Cauis had been courting you ever since your coven had been invited to an annual ball held in Volterra. He was intimidating, yes, however you soon began to see past the reputation he made for himself. 

He taught you how to paint, with many snarky, yet adoring, comments, while you’d try to teach him how to crochet.

‘I am a man of many talents, dear y/n, but crochet will never be one of them.’

Aro and Marcus would tease that you melted his icy barriers, however he hadn’t changed. He chose to let you see past his reputation, and you knew that, which made you love him more.

A month into the courting process, you began to rent a small cottage within the village of stunning Volterra, which you grew very attached to.

The garden was surrounded by high fences, and no neighbours so you, despite your vampiric sparkle, could garden to your heart’s content, and bask in the heat of the Italian sun.

One night, after returning from Fortezza Volterra, you went to read in your small bedroom, and an unfinished painting lounged on the bed, to your surprise.

It was a portrait of your lover, Cauis, however it looked like he stopped half way through.

A scrawl (though you could hardly call it that, because Cauis took pride in his perfect handwriting, and you just knew he wrote in his favourite calligraphy set,) sat perfectly in the blank space, in his handwriting.

‘To you, I trust my unpolished heart.’

Your heart swelled, despite being unbeating, and you held it close. You wanted to cry tears of joy for the man you loved. You also just knew, gestures like that from men like him meant something monumental.