jarl of his village.”
Eli wrinkled your nose. “He is not your master,” she nearly spat. She wanted him to know that he’d been forced into things. The man kept him out of threat of violence, nothing more. “He is a man. As were you.”
“In the dreams, I was not safe without his protection. Here, no man owns me.” Athelstan knew she knew it, but honestly, it felt good to say. “But be that as it may. That man chose to make a pilgrimage, and ordered me along. Once there, I ... I was given some sort of drug.”
She felt her own stomach turn, felt her own eyes close tight. “I - what did they do to you?” She winced, reaching out to wrap her arms around his waist. Nothing would happen to him here, nothing of the sort. He would be happy and healthy under her watch, she promised that to herself.
“They were going to sacrifice me.” Athelstan said, pulling her close. “They gave me the mushrooms, and then sent in a woman - they said that sacrifices ought to go into Valhalla happy.” He didn’t like thinking about Thyri; she’d suffered in her own way, but still. “The girl had been the previous jarl’s daughter, and now she was down to ... well.”
Eli’s eyes went wide. “But they did not sacrifice you, no?” She didn’t care about the woman - he could have been a lothario in his dreams instead of a monk and she wouldn’t love him any less nor any differently.
“No.” He couldn’t help but be blackly amused. “Sacrifices must be true believers. They asked me to deny my God - but dream me kept a cross hidden around his wrist. I was unsuitable.” And yet, the trauma of the moment had stayed with him. The feeling of terror. He wanted to tell Eli if only because then it would be out there.
Tiptoeing up, Eli kissed him lightly. “Good. I hope that dream you does not get stripped ever of his identity, of who he is.” It just seemed unfair, and reminded her too much of her own dreams.
“He is curious about Viking culture - he asks questions, which I don’t find objectionable. But honestly, I hope that’s where it stays.” Athelstan shook his head. “I felt sorry for Thyri - the girl. I hope you aren’t upset with me for feeling that way?”
“I can understand being interested in the culture if it is not your own,” she murmured. Her head had been resting on his chest, and when he apologized, she leaned back. “I am not upset with you, Athelstan. It would be silly for me to be jealous of someone who may or may not exist in this reality. And in my dreams, I fell in love with Oskar, and I try not to be hypocritical.”
“You would never do that if you could help it.” Athelstan smiled a little. “That’s good to hear, though. I mean, she was very beautiful - but at the same time, I think I understood her a bit. I was a captive. She was the daughter of the previous jarl that my m - er. Ragnar. Defeated in battle. It left her with almost no status or marriage prospects. All but a slave herself, really.”
“I am glad you had a friend like that in your dreams. That is there, and this is here. I wish for you to be taken care of in both places, and if it cannot be by me, then I wish for it to be by someone.” She stroked his cheek, her eyes crinkled in a faint smile that was mirrored upon her lips.
“I understand,” Athelstan said gravely, smiling at her. “I am pleased to hear you are so understanding and beneficent.” He kissed her forehead, eyes closed. “Since we have begun to live together, I’ve felt somehow as though we haven’t had time to catch up very much.”
“Well, I happen to love you,” Eli grinned. She moved to sit on the kitchen counter nearest him, letting her hands rest lightly on his shoulders. “Is that so? Perhaps you have been busy. I’m sorry if I’ve been unavailable.”
“I think things have just been mad.” Between moving her things, the danger north of Orange County, and both of them being exhausted, it had been difficult all around. He kissed her gently. “I have nothing planned today or tomorrow, do you?”
“I don’t, no.” Eli smiled and reached out for him, tugging him closer and running her arms lightly over his chest. “What do you have in mind?” She liked the idea of just laying around together.
“I had thought we might stay in and watch a film or two.” Just spending time with her was so enjoyable. For as much as she worried about her body temperature and so on, Athelstan would swear he still felt warmth from her. “Curl up on the couch and relax. And if anything lewd might transpire, well. Um. Maybe it ... I do believe in fate.” He still blushed talking about those things with her, even though it was normal with them now.
“I’d like that very much.” She blushed as well, color coming to her cheeks since she’d fed so recently. “I don’t think it’s lewd if it’s between consenting, loving adults.” She let her cheek rest on Athelstan’s shoulder, sighing contentedly. “You make me feel so calm.”
“I can say the exact same, you know.” Athelstan smiled. “A lot of people wouldn’t be so patient with a fuddy-duddy like me.”
“You are not a ... a fuddy-duddy.” Eli couldn’t help but giggling; it was a bit of slang she didn’t personally use, and it made her laugh. “You are wonderful. You are charming, and kind, and compassionate.”
“And you are biased.” Athelstan picked her up off the counter, wrapping her legs around him. “Shall we go downstairs?”
Giggling when she held onto him a bit like a cat, Eli nodded. “Let’s.” She ran her fingers through his hair, liking how fluffy and soft it was. In the dreams, she’d probably have fancied him as well if she’d known him.
He carried her downstairs, ducking his head under the low staircase, smiling as he got to her bed. It occurred to him, not for the first time, that he could spend a very long time with her. “Eli?” Athelstan asked, setting her down and kneeling in front of her. “Do you ever worry that you’ll grow bored of me over the years?”
She giggled as he moved with her, as he set her down. But when his tone grew more serious, her smile faded. “I do not. I know I will not. I grow sad knowing I will outlive you, that one day I will be without you.”
“Would you ever ... I know you don’t wish that I be like you. But if I could ...” He looked away. “Somehow? Would you even want it?”
“It would have to be your choice,” she murmured quietly. “It would have to be something that you came to willingly, something you wanted.” She wrapped her arms around him a little tighter, smiling sadly. “Because selfishly, I would ... it would be comforting, to be with you forever.”
“I had to ask.” Athelstan sat down next to her instead of kneeling. He took her hand. “I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. I mean. I have to be sure. But I do love you.”
“Yes, you do have to be sure. It cannot be made spur of the moment. And if you did ask to become a vampire, I would not have you be made the sort of vampire I am. We would find someone who can drink from people and not turn them to change you.” She might have thought about it a lot.
“Well.” He smiled shyly. “If I am sure, I will tell you. You have my word.” He had some soul searching to do before that possibility would ever become a reality. But at least he knew she wouldn’t spurn him out of principle if it happened.
She nodded. “I do hope it will not come to that, but yes. If we talk to each other, nothing can go wrong.” She took his hands in hers and kissed his fingertips. “Come, you should help me pick out a film to watch.” Snuggling was better when you had something to ignore.
“I would be delighted.” He smiled, heading for the video rack.