⋆˚꩜.ᐟ : including — cutesy hcs!
[౨ৎ] synopsis: alucard tepes as a lover
[♡₊˚ ♕]: her highness's decree: if it wasn't obvious alr I have a thing for soft spoken intelligent, gentleman-like men.
‧₊˚⇢♡ a gentleman doesn't even begin to describe just how sweet he is to you.
considering Alucard was already well-mannered and more than polite before meeting you, once he falls for you (becoming immediately smitten), he's somehow even more so.
His tone becoming impossibly more gentler when talking to you, opening doors for you, pulling your your chair out for you, positioning himself in front of you at the first hint of trouble (even if you're a fighter/magic wielder).
‧₊˚⇢♡ attentive to every facet of your being.
he's very conscious of himself to ensure he isn't just staring at you but you do make it quite hard not to. Whenever you play with your hair in deep thought, the way your smile always meets your eyes, the way you silently gaze into the distance when you reminisce.
It's all so..mesmerizing—you are mesmerizing.
So while it pains the dhampir to have to tear his eyes away from you at times so as not to make you feel uncomfortableit is very tempting to not want to see every expression your beautiful face makes.
‧₊˚⇢♡ calls you "beloved", "dearest" "flower", and "my love."
Alucard is such a naturally affectionate man once he's in love that pet names become second nature to him. However, it still is so cute how he was slightly hesitant to call you anything initially usually referring to you by name—until it just slipped out.
Your breath catches for a moment, looking up at the blond from your place beside him on one of the library's plush velvet settees.
The castle is quiet around you, save for the occasional crackle from the fireplace and the soft rustle of pages turning. Warm afternoon sunlight filters through the tall windows, painting streaks of gold across the bookshelves and illuminating the dust motes drifting lazily through the air.
You'd spent the better part of the afternoon curled up together.
Your book long forgotten in your lap as you leaned comfortably against his shoulder, your head nestled against him while he read.
It was one of your favorite places to be.
Close enough to hear the steady rhythm of his breathing.
You were tracing absent patterns along the edge of your page when Alucard finally spoke. "Would you like some tea, my love?"
The word leaves his lips so naturally that neither of you seem to process it at first.
Your eyes widened slightly and you could feel Alucard stiffen slightly besides you. His gaze lowering from the book in his hand to where your head is resting on his shoulder. An adorable, light blush creeping on his pale cheeks. "Forgive me," he says quietly, setting his book aside perhaps a little too quickly. "I did not mean to presume."
The bashfulness in his voice is almost unfairly sweet, so you straighten slightly, lifting your head from his shoulder to shake your head with a soft smile. "You didn't. I don't mind you calling me that—it's sweet."
For a moment, Alucard simply looks at you. Golden eyes searching your face as though trying to determine whether you're merely being kind. When he realizes you're sincere, some of the tension leaves his shoulders.
Barely noticeable.
"I'm glad," he says quietly. His voice is softer now, the afternoon sunlight catching against the pale strands of his hair as he looks at you, and you're suddenly struck by how unfairly beautiful he is.
Especially like this.
The realization makes your smile widen slightly. "Can I call you something too?"
His brows lift. "Something?"
You nod.
"You wish to give me a pet name?"
"Well, yes."
You tilt your head. "If you're going to call me things like my love and beloved, I think I should get one too."
A quiet laugh escapes him then. "I suppose that is fair."
‧₊˚⇢♡ guides you with a hand at your back through crowded towns, unfamiliar roads and in more sketchy parts of wood
Whether you're walking through a crowded marketplace, entering a room, or simply moving through the halls of the castle together, Alucard always seems to find his place just slightly behind your shoulder.
One hand resting lightly at the small of your back.
Never possessive. More so a subtle, discreet gesture. One that many don't notice on first glance.
Like no matter where you are, he'll make certain nothing reaches you first.
₊˚⇢♡ is constantly making sure you're comfortable.
Perhaps it's because he's spent so much of his life caring for others, and caring for you is not much different nor a chore. Though it's probably because the sweet way you breathe a 'thank you Adrian,' or 'you're always so kind thank you my love.' Has him quick to whatever you need to hear those lovely again.
If you're cold, a cloak is draped over your shoulders before you can mention it.
If you're tired, he's already suggesting you rest.
If you're hungry, he's quietly finding a source of food for you.
Half the time, you don't even realize something was bothering you until he's already taken care of it.
And when you thank so softly like the angel you are?
He simply smiles.
‧₊˚⇢♡ always reaches for you in his sleep.
Alucard sleeps lightly by nature. Years of solitude and danger made certain of that. Yet slowly but surely, after sharing a bed with you, over time it's been increasingly easier to sleep soundly next to you.
Primarily because you fall asleep holding his hand.
You always knew that he carried a weight most people could scarcely imagine. The loss of his parents. His complicated love for his father. The loneliness. The years spent wandering with burdens that were never truly his to carry.
You knew there were nights his sleep wasn't peaceful.
So when you'd first begun sharing a bed, you'd made a habit of reaching for his hand before falling asleep. Not because you were afraid to sleep alone. But because you never wanted him to face even his nightmares alone ever again.
The first time you'd done it, he'd looked almost comforted yet confused. Glancing down at your intertwined fingers before looking back at you. Yet he hadn't pulled away.
And after that, it simply became part of your routine.
Until one evening, months later, as candlelight flickered softly across your shared chambers, Alucard spoke just as you were settling beneath the blankets.
"My love?"
His voice was unusually hesitant.
You immediately looked up from where you'd been adjusting the covers. "Yes?"
For a moment, he seemed almost uncertain.
Golden eyes lowering briefly.
Then—
"Would you be comfortable with..." He paused, clearly searching for the words. "Me holding you while we slept?"
A warm smile glaced your lips as your nodded, "Of course, sweetheart."
Once settled into bed, Alucard's arm settled carefully around your waist as though he were handling something precious. Slowly relaxing into you only after you had done so yourself, and once he did, it was almost as though he could finally breathe properly.
Now, months later, Alucard rarely even realizes he's doing it.
You'll wake in the middle of the night to find yourself tucked securely against his chest. One arm wrapped around your waist. His hand resting over yours. Sometimes his face buried lightly in your hair.
Other times, when nightmares try to find him, you'll feel it. The unconscious way his fingers search across the mattress. The way he reaches for you even while asleep.
Seeking warmth.
And the moment he finds you, his body relaxes. The tension leaves his shoulders. His breathing evens out once more.
♡ princessxmin please do not alter, copy or translate my work !
hii could you write castlevania nocturne alucard x fem!reader💗maybe the reader is a vampire or speaker/witch
enchant me, lover. ♡
featuring: adrian fahrenheit ţepeş / alucard x f! vampire, speaker & witch! reader.
summary: you're stargazing with your husband, and he doesn't get the chance to wish on a shooting star. you know just what will cheer him up.
warnings: minors and ageless blog dni regardless of content. i made the line dividers, so please don't use them. | support divider: @cafekitsune | wc: 2.3k | ao3
tags: fluff | hurt/comfort | domestic fluff | one-shot | stargazing | established marriage
a/n: i'll do you one better, friend, and combine ALL OF THEM!! >:D i'm trying to make my way through my requests, so there will be lots of castlevania stuff for awhile! this is set a couple of years before adrian left to track sekhmet. i hope that i did you justice, anon, and please enjoy, dear friends!!
date started: 7:08PM, february 16th, 2025.
date finished: 8:45PM, february 25th, 2025.
The moon cloaks itself amidst the twilight to leave room for the stars to illuminate the sky. Thousands gather closely together to observe the night's events, and whisper gossip that the breeze tells them. A castle, tall enough to hold the heavens and older than most museums, resides within the forest. Its worn stone enjoys the scenery's tranquility, and the surrounding wildlife serves as a reminder of its reason for standing.
There are two occupants in this castle; The legendary Alucard, A.K.A Adrian Țepeș, and you, his lovely wife. You have been married for almost two-hundred years, and there is nothing that you would change about the life that you have built together. You both enjoy travel, so the adventures that you go on together are eternally endless. Adrian has solidified himself into your soul, and he is part of you that you never wish to do without. In moments where you felt like you couldn't go on, his face came to mind and you remembered just how strong you are.
Adrian knows that the connection that you share will last far beyond the relevance of your immortal lives. Not even at the chance of death will your love's resilience waver, for it is a force stronger than any enemy that you have vanquished together. If you were not in his life, then he would not laugh, smile, ponder or explore as much as he has in your company. Adrian Țepeș is not a man who fears much, but the idea that plagues his mind into restlessness is how much darker his world would be without you in it. Imagining a reality where he lives without your rants about all of the things that he wouldn't think twice about, paired with its angelic echo chanting off of the walls of your home would send him into madness, if not for the comfort of your body lying asleep by his side in your shared bed.
Every day that you spend together is a day that you both cherish, and today has felt particularly special. From dawn 'til dusk, you walked through the forest and discovered things that you hadn't noticed before; The different flowers blooming within the grass or unfamiliar streams, for instance. You have lived in this area for some time now, yet when journeying with Adrian, all sorts of new encounters appeared. It was very fulfilling to wander out with him to see what awaited you.
Now, your exciting day has come to a close, and both of you agreed that the best way to wind down before bed was to stargaze together. You stand on one of many bridges of the palace, your hands resting on the cold stone railing while your eyes sparkle just as brightly as the stars you stare at. Adrian stands not far behind you, a smile gracing his pale lips as he admires the great darkness above. Every once in awhile, he will look back at you and treasure the warmth that pools within his chest. Your joy while looking up at the stars is more beautiful than any twinkling light in the sky, and if he spent his night watching you like this instead, then he would be just as content.
Occasionally, you'll point out an exceptionally bright star, or a constellation, and Adrian's eyes will follow where you lead them. You'll tell about the story behind how the constellation was named, and anything else that comes to mind in relation. Being born into a group of Speakers has left a lot of room for you to acquire all sorts of knowledge about a variety of different subjects, and at one point in your life, you found yourself very fascinated with everything related to space. As a result, you did a lot of research on the subject so that you could share it with your family, and anyone crossing your path willing to listen.
Both of Adrian's parents were people of science, so he gathered quite the bounty of information himself, but he would always make an effort to listen to you. No matter how many times you repeat the same tales and facts, he will nod along and asks questions as if it's the first time, just to prompt your endless, passionate rambles. Gaining the opportunity to share your wisdom grants you an ethereal, excitable glow that he will gladly blind himself with, if it means that the last thing he ever sees is your smiling face.
A comforting quiet lingers in the air while you both gaze up at the stars, cherishing the night's delightful weather that provides you the freedom to enjoy this moment together. Sky's stillness suddenly dispels when a star swiftly descends from the shadows, and immediately, it catches Adrian's attention. A blissful, child-like smile graces his lips as he takes a step forward, then points above while announcing, "Look, a shooting star!"
Instantly, your head whips into the direction where Adrian's finger follows, and you see it. Fortunately, before it leaves your view, you are able to make a wish. Many would see it as silly for an over three-hundred year-old vampire to believe in wishing on stars, for you have lived long enough to know that not all myths are true. Regardless, you like the hopefulness that the idea brings; That someone, somewhere is listening, with the goal of helping you achieve your dreams.
Wherever this comet is going, it's in a hurry, for it's leaving as quickly as it came. You squeeze your eyes shut and hold your breath, thinking about what you want most in the world. When you open them, you release the wind trapped inside your throat at the realization that the shooting star has disappeared over the horizon. Disappointment dwells in your heart and on your shoulders briefly before you spin around to look at your husband, whose arm has lowered. His face illuminates with a gentle joy as he gazes into the distance, a display that lightens your disheartenment and replaces it with bliss.
Long ago, you swore that you would commit all of Adrian's smiles to memory, so you take this time to do just that. The radiant expression that he wears is one of wonder, faith and longing, as if he wishes to chase that star to the ends of the Earth. You think that he looks so adorable like this, and you would hate for him to stop, but you become curious as to if he made a wish too, so you ask him, "Did you make a wish, Adrian?"
Blinking out of his awestruck state, golden eyes meet yours. You are so glad that during all of this time, the color of Adrian's eyes never changed. You think that it gives him individuality, and they remind you that through every hardship, you will always have someone at your side to endure it with. Sunshine dims into a soft sadness, which rawly clenches at your heart. Adrian's eyes glance to the ground, a frown on his face while he admits, "Oh, no. I didn't get the chance to."
The vessel which keeps you standing feels like it is being brutally mauled through at this response. Now, Adrian gazes out into the sky with furrowed brows, and your own face falls as his does. While he is skeptical about the idea of wishing on stars, he does find it fun to do sometimes. It didn't even come to mind when he saw it passing by, and seeing just how disappointed he is hurts more than any wound you could ever receive.
You use your quick-thinking skills to come up with something to cheer the dhampir up, when it hits you. You have been studying human magics for one-hundred years, and while you are quite skilled, you do not practice enough to fully achieve your true potential. Typically, you only use your magic on occasion when you're bored to make fun shapes, or when you're in combat with no other choice, but this is just as vital- no, even more-so. This is more dire than any foe that you have vanquished, more monstrous than any beast you have slain; Your sweet husband is sad, and as his wife, you want to make him feel better!
So, you cup your palms together and hold them out in front of you. Adrian notices the shift of your body, and turns to watch as you close your eyes. You focus on your desire, and think about the way that a star feels. You feel a tickling sensation spring its way up your back, as if stardust brushes your skin. Slipping into a deep state of concentration, you reflect on your early studies of magic when a yellow spark erupts into your hands. Adrian watches with fascination while the spark begins to brighten; It begins to take shape, until a thin, golden diamond glows in your grasp.
Adrian is completely blown away by your demonstration, his mouth hung open and eyes gawking widely at what you've just created. You open your eyes and smile at the dumbfounded look on your husband's face, giggling. "Make a wish, Adrian."
Realistically, you both know that this isn't what a star looks like, but that doesn't matter to your man. What matters to him is that it's yours, and it's perfect. For a moment, Adrian is silent, too bewildered by your manifestation to summon his voice. He knows that you are a very talented magician, and he has seen your capabilities at their finest. The fact that you have forged something so precious just to make him happy deeply touches Adrian. A smile adorns the man's face once more, eyes holding a love that is reserved only for you. He reaches a hand over to the side of your face to allow gloved fingers to graze your skin while he leans forward, and presses a gentle kiss to your lips.
You watch as he melts before you, your smile growing wider when seeing that he's happy again. Unexpectedly, he gives you a kiss, and this makes you feel even better. Adrian's lips have a very dastardly power to make you weak; One brush of them, and you feel like you could faint on the spot. His lips are soft, and he tastes of the most captivating spell. You would have dropped the illusion and wrapped your arms around him to properly relay your passion, if you didn't know how meaningful this was to him. Heat crawls its way into your cheeks, and your shoulders have hiked up from surprise, but they slowly lower themselves as you allow your body to relax. You return his kiss and tilt your head slightly to enhance the experience for both of you, and you stand like this for a moment to cherish how perfectly your lips mold together.
Albeit regrettably, Adrian is the one to back away. The sun of his eyes shines brightly with admiration, and the smile on his lips is tender. "I don't need to," He murmurs sweetly.
Seeing this look on the dhampir's face is everything that you could want out of tonight. You have shared a wonderful day together, but this has been the best part of it by far. A crooked grin curls its way your lips, and you give him a knowing look when you decide to tease him, "If you say it's because you have everything you could wish for right here, I'm going to hit you."
Adrian's posture straightens as he throws his head back to laugh. Light blooms within your chest at the sound, one that you would listen to every hour for all of your days if given the chance. Tilting his head upright, he meets your eyes and responds, "Alright, I hear you." Then, he leans over to examine the star in your hands more closely, asking, "Could we save it?" Your husband aligns himself upright again, reuniting your gaze to his while adding, "For my next wish."
You smile at the man, head slightly tilted while fondly gazing at him. Any request of his is one you will gladly satisfy, so you tell him, "I think I can do that."
The look on your face causes Adrian to soften, his shoulders noticeably relaxing a bit more at the sight. "Good." He then turns so that his side faces you, and offers an arm for you to take. "Shall we head to bed now?"
You squeeze your eyes shut and press your lips together harshly, charging all of your energy into the little splendor in your hands before hopping up. With your little bounce, the star shoots up into the sky, stardust hot on its trail, before it lowers down to settle itself floating slightly above you and Adrian. The dhampir turns around to recognize what you've done, that same stupefied expression on his face. You see it and laugh, an arm coming over your stomach as you take a step back and point at him. You gather yourself shortly after, and brush away any lingering dust on your clothes before you turn to face where Adrian is to take his arm. "Let's go."
It's only when you make contact with him that your husband comes out of his shock, his face relaxing when seeing yours and a smile decorating his lips. "As you wish."
With that, you head into the castle to begin your nightly routine. The star you created twirls around you both the entire way, and you laugh at mystical friend's enthusiasm. Love has brought you two a long way, and you guarantee that it will take you even farther. In every life, you know that Adrian would do anything to make you happy, and he knows that you would do the same.
@BUNNYLUVX ,, all rights reserved. do not copy/plagiarize any of my works or submit it into ai. any and all support is appreciated! <3
Genre: Angsty fluff with comfort and a happy ending
Summary: You seek solace from your nightmares in Alucard, and he realizes that you may have more in common than he thought.
Contains: Reader calls Alucard “sir,” Reader struggles with nightmares, anxious/shy Reader, possibly traumatized Reader (up for interpretation), mentions of Sumi, Taka, and the lasting trauma of their betrayal, mentions of death and violence, emotional turmoil and comfort, back rubs, sharing a bed, not explicitly romantic, strangers to friends (to lovers, if you want)
Word Count: 4.76k
Like my writing? You can show your support by reblogging! Thank you!
You can also find me on AO3 under Sister_Lucifer; all my work is cross-posted there!
Please let me know if you see any typos!
One would imagine that the misanthropic dhampir with impaled bodies rotting outside his door would not be keen to take in visitors.
One would be quite correct.
It’s exhausting, the solemn cycle that Alucard often falls victim to. Every time he finds himself grasping at some sense of belonging in another, some semblance of stability, he’s forced to let go, lest it be ripped from his hold and take a few fingers with it. After the deaths–no, that’s not right–after the killings of Sumi and Taka, he made himself resign to be alone for the rest of eternity. Well, that was assuming he could stand eternity. Staking himself through the heart was never entirely off the table.
No more travelers would be allowed shelter within his castle, not ever again. It had been proved more than necessary that anyone who came seeking him meant only trouble. In fact, if anyone came calling with his name on their tongue, he would cut it clean out and send them running back to whatever pit they crawled out of.
You did not ask for him. You did not come seeking him.
Truly, you had no idea who he was, or that anyone at all lived in these woods. The villagers spoke of the looming castle as though it were inhabited only by the shadows of demons whose names could not be spoken. A foreign passerby like yourself isn’t privy to the bloody lore contained within the walls of the vampire king’s abode, and a place as traumatized as Wallachia does not so easily offer its secrets to outsiders.
You were only flitting through on your way to better things. There was no intent to stop at all if you didn’t have to. The choice to dash into the woods where the son of Dracula had made his home was thrust upon you in a moment of mortal peril.
Alucard was walking along the river that morning, as he had almost every day before that. When he only had one mouth to feed, he opted for foraging whenever he could. There were likely enough provisions still in the castle to feed an army, but if he wanted to eat them, he’d have to find them. The inventory desperately needed to be taken. It would have to wait, though; walking the halls made the loneliness more tangible than he could bear. At least he could find company in the birdsongs when he took his morning walks.
His ears twitched at the sound of frantic footfalls on the grass some ways away. He hopped up and into a tree in a split second, swift feet pushing him upwards through the branches until he was high enough to observe without being seen. The thumping of boots grew louder fast, and as the sound drew closer, he realized there were more pairs of shoes treading the ground than he’d first picked up on.
There was one leading, which was what he heard initially. Those steps were quick, but not calculated, stumbling and anxious to get away from something. There were three–no, four other pairs of heavier-set steps following the first. They were much closer together and much more assured in each move without falling too far behind.
A chase.
Four to one hardly seemed fair. Something about it made his stomach uneasy.
The bramble rustled, and a moment later, you appeared from the foliage. Your chest heaved with erratic breaths, and he could even hear the panicked beating of the heart that fueled them. You paused beneath his hiding place for only a second to decide your next move.
There wasn’t any time to think. You chose a random direction and darted that way, thorns and branches pulling at your clothing as you fled. The fear on your face in that instant struck something deep inside of him, something that should have been smothered into dust, and that was enough for him to decide he would not allow you to be caught. He could not allow it.
Your pursuers made themselves known then. Vagabonds of some kind, Alucard thought, with nasty scars and weapons too large to have any purpose besides maiming. You couldn’t have fought off those hulking beasts by yourself, even if you did have a weapon of your own.
How fortunate, then, that they make easy prey for a dhampir.
Alucard wasn’t trying to kill them. He might have, considering how hard they fell, but all that mattered was ensuring they wouldn’t be giving chase any time soon. Whether or not they ever got up again was of no concern to him.
He debated whether or not he wanted to chase after you. A strange visitor is more trouble than they’re worth, but he also knew that nature could be fatally unkind. If you got yourself lost, there was no telling what sort of trouble would come upon you. The beasts that wandered in the night could tear you to ribbons in seconds.
You had been brought together by fate, not intent, and somehow, he found himself trusting that.
He followed in the direction you ran, moving without a sound between the trees. When you came into view, you were collapsed on the ground, struggling to breathe and unable to stop your head from spinning. Exhaustion was evident on every inch of you. If he had not interfered, you would have been dead by now.
He waited for a minute or two to see if you’d run again. You were on high alert, but allowed yourself to rest as long as your attackers weren’t gaining on you. You looked ready to pass out at any moment.
Alucard stepped forward, keeping his voice low and measured when he finally spoke.
“...Are you alright?”
You gasped, spinning around to face him with wide eyes and expecting to see the face of your killer. Instead, your terrified gaze met the stoic stare of molten gold that belonged to your savior.
“B-Bandits,” you stammered, rising on shaky legs, “a gang, t-they tried to rob me…!”
He stepped closer, allowing you to lurch forward and fall into his arms. Your legs burned from running harder than your body could handle.
“Don’t worry, I won’t let them get you,” he assured you. With your arm draped over his shoulder and his wrapped around your waist, he led you back to the castle, though he made the strategic choice not to use the front entrance. You were scared enough as is. Suddenly, his special little lawn ornaments seemed rather tacky.
You spent the rest of that day in the guest bedroom, nursing the scrapes and knicks you got running through the bramble and trying to calm down. Alucard left you to your own devices for the most part, not wishing to disturb you or aggravate you further. The most you saw of him was when he brought you meals. He never thought he’d find himself cooking for someone else again.
He fully intended to give you an ultimatum once you were well again. ‘You have three days to leave, human, unless you’d like to see the same fate as my last visitors,’ or something just as foreboding. The issue is that he only ever remembered that when you weren’t around. It was hard to want you gone when you were as much of a threat as a kicked puppy.
You tried very hard to shrink yourself in his presence. When he spoke, you bowed your head, like you were being addressed by a tyrant king. You never asked for anything, even when you really needed it, to the point that you slept without a pillow the first couple of nights. You only got one because Alucard happened to pass by your room and realized how naked your bed was. It was almost comical.
Slowly but surely, he did manage to work you out of your shell. He invited you to eat at the table with him instead of shutting yourself in your room for supper, and although you did hesitate, you accepted. Few words were exchanged over the table, but to say the silence was uncomfortable would be misleading. There wasn’t much to talk about, anyway. You were both content with observing each other.
There were times when he questioned if your sheepishness was an act. It was a survival instinct to doubt such a modest demeanor, to search for the threat lying beneath, but he found none within you. You startled when he came around the corner too fast, and there was a sincere disquiet in your eyes that could not be faked. You conducted yourself as though one wrong move might prompt the floor to fall out from underneath you.
He couldn’t help but be intrigued by that. In his experience, the meek did not survive very long.
It was a calculated effort to get you to open up, but it paid off. You relaxed a little more with each day that passed, and shared meals became a regular occurrence between the two of you. Small talk over dinner settled into a pleasant routine. Meeting his eyes didn’t feel like such an offense. You could wander the halls without worry for the most part.
There was only one hard and fast rule Alucard set for you:
“Under no circumstances are you to come into my room.”
You nodded without argument. He was content to leave it at that.
You were only supposed to stay for a few days. You’re coming up on almost a month in the castle now. There have been offhanded mentions of wherever you intended to go before the events that brought you here unfolded, but it didn’t matter all that much anymore. You had no reason to venture back out into the unforgiving world when no one was waiting for you.
Besides, the cold moves quickly in Wallachia. The land has frozen overnight, giving you all the more reason to stay where the warmth is. Just the sight of the trees whipping in the icy gale is enough to make you shiver.
It’s nights like these that Alucard’s sleep suffers. He’s not so sensitive to the cold, not as much as any regular human would be, but the wind screaming outside his window keeps him awake. The longer he’s awake, the more time he has to think, to stew in his own memories, and after a certain point, he loses hope of sleeping at all. There’s still a bit of hope yet, but he’s not inclined to chase after it.
He should take the guest bedroom instead, he posits to himself, and give you this one. You’d be able to sleep just fine here, blissfully unaware of the atrocities committed therein. You wouldn’t trick yourself into seeing figures in the doorway or jump awake when the death masks of your attackers flashed in the dark of your mind. In fact, you’re probably fast asleep by now. How lucky you are to find such peace.
He crosses his arms over his chest in a pointless attempt to find comfort. It doesn’t matter which way he tosses or turns; nothing will ever feel quite right, not in this place. His arms move back down again, fidgeting with the blankets and pulling at the bottoms of his breeches.
He wears pants to bed now. It’s the worst sensation in the world.
A frustrated groan leaves him as he rolls over onto his side, watching as the moonlight between the trees creates shapes along his bedroom floor. He can will himself to be tired all he likes, but it won’t quell the anxiety now.
There’s a quiet urge to scold himself that never fully dissipates. It makes him feel foolish to be so afraid, to wonder about every little noise the old castle makes, to think up shadowy figures of malice that only drive him further away from sleep. He’s had this same fight with himself more times than he can count.
Sumi and Taka are dead.
He has the impaled bodies to prove it.
There is no one in this castle except a mousy little human who couldn’t frighten a mangy dog off a pile of garbage. No one would be foolish enough to intrude, and if they were, he would kill them before they even realized he was there.
No amount of rational thought is enough to calm him, but it’ll have to do if he wants to rest any time soon. He forces himself to shut his eyes and keep them closed. Sleep will have to take him eventually.
A particularly firm creak of the floorboards makes his heart jump.
His eyes fly open, staring straight forward as he listens hard for any other noise. There’s none.
He has to stop doing that, he thinks. Old places make strange sounds that don’t mean anything. That’s all it was, surely. It couldn’t have been anything else.
It wasn’t anything else.
Except, it was.
“...Sir Alucard?”
Your voice is as soft as the coo of a dove, and alarming enough to have him jumping out of his skin. He shoots straight up, raising a hand and summoning his sword to his side in an instant. The blade shakes and glimmers with a silent threat in the pale moonlight.
You gasp and stumble back from where you’re standing in the doorway, and you’re just as frightened as he is, maybe even more. He finds the slightest relief when he recognizes who he’s looking at, but doesn’t let down his guard. He stays prepared to strike if you make one wrong move.
“What the hell are you doing here?” He hisses, sharp eyes studying every inch of you with suspicion. There’s no sign of a weapon on your person, at least not that he can find. Still, that possibility doesn’t leave his mind.
“I’m so sorry, I-I didn’t mean to wake you,” you replied. His expression only hardens further.
“Answer me. Now.”
You swallow hard, keeping your hands clutched tightly against your chest as your attention darts back and forth from his sword to his face.
“I-I just had to make sure you were alright…”
That gives him pause. He lowers his sword by a fraction of an inch. Your voice trembles like the branches rapping against his window, and the longer he looks at you, the more evident the fear in your face becomes. It’s the same expression he saw the day he saved you. Something is wrong.
“What do you mean?” He asks, and it sounds more accusatory than intended. He reins himself in a bit and tries again. “Is something the matter?”
Your gaze falls to the floor as you search for an answer. Your bottom lip trembles, and as you bring your arms up to wrap yourself in a tight hug, the reality settles over Alucard that he has wildly misplaced his apprehension. His sword remains hovering by his side, still within reach if need be, but he releases a bit of tension from his shoulders.
Something is very wrong, and it’s a deep-rooted sort of trouble he’s tried to ignore in himself. A feeling he might call empathy turns over in his stomach.
He slides down against his headboard and lets his hands rest in his lap. “You’re upset,” he observes, as if it weren’t the most obvious thing in the world. “What could be bothering you at this ungodly hour?”
His not-so-gentle coaxing earns him your eyes once more. You look up at him through tear-brushed lashes, and when you manage to speak again, the emotion bubbling up your throat makes itself known.
“Sir Alucard, do you… d-do you ever have nightmares?”
Now it’s his turn to be at a loss for words.
He stares back at you without a word, waiting to see if you’ll say anything else. You don’t. You only stare back in anticipation of his reply.
His sword begrudgingly lowers itself back to its place against the wall, and Alucard tilts his head with cautious interest. “What do you mean?”
You shrugged. “You know, a nightmare. Like, when you have a bad dream, and–”
“I know what a nightmare is,” he interrupts, “but why are you asking?”
Your silence at that says enough. So many questions, and no one seems to have any good answers.
He heaves a heavy sigh, pulling the covers off his legs and moving to sit on the edge of his bed. His shoulders slump as he looks at you from behind a messy curtain of ash blonde locks. A hand reaches out to pat the space next to him, a wordless invitation to join him in his midnight brooding.
“Come here, then.”
You’re far more taken aback by that than he expected; you’d think he just asked you to throw yourself into a ravine. He’d laugh if he weren’t so bloody exhausted.
“What,” he drawls, “afraid I’ll bite?”
You shake your head. “I-I don’t want to intrude, sir–I really only wanted to check on you. You told me I was never to step foot in your room, and I wouldn’t cross you that way, honest…”
He blinks. “Oh. Right. I did say that, didn’t I?”
“Oh, it’s alright, I figured you had a good reason.”
Indeed, he has about the best reason anyone could have for barring you from his chamber. You have no business here, and if he has half his right mind, he’ll send you right back to your own bed where you belong.
Well, he’s survived the endless number of terrible choices he’s made thus far. What’s one more?
He pats the bedside again.
“I’ll make an exception, just this once.”
He watches as you waver in the doorway, leaning forward like you’re about to take a step, only to pull back again, as though the threshold itself is a danger. If you were anyone else, he would scold you for such needless vacillating when his psyche is already strained. He thinks better of it before he opens his mouth.
It feels like watching a feral cat encounter a human for the first time when you finally make it through the doorway. Your bare feet pad along the floor without a sound, the soft groaning of the wood beneath your weight encouraging you to take one more step each time you pause until you’ve at long last come upon him. When you take your seat on the mattress, you put as much space between yourself and Alucard as possible, keeping your arms tightly tensed at your sides and your legs drawn inward. It seems you haven’t yet dropped the habit of making yourself small. What a shame, he thinks, that something has made you so determined to take up as little space as possible.
“I really am sorry for waking you,” you mutter, keeping your head bowed with guilt. The sight turns his lips downward in a frown. He thought you were past this.
“You didn’t. I was wide awake. I don’t see how anyone could sleep with that wind raging outside.”
You give a brief nod of agreement, and then no one has anything more to say.
Alucard has never been good at consoling others. He rarely receives such treatment himself, and there are many more important things in life than bandaging emotional scrapes, but he’s not used to feeling this inept at anything. Even so, he can’t ignore this. You deserve a good-hearted try, at the very least.
He slides a bit closer to you, keeping his movements slow so as not to frighten you off, the way one might approach a wild animal. You open your mouth to say something, only to decide against it at the last second and close it again. You’re still unsure if you want to talk.
He slides a little bit closer.
“You asked me if I have nightmares.”
You don’t move away.
“Yessir.”
You let him get close enough for his pinky to brush yours. The wind outside doesn’t seem so loud now.
He’s about to tell you something he’s never told anyone.
“I do,” he admits, and the words taste bitter in his mouth. “I have them often, actually, and I have for a long time. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be rid of them.”
The surprise on your face is unexpected, but not unpleasant. It’s nice to see you looking up at him again. Whatever he’s doing must be working. The bitter taste starts to fade, and his tongue feels a bit lighter than before. That wasn’t as shameful as he thought it’d be.
He leans in, moving himself into your line of sight and turning your attention away from the floor.
“But you’re not here because I have nightmares, are you?”
He watches as your tongue runs over your dry lips, and you gulp before giving your answer.
“N…N-No, sir.”
Took you long enough.
That brings him to another dead end. He doesn’t want to pry into woes that aren’t his business, but he also doesn’t want you to clam up, either. You came to him because you’re desperate for someone to soothe your worry. He ought to make it worth your while.
He shifts to lean back on his hands, letting his head roll back in feigned nonchalance. He gives a soft hum as though in thought.
“Perhaps,” he starts, and he lets that word hang in the air for a beat, “if you tell me what’s wrong, we just might be able to get a wink of sleep tonight, hm? Unless you’d prefer to sulk with me until sunrise, I’m not picky.” He crosses one leg over the other and bounces his foot with as much absentmindedness as he can manage. Maybe you won’t act so closed off if he doesn’t give you a reason to be.
He glances back at you before looking away again. He doesn’t want to look at you too hard, just in case you feel his eyes.
You let out a shaky breath. “I just…I-I feel so stupid,” you sniffle. “I’m too old to still be scared by bad dreams. It shouldn’t be this big of a deal. I should be better than this, shouldn’t I?”
Oh.
Each word further tightens some invisible ligature around his heart. A nerve he didn’t know was there has just been struck like a mallet against a gong, and his chest trembles when he takes in his next breath. When you’re taught to be alone, that you are alone, whether you like it or not, it doesn’t often occur to you that someone else may have the words to match your thoughts.
In an instant, a thousand sleepless nights flash before his eyes. He sees the four walls of this room in endless dimensions, and he feels the despair that’s been hanging over him by a thread drop all at once and crash to the floor in infinite, splintering shards.
It’s a relief.
“No,” he replies. The word feels so far away.
You just about gape at him in confusion. “What?”
“No, I don’t think that at all. You asked me, didn’t you? What did you expect me to say?”
“Well, I…I don’t know. I-I just didn’t think you’d say that.”
A sardonic grin ghosts across his lips before he pulls his expression back into a mask of sober patience.
“Ah, I see,” he chuckles, “you wanted me to grab you by the shoulders and tell you to snap out of it, to get it together, and to stop acting like such a baby. Am I right?”
You scoff in annoyance. He must be right on the mark.
“It would make more sense,” you reply, “you’re dealing with it a lot better than I am.”
“What makes you think that?” The question comes out half-genuine, half-amused. It’s such a human thing to presume everyone else must be getting on so much easier than you, but then again, he’s just as much human as he is vampire, isn’t he?
“Oh, please. Just look at you,” you huff, vaguely gesturing in his direction. “I can’t imagine a man like you being afraid of much of anything, let alone bad dreams. You live in a haunted castle, for god’s sake. N-No offense, sir.”
He can’t stifle a laugh at that. The villagers must have filled your head with crazy stories after all.
“First of all, it’s not haunted, just damn old,” he corrects with a wave of his hand, “and second of all, you’d be surprised.”
You look back at him with disbelief, but you also sit up a bit straighter than before. He gives you a soft smile that warms a bit of the chill nipping at your fingertips. A quiet understanding settles between you two that he’s never felt with anyone before, and he wonders for a moment how much time he’s wasted trying to string together words that would never earn any appreciation from those who haven’t undergone the same misery.
He doesn’t hear the wind anymore.
A strange request crawls its way up his throat, seemingly from nowhere, and although he wrestles with it briefly, he lets it speak.
“May I touch your back?”
There’s a faded memory in the back of his head that makes it feel like an appropriate ask. You’re not so convinced, but you nod nonetheless.
A pale hand reaches up to press its cool palm into your back. The gentle touch remains still at first, and then starts to work into slow circles over the fabric of your nightshirt. His skin warms up against yours, and he watches as the anxiety keeping your muscles taut begins to melt away.
“That feels nice,” you whisper. The words fall from your lips like running water, like they weren’t meant to come out, but you didn’t bother to stop them either.
“I know,” he says, “my mother used to do it for me when I was a boy. Granted, the things that scared me back then were little more than tall tales, but the feelings are quite the same.”
“Mm…”
For the first time that night, you’re at ease enough to let the tiredness show. A lazy yawn meanders across your lips and makes your eyelids droop. Someone is long overdue for sleep–two someones, actually. Alucard barely manages to bite back a yawn of his own.
He gives a few final strokes to your back before he has to pull his hand away. The loss of contact prompts you to turn to him, and he’s already slipping under the covers. He hasn’t asked you to leave, but you must think that’s his subtle way of telling you to get lost, because you rise from your seat and turn towards the door without a word.
“Where are you going?” He asks, and you stop dead in your tracks.
“I’ve taken up enough of your time,” you murmur. “I should get back to my room.”
“I wasn’t going to make you do that. I was actually enjoying having you here.”
“...Really?”
He nods and moves over to one side of the bed. Much like he had before, he pats the space next to him.
“Would you like to stay for the night?”
You curl in on yourself like a scolded child, fidgeting with your hands and shyly glancing back at him. You really are just like a stray pet he took in off the street.
He pulls aside the covers for you, extending his arm and making his offer clear. With your tail still tucked between your legs, you return to his bedside.
“Maybe we’ll both feel better with some company,” he ponders aloud as you climb onto the mattress next to him, “or at least we can wake up screaming together.”
That at least makes you smirk at the utter absurdity of the thought.
You settle in next to him, making sure to keep as respectful a distance as you can without rolling off the side. You lie down on your stomach and clutch one of the pillows in your arms under your head. Alucard turns over onto his side to face you.
“Comfortable?”
“Yessir.”
“Good.”
Another yawn leaves you, and this time, he returns it. The weariness is setting in fast. His bed feels so much cozier than before.
Just before his eyes fall shut, he reaches out to lay a tender hand across your back, fingers splayed over your spine. You don’t tense under his touch. He likes that.
“Goodnight, Sir Alucard,” you mumble, already drifting off.
He sighs. “It’s just Alucard.”
“Ah. Goodnight, Alucard.”
“Mm. Sweet dreams.”
If you enjoyed this fic, please consider taking a moment to like, reblog, and maybe even leave a nice message in the notes!
It’s a great way to support writers on Tumblr for free <3
Summary: Vlad has been away from the castle for some time, promising upon return he'd dedicate a full night simply spoiling you in whatever capacity you needed. You were simply overjoyed with your plan to surprise him with a romantic night of carnal intimacy. However, things don't play out quite how you planned...
His footsteps inched toward the bed, pausing briefly as he seemed to reach toward the curtains. Excitement swelled in your chest; you were practically vibrating now.
Suddenly the canopy parted, the figure revealing himself.
"Human." He hissed in a sinister, accented voice.
You stepped into your finest lacy lingerie suit and your most elegant night robe and set off to your bedroom to patiently await Vlad's arrival.
Though you deemed it far too lavish a place to rest, you treasured the canopy bed Vlad gifted you at this moment, reclining quite salaciously under the cover of its opaque black curtains.
"Surely this will leave Vlad incapable of resisting me." You chirped, quite confidently.
The sound of approaching footsteps made you eager, but in bed you remained, curtains drawn.
The door opened slowly and you listened as he took a bit of a pause. Likely marveling at the ornate candles you lit to set the mood.
Much too eager to conceal your presence any longer, you called out to him.
"Vlad~" You sang, rolling onto your back. "Come join me, my beloved."
His footsteps inched toward the bed, pausing briefly as he seemed to reach toward the curtains. Excitement swelled in your chest; you were practically vibrating now.
Suddenly the canopy parted, the figure revealing himself.
"Human." He hissed in a sinister, accented voice.
He climbed into the bed, making his way toward you and you shrieked, scrambling past the floor length canopy and falling to the floor.
"Oh, don't run, little lamb. You'll only make this funner for me!" He laughed, ripping open the curtain as you raced toward the door.
"Vlad!" You screamed, freezing as, seemingly within an instant, the man appeared right before you, grinning wide enough to bare all four of his slavering fangs.
He didn't look human—razor sharp nails, pointed ears, spiked red hair, and deathly pale skin—yet he behaved nothing like Vlad ever has.
"And you're dressed like a little slut? I'm gonna enjoy devouring you."
He grabbed at you, just narrowly missing your arm, and, in your last ditch effort to protect yourself, cowered to the floor.
"P-please don't hurt me."
His hands fell upon you, grabbing around your jaw, tilting your head up toward himself. A twisted smile on his face, his nails pressed into your flesh of your cheeks, death felt eminent—
"Stop." Vlad's voice growled.
Frozen in disbelief, you looked over to see Vlad standing in the doorway, a truly hostile expression upon his face.
"Back away from her. Now." His voice was dark and unholy, lowering in pitch as he spoke.
You were frozen, seemingly paralyzed under the equally shocked gaze of the man in front of you.
"Y/N." Vlad's voice normalized, snapping you out of your frightened trance. "Come here." Though just as commanding, his tone was much softer than before.
Skeptical of your intruder, slowly you inched to your feet before rushing into Vlad's arms. Avoiding the similar look of disgust upon the intruders face as he glared back at Vlad.
"Lord Dracula." The man growled in a clear accent. "Who the hell is this bitc—” “—She." Vlad interrupted. "Is none of your concern."
"What is she doing here? In your manor? In your bedroom?"
"She is not open for discussion, Godbrand."
"A fucking human!" He roared. Indignant fury somehow morphing into raucous laughter. "I thought you were a little demented, but it turns out you're completely fucking insane."
"You dare speak to me in that tone?"
Vlad's grip on you tensed, sending chills down your form.
"Do you really expect us to follow you, knowing you're still chasing after these cattle whores like old times?"
Vlad's face darkened as he started toward Godbrand, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him inches above the floor. The quickness with which Godbrand's expression changed to pure horror was almost comical.
"This woman is no whore. She will answer to no less than Lady Y/N. Disrespect her again and I guarantee your head will decorate my compost pile. Understand?"
Godbrand frantically nodded, not daring to speak even a word out of turn.
"Do not forget who you answer to. My word is final and will not be challenged. Especially not by the likes of you, you insolent, pathetic imp. Apologize to her. Now."
He dropped Godbrand to the floor who swiftly retreated back a few steps before speaking.
"I-I'm sorry, Lady Y/N. I-I should not have behaved in such a way and used such foul language. P-please accept my fullest apology."
"You'll be lucky if she does, even then you won't deserve it. Now get out."
You gripped your robe, rushing to Vlad's side as Godbrand scrambled his way out of the room.
Vlad secured his arms around you, pulling you close against his chest. His familiar scent slowed your heartbeat which had grown intensely rapid during the whole ordeal.
"I'm sorry you had to witness that, my love." Vlad whispered. "Godbrand can be truly barbaric toward humans, but I do not share the same values. Did he hurt you? I will smite him for every wound he laid upon yo—"
You shook your head willing the words from your lips as you gazed up at him.
"I'm fine, Vlad. But I'm very tired, and would just like to go to bed."
The look of disappointment on his face was evident as his eyes traced over your exposed lingerie suit.
"Did I ruin your plans to spend the night together?" Guilt hung heavy in his brows.
You smiled, clearing up his somber disposition. "I'd just like to be with you, my love."
He mirrored your smile, "I'm sure we can still arrange that."
Read the fic on AO3! | Read more of my fics on Tumblr | Patreon
synopsis: After deciding to go out and protect the villagers under attack by yourself, your Husband must tend to your wounds.
tags: angst, comfort, mentions of wounds/blood
a/n:ii blonde vampire men 🚬
w.c: 0.6k
⏦ﾟ♡︎ You grit your teeth as Alucard pushes a damp cloth against the wound in your side. The gash burns, it stings, but not nearly as much as the guilt crawling up your throat and urging to spill upon seeing the state of panic you’ve put your husband into.
"Hold still," he murmurs. His voice is still soft, but laced with that familiar feeling of restrained emotion, something the both of you were rather accustomed to as of late.
"I am holding still," you snap, more sharply than you intend, or wished- like a dog who doesn’t know why it bites.
His eyes flick up to yours. His amber eyes, always glowing, now dimmed.
"You went out alone." He says, still tending to you and avoiding your eyes.
"I had to. The village it was-"
"The village has their own guards. I thought we agreed- you agreed-you said you wouldn't leave the grounds without me. Again.”
You flinch- not from the cloth pressing into your tender flesh, but from the disappointment that flooded his expression.
"I just… didn't want to bother you." You confess.
Alucard freezes, the cloth in his hand soaked red.
"Is that what you think this is? A bother?" His voice is low, not dangerous, but trembling slightly enough for you to detect. "Do you think watching you bleed is something l'd rather deal with?"
You look away, throat tightening. "I didn't want you to worry."
"Well, it’s too late for that darling."
You wanted to argue. You want to say that you're not made of glass, that you've fought before, that you can take care of yourself and you don’t need him to protect you from everything in the world. But the words turn to ash when you meet his eyes again, finally, full of heartbreak.
Alucard drops the cloth and exhales slowly, letting it sink down the small bowl of water.
"When I found you...for a moment I didn’t think you were breathing." He exhales.
"I was," you whisper, reaching to hold his thumb.
"You were barely," he shoots back. "There was blood in the dirt, yours, so much I coult smell it. I thought-" He cuts himself off, jaw tightening.
You tighten your hand, shaky and weak. "But I’m here now, Adrian…”.
He doesn't speak. Just brushing a strand of hair from your face, fingers ghosting against your skin.
"I'm sorry," you add, quieter this time. "I didn't think it'd get that bad."
He exhales through his nose, trying to cool the fire beneath his chest. "That's the problem.
“You didn't think."
Your lip trembles. "Do you really think I wanted this to happen?"
"I think you're reckless when it comes to your own life," he replies bitterly. "But not mine. Or anyone else's. You would die for anyone-but never let anyone risk themselves for you."
"You're not a burden. You're my wife."
You close your eyes, tears spilling over.
"I hate that you had to see me like that."
"I'd rather see you broken and breathing than not at all," he whispers, pressing his forehead to yours. "Please, listen to me now. It’s okay to need me. I want you to. As I do for you.”
Your voice is barely audible. "I don't know how to need someone without feeling weak."
"You don't need to be strong all the time," he murmurs. "Not with me. Let me carry you when you can't stand."
You nod slowly, finally allowing the weight of it all to rest on his shoulders.
"Im scared," you admit.
Alucard pulls you gently into his arms, careful of your wound. "So am I. But we'll be scared together."
He kisses your temple, your hair, the corner of your mouth. A thousand silent apologies.
whimsic4alwasab1 ™ - do not copy, translate, modify, or claim any of my work as your own.
A/n: hey guys so as you know I am the original creator of this story and I really happy that you guys really liked it and I was going to make more but somehow my account had gotten deleted so I made a new one this one. And I’m transferring everything that I had on that account onto this new one so I thank you all for the support and love and I hope that we can go long on this journey together!
Alucard had always been known for his elegance, his strength, and his unshakable demeanor. But if there was one thing that Y/N had learned about him, it was that he could be ridiculously stubborn over the smallest things.
It all started with something trivial—she couldn’t even remember how the argument had escalated. Perhaps it was about him over-exerting himself during training, or maybe it was the way he dismissed her concern with that infuriatingly calm tone of his. Either way, Alucard had decided he was right, and instead of talking it out, he had chosen to brood in silence for the entire day.
He ignored her completely—not in a cruel way, but in a way that was so obviously petty. He would walk past her with his nose slightly upturned, his golden eyes flicking away just as she tried to meet them. If she spoke, he’d respond with a hum or a brief nod, nothing more. Even when they sat across from each other at dinner, he barely acknowledged her existence, quietly eating as if he was the most dignified and righteous being in the world.
And honestly? Y/N found it adorable.
There was something undeniably cute about the way Alucard’s stubbornness manifested—his usual gracefulness replaced by a sulky, almost childish determination to prove his point. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his brows slightly furrowed, and every time she so much as giggled, his ears twitched in the faintest hint of frustration.
She had tried to hold out, to match his stubbornness with her own, but how could she stay mad at him when he was this precious?
With a soft sigh, she finally decided to be the bigger person.
She approached him in his study, where he sat reading by candlelight, pretending to be engrossed in whatever ancient text lay before him. Y/N stepped closer, watching as he stubbornly refused to look up, his golden eyes fixed on the pages despite the fact that he hadn’t turned one in several minutes.
With a smirk, she leaned down, resting her arms on the desk, her face just inches from his. “Are you really going to ignore me all night?”
Silence.
She reached out and gently brushed a strand of his golden hair behind his ear, watching as his jaw tensed slightly. “Alucard,” she cooed, her voice laced with teasing affection, “you’re so cute when you’re being stubborn.”
That finally made him react. His eyes flicked up, narrowing just a fraction. “I am not being cute,” he muttered, the faintest pout tugging at his lips.
Y/N couldn’t help but laugh, and before he could turn away again, she cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Alucard exhaled slowly, his pride visibly warring with the desire to just melt into her touch. After a long pause, he finally gave in, leaning ever so slightly into her hands. “You’re impossible,” he murmured.
“And you’re adorable,” she countered, brushing her thumb over his cheek.
A long silence stretched between them before, finally, the corner of his mouth twitched upward in reluctant amusement. He sighed, closing his book and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her into his lap. “You win,” he admitted against her shoulder, his voice muffled.
Y/N grinned, pressing another kiss to his temple. “Of course, I do. Now, let’s go to bed, you stubborn little puppy.”
Alucard groaned, but the way his arms tightened around her betrayed how much he loved her teasing—no matter how much he pretended otherwise.
Guess what, i am alive! Kicking anything and actually improved my English~
Sorry for being gone for... What, a while? I am a senior highschool, things been hectic these past months.
But then my monthly simp came back and i suddenly love Alucard again!
The greatest part is, my friend told me that my English been improving so good! Guys, we're so back!!! 🤕🙏🏼
So here's a next part...
Previous | Next
Chapter 2
Echoes of mother, 2.
.
.
.
.
.
The night is young. Black ink sky painted with tiny bits of flickering stars, like the deep sea illuminated by the planktons.
When the group made it to the forest, everyone hurried to prepare the bed, and take the well deserving rest. None of them has a bravery to even look at you.
You tried to help, but they only looked at you, and nodded slowly. Ignoring every fibers of you the next second.
This left you with nothing but to gaze the stars instead. You are now sat in front of a large tree as the grass be your carpet. Both legs lay straight on the green material, suitcase in your right, and a medium sized notebook with brown cover sat neatly on your lap. You plan to write a summary of your first day since you travel again, but an emptiness is far louder than your idea.
The moon rays shines above you, radiating a strange coldness yet warm to every cells in your skin. Maybe it's because your vampiric trait that makes you somehow... Connected? Or you just find the pressence of the earth's satelite more pleasing than the blazing sun?
On the other hand, you glance at your group--all of them had long gone to a slumber when you said to the owner that you will guarding them. Thus... You're on your own.
But it's not really that... Lonely, though. You had befriended with loneliness since the start of your journey. You are trained to be lonely, and that's okay.
It's not like you would remember someone in the middle of this crucial time.
... Maybe yes.
Neck tired from keeping your heads up, you gently lower your gaze to stretch the neck when all of the sudden, the sight of wild flowers caught your interest--a Dandelion. Had long formed to a delicate white seeds head like the earth's cloud. Located one step from you, those Dandellions has your mind in its grasp whenever you saw it.
Thus, it wakes up a vivid evocation of a certain day back before the journey.
" 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯. ", it was another evening in the past--on the woods not far from Dracula's castle. That moment, you planned to read your study note as you made yourself comfortable in the grass, and maybe add a new information about herbs you found when you gone to the town.
You wished to be alone in this one because you really need to focus to prevent yourself from accidentaly wrote the heavy description of a warm, glowing, and alluring presence on your right side that doesn't seems to know the idea of... Private time.
Although until now, there's clearly no sign of negative sentiment you spitted towards him. So... Maybe it's a sign... ?
A sign of organ failure, perhaps. Because... Well, weird things happenned on your stomach, cheeks, ears, and heart whenever you caught yourself near him. Your mind start spinning and the vision to perceive anything around had gone mad so suddenly... Because, why does it blurs? Does his pressence brought you chaos?
Without your further notice, his right hand held a single Dandellion as he placed it on your book page you just read now. Not minding that your eyes doesn't even interested in those petals.
" 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯... 𝘐𝘵𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥. 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭, 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮. ", you muttered automaticaly like a machine scanned a new thing. In this point, you had your eyes locked to the flower instead since you didn't really dare to steal a glance to his face...
But you know... Somehow... That he's also warm as you are. Especially on the face. The distances between the both of you are nowhere to be seen when the two shoulders suddenly combined together. You felt your heart beats faster, sudden rush of warm to your chest, cheeks, and ears. You had not anticipated that this will happen.
He hummed in satisfaction. Another knowledge he gained from you just by shoving random thing into the field of your vision.
Before you know it, you felt his cheek leaned above your head with your back now in front of his chest. His heart throbbed like a giant bell rangs when your back pressed to it.
So it's not only you, then.
" 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯... 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴. ", he muttered under his breath before he blews on the dandellion as its white seeds floated around the wind, eventually ventured to the sky above.
" 𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴, 𝘩𝘦𝘩. ", you smirked when you said so. Your hand reached some of his golden strands, twisted it on your index, and play with it like you always do with strings.
He hummed, leaned more to you like a koala to its tree. His hand circled to your waist, and he burried his face in your head--nose exhaled many times to had your scent on his memory--wished to engraved it deep to his soul.
The sudden act of intimacy didn't brought you a confusion. You know that he's vulnerable, especially after all of the shits from Dracula.
He's just craving a presence of other people--i'ts not deep to had him being so close to you, right? Especially with his hands hugged your waist, face burried in between your hairs... Everything is not deep.
Or at least, that's what you thought. Years of journey, the experience to lose someone you cares still ghost your sanity. You refrain yourself from bonding with anyone since the passing of your father... Well, sadly it's stop when you met Lisa.
And... It doesn't stop with Adrian too.
" 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸... 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴. ", you broke the silence, flipped the atmosphere where you decided to brought up a literature lecture. The most favoured thing to your late father.
As you closed your notebook, put it down to your lap, you slowly rested your palms above his who still resided on your stomach.
" 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨... 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦... "
" 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶... ", you mumbled when sleepiness caught you. Your vision blurred, your eyes felt heavy, and tension drifted away from your muscles. Automatically, your body leaned more to him--and he tightened his hug. Seemingly welcomed your body to his chest.
You can't see his face with the diziness kept increased everytime you breath, but you can still heard his voice behind you.
" 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨... "
" 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘵. ", you wanted an elaboration for his statement, but darkness was faster to covered your eyes than your mind tried to think. Left him alone on his own, and never knew what happened next.
In the waking world, your eyes meet the darkness of the Forest once again. Suddenly realise that everything were only a mere memoria. Something happened before. And not the reality.
You sigh. The bitterness gnaw your heart, dissapointment replace the neutral sentiment you had fought hard to kept it there.
𝘈 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪'𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬. You thought as you scratch your head. Slowly, you vision drift mindlessly to a random land you hold your gaze on.
Behind every trees which stood tall as the guardians, you find the path to continue the journey--at least two meters from your location.
That path is different. Because the one that your group currently use is a meter behind, exactly where the carriage resided.
You put your notebook in your suitcase, stand up from the grass, and sticking out your index finger to create a ping-pong ball sized white orb. Its light radiates brightly with only small intensity. Gentle luminescence pierce the veil of the night, hold the upcoming danger who might land, and even frighten the missfortune to stay still.
It floats above your index, radiating with white luminescence as you aim to the path you saw before. Before moving, you check the group located on your right side--most of them snoring and even talking in their sleep. With no amount of care about the waking world, you guess that they're comfortable enough to drown into the dream land, and won't even know your absence.
Your boots seize the distance between the path and you as you walk. The white light from your orb stands still above your index finger, taming the wildness of pitch black from the Forest.
Passing every trees and bushes, you find yourself in the left side of the path. It took you a few seconds to made it there, and yet, you see nothing but leaves, twigs, stone... Maybe a single puddle, but no threat.
Maybe because your mind try to pick a fight with you, or just that foggy delusion on your mind has not yet calls a goodbye, you feel your mind as blunt as the newborn baby who had found the door crack--not know what danger may lay upon them.
" Right... Maybe it's just an alternative i didn't remember. ", you back off, decided to leave as you turn around and make your return.
" What did i expect? It's not like there will be a path full of herbs or crystal for my new pendant. ", you sigh, heart full of dissapointment. The amount of energy you had pulled...
𝗧𝗮𝗽
𝗧𝗮𝗽
𝗧𝗮𝗽
𝗞𝗿𝗲𝘀
" Huh? ", turn around when your ears caught the noise, you aim the white orb to the bushes across from you. It slightly moves, and slowly the movement gets more frequently.
" You can go out, little rabbit- "
Your white orb shoots towards the upcoming thing from the bushes.
𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
And clashes when it hits something fast.
Boots dragging on the grass as the perpetrator stops their movement, in the dark where blindness surrounds, they resides there. Your white orb eventually comes back, but the one who cover themselves with darkness decided to push forward--doing another swift attack.
Exactly like you expect, your white orb make it first to appears in between you and the perpetrator--who suprisingly a woman.
You quickly hold her arm, pull her towards you as your other palm push her elbow up from below--𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸--and break her right arm.
" AAARGH! ", the woman screams as she feels her muscles break--but you quickly smash her to the grass, pin her broken arm in her back, and the normal one just above her head. She's now lay on her chest, mouth whining with pain--and of course, there's you who use her back as your chair to sit there.
You white orb floats two meters above from you to cease the darkness that exposes her appearance.
A woman with a black hair reached shoulders, skin pale as chalk, and a pointy ears. She wore a white long sleeved shirt, red maroon long skirt, and also a pair of black boots.
" Haaargh... ", she hissed like a wild animal. You feel disguted at the first second you noticed her pointy ears. Especially when she threatens you with her sharp fangs like you are a weak mortal.
No problem, all of that matters is that you're the one who pin this woman, and not being pin.
" Are you the one who sent those night creatures? ", you asked in monotoneous voice. You keep your grip tight, still pins her to keep kissing the grass. There was a long pause before she stops hissing, and finally responds.
" Does it matters, half breed bastard? ", you didn't flinch or lower your guard. Instead, you push her more to the grass, press her broken arm deep to soils while she whines when her brain responses to the sensation. Like a struck of lightning, her wound replace your place to punish.
" It matters because it decides whether i kill you here or i wait till dusk. You choose. ", your strong palm grips her broken elbow like a strangling knot, resulting her muffled whines as you keep your eyes on her--staring blankly
" Eurgh!... Haah... I lured... Them. With flesh. ", she moans while supressing the will to scream. The fatal wound on her right arm keeps getting worse, especially when you purposely dead grip her. You feel her legs want to do something behind you because a slight move from it, but you ignore it. Is not like she can escapes when you pull this move.
" You know that if my group died, you won't get a single blood for your thirst. ", you declared in low voice. You try to hold back your anger, and keep your rational mind order you. Even when your hands itch for a fight, you need to remember that you guard a mortals. A single dead from one of them will be the death of your name.
Remember.
" From that point, it seems that you don't aim for blood... Rather, you want to keep us away from the forest. Why? ", you wait for a minute, still being kind to not kill her on the spot. But when there's just silence as your only answer, out of pity, you only tighten the grip, and--𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸.
" Answer me, and i'll rethink my decision to kill you. ", she tries so hard to break free like the muffled groans on her mouth , but your power dominates her more than her prediction. You press her more until the soils below you crack like an egg, and it shuts her up instantly.
After adaptates with the pain, in between of gasping for breath and almost drown to the earth itself, she answers, " So you won't get in. ", her statement barely covers your questioning mind as you let out a desperation sigh. Your white orb slowly descents to the woman's head--only spares two centimeters distance as it waits for your command before strikes.
" Alright then. Keep your secret to your grave. ", the white orb gets brighter for a second-- it flinches, and shoots towards her head... But that's suppose to happen if a certain thing didn't echoes.
" Eek?! ", a yelp, from behind. You startles as it lures you to look behind--and the woman uses this opportunity to slips her left hand out--flicks her finger to summon three sharp bullets of ice that quickly strike to you.
One out of the three makes it to stabs your right eye before your white orb could destroys it. Resulting a blindness of your right eye, and force you to back off if it means to set the woman free. In a flash, the woman dissapears without a trace like the night's wind, into the darkness veil who covers.
Your white orb stays by your side when you try to stand up. Even with a trembling feets, heavy bleeding on your right eye with the sharp chunk of ice crumbles into dust for a brief seconds, leaving your right eye with hole.
You look behind you when your white orb radiates the light for you to see who's behind the bushes--it was a little girl.
Around 8 years old, she wears a black cloak, her golden hair tied into a small braid, and body trembles with fear like a newborn deer.
She saw your injury with tears slowly stream down her face. She knows it was her fault, and she's afraid you might hurt her.
You take a deep exhale to relieve anger before it gnaws you whole and set you mad. Your wound slowly stop the bleeding when you make your way to the young girl.
" ... I, i, i'm so, sorry for interupting, y, you! I, i, i was just... Worried... I, i saw you before i sleep... A, a, and when i'm awake and tried to search you-- you weren't there... ", choked by her own sobs, left with nothing but an expectation of cruel death who may lay upon. The little girl is terrified by a mere subtle anger you almost lost the grasp on.
" And... I made... You, blind... I'm so sorry. ", to think of it, she's really felt sorry to you. Even when she knew you could hurt her by your magic. Yet, she still there. Standing up for her own mistake, and begged for forgiveness. No accusing, no attempt to scream for adult's help, or anything. Just, apologize.
And that's what most of human had lost from their conscience--a responsibility to work on their mistake, and feel sorry for it.
Even when you don't even want to do with anything if she hides, mocks, or screams, you're mortal heart can't lie. You're touched, mermerized by the pure innocent driven by a sincere heart.
And it leads to a soft brush from your hand whom you assume only knew death. Your hand found itself a place to rest neatly above her head, and it starts stroking every soft strains of her hair. A pat, you can say.
" All that is more important to worry about is that you're not hurt. I was only took care of some vampire that might hurt us if i do not step into the matters. I don't blame you for this. But, please, before you decided to search me, ask for an adult to escort you. The forest isn't safe for a young, carefree girl like you. ", you stated as easy as possible. You're facing a child, not an adult. And that's the challenge for all of your whole life always stumbled upon an adult.
Even when you already stated that you're fine, a certain girl still insist that she still owes you something for your blindness even though the both of you knew that she had nothing to offer.
" But, i made you blind... I'm sorry, i can't do some healing or something... ", her soft voice cracked, almost made you thought that she's crying already. Yet, somehow, her expression managed to blurted a chuckles out of you. The girl stunned, afraid of making you upset with sudden change of the atmosphere. But, when she saw your reddish face, and a free spirited smile, she doubted that it was an irritable reaction.
" Hahaha... Oh, dear. I'm fine. This is just a little injury compares to any other thing before. Look. ", you kneel before her as you took both of her palms in your's with a faint smile hang on your face.
Slowly, the bloods that formerly stained tour start to lift itself from your outer skin into the wound. Every layers of those tissues slowly rebuild itself after the blood goes back to your vein, and reconstructed the base beneath the skin. A few seconds pass, and your wound has closed before you open your right eye again--looking good like you never been hurt.
The young girl's eyes goes wide, mouth agapes, and her tears had long gone from a moment you open your eyes. A suprisement fills her face by something so impossible to human, yet could happens to you.
" H, how...? Oh... ", she stumbles for words when she catches your fangs on the moment you accidentally laugh because of her confused face. Her small face strangely carved a rather intrigued face rather than a scared for life one.
A normal child would have their ass off as soon as they saw a strange lady with a fangs. Yet, she doesn't back off and run like you thought so. She chooses to stay, deeply curious to your case.
" That's because... I am different from you... Ah, how can i say this? Let's say i had a vampire superpowers, but i'm not a vampire. "
" ... So that's why you can conquer the sun? Even when you have fangs, nails... ", she muttered in between your talk and you nod.
" That's one of it. I don't need to drink blood as my sole resource to survive. Buut, if i want, i would only drink animals blood. Still... Wine tastes better than those stinky red liquid. ", you added while your thumbs brush her upper palms. Talking about wine brought some exciting feeling, especially the red wine you got to taste back when you still live on his castle.
Bit of memorable experience to make you look up by instinct to see her smiles and suprised when your heart instantly flatters.
Her smile, oddly reflects how a certain someone who you hold dear commonly does... It's so charming, so ravishing, and winsome.
𝘈𝘮 𝘪 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨...
" Waah! Interesting! So that means... You're immortal? Mommy said that vampires are immortal. They live forever till the end of time. ", she exclaimed cheerfuly like a child describing their favourite thing. Completely abandon the fact that you're not a human and goes on with it.
The moment she mentions immortality, you suddenly reminded about how long you can actually live. You always forgot that you're really different from her since it's not century yet has pass and your friends still in the best shape they ever had. In human age, you're as equal as a teenage to adult lady. But, to a vampire, you're a mere inexperience, dirty half vampire who life in a border of mortal and immortal. Making you don't fit in anything but nothing.
Every temporary moments may slip away from your mind after this since you got a long time to life, but this young girl will always remembers anything. Who knows if she will turns this pointless little meeting into a generational tales. It can only be know once you're actually a hundred years old, though.
Since she knows your secret and also the reason for your wounded body part, it's a valid reason for you to be mad. Yet, you brush her hair instead of throwing a sentimental sharp words. Making her smiles ear to ear with a twinkling eyes stare right into you.
You hate human, but you can never lay hand to the innocent one. She's still on her golden age, not yet strong enough to withstand cruelty since the concept has yet reaches her.
And to teach what it's right to her, is to be patience. Human learn so much from softness, especially children. They're still young, they need a lot of soft nurturing before facing the cruelty of this world.
" Kind off. ", you whispered as you finally stand up.
Not long after, the girl eventually started another topic to discuss, " Well then... My name is Julia! I hope we see each other again in the next years ahead! ", she cheered with a same ear to ear smile coated her face. At this point, you may think that she's the incarnation of sun from how " Bright " she's acted to you. Like, it's not even a day yet, and the earth suddenly lighten up like the sun never drown beneath the horizon.
You suddenly froze, pinned still to the earth as your brain recalled another interruption whom you familiar with.
" 𝘓𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥... 𝘏𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘩𝘢! 𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘪 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘺𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴. ", another nameless person on the memory. Lingers with warmth and the childhood feeling you almost forgot. It comes like a passing wind. Light and softly cares your brain with a nostalgia.
You smile to the girl, nodding in process. A silent promise has been made. It's up to you whether you keep it or let it crumble as another fleeting memory.
But still... There's a sting burried deep within your heart. Heavens know when will you ever meet her again. A lot of obstacles may come and lots of them would give you a hard time--which means a lot of time to process.
You aren't the one who break a promise... But an uncertainty of when does the human die would make you break one if you need.
" 𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥. ", suddenly, a soft as cloud voice echoes through your head like a distant memory. Making it's comeback like a previous sound did.
The lonely mind drift back to the warm evening, back when you still lingered on a certain gothic styled castle.
In the garden where you had spent most of your times experimenting of different kinds of medicine--only to end up with almost no result, you found yourself stressed with another failure you cant came out with a solution to prevent.
" 𝘑𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘩! ", you blurted as low as possible along with the breath you exhaled. A notebook laid on the grass became your frustated self victim once your handstarted to write nothing but scrible that could be considered an ancient language if someone find it hundred years from now, " 𝘏𝘢𝘢𝘩! 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘪 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺... 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. ", you screamed, completely gave up when you dumped your body to the soft virisdecent matress.
You laid there as your chest went upward and downward--tried catching of your breath and pulled oxygen to your brain just so you can pull out something that can convice your mind to continue.
Sadly, it didn't work. You're to overstimulated already, made it more worse with a headache who greeted you rather than an idea.
Even with a cloudy mind, you caught a soft steps and a soft whisper from a certain, divine beauty friend you had--unrecognizeable if you were a human and not a dhampir with an advanced hearing abbility. You tilted your head to the left and noticed his presence under the orange sky fading with a dark blue.
The wind swayed anything in gentleness as it brushed your hair to your face--turned it into a blindfold for your vision and block the view on your side. Only when the birds chirped delicately from your right, you swapped the hair which blocked your view--quite astonished when his sudden presence filled your eyes.
A smile... Plastered tightly in his pale skin as he looked down and made his silky pale golden hair slid down from his broad shoulder.
He came with a tray filled with two mugs of warm tea whose smoke danced with the thin air, floated as it made its way to the sky like every passing soul did, and expunged its existence when the wind bought it away. A brief silence emerged when he just stood there for a moment with silence which spoke louder than your beating heart. When it reached your consciousness, beyond your realization, your heart who grew tired of denial had spoken its oath to no one but the Almighty.
" 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰? ", your trained instincts to not blurted out your thought came to rescued you from a continuing problem. Goddess of love was mercy enough to not messed up your special occurence with heaven incarnated beauty and instead guided you to respond him with a simple words.
" 𝘈𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺. ", he answerred with no weight on his mouth like it always been natural for him. His delicate voice like the whisper of mother of nature... Nurturing, yet caring. An incarnate of morning wind howls, soft chirping of birds in the sky, and a symphony of running water on the river.
He came like a soft reminder. A gentle whisper to tell you that is okay to slow down and not manage to be succeed in the first try.
And that's sums up your mind to finally mutters a bold exclaim on the present you face, " Yes, let's meet again years after this. ", in between the unforgotten past on your mind and the happening present, you agreed to accept another wish of a mortal like the Gods hang all of their faithful believer prayers--and wait like the great patience of time to finally set the moment for Gods to answer.
But you know how time will deal with mortals... Cruel and uncertain. Some of the lucky ones will be able to watch their wish granted before they kick the bucket... And another can only hope until their soul crumbles to nothing, turns into a dust of a memory, and slips away to an extinction. Never get the chance to even hear the Gods say 𝘺𝘦𝘴.
Still, with the cruelness of time's uncertainty, you still try. Try to fight the inevitable fate you know you had no power to defeat, try to give all of your power to make it true... And hope that it will be happening.
Even if it ended up as nothing but a vain action who waste your time and energy, you wanted to let the sky, the Gods, and the time know, that an uncertainty isn't the one who decides.
But rather, the persistence to grant your own desire is what will determine it.
At least you tried.
-----
" Sooo, are you a witch, lady? ", the night has reaches its peak. You keep feeling uneasy if you stay on that place as if your skin clawed by a harsh warning, especially with wolf's howling, bushes that keep swaying by the wind, moon who stood tall in its highest throne with an overwhelming pressence... And the darkness who keep thickens its pitch black. Most certainly is to get out of there. There's a children, anyway.
You decided to carry the young girl on your back as white orb floats besides you, illuminating with light to keep your path safe. The last thing you want is to accidentaly stumble upon a rock.
You tasted it before, and the nosebleed was the most gruesome result to ever happened... It won't stop even after five minutes!
" No. I'm a speaker. My father came from a scholarly tribe located on... Ah, i forgot about that one. However, since it means i shared the same genetic, it is expected that i inherit some of his magic. Which is the light magic. ", you told the girl of your own history about your late father. A rare occurence of you when it comes to him because you always want to hide him from the world.
It all came with a reason. In this mad world you live, you're afraid that he will be missjudged, afraid that he will be accused for producing witches, and... Afraid that his name will be stain by dirth. Mortals like to accuse something they saw vicious. To aim it as their next prey of falsehood judgement to feed their own ego.
To be engraved as the cursed and the lost sheep would be the last thing you want. This world hate scholars, knowledge, and those who doesn't want to obey the " Words of God " like they wanted.
Even when the God told them to be kind and gentle to the lost one, they only saw violence on their righteous gaze. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥'𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦, they said.
Peoples like you and your father are the most delicious victim to burn on the stake. The stake they interpret as the gate of blissful. All of it was just because you are burned in the name of God's mercy and his heaven in there.
So, to keep the fire out of your face, keep yourself to yourself.
You sigh, the mere thoughts almost ignites the forbidden exasperation you had condemned to death. The young girl seems to notice it and your mouth quickly rose the talk again. Continuing the last explanation before to discourage the potential suspicion towards you, " My father's tribe was the protector of light... Or knowledge, we called it. He once said that his tribe blessed by the God of knowledge and gave us the miracle to wield the light as our weapon. In exchange, we keep the need to pursue the knowledge so the light won't die. ", you stated while she gasp out of astonishment, looking intrigued as she sways her legs.
" So, you are now in the journey to find the knowledge? ", she add.
" Yes. Once you feel how much the light--knowledge has change your view to the world and life, don't ever lose it. Keep walking, keep learning, and keep fighting for it. "
" Because it's frightening to live without the gleaming of security in this pitch black world. "
-----
Morning, the beginning of the new glory where the sun awoken from the night slumber under the watchful protection of a certain satelite called moon.
Every life rise, the ocean blue sky had passed a good day for all of the living before you. Yet, both of your eyes hazy. It thirst for sleep, trembling a bit before your digits rub it off from the sleep you took. Even if the sun blinding your eyes, you swear you could sleep if it means an extra time for it.
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘻𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 ... Or so you thought before make your way to sit and just stare at the grass like a bored cow.
Maybe a fresh brew tea will help.
" Are you sure you don't want to continue? I'm not gonna charge you once we make it to the next town as my thanks! ", the time has passed, and it bought you to the time when the group will continue the journey. The kindhearted owner you had just knew a day has not yet gives up to bids you to continue. Which you decline politely as you shake your head upon the offer.
" It's alright. I'm actually want to stay for a few days in here because i had discovered... ", you pause mid sentence. Knowing him, you can't really say that this place haunted by a vampire whom you stumbled the night before.
Instead, you just thrown anything as your reason when your eyes descend to him after a short pause to sightseeing the sky, " A hill full of herbs! Maybe you don't know, but i had a midnight walk around here, and found one. I also want to study it because the hill looks like to be the place which the new variety of species used to grew. ", lying is not your best ability. You can feel the corner of your lips twitches, eyes to anywhere but the owner you speak with. You nibble your tongue behind those lips--wiishing the fate would kindly help you out from this mess of a trial of formality.
Not to be a stoneheaded, he just laughs and sigh.
" Hahaha! Fair enough, my lady. Alright, i guess i'll let you have your own business. However... ", he reached into his pocket from his long black pants, and takes your right palm to place something cold, stone hard like metal as you feel tickles in your palms.
When the man removes his hand, you saw a shimmering, yet splendid pendant with an oval shaped white crystal as it reflects multiple colours when the sun rays hit. Connected with a golden chains along with four petals shaped embellishment, a true gorgeousness and a symbol of wealth is right on your right palm.
" Hah?! ", you gasped. Waves of shock struck like the wrath of thunder to the tree, sending jolts all over your muscles and veins. Mouth agapes, eyes widen with an ungovernable impulse on your right palm to trembles.
The man laughs like an old man, simply amazed with your honest reaction to the point he cares his aching stomach.
" Gosh, i like how you carry yourself, my lady! This is just the smallest gratitude i can give you for your effort in saving us yesterday! ", he exclaimed proudly with wide smiles till his teeth showing. The same teeth which reflect the same rays the white crystal did.
" B, b, but i do it out of genuine kindness! I do not hope for a repayment or anything else! Please take it back! You said that your wife been sick all this time, right? Use this pendant to fund the cost of her treatment! ", you bowed as your hands extend to give him back the pendant. Instead of retrieves it from your hold, he gives it back to you with a gentle push from him.
" No, no, my lady! You already saved me... Please accept it. It's my gratitude to be able to know you, and also to promote my business. ", he then moves his right arm to pat your right shoulder, hinting you to stand up from your bow.
" I'm actually the lord of four petals trade commission. I am here because i just got back from the opening ceremony of the fourth branches on Sibiu, the first place we met. To ensure my safety, i offered a ride to Alba lulia for one silver coin only so i can get a free protection. And it was right! I'm glad i took that idea! ", he retrieves from his position to bow to you instead. You're mind overloaded with heat as your body suddenly goes stiff.
You declared defeat when you pull your own hand to clutch the pendant to your chest. Mouth supresses the twitchness to fade as it slowly serves a formal smile, and a soft whisper who made it out from your throat.
" ... If you insist... Then i accept it... "
" Thank you. "
After the stirabout insistment for the pendant, the horse carriage start its journey again as the owner waves his hand to you. The girl you met yesterday had long gone to slumber in her mother arms, so she doesn't greet you a goodbye.
You answer the waves with the same gesture, smilling thoroughly for the kindness you won't forget.
Draping yourself with the pendant, its chains now hang comfortably around your neck with the pure white crystal resting on your chest. You aren't dare to leave this piece of earth's beauty be waste in your suitcase--instead, you wear it as your gratitude to him.
Now, with your back turned, and front body face the other path which located on your left, you take a deep breath so the stiffness gone. Mouth curls naturaly downward, shoulder cast all of the tense, followed with steady rythm of blood pumping organ which burried deep behind the ribs.
When it relieved, you cease the distances by walking towards it. The crunchiness noise you made when your boots step on the grass entrailing some of the curious squirrels--with a slight squeaks barely noticed behind overloaded nuts and seeds on its mouth.
Its mouth keeps munching or maybe pushing the source of fullness to make more space for another? Moreover, you're quite delighted with its greeds.
It sickens you, yes. Not in the 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 way, really. Just a friendly reminder that the only company here isn't just you.
Tree after tree, bushes passed by, you're now standing on the side of the path. The only trail which no grass grows on and smeared with dry soil in exhange the lack of grass.
" ... I should've accept the offer... ", the road seems suspicious in your eyes, making you grow a little bit of doubt which your heart quickly cast aside.
" Whatever. ", You turn around to the way where the path leads you to the deep of forest.
It’s 2026 and I’ve decided to start posting a Castlevania fic, haha🥲 It’s actually an older piece I never uploaded to AO3 — I just really missed trephacard, so I finally came back to it. The story is already finished; I’m posting chapters on a schedule in Ukrainian first, and then translating it into English.
Also, alexlutece (on Bluesky) made these beautiful collages featuring our trio, inspired by the Sun–Moon–Star tarot aesthetic ✨🦇🖤
