Hellsing – Forever Formal
Soundtrack: Homestead (Assassin's Creed III OST) – Jeremy Soule
(This story ended up stretching longer than the song, but the spirit is still there.)
**AN: Insert standard disclaimer here – I own nada!
He loved watching her in the moments before she knew he was there.
She had crossed her arms, gripping elbows to keep from fidgeting. She hadn't had a cigar in hours and he knew the need for one was crawling through her veins.
He smirked at the irony: they were both addicts in their own way.
She swung her gaze from the window when he purposefully made his footsteps heavier.
At once there was a change: she stood a little straighter, glared a little harder and a line appeared between her brows.
"This is foolish," she groused.
His toothy grin made her more annoyed. "This is not a night for power suits and cravats." Alucard paused, lifting a sardonic brow. "Well, at least not for you."
The Hellsing leader gestured to the beaded gown hugging her narrow frame. "I look ridiculous!"
Alucard spent the next shadowed step reshaping his crimson trench coat into a gorgeous tuxedo. "Now we both look ridiculously stylish," he chuckled. "Wouldn't you agree?"
His amusement grew as Integra's eyes widened and her voice seemed to fail her for a moment. This only seemed to make her angrier the heartbeat she recovered.
"Fine. Let's get this farce over with."
Integra didn't see the expression on her vampire's face flicker as she stalked past him.
...
Candles reflected back on themselves in the ballroom mirrors, painting the elegant crowd in a warm golden glow. Laughter, clinking crystal and the rustle of silk added to the ensemble playing skillfully in the balcony.
Alucard watched the aristocratic couples waltz across the marble floors in graceful precision.
"Like colorful birds," he mused quietly.
"Upjumped peacocks, if you asked me. Clucking at any bit of gossip they can scratch up."
The savage grin on her monster's face made Integra give him an assessing look.
"Do you think they know there is a wolf among them?" he asked, leaning down to fix her with the gleeful blaze in his crimson eyes.
"Would you eat them all?" she countered.
Turning his head to observe the blissfully ignorant gentry meters away, Alucard seemed to consider it. "This bunch wouldn't be very satisfying. Besides, pearl buttons get stuck in my teeth."
Unable to help herself, Integra snickered.
With a more tempered smile, the vampire offered her his arm.
"I dislike dancing, Alucard," Integra's mirth vanished when she realized what he wanted.
Not giving in for a moment, he took her hand anyway. "Then allow me to do all the work."
Before she could protest further, he drew her toward the center of the room.
Men and women alike took notice as Alucard escorted his reluctant partner to the dance floor. He didn't spare any of them a glance from behind his tinted glasses, he only had eyes for the blonde goddess on his arm.
The steps he led her through were old; better suited to a court from the Renaissance than modern England. Strictly formal, only their hands touched as they glided around each other. The great space between their bodies allowed him room to admire his partner.
Sapphires dripped across her throat and from her ears, making the blue of her eyes seem even darker. He had picked the stones himself, surprising her with them on a birthday that was cemented in his memory. Integra had never favored feminine things, but her expression had gone soft at their blue and platinum elegance.
The beaded dress had been a gift from the Queen for a spring formal. Integra had refused to even consider the idea of attending until the words 'budget renegotiation' were mentioned. The evening had been strained, but things went well enough that Hellsing was granted an additional stipend of 12 thousand pounds.
The dress had been just as splendid on her as Alucard had imagined.
The music swept around them, drawing the dancers to stand shoulder to shoulder. Hands clasped tightly in his, the complex twists were almost natural. Despite herself, Integra began to lose her scowl.
Alucard felt her lean more into the steps, and he responded in kind. Soon they were both sailing across the dance floor: the angel and her demon in perfect harmony.
The stress and cares of the world washed away in the stream of music and spinning movement. Integra felt free, if only for a heartbeat.
Her laugh was sudden and joyous as Alucard grasped her waist, lifting her up to swing through the final turn.
As if the noise was a closing bell, Integra remembered herself and the smile faded away.
When her feet touched the ground, she deliberately stepped back to the formal distance until only their hands remained touching.
Alucard's face gave nothing away, but she could see the hurt in his eyes.
The music dwindled to silence, yet they stood facing each other with hands clasped and miles between them.
"How long are you going to keep doing this?" she asked softly, her voice full of regrets he couldn't sooth.
The vampire lord bowed down to rest his forehead against hers, heedless of the society vultures circling them.
"Until you come home again."
...
Alucard woke to feel something wet on his cheek.
"It's just the rain seeping through the foundation," he mumbled and turned over in his coffin. He went back to sleep to the sound of wind blowing through the mansion ruins above him.
Just the rain…
AN: This one has been knocking around in my head since I first heard this song, later I saw the beautiful picture by Solid&Etc. that seemed to illustrate this perfectly and I had to just write everything down. It still makes me sad, :(