Disclaimer: All of Hellsing and its characters are copyright to Kouta Hirano. Any original characters belong to the author of this fanfiction.

HELLSING

EREBUS

Here standeth the Bird of Hermes,

Eating my own wings to make me tame...

CHAPTER TWENTY

Just a Kiss

Saturday Evening, December 20, 2031, Hellsing Estate...

Never had Alex expected herself to be in this position. The holiday feast of Hellsing was to happen in an hour, and even though there would just be dinner and dancing, she was completely nervous. Soldiers were bringing their wives, and today, any who were unattached had asked both her and Seras to be their dates for the evening. The Draculina had blushed, waving her hands around saying that she already had accepted someone's proposal. Unfortunately, Alex felt slightly put on the spot, as she too had been asked, but didn't want to say who it was. This had elicited excited questions from Seras, but Alex would not tell a soul. She was too embarrassed, and everyone would find out soon enough.

Standing before the full length mirror was a completely different person. At the moment, she desperately wanted to be back in her uniform, or her regular clothes. Integra had ordered both Seras and Alex to go shopping earlier that day for something appropriate for the party, as it was a formal event. Unlike Alex, Seras was excited about this evening. Somehow, she had managed to do something with her hair, and upon her bed was a large suitcase filled with the clothes she needed for her one week trip to Canada.

There was a knock on the door, and with a sigh, Alex went to go answer it, finding Seras there. Much to her astonishment, the Draculina looked bloody fantastic. She had done nothing with her hair except put a red poinsettia on one side above her left ear. To match her vampiric eyes, her dress was a vibrant cherry red with a square neckline and wide straps, the torso clinging to her curves to just about the calves, and she wore fancy silver high-heel sandals and matching gloves that nearly covered her arms. Around her neck was a simple necklace like the one Alex wore the day before, only it had a ruby.

"Hello!" she chirped. "You ready?"

Alex just groaned. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Closing the door behind her, they went off together to join everyone downstairs. The vampire turned to her as she said, "So, you didn't mention who your date is yet."

"I don't recall you ever mentioning yours," Alex retorted back.

"It's...well, you'll see. We don't see each other romantically though, so we're just going as coworkers."

Alex nodded as she listened to her friend, heading down the stairs to the lobby, only to be horrified by the sight of the crowd. She recognized some of the convention members, accompanied by their wives, or simply dates. She couldn't be entirely certain. In that crowd was Integra, who had put up her hair in an elegant way, her long silver-blonde locks falling out of a nest of curls on the back of her head. Her dress was long, simple, and green, following the Christmas theme. It also covered her arms with long sleeves that flared out at the ends, and around her neck was an expensive looking gold necklace with diamonds and emeralds.

"Wow, Integra looks great in her old age," Alex murmured.

Seras tensed, whispering in her ear, "Don't let her hear you call her old. She's very sensitive about that."

"She's barely passed the halfway mark! She's not that old!"

"Ladies," said a voice from behind them.

Both of them turned to gape at who could have been an aristocrat from the nineteenth century London. Van Drake stood before them in just that kind of attire, with black slacks, dress shoes, a white fancy shirt under a black vest with silver buttons, a silver cravat, and to top it all off, a Victorian tailored coat with the twin tails in the back and a high-standing collar. His usually messy hair had been tamed somewhat, having been parted from one side, but it still held that Van Drake vibe. The girls blushed and stared in amazement, in turn, making Van blush with embarrassment.

"Um, yes, well, you can stop staring now."

"Jesus, Van!" Alex cried out. "You look so...different," she decided lamely. "Did you just come out of some film based in old London?"

The Dracul laughed. "No, these are just some old clothes I haven't worn in a very long time."

"You are very London right now," she commented.

He smiled, bowing slightly and taking their hands to kiss the back of them politely. "And you two look exquisite." They both giggled and blushed. Alex couldn't help it, she wasn't used to such gestures. Standing up straight, he turned to Seras. "Miss Victoria, shall we?"

"Yes," she almost gushed, pleased that she had such an attractive date.

The brunette's jaw dropped. "You two?!"

Alex deflated some. She really shouldn't have been surprised. After Van had officially joined Hellsing, he technically did become their coworker. And both of them were vampires. Maybe it felt less awkward to attend a dinner if both of you were the same species. After Seras nodded excitedly, she took Van's offered arm, and they went to join the other guests. All Alex had to do now was wait for her own date.

"My Lady in waiting, you look delicious tonight," called a sultry voice.

A chill went crawling up her spine at the sound of Alucard's masculine voice, resonating with the power he held in that ridiculously tall body of his. Turning to the source of his voice, her face had turned even more red than when she saw Van. It was so stupid to react this way because Alucard's outfit was far more simple. Instead of the dark grey suit, it was pitch black as dark as his hair untamed hair, but he wore normal, slightly pointed dress shoes. Under the blazer was an equally black dress shirt and a normal blood red tie. Even tonight, he still wore his strange white gloves, but the backs of them were blank. He lacked his trench and his hat, but he still wore his amber shades, his hair its usual mess.

The difference was small, but Alex couldn't help but utter, "Wow."

The vampire chuckled at her reaction. Good, that was just what he wanted to hear from her. While she had been scrutinizing his appearance, he had been drinking in hers. Light gold pearls decorated her hair which had somehow been managed to be placed into an up-do, a good gathering of strands framing her face. Her dress was of a light gold, almost champagne in tone, the neckline square with the wide straps tied around the back of her neck like a halter. Once again, she wore a dress with a bodice that hugged her breasts, but it hung freely from there, an asymmetrical skirt that reached past her knees in a handkerchief style. Her makeup was minimal, having used gold-brown eye shadow to accentuate her eyes.

"Beautiful," he breathed. His date blushed, and as if she couldn't get any more red, he bent down to take her hand, kissing her knuckles with his cold lips before delivering a grin at her. "If you keep looking like this, I may be unable to resist the temptation to taste you." She nearly fainted from the shock right then. Standing straight, he offered his arm with a smirk on his face. "Shall we?"

Hesitantly, she did, and felt somewhat awkward. Thankfully, he wasn't so freakishly tall that it would have been weird for her to hold his arm. The thing that made this awkward was the fact everyone was gaping at the pair. Integra, however, didn't seem remotely surprised. Throughout the next hour, neither of them had said anything to each other, and Alex was completely content with that. Once dinner arrived, everyone sat in the large dining room. Alex took notice that there was no dishes, save a wine glass, in front of Alucard. It was the same for Seras and Van, their glasses filled with the red substance that sustained them.

Meanwhile, Alucard twirled the liquid in his glass some, somewhat bored, he barely paid attention when his master had stood from her seat to make her holiday speech. He was perfectly happy to zone out or take a sideways glance at his date. Alex was nervous, her back uncharacteristically straight. Normally, the girl slouched, but maybe it was the training she had received that was forcing her to sit this way. When he had asked her the night before to be his date for the evening, he had watched in fascination as she debated her answer, her face making all sorts of expressions that artists probably would have loved to illustrate.

Once the toast was made, people raising their glasses, everyone took a good gulp of their beverages, and then they were eating. Naturally, the Police Girl and Bat Boy weren't bothering to eat anything, simply chatting with one another, the entire place in an uproar with conversations that bored the Count. Again, he didn't attend such events for obvious reasons, but perhaps he was being a poor date to Alexandra. Turning to her, he watched as she delicately ate her steak, one small piece at a time. He almost laughed, as her face showed that she was holding back from devouring the delicious meat, expressing misery. If she had been a virgin, she would have made an excellent vampire.

"I recall the first time I brought you steak, and you salivating over it," he began conversationally.

Fork in her mouth, she turned to Alucard, slipping it out, making a few chewing motions and then swallowing. "I like steak."

"I know you do. I distinctly remember you telling me that you could fall for me if I brought you steak and pie every day." She flushed, making that adorable expression once more, making him grin. "I look forward to doing just that when we get back to your homeland."

The way he said it made it sound like a promise. Maybe he was just flirting because they were dates this evening. Then again, he'd been doing a lot of flirting. Sometimes it was little things, like his comments with hidden meanings. Other times, he was downright blunt, and he seemed to enjoy her embarrassment. Throughout her life, she had known guys to flirt with her. A lot of girls did, so she wasn't particularly special. Alucard had done things that none of those other guys had done though. The vampire usually got in her face, twice he had embraced her in a strangely loving manner, and he had sort of kissed her three times. With a flushed face, she remembered how he licked the blood from her bitten wrist upon her rescue, then the time he had seemed to want to bite her, kissing at her neck instead in a tender gesture, and then finally, the time he licked his own blood off her face.

Every time he did that, it left her feeling strange. Normally, such contact would have truly bothered her, and most guys were surprised to find out that she wasn't cuddly or affectionate. Again, those same guys would take offence to the fact that she didn't cling to them, making them feel needed by her. It was a cross for her to bear. But when Alucard did these things, like asking her to dance, or holding her at random moments, she sensed something while in his grasp that didn't quite match with his outward personality. Actually, when she thought about it now, it felt familiar.

Alex mulled a bit over her food, chewing thoughtfully. When dinner was over and everyone was simply chatting away, the brunette began to hear music from another room. Unfortunately, it was the cheery holiday music that grated on Alex's nerves. Sitting there, trying to ignore it, she suddenly saw a hand in front of her. Blinking, she looked up at Alucard just as people were getting up to go into the next room. Looking at everyone else, she even noticed that Lt. Reese was arm in arm with Integra. Well...that was an odd match. Looking at Alucard's grinning face, she gulped, delicately putting her hand in his.

Since he was already standing behind her chair, he helped her out of her seat, taking her out to the large ballroom that overlooked the garden, covered entirely in snow. Alex had forgotten that it was winter, as events like this usually happen on spring or summer nights. At least, in the fairy tales anyway. Thankfully the music wasn't as bad as she initially thought, sounding like light jazz mixed with orchestra. Brown orbs turned to where Seras and Van were dancing, the Dracul holding her in the traditional sense, his hand on her waist, holding her other hand. Actually, everyone seemed to be doing that.

As they stood there, Alucard turned to Alex, smirking some after removing his glasses. "So, tell me. How does the younger generation of this century dance?"

Alex blinked, thinking about it. "Well, they flail their arms about looking like idiots, because it's fun to look like an idiot."

He chuckled. "I was talking about your slower dances." The Count pulled her close, one arm around her waist, his other hand on her ribcage. "Doesn't it go something like this?" She gulped. "I find it fascinating that humans are always looking for ways to get closer," he purred.

Feeling somewhat frantic and about to blow with all the steam gathering in her cheeks, she sputtered out, "N-Normally, the girl wraps her a-arms around the guy's neck, b-but you're too damn tall for me to reach without it being a-awkward." She just laughed nervously as he stared at her.

"Then," he began, shifting his hands, one hand at the small of her back while he put her left hand on his chest, and held her right, "perhaps this is less troublesome."

The young woman blinked again, not sure how to make of this. Blushing lightly, she gave a short nod, and soon they were swaying back and forth. Alucard didn't care who was staring. If anybody questioned it, he'd just smile in his usual maniacal way, scaring them away. All he cared about was the fact that, once again, his beloved was in his arms. Unfortunately, because he could still sense her discomfort, he wouldn't push it too far. He knew the thoughts that ran through her head, and he would do everything possible to get her to warm up to him. Still, that didn't mean he was going to play it safe all the time. Eventually, he would have to catch her off guard and make the first move.

After awhile, Alex's heart seemed to calm down during the silence between them. This dance with him seemed different than the last two times. Alucard wasn't teasing her nor trying to embarrass her. Thankfully, he also didn't have any perverted hands roaming. He was, to say the least, acting like a gentleman. Looking up at him, with the vampire looking back, she did not blush but her heart actually skipped a beat. Alucard's expression was unreadable and she didn't even notice that they had stopped dancing. Something caught her eye and she looked past him, a small panic overcoming her.

Much to Alucard's puzzlement, Alex had pulled away from him. "I...I'm tired. I need to get some sleep." He just frowned at her. "Thank you for the dance, I'm just...really tired all of a sudden. I need to pack tomorrow too, so, goodnight."

Alucard watched her as she left in a hurry. What had made her nervous so abruptly? Looking up, he spotted the mistletoe hanging from the chandelier, causing him to momentarily grit his teeth. "Tch." After his initial disappointment, he smiled, covering half his face as he chuckled to himself. "I see. Well, this is an interesting development. You won't run away from me for long, my dear. Now you owe me."

Monday Morning, December 22, 2031, Toronto Airport...

It felt strange to be back home. Between Alex, Van, and Alucard, the young vampire had the most luggage. Alucard just brought his coffin, and Alex only had need for one large suitcase. The takeoff had made the girl freak out again, Van's hand nearly broken from her tightened grip on him. By the time they landed back in Canada, his hand was still sore despite his supernatural healing abilities. Alucard had for the most part ignored them, napping in his seat during the entire flight while Alex was conversing with Van.

The moment they walked through the gate, Alex ran ahead a bit before falling to the ground in a low bow, crying out while people stared, "Land!"

Van just laughed at her. "Flying isn't all bad, is it?"

"I prefer to keep my feet on the ground, thanks," she said, getting up and brushing herself off.

"We'll be flying back to London in a week from now, so you're just going to have to get used to it. Especially if you'll be having these visits."

Alex hated it when somebody used logic against her, groaning loudly, "I think I would be better off on a boat."

"The trip would be longer and more dangerous," he said seriously as they waited for their luggage, grabbing Alex's suitcase as it came around on the track. "Also, being in the middle of the ocean isn't exactly a vampire's best friend."

The girl blinked at this as Van handed her the suitcase. "I never really understood that whole running water thing. Vampires can't swim or something?"

He inhaled a breathe through his teeth, as if trying to find the right words. "Water is the element of all life. Also, it reflects, and since we are creatures of the dead who cannot cast a reflection, it draws out our power, making us weak. It won't hurt us, but holy water will."

Alex nodded. It made sense to her, though she never actually bothered to test if vampires really can't cast a reflection. Alucard cut in casually as he waited for someone to bring his coffin, "Only full-fledged vampires cannot cast a reflection. A newborn who had yet to taste fresh blood from a human still can, as they are still in the beginning stage."

When they gathered all their bags, Alex asked, "There are different stages?"

Alucard walked away, approaching the terminal staff that was carting his coffin along, the box wrapped in a sheet like before. Van used the cart to gently place his belongings on top. "Well, as you already know, there are ghouls, which are the lowest class, as they are just incomplete or failed undead. Then there's the beginning stage where you are technically still human, but it's impossible to eat human food at this point because your body requires the nutrients that only human blood can provide."

"You can't eat?"

"I've been through it myself. Food always got caught in my throat, and because I was only partly developed, I could not digest food. Once you've drank from your first..." he didn't want to say victim, "only then have you transcended into true undead, making you officially a vampire. Then there are elders. They are the ones that have drank from their sires, and are free of servitude."

"I see," she said, putting her bag on top.

Van looked to Alucard. "I'm going to see if Integra had managed to secure our transportation. If not, I might be awhile."

"Fine."

The younger vampire walked away and Alex just stood there beside him. "Alucard?" He grunted. "You're not really an elder, are you? I mean, since you didn't have a sire, what class would that make you?"

"Creator," he replied simply. "I'm the only one in my class."

"How do you know?" she asked suddenly, truly fascinated.

The question had actually thrown him off a little as he stared at Alexandra. Before he could answer, Van returned. As they waited at the entrance for their van to pull up, Alex felt a change in Alucard's presence. He looked distracted, perhaps even disturbed. All three sat in the backseats of the taxi, Alucard's coffin put on its side in the back, Alex sitting between both of them. Van took this time to take a short nap while Alucard stared like a bored child out the window.

Once they pulled up to the hotel they would be staying in for a couple of days, Van went inside with Alex to the front desk to claim their reservation. Alex looked around in small astonishment. This place looked familiar. Soon she realized it was the same hotel as before, almost feeling giddy to be back in this nice place again. Ten minutes later, all three were standing in a different suite. The style was the same, but the bedroom was separate from the living area with double wooden sliding doors.

Alex ran, jumped, then flipped before landing on her back on the bed. "Dibs!"

"Don't get too excited," Van said, amused. "One of us has to keep an eye on you while you sleep. This may be a vacation, but that doesn't mean you're out of danger. And since Alucard usually has nothing to do, he'll be your guard while I do work of my own."

"A-Alucard?!" Alex turned brown orbs to the vampire in question, and as expected, he smirked at her. "Creeper," she muttered before shooting off the bed. "I'm gonna give Tyler a call and tell him we arrived."

Van was sitting in the living area, opening his briefcases of various weapons and tools, even little gadgets that Alex had never seen before. "When are we heading over for dinner again?"

"Tomorrow. His girlfriend is coming over too. It'll be pretty casual too since we usually just hang out and play video games or watch movies. Wait, if you can't eat food..." Their cover would be blown instantly!

Van laughed. "I should have explained further, saying that it's usually newborns that have trouble consuming food. We are quite capable of blending in, so don't worry."

Alex visibly relaxed. "Alright then. Well, the conversation is private, so don't barge in while I'm talking." With that, she went back into the bedroom, sliding the doors closed behind her.

Alucard had taken up one of the seats situated around the coffee table that Van was already occupying, watching the younger vampire in silence. Van took notice of this odd behaviour but said nothing for the time being. He began fidgeting with his gadgets, working on the details of the latest schematic on his tablet. Half an hour later, Alex emerged, going to the bathroom, the sound of water running as she took a shower. With nothing but that sound buzzing in their ears, Van lifted his silver gaze to his forefather.

"You're being uncharacteristically silent. Something eating at you?"

Alucard hadn't bothered to remove his indigo shades, his mouth a straight line, messy hair covering half of his face, making it impossible for Van to read him. "It's nothing." Deciding not to press the issue, as that would have been a bad idea for Van, he returned to his work. Feigning interest, Alucard turned his head towards him. "What's that you're working on?"

Van didn't look up. "Since the destruction of my pistol, I've been working on a modified replacement. It's being quite tricky. I wish I had the know-how of that old butler of yours. Seems he was a genius in weaponry."

"When are you going to finish Alexandra's weapon?"

"I've finished them already."

"Them?" Interest captured, Alucard grinned.

The young Dracul smirked. "The most beautiful twins I have ever had the pleasure of crafting. They're not powerful like your Casull and Jackal, as they're made for a human to handle, but they'll still be a force to be reckoned with. They quite suit her, given her personality and style."

"Oh? I can't wait. When did you plan for her to have them?"

"Soon, actually. I thought they'd be an appropriate Christmas present." Alucard angled his head somewhat. "What?"

"Nothing," he repeated.

Monday Evening, December 22, 2031, Hotel...

A single table lamp was lit beside the bed while Alex did something on her laptop. A plush chair had been moved from the living room to be situated near the window in her room, where Alucard currently sat. Listening with amusement as she cursed and muttered to herself, he knew she was playing some sort of game. It was little things about her that he had gradually learned over the last couple of months that made her more and more fascinating to him. She was a complex mix of things that he loved to sort through, learning everything he could about her.

After awhile, Alex stopped playing, shutting down the computer and putting it aside, turning off the light afterwards. She moved under the covers and blinked, realizing something. "Oh, shit."

He arched a brow. "Hm?"

"I forgot to bring my body pillow!" she said.

He chortled. "I see. You can't sleep without one, can you? Now, why is that?"

"It's super comfy?" she suggested.

"No," he said, "I don't believe that's it." The vampire stood, deliberately stalking towards her. "I think it has something to do with an underlying need to embrace something. It's like a security blanket for you." Alex gulped, raising the comforter to cover herself the closer he got. Before long, he was leaning over her, eyes glowing softly in the dark. "Do you feel alone when you sleep?"

Alex just stared up at him, brows furrowing while frowning at the question. "A-alone?"

The Count smiled some as he then murmured, "You owe me a kiss."

Heat tinted her cheeks, Alex stammering, "W-what? Since when? For what?"

"Mistletoe," he whispered, having moved closer. "From the Hellsing feast. You left because you saw it, no?"

Oh crap, he knew! Alex had completely forgotten about it til now, but she was suddenly cornered by it. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said, flustered.

The vampire grinned, but it was much more tender in appearance. The vampire just whispered, "Liar."

Swallowing hard, Alex watched as he drew even closer, his breath misting over her lips. It was just a kiss. A stupid, tradition-produced kiss. What harm could it do? Preparing herself, Alucard smiled before moving closer and closer. How he greatly desired to taste her in more ways than one or two. He watched as she accepted it, closing her eyes, then he smiled and leaned forward. Brown eyes shot open in surprise, finding Alucard's lips on her cheek. The sweetness of it nearly made her faint with embarrassment. The young woman felt like a teapot, ready to blow her top off with steam.

Alucard pulled away, staring at her with a strange gentleness in his expression. "Sleep."

The vampire walked back to his chair, resuming his seat. After she just stared at him for a few minutes in small bafflement, she eventually lied down, utterly confused by what just happened. Meanwhile, Alucard knew that if he had gone through with it, he wouldn't have been able to stop at just a kiss. The monster and the man lurking deep inside wished desperately to possess her mind, consume her soul, steal her heart, and inflame her body. He wanted her so badly, that it was beginning to eat at him. How much longer would he be able to resist his selfishness? After awhile, he was pleased to find that she was sleeping, making him content to simply watch her.

A/N: I made the feast/party thing longer than I had originally intended, but whatever. I was seriously debating letting Alucard give her a real kiss, but eventually, I settled on what you just read. Oh, don't worry, he'll have plenty of opportunities now that he's with her for an entire week! Still, he wasn't about to let Alex get away after being under the mistletoe. I've never been kissed as a result of mistletoe. I don't think I've ever seen mistletoe. I feel like I'm missing out a bit.

Anyway, please leave a review, your thoughts, and any questions, and thank you all for reading!