Confidant
Disclaimer: Castlevania belongs to Konami, not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.
Rating: PG-13
Part: Three of four
Authoress Note: sooooo, I fancied playing with this a bit more.
Italics = thoughts and flashbacks
Chapter Three
Work Text:
"I can't believe you've never had pancakes before," Soma said, wondering if he should attempt to flip the fluffy cake he was currently cooking. He ultimately decided against it. If he pulled it off, it would be exceptional but the idea of screwing it up made him cringe with potential future embarrassment.
"This is not necessary. I rarely bother with breakfast."
"Yeah, you look like someone who lives off coffee and cigarettes." Soma felt his stomach go tight at the thought of Genya not taking proper care of himself.
This, Soma decided, was perhaps the most unexpected aspect of being Dracula's reincarnation. He had expected powers, voices, an unspeakable urge to rend the world asunder, and what he was getting instead was panic attacks and a building desire to feed Genya. Feed him, stop him smoking and maybe get him some sun. The man looked like a ghost Skellington. Compassion and affection were not things Soma had expected to experience in his position, especially compassion for Genya, the man most likely to win a gold medal in the Don't-Talk-To-Me Olympics.
"It's on fire." Genya snapped Soma out of his distraction.
"What! No, it isn't." Soma immediately pulled the pan off the heat and flipped the pancake. It was not on fire, it was only slightly singed at the edges, maybe a bit in the middle as well. With a huff, Soma put the slightly burned pancake on a plate, burnt side down, and handed it to Genya, who was smugly sipping coffee at the breakfast nook. Soma started on his pancake.
"It's bland," Genya said after a moment. Soma glanced at him to see him picking at the cake.
"You're supposed to put toppings on it, syrup or honey or something." Bland was better than burnt, but Soma could still feel the flush heating his face. He finished off cooking his pancake and watched as Genya, who had somehow produced honey, tip the entire jar over his plate. "What the hell!" Soma snapped.
"What?" Genya looked at him, his face remarkably blank. Soma frowned and went to the open cupboard. It was full of sugars. Jars of honey, chocolate, candied fruits, and cakes filled the shelves.
"You're going to get diabetes," Soma said, trying to crush the spike of concerned anger that jolted up his spine.
"I like sweet," Genya said, his pancake blooped, a bubble escaping from underneath the cake.
"How are you not dead?" Soma snapped, as Genya ate his honey soup with pancake croutons. "You smoke like a chimney and eat entire jars of honey; you should be dead, or at least not so scrawny."
Genya just looked at him, finishing his 'breakfast' with slow, deliberate movements.
"You need vegetables." Genya's flinch was there and gone in a second, but Soma noticed it. "You're going to get scurvy."
"Highly doubtful." Genya went back to finishing his coffee. Soma was about to argue, but Genya's phone rang and the man-made his escape to answer it.
Soma couldn't hear exactly what was said in the brief call, but he caught the odd word while finishing his pancake. It sounded like something somewhere had gone wrong. He put his, and Genya's, plates in the sink and went into the living room as Genya hung up.
"You're going out?" he said.
"You can stay here," Genya said. "I won't be long. When I come back, we can sort out arrangements for you staying here for a time."
"What's happened?" Soma asked. Genya said nothing. Soma sighed loudly, folded his arms across his chest, and put himself in the doorway. Short of shoving him aside, Genya would have to speak to him.
"Nothing for you to concern yourself with. Step aside." Soma said nothing. "Now."
"I could use some fresh air," Soma said. "I'll come along." Genya snorted.
"No, stay here. I'll be back soon." With that, he gently shouldered Soma out of the way and was out the front door in moments.
Soma stood in place for a second. He was used to Genya not telling him things. Genya was a secret agent. The man lived and breathed secrets. But something in the pit of his stomach and deep in his chest tightened and twisted at being kept in the dark. The same something that had clenched when he saw Genya smoking, and again when he saw Genya lived off snack foods and sugar. Soma took a deep breath.
"Ok," he said to himself. "Ok." For a moment, he wondered if staying here with Genya was a wise idea. He had come here knowing Genya would understand his situation, was least likely to freak out. But honestly, while Genya seemed to 'get' whatever he was going through, he was also making it worse. Normally, the odd little emotional spasms and stray thoughts happened once in a blue moon, but since walking in here, they'd hardly stopped. Whatever it was that Genya was, it was making the part of Soma that was also Dracula react.
"At least we're not burning down villages," Soma said, his attempt at humour falling flat. "We're just worried about someone we hardly know's eating habits." He snorted at that. It was typical, he didn't get awesome powers or the sudden injection of 'cool'. He got anxiety, anxiety about someone who he'd maybe shared a dozen words with before last night.
He could leave, Soma realised. But Genya would come for him. Genya knew something was wrong with Soma now. He wouldn't let it slide. Besides, Soma didn't want to leave. At least he didn't think he wanted to leave. The part of him that was Dracula was usually so unfocused but alien, clearly distinct from his thoughts and emotions; yet these last few hours, it had become highly focused and far less separate.
"Fine, we stay and wait," Soma said, just to hear something other than his increasing breathing. But why was Genya keeping him out of the loop? Where had he gone that he couldn't tell Soma? If it was just an office thing, why not say? Because it wasn't an office thing. His tone on the call had been clipped, short and sharp. Something was wrong somewhere, wrong enough that they had called Genya to fix it. Something was wrong. Something was wrong. Wrong.
Soma was out the door before he realised that he had decided to follow Genya. Anger not his own bubbled up in his gut like acidic lava, drowning the panic. But not before the idea of flames crossed Soma's mind in beautiful crystal HD colour. He reached the car park and jumped onto his shitty moped. Noting that Genya's black, fancy looking car was still in its parking space. He turned the engine over and realised he had no clue where Genya had gone. He fought the desire to head up to street level and just drive and instead pulled out his phone. It didn't work down here. Once on street level, it did though, and Soma called Julius. The Belmont would be mixed up in this somehow.
"Soma, now's not a great time," Julius huffed. Soma could smell smoke.
"Where's Adrain!"
"What? You're breaking up Soma, can I call you back?"
"Where are you?" Soma snarled.
"Why are you so angry?"
"I don't know!" Soma said. Soma took a deliberate breath, letting himself feel the air, cool and somehow blood-soaked. His heart hammered in his chest and everything felt boiling, like if water touched him, it would turn to steam instantly.
"Look, I have to go. Call you later." Julius hung up and Soma threw his phone to the ground. The screen shattered. He revved his engine and started driving, turning on a whim and heading back the way he had come after a moment. The moped was slow, at least slower than Soma felt he should be able to go. He felt a pull at the crossroads and took a left, something was pulling him towards the docklands. Not questioning it, Soma went.
When he arrived, two buildings were on fire.
"Soma!" Julius yelled; Soma turned to the left, seeing Julius looking at him incredulously. "What the hell are you doing here? Go home."
"Where's Adr… Genya? I know he's here."
"He's inside." Julius gestured to one of the burning buildings. Soma instantly turned to go inside, but Julius' hand on his shoulder stopped him. Rage, so pure it turned Soma's vision white and drove him to his knees, lanced through him. The Belmont had dared to put a hand on him. "Calm down," Julius said. "He's just mopping up any stragglers.
"It's on fire," Soma said through his teeth. His stomach twisted so hard that he retched.
"Soma, what on earth is wrong with you?" Julius came to his knees next to him.
Above them, glass broke, and a man jumped through the window, followed rapidly by a very big dog. Soma blinked tears out of his eyes and reached for a weapon, but he was unarmed. Where was his sword? Wait, why would he have a sword? He looked up as Julius rose to his feet, groaning as he did so. The whip in his hand lashed out and what Soma had thought was a man burned with blue flames.
"That the last of them?" Julius said. There was a rumble from the wolf.
As the humanoid demon crumbled to ash, Soma saw the wolf behind it. The wolf's black and yellow eyes met his and widened. The beast leapt forward, and Soma tried to move back and forwards at the same time. Both were naturally afraid of the enormous beast when he was unarmed and desperate to touch it, to bury his fingers in white fur. He was ok, Adrian was ok.
But when the wolf landed in front of him it was a man again, a very exasperated looking Genya.
"I told you to stay behind," Genya snapped, pulling Soma to his feet. Soma's head swam at being pulled upright so suddenly, and the bile in his stomach rose. He went to his knees again and brought up the pancake.
"Something is wrong with the kid," he heard Julius say as a cool hand settled on the back of his neck. "Called me a few minutes ago screaming something, then just turns up here looking ready to beat the snot out of everyone."
"It's my fault," Genya said. "I think I frustrate him." Julius snorted.
"You frustrate everyone."
Soma, through his surge of self-pity, felt a spark of anger again. He looked up at Julius.
"I think I better take him home," Genya said abruptly. "He's not well."
"You sure?" Julius said. "I mean, I can take him if you like. You can finish up here." Genya shook his head. "Well, look at you," he nudged Genya's shoulder. "See, Yoko was right, you just need to try a bit more and boom, we'll have you being a social butterfly in no time."
"I highly doubt that," Genya said. "Soma, do you think you can stand?"
"I'm fine." Soma stumbled to his feet, edging away from the mess. "I'll be fine, I don't know what happ—"
"I can call a taxi if you need one, but your bike," Genya gestured to the moped.
"I can walk," Soma said. Genya looked at him for a long moment. Soma wrapped his arms around his midriff.
"Get a taxi," Julius said. "I'll give Hammer a call and get him to come to help me. He'll bring his truck. We'll drop the bike off."
"I said I'm fine." Soma said, but the world spun, and suddenly powerful arms were helping him sit down.
Before long, the docks were full of people fighting the fires and asking questions. Fortunately, Genya was good at keeping them the hell away from Soma and was brutal enough that, after a few questions, people just walked away.
"The benefits of being an asshole," Soma tried to joke when Genya came back to him and helped him to his feet.
"Nonsense," Genya said. "I merely advised them to speak with my superior."
"Benefits of being a super-secret agent, then. Government spy."
"Also nonsense." Genya helped Soma into the waiting taxi. Once inside, Genya came and sat next to him, and the car pulled slowly away. "Are you going to tell me what possessed you to follow me?" Genya said.
"I was worried."
"Perhaps the most nonsense thing you've said all day," Genya huffed. "Julius was more than capable of handling the situation. The agency was being overcautious. Now what possessed you?"
"Possessed," Soma said. "Funny word." Genya frowned at him. "I'm teasing. I honestly don't know. I just got so angry and I couldn't stay put. I think I yelled at Julius on the phone before I smashed it. Then I just came here. By the time I got here… the fire and I got so mad I felt sick and, well, you saw the result."
"You threw up because you were angry?"
"Not just angry, like so angry. I can't think of words strong enough for it. I felt like my blood was on fire."
"Who were you angry at?"
"No-one, everyone, I don't know." Soma shrugged, not meeting Genya's eyes.
"You knew to come here?" Genya said. "Did Julius tell you?"
"I don't think so. I just felt like this was the right direction and boom, here I am, puking on your crime scene."
"Hardly a crime scene," Genya muttered. "Just a few cultists lingering." Soma glanced at the driver and saw his eyebrows raise in the rear-view mirror.
"Oh," he said. "Wait, you mean as in… his cultists?"
"I didn't stop to ask." Genya was smirking.
"What are you smirking about?" Soma huffed, his throat still burning from the stomach acid. The taxi pulled up. Genya paid the driver and helped Soma inside the building and up to the flat.
"He could always find me," Genya said softly once they were inside. "I never questioned how he did it."
"You knew him." Genya nodded. "You know that's freaking weird, right?" Genya said nothing. "But not weirder than you going wolf mode earlier. Cool though, can you do it again?"
"I can, but I am not a performing monkey." Genya huffed, sitting Soma on the sofa before disappearing into the kitchen, returning with a glass of water.
"Oh go on, please, I didn't get to see properly before."
"No."
End Chapter Three
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