The Duke's Passion

"Hmm… interesting," He crooned, nodding as he crossed his arms, and his eyes closed into mere slits, "and very lovely."

Interesting? Lovely? Did he have to sound that disinterested? The expression on my face died down as I rolled my eyes in my head and continued rinsing my shoulder. 

"It's fine if you don't want to, husband. But this will take a while."

"Not that I don't want to," he said, and I gazed back up at him. What did he mean, then? Sam only raised his hand to show me the dried blood and dirt left in between his fingers and palms.

He smacked his lips, and said, "I know you don't mind, but I do." He put his hand down on the rim, bending down as the other hovered in front of me. "Hand." 

Hand? I furrowed my brows as I darted my eyes from his eyes to his wriggling fingers in front of me. Did he want to hold my hand? I wondered but still reached my hand to him.

Sam stared at the back of my hand, tilting his head before he turned it around to see my palm. What was he doing? I wondered, arching my brow as I watched him. I winced when he suddenly pricked the tip of my finger and shoved it inside his mouth.

"Sam?!" I gasped in disbelief as he sipped my blood. He only quirked a brow, flicking his tongue against the tip of my finger that sent a tingling sensation across my body. 

"You're all red with a little teasing," he chuckled, keeping my finger in between his teeth. "I'm just checking what happened to you while I was gone."

"Check?" I frowned. He wouldn't need to do that if he returned, but he didn't. It was better if he told me before going off on his own. I'm his wife, after all.

He cocked his head to the side, a misplaced cluelessness flickering in his eyes. He said, "I need to know if Stefan did something to you."

"Are you saying I won't tell you if…" I trailed off as I let out a sharp exhale. How could I forget? These people could take away a certain memory at their will. "So you can see it even though I can't remember?" I asked in disbelief.

Sam rocked his head slightly before letting go of my finger. "Blood never lies, my wife."

Blood never lies, huh? I clicked my tongue and rubbed the finger he pricked against my thumb, asking, "So? Did he do something?" I raised my head, only to see him shrug nonchalantly. 

Did that mean I'm clear? Well, he wouldn't be so nonchalant if he saw something amiss. Also, why am I the one who gets to be investigated first? Wasn't it supposed the other way around?

I clicked my tongue in annoyance before my entire body froze when he traced my shoulder with his finger. "Anyway, my wife, how have you been?" he asked. "You seem to have grown… corpulent."

Corpulent? I cringed as I shot him a deadly glare. "I was doing great, honestly," I replied sarcastically, "despite that my husband left me the day after our wedding and didn't return for three weeks!" The nerve of this guy to tell me I've grown fat? And whose fault was it I was stress-eating? 

'Yours, of course!' My mind replied, 'Did your husband tell you to eat?' How frustrating even my mind was not on my side.

I looked away, huffing and puffing. I heard him asked, "Are you angry?" 

What a dense man. "For calling me fat? I am offended… a little." I snickered, facing him squarely. "But I'm disappointed that you left for three weeks without telling me a word. Do you have any idea how it feels to wait? Not knowing whether you come back or…" I choked and looked away.

My heart was pounding against my chest as if all my emotions just erupted after his insult. I already learned to hold everything in, but somehow, I always find my emotions all over the place in front of him. Even when I decided not to talk about it tonight, my mouth just ran off on its own with the sheer thought of receiving the news he had died somewhere.

Silence dawned on us for what seemed to be an eternity. The water in the tub was growing colder, but I couldn't get up, nor did I want to. I just want to drown my entire body to clear my mind. 

After a long silence, his weary and coarse voice finally put an end to it. "I'm sorry." 

I gazed up at him, wide-eyed. Did he just apologize? And was that sincerity in his voice? Did my Sam come back? My hope got instantly crushed when he rolled his eyes. 

"Close your eyes," he instructed, clicking his tongue as a glint of discomfort and annoyance lingered in his tone.

"Why? So that I won't get disappointed?" He only sounded sincere, but I'm not blind to see the reluctance written all over his face. How disappointing.

He clicked his tongue and raised his hand, blocking my eyes that can't hide my disappointment. "Something came up, and I didn't have the chance to come back and tell you. That damn Rufus will kill me," he explained with the same sincerity and exhaustion in his voice.

I pursed my lips, holding his wrist down ever so slowly. "Say it again," I demanded. "I want to see how you say it."

He frowned, his eyes glinting menacingly. "Why? So I can see the disappointment in your eyes because I'm the one who returned and not your dear Sam?"

"No one enjoys feeling disappointed," I rebutted with a frown. "I wouldn't ask that without considering the person I married is you, and it just hit me. So, I want to see how my husband apologizes."

That's right, the man I married was Hell. How could I forget that and still unconsciously expected him to do things like Sam? Although they were the same, I promised him to love both sides of him.

His lips parted before it closed and then opened again as he spoke. "Sorry for worrying you. I'll do better." 

A smile turned up my lips, as it didn't seem that bad now. "Forgiven." I nodded, pleased.

"Forgiven, huh?" Sam mumbled as he clicked his tongue, "not that I actually care if you.." he trailed off when I splashed him some water. His eyes narrowed as his deep crimson eyes glinted, but it didn't faze me.

"Can you stop being childish?" I sassed, annoyed, as he just redeemed himself, and then sabotage himself the next second. "Your wife forgives you, just accept it. Now go, I'll finish up…" I couldn't finish my sentence as he suddenly dipped his hands and washed his hands, dirtying the waters in the tub.

"Childish, huh?" he said, as he retrieved his hand, gazing at the water before shifting them to me with a pleased smile. "I'll apologize for that later." A devious chuckle escaped his lips before he turned around and walked away.

I ground my teeth, splashing water in his direction, shouting, "What a jerk!"