In The Dark
By Misha and CallMeTippyTumbles
Disclaimer- Not mine. I’m just borrowing them and will return them when I am done.
Misha’s Notes- One of the challenges of this fic was figuring out Liam and Eleanor and how Liam’s condition would change their story. In the end, I decided that while it presents new challenges, it doesn’t change the immediate connection that they would feel in any world and it puts Liam in a very different situation, when it came to acting on his feelings, including different obstacles and I wanted to focus on that, even though it’s from Eleanor’s POV.
Tippy’s Note: First off, let me say how excited I am for you guys to read this chapter. Especially Liam Stans. I love a romantic dude and this chapter you get to see parts of that. You get to see how Liam and Eleanor build that relationship in this new context. I like how Liam being a vampire doesn’t change their attraction or their personalities. Liam is still quite guarded and reticent when it comes to talking about himself. Eleanor is still a romantic just waiting for her fairytale to begin. The vampire aspect does come with different pressures and expectations than if she were dealing with Prince Liam. Now I have to rush off to write Chapter 4.
Rating- PG-13
Pairing- Liam/MC
Summary- Liam and Eleanor go on their first date and then have an important conversation.
Words- 2593
Chapter Three: First Date
“Who are you Liam?”
As I ask, I realize I know nothing about him other than his name. Who was he? Where had he come from? What was he?
Liam hesitates. “That is a complicated question,” he evades, “and it would take more time to answer then we have tonight.”
Disappointment washes over me. I thought I’d convinced him, but apparently not…
Liam gently removes my hand from his arm and takes it in his. “I will answer your questions, Eleanor,” he says quietly, meeting my eyes, “just not tonight.”
“Promise?” I ask him, remembering his comment about how he doesn’t break promises.
“You have my word,” Liam assures me, “tomorrow you will get your answers, though you may come to regret it.”
“I won’t,” I tell him confidently. I didn’t know what secrets he was hiding and what had happened in that alley was terrifying, but… I’m not scared. At least not in the way I feel like I should be. Maybe it’s Liam. There’s just something so safe and reassuring about him that I feel like I can handle whatever he is going to tell me.
Just then, the waitress comes by with our food.
“The food here isn’t anything special, but it’s good,” I tell him, picking up my burger, “My friend Amelia loves this place. She basically lives off a diet of burgers and fries.”
“I have a friend like that,” Liam says with a smile, as he picks up his own burger. “I’ll have to tell him about this place.”
“Is he here with you?” I ask curiously, “in New York?”
Liam hesitates for a brief second and then nods. “Yes, I am here with a few others.” He doesn’t elaborate and I don’t push. He told me that he’ll give me answers tomorrow and I have to trust him to keep his word. He pauses. “How did you know I was visiting New York?”
“Just a guess,” I say with a smile. Truthfully, I am not sure what made me so sure Liam wasn’t a native New Yorker, it’s just a feeling. Maybe it’s the fact that Liam feels like he walked out of a fairytale. “Maybe it’s the chivalry, you don’t see a lot of that around here.”
“Well that’s one way I am glad to be different,” Liam answers, though there is something in his tone I can’t quite place.
After that, the conversation is light and before long we finish our meal and head out of the restaurant and towards my apartment, which is only a few blocks away. Meaning it’s not long before we end up outside my building.
“This is it,” I say lightly as we stop. “Do you want to come in?” I am expecting a refusal, but I make the offer anyway.
“Not tonight,” Liam says regretfully, “But I will be back tomorrow. Do you work?”
I am supposed to, but I constantly cover other people’s shifts, so I will call in a favor if I have too. “No.”
“Then I will come back tomorrow night and take you out for dinner,” Liam promises. “I have a few things to attend to in the evening, but I can be here by 9 p.m.”
“That works for me,” I assure him, it meant I could trade for an earlier shift if need be instead of dumping my shift entirely.
“Eleanor, I need you to promise me something,” Liam says, his hand reaching out to stop me as I turn to go into the building.
“Anything,” I say instantly.
“Don’t go out after dark,” Liam says urgently, “at least not alone. Can you do that?” His eyes meet mine and the intensity there almost takes my breath away, this is obviously important to him.
“Of course,” I tell him, it’s an easy promise to make, given how late it is tonight and the fact that our plans are for shortly after sunset.
He visibly relaxes. “Thank you, the city can be very dangerous and I would hate for something to happen to you.”
Something had almost happened to me tonight, would have if not for Liam. I shudder, remembering that thing in the alley.
“I’ll be careful,” I promise him.
There is a long silence and I long to reach out and touch him, but I hold back. Liam is equally still, just watching me with an expression I can’t quite decipher. It feels like we stand there forever, neither of us moving, but I know it’s only about 30 seconds.
“Goodnight, Liam,” I say finally, turning towards the door.
“Goodnight Eleanor,” he says quietly. He stays where he is and I know that, like at the restaurant, he’s not going to move until I am safely inside.
—
Liam is there exactly at 9 p.m.
“You look beautiful,” he says, greeting me with a smile. His eyes run over my body, taking in the dark blue dress I picked out.
“You look pretty good yourself,” I say truthfully, giving him a once-over of my own. He’s dressed more formally than he had been the night before, in a jacket and slacks, complete with ascot, and he looks incredibly handsome.
I hadn’t been sure how dressy I should get, but in the end, I’d wanted it to be special and seeing Liam I am glad I did.
“I made reservations,” he tells me, offering me his hand, “to what I’ve been assured is a fantastic restaurant.”
My surprise must show because he smiles. “I haven’t forgotten my promise, Eleanor, but first I’d like to take you out on a proper date if that is ok?”
He goes very still as he waits for my answer, his gaze locked on mine.
His smile lights up his face and once again, I can’t help but notice just how incredibly handsome he is.
He leads me to a waiting car, there’s a driver, but Liam opens the door for me himself, helping me inside.
He gives the driver an address and then sinks down on the seat next to me. “I asked a friend for a recommendation and apparently this restaurant is one of the best in the city.”
He gives me the name and my eyes widen a bit.
“Is it not good?” Liam asks me, “should we go somewhere else?”
“Oh, it’s very good,” I tell him, “or so I’ve heard. I’ve never eaten there. It’s impossible to get a reservation.” So how had Liam managed and on such short notice?
“I have good connections,” Liam defers, “and hopefully the meal will live up to its reputation.”
“And the company,” I tease, “though you’re making it so that you’d have to be pretty awful for me to count this as a bad date.”
“All part of the plan,” Liam says with a laugh.
A few minutes later, we arrive at the restaurant, I discover that not only had Liam gotten us a reservation, he’d gotten us a private room.
“I didn’t want to share you,” Liam admits once we are seated. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” I assure him, I’m a little overwhelmed and very flattered, but not bothered. Besides, I like the idea of being alone with Liam, or mostly alone.
“Do you have any wine preferences?” Liam asks me, picking up the wine menu.
“White,” I tell him, “other than that, I’m not picky.” My wine knowledge is pretty limited to what pairs well with specific food, not the quality of the wine, so I’m happy to let Liam choose.
“We’ll take the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet,” Liam orders.
The waiter nods and returns with the wine. Once we each have a glass, he takes our meal order.
“I’ll have the pan-roasted chicken,” I tell him as he takes my menu.
“And I’ll have the seared tuna,” Liam orders, “extra rare in the center, please.”
“Of course, sir.”
“Do you eat a lot of seafood?” I ask once we are alone, deciding that is a good conversation starter since we’ve agreed to leave all the questions until after dinner.
“Yes,” Liam answers, “I grew up by the coast.”
“And where exactly did you grow up?” I ask, wondering if I’ll get an answer.
“Cordonia,” Liam tells me, “it’s a small country, off the coast of Greece.”
Cordonia, the name rang a bell for some reason. But why? And then it hits me.
“That’s the country where The Crown and the Flame is based, right?” I ask him, putting it together.
Liam laughs. “Yes, that’s us, are you a fan?”
“Oh, yeah,” I answer with a laugh, “who wouldn’t be? It’s got action and romance and adventure. Plus beautiful sets.”
“The show is actually filmed in Cordonia,” Liam tells me, “or at least part of it, the rest they do in Studio in L.A, but the location scenes are all Cordonia.”
“Well, it’s a gorgeous country,” I tell him, taking a sip of my wine. “What about you? What kind of books and shows do you like?”
After that, the conversation flows easily.
There are no awkward pauses or weird moments. Liam is sweet, charming and attentive and it’s so easy to get lost in his company that before I know it, we’re done with dessert and ready to leave the restaurant.
“That was delicious,” I tell Liam as we get up, after the bill is settled, “now I know why this place is so impossible to get a reservation for. It definitely lives up to its reputation.”
Liam smiles. “I’m glad.” He pauses as we reach the door. “Do you want me to call for the car or would you like to go for a walk?”
“A walk sounds nice,” I tell him, taking the hand he offers. “It’ll give us the chance to talk.”
“Yes,” Liam agrees and I can see him retreat a bit.
I don’t push until we are away from the restaurant, then I repeat the question he evaded the night before, “who are you, Liam?”
“I am Prince Liam of Cordonia,” Liam tells me and then sighs, “or at least I was in life.”
In life.
I froze as the true meaning of his words hits me. I think about what I saw in that alley, the way the creature had just poofed into dust, like a vampire. Of how strong Liam is and how fast he appeared.
“Are you still alive?” I ask him quietly, not wanting to jump to conclusions.
Liam’s jaw tightens and a shadowed look crosses his face before he answers. “No. At least not in the way you mean.”
Oh.
Well, then.
“Are you,” I lower my voice, “a vampire?”
“Yes,” Liam answers, “and yes, the creature in the alley was a vampire or at least a kind of vampire. We call them Ferals, they are vampires that have passed the point of reason, losing all connection with humanity.”
I shudder at the memory of that thing. “Could you become one of those?”
“Unlikely,” Liam assures me, “I’ve been branded with the mark of my maker, her blood protects me.”
I have a lot of questions about brands and Ferals, but I am also pretty sure that none of that information is actually going to stick right now and I’m much more curious about Liam.
“How long have you been a vampire?” I ask after a moment.
“Three years,” he answers and I can see a shadow pass over his face, “Cordonia has always had two royal courts, vampire and human, but a few years ago, it was decided that system was no longer required and the governments should be merged.”
“Was the merger voluntary?” I ask quietly.
Liam lets out a humorless laugh. “Not exactly. But it’s done.”
I study him in the dim light, noting the way he clenches his jaw and decide not to push him any further about that.
I bite my lip, trying to figure out what to say next. Liam is equally silent, standing there watching me, his expression still tense.
After a moment, I find my voice.
“I already know you are strong and fast, but what else?” I ask him. “Can you fly?”
“No,” Liam answers, “and I can’t turn into any animal either.”
“You met me after sunset, so I’m guessing the part about the sun is true.”
“Yes and wooden stakes, but religious icons are just that and garlic is more annoying than harmful,” he tells me and i can see a hint of a smile.
“Do you drink from humans?” I ask hesitantly.
“I do,” he answers, “but I don’t kill. I’ve never taken a human life.” He looks directly at me as he says, meeting my eyes without hesitation, his expression as fierce as his tone of voice. It is obvious that the statement means a lot to him. “Cordonian vampires live out in the open, but part of that is an agreement not to do harm. We only feed on willing donors and Turnings are restricted and controlled. New York has similar rules.”
“New York has vampires?” I ask before I can stop myself and then laugh. “Of course we do. I mean I was attacked by one.”
“You were attacked by a Feral,” Liam corrected, “those aren’t connected to the City’s vampires.”
I nod, even though I don’t quite understand the difference. But I am less concerned about the vampire government of New York and more concerned with Liam. “Is that why you’re here?” I ask, “to meet with the vampires of New York?”
“More or less,” he hedges.
“Is it ok for you to me telling this?” I ask after a moment. “I mean about the vampires and all that.”
“There’s no rule against it,” he tells me, “We don’t go shouting it from the rooftops, but there are humans in on the secret. We just ask for discretion.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” I promise, besides who would believe me? If I started talking about vampires, my friends would either tease me even more about my overactive imagination or they would be concerned and suggest that maybe it was time I finally talk to someone. “You can trust me.”
“I know I can,” Liam says quietly and something in his tone makes me blush. After a moment, he sighs, “However, I understand if this conversation…. Changes things.”
“It doesn’t,” I tell him and I stop walking so I that I can look directly up at him, my hand on his face. “I still want to get to know you, Liam. You’re the same man you were last night, the one I just had dinner with, the only difference is now you’ve trusted me with your secret.”
Liam is still for a moment, just watching me, as if processing my words and then something almost like awe fills his face.
“You are extraordinary,” Liam tells me, bringing his hand up to cup my face. We move towards each other at the same time and our lips meet in a sweet kiss.
It’s brief, we are standing in the middle of the park, but it feels nice and I know I want more.
“Are you sure about this?” Liam asks when he pulls back, taking my hand again.
“I’m sure,” I tell him, linking my fingers with his.
We continue to walk, taking our time as we head back to my apartment, just enjoying each other’s nearness.
“Any more questions?” Liam asks me as we get closer.
I smile up at him. “Only one. When do I get to see you again?”
—
Love this so much 💖💖💖