William Holloway

I'm a devil in disguise

"Sebastian, I've got a horrible feeling about this."

They were Will's famous last words, spoken often nearly two centuries ago upon the streets of London, often with the Duke's son trailing anxiously after the Earl, who had thought of some scandalous way to fill their evening with an explosion of things that William's father would disapprove of. The evening ahead of them was reminiscent of those English evenings, even if the situation had wholly changed for both young men. Just like those long past evenings, William trailed a few steps behind Sebastian as they hurried down darkened streets, muttering protests while his companion wholly ignored the words he spoke. It was laughable, really, how much the evening mirrored the ones that William so longed for, and yet how distinctly different the evening was now. For starters, even with it's charm, Sacrosanct was no London. It was perhaps the closest William had felt to home since the last time he'd been in England, and yet even the beautiful architecture was nothing compared to his homeland. Secondly, the men themselves were vastly different than they had been as boys. Sebastian had wholly grown into the confidence that had always radiated from within him during his long, vampiric lifetime, and even more so in his role as Prince of Italy - a title that William still felt altogether stunned by. Sebastian conducted himself with an easy poise as he walked, as if he was hardly bothered by anything other than the prospect of a night with his friend. And perhaps he was. Perhaps, for Sebastian, it was that simple.

William, however, had not fared quite so well in the two hundred years since those boyish English evenings. His recent experience at the hands of the Dark Hunters had left him more flustered and anxiety ridden than ever before. Even though he'd readily accepted the role as Sebastian's body guard, he'd yet to leave the comfort and security of the guarded estate. And though he was supposed to be working for Sebastian, it had been Sebastian that had been so entirely focused on William. On making sure he was eating, that he was sleeping, that he was regaining some of the strength and stability that he'd had once before. Physically, he was looking more like the young noble that he'd always been. He'd gained back just enough of the weight to make him look less gaunt. He'd had a haircut and gotten new, clean clothing that fit his frame. He looked the picture of the William of old, even if he was a shadow of what he had been before. William's hand still tremored with anxiety. He still awoke in the middle of the night drenched in a cold sweat until he could piece together where he was. And now, as they walked along the street, William couldn't help the frequent glances over his shoulder at the shadows, nor the way one of his hands was clasped around the hilt of the dagger tucked into the inside of his leather jacket.

"Perhaps we shouldn't..."

William's latest protest was given the same amount of attention as his last one, Sebastian all together ignoring the verbiage that William offered him. All the Hunter could do was follow Sebastian as they made their way down the sidewalks. Sebastian, most likely motivated only by an attempt to get William to leave the mansion, had demanded a night out with the two of them. William, ever wanting to please his friend, had agreed even if the idea of going out had made his stomach twist uncomfortably. He was trying - really, he was - to relax and simply enjoy the time with his best friend. But the nightmares that plagued his evenings couldn't help but creep into the reality. Will was terrified of the Hunters that might leap out and capture him or Sebastian, how they might inflict the very promises that had been made over the last several years of his life. William longed to be back under the protection of the several armed guards at the mansion, even if he knew that logically he and Sebastian could protect themselves. Still, despite the anxiety that gripped at every bit of William, he followed along Sebastian as he led his companion into a building.

The first thing William noticed as they entered the club was the explosion of noise and light. He was unsure what he had been expecting when Sebastian had promised him a night out, but William was sure he hadn't expected this. William instinctively stepped closer to Sebastian, reaching up to push a hand anxiously through his dark hair. He needed a drink. The excess of bodies in the club only made the Duke's anxiety rise to an all time high. "Sebastian, we should really just head back to..." William started, glancing along the bodies in the club, a mixture of humans and varied supernaturals. How was he supposed to protect them both if- William's line of thought was cut off by Sebastian stepping away from him, disappearing into the crowd. Vaguely, William understood that Sebastian had been talking to him, even if the Duke had little knowledge of exactly what had been said before Sebastian had so abruptly cut away from him, leaving William alone and distinctly anxious.