Different Forms, Same Love

Chapter 3

Date night was always something that Ericka would look forward to with great anticipation. It would start out with a delicious meal, some idle chatter, and then the inevitable cuddling that came after they'd taken their activities to the bedroom. She had no complaints.

On this particular night, Dracula chose to hit the hotel's brand new cantina. It was a finely decorated space, with dark wooden tables and walls that were painted in a variety of warm tones. A small stage stood at the far end, where a lively band of mariachi skeletons presently played a slow, romantic tune. The atmosphere itself was both cozy and inviting, as was the rest of the new activities that the hotel had to offer. From her vantage point at the bar, Ericka could see the various monster guests mingling about, laughing, drinking, and enjoying themselves. She was so enraptured by the carefree scene that she almost didn't notice her husband returning with their drinks in tow.

"I must say, Mavis and Johnny certainly did a wonderful job on decorating this place," he commented softly, placing one of the glasses down in front of Ericka. She smiled up at him, lips curving upwards into an affectionate sort of smirk as he leaned over and briefly kissed her in greeting.

"I'm willing to bet it was mostly Johnny who decided on the decorating," Ericka said once they'd broken apart. She gestured to the colorful streamers, intricate paper cutouts, and other such paraphernalia that hung from the ceilings and walls. "He's always had a creative perspective on things."

Dracula let out a low chuckle. "True," he agreed, "and it's a good thing my Mavey is there to keep him in check. You and I both know how carried away he can get sometimes..." He began to scowl, but a stern look from Ericka set him straight and he quickly added, "but I do have to admit that my son-in-law is doing a pretty good job running the hotel."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay, a great job! Are you happy now?"

Ericka laughed lightly. "Yes. It's much better when you don't keep your feelings all bottled up inside your coffin all the time, Drac."

Dracula rolled his eyes, though he couldn't quite hide his grin. Ericka then turned her attention to the drink that had been placed before her.

"So, what did you get this time?" she asked, picking the chalice up. Upon glancing at its contents, however, she stopped short, and felt as though her face became paler than what it already was. The hand holding the chalice became stiff in its grip.

"This is..." she started, but trailed off some. "It's..."

"Not the usual," Dracula finished for her, as he cautiously monitored her reaction.

She gave him a look. "I can see that."

He shrunk back slightly, and allowed Ericka to further study the scarlet-colored concoction in silence. Then, she spoke again.

"It's, uh, not human blood, is it?"

"Well of course, what else?" Drac replied brightly.

Her eyes widened and he laughed. "It's just a joke, my love, it's mouse." He prepared to sit back down on the stool, but she used her magical abilities to swipe it out from underneath him. Startled, he fell to the floor hard on his rump.

"Ericka!" he exclaimed.

"Serves you right!" she retorted with a snicker. When he had arranged himself, she looked back down at the drink as he spoke.

"Really though, human blood is far too full of fats and all sorts of unspeakable things." He shuddered for effect, and she rolled her eyes at the rather exaggerated display. "Really not healthy for a vampire in any way." Dracula guided her attention back to the drink in hand. "This, on the other hand, is field mouse. We tend to use it as one of the very first blood types to begin feeding our young vampires."

"Oh," she said, observing the rich liquid and trying to find any notable differences between it and any other refreshment. In truth, she could find none. If anything, it looked like a fine wine with a creamish sort of undertone that reminded her of butter. Thus far in their time together, she actually had rarely seen Dracula drink blood. The substance seemed to be saved primarily for special occasions or festivities, and he'd otherwise taken to consuming substitutes like Near Blood or Blood Beaters. There was also a large array of other ghoulish recipes, such as wormcakes or homemade monsterball soup, to which he was fond of and preferred. Since her turning, she had followed along in his feeding habits so far, and somewhere in the back of her mind knew that the time would eventually come for her to sample the real thing. Also, she was a vampire. Ericka knew it was only a matter of time before she'd come around to having it, and she had been curious as to how the opportunity would present itself. If now was that said time, then so be it. Besides, Dracula seemed to quite enjoy the classic vampiric beverage. Perhaps she would, too.

Without further delay, Ericka pressed her lips against the rim of the chalice, taking a careful first sip. It felt warm in her mouth, as if she'd just taken a drink of hot chocolate instead. But this, of course, tasted nothing like it. Or really like anything she had ever had before. She swirled it around in her mouth, attempting to accustom her taste buds to the exotic new flavor. It was salty, for one, but there was also something sweet about it too. A bitter metallic tinge lingered on the back of her tongue as it slid smoothly down her throat. But, she did not recoil at the taste. In fact, she found it quite appetizing. Before she could help herself, she took another few sips, more slowly this time so as to savor the feel of the rich and velvety liquid.

Beside her, Dracula watched with an intent interest as he leaned his head against his elbow. "Enjoying?" he asked, though the answer was already obvious. Ericka nodded, tilting her head back as the last of the drink was swallowed. She licked her lips with a pleased hum and looked at him with a wide grin that perfectly showcased her now-reddened fangs. Her eyes shone happily, and Dracula was satisfied that she'd adapted well to the new tastes. He chuckled and raised his own chalice. "Well, I was going to toast, but you already drank everything! Ah well, to us anyway."

He held out the cup, but - before he could register what it was that had even happened - found that it had been swiped from his hands by his wife in the fleet on an instance. She glanced coyly at him with a teasing glint in her eye for a brief moment before saying, "Nah, how about just to me," and promptly began to clear its contents.

Her actions startled him, and he gasped. "Ericka!" Drac exclaimed. "Honeyfangs, you shouldn't - "

But he never finished his sentence, as she had already downed the whole drink in a matter of seconds. Ericka hardly noticed his uneasy expression, as the growing sensation of dizziness consumed all of her senses. She swayed slightly on the stool, unsure if everyone around her was spinning or not. She didn't have long to ponder the thought, before she let out a hiccup-like laugh and slumped forward on the marble counter.

Dracula facepalmed, cursing himself under his breath. He had not intended for this to happen. Mouse blood was one thing, but the moose blood he had ordered for himself was of a much stronger potency, and certainly not an amount to be had by a teetotaler. The sound of a cackle caught his attention and he looked up. A few stools over was his father, Vlad, whom he hadn't noticed before leaning against the bar with a drink in hand. He sipped nonchalantly as he observed the situation. "Heh-heh, yep. I still remember the first time I drank blood."

Dracula groaned in response. "Not helping, Dad!"

He briskly rose from the stool, sweeping Ericka into his arms bridal style and beginning to make his way out of the bar. A few curious eyes watched him as he passed, but he did not pay mind to them. Ericka, still in a half-conscious state, snuggled close to his broad chest and kept her eyes closed as the natural sway of his arms when walking lulled her to sleep. She continued this way even as he gently laid her atop the duvet of their bed. Dracula gazed down at her fondly, slightly amused by her behavior that night and knowing with certainty that she'd be feeling back to normal by the morning.

"Sweet nightmares, my love," he whispered, holding her close as he too fell into a relaxed sleep.

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A/N: Everything in the fic takes place in alternate timeline where Drac transforms Ericka into a vampire after the fourth film, just for any additional clarification. Also, blood is the vampire equivalent of wine in my headcanon ;)