A/N: I'm so sorry about the glitch on the last chapter! I re-publish this story on fanfiction from AO3, and I must have done it wrong. Chapter 6 is fixed now, so you can go back and read that before this one.


Chapter Seven

A day later, Sypha and Trevor were relaxing in the day room together. They had been passing the afternoon doing nothing in particular, primarily talking and basking in the rich sunlight that came in from between the mountains. Despite its sharp and omnipresent exterior, Alucard's castle was a serene, comfortable place on the inside, they were discovering. And the dhampir had done a wonderful job refurbishing it. There were barely any visible blood stains or damages anymore, and it had lost the demonic aura it had retained with its previous inhabitant. Alucard entered the room, dressed in his usual suit and shirt, a pleasant demeanor about him.

"Sypha, I have something for you. Several things, actually. I would like you to come to see them. Maybe something for Trevor as well," Alucard offered, gently smiling. Sypha set down her book and approached the dhampir.

"What things? Did you get me presents?" Sypha asked happily. Trevor never gave her anything, really. If he ever made money of his own he would usually drink it away. And the Speakers did not really give gifts, so she was excited at the prospect of presents.

"Not presents, exactly. Sort of. Just... come with me," Alucard replied, heading up the staircase with the other two following behind.

"While refurbishing the castle, I have found many number of valuable things. Mostly books, of course, but I have been surprised to find many other things as well, tucked away." He escorted the two into one of the old guest rooms, one he had worked on a while ago. Once inside Alucard opened the doors of two large armoires, exposing a large variety of beautiful clothing and dress wear.

"Oh my! They're beautiful. And of such great quality," Sypha cooed, fawning over the luxurious fabrics and stroking them. It was rare that she felt like a girl, unimpeded by the need to dress practically. She smiled at Alucard.

"Who owned these?" She asked, looking over the rich colors and fabrics. There were chemises, nightgowns, bodices, and full-length gowns that could put a queen to shame. Red and silver and blue and purple, even. Some of them looked completely unfamiliar to her. All of them appeared incredibly expensive.

"I am unaware. I do not recall my mother ever wearing these dresses, as she very rarely dressed so lavishly, so I do not understand why there are here. Perhaps for this very reason, I suppose... for having guests," Alucard answered, folding his hands behind his back.

"Again, how often did Dracula entertain guests?" Trevor asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. He wondered if Alucard had bought the dresses for Sypha and just lied about why they were here. Alucard stood more stiffly, obviously unhappy with the mention of his father. Trevor realized that it was still quite a sore subject for him, understandably.

"Not very often. Sometimes he would, of course. Almost primarily his generals. Some of which were female," Alucard explained. Sypha's eyebrows shot up.

"These belonged to vampires?" She questioned. Alucard smirked, leaning casually against one of the armoires. He looked effortlessly beautiful, as always.

"In the past, possibly, but now they belong to me. And I am a vampire, so, yes. They belong to a vampire. If you like them, though, I would be happy to give them to you." Sypha beamed at the possibility.

"Really? Oh! Alucard, I could never," Sypha declined regretfully, although she still stroked the satin gown in her hand affectionately.

"Nonsense. I have no use for dresses. You would look lovely in them," he insisted. Sypha laughed. She shook her head.

"No, Alucard, I mean- I am not supposed to wear such finery. I'm a Speaker, so I'm supposed to wear the Speaker robes. For identification and… tradition," her voice fell, unhappy with the prospect of never being able to wear such beautiful garments. She rarely felt like a girl in her shapeless, boyish garments.

"I understand that it is not a Speaker custom. However, you could always wear them around the castle while you are here. I don't think any Speakers are going to pop out of the closets and reprimand you for improper dress," Alucard continued. Sypha looked over the dresses, thinking, and then looked back to Alucard.

"I see no harm in that. Just borrowing them."

"Yes. Exactly. Come on now, you should try one on," Alucard pushed, "Trevor, you are welcome to take whatever you like, as well." Trevor smiled shallowly, annoyance clear on his handsome face.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm not in the mood to play dress up." His tone cut like a knife.

"You could take something to keep, then, as a gift." Alucard did not seem offended by his foul attitude. Trevor sighed exasperatedly.

"I appreciate it, but I don't need your charity. I'm going to go downstairs now," Trevor snapped a bit, turning on his heel to leave. Alucard scowled.

"Trevor! What has gotten into you? Why are you being so rude?" Sypha objected. Her brows were knit together, her pretty face scrunched up in anger. Trevor sighed again, turning back and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Look, I'm just not in the mood for this. Playing dress up, or Alucard giving me charity. Whatever... I've been sober for too long. It's giving me headaches," Trevor complained. Sypha prepared to continue arguing with him, but Alucard raised a hand to silence her.

"The wine cellar is in the basement if that's what you want. The stairs are behind the kitchen. If you're only going to keep complaining, then leave us be." Trevor locked eyes with Alucard, maybe to protest, or maybe to thank him, but in the end, he said nothing. He just turned and left. Sypha huffed once he was down the stairs, her good mood dampened by his poor one.

"I was trying to get him to quit drinking. He's been making progress. He's been in a worse mood upon seeing you again. I wish you wouldn't have told him that. It's almost like you're encouraging his bad behavior," Sypha explained to Alucard. He looked over her pretty face with empathy.

"Honestly, I don't really care. I'm not his guardian. And neither are you. If he's going to grow up, he's going to have to decide to do so on his own. You cannot force him to, even if you are in a relationship now. That is not your responsibility. Although, I do think it is quite admirable that you are trying, Sypha. Your kindness extends even when it is not deserved."

He stroked her arm gently to comfort her and ran his fingers lightly through her strawberry blonde hair. Sypha looked up at Alucard, keeping eye contact with him for a while before she stepped forward and rested her head on his chest, drawing him close. Alucard was startled by the physical contact at first, by the feeling of her body pressed up against his own, but then he sunk into it. Sypha wrapped her hands around his waist in a close hug, and eventually, he did the same.

"I've missed you so much. I usually have to do this part all on my own," Sypha sighed, nuzzling her head into his chest.

"I missed you as well, Sypha. I'm very glad you're here," he whispered.

"You are warm for a vampire. Even a half-blood one." Alucard smiled, taking it as a compliment. Her warmth was intoxicating as well, he was discovering, and he did not break the embrace when he should have. Instead, he rested his head against her own that was pressed into his chest, and slowly stroked her back. He closed his eyes.

Trevor quietly ascended the stairs, having come to regret his previous words, and went to enter the guest room again. Although, once he had come upon it, he stopped in his tracks. The door was ajar and through it he could see Alucard and Sypha locked in a tight embrace, their heads rest against each other. Trevor scowled, jealousy flaring up within him. He audibly shifted on the carpet, which Alucard could hear, and his eyes snapped open to find Trevor glaring at the two of them from the hall. The dhampir immediately backed away from Sypha and cleared his throat awkwardly, surprised by the human's reappearance. He should have heard him walk back up the stairs, he realized, but he had been thoroughly distracted.

"Am I interrupting something?" Trevor asked, his voice deadly quiet. Sypha turned to meet his gaze, scowling once again.

"Not at all. I hugged him. Friends embrace each other sometimes," Sypha clipped back. She was getting annoyed by Trevor's melodrama. Sometimes he acted like a child, she thought. Trevor huffed from beyond the door.

"Did you come back up to apologize?" Alucard asked, attentive as ever. Trevor looked away.

"I did. But now I feel too guilty for ruining a special moment between you two." His voice was still sharp. He walked down the hall without another word and Sypha rushed out to stop him.

"Trevor, we weren't doing anything wrong. Just because you cannot stand when other men are around me does not mean that-"

"Not other men. Him!" Trevor cut her off, "You denied it before but I know you have feelings for him. That's why you were so eager to come back here. You prefer him." Sypha furrowed her brows.

"I do not have romantic feelings for Alucard. Only feelings of friendship. If I wanted to sleep with Alucard I would. There's nothing stopping me- but I'm not, am I? I'm fucking you. So if you want this to continue you're going to have to stop acting insane and give me your trust, like you said you would. Otherwise-" In the midst of her rage, Sypha burst out into tears. She choked on her words.

"I'm sorry," Trevor blurted out, punctuated by a harsh exhalation of breath, "Shit. Sypha, I'm sorry. I- I thought something was going on between you two. And when I saw you so close I couldn't help but think- I'm sorry." He quickly moved to hold Sypha in his arms, whose face was streaked with tears. He hated seeing her cry now. She rarely did so, but the longer he knew her, the more it affected him.

"I don't understand why you don't trust me," she whispered harshly, sadly. She was thinking back to the fight a few days ago. He was going back on his promise. Trevor swallowed thickly, shifting. He looked uncomfortable, and not just because of the crying woman in his arms.

"It's hard for me to trust anyone. It has been… pretty much my whole life. I'm sorry. You don't deserve that. I promise I'll start trusting you, Sypha. Please don't leave me. I don't want this to be over." Trevor's voice trembled despite its honesty. She knew Trevor had had a hard life, harder than her own. She wished the mistrustful streak that was bred into him could be wiped away, though. Sypha took a deep breath, cupping his face in her palms.

"I'm not going to leave you. Just stop being a moron and have faith in me, alright?" Sypha asked sweetly, blinking to clear her vision. Trevor nodded, laughing a bit. They both looked over to Alucard then, who was awkwardly sitting on the rail, looking between the two of them.

"Humans are very dramatic creatures, are they not?" Alucard pondered whimsically, a hint of mirth in the curve of his smile. Trevor tilted his chin up, eyeing the slender dhampir in front of him.

"Only half as dramatic as vampires, I'm sure."


A/N: Thanks for the previous comments and kudos! Please let me know what you think of this chapter by leaving a review!

Also, would anyone be interested in an Alucard/Sypha story? Or an Alucard/Trevor one-shot? I have ideas for both…