Work Text
After defeating your father, and your friends all dispersed, you left to travel the country — see what it is about the people and the land that your mother wanted so dearly to protect. Three years later, you find yourself in a strange forest deep in the country, and unfortunately, you were forced to hunt. You didn’t enjoy hunting, per se. The rare occasions you found yourself hunting always came about out of desperation, a need to chase off the extreme tiredness not drinking human blood brought about. You didn’t hunt for sport, but rather, you hunted when you needed blood and you currently had no friends to take it from. Animal blood wouldn’t cut through the fog of exhaustion, but like an energy potion, it would return some alertness to you for a short time. You didn’t like hunting, no, but you’re now in a position where you must.
Still, despite your dislike of hunting, there was a certain thrill to marking down prey — putting a timer on their lives — and catching it, while you assumed this form. The feeling used to revolt you; it felt so base and
animalistic
. Now, you find that it helps heighten your senses. It distracts from the hunger you feel otherwise, which truly made you feel monstrous. So, what if you were animalistic in your wolf form? Temporary form or no, you can’t ignore your instincts.
That’s what you tell yourself, at least, when, after you finished capturing and drinking the blood from a rabbit, a young woman approaches you and begins to pet you. “Curious creature, aren’t you?,” she remarks, voice gentle as the wind blowing through the forest. She scratches behind your left ear and you duck your head and whine. Only your animal instincts to blame for that reaction. She laughs brightly and brings out a handkerchief from the bag she was carrying. Slowly and tenderly, she wipes the blood from your prey, that stained your otherwise snow white fur. Unwittingly, your tail starts wagging, and she laughs again at the sight.
She shakes her head, mirth settling comfortably onto her face, and asks, “How long do you plan to stay in that form?”
You still. After a moment, you return to your normal form and stand up. “Forgive me,” you say, extending a hand out. She takes it, and you help her up. “It was… unworthy of me to try and deceive you.”
She pats her dress and looks back up at you, her lips quirking into a smile. “I’m afraid it wasn’t much of a deception, I saw through it fairly quickly. You’re a dhampir, are you not?”
You raise an eyebrow suspiciously. “How would you know that? My kind is… rare, to say the least.”
She hums, noncommittally. “I know of many things most people do not. Do not worry, I have no intent to harm you. In fact, you might find we are more similar than you may think.” She curtsies politely and continues speaking. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Julia, and I am a witch who has fled to these woods for safety.”
Your eyes widen in surprise. You take a moment to collect your bearings and bow. Your family
did
teach you to be polite, though you feel that you’ve already made a poor impression. “I must beg your pardon once again. I didn’t mean to appear rude. Call me Adrian.”
“It’ll take more than that to offend me. Well, then, Adrian, would you perhaps like to accompany me back to my hut? There’s much I’d like to discuss with you,” she asks, calmly, as if she wasn’t asking a dhampir to come into her house. You can’t suppress your amused smile, so you nod before you say anything else that might come off as rude.
You follow her as she leads the way to her hut. What starts off as a brief conversation over some tea and biscuits results in you staying at her place for the next few days. The two of you, much to your surprise, become fast friends. She is candid and kind, and the devils in her care remind you a little bit of your old home. It makes you feel nostalgic, and distracts you from the fact that you’ve been only feeding on animal blood for several months now.
As you continue to spend time with her, she quickly begins to remind you of your mother. More than the familiarity of golden hair tied back into a ponytail, it is the kind smile she always seemed to wear and the willingness to accept things others may deem “strange”. Maybe that’s why you stay. You’ve always been soft when it comes to things that remind you of your childhood.
Much like your mother, Julia also appears to have a penchant for healing. You wish you didn’t find this fact out by seeing her drag in the gravely wounded body of your friend, Trevor Belmont, in through the door.
Your heart plummets in fear and shock. The cup you were holding is nearly smashed in your grip when you see him, and you quickly set it down and go to help her carry him.
The two of you lay him down on a spare cot inside the hut. You grimace seeing the extent of his injury, and you pray that he has simply passed out from blood loss. It’s too soon for him to leave this life. Julia removes his bloodied clothing and immediately gets to work on dressing the wound. She thrusts the pile of clothes at you, causing you to stumble as you grab it. “There’s no time to waste! Put these away and get me a large cut of gauze and the herbs from the third rack of the shelf in my room,” she commands, not looking up from her work.
You immediately do as she says and when you return, you see that she’s already done an impressive job of cleaning up the wound and wiping away the blood. She closes her eyes, clearly concentrating deeply, and a bright light surrounds her hands as she skims them over the surface of the wound. Your shoulders sag in relief as you see her spell knit flesh and sew skin back together. She holds out a hand and you pass her the herbs. She crushes them into a paste and applies them over the surface of the wound. “To take care of infection,” she explains, as she does it. You distantly recall your mother doing something similar to a patient once. Then, Julia takes the gauze and wraps it around Trevor’s chest, bandaging the wound and cushioning it from any irritation. She looks at you, and her face softens sympathetically.
“He will be fine, Adrian. His life hangs by a thread, yes, but it is secured now,” she says gently.
You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and nod. She takes your hand and squeezes it. “Thank you, Julia,” you respond, genuinely relieved. “I will be unable to repay you for this. You’ve saved the life of one of my dear friends today.”
She smiles and shakes her head. “I know what it is like to lose someone. In whatever ways we can, all we can do is try to save those who are left, yes? Watch over Trevor. I know who it was that harmed him and…” She pauses and looks out the window, something deeply sad settling into her eyes. “For both of our sakes, I must see to it that he is stopped.”
You look at her, concerned. “Surely you don’t mean to go after the assailant alone?”
She laughs, but it’s without her usual mirth. “No… I do not think I could, anyway. And I most certainly will not be going today. I know someone who shares the same goal as I. Hopefully, he will be able to bring him to justice… and to peace.”
Your eyes flicker over to Trevor and then back to her. You don’t think you could feel sympathy for whatever man put your friend in such a state, but it seems that Julia wants to speak more. “To peace?,” you ask quietly.
She sits down, near the window. You realize she’s looking at some sort of castle in the distance. “My brother. We were so close as children, but he’s changed and I can’t get through to him anymore. He’s gone mad under Dracula’s influence.” You wince at the mention of your father. She doesn’t even look at you, but says, “do not worry. I knew you were
the
dhampir, son of Dracula, who fought alongside Trevor Belmont, the legend. Even before you said he was your friend.” She looks at you again, and the soft, sad sympathy from before returns.
She tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “We both suffered due to Dracula’s rage, did we not? I do not resent you for your father’s actions. I hope that you do not resent me for my brother’s,” Julia says, voice trailing off at the end of her words.
You walk up to her and hold her hand in what you hope is a comforting gesture. “We are not to pay for our family’s sins, my friend. Besides… I have come to appreciate and enjoy your company, and I imagine I need not remind you that you’ve just saved the life of one of my closest friends,” he says, referencing his words from earlier. I hold no resentment against you for what your brother has done.” You pat her hand, hoping the gesture is not awkward. “I hope that you’re able to convince your brother to see the light. There is no need for both of us to lose another family member to the darkness.”
She nods, eyes shining with unshed tears. It pains you to see her this way, and the feeling surprises you. You remember that your father once said that immortals such as yourselves can quickly judge who’s worthy of their time, and that is why they become attached so much faster; the life of a normal human passes in the blink of an eye to a vampire. As it would turn out, the need to drink human blood was not the only curse being of vampiric descent brings.
It is little wonder then, especially considering how much her situation reminds you of your own family, that you’ve come to care for her like a sibling. You hold her hand tighter. You were not alone when you had to fight your father, and you are not keen to leave her alone before she confronts her brother.
“You have a kind heart, Adrian,” she says after a moment. She squeezes your hand again and gets up. “Thank you… for your sympathy. If you felt indebted to me, I imagine you’ve just now paid off your debt.” She smiles, the brightness finally returned to her expression. You feel a little more at ease at the sight. “Please look after your friend. I cannot, and I must attend to my own affairs. But for now, I think I shall retire for the day. Good night, my friend.”
You nod your acknowledgement and she returns to her room. You’re glad you were able to offer any sort of comfort to her but… when you look back at Trevor, a wave of unease and guilt washes over you because you couldn’t do the same for him. Perhaps, if you had not gone to travel, you could’ve prevented this somehow. Trevor’s whip left him with too many openings and his skill with a sword wasn’t enough to cover them. When you traversed the castle together, you were able to slice away enemies that got too close or throw fireballs at enemies that tried to sneak up on you. Maybe if you were there at his side to guard his back, he wouldn’t have gotten such a terribly injury.
You forget about any what-ifs when you see him take shallow and ragged breaths, the act of breathing almost seeming too much for him. You cast your eyes to the floor. The point is that you weren’t there. You look back at him and decide to watch over him until he awakens. It’s the least you can do now. You might be weak right now but… you had to protect him now that he’s here.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Trevor finally awakens, you’re on the verge of falling asleep yourself. You stayed awake through most of the day, and now you’re uncharacteristically, and perhaps ironically, tired during the night. If you had been feeding properly, you wouldn’t be so tired, but it can’t be helped now. Still, the weariness doesn’t stop you from rushing to his side the moment you see signs of movement.He wakes with a groan and a wince after he made the mistake of trying to stretch with his current injury. You struggle to start a conversation, unsure of what you could say that doesn’t sound either trite or insincere. After a moment, Trevor decides to speak and break the silence himself. “Oh. Alucard, it’s you,” he says, blinking his eyes blearily. “Ah, er. Have you any idea what happened? Seems I’ve gotten hurt.”You can’t decide if you should laugh or sigh. “ Hurt ? That’s one way to put it,” you remark, amused and exasperated in turns. He tries to shrug and grimaces, as he agitates his wound again.You sigh. “Try not to move, Trevor. I don’t know what happened, but Julia, the woman who saved you, carried you in while you were bleeding profusely. Given the nature of the wound… I’d say you were stabbed. So yes, you are hurt ,” you respond, frowning. “What were you doing to end up in such a state?”Trevor runs a hand through his hair, which now that you see it up close has gotten quite long. He lets out a slow breath. “Perhaps, I made a bit of a mistake.” You arch an eyebrow, but don’t interrupt. He laughs helplessly. “Ah, well you see, after we fought Dracula… The curse he placed on the land didn’t truly leave. Things were better, sure, but I felt like I left the job half-done. So I went to find and destroy whatever was maintaining the curse,” he explains. Trevor rubs at his wound and sighs. “Last time I fought such an enemy… I had my friends with me. I believed I could take down a devil forgemaster myself, and I got careless. I remember now… He managed to sneak up on me, and… Well, you can imagine what happened next,” Trevor finishes, disappointment lacing his tone. “Tsk. Once I heal, I must go finish the job.” He moves to get up and you gently push him back down.“I’m afraid you will do no such thing. When she brought you in last night, you were completely unconscious due to blood loss. You will not leave until she gives you clearance to do so.” You huff. “At least respect the woman who saved you. She brought you back from the brink of death. I would hope you’d be less keen to return to such a state.” You exhale and take a look at Trevor, eyebrows knit together in concern.He smiles at you kindly and claps a hand on your shoulder. “You’re right, my friend. I’m not happy about being… decommissioned in such a way, but at least we were able to reunite after these three years. What were you doing, by the way?,” he inquired. He squeezes your shoulder and his smile brightens. “I sure missed you, Alucard,” he adds, saying it as simply as if he were talking about the weather.However, you… Your breath catches in your throat. It slowly dawns on you that this might be one of the few times you’ll ever get to reunite with someone. You had resigned yourself to losing your human friends even before you fought your father. That’s why you left, in an attempt to lessen that eventual pain. And yet here you are, meeting a friend again . And they were happy to reunite with you, despite knowing of your cursed origins. It’s an unusual experience, and leaves you with too many emotions to parse. Between the exhaustion from hunger and the worry regarding Trevor, you decide you’re simply too tired to deal with these thoughts right now.When the silence goes on too long, Trevor looks at you, worried. “Is something wrong?,” he asks.You shake your head. “Apologies. I suppose I never expected to be missed. Given my origins, given my sudden disappearance… I’m happy to see you again, though I wish it were under different circumstances,” you reply, finally.“You’re my friend. Why wouldn’t I miss you?,” Trevor says simply. You wish that you could live in the present like he did, so that things could be that simple. “Anyway, you didn’t answer my question from earlier.” You’d be offended but the lazy grin accompanying his words only makes you find and exasperated. “Unless you’d like to answer: what brought you here of all places?”You cough, a little embarrassed now at his earnestness. “The answer to both of your questions is the same. Instead of sealing myself away, I decided to travel for a bit. By chance, I ended up here.”Trevor grins, more genuine than his teasing one from earlier. “I’m glad you decided to stick around longer. To think, we might’ve never met again.” He looks up at you and then his smile suddenly turns serious. He narrows his eyes, appearing to be assessing you. “Are you alright, Alucard?”“I don’t believe you’re in a position to be asking,” you deflect.He brings a hand to your face, startling you, and runs his thumb along the bags that have formed under your eyes. The attention makes you uncomfortable and the fact that contrast of his warm hands on your cold skin startles you makes you painfully aware that no one’s been this close to you since the end of your journey with him. If you were a stronger man, you’d push him away. You don’t.“When was the last time you drank blood?,” he asks, and you curse his perceptiveness. You suppose it was essential for a hunter but you don’t like when you’re the subject of scrutiny.“A few days. And you really are in no position to judge,” you say, still trying to be evasive. That was technically true, anyhow.He withdraws his hand and glares at you. If he wasn’t injured, you know that he would be crossing his arms in displeasure. “Animal blood, wasn’t it? Once I’m healed, you need to feed. You look like hell.” You open your mouth to retort but he cuts you off. “Don’t argue with me on this.” He cocks his head to the side. “Friends take care of each other, don’t they?,” he says, face softening.You give him a small smile in acquiescence and nod. “I suppose that would only be fair,” you reply. A few seconds later, your vampiric senses pick up on a presence, most likely Julia, approaching the door. You wait for her to knock, before letting her in. It would likely startle her if you asked her to enter even before she got to the door. Once she knocks, you say, “Come in.”Julia steps through the door a moment later and closes it behind her. “I wanted to come as soon as I heard chatter but I didn’t want to intrude… Anyway, it’s good to see you’ve finally woken up,” she says.Trevor looks at her. “I take it you’re the one who saved my life? You have my thanks,” he says, getting up to shake her hand but quickly being pushed down by both you and Julia.“Please, think nothing of it. And if you do, show your thanks by not reopening that wound,” she replies, a little petulant. You suppress a laugh at her tone.Trevor acquiesces, begrudgingly. “I’m not made of glass,” he grumbles. “Alucard mentioned your name but we might as well do formal introductions. My name is Trevor Belmont. You are?”“Julia Laforeze. Pleasure to meet you, Trevor. You’re quite a legend, though it would’ve been nicer to meet you under more pleasant circumstances,” she responds, a wry smile resting on her faceTrevor snorts. “Such seems to be the common thought here. Anyway, what’s the prognosis? Will I be able to return to battle soon?,” Trevor asks, eager.Her eyebrows fly into her hairline. “G-go back into battle?!,” she sputters. She clears her throat. “Excuse me. No, I do not think you will be going back into the castle any time soon. With an injury like that? Don’t be foolish.” She turns to you, and her eyes are intense with the heat of an exasperated caretaker. “You better keep watch over him. He’s your friend after all,” she says, a bit imperious.“But Belmonts heal quickly! It’s in our blood,” Trevor protests.She fixes him with a glare. “You were stabbed . There was an entry and exit wound. You were impaled is more accurate. It broke skin twice! Sit down, Trevor,” she says, tone making it clear she’s shutting down any further discussion. She moves towards the cot and examines the dressing on Trevor’s wound with an intense look on her face, while muttering under her breath. Trevor squirms a little under the attention. “I’ll be back in a moment, so you’d best not go anywhere, alright?,” she states right before leaving. You shrug helplessly at Trevor.She returns quickly, arms filled with some supplies. She sets them down on the table and dusts off her hands. “There. I am transferring the duty of his treatment to you, Adrian. I still have the innocent devils to tend to, and I trust you to keep your friend in line.” She stated it like a command but she looks at you, clearly expecting an answer.“Of course. Thank you for the help you’ve done already, Julia. Please let me know if you need anything else,” you respond, moving to get the gauze and blade now.She nods. “And let me know if you need any other supplies,” she says before stepping out of the room.You shake your head fondly and sit next to the cot Trevor was lying on again. He looks at you and raises his eyebrows.“Humble, but strong spirited, isn’t she?,” he comments. You laugh and begin unraveling the gauze.“She’s a healer,” you say, by way of an answer. You cut off a length of gauze with the blade. “I’m going to change the bandage now,” you inform him. “It might hurt.”Trevor shuffles closer from his spot on the cot, so you could change the bandages easier. “I’m sure I’ve suffered worse. Like being stabbed,” he remarks, dryly. You shake your head and begin to gently remove the old bandages. It’s difficult: they’re caked with blood and sweat, and seem adamant on staying on Trevor’s skin. He winces in pain. “Just… take them off in one go. I think that’ll be easier for both of us.”You close your eyes and tear off the gauze. Trevor barely suppresses a scream and you wish you knew at least a minor healing spell to ease the pain. “Sorry, sorry,” you say, softly, trying to make your voice sound soothing. You gingerly wrap a new, clean layer of gauze around the wound and let out a sigh.Seeing the wound should disgust you, but it just makes you uncomfortably aware of how hungry you are. You’ll have to acquire some means of distraction while watching him, to keep the hunger at bay. “At least that’s over with. Give me a moment, I’ll return in a bit,” you say. Trevor nods his assent. You grab a shirt that Julia left for him, toss it his way, and go to get a book to read.When you return, you immediately have to stop Trevor from getting out of bed, again. “Trevor, for god’s sake, sit down.”“I don’t see why I have to be bedridden because of a little injury!,” he protests.You sit down on the chair and open your book, not even gracing that response with an answer. “Okay, so maybe it wasn’t little, but I can still move—” You glare at him. “No, truly, it’s not that bad. If you would just let me move, I could show you,” he continues.Not that bad? He’s going to use that one, again? You drag a hand down your face slowly and sigh. Desperate times call for desperate measures it seems. You unfold one of your legs and lie it over his.“Alucard,” he says, disbelieving.“Yes? What is it?,” you respond, not even looking up from your book. You feel him try to get up and immediately drape your other leg over him. You think about that story Julia told you about poking the devil forgemaster with a stick and worry she might be rubbing off on you. Ah, well, if her methods work, then what’s the problem?“My legs, Alucard. I need them to walk,” Trevor deadpans.You turn the page and hum noncommittally. “I’m afraid that’s a nonstarter.”“ Alucard. Please,” he whines.Fondness blossoms in your chest and you snicker. ‘How unbecoming of a legend ’, you think, amused. You sigh when you feel him shuffle in the cot again and lower your book. “Trevor, god help me, I will sit on you if that’s what it takes for you to stop moving. Julia said you have to be in bed until you make a full recovery.”Trevor frowns. “You wouldn’t, I’m injured.”You raise an eyebrow. “Oh? Then why would you try to get up, if you’re injured enough that you can’t handle some pressure to your legs?”He swears. He tries to move again. You pinch the bridge of your nose, close your book for another moment, and put your legs down. Then, you stand up, only so that you can immediately sit down on his lap, and reopen your book.Trevor sputters and wheezes. “You actually — god damn it, Alucard, please. This is ridiculous, you have to let me move,” he protests.You return to your reading, bringing your book closer to your face to hide your smile. It’s been a while since you had fun like this. Maybe it was a little untoward, but you know that Trevor was a bit of a prankster himself — often trying to lighten the mood while you, Sypha, and Grant camped with him through a few practical jokes. You could use the return of that kind of humor in your life. You feel a little bad that it’s at Trevor’s expense, but he deserves it at the moment. You decide not to examine the fact that you just implied to yourself that you needed him to return to your life.He tries to move again and you decide that he’s pulled the last straw. You slam your book shut, set it down on the chair you were occupying before, and turn into your wolf form. To be quite honest, considering how long it’s been since you last had human blood, you didn’t think you had the strength to do the transformation. You’re glad it worked. You look him in the eye and bark, hoping that your indignance can still be conveyed.Trevor drags a hand down his face. “Oh my god, Alucard . You can’t do this. It’s nefarious.” You sit down on him and tuck your paws under your head, barking softly, and he makes a sound akin to a kettle whistle. “Downright malevolent. Fine, I’ll stay here. Don’t have much of a choice anyway.”You bark happily. Trevor lets out a very measured breath and reaches out a hand to scratch you behind the ear. Using this form while you were so exhausted was risky but… seeing Trevor so at ease makes the risk worth it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
To your great embarrassment, the two of you seem to have fallen asleep at some point, leaving you to now have to figure just how you’ll free yourself from the arm Trevor has tucked around you. To make matters worse, you appear to have transformed out of your wolf form at some point, making your self-extrication rather… difficult. And, as if the situation isn’t embarrassing enough by itself, Julia walks into the room while you’re trying to gently get out of the cot. You freeze when you spot her. She takes a slow look between you and Trevor,
winks
at you, and then leaves before she sees your intense glower.
You look at Trevor, sleeping blissfully, and something twists in your stomach painfully. Another pitiful part of you tries to tempt you into just staying where you are. Maybe Julia was right about reacting like that but… these weren’t thoughts you should entertain, anyway. You sigh and tuck a spare pillow under Trevor’s arm and gingerly step out of the cot.
You notice immediately upon standing up that there’s a dull burn behind your eyes and you feel lightheaded. You swear. You shouldn’t have used your magic as much as you have. You’ll need to hunt again soon but if it’s gotten this bad… You rub at your eyes, trying to ease the pain, and move towards the door.
Once you exit the room, you head to the shop area of the hut, where you accidentally catch the tail end of a conversation between Julia and someone you can only assume is the devil forgemaster she’s been placing her hopes in. You wait until he leaves before entering.
“You seem to have gotten attached to the devil forgemaster rather quickly. I wish him well in his battle then, for your sake,”you remark, with a slight smirk upon seeing the smile that lingers on Julia’s face after her conversation.
Julia blushes and averts her gaze. “You seem to have gotten attached to the hunter rather quickly. I wish him well in his recovery, for your sake,” she parrots back, thoroughly embarrassed. You cough and are suddenly glad you never had an actual younger sibling. You don’t know if you could deal with this... sass daily. “Besides, eavesdropping, Adrian? How unworthy of you,” she says with a pout.
You hold up your hands placatingly. “It was unintentional. I came here to see if you need any help.”
She sighs, fondly. “I suppose I could use some help making this new batch of high potions.”
You nod, roll up your sleeves, and grab the necessary herbs. You enjoy making these potions with her. You were always fond of alchemy, and the fresh smell of crushed herbs was one of the few things that restored some of the energy that subsisting only on animal blood took from you. Well, not literally of course. You would be making potions all the time, then. But it lifts your spirit, so you get to work making a paste from the herbs, with a contented expression on your face.
As you begin to crush the herbs into a paste, Julia speaks up again. “Say, Adrian, I was teasing you about the hunter, but it is true that we became friends rather quickly, no?” You nod in agreement slightly confused. “How do you think that came to be so?”
You pause your work and think for a moment. “Well… It is true that we share some similarities,” you begin. You gesture to the hut. “Your work as a witch involves you in the study of healing as well as the care of several creatures. My mother was a doctor, and there were several creatures in my home as a child. You can see the parallels there.” You pause, trying to decide whether you should say the true reason. You look back to Julia and find that she’s watching you expectantly. You click your tongue and sigh. “Ah, and… as for the true reason, vampires and other such immortal creatures are said to be good judges of character. You humans… Your lives pass so quickly. If we are to spend time with you, we have to know who’s worthy of our time, so we can maximise the hours we get to spend cherishing our new loved ones,” you add, ultimately. You go back to your work and avert your gaze.
“Oh my… How sweet, and how sad at the same time. I’m flattered you think me worthy of your time, then,” she responds, voice somewhat quiet.
You take the paste out of the pestle and set it aside in a container, so she can use it as the base for a potion later. “It is what it is. I am glad you managed to befriend that devil forgemaster so quickly. You’ll be able to spend more time with him, once every thing is over,” you say. You smile at her, letting her know you’re not just teasing her. “He seems to make you happy. I hope… everything goes well for you two.”
She scratches her face, embarrassed. “I suppose you can say that… He’s a good man. I do hope I’ll see him again.” She pushes her bangs out of her face and pauses, apparently thinking about something.
You quirk an eyebrow. She reaches for the paste you just made and then settles a hand softly on your wrist, the warmth gentle like a candle’s fire. She bites her lip and looks up at you, the sadness in her eyes making your breath catch in your throat. “Tell me… How long have you known Trevor?,” she asks, lowering her voice.
You still, not liking where this conversation seems to be heading. “We fought Dracula about three years ago. We met perhaps a few weeks, or a month, before,” you respond, voice clipped. “Why do you ask?”
She frowns. “Do you not plan to do anything about it?”
You’d ask her to clarify but… you know what she’s talking about. You grimace. “Julia… I don’t wish to talk about this,” you confess.
The sadness returns to your eyes and you wish that she was only her sass and fierceness — so that her kindness wouldn’t make her upset on your behalf. No one should have to be upset due to your own pitiful circumstances. Julia asks you, “why would you waste time? Did you not say your kind views human’s time on this earth as short? I cannot understand—”
“That’s
why
, Julia,” you reply. You close your eyes, a little pained. “I left because I knew these… feelings had developed. I left hoping to quash them.” You pause. “Though, it’s true that if I saw the others, I would be in just as much pain. Friendship is… a wonderful thing, and it is so painful to see it end. Even if they lived a hundred more years, it would be too soon. So I left, also hoping that if I didn’t see them again... perhaps especially him… then it wouldn’t hurt me so much to know they’re gone, when their times come.” You clear your throat and start crushing a new batch of herbs, trying to distract yourself.
She looks guilty. “I shouldn’t have pressed. I had hoped talking would ease your pain, but I fear it’s made yours worse,” she apologizes.
You offer her a small smile. “Better to speak rather than bottle things up, my mother would always say. You’ve done me a service, my friend. Don’t apologize. It is… relieving to have it in the open, I suppose,” you admit.
“That’s a relief. Still, it pains me to hear of your condition,” she says, sadly. Julia taps her fingers on her chin and then reaches for the pestle in your hands. “What are you going to do when he heals?”
You hand it to her and look at her, wary. “I’ll likely return to my travels. Why do you ask?”
‘And why did you take the pestle?,’
you think about asking.
She nods slowly and begins to crush the herbs herself. “Well… I had a feeling you would do some such thing. I suppose you’re just one of those types who won’t let themselves have any good things.” She sets the pestle down in the bowl. “But, as long as you’re in my house and as long as you’re my friend, I won’t let you suffer like this. Go talk to him or change his bandages or something. I would not ask you to tell him the situation, I’m not cruel, but… spend these precious next few days with him.” You look at her dumbfounded, and she puts her hands on her hips and glares at you. “This is not a debatable issue. Go,” Julia commands.
You reach for her hand and squeeze it softly. “I… would not have made this decision myself. You’re right, I should treasure what time I have left with people.” You put your other hand over hers, so that you’re now holding it with both hands. “Thank you,” you say, at a loss for any other words.
She smiles fondly. “Just promise to visit again sometime, after everything blows over, alright?”
“I will do my best to,” you respond, letting go of her hands. Honestly, you were planning to seal yourself away but… you would like to see her again. It’ll be painful, but you grew attached to her, and in a matter of a week you’ve ended up indebted to her.
You step through the door and continue trying to piece together your plans for the future. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to remain for some more time? If you could see the others again… Perhaps you were wrong before. Perhaps, it would ease the pain, knowing you were able to spend time with them again before they passed away. You take a step into the hallway and bump into someone, shaking you out of your thoughts.
“Ah, pardon me,” you say instinctually, but when you look up you see Trevor, who looks apologetic. If you weren’t already so impossibly pale-skinned, you would definitely now be white as a ghost, shock sapping away at whatever little energy you still had.
The back of your mind helpfully reminds you that Trevor shouldn’t even be up right now. Before you even think to ask him if he overheard, you reprimand him. “What are you doing up?,” you say, eyebrows furrowed.
“Wanted to see if I could get up and you weren’t there to stop me… Sorry?,” he responds, with the wherewithal to at least look sheepish. You massage your temples, tension and hunger wearing you down twice as fast. His rueful grin turns into a concerned frown when he looks at you. “Christ, Alucard, are you alright? You’re looking miserable,” he says, worry evident in his tone.
He reaches for you and you weakly swat away his hand. “Let’s just go back to the other room and get you to rest, alright?,” you respond, almost muttering. His frown deepens but he follows behind you, anyway. You manage to get him to lie down again and sit on the edge of the cot. “Let me know if you need anything, alright?”
You get up a bit too fast and lose your balance. You feel the edges of your vision fade away and hear Trevor call your name before everything goes black.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
You awaken with a pounding headache, and the concerned faces of Julia and Trevor looming over you. Julia’s hand is clasped onto your wrist and Trevor’s hand is lingering in your shoulder. You sit up, and they seemingly reluctantly remove their hands.
Julia sighs, relieved. “Thank god, you’re awake. I wasn’t sure if that spell would work.” She looks you over and her eyes settle onto the bags that have accumulated under your eyes. Julia’s expression hardens and anger settles onto her face. “Why didn’t you tell me, Adrian?,” she asks, disappointed. “I could perhaps understand why you wouldn’t ask me for blood but… Do you not trust me enough to let me know of your condition?”
You look away and, out of the corner of your eye, you see Trevor’s hands clench into fists on his thigh. “Why didn’t you ask
me
? I told you I was fine with it. If I had known it was this bad…,” he trails off. He runs a hand through his hair and chews on his lip.
Guilt twists and turns your stomach. Once again, you’ve made your friends concerned on your behalf. “Forgive me,” you say. “I didn’t mean to make either of you worry.”
Julia shakes her head. “When will you learn, Adrian?” She looks at Trevor. “I’ll take my leave. I think it’s best if you talk to him about this,” she says. “You both seem to have a strange predisposition to ignoring your wellbeing,” she adds with a huff.
Trevor flushes with embarrassment. Once she leaves, he clears his throat. “Was it because I was injured? I know I said you could wait until I was healed but… that’s only because I didn’t know it had gotten this bad,” he asks, shame running through his voice.
You grasp his hand weakly. “It was my choice. I didn’t know it had gotten this… dire myself. I was planning to hunt to chase it off, but I was absent minded. Don’t fault yourself for my mistakes,” you tell him, hoping it eases his conscience. There’s no reason for him to be so worried.
He frowns, still unpleased. “Alucard… You and Julia seem close. Why didn’t you ask her?”
You shake your head. “Don’t you remember? I only take blood when it's offered. And even then, I would hate to take it from someone who doesn’t even fight. Draining blood from a wound, with consent, is one thing… To draw it myself, even if I asked first, is another.”
Trevor sighs. “Would you draw it from someone if
they
asked?” You hesitate. At this point you need to but that doesn’t mean you want to. Before you can answer, Trevor adds, “I worry for you. Draw my blood and drink from it. Alucard, please. I’m not
that
injured. If you will not draw it from Julia, then take what is freely offered.”
“Need I remind you that you were
stabbed
, Trevor,” you respond, thankful that your voice doesn’t stutter.
“You can look at the wound. It’s been a few days. Sure, I’m still sore, but between Julia’s healing and the bed rest it’s almost entirely gone,” he states. “Do you really think I plan to let myself heal while you suffer in silence? Let me help you, Adrian. It’s what friends do,” he says, and he sounds so confident you almost want to do it.
“Did Julia say you were in a position to give blood?,” you ask, voice measured.
Trevor scoffs and nods. “Yes. I knew this would be a point of contention with you. She said it should be fine, given how much strength I’ve already regained.”
You really have no reason to keep resisting. You let out a slow exhale. “What a strange turn of events. First I was watching over you while you heal… Now you’re the one helping me. Alright, Trevor. I’ll do it.” He sighs in relief.
He pats the spot on the cot next to him. “Well, you’ll have to move. You can’t drink from all the way over there.” You pause, still unsure. Trevor smiles and shuffles a little closer to you. “There. Now I’m meeting you halfway. Now, come here,” he says, tenderly.
Once again, you’re not strong enough to keep resisting. You move closer to him and trace a finger lightly over the scar that’s visible above the neckline of his blouse. “I didn’t notice before but… it seems you got injured multiple times during your time here,” you remark quietly.
He shrugs. “Wounds from combat are unavoidable, no matter how much I refine my skills,” he answers, causing you to purse your lips. You move his hair away from his neck and he moves his own arms to pull his hair back into a ponytail, tying it with a ribbon Julia must’ve given him. He looks… good like that, you can’t help but think to yourself.
You cup his jaw gently with one hand, turning his face to the side and exposing more of the flesh of his neck. You remove your hand from his face and rest your forehead in the area between his neck and shoulder, pausing before you finally draw blood. You groan, lightly. It’s difficult to do something you had convinced yourself you never would (or should) do. “Trevor… I…,” you trail off. If you’re going to drink his blood, you should be candid with him but…
He runs a hand through your hair, resting it momentarily on the nape of your neck before he speaks. “Take your time, my friend. I know… that you still feel guilty about what your father did. I knew that you felt and would feel that way the moment we struck him down.”
Your throat feels too dry suddenly. You forget how, despite his hot head and impulsivity,
deeply
Trevor cares for his friends. You never quite know what to do when this care is directed at you but you always feel grateful and unworthy in turns. Three years later, you still feel the same, it seems.
His hand resumes running through your hair. “I understand if this is difficult for you. It probably reminds you too much of your ancestry. But I’ll be here, until you’re ready,” he promises.
That’s only half the problem, you want to say. Instead, you say, “Thank you… you don’t have to do this for me,” without looking up, nearly murmuring the words into his skin. He pushes you away, and for a moment you fear the worst, but he looks at you with those ever kind and fierce eyes and your fears are dissuaded.
He gives you a lopsided grin. “After all we’ve been through? Of course I do. You helped me restore my family name. This is really the least I can do in return,” he says.
“Would… would you allow me to continue helping the Belmonts, then?,” you say slowly. “Might as well protect what I helped to restore,” you add, trying to sidetrack.
“Protect us, huh? Like our guardian?,” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
You redden a bit, the suggested title flustering you for whatever reason.“S-something like that,” you respond.
He tilts his head, seeming to consider your words. “Hrmmh… I see,” he remarks. Trevor chuckles, and you look at him confused. “It’s nothing. I’m just surprised, I guess? I’m glad that you plan to stay with us,” he says fondly.
You adjust your position so you’re leaning over him and lightly scrape your teeth in the muscles near the crook of his neck. “Thank you for letting me stay,” you whisper, before sinking your teeth in. You hear Trevor’s breath hitch in his throat, and you press a conciliatory kiss onto the bite mark once you’re done drinking, by way of apology.
You’re a little disoriented from the contrast between spending months at not even half of your normal strength to suddenly being restored to full power. But, as soon as the reality of what you’ve done sinks in, you push yourself away from him. Slowly, so that you don’t raise suspicion. “Ah well, now that that’s done with… I should get going,” you say, realizing you don’t really have an escape plan.
Trevor looks at you, knitting his brows. “Go where?,” he asks, bewildered. He’s too close and you can’t look at his eyes this close up, not right now.
You step off the cot and wipe the stray blood on your mouth with the back of your hand. You notice a brief flicker of hurt crosses across Trevor’s face when you do that, but you don’t understand why. You ignore it for now. “I should go help Julia collect herbs. I don’t know how long I was passed out. Surely, she needs the help,” you try and explain, resisting the urge to wince at how pathetic your excuse sounds now that you’ve said it. “Call me if you need anything,” you say, but for once you hope that he doesn’t need anything from you. You turn to leave.
“Wait!,” Trevor calls out and grabs onto the sleeve of your shirt. He slips his hand down a little and laces your fingers together delicately.
You turn to face him, and you feel doubly guilty seeing how
unhappy
he looks. Now you’ve done it. Though, you realize, it feels much worse when your direct actions are the cause of that expression rather than simply the reality of your situation. “Is something wrong? Why are you in such a hurry to leave?,” he asks sadly. Your heart drops in your chest and it only sinks further when Trevor just lets you go when you push your arm out of his grasp. “...Did you change your mind about wanting to stay?”
“If your family needs me I’ll be there. Don’t worry,” you say, carefully. That’s a promise you can make safely, all it would take is a simple enchantment on your coffin, when you choose to seal yourself away. A few days ago, you weren’t strong enough to go. Now… you aren’t strong enough to stay. Every part of your mind tells you to go, now, and just send Julia an apologetic letter later. You were ready to leave just a moment ago, but looking at him now, you can’t.
“You… aren’t talking about getting herbs when you have to go, are you?” he says, and there’s something bitter in his tone that feels like daggers in your chest. “What if
I
… Tsk.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “Can I at least ask why?”
You avert your gaze. You’ve made a fine mess of things, already. The tender mood you shared together just moments ago is gone without a trace, so you might as well finally tell him the truth. There’s not much left to lose at this point. “Trevor… Would you still want me by your side if you knew that…” You can’t finish the sentence.
“Know
what
, Alucard?,” he says, now a little irritated.
You grit your teeth. “That I lo — damn it all. I. I can’t say it,” you say, giving up. You try and turn to leave but he holds you by the shoulders, keeping you there.
“
Adrian
.” The use of your first name coming from him makes you nervous. “Say what? That you
love
me?,” he asks.
You shut your eyes tightly and grimace. “Yes… I suppose that’s how I feel—”
He interrupts you. “Tell me that then, won’t you?,” he requests, voice fainter than a whisper.
You exhale. “I love you,” you say, quietly. “I understand if you’re uncomfortable. I won’t… follow you once you leave this hut. I’m sure Julia could use an extra hand at the shop, or I could continue my travels,” you continue, but stop once you realize you’re rambling.
Trevor doesn’t respond at first, but brings a hand to your face and cups it gently. “Say that again? The first part,” he asks, hushed.
Your hands clench into fists. “Are you suddenly hard of hearing? I… love you,” you repeat. If this was some kind of game to him, you’re not amused.
Trevor brushes his thumb against your lip briefly, and your breath catches in your throat. He sighs and bumps his forehead against yours. You tense, surprised. What on earth was he planning to do? He slides his hand down to your waist and holds you closer. You think you’re dreaming. This is ridiculous. This cannot actually be happening. But his hands are warm where he holds you and it tickles where his bangs brush against your head. You’re pretty certain that no dream could capture such a fine amount of detail.
“Good. I just wanted to be sure,” he says, but now all you can think about is how close his face is to yours. “Don’t ever assume things for me again, alright? If you want to remain by my side, then… I know the future Belmonts would be proud to have a guardian like you.”
He tilts his head closer to yours, so that your lips are just barely brushing against each other. You try to say something, try to ask him if he’s really serious about what it seems like he’s about to do. You open your mouth to talk but he shushes you. The action makes you blush deeper, and you think you must look ridiculous like this, pale skin dusted so deeply red. How else could you react, though, when whatever words he was saying land right against your mouth.
He leans in even closer “Look, tell Julia sorry if she walks into the room and sees this but… Why do you think I so readily offered to let you drink my blood? So quickly asked you to stay?” Quite frankly, you’re still in disbelief that this is happening at all, so you don’t answer, at first. Your eyes flutter shut. For once, you decide that maybe it’s not worth trying to resist.
‘Let yourself have something good,’
a voice that sounds suspiciously like Julia’s says in your head. You relax, giving yourself a moment to collect your words.
You inhale slowly and sigh, revelling a little in the soft sound of surprise he makes when you do that. “Tell me the answer, won’t you?,” you ask, parroting his earlier words.
He chuckles, and the sound is so fond and soft, it makes your heart feel impossibly warm. “It’s because… I love you too, Adrian,” he murmurs right against your lips, and this time it’s you who meets him halfway.