[Originally written and published: January 2019. Cross-posted from AO3 to FF dot net: October 2022]
A/N: A fic I wrote as part of a rather-extensive AU I worked on with someone I'm no longer on speaking terms with. Most if it has been either scrubbed from the internet by that other party or was never shared publicly in the first place, however this piece remains, as it was written solely by me. For the TL;DR version, Richter was rendered immortal by the events of Symphony of the Night, and survived right through to the era of the Sorrow games, whereupon he reunites with Alucard. This fic takes place immediately following that reunion - Richtercard ahead.
The title is taken from the from 'I Wanna Be Yours' by punk famous poet John Cooper Clarke. The song adaptation by Arctic Monkeys is quoted directly in the fic.
I wanna be your raincoat
For those frequent rainy days
I wanna be your dreamboat
When you want to sail away
Let me be your teddy bear
Take me with you anywhere
I don't care
I wanna be yours
The music hummed low from the old beat up stereo, the morning sun rose gently over the horizon, and the quiet breathing to his side reminded him that this was real.
He was here, and he was real, and he was by his side.
Every so often he'd look away from the vast empty road ahead just to sneak a glance at the man beside him, just to make sure that he wasn't the half-formed dream of someone who'd been driving for far too long.
But there he was, arms crossed, head lax, softly sleeping, flesh, and blood, and real , in the passenger's seat next to him.
He was real, and he was driving him home, to his apartment, their apartment, where they could be together.
Alucard's grip on the steering wheeling tightened. He was so worried that if he lost focus he'd wake up and it would all turn out to have been nothing more than a wonderful dream.
This couldn't be real.
He'd had more than two hundred years to come to terms with his grief, his sorrow, his loss, centuries to accept the fact that he'd never see him again, but then they found him alive, and they saved him, and there he was, by his side.
He remembered when he'd heard his voice again for the first time in all those years; weak, and desperate, and begging for solace.
"Alucard…"
He couldn't believe it, hadn't believed it; it had to be a trick, an illusion - it wouldn't be the first time.
"Stay back, demon! You can't fool me! I know what you are!"
"Alucard, please…"
"You're not real!"
But he had been real. And he'd almost lost him, so soon after finding him again, because of his own doubts. But it was okay now, he was okay, and he was here, sleeping mere inches away from him, and he was real.
"Richter!"
He was real.
"Alucard, oh god, I'd missed you so much, I wanted to find you, I really did, but I couldn't, and I-"
"It's okay now, you're here, I'm here, we're okay. I missed you too."
"Alucard... Alucard…"
"Alucard?"
Alucard jolted slightly at the sudden voice. It was groggy, and confused, and so painfully him.
He took a quick look at the man next to him, who was sitting up, and blinking the sleep out of his eyes.
"Hmm…. what time is it?" he yawned.
"It's about seven in the morning," he responded calmly, still so fearful of the illusion being shattered.
"Damn, and we're still in the middle of nowhere? That Cruz kid was right, we should've taken the plane."
"Patience is a virtue, Richter."
"I guess so. Especially when you've got all the time in the world..." His tone was melancholy, but not necessarily bitter. It betrayed something of a world-weariness, the type that only came with age.
A weighty silence hung between the two of them for a moment, before Richter spoke once more.
"I still can't believe this is real…"
"Me neither," Alucard responded, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he even had time to think.
Richter leaned his hand against his cheek, and rested his arm against the window, staring out at the quiet countryside that passed by them.
"I never thought I'd see you again. I was so convinced that I couldn't see you again," Richter said, hoarsely. "...Not a day went by where I didn't think about you, although… I was worried that you'd forgotten about me."
"Never, Richter. Who could forget you?"
The silence was answer enough. Richter had always feared being forgotten, it was one of the things that had first driven him to madness, and evidently, over the past two centuries, that hadn't changed.
Richter had been alone, and he had been suffering. He'd been trying to act like things were fine since their reunion, but his smiles had been more forced than Alucard remembered, his eyes much more tired.
Richter was hurting, and Alucard wanted to fix him, but he wasn't sure if he knew how. He'd never been good with matters of the heart.
"The black suits you."
The intrusion was sudden, and caused Alucard to make a questioning noise.
"Your hair… it suits you. You look… good..." Richter admitted, shyly.
Alucard's cheeks glowed with a pink tinge, that stood out against his inhumanly pale skin. "...I'm glad you like it."
Richter hummed in agreement, his fingers tapping idly against the glass.
He just complimented you! Say something, anything, you idiot!
"...You look good too."
"...Thanks."
That was the best you could come up with? Yoko's right about you - you're about as affectionate as a plank of wood.
Richter looked different than he had when they'd last seen each other - different than how he appeared in your dreams on those quiet, lonely nights when your mind wandered - of course he did, it had been 230 years after all.
The tussles of brown curls were shorter than they had been when they'd first met in Castlevania, but longer than they had been when he'd emerged out of bathouse on a stormy night, Maxim's Stellar Sword in hand, his hair unneatly cut in one fell swoop, ranting about how that "damned priest" couldn't control him anymore.
He hadn't physically aged, but he did have a few stress lines, as well as bags under his eyes, and sun-kissed freckles dotting his nose.
He was beautiful.
He was beautiful, and Alucard wished he could find the words to express to him just how strongly he felt about him.
They drove along in silence for a while, Richter with a thoughtful, pensive, expression on his face, before he broke the spell with a small voice, so quiet that Alucard had to strain to hear it.
"I dreamt of you. Almost every night - I'd see you there, standing, just as I remembered you. You'd have your back to me, and I'd run towards you, calling out your name, begging that you'd turn around, pleading that you'd let me into your arms, but no matter how much I ran you'd just be out of reach and then… then you'd be gone."
"Richter… I…"
He couldn't find the words.
Richter sighed, before continuing.
"I knew you were still out there, somewhere. You had to be. A part of me screamed go find him! Go find him! Then you won't have to be alone anymore … but I just couldn't. I couldn't bring you down with me."
A silence hung between them, suffocating the air.
"I did see you, once."
Alucard perked up.
"When?"
"The Demon Castle War. I… I was there, in the shadows. How could I not be? Even with the curse, I couldn't stand by and do nothing, I had to help. I saw you with Julius. You… you were fighting Carmilla… you… you were magnificent. I wanted you, I wanted you more than anything. But I ran. Like a coward."
"You're not a coward," the response was immediate, "You went through so much, too much . Any other man would have given up long ago…. The fact that you didn't…. It makes you the bravest man I've ever met."
Richter looked down, visibly ashamed. "I'm not brave - a man who lets the darkness control him is not brave, or heroic, or worthy of anyone's attention, or admiration, or…" he trailed off.
"You are a hero, Richter." It was blunt, it was true.
"No I'm not…. You're the hero, Alucard. You're always the one saving me." He chuckled, but it was humorless.
"...you're the one who saved me Richter, in more ways than you can image." His voice was shaky, the emotion palpable.
Alucard composed himself before continuing.
"When you disappeared… it was as though I had lost a part of myself. I didn't realise just how much you meant to me until you were gone. When I saw you again after all that time, I couldn't believe that you were real. I've been tricked before; zombies, illusions, dreams…. I thought that you were just another fake..."
"Don't you dare use his form!"
"Alucard, it's really me!"
"Don't you dare!"
"...but you were real , and you were alive , but then I almost lost you all over again.. and finding you, only to lose you forever? I don't know if I would have been able to handle that…." His tone was solemn and forlorn, but also so desperately devoted , two hundred years of grief and hope laid bare in every word.
Richter stared at him in wonder, his eyes glistening. The words escaped his lips before he could even stop them.
"Do you love me?"
There it was; the question that had been looming over them, but that neither one had dared to ask.
"Yes."
The reply was curt, quiet, and made Richter's heart race.
I love him… and he loves me… I have no excuse not to say it now. What I've been holding in my heart for all these years… Practically since the day we met..
"I love you too, Alucard."
Alucard knew it was coming, but still had to compose himself at those words, at how raw and earnest they sounded. The words he'd wanted to hear for so long, the words he'd been so afraid of, the words he thought he'd been too late to say.
I love you I love you I love you I love you
"I love you."
And he smiled. A small, earnest, smile. And Richter smiled back, one of those brilliant smiles, all teeth and unbridled joy that only Richter could give.
The younger man started laughing, a hand to his forehead, tears pricking his eyes. "Oh god, we're the worst! If only we had've said that two centuries ago!"
But instead of laughing back, Alucard's face turned serious and pensive once more. "I lived with that regret every single day of my life… the regret that I never told you how I truly felt before I… lost you."
Richter's laughter subsided but the smile remained. "But I'm not lost anymore, Alucard. I… I'm here now, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared . I thought this would never happen, and I don't know how to deal with it. I don't know if I know how to be a real person again and not a shadow, running from his past, running from that damn castle . But you're here, and you love me, you really love me, and if we're together… I think it'll be okay…"
He went quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, his tone was downcast once more. "They're all gone, Alucard. Maria, Annette, Maxim, my Father… they're all gone. It's only me and you. The curse… they say it's gone... but I'm not so sure. I think it'll always be apart of me. Sometimes I feel so alone ... but you understand, Alucard. You understand how it feels in a way no one else can. We're both, in our own ways, cursed, but we both survive and fight , because even when we were alone, we had something to fight for. Be that a cause… or a person. I fought for my family, and for what was right, but I also fought for you . You gave me hope. And now that you're by my side... it's all I've ever wanted. They may be gone, and it may hurt like hell… but you're still here, and that's enough to keep me going. So what'dya say, Alucard?" He flashed another smile, albeit a much smaller one, "You and me, alone together. How about it?"
"...I'd say that if we're alone together, we aren't alone at all."
Richter's smile grew. "You're right. How could I be alone, if I have you?"
"You're not Richter, and you'll never be alone again, if I can help it. I'll fight for you. I've always fought for you. Never doubt that."
The two smiled; and for once there was no pain, no hurt, only love - the kind of love one waited centuries for.
Alucard finally reached a turn, and went to put his hand on the stick shift. Richter put his hand atop Alucard's and gave it a gentle squeeze, rubbing his thumb across Alucard's knuckles in soothing circles.
"Hey, Alucard."
"Hmm?"
"I forget.. how long till we get to your place again?"
"Oh, a good while yet. About a day if we take the shortest route."
"You know what? I'm fine with that. In fact…. What if we make this a little road trip? What if we take the scenic route?"
"Really?"
"More time alone with you can only be a good thing… love ."
Alucard turned flushed, embarrassed, before a coy smile appeared on his lips. "Oh, so has Richter Belmont finally learned patience?"
It was Richter's turn to be embarrassed. "H-hey, don't tease me!"
Alucard chuckled. "Don't worry, I find your occasional childishness positively charming."
"Well, if I managed to charm you, I must be doing something right…."
"You flattery is unnecessary... you've already charmed my heart. Although, I must ask... What happened to your complaining about this taking too long?"
"Hey, I've barely slept this entire week, forgive me if I was a little bit grumpy! Besides, I feel a lot better now that everything's out in the open, y'know? I don't feel like I have anything to hide. I feel like… I'm free. Like I can go anywhere, do anything."
The way Richter looked at Alucard, with nothing less than pure adoration, it made Alucard wonder... what had he done to deserve this?
At one point in his life, he felt like he deserved nothing close to love. It was why he'd sealed himself away so long… he thought that his bloodline, his fate, was cursed, and didn't want to risk getting attached to anyone, especially not Trevor, and Sypha, and Grant, not when he was destined to lose them, not when his mere presence would be like a target on their backs.
But… a lot of things changed after he met Richter. Dear, sweet, brave, kind Richter, who made him feel so young, who made him feel so happy.
Strong, noble, brave Richter, who understood his plight better than anyone. Who understood how it felt to live a cursed fate, and who looked at him not with fear, or pity, but with understanding , and love .
What had he done to deserve him ?
Richter should've been long dead…. But fate had decided to bring him back to his side, as though by some miracle. Fate had decided to give them eternity.
Seeing Richter, here, next to him, so close…
"You make me feel alive , Richter... I truly do love you. I always have."
"...Hearing you say that makes me feel like the luckiest guy in the world… for once I feel like… things are going to turn okay…"
Alucard didn't know how to respond in words. Instead, he pulled the car over to the side of the road, and twisted the keys. Richter looked at him in confusion as the car stopped, and went to say something, but stopped, frozen, when Alucard leaned in slowly, gently, tilting his head, lips parted slightly, and pulled Richter into a kiss he thought would never happen.
Richter was too stunned to respond at first, in sheer disbelief that this was real , this was actually happening, but shock quickly turned to elation, and he eagerly kissed back. It was passionate, heated even, but also gradual and experimental. There was no need for urgency. They had forever, after all.
When they finally pulled away softly, their faces were mere inches apart, features scarlett, Richter's eyes sparkling with sheer love.
"So what about it?" The brunette spoke after a moment of relaxed silence, voice low and husky, "How about we take a little road trip? Take it slow? See the sights? We have all the time in the world… why rush?"
Alucard pulled him in for another kiss.
"How's that for an answer?"
"I'd say that if you keep kissing me like that, we'll never get home. Not that I'm complaining. I've been waiting for so long… I want to do a hell of a lot more than kiss you."
"Not if you don't romance me first," Alucard responded wryly, although his sheepish features suggested a very different feeling.
"Oh, I haven't already?" Richter responded with feign offence. "Well, we'll have to fix that. Maybe tonight I'll serenade you with song under the moonlight… or poetry! Maybe some flowers?"
"I like the sound of that… scenic Froute it is, then." He turned the keys, starting up the exhaust again.
All the time in the world.. .
"Hey, Alucard?"
Alucard made a small sound in acknowledgement.
"How's this for romantic? I wanna be your vacuum cleaner, breathing in your dust, I wanna be your Ford Cortina, I will never rust …"
...why rush?
I wanna be your electric meter
I will not run out
I wanna be the electric heater
You'll get cold without
I wanna be your setting lotion
Hold your hair in deep devotion
Deep as the deep Atlantic ocean
That's how deep is my devotion
A/N: Here's hoping the Castlevania: Nocturne animated series revives the Richtercard fandom.
Reviews are always appreciated. Contact me on twitter or tumblr at sapphyreblayze.
