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-NINE
Guarded Heart
Sunday After-Midnight, December 28, 2031, En Route to Halifax...
It was strangely quiet by the time Van woke up, fully rested. In all honesty, he was surprised that his vampiric internal clock didn't wake him at dusk. Dragging the coat off his head, he looked over to see Alucard still at the wheel, driving one-handed while Alex was sitting in shotgun, staring fixedly out the window. There was a fleeting question as to what could be so interesting outside, as there was still just flurries, and he highly doubted she got much out of sightseeing, since the storm obscured most of the view anyway. They weren't even listening to the radio. Then again, it probably had too much interference to work anyway.
Alex turned her head when she heard movement then smiled. "Oh, good morning. Sleep well?"
"Quite." A hand rubbed at the back of his neck before he tilted his head side to side to crack it. "Where are we now?"
"Um, I think we're close to Montréal," she replied, pronouncing the city name in French.
"What time is it?"
"Just after midnight, I think."
"I see." The Dracul leaned forward to get a better look at Alucard. "I can take over now if you want."
The vampire replied dismissively, "I'm fine." Right now, he needed the distraction, his annoyance still nagging at him from the earlier conversation.
Alex, however, seemed to have forgotten about it. "Aren't you tired? Or bored?"
Alucard sighed, conceding to her. If she was going to forget about it, then there was no point in him lingering on it. Rather than say anything, he stopped the vehicle, and Van slipped into the driver's seat just as Alucard reappeared next to his coffin, climbing inside as Van continued the drive. Alex felt at a bit of a loss as she watched the lid close. It wasn't as if she had forgotten the tense conversation, but she didn't want to talk about her past either. All she ever got from talking about it was people sharing their outrage and sympathy. She didn't want pity, so she stopped talking about it. Speaking of the past did nothing to quell the pain anyway, so why bother. Again, it wasn't like she was going to run into her ex anyway. Halifax was a large city, so unless she purposely sought him out, it was unlikely for her to see him ever again.
"You should get some sleep as well," Van said, interrupting her thoughts. "I imagine it'll be another twelve or so hours before we get there."
Instead of protesting, she nodded, finally realizing that she was tired. With a yawn, she undid her seat belt and climbed over to the back, about to take up the backseat before she glanced up at the coffin again. Indecision tore at her, and she felt annoyed by it. Part of her was still angry at Alucard for even bringing up Conley, but the other part longed to mend the growing relationship between them. Perhaps his obvious dislike for Conley just stemmed from jealousy, and she knew Alucard was romantically interested in her. Still, they weren't together, and Alex simply wasn't ready to take that step again, so for now, she was keeping Alucard at arm's length. Well, even doing that was difficult since her arms were so short compared to his.
Sighing, and actually longing for his presence, just for the sake of his presence, she climbed further back, avoiding the half-destroyed luggage and crouching next to the coffin. Just as Alex was about to disturb him, she spotted the cooler that Van had stolen from a blood bank. The girl didn't think Alucard had eaten since the night before, and she doubted vampire blood would have given him much sustenance. She remembered from what she learned that vampires needed to drink human blood to keep themselves healthy. With a sigh, she leaned over to open the self-chilling case, the packs piled on top of each other, then grabbed a couple, closing it again.
Sitting back once more, she hesitated, then rapped gently on the lid. "Alucard?" she whispered. After a full minute of silence, he lifted the lid, staring at her quizzically. Nervously she explained, "I just thought you might be hungry."
Alucard eyed the packs she held up, opening the lid further as he sat up. More silence was held between them, and just as she was about to break it, he reached over, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her inside. She squealed in surprise, half-flailing in reflex. The girl went still once she was snug against the vampire, and the lid was closed. She blinked in the dark of it, feeling cold from the feel of his body, as well as from holding the packs, which threatened her bare hands with frostbite. After awhile, her vision adjusted to it, and she was able to make the outline of his face, his eyes glowing softly in the dark.
"Why did you pull me into your coffin?" she asked casually.
"Isn't this the real reason why you disturbed me?" he shot back with a hint of amusement.
"I just wanted to talk."
Alex went rigid when she felt his nose on her neck. "I see," he said huskily. "And feed me, or so you tell me." Experimentally, he ran a gloved hand over her hip and up her side, taking pleasure in the fact he was making her shiver. "Are you cold, my dear?"
"A l-little bit," she admitted. "This blood is one of the culprits."
Alucard chortled, and wordlessly, he took one of the packs she had generously offered him. Perhaps she thought of it as a token of peace between them, so he graciously accepted, biting into the thick plastic, draining the first pack within seconds. Alex watched with some difficulty, but she could see that he was no doubt hungry. It wasn't the first time she had seen him drink blood, but simply watching a real vampire do so seemed so fascinating. Van strictly drank from blood packs, and never directly from a body. Alucard on the other hand drank it in multiple ways. He drank it straight out of disposable plastic packages, he took it directly in the traditional vampire way through biting his victim, he absorbed it like he was some blood version of the T-1000 from Terminator 2, and then there was his most subtle method of drinking from a wineglass. The last method appealed to her most because it seemed so strangely romantic.
The Count took the other pack, proceeding to drain that as well, eyes watching her as he took more time with the second. Jokingly, he asked, "Would you like some?"
"Very funny," she drawled sarcastically, making him grin. Alex relaxed, feeling more comfortable now that the packs were no longer able to freeze off her hands. Even the tension between them seemed at ease now. "You've got an oddly romantic personality."
Curiously, he asked. "What makes you say that?"
Alex shrugged the best she could, lying down and all. "Well, the instruments you say you know how to play seem very...classical. Then some of the languages you know, like French, Italian, and Spanish, seem like odd choices for you to learn."
"Boredom has forced me to educate myself in things that would be uncharacteristic."
"You also seduce women."
He grinned, easily noticing the slight coolness in her tone. "Oh? Are you jealous of the women I romanced in Stoker's novel?"
She snorted. "Hardly. Who would be jealous of women who are being stalked by an old man?" The girl emitted a squeak of surprise when their positions suddenly shifted, with her on her back and him lying on top while grinning down at her. Alex glowered up at him. "Oi."
"Care to repeat that?" he challenged.
Defiantly, she said with a straight face, "Old. Man."
God, he loved it when she got feisty. Grin widening, he leaned his head down, touching his nose to her cheek. Only she would dare call him an old man. Deciding to prove her wrong in the most evil way, he breathed cold mist on her neck before moving to take her ear into his mouth. Alex jumped from the contact, gripping at the front of his suit as her breath shortened. Her head kept yelling at her to push him off, but physically and emotionally, she didn't want to. So, Alex remained still, even as he released her ear, moving his mouth to her jawline, nipping gently at her skin. Alucard continued downward to suckle at the skin on her neck, causing the girl to tremble beneath him. Ah, a soft spot.
"A-Alucard?" He hummed, indicating he heard her while he grazed his teeth lightly across her skin. "Can you please let me go?"
Alucard paused in his so-called innocent ministrations, lifting his head to look into her eyes. Again, he was disappointed to find doubt and apologetic rejection. Conceding to her once again, instead of releasing her, he changed their positions, spooning up behind her with an arm under her head to wrap around her chest and grasp her opposing arm. His other arm wrapped over her, slipping under the one side of her waist.
"What are you doing?"
"Shh," he commanded quietly, nuzzling into her hair. "Just sleep."
The girl huffed, annoyed that Alucard had gotten under her skin again with his devilish tactics. For awhile, she remained silent and she just stared at the box wall. Between the two of them, it was a snug fit, and normally she curled up when she slept. Their positions forced her to lie straight, and since he didn't seem like he was going to let her go anytime soon, this would not do. Carefully, she wriggled around, Alucard loosening his arms to accommodate her until she was facing his chest instead. The vampire didn't question it, and he rested his chin on her head. She began to relax after she managed to entwine her top leg with his own, which mildly surprised him, and soon enough, with her hand pressed over his heart, she fell asleep. Throughout the rest of her sleep, he simply listened to her breathing.
Sunday Afternoon, December 28, 2031, Halifax...
Sometime after lunch, Alex had woken up, badly needing a bathroom. After Van had found a place for her to go at a gas station, he waited till she was done before getting her something to eat. The girl ate a couple of hotdogs topped in chili and cheese, drinking Dr. Pepper before she was satisfied. However, as the trip went on, with the van barely moving through the snow-covered roads, she found herself extremely bored, beginning to drum at the dashboard with her hands rhythmically. Eventually, Van got fed up with the noise, asking her to stop. With a sigh, Alex slumped in her seat, silently hating road trips.
It was close to evening by the time they reached the city. It wasn't like Toronto, that was for sure. It almost looked like a cross between a city as well as a rural town. If there wasn't so much damn snow, Van imagined it would have been a much calmer place than Toronto. Van looked out the windshield past the wipers, peering out at the city as he drove through, other cars barely moving. The vampire sighed, leaning back against his seat. Well, at least they were here. All that was needed was a hotel room, and then he would go out for an errand or two.
It took another twenty minutes before either Van or Alex saw a hotel, parking in front of it before Van ran inside to make arrangements. Alex watched for him to come back out and when he did, he held up his thumb. The hotel staff came out, bringing their luggage inside, specifically the coffin that Alex had decided to cover up with Alucard's handy-dandy magic coat, which had turned into a black sheet. The room itself was much smaller, with only a bed, a corner table with two chairs, a wide screen TV, and a separate bathroom. There wasn't even a couch.
Alex sighed, looking at the room. "You couldn't get one with two beds?"
"If you're worried about the sleeping arrangements, Alucard will just sleep in his coffin anyway, and I hardly sleep as it is." She gave him a scolding look, which he tried very hard to ignore, smiling innocently. "Listen, you try to get settled. I have to go to the docks and find us some way to get to London."
Shoulders slumped, she said, "Okay. Just don't push yourself."
"It's almost nighttime, I'll be fine," he reassured her, kissing the top of her forehead with brotherly affection. "Go soak away your worries, order up a meal, and get some rest."
When he left, Alex sat on the foot of the bed, staring into space. Basically Van had just told her to relax while he did all the work. The girl felt bad about the whole thing, and she sighed. Glancing around the room, her eyes landed on the sheet-covered coffin, where Alucard was still sleeping. She debated whether to wake him, but decided on simply removing the sheet before heading into the bathroom. Thankfully, the towels were of decent size, and so she ran a bath, doing what the doctor ordered as she stripped and submerged herself in the water.
Sunday Evening, December 28, 2031, Harbour...
The young vampire had decided against using the stupid vehicle, as it seemed utterly unfeasible to drive it when it would have been much faster for him to walk. Well, walk as in using his vampire speed to get to the docks. It took him only twenty minutes to get through the flurries, walking amongst the warehouses, seeing cranes load crates onto merchant ships. He honestly wanted to avoid boarding such a thing, and ship staff spent a lot of time on the sea. One of two things could happen with bringing a woman on board. One, they might become too interested and that could cause some serious problems. Two, they might feel threatened by her presence. However, the second seemed unlikely though, and Van dreaded the idea of bringing Alex on one of these things for what could have been a week-long trip. If he couldn't find a ship, then they would have to ride out the storm and take a plane from Nova Scotia.
Van approached a couple of men of the loading crew, thinking how insane they were to be working with heavy machinery as well as heavy loads in this weather. Thank heavens for technological advances in terms of safety. One of them had an electronic clipboard, blaring out against the wind and snow. The other walked away with a nod before the first caught sight of Van.
"Hello, I'm Van Drake, I'm—"
The man cupped his ear, staring at the vampire dumbly. "Huh?! You've gotta speak up!"
Van cleared his throat, raising his voice a few decibels, "My name is Van Drake! I'm in need of immediate transportation for London! Is there already a ship here, or is there one coming in that's heading for England?!"
"Christ! I still can't hear ya!" Van's eye twitched. "Come on inside!"
"Why didn't you suggest that in the first place?" Van muttered irritably.
The manager led the Dracul to a shack-like office attached to one of the warehouses, slamming the door shut behind them, barely muffling the howling wind. "Have a seat." Van walked over to one of the decrepit chairs, regarding them warily as if they might collapse under his weight. "So, what can I do for you?" he asked as Van finally sat down very lightly.
"My name is Van Drake. I came to Canada with a couple of coworkers for the holidays and an emergency came up. However, this storm hit just as we were on our way to Toronto for an early return flight." As he explained, he watched as the man's eyebrows rose little by little. "You see, most, if not all, flights have been cancelled and one of my companions made the suggestion of taking a ship to London."
"And...you're from merry London, right?"
"Indeed. So, I came here to ask if there was any ship here that's en route to England, or at least that part of Europe." The manager seemed uncertain, and Van quickly added, "I can pay."
He scratched at his thick beard, which was slightly wet from snow. "How many are there of you?"
"Three, including myself."
The man nodded, lifting his clipboard again, running through the screen. "Well, there is a ship coming in, but not for a few days. It's not likely to show up till December thirtieth. We have to unload and reload, which will take till January first and depart the morning of the second."
The vampire frowned. Maybe they were better off waiting for the storm to pass, but Alucard's logic on the likelihood of being attacked at sea came to the forefront of his thoughts. "How much will it cost?"
Sunday Evening, December 28, 2031, Hotel...
The lid of the coffin creaked open as Alucard awoke. Hearing the sloshing of water, he knew that Alex was currently in the bath. Getting up, he observed his surroundings, finding the small room charming. Alexandra probably felt right at home, being unused to large spaces. He was already aware where Van had gone off to. The boy was all business sometimes, wanting to get things done as soon as possible. The vampire smirked, thinking how he should find some way to loosen up the Dracul. The sound of the tub being drained was soon replaced with the shower running, and he fought the urge to spy on her. Hell, he could probably get away with it. No, he told himself. Popping in now and then was all fun and games, but if he wanted to win her over, then his patience and respect for her privacy was required.
Suddenly an idea came to him, and with a grin, he disappeared. Alex came out moments later wrapped in a towel, another one draped over her head before she sat on the bed after finding the remote. As she flipped through the channels, she sighed at the lack of decent content. Hoping Van wouldn't mind, she looked through the pay-per-view channels, looking at her choice of movies. The girl blinked and emitting a short laugh. One of the choices was actually a Dracula movie from the nineties. Deciding, why not, she marked it, saving it for later before going through other movie choices. As she movie surfed, Alucard reappeared right in front of her, startling the poor girl.
"Bloody hell! Would you stop doing that?!" He just grinned at her as she took notice of a bag in his hand. "What's that?"
"Some of your clothes," he answered, handing it to her.
"Oh." Alex didn't know what to say as she took the bag, looking through it. Mostly it was hooded sweaters, long sleeved shirts, and baggy jeans, the only kind of jeans she wore, as well as some clean undergarments. However, there was something else that caught her attention. "Why is there a dress in here?"
Alucard sat next to her on the bed. "I thought the dress you wore on my rebirth day looked very fetching, so I thought it would be most appropriate."
"For what?" she asked, looking up at him.
He smiled with that same charm from earlier. "I was hoping you would accompany me for dinner."
Red tinted her cheeks at his proposal, the girl swallowing hard. She stammered out, "Y-you mean, like a date? But you don't eat."
"Does it matter?" he teased. "Besides, how can you turn down a perfectly good steak?" The face she made, which he adored, just made him grin, knowing he had won. Bribery was, perhaps, a bit underhanded, but he knew what she liked and wasn't willing to allow her to turn him down.
The poor girl cursed, "Dammit, fine. Get out then so I can change."
"I can't watch?"
"Out!" she emphasized, pointing to the door while he laughed, obeying her order.
Alucard stood outside the door, pulling out his phone to call Van, but there was no signal. Ah well, it's not like Van can't find them anyway. If necessary, he could explain it to him if Van returned before they did. After all, the boy was perfectly aware of Alucard's interest in Alexandra, he just didn't know the extent of it. The Count stood outside for a full fifteen minutes by the time Alex came out, wearing the same dress from the nineteenth. The only difference in her appearance this time was the necklace. Now she wore the sunstone Tyler and Len had given her, something she hardly took off except for when she bathed. The first time he saw her wear the dress, he was momentarily captivated by the bold change from her usual attire. And she had done it for his benefit.
Alucard grinned, holding out his arm. "Shall we?"
Nervously, she took his arm, closing the door behind her. Since going outside was out of the question, Alucard brought her to the restaurant downstairs, the storm still raging outside the windows. They were seated near the fountain, where the water was lit to look like liquid gold, the entire hotel still decorated in Christmas cheer of gold and silver. Alucard sat casually in his chair, leg crossed over the other, finger entwined on his lap. Across the table, Alex just glanced between him and the menu. They were soon approached by a waiter, and the girl panicked briefly, trying to decide on a drink.
"Do you know what you'd like to drink?" he asked politely, pen and pad ready.
"I'll have red wine," Alucard answered easily. It was always the most obvious choice for him.
Alex's eyes created a beeline all over the menu. "Uh, I'll have a...hell, do you have root beer?" They nodded. "'Kay, I'll have that, but no ice."
"You don't like their selection?" Alucard asked as the waiter walked away.
"I panicked. I've never been in a fancy place like this before."
The vampire chuckled, not even bothering to pick up his own menu. He didn't need to, since the result would be the same, regardless of what he ate. The only reason he did eat human food was to blend in. Besides, this dinner was for Alexandra's benefit, not his. Well, maybe a little, since he was trying to have her warm up to him little by little. The wee hours of this morning, if she hadn't have stopped him, he could have gone further. Alucard watched her as she looked at the menu with more calm, looking at their selection of steaks. It didn't escape his notice that a few people were staring at them. It could have been for multiple reasons. One, he didn't look like a human, with his tall stature, pale skin, and untamed mane of hair. Two, she was an attractive young woman wearing a dress that flattered her form. Finally, it could be the fact that he looked a little old for her, even though he was taking on the appearance of a man in his early thirties.
Leaning his cheek against his knuckles, he stared at her through his glasses. "Is that so? A shame that you've never been treated to dinner."
"Guys aren't obligated to treat me to anything." Alex turned her head, staring at the fountain. "After all, I never gave them anything in return."
Alucard showed no emotion at this, but he couldn't help but notice that she seemed a little sad by her own confession. "You cannot force yourself to feel what isn't there."
There was a sigh as she rested her face in her palm. "I know, but seven years ago, it got worse, and any boyfriends I've had afterwards could tell my heart wasn't in the relationship."
He said nothing as the waiter returned with the drinks. "Are you two ready to order?" they asked.
Alucard closed his eyes, almost annoyed with the interruption. "Surprise me."
The waiter blinked, just writing it down. "And you, ma'am?"
The girl turned her head back. "Oh, just a New York Sirloin, medium rare, please."
"And the side? We have pasta, french fries, and steamed vegetables."
"French fries, please."
They nodded, smiling and walking away, and Alucard glowered at the man's back from the corner of his eye, as the young man's eyes had lingered on Alexandra far longer than necessary. Forgetting about it, he turned his gaze back to the girl, who stared at the fountain again. The light from it had given her a warm glow, especially her eyes. It was one thing that he had always been entranced by between Katarina and Alexandra, that and their hair. A gloved hand reached for the wine glass, swirling the liquid inside as he watched it spin.
"Alexandra," he began softly, brown eyes turning to him, "is that when it happened?" Crimson rose to meet her gaze, catching a glimpse of mixed emotions. It was a variety of sadness and simmering anger. "What did he do that causes you this much pain?" His voice was almost a whisper now, but he knew she had heard him quite clearly.
The young woman sighed, gripping her glass of root beer tightly while staring at it, her face a look of exhaustion. "He..." she hesitated, but Alucard continued to wait with the patience of a saint. "He and I had been dating for awhile, and he moved away part way through our relationship, so it turned into a long distance thing. Sometime after I moved out of my parents' place, he came to visit, and we...got intimate. He was my first," she added with some bitterness, and the feeling was mutual for Alucard, but he said nothing. "When he left for home, I didn't hear from him for a couple of months until I finally decided to contact him."
Alucard's eyes narrowed. Already he could tell where this was heading. "A couple of months, and not a word?"
She shook her head, turning to look at the fountain once again. "I could have contacted him earlier, but I didn't want to be the nagging girlfriend. He told me that there had been something wrong with his internet or something, and like the naive girl I was, I accepted that, ignoring the obvious signs. A few months later, he visited me again, and the same thing happened when he left." Hands released the glass, going in her lap to hide under the table, but Alucard knew they were shaking. "When he finally signed on, I called him out on it, not willing to take the same bullshit twice. We argued, and then he broke up with me before signing off, and I never heard from him again."
Very carefully, Alucard put down the glass, not trusting himself to hold it right now. He didn't have any words that he could say. A monster did not console others; it wasn't in their nature to do so. The most he could do was protect her in the present and the future, but he felt utterly useless that he could not protect her from the past. Judging by how she spoke of her past lover, she had deeply cared about the unworthy fool, and had thrown it in her face.
"It...hurts a little still, but lately it's been fading away," she said almost dreamily, as if she was no longer aware that she was still speaking as Alucard listened intently. "It's because of him that I wasn't able to get intimate to that extent ever again."
"What?" he asked suddenly, shocked to hear this.
"I know, it sounds stupid that I've only slept with one guy, ever, but it's true. I just wasn't interested in sex anymore," she explained casually.
Part of Alucard was angry that such a bastard had taken her virginity and had abandoned her just like that, causing her period of celibacy. It made him understand why her heart was still closed off to him. But he knew that he was wedging it open again, little by little, and just by watching her reactions to his constant affections, he could see that it was close to opening again, almost willing to let him in. When that time came, he too would pour out the past no one but him knew about. Not even his master knew the details.
The food came, and they ate in silence. When they finished, Alucard paid the bill, rejoining her, only to hold out his hand. Alex took his hand and they headed back upstairs. Surprisingly, Van had not returned yet, from what the Count could sense. As they approached the room, Alex paused, searching her person for the card key. Chuckling with a shake of his head, he phased through the door, unlocking it from inside to let her in. The door shut, and she went to unclasp her stupid shoes. Though she had been sitting almost the entire time, her feet didn't take well to wearing heels.
A hand caught her own before she could reach for her shoe, and Alucard knelt down to undo the shoes for her. Alex watched, a slight tinge on her face, only seeing the top of his head. She had felt embarrassed, revealing such information to him, a man she was certain had romantic intentions towards her. Though she had sworn to herself that she would blather on about bad end to a long relationship, she couldn't help it with Alucard. He didn't even try to pry it out of her. It was just a simple question, and she had come undone. Part of her wondered if he had hypnotized her into telling him, but knew he was above such tactics. What was even more odd, was that she was allowing Alucard to romance her. Maybe it was selfish of her, but part of her wanted to know if she could really trust someone—trust him—with her heart. It was cheesy, but she really did want to open up again, to let someone prove to her that they were not another Conley.
One shoe unclasped, he lifted her ankle, slipping it off slowly, then doing the same with the other. Why did everything he do seem like...foreplay? The thought made her blush deepen, and she cleared her throat. "Thank you." The vampire stood up, towering over her with an unreadable expression. Alex stared, transfixed with his eyes. It always fascinated her how much they glowed. "Alucard?"
"Yes?"
She swallowed, unable to believe she was about to ask him this, "Do you want to watch a movie with me?" His eyebrows rose, and instantly, she felt ridiculous.
After a moment, he asked, "What kind of movie?"
A/N: Alucard's getting a little...affectionate, it seems. Now, I did have more beyond the last sentence for this chapter, but it was getting too long, so you'll get that particular scene in the NEXT chapter. Plus, a little of something else. HURHUR! Okay, again, not as much drama as I intended to have, but there's some at least. Alex told Alucard what happened with Conley, so that counts as drama...right? Well, actual drama will come soon. I'm just gonna stop predicting when, because chapters change in the middle of writing it. And I have no idea what else to talk about, so that is all.
Please leave a review, your thoughts, questions, and thanks a lot for reading!
