Thank you ever so much for the feedback from my last fanfic! I am shocked and appalled that such a thing could attract interest, but also inspired, so here's a AxI treat. Enjoy!
A smile spread across Alucard's lips as he surveyed the night sky and delighted in the atmosphere surrounding him. In an hour or so it would be completely pitch black, spare the few stars that glittered in the oppressive darkness. For now however, the sky was a deep red hue, blood red, the same shade as his jacket. It truly was a beautiful sight.
He recalled in the depths of his mind a child's voice, laughing whilst happily chanting a proverb she had heard in her youth, "Red sky at night – Shepherd's Delight!" It was a concept that at the time had briefly fascinated him as he watched her from the shadows, in her innocent nature.
His eyes delighted in the sky in its crimson glory… did that make him in effect, a shepherd? In a way, yes, as the shepherd could be viewed to represent control; control over the many whose blood he had sucked, and although he was to them he was an image of terror, he was, like the shepherd in relation to his sheep, one to be obeyed. To many also he was an example, rather than his victims, many viewed themselves as his followers, dying to become wanderers of the night. He thought over the many years of those whose blood he had drained who as a result had become ghouls, aspiring to the power which he held as a true Nosferatu.
My own flock of sheep… and yet aren't I a sheep myself?
He snarled at this thought, however was quick to grasp the concept. Ironic really, that the very child who had chanted the proverb that had played on his mind, would come to become the master of him, he that was so powerful. There was further irony in the shepherd being a religious image. Using religion as a device in order to manipulate…
"We are on a mission from God."
He could kid himself into believing that the idea angered him. After all, as one who was so powerful, and actively capable of creating absolute chaos, it was just too much of a shame to be controlled to pursue an existence with such given limitations. It sometimes excited him to explore in his mind what would happen were he to step out of the boundaries that she had created for him. To become in effect, a wanderer from the flock. But there were reasons that he continued to succumb to her orders, and to exist under such regulations. And as much as his purpose was supposedly one in support of the Christian religion, her methods were according to the church, largely unorthodox.
His reason for remaining true to the Hellsing organisation was largely to do with the fact that he was so deeply fascinated by her. The complexity of her mind, constantly exploring several different ideas at once harmoniously, made it difficult to probe exactly what were her main worries or anxieties, or in contrast, her primary hopes and desires for the future regarding both Hellsing and herself as an individual. He had discovered that it was somewhat easier to develop an understanding of her character whilst watching her in sleep, though even then he suspected it was difficult for her to allow her mind to rest. He also hazarded that through how little she allowed herself to sleep nowadays that she might even have suspected his intentions, and subsequently resisted in exposing to him her weaknesses.
She was so very strong. It would be difficult to apply the idea of the shepherd and sheep roles to her character. She would only ever be a shepherd; fiercely dominant and authoritative, the initiator of orders rather than the receiver. She would never actively move to put herself in a submissive position with any other human being (or monster), she would and had always striven to be the dominant one in any relationship, unfazed by the assumed roles of gender which was continuously imposed upon her in her meetings with both Iscariot and the Queen's knights.
He recalled once suggesting to her in a moment of physical weakness that it would be advisable that she took some rest. Integra had returned the gaze he cast on her and after a brief moment's consideration, curled her lip into a smile. "I thought you knew me better than that, Alucard."
He had grinned. "All human beings need to take rest from time to time in order for their bodies to function effectively in the long term."
"And you believe I should take advice from somebody who understands accordingly too well what it is to be human?"
"I was human once Integra, you seem to forget."
"I could never remember, seeing as though it was a time before I was born. Perhaps in time you will give me a heightened understanding of what it is to be someone who has encountered such experiences, beyond the realms of my mind to comprehend." He had raised an eyebrow at this. The invitation was most peculiar.
"I look forward to our talk."
"Good." They had held each other's gaze for a moment following this brief exchange before Alucard had faded out of solidity leaving her with an echo of his hysteric laughter.
Returning back to the present, he decided within his mind that now was as good a time as any, on such a perfect night, to invite his master Sir Integra Hellsing into a world of discovery she had as of yet only breached upon in their brief exchanges that touched outside of the subject of duty. He could already feel her heartbeat heavy in his own chest, so alive was she as always with the passion of her work, a promising fizzle of excitement in her very being. The feeling he generated of what was so particular in her character, again brought a smile to his lips as he materialised out of existence in the vastness of the countryside, to reappear in a setting a lot closer to home.
As he entered into her study, he was greeted by the warm, familiar aroma of cigars. He saw her standing with her back to him, facing the windows that faced onto the front of the house. There was something slightly different about her appearance this evening he registered; there was a certain warmth about her body that he couldn't comprehend. Her hair was static with frizz, contributing to his estimations about her heat, and her jacket removed, slumped over the back of her chair.
His eyes registered a sudden strip of light as her finger gently brushed the closed blinds, sending a stream of light from outside into the room. Without even turning around, she acknowledged his distaste at this action and chuckled. "Even though you hate the light, surely you can appreciate such a night as this evening? The sky is a deep red, a compromise between darkness and light."
"Indeed, my master."
In a swift moment, she drew the blind up, filling the room with an eerie red glow from the bloodstained sky outside. She turned towards him, fixing her eyes on his in a stare. From the light outside they almost appeared red, as his own. He licked his lips.
"Your orders… my master?"
"Come, take a look."
He stepped forwards and stood level with her, admiring the beauty of the sky above. They both stood in silence for some time, truly absorbed in the mystery of nature that stood before them. Gently, he looked across at her, and found her delicate blue eyes raised as though to a great heaven. She looked somewhat peaceful, and innocent he thought, like she was when she was a child. He anticipated her laugh, which was one of the strange eccentricities to Integra's character that contributed to why he found her so fascinating. She had a particular habit for laughing in realisation for when she was caught up outside of her thoughts for her duties.
Her eyelids closed over her eyes and she smiled, turning to face him, the creases around her eyes revealing her tiredness with the experiences she had undertaken as a woman. The shine in her eyes suggested she was still that same little girl however. And that was a reminder to him that there were moments when she could step outside of her duty and accept another apparently subservient trait to her character.
"It is a beautiful night," he said, tilting his head to one side and curving his mouth into a large toothy smile.
"Indeed it is," she responded, followed by a sigh. "I used to say on such an occasion, 'Red sky at night, shepherd's delight.' I don't suppose such proverbs would capture so much as your interest Alucard? Such little nonsense sayings that us humans manufacture."
"Humans are so wonderfully complex," Alucard agreed.
"Do you ever wish…" Integra paused and pursed her lips, preventing herself from continuing with what she was going to say. But nevertheless Alucard didn't have to probe her mind, he understood all too well what she was asking and nodded in response. "And don't you?" he asked.
There was a long pause. "No."
"Your mind doesn't stand with such ease to my question, Integra." He laughed and continued, "Does the concept of not living forever and being able to experience the mysteries of nature endlessly fascinate you?"
"My work is my life Alucard. I have a vocation to the queen, that must prevail over anything other that I desire."
"And what do you desire Integra…?"
"That is not of your concern."
"But I am curious," he said, taking a step closer towards her. "Show me."
He sensed her growing increasingly aggravated, though she still maintained seemingly physically calm. "What do you ask of me, servant?"
"I am asking you to show me your desires. SHOW ME!" He practically screamed these last two words, and watched in amazement as Integra didn't as much as flinch. Her face remained completely impassive and she continued to keep her eyes on his with a fully focused and yet seemingly vacant look presented over her visage. Her eyes slowly shifted from his and she walked at a steady pace, towards her desk.
"Where are you going?" he asked, however she gave him no response. Her hands calmly searched in her drawer for something that she would not allow him to see, even in her mind. He considered approaching her, however he would not allow himself to physically infringe upon the limitations she had placed on him, especially now when she was clearly presenting a will for him to remain distant. It would be a direct violation, the will had to come from her for such a thing to occur.
He almost didn't hear her gasp, but quickly registered the scent of blood in his nostrils, followed by the sight of a vastly growing pool of blood on the floor. He ran towards her now, idly pushing away all thoughts of the restrictions he had to Hellsing. His facial expression was one undeniably of concern, and she turned to face him, a large smile spread across her face. It was a vision he struggled to comprehend, and considered manic for a brief term before she spoke. In her hand she gripped a small blade, her arms streaked with blood.
"This is what you want isn't it?" He froze as she held her wrists towards him. He looked deep into her eyes, still maintaining their air of innocence and found his hands suddenly started trembling rapidly as anger and… anxiety fused inside of him.
He brought his trembling hands towards her own, small, bloodstained hands and delicately pressed his thumbs over the position where she had slashed, in an attempt to reduce the flow. Through the amount of blood she had lost contributing towards her physical tiredness, this small supportive act helped to prevent her from stumbling backwards through dizziness. Instead, she brought her body to rest delicately against his own of her own free will, to allow him to offer protection. In this moment of intimacy he forgot his limitations and brought one arm possessively around her waist to draw her close in an embrace. They stood in silence, his large frame gently holding and comforting her whilst she silently delighted in his warmth and display of human affection. He had proven himself capable of being human. He was not a monster, she knew.
"Kiss me," she whispered. Her hands gently caressed the front of his torso, as though searching for a heart beat, or evidence of a heart. She raised her eyes to meet his and he looked at her, an expression completely unreadable. His hand moved from her waist, up into her hair, and onto her cheek, which he proceeded to gently caress with his large hand. She closed her eyes and waited, until she felt his lips, very human, very soft and full of warmth, against her own. He probed her mind and found her laughing, louder and louder, her mind exploding with laughter at what was taking place. She had proven herself once again stronger than him, and the delivery had come from him to act upon his own desires. He had by no means the will to make her a vampire now, but to reach with her a compromise. Between black and white. Leader and follower. Master and monster.
In a world threatening discomfort, the fear we create in ourselves is best not suffered alone.