*This story is another in the "Awakening" saga. There isn't much here, but
I'm gonna try and touch the relationship that existed between Integra and
Alucard, and in turn Valerie and Alucard. *
I remember her, a younger, more fragile Integra. It was her 15th birthday, and yet there was no one there to help her celebrate. Walter was in the kitchen preparing a cake and he had her at the piano practicing. I should have left her, but no; it wasn't possible to leave her. I was listening to the lilting melody as it floated through the corridors, it was fine most of the time, but there was always on place that she messed it up in. It was her father's favorite; he would play it during the war. I knew that song like the symbols on my gloves. After the third or fourth time of missed keys I went to her, and watched.
"It's getting worse master."
"Go away, Alucard. I'm not in the mood for your nonsense tonight."
I watched her, missing the keys again, and in her desperation her head hit the piano making an echoing boom of the deeper keys. I laughed at her, but stopped when it hit me that she was crying into that old piano. I went to her, placing my hand on her neck. She jumped a little, but seemed to take to it.
"P-Please don't."
"Don't what? Touch you; are you afraid I'll bite?"
"..I can't do it. I can't do this like my father. I don't know what I'm doing, I'm supposed to kill vampires and yet I keep one as a pet."
"Yes, of course. All I am is the loyal dog to the family, call me and watch me perform, and when there is no need, I leave. Wonderful existence it is."
It took her a moment to realize that I was being sarcastic, for when she did, her head shot up and gave me the strangest look. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and then hers went back to the piano to try again, her small fingers running over the keys, touching them gently.
"You hit them too hard to hear their music."
"What?"
Not knowing another way to tell her, I slipped onto the stool beside her, watched her push away from me, as if I had some awful disease that she would catch. I closed my eyes and played the song carefully, barely touching the keys, but hitting the right note each time. She watched awe- struck as I played the whole thing from memory, and it is a long song too. Sitting there, playing this, I was reminded of when her father would play it. The day he sealed me away in the basement, he played it after I was permanently bound to that wall. My thoughts were cut short as I felt the weight on my shoulders grow a bit heavier. She was leaning against me. Strange as it was, I ignored it and continued to play. Walter must have heard the whole song being played perfectly and come to congratulate her, because he came up clapping, then saw that it was me playing it with her against me. He stopped and she sat up and straightened out her dress.
"Thank you for showing me, now...please leave."
"As you wish."
Standing, I patted her head and left her, leaving the same way I had come. She watched me slide through the wall and I heard her trying to explain the situation to Walter, but faltering in her choice of words.
"He was merely showing me what it was supposed to sound like."
"One of these days, he may show you more than you want little one. Now come down to the kitchen with me for a moment."
Birthdays were never my thing, and after a few years, she began to resent them. Sadly, the day she died was her birthday, I've never known anyone to die on the day that they were born. I miss her, but these days it's almost like she has been brought back. Her sister as been through hell because of me, but then again, it is to be expected. As it is, I'm the loyal dog for the Hellsing family.
She's playing the song badly, but it seems that she has heard it, and knows how it goes. Maybe it's time to teach her as I taught her sister. She's worse than Integra, much worse. Standing behind her, I wonder if she knows I'm there. The same movements as before, touching her neck, though the history with this one is a little different than the first one. She pushes against my hand, and I slide my hands over hers. She's nervous, but she allows me to guide her hands to the right keys, I have to kneel there to do this, she's so small compared to myself. Her hair is up, her neck is bare, and though it does me no good to bleed her, it would be nice not to be turned down.
I'm guiding her hands, but my eyes aren't anywhere close to the keys, or her neck. It's my turn to lean; my head is against her back, my hands over hers. She stops and turns to me, though her turning surprises me, and I stumble backwards. She's so close in image to her sister that it isn't even funny, though the difference in mind is just as startling. She's touching me; her hands are soft against my head.
"Alucard, you messed up, we shouldn't...this should stay professional."
"You disappoint me, master."
"Lord, stop calling me that. Valerie is fine."
"Then we are not professional, my dear."
"I'm not your dear."
"Is that so?"
I'm testing my boundaries, I've done it before but the reception was a bit different. I grabbed her, hands on her waist and pulled her off that stool and onto my lap. She fights, but not enough to get any result. She knows I can't hurt her, but I can play with her. She seems content, but I doubt she'll let me know that.
I remember her, a younger, more fragile Integra. It was her 15th birthday, and yet there was no one there to help her celebrate. Walter was in the kitchen preparing a cake and he had her at the piano practicing. I should have left her, but no; it wasn't possible to leave her. I was listening to the lilting melody as it floated through the corridors, it was fine most of the time, but there was always on place that she messed it up in. It was her father's favorite; he would play it during the war. I knew that song like the symbols on my gloves. After the third or fourth time of missed keys I went to her, and watched.
"It's getting worse master."
"Go away, Alucard. I'm not in the mood for your nonsense tonight."
I watched her, missing the keys again, and in her desperation her head hit the piano making an echoing boom of the deeper keys. I laughed at her, but stopped when it hit me that she was crying into that old piano. I went to her, placing my hand on her neck. She jumped a little, but seemed to take to it.
"P-Please don't."
"Don't what? Touch you; are you afraid I'll bite?"
"..I can't do it. I can't do this like my father. I don't know what I'm doing, I'm supposed to kill vampires and yet I keep one as a pet."
"Yes, of course. All I am is the loyal dog to the family, call me and watch me perform, and when there is no need, I leave. Wonderful existence it is."
It took her a moment to realize that I was being sarcastic, for when she did, her head shot up and gave me the strangest look. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and then hers went back to the piano to try again, her small fingers running over the keys, touching them gently.
"You hit them too hard to hear their music."
"What?"
Not knowing another way to tell her, I slipped onto the stool beside her, watched her push away from me, as if I had some awful disease that she would catch. I closed my eyes and played the song carefully, barely touching the keys, but hitting the right note each time. She watched awe- struck as I played the whole thing from memory, and it is a long song too. Sitting there, playing this, I was reminded of when her father would play it. The day he sealed me away in the basement, he played it after I was permanently bound to that wall. My thoughts were cut short as I felt the weight on my shoulders grow a bit heavier. She was leaning against me. Strange as it was, I ignored it and continued to play. Walter must have heard the whole song being played perfectly and come to congratulate her, because he came up clapping, then saw that it was me playing it with her against me. He stopped and she sat up and straightened out her dress.
"Thank you for showing me, now...please leave."
"As you wish."
Standing, I patted her head and left her, leaving the same way I had come. She watched me slide through the wall and I heard her trying to explain the situation to Walter, but faltering in her choice of words.
"He was merely showing me what it was supposed to sound like."
"One of these days, he may show you more than you want little one. Now come down to the kitchen with me for a moment."
Birthdays were never my thing, and after a few years, she began to resent them. Sadly, the day she died was her birthday, I've never known anyone to die on the day that they were born. I miss her, but these days it's almost like she has been brought back. Her sister as been through hell because of me, but then again, it is to be expected. As it is, I'm the loyal dog for the Hellsing family.
She's playing the song badly, but it seems that she has heard it, and knows how it goes. Maybe it's time to teach her as I taught her sister. She's worse than Integra, much worse. Standing behind her, I wonder if she knows I'm there. The same movements as before, touching her neck, though the history with this one is a little different than the first one. She pushes against my hand, and I slide my hands over hers. She's nervous, but she allows me to guide her hands to the right keys, I have to kneel there to do this, she's so small compared to myself. Her hair is up, her neck is bare, and though it does me no good to bleed her, it would be nice not to be turned down.
I'm guiding her hands, but my eyes aren't anywhere close to the keys, or her neck. It's my turn to lean; my head is against her back, my hands over hers. She stops and turns to me, though her turning surprises me, and I stumble backwards. She's so close in image to her sister that it isn't even funny, though the difference in mind is just as startling. She's touching me; her hands are soft against my head.
"Alucard, you messed up, we shouldn't...this should stay professional."
"You disappoint me, master."
"Lord, stop calling me that. Valerie is fine."
"Then we are not professional, my dear."
"I'm not your dear."
"Is that so?"
I'm testing my boundaries, I've done it before but the reception was a bit different. I grabbed her, hands on her waist and pulled her off that stool and onto my lap. She fights, but not enough to get any result. She knows I can't hurt her, but I can play with her. She seems content, but I doubt she'll let me know that.