Chapter Ten
"And I'm supposed to get up there, how exactly?"
Alucard charmed grin made Aline's arms uncurl.
"I will hang halfway, take your hand when you reach me. Window ledges, drainpipes, fire escape stairs?"
His last suggestion went very appreciated.
"I'll take those, easy way up..."
She pretended to walk off, turning soon afterwards.
"Non, where would be the fun?"
She fluttered eyelashes, laughing at herself, her gall. Looking up, she located window sills, fingers gripping them, similar to rock climbing, not quite as perilous, nothing sharp jutted out.
Being hauled up four floors was amusing at best, flailing around like fish out of water at worst...
Learning to hunt was grim, Aline expecting little else, murder wasn't ever something she considered entertaining. Doing so was necessary, citizens vulnerable to being slaughter en masse meant two options, kill the creatures, or watch mindless slaughter. She panicked when her charges saw her, hoping they knew she was truthful when she said she wouldn't harm any of them, that Alucard wouldn't. The hideout hadn't been compromised, now that two creatures of the undead resided alongside them.
They relocated residents, city ten miles from Castlevania, jobs non-existent, social life abandoned for fear of permanent sleep, wrapping its limbs, blanketing them. Their homes crumbled, damp permeating walls, wood splintering, home supposedly where the heart was. Their hearts lay beneath needles, slightest movement triggering abrupt ending of life in Castlevania, signalling much needed move.
Learning to curb hunger made her less than sociable, limit herself to two to three cups of blood, one beast provided four glasses.
Two for her, two for Alucard, denying him wasn't ever an option...
Aline grew curious over next few months, increasingly itching, fingers curling, need to be with Alucard stronger than ever. She wasn't interested in men, matters of the heart, sex for the sake of it wasn't for her. In the entirety of her hundred-five years, she had been in one relationship. slept with one man, and occasionally found herself among the wreckage that were her dalliances.
She didn't need to cross her legs when viewing males of the species, nor did she feel urge to scratch itch. Her heart didn't thrum, she couldn't find it within herself to bother with looking 'pretty,' her focus was learning how to fight, defend, preserve her own honour, relying off parent's no longer.
Constantine knew he wouldn't be a Grandfather, mere fact he was able to be a Father enough for him. Aline couldn't provide grandchildren, hitting menopause at forty-eight, quashing any chance.
Being dead wasn't the issue, peculiarly enough...
Still, Aline felt somewhat obligated to try and find 'mate', companion, someone who knew what they were doing, at least. She had standards, unreachable, no, but they would have to stretch in order to see what was under her clothing.
She found one, elegant, confident, zealous, gent, personable. She wished to prove (to herself) that she deserved someone as exemplaire as he...
Aline played a trick, cruel, her stomach thundering, pulled two directions, discomfort ignored valiantly.
She scaled walls, Alucard following, knowing where she would lead him, eagerly trailing her. She'd cut forearm, ceasing 'chase' to let him lick it up. Shivering, it took patience to keep herself from conveniently finding his chest, map peculiar scarring on abdominal muscles, nails filed down enough to tease pain, scratching dominant, daring. More than once, she bit hole in bottom lip, yelping, fangs growing by the week, small, compared to Alucard's, minuscule, compared to Dracula's.
He went along with this, tasting metal, also something else on her tongue.
He may have kept to his own company for millennia, seeking himself rare, guilt mixed with loathing, pleasure tainted, confusing concoction whispering defiant insults right into his ear when it was over.
However, he gleaned repressed needs, sugarcoated saliva, blood nectarous, swallowing it increasingly shooting radiant heat through him, irises pools of liquid gold Aline wished to drown in.
He ought to pull back, traipse toward castle, tail between his legs, not the only thing.
Biting back shame, his feet brought him to her apartment, moment door was closed, he bit her wrist, placid disposition withering upon the woman's voice hitching, awakening primal instincts in both.
Carried away, too far past line for her to stop, Aline shrugged off Alucard's jacket, bloodied arm healing quickly, errant drips lapped up, as fabric hit the floor. Digits honed in on muscle, sinuous divots between ribs, jagged, puffed up skin covering vital organs. She considered asking, thought whisked away when he kissed her, having nimbly found shirt buttons, his pristine porcelain skin on her back, painting vertical lines of possession in skin, plea for contact.
Aline's hands possessed him, belt buckle undone, pawing at his hips, blooming fresh blood. She let him know how she felt, vocalising, praising him.
Alucard was hesitant to open his mouth, quiet, partially to hear his love, the rest suddenly terrified, watching her fall to her knees unceremoniously, glowing crimson irises...
Alucard froze, disconnect between mind and body. He managed to move away, pull Aline up, chin remaining on her head, index finger and thumb tracing jaw. He couldn't look at her.
Confused, she looked into her wall mirror, seeing nothing looking back.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Mouth slanted, her companion's stomach sunk as opalescent green eyes showed sadness.
"Your eyes were red."
"Is that a bad thing?" Pumped up, Aline tried calming herself, ponder what happened, what went wrong.
Truth hitting her like a runaway train, she slowly moved away, head in hands.
"I misread this. Dieu...I'm sorry. I'm keyed up, that masqueraded as the hunger I feel smelling blood. It wasn't what I felt, I promise. Its, its been so long, I judged the situation completely wrong. You're being sweet..."
"...when you wanted more. No, I am sorry, Aline. I simply can't. I, fear how I will react. Harming you would destroy me."
Clenching fists, Aline left embrace, seething, biting cheek.
"You're angry."
"At myself." She looked out the window, hopelessly losing her way. "Its been that long since I wanted to do something like this that, apparently, I..."
Alucard's eyebrows lowered.
"I felt joy, something I've neglected to let myself grasp for decades. I lost my nerve."
Aline berated herself, huffing.
"I took it."
Her lover's face contorted, upper half telling her he was frustrated that he was interested, body now unwilling to perform, lower half telling her he hated his own form for participating, then retreating, caged, cornered animal.
"I can't. My body no longer reacts to intimacy. My mind fully wants this, my body disagrees."
"My body wants this, my mind is unsure."
Aline braved step towards him, leaning back on table.
"Its alright. Can we try again? Slow," she clarified, offering supportive smile, "slower."
Golden eyes stole her thunder, glad she held onto chair, fingers possibly about to break the wood...
"Yes." He took her hand, Aline's reaction crushing him, fist through his gut, squeezing his stomach.
She shuddered, hesitance splintering wood, hand bleeding, going unnoticed.
"This is too much. I need to be alone." Retrieving hands, she headed for the bathroom. "I can't promise you I will keep stopping myself. I am torn, between wanting to love you and needing too. I have hands, its fine."
Words caustic, acerbic, too strong, Alucard swallowed, meandering mind working up storm of entirely different kind.
Again, he reacted, her words coursing, thrumming blood, hissing, coiled up snake riled.
He had no right to watch her undress, cleaning her hand. He stayed until he either marched in there, neither in correct state of mind for any interaction, let alone intimate, or marched out of her home, cowardice making feet sprint.
It wouldn't be intimate, his brain quipped, it would be for need, plain and simple. That's what she wants, you don't. Leave.
He did so, slipping out of her apartment mistake, taking up left portion of scale, regret the other.
Tangled up in web of desire, unwilling to let her fall unless she made it so, Aline teared up, forgoing washing just yet, merely gluing hand to door, drawing random things as Alucard clouded her mind, willing her to fall. The shower space wasn't big enough for her to injure herself, were she to let go, everything trembling uncontrollably.
She tried to understand his view, see it from his perspective. Were he able to perform, would he even want too, or would it be for her?
It would be for her. She wanted to disregard that, truth bitter, deviancy out in full force.
Her benefit outweighed his compassion. She wanted to be pleased, hedonist in essence, though she wanted to please, return affection tenfold, have other participant's needs met each time they met, regardless of whatever that may be. Kissing, cuddling, massaging, watching old films, hand holding, siting next to one another.
Sustained avoidance of self-gratification showed, mannerisms scattered, pleasantries cast aside, for conveniently dropping something, so she'd have to bend to pick it up. Base, obvious, she didn't care, age teaching her that being coy was pointless.
She straight up asked, worst thing to happen was she was told, 'no.'
She had herself, decades to understand, learn, digits placing themselves, brain automatically searching, roaming, multiple where she sought attention.
It wasn't lasting, it never was. It was prolonged, however, until she couldn't take any more, slightest twitch profuse frissons.
Reddened skin was sensitive, stood under warm water too long, scratchy towel unyielding.
At least she felt more at ease, anxiety fading with time.
She could only imagine how Alucard felt, confused, isolated, numb.
She hoped he somehow found being, peace with himself.
In his own time...