Anderson stood, eyeing the door as the dim lighting enhanced the dead silence of the Hellsing estate. Setting his face with a ready scowl, he knocked stiffly, fancying that he could hear the sound echo within the cell. After a few seconds, he knocked several more times, starting when the door actually opened.
Alucard appeared, his hand level with his face on the door. A blood packet dangled from his mouth while black locks fell before his face, covering one of his eyes as the other watched the paladin questioningly. Silence filled a minute before the vampire removed his hand from the door and took a hold of the blood packet so that he could speak. When the sound of manipulated plastic and liquid died out, the vampire spoke.
"Do you have any idea how late it is?"
The priest blinked out of his daze, taken aback by the civil behavior.
"It's three in the morning…" looking at Anderson's face, Alucard could tell the paladin had yet to sleep. "…if you can't sleep, count sheep or whatever it is that people do nowadays….it's too late to ask Walter for a glass of warm milk though."
Anderson stared at Alucard. He hid his disbelief by glancing at the blood packet, and the priest realized what it was and what the vampire had been doing moments ago. He frowned and then lost the expression, curiosity displacing it.
"Judas priest."
Father Anderson's head snapped up and Alucard lifted the blood packet. "I'm sure you didn't come here just to test my patience…and glare at my dinner."
Anderson growled. "How could I sleep with you under my feet?"
The vampire smirked, light coming into his eyes. "Afraid of the monster under your bed?"
The priest scowled, glowering his hostility at the creature. Alucard recognized a fight and the light left his eyes with a tired sigh. "Priest, to tell you the truth…I don't even know where your room is. I'm not going to bother looking for it either…"
"I'm not afraid of you! Demon!" Anderson snapped suddenly. "I'm just…" his volume fell with a grimace. "…uncomfortable."
The immortal gave a bored look and sighed once more. "So you came to cut off my head so you can sleep?"
The priest flinched.
"No? Then…" the blood packet went to the vampire's lips without entering his mouth. "…try counting sheep. I'm not here to babysit." Anderson stared indignantly as the packet dangled from the undead mouth and Alucard turned to shut the door. But the vampire stopped as his eyes widened a little and he removed the packet. "And Anderson…" he paused, looking directly into the green eyes. "You don't have to knock." Anderson's lips parted in surprise. "No one knocks on my door…just come in." There was a moment of quiet as the nosferatu observed the paladin's shocked features. "I prefer it." He added before sticking the blood packet back into his mouth.
The door shut, leaving the befuddled priest alone in the dimly lit hallway, trying to understand why he had come to the beast's cell in the first place.